What a perfect summer romance book! This was such a fun read and it was just a great vacation read. Two people meeting on a cruise and falling in love what’s better than that! I absolutely loved the characters and really enjoyed the character development. It was fun, romantic, spicy and hilarious. I really did enjoy this book from cover to cover. If you enjoy a good summer romance I think this will be a perfect read. The narrators were also very good and enjoyed the pacing of the book and how the story unfolded and concluded.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the advance listeners copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

What a perfect summer read! This book is so fun from start to finish.

I absolutely LOVED the characters and their quirky natures. I enjoyed their getting together, and what kept them together. I liked how they bettered each other in the end—a sign of true soulmates.

The cruise ship was a fun backdrop for a romance novel, and I felt it was perfectly captured.

All the nuances of this story were great and fun to read, and the narrators did a fantastic job of bringing the story to life!

what a freaking joy this audiobook was. I was so invested in Hope and Felix. I was invested in their story and all the adventures they had on this cruise.
I've been itching for a cruise, and now i need to book one ASAP.
The narrators did a wonderful job, I truly felt immersed in the story and falling a little in love with both Hope and Felix.

I don’t really like how it started it since it was technically the middle of the book and then went back to the start of the actual story however it was over all well written and kept me wanting more.


The narrators did a fantastic job

I enjoyed the writing as the story was entertaining. Hope and Felix meet on a cruise and fall for each other. I did not always see their chemistry. There were points where it was there, and then it was not. I appreciated the little bit of spice, as it wasn’t over the top. The banter between Hope and Felix was great. The dual narration was perfect for this book. It was a bit too much insta-love for my taste and the ending was not quite there. I prefer things to seem realistic. With all that said, this was a fun summer read to listen to.

This was such a cute romcom! The first half felt like a very standard light, summery romance, but omg, the last half is an adventure! It got very real and emotional but so fun!

Hope and Felix meet on a cruise where sparks fly! They start a casual fling but things go awry. Then the real fun begins when they end up stranded after missing the ship at a port. I loved the way they had to work together and their hilarious banter!

The narrators of the audiobook were fantastic (I love a british accent so listening to Felix's pov was a treat!) I felt fully immersed in the story!

Total Dreamboat completely swept me off my feet—and listening to it as an audiobook made it all the more immersive. The narrator was fantastic, bringing so much personality and emotion to each character that I felt totally pulled into the story from the very first minute.

One of the things I loved most was how the book dropped us right into the middle of the story. It was such a clever and emotional hook—I was immediately invested and so eager to figure out what went wrong between these two characters. That slow unraveling, where the past catches up with the present, kept me fully engaged the whole time. It made every interaction between them feel loaded with tension, history, and heart.

Katelyn Doyle absolutely nailed the balance between romantic tension, vulnerability, and laugh-out-loud humor. The chemistry was undeniable, the banter was sharp, and the emotional beats hit me right in the heart. The characters felt real and relatable in the best way—messy, flawed, but deeply lovable.

This audiobook felt like a cozy, heartfelt escape. I was rooting for them the whole way through and didn’t want it to end. If you love second-chance romance, perfectly timed flashbacks, and characters who make you feel, this is one you don’t want to miss.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Flatiron Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an audio galley of this title to listen to and give my honest review .The opinions here are mine.
I recently listened to Doyle's Just Some Stupid Love Story and enjoyed it. I was excited to see she had a new title and I loved the idea of two people meeting on a cruise and having a fling that could turn to more. Close proximity is a fun trope!
I really enjoyed the female narrator for this book, Kelli Tager. I'd not listened to anything narrated by her before I she did the main character really well. As for the male narrator, Russ Bain, I really wanted to like him. I always feel like I'd love a British accent but, in all honesty, I just wasn't a huge fan. He was just ok for me. Not enough inflection or feeling in his narration. It fell flat for me and I didn't feel like he really was the character.
That being said, I did enjoy the story. I loved the baggage both Hope and Felix bring to the story. I found it quite easy to connect with their characters. Hope, being someone who couldn't find what she truly wanted for herself. Clinging to others to move her along rather than relying on her true self. And Felix with his addiction. This I really connected to having grown up in that environment. How he travels through his sober life and what that looks like. How hard it is. How he doesn't want to open up past that sobriety for fear it will push him over an edge and back to where he was before. I really felt that pain and how he'd worked so hard on his growth.
The romance was cute, even though it was quick. I get the time constraint seeing as they were on a cruise. So it had to happen fast. I feel like the connection could have been a bit deeper, this would have made the chemistry feel more believable.
I really enjoyed the side characters so much. The narrators gave then all their own unique personalities. I really enjoyed the relationship between Felix and his sisters, Pear and Pru. Lauren was a great friend, even if she did some things that were questionable. She did redeem herself overall.
I will say the miscommunication trope got a little old for me. I felt like we were running in circles a bit. When they resolved their first conflict about miscommunication they jumped right into another. I needed more growth from this. Why didn't they learn the lesson?
Despite those dips, the pacing held well. I wanted to keep listening to see how the story would resolve and I wasn't disappointed with where it went.
This one is a great summer read. It made me want to pack up and take a cruise (which I have never done). There's something about being on the water that is so romantic and soothing. If you're looking for a fun romantic read that dives into the world of recovery and self-exploration, pick this one up and give it a try!

Hope and Felix are just as cute as you might imagine. This book is sweet and funny and hopeful and real, and the dual narration of the audio is so much fun! The narration for Felix’s chapters were especially enjoyable.

What a delightful summer romance this one was! I loved sailing around the Caribbean with Hope and Felix, and I always love the American/British romance dynamic. This one made me giggle but was so sweet, too; it was spicy but managed to also be really hopeful and sweet.

This one also made me want to pack my bags for an adventure at sea, which I’ve never done but sounded like a great time!

Have you gone on a cruise or visited the Caribbean?

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc and alc.

I really enjoyed Just Some Stupid Love Story by Katelyn Doyle, so I was excited to be approved for this book. While her first book remains my favorite of hers, this book was so swoon worthy and fun it is hard to not fall head over heels for this book too! I also loved the narration by Kelli Tager and Russ Bain. Their voices were perfect together. Overall this book is super fun and the perfect book to pack in your beach bag this summer!

🎧 Title: Total Dreamboat-a standalone

✍🏾 Author: Katelyn Doyle-I read Just Some Stupid Love Story and gave it 4 ⭐

📅Publication date: 6-24-25| Read: 6-22-25

🗣️Narrators: Kelli Tager and Russ Bain voice all the characters with standouts from Hope, Lauren-great Southern accent, and Felix. The reading style brought the text to life, and the author and narrators worked together perfectly. The pacing and flow allowed me to get lost in the story. The narrators paused and announced new chapters and there was a table of contents which helped me follow along.

🏃🏾‍♀️‍➡️Run Time: 8:39

Genre:
* Rom-Com
* Adult Fic

Tropes:
*share 1-bed
*forced proximity
*insta-lust
*vacation/cruise ship romance
*miscommunication

👆🏾POV:1st person dual Hope and Felix

⚠️TW: alcoholism, recovery

🌎 Setting: NYC/London to The Caribbean

Summary: Hope is broken hearted after a recent breakup and hates her job. To cheer her up her BFF Lauren invites her to go on an all-expense paid Caribbean luxury cruise-The Romance of the Sea. Felix is a recovering alcoholic who takes his sobriety and work as a restaurant chef very seriously. His family sees how hard he works and surprise him with the same vacation cruise. When Hope and Felix meet, they are instantly attracted to each other and start a 10-day fling. They are accidentally left stranded in the Bahamas with no phones or identification, and they have to work together to get home.

👩🏾 Heroine: Hope Lanover-30's works in PR but wants to be a writer

👨🏾 Hero: Felix Segrave-32, British, 2 years sober

🎭 Other Characters:

* Hope's BFF- Lauren Rose Matheson, an influencer/was on a reality TV dating show
* Hope's ex-boyfriend-Gab Newhouse, broke up w/ her 8 months ago, on the same ship as Hope
* Felix's parents-Charles + Mary-a wealthy London couple
* Felix's sisters-Pear, Prue
* Hope's boss-Magda

🤔 My Thoughts: This was a great beach read that promoted self-improvement, recovery, and exploration. I didn't mind the miscommunication trope even though Felix acted a little pompous. Hope's ex Gab was just an annoying stalker who tried break her and Felix apart. Lauren and her Southern twang were adorable even though she caused Hope and Felix's 3rd act breakup. I loved that they took time separately to improve their lives before reuniting with a HEA.

Rating: 4/5 ✨
Spice level 4/5 🌶️ open door, explicit

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Katelyn Doyle for this ALC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

I found Total Dreamboat quite funny in the beginning. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough banter for my tastes to make up for Hope's best friend's influencer ickiness, Hope's ex's creepiness, or the rapid and extreme deterioration of Hope and Felix's vacation affair. My favorite romances/rom-coms include a lot of humor, characters I'm rooting for, and deep connections. I didn't feel deeply engaged here. I found Felix's sisters to be the most fun characters. The happily-ever-after is sufficiently satisfying.

Kelli Tager is at least a second-time narrator for me, while Russ Bain might be new to me. Both did a good job with their characters.

4⭐️ 1🌶️ 5🎧 This book had me laughing and damn near crying! I love cruising and jump at every chance to read a book about falling in love on a cruise!

Leo is a recovering alcoholic set in his routine and is afraid of anything that threatens his rhythm and sobriety. Hope is struggling after her last relationship ended unexpectedly and she feels like she is in a dead-end job with a terrible boss. They are in insta lust after a not-so-cute-but-equally-hilarious meeting at the buffet. This book through a couple twists at me that I was expecting and loved!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced listen!

Hope heads on a cruise ship vacation with her best friend. While there she meets Felix and the two start an adventurous ship romance.

This was such a good one! Here's what I loved:

Hope: She was such a great character. There was so much she was going through so much but kept an optimistic view. She also has so many of the same anxieties that I do which I connected with. Her humor also stood out for me. Really, she's one of my fave FMCs I've read in a while.

Felix: He was amazing. Same as with Hope, he has a lot of baggage but you find him endearing as you are reading the story. I wanted to see them come together finally.

The story: I really liked all of the crazy situations the characters get into. You get the feeling of being on the cruise ship and all of the excursions. I loved it all.

The narration: Kelli Tager and Russ Bain were amazing in this. They really embodied the characters and got me into the story.

All in all, this was such a good vacation romcom!

Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy!

This audiobook was a fun escape—like a vacation for your brain with a little extra drama thrown in.

Hope and Felix are both a bit of a mess (in a relatable way), and their cruise fling turned emotional adventure had just the right mix of charm, banter, and tropical chaos. The whole “stranded in paradise” plot was a little over the top, but honestly, that’s part of the fun.

The narration was solid and made the characters feel real, even when the story leaned into the cheesy side. It wasn’t groundbreaking, but it kept me entertained and smiling, which is exactly what I wanted.

Perfect for when you want something light, flirty, and just a little ridiculous—in the best way.

A tropical cruise that turns into a hilarious, heartwarming, totally chaotic romantic escape, yes please! Even better, that I'm going on a cruise next week! This was just the thing to get me ready!

Hope and Felix are two opposites thrown together on a cruise they didn't want to be on but the chemistry, the banter, and the forced proximity? Total perfection. The story takes you from awkward meet-cute to steamy detour in paradise, with laugh-out-loud moments and a healthy dose of personal growth.

I loved the story, it was unlike anything I've ever read before, and I loved the narrators in the audio version. I will definitely keep Katelyn Doyle on my radar

Stopppppp this was SO CUTE!! The banter and chemistry between Hope and Felix was incredible and I was laughing and kicking my feet throughout most of the story. Hope is exactly what I want to see in a main character and I loved how she respected herself enough to handle troublesome situations with grace and confidence. I'm not usually a fan of the miscommunication trope and I was immensely irritated with Felix at points, but I did understand why he seemed to be spiraling given what he's been through and the journey he was on. Recovery can be a sensitive topic and I think the author handled it very well. The narrators also did a fantastic job helping me feel truly immersed in the story and emotions of the characters. Overall a wonderful read!

Total Dreamboat by Katelyn Doyle is a wildly satisfying, sun-drenched romantic comedy that manages to be both hilarious and emotionally sincere. From the first page to the last, this book hooked me with its snappy dialogue, layered characters, and unexpected emotional weight. Thank you to Flatiron Books for the gifted copy—I’m so grateful I got to read this early—and to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC and ALC. And of course, thanks to GoodReads for calling this one a Total Dreamboat, because Felix Segrave absolutely lives up to the name.

Hope Lanover is a woman in freefall. Her long-term relationship just ended, her job is soul-crushing, and her creative spark is gone. When her influencer best friend drags her on a luxury Caribbean cruise—under the thin excuse of a vacation but really to scope out rich husbands—Hope figures she’ll sip cocktails, hide from the chaos of her life, and avoid eye contact with the crowd of wealthy retirees onboard. Enter Felix Segrave, British chef, control freak, and—unfortunately—also trapped on this ship. Felix doesn’t vacation. He’s sober, laser-focused on running his restaurant empire, and emotionally walled off. He only agreed to this trip because his family guilted him into it for their parents’ anniversary.

Hope and Felix’s chemistry is instant, undeniable, and fueled by equal parts attraction and sarcasm. What starts as a planned, no-strings ten-day fling quickly morphs into something deeper. But things spiral when old demons creep back—Hope’s insecurities, Felix’s sobriety struggles and trust issues, and a surprise appearance from Hope’s ex. Then the cruise takes a sharp turn: both of them end up missing the ship during a port excursion and are suddenly stranded together in paradise with no escape—and plenty of unresolved feelings.

Doyle plays with classic rom-com tropes—forced proximity, one bed, enemies-to-lovers energy—but what sets Total Dreamboat apart is how much emotional authenticity lives beneath the breezy surface. Hope isn’t just heartbroken; she’s deeply unsure of who she is and whether she still has the courage to pursue the life she once wanted. Felix isn’t just a grumpy Brit; he’s a recovering alcoholic who has worked hard to build a life worth living, but doesn’t know if there’s room in it for vulnerability or love. Their romance unfolds with tension and charm, but also the kind of hard-earned growth that makes the ending feel truly earned.

The audiobook is absolutely worth calling out. Kelli Tager and Russ Bain are fantastic. Tager captures Hope’s inner turmoil and humor perfectly, and Bain delivers a Felix who’s as brooding as he is quietly wounded. He’s got the accent, sure, but also the emotional depth that makes you root for him. Their performances enhance the chemistry and give the characters even more texture.

Side characters add even more richness—Felix’s sisters are sharp, warm, and funny; Hope’s best friend, while grating at first, evolves in a way that adds dimension to the story. The cruise ship itself is practically a character: buffets, karaoke nights, shuffleboard, endless drinks, and high-seas awkwardness all create a perfect rom-com playground. And while things do get chaotic (especially when they’re stranded together off-ship), the pacing never loses its grip. Doyle knows exactly when to throw a twist and when to let her characters breathe.

Is there a third-act breakup? Yes. Is there miscommunication? Absolutely. But for once, these choices feel organic. Hope and Felix both need to do some serious emotional work before they can actually choose each other. And that’s what makes their reunion feel so deeply satisfying. When they come back together, it’s not just because they miss each other—it’s because they’ve grown into the people who can finally show up for love.

I also want to say that this story isn’t afraid to let its characters be messy. They get things wrong. They lash out. They run. But they also reflect, repair, and reach for more. That’s what makes Total Dreamboat more than just another cruise ship fling—it’s a rom-com with heart, honesty, and just the right splash of chaos.

Katelyn Doyle, thank you for writing the kind of love story that doesn’t just give us heat and humor, but also healing. I adored Hope and Felix. I loved watching them try, fail, and try again. I laughed, I cringed, and yes, I got a little misty at the end. This book is a perfect summer read, but also a story with year-round resonance. If you’re looking for a rom-com that delivers both the swoons and the emotional payoff, Total Dreamboat is absolutely the one to grab.

I couldn’t put this down and easily finished this rom-com in a day! The top notch banter and dry humor had me kicking my feet and giggling the whole time. A cruise is the perfect backdrop for a summer romance. I loved the dual timelines; it’s one of my favorite tropes and it was done so well here. Felix and Hope were authentic and endearing. Their baggage and insecurities were relatable. I enjoyed both narrators. They were easy to listen to and understand, even at a faster speed if that is your thing. This has also forced proximity, miscommunication, and insta-love tropes.


Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

This book was FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!! I audibly laughed out loud, I felt the chemistry through the entire book and who doesn’t love a good cruise ship story! I am giving this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars and the ONLY reasons I am is because I absolutely LOATHE the ex to the point it was almost to much…like stalking her and basically trapping her on a cruise ship as a “grand gesture” after being a complete and utter a** and dumping her. How about stalker much and using your poor grandma in the scheme ?! How repulsive are you?!? 10/10 loathed him! Also, Felix just jumping to the conclusions about Hope without even asking her about the pictures or videos and not finding it suspicious that an anonymous number sent everything to him?!! Come on my guy you are better than that! I actually got so angry for Hope but I’m glad he realized what he did was wrong and realized the person he loves wouldn’t do something like that and isn’t that type of person. I absolutely love Hope honestly as a FMC, it’s hard for me to truly like them but I do love her! I loved the relationship she had with her best friend and Felix’s whole family. I even love her best friend’s new relationship. The ending had me swooning!!! Seriously the most well deserved 4.5/5 stars and can’t wait to read more by this author! I can’t forget either I loved the narrators, they were so great and truly made me enjoy listening to the book even more! Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen and review this book!!