A fun and breezy romance story. And of course it has a happy ending. I stayed up late on more than a few nights because I had to read the next chapter — and the next one after that. A fun beach read.

Another thoroughly enjoyable read from Portia MacIntosh! While this novel may not have delivered the same vivid sense of place as some of her previous works, it more than made up for it with its trademark humour and charming character dynamics.
The story is peppered with those delightfully quirky moments that you come to expect—whether it’s a surprise push into a fountain, a case of mistaken identity involving a valet, or the hilariously silly games that unfold. These scenes are not just entertaining, they’re memorable, and they consistently bring a smile to your face.
What’s most comforting is knowing that with MacIntosh, the fun never stops for long—there’s always another feel-good adventure just around the corner. A lot of fun, light-hearted escapism, and a reminder of why she remains a go-to author for a reliably uplifting read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for providing me with an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

3.75/5

This was the perfect summer read for me. It had me giggling, twirling my hair and kicking my feet at points. I enjoyed the romance between the two MCs and thought they had good chemistry and banter. (I sound like i’m on love island). Perfect for anyone who wants an easy, (but enjoyable) light, summer read!

This was the perfect summery beach read.

I loved Jessa and Brody. Their meet cute was funny, and their banter throughout was perfect. I enjoyed reading their journey from faking dating and doing things to make others jealous to realising they no longer cared about getting even and starting to enjoy each other's company and seeing a future together.
Their friends were also well-rounded fun characters to read.

The vibes
🛳 Fake dating
☀️ Forced proximity
🛳 Wedding
☀️ Only one bed
🛳 Banter
☀️ Cruise ship/Italy setting

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review:
Going Overboard had me giggling, swooning, and kicking my feet like a lovesick teenager. Jessa is my new favorite hot mess, and Brody? Golden Retriever vibes with a heart of gold—yes please.

The banter? Top tier. The chemistry? Off the charts. The cruise ship setting? A+ chaos. This romcom is hilarious, heartfelt, and hotter than a poolside margarita. I devoured it in one sitting and would 100% jump overboard for these two.

Thank you NetGalley and [publisher] for the ARC—I’m obsessed!

I really, really struggled with this book. I wanted to really like it and like the main characters, but I struggled with the way it was written. When the characters weren’t talking, it’s like the narrator was addressing me as though *I* was then a character in the story. I couldn’t get past it and it really tossed me the entire story. I liked the development of the FMC and how she combatted her true problems, but it just wasn’t for me overall. I do appreciate the opportunity to read!

Ok this book is a must read! I was in a slump and this book was soo good. So light hearted so quick. Forced proximity , fake dating who fall for each other! Alittle bit of drama but an amazing stable friend group that backed the MMC up ! And Brody Ryan swoon worthy !

This is a lighthearted and flirty fun summer romance. It is a fake dating trope but it didn't have as much of a build-up as I would've preferred. Still a cute and easy read

A cute lighthearted summer romance. This is my first book by Portia MacIntosh and will not be my last. It is a funny fake dating situation with a great location on a cruise ship! I loved the relationship between Jessa and Brody, they had great chemistry instantly with A+ banter. 3.5⭐️/5

cute, lighthearted romance with some great vibes and some interesting feels. would definitely recommend. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

Going Overboard is a fun, flirty, and fast-paced summer romance that delivers all the classic tropes in the best way. When Jessa gets dumped during the first dance at a wedding (yes, really!), and Brody is ditched by his influencer girlfriend Nikki at the same time, sparks fly—not from heartbreak, but from a revenge pact that might just lead to real feelings.

The setup is perfect for fans of fake dating, forced proximity, and the ever-iconic “only one bed” scenario. Jessa and Brody pretend to fall in love to make their exes jealous, but of course, things don’t stay pretend for long. Their chemistry is immediate and infectious, and the banter between them is hilarious and heartwarming.

Jessa is a chaotic but lovable heroine—impulsive, funny, and easy to root for as she stumbles (sometimes literally) through the mess life has thrown at her. Brody, a reserved but charming cricket player, balances her out beautifully. Despite his fame, he remains grounded and genuine, which makes their connection feel even more real.

Their journey is sweet and satisfying, though the only downside is that it’s over too soon. A little more depth and time with the couple would’ve been lovely, but as a short and breezy read, Going Overboard hits the mark.

I really enjoyed this book and am thankful to NetGalley and the publisher for this book. This was such a fun fake dating trope, set on a cruise ship for a best friend’s wedding. I loved Brody and Jessa and their chemistry!

As I was reading this book, I kept asking myself if I would tell others about this book. The short answer is probably not. It was an Ok book but for me it was lacking in connection to the character I want in a book. The description of what the book was about sounded good, but it just fell a little flat.
The characters that were supposed to be together had no spark or chemistry.
Thank you NetGalley, Portia Macintosh and Boldwood Books for the ARC of the book Going Overboard.
This is my personal review.

okay.... where do I start...
the start was very slow, so slow that I felt like skimming, and that went for the better half of the book. At about 40 percent, it started to pick up and stuff started happening. I also wasn't really a fan of the writing style, but okay... oh and most of the time, the fmc was sooo repetetive... It was funny and I actually like the characters "chemistry". The ending was actually sweet. Brody was literally a golden retriever. Hated Kiki. Todd was like a "chad" you know.... Then we have our fmc that was okay, she was kinda funny and had some wittys comebacks....

This is the second book I’ve had the privilege of reading by Portia Macintosh and I want to read more!! This one follows a fake-dating trope which in my opinion is one of the best tropes. I do wish there was some more slow burn and build up to the relationship. I felt like they had a lot of moments but none of them were making me be like “ugh just kiss already”. Other than that I loved it. Jessa and Brody were everything and more. I also haven’t read one that took place on a cruise ship so I thought that was nice to read, although now I want to go on a cruise. I definitely recommend this book especially if you want a funny, quick summer read!

Thank you NetGalley and Portia Macintosh for this eARC of Going Overboard!

This book is absolutely hilarious, perfect read for the summer in the garden, on a boat (haha) or on holiday. It's lighthearted, it is a lot of fun and just a great romance in which you can really relate to the characters and just immerse yourself in. Also, it is a very quick read so the perfect book to pick up!

When I say this book is funny, I was laughing throughout most of the book and it has one of my favourite tropes in which is fake dating, which always makes things even funnier.

Portia Macintosh just creates amazing books, but this may be the best one yet.

I really loved this book, this author is fast becoming one of my faves. I just really enjoy her writing style it feels so real. It was full of emotion sad and funny and a great reminder that we shouldn’t overthink so much and just let fate run its course. I highly recommend this and look forward to reading her next book

What a gem this is! Loved it from start to finish. Going Overboard is a mix of romance, friendship and comedy and it's a fantastic page turner. The perfect holiday read!

I’ve read over 20 of Portia MacIntosh’s books, so I feel like I can accurately say that this is absolutely her funniest book to date. I was grinning basically the entire time I read this book, and laughed out loud multiple times. It’s such a fun, fast read as well that I truly did not put this down from the moment I started until I read the last page.

At this point I’ll read anything she writes, but a cruise ship storyline will always pull me in. Coincidentally, I found her books by literally searching for books set on a cruise ship, and found My Great Ex-scape. I read that one June 7 2020 & read this exactly 5 years and 1 month later on July 7 2025, and they are two of my favourites of hers.

Okay back to the actual story - it’s fun, it’s romantic, and it felt both kind of silly but also real. Breakups are hard, and I love that Jessa had such great people in her life to get her over it. Her friendship with Kelsey is one of my favourite female friendships I’ve ever read about. Honestly the friend group in general in this was so great! Brody was such a good MMC, I loved that he was so genuine about who he is, and how he treated Jessa. They just played off each other so well, and everything about it worked.

I cannot recommend this enough. I don’t know if I can even rank all of PM’s books at this point because there’s never a miss for me, her writing style will forever be for me, so let’s just say this is absolutely one of the top. I know I’ll be rereading it, and hope others pick it up too!

HUGE thanks to NetGalley & Portia Macintosh for this ARC in exchange for my honest review 🚢 I came for the cutest cover & stayed for the male MC!
If you’re looking for a lighthearted, quick-read, closed door love story then this author is for you! I loved the characters and story line of fake dating to get back at each others exes while on a cruise ship to their best friends wedding. Short chapters makes the book go by quick & a sweet ending wrapped in a bow