Get ready to set sail on the Diamond Star and join our lovely characters in The Cruise Club for some fun, sun, soul searching and shenanigans!

Stuck in a rut and facing writers blog, cosy crime writer Carmen decides to be spontaneous and head off on a luxury cruise - alone! Except her overbearing mother has other ideas and tags along! What follows is a delightful tale of self discovery, family dynamics and friendships, plus beautiful settings, shows and food galore.

What you will find is pure escapism between the pages of this gem. The characters are brilliant, Betty especially. I can so envisage her, hear her comments and retorts and feel I’m cringing along with her daughter. All the characters are developed so well, and I loved the way they came together and friendships bloomed. In a short space of time friendships were made for life and people came together as a community to help and support each other.

Theo was another amazing character, while dealing with his own heartbreak he opens up and trusts others, giving assistance to them in ways only a best friend could. Theo is definitely someone you want in your life.

As much as I’d love to discuss all the main characters, you just need to jump on board and meet them all yourself.

The description of the cruise, where it sails and all the places that are visited are fantastic, you really will see yourself there among the characters, soaking up the sun and enjoying a cold beverage!

As Carmen and Fran head of shopping, it reminded me of a time I visited Rhodes and bought myself a dress in one of the many beautiful stores.

All in all this is a beautiful read to loose yourself in. Be ready for the many different (and sometimes slightly naughty!) adventures that happen in The Cruise Club!!

An enjoyable romantic comedy that kept me hooked to the end. Beautiful locations, interesting characters, romance and new friendships, the author weaved a lovely tale.

The Cruise Club was a joy to read. With its group of loveable (albeit some less so than others) and quirky characters, I instantly fell into the story. The group felt like old friends I'd joined for a holiday. As we cruised through the Mediterranean, I enjoyed all the stops and descriptions, which were wonderfully immersive.

This was a real comfort read with well-written characters and beautiful settings.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an ARC. All thoughts are my own.

I loved the background characters. There’s friendship, romance, laughter, all of the feelings with some mystery thrown in too. Cute cozy read

Absolutely loved this book. It was hilariously good fun! So many laugh out loud moments. Fantastic characters! I enjoyed the element of mystery trying to work out the thief.

The whole cruise and stopping off at each location was beautiful, I could just imagine myself there in all the sunny places.

Really enjoyed my cruise!

It almost felt as if I was sailing along on this cruise alongside the characters and the wonderful descriptions of places and food made it even more vivid.

I so wanted Carmen to stand up for herself and was definitely on her side as the book progressed. Great to catch up with characters from The French Cookery School, Fran and Sid. After reading this book I don’t think I will ever view depictions of pineapples in the same way again and any references to squid will make me smile.

Loved the fact that there were writers and writing classes on the boat. Theo definitely captured my heart.

Looking forward to the next Caroline James book already.

Another fun and lively story from Caroline James, bringing together a cast of interesting and realistic characters on a cruise for pensioners. Carmen is the main character- a writer of cosy crime who has missed her chance of love and a life of her own because of the overbearing and critical mother she feels obliged to look after. From fellow cruisers to guest speakers to the entertainment staff, there is s great mix of people here, each with their own problems, idiosyncrasies and secrets. Friendships are formed, romance blooms, and some lives are changed very much for the better.. I loved every minute of it.

This is my third Caroline James book and it's just as fun book filled with gorgeous locations, but also filled with friendships, kindness and of course, love.

From the moment I read the first line I knew I was going to love Carmen and reading her story but also getting to meet new people. There are many a moments I was giggling and times when I wanted to scream at certain characters. Caroline also, somehow, manages to weave a crime mystery but will you figure it before the end?

It was so nice picking up with old characters again from previous books. But who? You'll have to wait and see on this gorgeous beach or pool worthy book that has you smiling and laughing until the end.

Fabulous work and I can't wait to read her next one.

I couldn’t wait to read this one as I read The Cruise and loved it. It was great to be back with the ever charismatic Dicky (I seem to love his character and wayward charm). All Caroline’s characters are written in a way that makes them relatable and seem real. Betty was a hard faced character and I couldn’t wait to see if she lightened up for poor Carmen or if her reign of grumpiness would continue. I also had a soft spot for Fran and Sid. I couldn’t wait for Debbie to say her first words on the cruise since Don was the ever demeaning husband. Theo however, well I love him and his kindness he showed Carmen.

It is written in such a fun way and I enjoyed reading about the excursions they went on. There is a budding romance throughout, friendship and also a mystery that underpins the plot too which made for a great read. So much was packed into the story there wasn’t a dull moment, a fun, lighthearted, humorous read I would recommend.

The main character is described as an author of cozy mysteries and this book definitely has that cozy feeling to it. Most of the action takes place on a cruise liner and the interplay of all the different characters and all their colourfulness kept the pace of the book high.. the author has a way of describing a myriad of people and their social interactions in a way that made me feel part of it, the crew seemed a friendly place to be even when there was a bit of mayhem. There is a bit of romance running through the book however the real takeaway for me with the intersection of peoples lives on this cruise when no one can go anywhere.. Areal hopeful book.

“A cruise is more than the start of a journey, it is the beginning of a love affair with the sea, where every port brings a new adventure.”

This is the first quote in the book and as an avid cruiser, it couldn’t be more true. From the first page I knew I’d love this book. It’s full of warmth, humour, fun and friendship - everything you want in a book. There’s fun mystery elements in the book that adds a layer of depth to the story. It feels like you’re really there on the cruise and hanging out with your best friends. A fabulous summer read!

Another brilliant summer read from Caroline. I loved the characters she writes as they're always so human and relatable.

I just finished a great heartwarming book. The Cruise Club by Caroline James is available soon and is one you won’t want to miss.

This is a brilliant book, I felt as though the characters became my friends and felt sad to leave them when I finished reading it! At first I found Betty unbelievably irritating, she was so rude to her daughter, but then she became just one of a group of characters, and in fact is quite hilarious later on in the book. The cruise itinerary is so good I reached for my iPad more than once to Google more about it, I’ve definitely been inspired to go on a cruise. Please keep these books coming, they’re fantastic entertainment.

I am planning a Mediterranean cruise next month so I felt this would be a great kick off book.
Carmen, our FMC, is seeking a caregiver break from caring for her mother however, she comes along too.
Thankfully Carmen finds a found family of girlfriends that you will fall in love with! Each character is well developed and even a cameo from other books.
I greatly enjoyed the romance and the friendship and the humor lightened up the book.

I was so excited to read this book as I loved Caroline’s book The Cruise and couldn’t wait to hear more from The Diamond Star.

Carmen needs a break away from her elderly mother Betty but unfortunately she insists on tagging along to ruin Carmen’s dream holiday. However Carmen meets some great friends and both her and Betty make some life changing connections.

The characters were brilliant and so well described, I really felt like I was on the ship with them. Fran is an excellent character from Caroline’s previous book The French Cookery School so it was great to catch up with her and her lovely husband. It was also great to have Dicky Delaney back on board as i do have a soft spot for him and his act.

There was plenty of humour, romance, friendship and some mystery which made for an amazing 5 star summer read which I would definitely recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley, Caroline James and Avon Books UK for an advance copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Introvert Carmen, a crime writer with a writer's block, books a cruise to meet her favourite author, Ruskin. hoping for inspiration . Unfortunately her cantankerous mother insists on accompanying her. Meeting new friends and undergoing a make-over, the cruise may just change her life. Perfect easy holiday/wet weather reading ..

A brilliant light read. The author has cruising down to a fine art. Some laugh out moments . Great characters . Great story . You get love. I love the ending neat. Read it you won’t be disappointed. Some good twists . Perfect for a holiday read.

Carmen is a cosy crime writer but has lot the way for her next book. Her mother Betty is very controlling and won't let Carmen do. anything. Carmen finds out her favourite crime author is giving talk aboard a cruise ship so decides to book but then her mother finds and decides to book as well.

I was transported on The Diamond Star (Cruise Ship) which was a very special cruise. We follow the main characters Carmen Cunningham, Betty (Carmen’s mum), Ruskin Reeve and many others as they embark on the cruise and I have to say that I genuinely felt as though I was on the Mediterranean Cruise with them. I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline as we follow each character. We experience the beauty of friendship and the importance of kindness which the author has portrayed beautifully in this book. If you need a form of escapism this book will definitely take you there. I’ve never been on a cruise (always dreamt of going on one). I genuinely felt as though I was riding the waves.. I was sad to see the journey come to an end.

This was a cozy feel good read about friendships, hardships and helping each other. Carmen is a writer who’s looking after her very grumpy mother when she sees an ad for a cruise, she jumps at the chance, but her mother wants to come too. When she’s on the cruise she meets new friends and has a great time. A lovely book with plenty of inspiring characters who are relatable. The descriptions of the surroundings were beautiful and it made you want to jump on a plane or ship to Greece. An overall happy 5 star read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

I may have said it before, but I'll happily say it again - Caroline James and cruising is an irresistible combination.

And what a book this is, I definitely recall wanting more books featuring cruising from this author after finishing the Cruise and boy has this delivered, but honestly I still want more - and there are far more places cruises go other than the Med and Caribbean, so I'd like to think there could be more!

Speaking of the the author's previous cruise book ,this one is onboard the same ship, with a couple of returning staff members, but it is a totally brand new, and completely standalone story. But for anyone that has read it, the ship itself will feel like a familiar friend.

I was back into the rhythm of the Diamond Star really quickly and I loved getting to know all of the new highlighted guest on board.

What really struck me was the very tricky relationship between Carmen and her mother, and how if the pandemic hadn't got in the way, how the relationship between me and my mum may have turned out. I completely sympathised with Carmen - Betty is very demanding and tricky to deal with.

Thankfully Carmen actually makes friends on this cruise, which Betty had tagged along on, and she even gets to meet one of her writing heroes, Ruskin who is one of the guest speakers on the ship.

I was delighted to see that one of the main headliners on board is in fact a drag queen, I love drag and in my 9 or so cruises, I don't believe I've seen drag act at all onboard, which is a shame. But Melody is fabulous and although not a main character, there is still a good amount of depth to her as we got to know her through conversations with Dicky!

I absolutely loved the various ports of call on this ship, and ones that I have visited myself really felt very well described. There is so so much that I loved about this story, but I don't want to give anything away. But rest assured there are some very nice character arcs, there is some romance, some humour and some really touching moments too.

I couldn't have enjoyed this more and I was totally hooked on reading it and it's a perfect summer holiday read.

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

The Cruise Club was exactly the escape I didn’t know I needed! This book had it all—sunshine, sass, a sprinkle of romance, and a good dose of cozy mystery—all set aboard a cruise ship sailing through dreamy Mediterranean ports. Honestly, I devoured it in two sittings with a big smile on my face.

Carmen Cunningham is the kind of protagonist you root for immediately: funny, frazzled, and fiercely relatable. As a cosy crime writer struggling with writer’s block and juggling the chaos that is her strong-willed mother, Betty, I instantly connected with her. The idea of booking a cruise to revive her creativity sounded like a perfect getaway… until Betty decides to tag along, of course.

Betty might just steal the show. She’s outrageous in the best possible way—meddling, dramatic, and secretly lovable. Their mother-daughter dynamic had me laughing out loud more than once, especially as they got wrapped up in shipboard shenanigans involving mysterious thefts and whispers of a secret club.

And then there’s Ruskin Reeve—the grumpy, aloof literary idol who ends up being more than he seems. The chemistry between him and Carmen felt like a slow simmer, full of banter and charm, and I loved watching their relationship unfold amid sun-drenched excursions and late-night confessions.

The pacing was perfect—light and breezy but never shallow. There’s a touch of mystery, but it’s handled with a gentle hand, keeping the focus on the characters and their emotional journeys. I especially appreciated how Carmen's creativity slowly returned as she reconnected with herself—not just as a writer, but as a woman rediscovering her spark.

If you’re looking for a feel-good read with humor, heart, and a few surprises tucked into its suitcase, The Cruise Club is your ticket. It’s uplifting, clever, and downright delightful. I didn’t want to disembark.