𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁:

The perfect vacay read. It’s literally a Caribbean cruise with all the food, entertainment, excursions, drama and spice! I loved the now & then timeline, it was fun to start towards the end of the story then go back to the beginning of the cruise and watch it all unfold. The audio was great, I loved all the accents of the characters! Add now to TBR for your summer reading, but just note you may get some island fomo.

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬:

Hope is escaping NYC for a Caribbean cruise with her bestie. Life hasn’t gone her way lately between a bad breakup, her finances in peril, and a job sucking her soul the sunshine and ocean breeze is just what she needs.

On a cruise ship full of seniors the last thing Hope expected to find was a handsome Brit to share a vacay fling with. Honestly she wasn’t looking for anything but time off, but Felix got under her skin they had a lot in common and hit it off. But all vacay flings must come to an end and their goes down in flames with a few days of the cruise left thanks to a surprise appearance by her ex and some social media posts by her bestie.

Then things heat up when both of them are left in the Bahamas when they miss the cruise ship all aboard time. So now they are stranded in paradise with no passports, no money, no way home and will be forced to work together.

Check out this fun adventure with strangers turned fling turned enemy tropical vibes!

𝙁𝙖𝙫 𝙌𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙚:

“I want happiness. I want fulfillment. I want love… I’m going to get it.”

𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒍𝒍 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒅:

* He’s a Chef & She’s in PR
* Cruise Fling to Enemies to Lovers
* Then & Now Timelines (10 Day Tropical Vacay)
* Left in the Bahamas at Port by Cruise Ship 🇧🇸
* Forced Proximity - “Romance of The Seas”
* She’s a Brit Lit Nerd & He’s British
* Pick Same Karaoke Song - Withering Heights
* Island Excursions & Vacay Vibes
* He Lives in England & She Lives in New York
* He’s Working on His Sobriety
* Dual POV w/ Spice

💙⚓️🌊🏝️💙⚓️🌊🏝️💙⚓️🌊🏝️💙

For my fellow Mary-Kate and Ashley loving millennials, Holiday in the Sun is a nostalgic movie. I'm not alone in wanting to go to Atlantis more than anything after watching the movie! If you haven't been able to make that dream a reality, you can live vicariously through this book's FMC, Hope.

Hope is a struggling author with a job she hates. Hope takes a much needed break and joins her influencer best friend on a luxury cruise. While her best friend is hoping to snag a wealthy husband, Hope is decidedly not looking for a relationship. Enter the handsome MMC Felix, who is on the cruise with his family. Sparks fly and who can resist a vacation fling?

The main characters are both flawed yet likeable. There is plenty of witty banter and laugh out loud moments. The side characters of Hope's best friend and Felix's sisters are a fantastic addition to the story. If nothing else, the book will make you want to immediately book a Caribbean cruise. It definitely made me want to be on a beach and wish my March 2026 cruise was happening next week!

3.5 stars rounded up. There was a lot of story in what felt like not a very long book, but it was overall enjoyable and entertaining.

The audiobook was well done. It was dual narration for this dual POV story. I enjoyed the narrators performances, though I was more partial to Kelli Tager’s part. Russ Bain’s accent was pleasing to the ear too. At times things sounded a bit stilted, but I had no complaints about the tone of either narrators voice and never felt unhappy with the different male/female voices they used during their respective parts.

As for the story itself, as I noted above there was a lot going on in this book. Some was chaotic fun. Some was chaotically all over the place. The cruise ship part was a great way to put Hope and Felix in each other’s orbit and keep them in close proximity. It also created unique situations for them to interact in. They shared some steamy nights together, but I never felt an overwhelming chemistry. The fact that they got stranded together after an argument though was comical intervention by the universe to me. (Bonus points for an MK&A classic “Holiday in the Sun” reference.) All of that was fun. However, between a toxic ex popping up, an influencer BFF, an aristocratic family, and so many ups and downs and backs and forths between Hope and Felix, I felt overloaded with things happening and people to keep track of at times.

This was a quick, mostly enjoyable read to spend a few hours of the day with. Thank you to Macmillan Audio via NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

It's been 24 hours since I finished listening to this novel and I'm still trying to decide if I enjoyed it or if I really loathe the characters.
 
Thank you NetGalley adn MacMillan for the advanced listen!

*ARC Review*

This book just feels like summer! Loved the characters and loved the setting. The story was cute and the narration was top notch. If you are in the mood for a light and summery vacay read, this one’s for you!

Total Dreamboat by Katelyn Doyle
Narrated by Kelli Tager; Russ Bain

I love when an audiobook has two great sounding narrators for the main characters that hook up...oops, unhook...and not telling what happens next.

Hope Lanover's quality of life is swirling down the drain. Her live in lover dumped her as soon as they started "living in" and she despises her job. Now she's with her extremely well off bestie, Lauren, a very successful social influencer who is more than willing to share the wealth. Lauren has an all expenses and more paid jaunt on a luxury cruise ship and she's taking Hope with her. How nice to have more than a week away from work except that Hope's boss won't leave her alone. Lauren's thing with her influencing right now is teaching others how to find rich older men to bring one's life to new high levels and Lauren is trying to get Hope to join in on the cultivated and somewhat fake fun.

Instead, Hope and a certain young hunk named Felix Segrave, wealthy but not old at all, fall into a joking, flirty relationship. He's sober after pretty much ruining his family's peace of mind during his two decades of drunkenness and now he's with his parents and two sisters on this cruise. The cruise is short, what's wrong with a little fling and never seeing a person again once the cruise if over? Both Hope and Felix can see the many advantages of hooking up in the moment, no pressure, no entanglements, no problem, right?

Instalust for the win! Until they share and things get so much more than either was bargaining for and then things go very, very wonky and they are STUCK with each other. Cue instahate! The back and forth between these two is what sold me, Hope is funny all on her own and then she meets her match in Felix. How is she ever going to go back to her crummy life after this cruise? How can so much happen in such a short time? And what was Lauren thinking when she did THAT!?!??!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

In a modern romantic comedy, the chaos of a cruise ship getaway becomes the unexpected setting for an opposites-attract romance. When Hope boards the luxury cruise at her lowest point, she is upset from a failed relationship and dispirited by a demanding boss. Opposite her, Felix, a disciplined and recently sober chef, reluctantly joins the trip out of familial obligation. Did I mention he is wealthy, has a title, and is English? Structured and solitary by nature, Felix is struggling with the carefree setting of a cruise, especially when it pulls him away from the sanctuary of his restaurant. Hope and Felix cross paths at check-in, and their spark is undeniable. Agreed to just a vacation fling, it soon evolves into more emotionally complex as they confront wounds from past relationships. The two get into a heated argument, which leaves them stranded together on an island after missing the boat from an excursion, forcing them to rely on each other and into forced proximity.

Hope's journey from uncertainty and self-doubt to rediscovering her voice and sense of identity is a rewarding one. Not to be overlooked is the standout supporting character Lauren, Hope's best friend, and the reason for the trip. As she is hunting for a wealthy husband, her humor, heart, and levity create the comedy you need. Her presence provides a delightful contrast to Hope's more introspective arcs, offering moments of genuine laughter.

The audio version of the book was fun and expertly done. Overall, this is a romantic comedy that strikes a balance between lighthearted charm and emotional depth. It is a testament to following your passion and the sometimes turbulent path to love.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the opportunity to review and provide my honest feedback.

This is my first Katelyn Doyle book and I got to experience it via audiobook. My first thoughts while listening to this was I was I could be on a cruise or heck a beach. Total Dreamboat is a fun, quick summer read.

I really enjoyed that the audiobook was duel narrated. Both narrators brought a perfect amount of charm and personality to Hope & Felix. They also did a great job bringing the romance between these characters to life. Their storytelling flowed flawlessly and made Hope & Felix feel real and relatable.

The plot was a fast paced quirky romance. I can definitely see some struggling with this because the instalove between Felix & Hope was strong. However, I didn’t have an issue with their whirlwind summer romance. My small issue comes from the not one, but two third act breakups. Now don’t get me wrong one of them was 100% justified and it needed to happen. The other one just felt unnecessary and only added to bring drama to the story.

Overall, even with the breakup shenanigans it still weirdly fits the dynamic between Hope & Felix. Their fast and furious romance was still a lot of fun and will leave readers feeling warm and bubbly inside. I had a fun time reading this and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a fun quick summer read.
Lastly Big thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Hope Lanover is heartbroken due to her recent breakup. Her best friend, Lauren is a social media influencer and took Hope with her on a sponsored cruise. Hope meets Felix Segrave from England and they hit off and start a week-long cruise romance but her ex-boyfriend shows up on the same cruise and things get complicated.

The narrators Kelli Tager and Russ Bain did an excellent job portraying the essence of Hope and Felix. Listening to the audiobook got me feeling giddy, emotional and had me laughing out loud. The banter was great and entertaining!

Tropes: Forced proximity, Fake dating, Roommates, miscommunication, he falls first, alcohol addiction

Thank you Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener copy all thoughts and opinions are my own.
I love cruises and when I read the premise for this I knew I needed to consume it! Hope is our FMC and she works very hard. Not only that she is just getting out of a relationship. Enter in her bestie who secures them a spot on a ten day cruise. This is where Hope meets our MMC, Felix. Felix is on the cruise with his family celebrating his parents 4th anniversary…which is the exact opposite of what is also happening in Hope’s life.
I do feel that there was character growth throughout the book. I really liked the aspect of the cruise and how the couple met. But the third act breakup I thought was done really well. (SPOILERS DONT READ THIS LINE) Especially when the scenario changed and they are no longer on the cruise ship and have to work together. (YOU ARE SAFE AFTER THIS).
Kelli Tager and Russ Bain are both new to me. I see that they are both on other audios that I am interested in listening to and I really liked how they did this audiobook so I am definitely going to be checking out their other performances! I think they really brought the extra something special I needed to this book to help me connect with it just a little bit more.
While this is my first Katelyn Doyle book this will not be my last!

Hope and Felix were a fun couple to read about and to root for. They each have their personal struggles that make them feel inferior, and this seems to hold them back from being able to fully trust each other. In fact, it's the impetus for the miscommunication trope that takes over about halfway through the book.

I loved the dual POV structure of this book, especially because I listened on audio and it's fun to have two different narrators voicing and emoting for the characters.

If you’re looking for a swoony forced proximity romance that takes place on a cruise ship look no further. I mean that’s pretty specific but this book really is perfect for sunny weather and beach days.

This one started off in present day with some conflict before flashing back to how we got to this predicament. I liked that but I felt like the past was starting to get a little too long without knowing why they were fighting at the beginning. It was hard to fully believe in this romance as you already knew something big was happening.

Once we did get there the conflict was resolved way too quickly and the ending as a whole wrapped suddenly.

Overall, it was cute, easy, and fun but nothing overly memorable

DNF at 20% here’s why:

What I liked:
-The concept
-Summary seemed fun
-Audiobook format
-Colors in cover caught my eye
-Location on a cruise ship
-Male and female narrators instead of the female doing a male voice

What caused a DNF for me:
-I am extremely picky with romance books, and this one just did not do it for me. Why? Instead of wanting to laugh and relating to the character, I felt thrown off and was oddly insulted and confused. It’s clear this book is just not for me, as the humor does not connect for me.
-The attempt at the accents for the people at the airports was just odd. I don’t know that those scenes needed to exist. I wish she had just been sitting eating waiting to board. I get that it’s meant to be humorous and show off her character but I did not get this from it. I began to find the characters a bit insufferable which made me sad. The man chews nicotine gum and the woman seems to look down on chain Mexican restaurants.
-I just was not enjoying this read unfortunately, I wasn’t laughing, and it was just not connecting.

Who do I think will love this read?
-Fans of insta love romances
-Fans of cruise ship romances
-Fans of characters who utilize self-deprecation a lot for humor and are a bit of a mess
-Readers wanting a fun book to take to the beach

While this wasn’t the book for me, I think romance readers will enjoy this one!
Thank you for the audiobook arc approval! I am leaving this honest feedback voluntarily.

This was such a cute and fun romance! The chemistry was great between Hope and Felix. The book takes place on a cruise ship which was a fun setting, definitely made me long for a tropical vacation!
There were several nods to British literature which was nice if you are a reader. I really enjoyed the story, but I wish we got to see more of their life together at the end of the story. Overall, super sweet and definitely worth the read!

A perfect beach read! Hope and Felix's story is a light and funny and romance set onboard a cruise. There is a bit of insta love in this book, which is not my favorite thing to read in a romance, but the story is still very cute and funny.

I was fortunate to have a chance to listen to the audiobook for this book which was fanatastic. Both narrators bring the story to life and are perfect narrators!

This was cute! I would say it’s a bit insta love — which I know many do not enjoy. It has promise with the beginning starting at an interesting point then going back in time. I enjoyed the characters and concept. Meeting on a boat was fun. I liked the MMC’s family as people, however it seemed like the writer was working hard to get us to like rich people — which wasn’t the best tactic especially in today’s economy. I would say this is an average romance book. Definitely try it out if you’re interested!

The audio was well done. I liked the narrators who did a nice job with bringing the characters to life. I gave an extra star for this reason. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

Totally Dreamboat by Katelyn Doyle is a cute summer romcom beach read. It’s a delightful diversion. I enjoyed the tropical cruise ship setting and vacation feel. The audiobook narrators are excellent. I did not enjoy that there were two breakups and that Felix is mean to Hope both times. If she were my friend, I’d be very concerned. I don’t think he was appealing enough as a character for me to be interested in forgiving him. Content warning: This book heavily features a subplot of sobriety and recovery from alcohol addiction

Fun summer read! This book follows Felix and Hope as they meet on a cruise ship and fall in in love / only to have things slightly derailed. Starts in the middle of the action, then goes back in time to fill the reader in.

Nice audiobook with two excellent narrators!

EEEEK I’ve been waiting to read this since November and it absolutely did not disappoint! Huge thanks to Flatiron and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copy

There’s so much I loved about this story, but what it really boils down to is the author doing an incredible job establishing who these characters are early on, and then the characters consistently behaving in ways that feel true to who they are (even when I didn’t like their choices). This made the story feel so real — I was completely hooked and binged it in two days.

Highlights for me:
* A+ Olympic-level banter
* Felix and Hope’s chemistry — even their whirlwind romance felt totally earned. I also loved how much they both grow as individuals, paving the way for a real and lasting HEA
* The portrayal of Felix’s sobriety — his “why,” the realities of maintaining it, and how he handled setbacks
* The vacation/cruise ship setting and all the travel chaos (it gave Wedding Dashers vibes in the best way!)

I know we as readers joke about rating books based on the “vibes” — but what that means to me is just accepting that we always bring something of ourselves into the books we read — our mood, what we’ve just read, life circumstances, past relationships, etc. With this in mind, let me say that the vibes here were immaculate. This book scratched an itch I didn’t even realize I had. It was exactly what I needed, exactly when I needed it. I already know I’ll be rereading it soon.

Audio:
The dual POV narration is performed by Kelli Tiger and Russ Bain. Kelli’s performance is great, but Russ’s didn’t quite work for me. It’s not BAD, he just sounds a lot older than I pictured Felix, which made it harder to connect with him as a character (so I switched to my physical copy). If you’re sensitive to narration style/voice, I’d recommend listening to a sample before going with the audiobook.

This one was super cute—prime beach read material. Hope is a normal-sized woman, and Doyle handles it perfectly. No heavy-handed messaging, no making her body the whole plot—just a well-written, confident character who feels real. More of that, please.

The banter? Top tier. Hope and Felix had amazing chemistry and gave me all the feels. The narrators brought it all to life beautifully, making this not just a great read, but a great listen too. Definitely one to pack in your summer rotation.