What a cute and quirky romance! I absolutely adored the relationship between Felix and Hope — their connection really brought up the idea of fate and how sometimes the right person comes along when you least expect it.

The cruise ship setting was so refreshing and added something special to the story. It gave Felix and Hope’s relationship a kind of sterile environment where their connection could truly grow before the challenges of the real world came crashing in.

One of my favorite parts of this book was the underlying theme of self-discovery. I loved how it highlighted the importance of finding yourself and being happy with where you are in life before you’re ready to fully commit to someone else.

And I have to say, the mention of the Mary-Kate and Ashley movie Holiday in the Sun was EVERYTHING. You can bet that if I ever make it to Atlantis, I’ll be acting out that movie too!

I listened to the audiobook, which was done in dual narration, and I thought the narrators did a great job bringing Felix and Hope to life.

If you’re looking for a fun, feel-good romance with a sprinkle of nostalgia, this one’s worth checking out!

I LOVED this book. A common and beloved forced proximity vacation romance trope with a fun twist at sea! This is THE perfect pool or vacation read this year!

The ONLY remark I'll share - that I didn't post in my goodreads - is that I cringed every time she referred the the main male character as a "boy." The "i met a boy" line came off a little odd rather than the cute I think it was trying to achieve.

This book made me want to book a cruise. Hope and Felix are fun and feel like real people with real problems. I really enjoyed this audio.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC.

Total Dreamboat is a really fun summer rom-com for fans of forced proximity shenanigans.

Hope and Felix meet by chance while on a cruise with others, a cruise that they don't particularly want to be on. They are each running from something and realize that a fun summer fling might be just the thing that helps them feel better -- except SURPRISE -- feelings form.

While I enjoyed the book overall, it did take me quite a bit of time to get invested. I'd say the first 40-45% felt really drawn out and while I was intrigued, I just didn't care quite as much as I felt that I should have about everyone.

Once the pacing picked up though, I loved it. The central conflict between the leads was well written and realistic. So often in romcoms the drama feels forced and manufactured - but in Total Dreamboat their reactions and issues make sense and you know it's how something like that could realistically happen in real life.

I enjoyed the hijinks once we finally get to "present day" (where the book starts out before we hop back in time a bit) - the way they kept getting thrown together was so cute and fun.

Their relationship progresses naturally despite the accelerated relationship timeline due to the setting of the story. Given the background issues with abandonment and/or alcohol I felt like they acted in a way that normal people would in certain situations giving the book a little more realism to it.

I did listen to the audiobook vs physically read it - I liked both narrators although I did feel like she gave people British accents that didn't necessarily need one? Overall though both male/female narrators did a great job and the quality of the audio overall was great.

I do think I'll reread the ebook/physical book once it releases to see if any of my opinions change (I'm not great at listening to books for my first read through and generally tend to like them less when I do that)

3.5 stars rounded up. This is the sophomore novel of Katelyn Doyle, and last year I read and enjoyed her debut, Just Some Stupid Love Story, which I recommend you check out if you haven't already.

This was one of those books that started out strong at 5 stars for me but ended up more like 2 stars, which is why I averaged it to 3.5. The plot quickly reeled me in (pun intended) with its cruise ship tropical setting following the FMC Hope, who accompanies her influencer bff on the trip, and the MMC Felix, a British socialite vacationing with his parents and two sisters.

I enjoyed the funny and relatable character of Hope, as well as the initial development of her fling-turned-relationship with Felix. The supporting characters were also great. By the end, however, Felix was an ass, which he admitted, and I found myself rooting for Hope to not end up with him, which is the antithesis of what I want out of a romance novel.

Furthermore, there were a few plot points that did not ring true that one must ignore to enjoy this novel. For example, why Hope's influencer friend was specifically paid to review a cruise designated for senior citizens. The author says it is because she is trying to bag an older rich guy, but it does not really make sense from the perspective of the cruise line. Additionally (mini spoiler alert!), Hope would be barred from working part-time as a tutor on a tourist visa in England.

Regarding the audiobook specifically - I enjoyed the narration of Hope and Felix. However, I was very perplexed by the narration of Hope's parents, who are supposedly from Vermont. Their accent vacillated from British to what I presume was the narrator's suboptimal attempt at imitating a Boston Brahmin accent, which is a pet peeve of mine and detracted from my listening experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a fun listen! The dual narration was spot on for the characters and the chemistry was SO good!

Hope and her best friend, a social media influencer, have just boarded a luxury cruise ship. Still recovering from heartbreak, her friend thinks this is just what she needs…and maybe a ship fling. But, when that ship fling, Felix, and her continue to spend more and more time together they both start to feel something more. A little miscommunication, a lot of pining and so much tension. This book was the perfect summer romance listen!


Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Katelyn Doyle for the ALC. All opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, publishers and Katelyn Doyle for allowing me to review this AUDIO eARC in exchange for my honest review. First, I thought the narrators did an excellent job. I was hooked from the beginning! If youve ever been on a cruise or a tropical vacation like me, this book was right up. my alley! I finished this book in 2 days! I love Hope and I love Felix. They both felt very relatable and real. The story plot, the cruise, the supportive friend, miscommunication and character growth really were hitting points for me. This was a fast paced read which I appreciated because it kept you invested and interested! I would give anything to be on that cruise ship with Hope! I even laughed *** SPOILER*** when they were running for the cruise ship because its a pretty well known thing to happen on cruise ships! If youre close to call, you better be running! I gave this a 2 spice out of 5. And I give this a 4.75/5 stars. I loved this book so much that I also ordered a special edition done by Owlcrate! I cant wait to have my trophy! One of my fav audios this year!

This is the second book I have ate up by Ms. Katelyn Doyle. This fun read begins with our main girl, Hope, going on a luxury cruise (mostly for the retired crowd) with her influencer bestie, Lauren, after having gone through a particularly shitty break up. There she meets Felix, a hot, British chef who has the best sense of dry humor. Their connection, banter, and tension had me swooning. I loved seeing both Hope and Felix be vulnerable with each other, given they had a finite amount of time on the trip. Things did get a bit deeper after they debarked the bubble of their luxury cruise ship. Overall, this was a perfect summer beach read. It has all the right elements, a dreamy setting, lovable characters, spice, and heart!

The narrators did a great job bringing the narrative to life. They were engaging and kept the story fun. The only cringey thing was often times the accents of the female narrator were kind of a miss at times. I would not say that it made it a bad listen at all, it was just slightly off-putting.

Total Dreamboat was a very cute book set in the Caribbean. I’ve been on several cruises so I could totally relate to the story. I didn’t quite feel the love connection between the main characters, but it was fine enough. I recommend this book to any of my friends who like cute romantic stories. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to read Total Dreamboat!

4.25⭐️

A wonderfully charming love story to bring to the beach! You’ll love this book if you enjoy banter as foreplay (I literally LOLed a few times) and quirky romances with realistic roadblocks.

I listened to the audio for this one and I’m a little disappointed that I did. Total Dreamboat is told in duel narration and I did not love either narrator’s take the non-POV character, be it side- or opposing main. Duel narrators typically have some differences in side character interpretations, but I felt like they both had wildly different takes on the opposite main. I think this affected the emotional impact of some of the heavier scenes that span chapters because they didn’t always feel like the same characters.

However, the story is strong enough to push through and I had a really good time. This is a must read for all contemporary romance enjoyers this summer!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes:
* Lovers to enemies to lovers
* Meet cute on a cruise
* Meddling family and friend
* Fun summer romance
* Forced proximity in multiple instances
* Stranded together 😏
* Second (…and third) chance romance

I love the dual narrators, especially that Felix is an English accent. They both do well with all the voices.

How lucky is she to meet the son of a baronet! The beginning of this book is so fun and a fantasy of what many want to find on a cruise: a sexy chance encounter with someone that you can escape to enjoy fun in the sun…and under the covers at night 🤭

They escalate quickly and I’m here for the chemistry between them after a sweet date together. I was sooo glad it was mainly in his POV in that sexy accent. It’s especially emotional but fast since it’s his first time sober. They barely know each other but they’re rather candid and open with each other quickly.

What are the odds she runs into her ex on the same cruise?! I knew that it was a little TOO coincidental, so it seemed to add tension, but I’m not sure it was a good choice by the author. We already know it was a bad breakup, so for her to have to deal with him while trying to seek pleasure and fun with Felix was a little too much. And the other issues and conflicts they deal with halfway through would have been enough to cause that tension for the plot. The twist at the end made sense, but couldn’t Felix have found Lauren’s account on his own if he knew about them both? (Instastalking when first meeting someone is pretty common nowadays lol).

I did like how the book goes back and forth between the past when they first get on the cruise, and what happens when they get stuck after being left behind. It’s a good and humorous choice by the author to make this a fun summer rom com. The fact that they’re stuck together after such a problem of mistrust really set the tone for the plot for the second half of the book. They’re stuck together in such a beautiful and romantic location, and I really liked all the stops of the cruise because it reminded me of my own romantics cruises in the past. This time stranded together gives them a second chance and I really liked how they gave each other forgiveness and were willing to explore how well they worked together. His big jump to keep her was so sweet and romantic, it was spot-on for how their romance had started from the beginning. And I loved their HEA in the epilogue that they so deserved 🥰 This was such a fun summer read and I’m glad I got to listen to it in the audiobook option because it really added to my enjoyment!

I went into Total Dreamboat with zero expectations and enjoyed it so much! There's something about a romance at sea that is so irresistible to me. The chemistry between Hope and Felix felt natural and I enjoyed their banter. I've never heard of Katelyn Doyle before but am now excited to go back and read her first book. This is a fun summer read, especially if you're heading out on a cruise or visiting somewhere warm!

My Ratings:
🧍🏽‍♀️ 4/5 Characters
🌶️ 2.5/5 Spice
🎬 4/5 Ending
🧩 3.5/5 Plot
💫 4/5 Overall

Thank you to the publisher for an advance audiobook in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The cover and title didn't originally grab me, but after passing this book a few times, I read the description and thought oh this sounds like a good pallet cleanser. Well surprise....I loved it! I enjoy romance/chicklit, but sometimes find it all the same and get bored, but this one was refreshing. The characters, the plot, the relationships, both friendship and love.... Everything was good and sure it followed the romance novel timeline/theme, but felt different, more mature and real.
Katelyn Doyle writes great banter and character development. I laughed, I caught feelings. I thought the editing was perfect. There was enough description put into the plotline and characters that painted a picture without over excessive word vomit. Spice level was just right too for me. The mood was set, the chemistry felt and I didn't have to relive the same chain of events over and over.
The narrators did an awesome job too. Highly recommend the audiobook or if you want a cute, sweet, fun, at times serious romance read that will make you smile, this is an awesome choice.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the arc.

Hope has been through a bad break up and she's stuck in a low paying job she doesn't enjoy. When her influencer friend invites her on a free 10-day Caribbean cruise, she decides it'll be a nice break and opportunity to clear her head. Felix is a chef from London who joins his family on the cruise for his parent's 40th anniversary. The two meet on the first day at sea and it quickly develops into a fun vacation fling... until things go awry and they find themselves stranded together with no passports.

I read Katelyn Doyle's "Just Some Stupid Love Story" last year after grabbing it at the library on a whim and absolutely loved it, so I was excited when I found out she was coming out with another fun summer read this year. Without giving spoilers, I really enjoyed the way this story developed in the second half. It has a lot more depth than what I was expecting, and I appreciated that the story was just as much about each of them finding happiness for themselves as it was about them falling in love. The audiobook was also incredible! I thought the narration really added to the story.

This book was everything I needed it to be! I’ve found myself in a book slump - where nothing was hitting - and I was hoping to read/listen to something genuine that made me really feel something. Mission accomplished. This one made me feel ALL the things. And genuinely had me giggling out loud!

Total Dreamboat gave me actual butterflies throughout this book thanks to the banter and sharing of feelings between Felix and Hope. 🥰 They were absolutely adorable!!!! The spark between the two main characters really was palpable and felt so authentic. I just ate this Total Dreamboat up. Which, as I said, was the exact thing I desired. I just wanted a book to feel giddy about and to get lost in and this ABSOLUTELY delivered!!!

Another thing I loved? Any type of drama and/or third act breakup within felt deserved and realistic. The dialogue didn’t feel forced and each character voice felt unique. (Aside from the 👯‍♀️ which they were meant to feel homogeneous, I’m sure.) Speaking of the girls — I LOVED the relationships between Felix and his sisters. Their back-and-forth quips were some of the funniest parts of the book!!! (I’d sincerely love more books in this world to do with the sisters!)

I was so fortunate to listen to the ALC of Total Dreamboat thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio in exchange for my thoughts. Kelli Tager and Russ Bain co-narrated it and my gosh… they were PERFECTION. Kelli brought so much emotion (the full range) to this role and had me tearing up and/or crying several times. She’s really good at evoking strong emotions. Russ brought so much charm and character to Felix. I couldn’t imagine having experienced this book without them!

A million thank you’s to Macmillan Audio 👏🏽 and to Katelyn Doyle for this absolute banger of a book. 🫶🏼

Utterly charming!

Hope and Felix meet on a cruise, have a fast and furious few days of an affair, then it all goes to hell in a hand basket - or, close enough. From crappy exes and international woes to meddling friends and families and “right person, wrong time” feel, it’s a beautiful love story.

As I’m going to write this review, I see that the author wrote another book that was released last June…that I also loved!
So, please keep your eyes open for more from this gifted author!!

Hope is pretty much out of hope.
She was in a serious relationship that broke up almost a year ago…and she’s still not sure why. One thing she does know, she’s NOT getting involved with anyone seriously ANY TIME in the near future.

She’s a writer in NYC who has been unable to write for some time now. And her ‘job’, well she does it, but her boss is NOT nice…at all. And it does not really involve writing… books. She feels like she is never ‘off’…
So when her BFF invites her on an all expenses paid cruise, well… how can she pass that up?
Her friend is a well known influencer who posts EVERYTHING… 😮 but, kind of in a funny, tongue-in-cheek way.

Felix is a pretty well known chef. In England. He’s a pure workaholic! So when his parents invite all the kids on a cruise, well…he’s disappointed them so many times in the past that he feels like he HAS to show up for this one. After all, it’s their anniversary…and it’s a big one!

And what happens as they board the cruise ship? Their eyes lock!

Hope figures, well, she can have some fun! He’s handsome… and lives far away. What’s there to lose?
Felix sees a beautiful woman and is smitten! But, he’s had some real hardships in the past too! So, he’s not getting INVOLVED!!

And I’m going to 🛑🛑 STOP 🛑🛑 right there!

What’s that old saying? We make plans and God laughs? !!!

This one was adorable! Cute! Sweet! Sad. Heartbreaking. Sassy. Fun. Comical! Just about any adjective you can think of! It hits ALL the marks!

4 1/2 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫 for me, happily rounded up to 5!

#TotalDreamboat by #KatelynDoyle and narrated beautifully by #KelliTager and #RussBain.

*** RELEASE DATE IS COMING UP SOON, SO LOOK 👀 FOR IT ON JUNE 24, 2025!!! ***

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudiofor an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.

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When Hope is invited to go on an all paid for luxury cruise vacation with her influencer best friend, she jumps at the chance. She meets Felix, a recovering alcoholic chef on vacation with his family and the two instantly hit it off. After a fast fling in the first few days of the cruise, things implode and they find themselves stranded together and as they put aside their differences to get out of a sticky situation, they realize they may have to harshly judged each other.

Total Dreamboat was such a fun summer read. It has all the vacation vibes, and the banter between Hope and Felix is top notch. I also really appreciated the recovering alcoholic rep and felt like this was handled well in the book. Hope's overworking tendencies also felt real and relatable. The conflict of the story felt slightly produced, but made for some fun antics. Bonus points for the mention of staying at Atlantis in the Bahamas being a dream to every girl who grew up watching Mary Kate and Ashley movies and Holiday in the Sun imprinting on us at a young age.

Tropes
* Vacation Romance
* Summer Reading
* British MMC/ American FMC
* Forced Proximity
* Third Act Breakup
* Recovering Alcoholic

4.5 stars

This had a solid premise and moments that pulled me in, but it just didn’t fully land for me. Some parts felt slow or flat, and I never really connected with the characters like I wanted to. On top of that, I didn’t like the narrators they made it harder to stay engaged, which definitely affected how I felt about the story overall.

It wasn’t a bad read, just not super memorable for me.

Hope is feeling stuck in a dead-end job and reeling from a breakup, so when her influencer BFF whisks her away on a luxury cruise, she says yes. Cue tropical views, buffet lines, and… Felix 😍

Our charming, pub-owning Brit enters stage left, and this shipmance? UGH. I was rooting for them the whole time. From flirty banter to surprise depth, I was laughing, blushing, and yes — lowkey tearing up at that epilogue 😭❤️

This book had all the ingredients:
💘 Swoonworthy love interest
🌊 Cruise ship chaos & hilarity
💫 Second chances & self-discovery
😂 Laughs, feels, and a HEA that delivers!

If you love books that make you feel like you're on vacation and like your heart’s growing three sizes, pick this one up immediately.