Going Overboard by Portia MacIntosh is a lighthearted romcom that you will want to add to your summer reading list.

Jessa and her boyfriend have broken up. While she is not exactly heartbroken, their new status complicates their attendance at the destination wedding of a mutual friend in beautiful Sicily. Staging a fake romance seems to be the best way to get through the wedding, particularly when Jessa's ex shows up with a new partner. Naturally, hilarity ensues, and Jessa discovers that sometimes life's setbacks can very often pave the way to what is really meant to be.

Pop this one in your beachbag for some relaxed waterside reading.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

I absolutely devoured this book.

Our main characters Jessa and Brody find themselves having to share a two bedroom suite on a cruise with their exes who have gotten together. They decide to fake date to make them jealous and honestly the level of pettiness these two went to had me laughing and kicking my feet. Add in top tier banter and we have a book that’s an adorable and hilarious read.

Books have always been my “happy place.” The genre that I can never get enough of is romance. There are definitely some “tropes” that I enjoy a great deal more than others. One of those is “fake relationship.” That is why I was so excited to get a chance to read this book.

This book was absolutely one that hooked me from the very beginning. I liked that it was told in first person. I really enjoyed the storyline as well. Slight spoiler, but I liked that they incorporated two plot points close to the end of the book. I liked having one of those “I knew it!” moments.

The only thing that prevents me from giving this book a solid “five” is that I feel like it could have used some POV from the MMC. Not having his POV takes away from the story a bit (at least I thought it did).

All in all, I really did enjoy this book, and would like to read more from the author.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you NetGalley for this arc. I really enjoyed Portia’s writing and this book! I’m a sucker for a good fake dating trope and this one was great. Jessa & Brody were perfect together.

What a great read, the perfect summer read. It’s funny, full of wit and little titbits of romance. Jessa is dumped by her boyfriend at their friends wedding. They have to go to another wedding in a couple of weeks, trapped in a cruise ship too. When they turn up at the ship, they find out they have a suite shared with the ex and his girlfriend, luckily Brody the hunk from the last wedding is ready to same the day. A fantastic feel good read full of fun. The characters are perfect with this plot, A 5 star read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

Huge thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and author Portia Maclntosh for providing me with the eARC of “Going Overboard”, in exchange for my honest review.
Publication date: July 26th, 2025
Reviewed on Goodreads

3.5 stars
This was a cute little summer romance. It was quite a fast-faced and simple read, and I enjoyed it.

Here we meet Jessa- an interior designer who stages homes to sell, and Brody- a professional cricket player.
Jessa and Brody meet each other after both having recently experienced a breakup. Shortly after, they attend a cruise travelling to a wedding in Sicily and are forced to be close to their exes throughout the entire trip.
Awkward encounters lead to a fake-dating scenario, and intense rivalry with their former partners.

I liked Jessa and Brody together! Although I do wish that the buildup to their relationship was a bit more defined. It felt like they went from not liking each other to really liking each other very quickly, without that much tension or near-romantic encounters.
However, the book is on the shorter side, so I think it was sufficient to make their love story happen a bit faster.

Things I think readers may enjoy:
- Fake dating
- Couples’ rivalry
- Only one bed scenario
- Summery

Overall, I liked the story! It was not something unlike anything I have ever read before, but I think it would certainly be enjoyable for the casual romance reader!

'with Todd I always used to say that my weaknesses were his strengths, and vice versa.
You know, my weakness like maths, and his weaknesses like staying in our relationship'.




It is a story about Jessa who just got dumped at a wedding (we are happy it wasn't her). She thinks her life couldn't get worse. It couldn't, right? RIGHT?

Well, it did. Her so happened ex-boyfriend is joining her on the sail to a wedding destination (her childhood best friend is about to tie the knot with the love of her life, aww!) and that's not the worst. the worst is, his new girlfriend is an ex of a 'bad boy of cricket' (aka a best man at the wedding) and she will be there too. Because of a weird mistake all four of them will share a suite... That is where a perfect plan forms in her head. Wouldn't it be a oerfect opportunity to get her revenge on the new couple? Her and Brody both decide to play a loving couple - just to show that they do not care about being dumped. It will always just be a game. But how can you be so sure about it? Will you be able to keep your feelings at bay if the one you're pretendig with seems like a perfect man for you?



I picked this book because i was in a need of a cute, summer-y romance and i think this is exactly what i wanted! I really liked that it was written like a diary - i could image Jessa talking to me as a best friend who will get all of her secrets. It was a nice form and i don't see that very often.
Nikki was getting on my nerves ALL THE TIME, she was like that annoying girl from your class who thinks she is the queen of everything and everytime she opens her mouth you roll your eyes very hard. But it was surely a plan from the author - she was supposed to be annoyig af.
The epilogue was very short and i would love to see some more glimpses of the future!

AND i surely had to google what cricket is, because i haven't heard that in my life.
It was my first book from this author, but it won't be my last!



All opinions are my own.

Going Overboard is such a delightful summer treat! This closed-door rom-com brings all of the feels, witty banter, and a flirtatious slow burn. When main characters, Tessa and Brody, devise a plan to fake-date and annoy their exes, sparks begin to fly. This is my first read by Portia MacIntosh and it will definitely not be my last!

What a hilariously swoony summer read! Ugh, I love the forced proximity trope! This was my first Portia MacIntosh and i already know she is going to be an autobuy author for me now! This story was so humorous and the fake dating trope was written to the tee! Loved the MMC Brody! This one definitely felt like an early 2000s romcom! Definitely a must read!
Spice: closed door!

Everyone who knows me knows I am a massive Portia fan and this has to be one of my favourites from her. It had it all charming, wit, humour, fake dating, forced proximity, friendship, a perfect summer read.

Portias writing is always so easy to follow and a joy to read. It has that lighthearted feel good tone written in an addictive way. My only problem is this book is so binge worthy I finished it too quickly.

I loved Jessas and Brodys chemistry and fun banter filled relationship. Jessas vulnerability but impulsiveness makes for an entertaining read whereas Brody is more reserved. The friendships Jessa has are written with such girl power, women supporting women (bar Nikki- which if you read the book you will see why!) The book was cleverly written with the activities on board keeping the book well paced and addictive.

I would have loved to see more of things from Brodys side- that would have made for an interesting POV however it doesn’t detract at all from a well written, entertaining, light summer read.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest views. Out the 26th July.

Another gem from Portia MacIntosh! She continues to cement her place as one of my all-time favourite authors with yet another laugh-out-loud, feel-good read. If you’re in the mood for a witty, closed-door romance that’s lighthearted but still packed with chemistry, look no further—Portia delivers every time.

The male lead, Brody, absolutely stole the show for me. I’m a sucker for easygoing, charming characters with great banter, and Brody ticks all the boxes. He’s effortlessly cool, funny, and the kind of character you can’t help but root for.

Even though it’s a closed-door romance, the tension and flirtation between the main characters kept me hooked. There were definitely a few moments where I was mentally yelling, “Just kiss already!”—the slow burn was perfectly done.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. It was light, funny, and just the right amount of swoony. I already can’t wait to see what Portia comes out with next!

Jessa and Todd; Brody and Nikki become Jessa and Brody; Todd and Nikki.

During the first dance at a wedding, Todd breaks up with Jessa.

Across the room, Nikki is breaking up with Brody.

The four of them then end up having to share a cabin during a wedding cruise.

The story has multiple tropes and was a cute-ish story but the writing just wasn’t for me. It was very repetitive, inconsistent and at times broke the fourth wall. NOTE: I did read this as an ARC so hopefully it will go through editing prior to publishing.

I have said it before, and I will say it again, Portia Macintosh is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. Every book that she writes seems to have the perfect ingredients to be another great rom-com. She literally ticks every box of what I am looking for in a romance novel. Strong female leads, amazing friendships, wonderful exotic locations, laugh out loud moments, and a perfect happy ending.

This book is no exception. When Jessa boyfriend Todd dumps her at a friends wedding, she is in total shell shock she thought everything was going well and just did not see it coming. Fast forward a few weeks she is attending her best friends wedding on a cruise ship to Sicily, when she finds out Todd is coming with his new girlfriend. Nikki his new flame has recently split with her famouse cricket playing boyfriend Brody and it seem that the four of them are about to be thrown together .Jessa and Brody come up with a plan to fake date and annoy the pair, but it is obviously from their first meeting that sparks are going to fly and Todd and Nikki might have actually done them a huge favour.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This is such a fun fabulous read! So so easy to read. The characters I loved. This is a book I didn’t want to end!!

Jessa creía tener su vida bajo control: un trabajo que ama, un novio estable y una vida más o menos ordenada. Pero todo se derrumba cuando, en medio de un romántico baile en la boda de unos amigos, su novio Todd decide romper con ella. En plena pista de baile. Con la música sonando y todos los invitados alrededor.

Destrozada pero determinada a seguir adelante, Jessa se enfrenta a una prueba aún más incómoda: asistir a otra boda… en un crucero… durante cinco días… ¡y con su ex a bordo! Como dama de honor de su mejor amiga, no puede permitirse dramas. Lo que sigue es una historia divertida y conmovedora de redescubrimiento, desamor y segundas oportunidades, mientras Jessa intenta navegar entre mareas de emociones, camarotes compartidos, y la inesperada aparición de un misterioso desconocido que la hace cuestionarse todo.


--



Me faltaron capitulos de Jessa y Brody fuera del crucero.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest.

This was a fun rom-com. It's the wedding season, but it starts off not going so well for Jessa. After her boyfriend Todd breaks up with her at one wedding, she has to face him again when he brings his new girlfriend Nikki to another wedding shortly after their breakup. And then she ends up sharing a suite with her ex, his new girlfriend, and her ex's new girlfriend's ex, Brody, on a cruise ship for her best friend Kelsey's destination wedding. So what are Jessa and Brody to do? Of course, they fake-date to stick it to their exes. (If you think this sounds like Funny Story on a cruise ship, you're not wrong. That's what initially made me pick this up.)

The focus is mostly on Jessa and Brody's revenge shenanigans, and on Jessa getting over her break-up and realizing she's ready to move on. It doesn't go too deep into developing Brody as a character, or into developing their relationship beyond the fake-dating. That's one thing keeping this from being a 5-star book for me. Though I liked them together, I don't feel like I actually know him, and it's really that I liked them together because of how Jessa was feeling/acting when she was around him. He remains mostly a blank slate.

I was also thrown by the use of Gen Z slang, when the characters are in their early thirties. It's mostly "bestie" and "girlie" that is used repeatedly. Now, this is set in Britain (well, actually most of it is set on a cruise ship, but the characters are British... you know what I mean) and I will admit I'm less familiar with British slang usage, so these terms might be used more widely there. But it sounded off to me.

I received a review copy of this book from Boldwood Books via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Okay this book took you to another place! I was so engulfed in the characters story and this beautiful setting. I absolutely loved this book!

This is a fun and lighthearted beach read that is enjoyable with some classic tropes. Jess’a and Brody team up to portray a fake romance to get back at their exes, Todd and Nikki, who broke up with then for each other. Most of the story takes place on a cruise on the way to Jess’a and Brody’s best friend’s wedding in Italy and features fun scenarios and a few dramatic moments. The main characters never really have deep or meaningful conversations and it would have been really interesting to get to read Brody’s point of view, but this is a sweet and quick read, perfect for a vacation !

If you’re looking for a fast paced addictive adventure that will have you hooked from the very first page then look no further than this. I loved the fake dating trope and the characters were fun to get to know.

Going Overboard by Portia MacIntosh is a romcom that knows exactly what it wants to be—and delivers. Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to read this entertaining, funny, and heartfelt story early. #GoingOverboard #NetGalley #RomComReads

This book opens with pure chaos and doesn’t let up. Jessa thinks her relationship is headed for a proposal—until her boyfriend Todd dumps her during the first dance at a wedding. It’s humiliating, painful, and made exponentially worse by the fact that, across the room, professional cricket star Brody is getting dumped by his own girlfriend, Nikki. Two days later? Todd and Nikki are officially an item. Brutal.

So when Jessa boards a cruise ship for her best friend’s destination wedding, the last thing she wants is to be trapped at sea with her ex and his new flame. But fate has other plans: a booking mishap forces her to share a cabin with not just her ex and Nikki—but Brody, too. This sets the stage for a delicious fake dating revenge plot. Jessa and Brody decide to pretend they’re a hot new couple to make their exes squirm. But as with any good fake dating setup, the line between acting and actually falling for each other gets blurry fast.

The tropes in this one hit all the right notes: forced proximity, fake dating, only one bed, enemies to lovers, and even a revenge pact. What I appreciated most was that MacIntosh doesn’t just stack these tropes for the sake of it—she uses them to create real tension and conflict. The pacing is brisk but never rushed. There’s a satisfying balance between banter and emotional beats, even if the depth between Jessa and Brody occasionally skims the surface.

Jessa is a lovable lead. She’s sharp, vulnerable, impulsive, and often hilarious. Her internal monologue is chaotic in the best way, especially as she tries to save face, deal with heartbreak, and make sure her best friend’s wedding goes off without a hitch. Brody is more reserved and understated, with a dry wit that plays off Jessa’s energy nicely. Their chemistry builds slowly but surely—there’s no instant love here, and that makes the payoff sweeter. That said, I did wish we got more from Brody’s side. The book is strictly in Jessa’s POV, which makes him feel a little underdeveloped. I wanted to know more about his internal world beyond the few tidbits we’re given.

One thing Portia MacIntosh consistently nails is tone. The writing is easy, conversational, and funny without trying too hard. The humor ranges from quirky observations (there’s a scene involving a drunk guy in a T-Rex costume that had me wheezing) to sharp dialogue that reveals character dynamics. It never slips into slapstick territory, and even the absurdity of the premise—being trapped in a cruise cabin with your ex and his new girlfriend—somehow feels grounded because of how MacIntosh sells the characters’ reactions.

The cruise ship setting is also a smart move. It adds tension by limiting options. You can’t just storm off when you’re literally stuck in the middle of the sea. There’s also a fun undercurrent of escapism—balconies over the water, tropical drinks, beautiful Italian ports—that makes this a perfect beach read. The setting amplifies the story’s stakes without weighing it down. You get the feeling that anything could happen onboard, and it often does.

What held me back from giving this a full five stars is mostly about depth. The romance arc is satisfying and cute, but I wanted more emotional vulnerability, especially as Jessa and Brody grow closer. There were moments where I was craving a deep, honest conversation that never quite arrived. It’s all hinted at—there’s attraction, protectiveness, even jealousy—but not quite the moment where the emotional walls come fully down. For a book that’s already smart and well-structured, a few more layers would have elevated the love story from fun to unforgettable.

That said, Going Overboard is still a winner in my book. It’s light without being hollow, funny without being over the top, and romantic without being syrupy. If you’re in the mood for a romcom with a high-stakes setup, charming characters, and a feel-good payoff, this one is for you. Portia MacIntosh proves again why she’s a go-to author in this genre—her style is confident, breezy, and full of heart.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Especially to fans of Emily Henry, B.K. Borison, or anyone looking for a book that feels like a getaway in itself. Grab a drink, find a sunny spot, and get ready to root for two very stubborn people who never saw love coming.