3.5/5 this was fun!

I think if you enjoyed My Killer Vacation or The Blonde Identity (or any book like that), I think you'd enjoy this.

This follows a pop star who finds herself in a not-so-great situation of being trapped on a cruise ship with a stalker. Luckily, there is a detective also on-board and she enlists his help.

We have a forced proximity sort of situation and a reluctant one at that. So this was very fun, I can see myself rereading this as well.

Was reading a book about a cruise immediately after watching the Poop Cruise documentary the best idea? I don't know, but it made for some weird thought s and vibes on my end. Which is kind of funny.

But overall, I had a fun time reading this. Who doesn't a lil vacation murder mystery rom-com? (I also think this would translate very well to a movie.) I would recommend looking up trigger warnings because some sensitive things are touched upon given the nature of the whole stalker situation.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

I’m not really a romantic girly but this was a sweet read fast fun paced read I enjoyed every page and I’m glad that I decided to read it

Thank you to NetGalley and Kate Callaghan for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Death and pop star Poppy Roe go hand in hand. Although the murders have gone unsolved, Detective Isaiah Rivers believes Poppy is the culprit. He finagles his way onto an exclusive cruise to get closer to her in an attempt to uncover her secrets and crack the case. But can he overlook her past to protect her from a stalker?

This is the last book in a trilogy but it can be read as a standalone. Although the unique premise seems dark, I was not put off by it and did not find it particularly gruesome. The backdrop on a cruise ship was interesting. The relationships were formed a little too quickly. There are a few rushed spice scenes and the author does a nice job of alerting the reader to their location (if you want to skip them). I enjoyed the character development and learning what made Poppy and Isaiah tick.

Overall this murder mystery/romance was a 3.75⭐️ read for me. I found the twists were particularly delightful and unexpected. Be sure to check out trigger warnings.

Poppy Roe is a celebrity known for her singing who has plans of making it big as an actress. That is, until a string of unfortunate and tragic deaths are left in her wake. As a result, Detective Isaiah Rivers is onto her. Did she kill these people or were they merely coincidence? The only officer who thinks there is more to the story is Isaiah. Presented with an opportunity to follow her on board a cruise as her bodyguard where he can follow her and search for evidence, he can't say no.

Having found out that her now ex-boyfriend and manager have plans to kill her, Poppy is hoping that this holiday is an opportunity to move on. What she doesn't expect is for more deaths to follow her around, leading to a murder mystery that only Poppy, Isaiah and her assistant, Mina, can solve.

I enjoyed this book and there were some elements that felt new and fresh for me within the romance genre. The idea of a murder mystery on a ship, the celebrity and detective as FMC and MMC, as well as love interests; these had lots more potential within the plot. However, the romance element felt a bit too fast progressing for me as they were pretty much in love within a week. Although I know that instalove is a trope that some readers enjoy, it isn't my personal favourite. All in all, I would recommend this as a summer or holiday read (as long as you aren't on a cruise yourself!)

2.5 Stars

I really enjoyed the premise of this book; a pop star who’s under investigation for murder heads onto a cruise with a detective tailing her under the guise of being her bodyguard. The first few chapters were great, I loved the sardonic humour of it and was excited for it to play out.

But after about the 30-40% mark, the writing felt like it devolved. It felt tonally very off, immature and lacked substance. The romance seemed very half-baked and dragged a lot of the murder-mystery elements down. They felt like teenagers in a CW show investigating and giggling and suddenly being totally into each other. It’s not that that is necessarily bad generally - it just didn’t fit here. I found it hard to invest in Isaiah and Poppy because they felt so surface level and difficult to take seriously.

Sadly, this dragged the murder mystery down too. They sprung back and forth between gruesome murders onboard and dinner parties - but the tension was broken up.

When the killer was revealed, and I admit I didn’t see it because we barely met any suspects, the motivation was compelling again. The story briefly felt like what it had been in the beginning and I was interested again in time for it to be over.

I also appreciated the cameos from the author’s other books (which I haven’t read) but I feel like they took up too much screen time and took away from the story.

Overall, I think this story (and romance) had a lot of potential but I didn’t like the execution.

We also never did find out why Mina lied about the F1 driver.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the eARC - this is my honest review*

Cover looks cozy, but looks are deceiving! Under the bright spotlight of fame are dark shadows, hidden agendas, long held secrets, and agendas of manipulation and control - abuse and murder! A twisty mystery with surprises you may not see coming - and weaving through it all a good bit of sizzle with a dash of spice!

Listen, I picked up The Situationship expecting messy romance, a little drama, and maybe some cruise ship cocktails.

What I got? MURDER. STALKERS. TRAUMA. Banter that made me blush. And an actual detective-bodyguard-man-of-mystery who deserves his own Spotify thirst playlist.

Our girl Poppy Roe is a famous pop star with a capital P, just trying to vibe on a luxury cruise (girl, same), but instead she gets trapped in a floating murder maze.

Then enters Isaiah Rivers: tall, brooding, and 100% not here for vacation.

He’s all “I work alone” energy until suddenly he’s in a shared cabin, protecting Poppy with his whole emotionally scarred heart.

If “grumpy detective falls for chaotic songstress while hunting a killer” isn’t a trope yet…it should be.

✨ Highlights:
* Banter that had me cackling and fanning myself.
* A ship full of red herrings (and I don’t just mean the seafood buffet).
* Suspense that kept me guessing and side-eyeing every side character.
* Isaiah. Just… Isaiah.

It’s Scooby-Doo meets The Bodyguard meets a deluxe Carnival cruise and I devoured every twisty, tropey page.

Could I spot the killer? No. Did I care? Also no.

I was too busy manifesting a spin-off novella where Poppy solves crimes on tour with Isaiah in a sparkly tour bus.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kate Callaghan for providing me with an e-ARC of this romantic murder mystery in exchange for my honest review.

A mystery book with a splash of romance on a cruise ship. Sounds like a dream, right?

Unfortunately, The Situation Ship by Kate Callaghan had a promising storyline but the execution fell short.

The story follows Pop Princess Poppy Roe after the death of her aunt. However, according to detective Isaiah Rivers, this isn’t the first mystery death that has followed Poppy. Before she even gets on the boat, a girl, Mina, informs Poppy that two men (including Poppy’s own boyfriend) have hatched a plan to murder her on the cruise.

With that knowledge, she hires Mina and enlists the help of a bodyguard, who just so happens to be a grumpy Isaiah “on holiday” to thwart off that attempt. While successful, there seems to be someone on the boat targeting people who have access to Poppy in the similar ways to the mysterious deaths that followed her before. As she and Isaiah investigate, they have seemingly found love within a few days. Now they must protect each other from Poppy’s stalker.

The mystery of the novel was nicely written as I kept finding myself wanting to learn more about Poppy’s past and who was stalking her. There were a few times, however, where things just seemed to be too convenient for them solving the case, like overhearing or having access to parts of the ship that would be difficult to gain access to as a passenger. The twist at the end made it all worth it though as I wasn’t suspecting the person who done all the killings.

As for the romance, Poppy and Isaiah had known each other for only a few days and were telling they loved each other. This is only after, mind you, Isaiah accused Poppy of killing the people in the past and the people on the ship. Meanwhile, Poppy just accepts his accusations and says she loves him too a few days after that???? She’s either a way more forgiving person than me or she’s crazy.

Which — hint, hint — after that twist ending, she might as well be.

I wanted to desperately like this book for the premise alone, but Callaghan’s writing style was too simple for me. I think this book could’ve been better by flushing out the details of Poppy’s past, making the crew on the ship more realistic, and for the love of all good things, stop making them overhear everything.

So much of the book was Poppy or Isaiah eavesdropping in on conversations. Sure we could give them the benefit of doubt — Isaiah’s a detective so maybe he was trained on this and Poppy had a rough upbringing so maybe she’s used to being too cautious — but it felt way too convenient for a mystery book.

Instead, I felt like this book should’ve had Poppy using more of her star power to gain information whereas Isaiah could’ve been cooperating with the crew on the ship with his detective status.

Overall, I did like the mystery of this book and thought it was decent. I wasn’t a huge fan of the romance as most of it felt rushed, but I wasn’t a huge satisfied with the ending. Therefore, I’m giving it three stars.

While I might not be too big of a fan, if you want a good mystery on a cruise with simple writing and an uncomplicated plot, I’d highly recommend this book.

This book is such a romantic team-up murder mystery between a pop star and detective on a cruise ship! Honestly, love the idea since I haven't seen many books take place on a cruise ship (we need more!!). This is definitely not a slow-burn since they fmc and mmc were very close from the beginning honestly but I enjoyed it! The twists got me every time!

Overall, I did really enjoy this book. Such a good summer read with the pub date coming up so I highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and CallaghanWriter for the E-ARC!

Whodunnit? Well, throw a dart, I guarantee you will hit a suspect, and if not, then probably a body. This long and drawn out story is a bit tedious with a side of steam. A good read, be ready to give it a push to its inevitable finish.

Loved reading the entertaining and exciting story. When Isaiah becomes Poppy's bodyguard and gets to know her, he realizes she may not be the cold-blooded killer and protecting her and her friend becomes harder to do with a murderer on the ship. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written full of mystery and suspense, and a must read riveting story.

The Situation Ship is a cute murder mystery romance that had me hooked from the very start. I haven’t read about a murder mystery on a cruise ship before and I thought it was refreshing and unique concept. The twists had me questioning everything.

Our story follows Poppy, a pop star, where death seems to follow her. Multiple mysterious deaths have grabbed the attention of a detective, Isaiah. Poppy needs a bodyguard for her cruise vacation and Isaiah jumps at the opportunity. After more bodies start showing up on the ship, Poppy and Isaiah must team up to figure out who is responsible.

I liked the different combination of genres. However I thought the romance between Poppy and Isaiah moved too quickly. I wish it had been developed more throughout the story.

Overall, I did enjoy this book. I thought I knew who the murderer was but I was wrong. I think it this would be a great summer read!

Thank you to NetGalley and CallaghanWriter for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was odd. I thought it was a cute romance novel but the first chapter was literally a murder and a bitter lady. The romance started hitting later on but the damage was mostly done and I was no longer as involved because it wasn't what I expected.

Firstly thank you to Kate Callaghan for the opportunity to read this ARC.

*spoilers below*

I literally loved this book. As a huge fan of cruises, weirdly, stories with cruises grab my attention even if they are crazy and murderous! I was so curious throughout this whole book and I honestly did not see the plot twist coming. I didn't manage to figure it out despite my guesses. I do have to say I wasn't sure what the Mina/Francis storyline added - it only really enhanced suspicion but given she wasn't involved I don't think it added anything to the plotline. I think the romance happened quickly but it wasn't badly written. I did discover through the acknowledgements that there are 2 standalones released prior to this which I believe link in, so I would definitely be curious to read these. Overall a good book which I really enjoyed!

Omg. This book gave me goosebumps because I was so surprised about the reveal plot twist in this book. I love this thriller/mystery book. I love the cover art as well.

This book was a cute and fun little read. I really loved the romance/mystery combo and flew right through

A funny, lighthearted, adventurous mystery. Kate Callaghan “The Situation Ship” was tagged as romance but read more as a murder mystery with a touch of romance.

While the cruise-ship ambiance was engaging, some subplots felt underdeveloped. Additionally, I found the dialogue was overly verbose and I disliked the rapid shifting between multiple character perspectives early on. As the story progressed I was hoping for an unexpected twist, however, I predicted the twist before it was delivered. And lastly, there were a few unresolved plot holes and unanswered motivations.

I enjoyed Poppy’s strong character. She was fierce, loyal, and composed. Unlike Poppy, Isaiah was private, cautious and emotionally guarded. He was the anti-hero who added more depth to the narrative. Although Poppy and Isaiah’s relationship was a slow to burn one, it forged through fear, danger, trust, and vulnerability with real emotional stakes, and was interesting to watch it unfold.

As a seasoned mystery and romance reader, I was disappointed in the overall execution. More specifically, the uneven pacing and the restrained reveals. In the final moments, Callaghan tied together the suspense and romance threads, however, the culmination felt a bit rushed with a monotonous climax, and some deeper social issues that were introduced earlier in the story felt less resolved.

All in all, The Situation Ship wasn’t one of my favorite murder mystery romance books, but it had a funny, light hearted and intriguing premise that I’d recommend for readers that prefer a mysterious closed door murder mystery with a splash of slow burn romance.

Thank you to Net Galley and the author for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Unfortunately this book didn’t appeal to me very much. It didn’t really captivate me and I wasn’t able to force myself to finish. I really wished I liked this book but I just don’t think that would have been possible. The writing reminded me of that of an inexperienced writer and I really do wish I had something nice to say about it. However, I do wish the author success on her current and upcoming books.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️3.5 stars 
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I loved Poppy’s character. She’s very strong-willed, loyal, and most importantly, fierce. Yet she’s able to almost always maintain a level of grace and composure. I also liked Isaiah’s character and their relationship, although I felt like we could have used a little bit more build up to their romance. It almost felt unnatural at first. I loved the murder mystery/romance mix, as I usually read one or the other, so this was a nice twist!
Overall, I think this is a great summer/vacation read. 

Thank you to NetGalley and CallaghanWriter for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for my honest.

If I could give half stars this would be 2 and a half. It was my first murder mystery romance book and overall it was enjoyable. The characters didn’t annoy me. I liked the cruise ship setting. It was wild all these events took place in the space of like 2 weeks? From going to strangers to confessing murders to saying I love you?? There was a couple parts that were contradicting, for example - Isaiah confessing he had a phone when he gave Poppy the charm bracelet but then her being shocked he had a phone a couple chapters later? Poppy says her aunt didn’t believe in therapy but a couple chapters later said her aunt put her in therapy? The entire death of the driver didn’t make sense either. I feel sorry for Mina getting left behind 90% of the time but at least she got a free cruise out of it. If you don’t look too much into the details it’s a fun/flirty book that would be good to read side of the pool!