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Cruising Toward Love
Can an unexplained breakup and ten years of heartache be cured by the romance - and endless buffets - of a tropical cruise? When her sister is left at the altar, small town librarian Zoe Balis jumps at the chance to take the bride’s unused ticket for the honeymoon cruise. But she didn't count on sharing a cabin with the man who broke her heart ten years ago!
Army medic Nate Hyatt never told Zoe goodbye when he enlisted - or the real reason why he dumped her on prom night after a year as high school sweethearts. And he never stopped dreaming about the girl he left behind. Could this voyage be his chance to fix the worst mistake he ever made? After all, a Caribbean cruise should be romantic… if he can convince her to move past ten years of bitterness and hurt.
Once aboard the luxury liner, Zoe befriends a bored Internet mogul with more heart than tact. Nate vents his problems to a ship’s photographer battling PTSD. The four team up on an island hopping treasure hunt. The stakes grow higher with each of Zoe’s mysterious brushes with death. They race to discover why she's a target and who's behind it, while still competing in the treasure hunt.
Zoe’s never gotten over her first love, and is tempted to let Nate back into her life. But she already lost him once. She’s not willing to risk loving a man whose career keeps him in a combat zone. Can Nate breach her defenses and suture her broken heart? Grab a deck chair and see if they survive the stormy relationship seas as they cruise toward love!
Army medic Nate Hyatt never told Zoe goodbye when he enlisted - or the real reason why he dumped her on prom night after a year as high school sweethearts. And he never stopped dreaming about the girl he left behind. Could this voyage be his chance to fix the worst mistake he ever made? After all, a Caribbean cruise should be romantic… if he can convince her to move past ten years of bitterness and hurt.
Once aboard the luxury liner, Zoe befriends a bored Internet mogul with more heart than tact. Nate vents his problems to a ship’s photographer battling PTSD. The four team up on an island hopping treasure hunt. The stakes grow higher with each of Zoe’s mysterious brushes with death. They race to discover why she's a target and who's behind it, while still competing in the treasure hunt.
Zoe’s never gotten over her first love, and is tempted to let Nate back into her life. But she already lost him once. She’s not willing to risk loving a man whose career keeps him in a combat zone. Can Nate breach her defenses and suture her broken heart? Grab a deck chair and see if they survive the stormy relationship seas as they cruise toward love!
312 pages, ebook
First published August 30, 2011
36 people are currently reading
203 people want to read
About the author
Christi Barth
60 books778 followersUSA TODAY bestselling author Christi Barth earned a Masters degree in vocal performance and embarked upon a career on the stage. A love of romance then drew her to wedding planning. Ultimately she succumbed to her lifelong love of books and now writes award-winning contemporary romance, including the Naked Men and Aisle Bound series.
Christi can always be found either whipping up gourmet meals (for fun, honest!) or with her nose in a book. She lives in Maryland with the best husband in the world.
Christi can always be found either whipping up gourmet meals (for fun, honest!) or with her nose in a book. She lives in Maryland with the best husband in the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
October 7, 2011
This copy was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Kindle Edition, published September 27th, 2011
Siren Publishing
Yay! Christi, thanks for your query!
Her sister is driving Zoe Balis nuts. Being on bridesmaid’s duty catering to bridezilla’s every whim isn’t enough? It turns out that no other than Nate Hyatt is the best man. You heard right! Nate Hyatt who abandoned her on prom night…never to be seen again. What could possibly happen to make things worse? A wedding that is called off and coming face to face with him again on a freakin’ cruise ship.
Will Nate win Zoe’s trust again? When attempts on her life send their trip on a downward spiral, Zoe must rely on the one man who broke her heart.
Zoe made for a great heroine. She preferred to live on the safe side – being prepared, taking no risks. But as soon as circumstances required it, she adapted to the situation and didn’t let anyone get to her. Except, of course, Nate! Spitfire Zoe brought out the meanie in him. In turn, she gave as good as she got. I couldn’t really stay mad at Nate for lashing out, pushing her buttons like he did. Their back and forth squabbles were so very entertaining just like all other interaction was deliciously tension-filled. I enjoyed being treated to several fabulous one-liners. They didn’t feel forced at all. Instead, more like a natural addition to the story. A book that’s easy to read, thanks to the author keeping the balance between serious and fluffy.
The idea of a cruise ship as the setting was new to me. I liked it a lot. Not just because it presented the perfect opportunity to include a fun treasure hunt in the story line - also because it was the only plausible way to keep hero and heroine near each other. Killing urges were involved; then again, they couldn’t escape. Zoe and Nate were forced to work through their issues and not run from them. The two were a good match. The chemistry was undeniable and made it easy to root for them to get their happily ever after. Never before have I read a book with four main characters. Others might argue that my assessment is wrong (believing them to be secondary characters), however, to me newfound friends Callie Caldwell and Reed Hunter turned out to be just as essential to the plot like Zoe and Nate. The hero started out as a bit too cocky for his own good. Yep, I liked it! Soon it became clear why his defenses were up. Not to say there weren’t any problems with such a big cast. I was happy with the direction the story took. Callie and Reed, two very different people who were attracted to each other: this definitely worked. Big time! Unfortunately at the expense of a few other aspects I would’ve loved to see get picked up. Aspects that would’ve gone a long way in terms of an even better rating. For example the built-up between Zoe and Nate; followed by some more glimpses at a serious conversation. No drama, no danger, no declarations of love. Just the two working on their issues together as a team.
I read that the book was labeled romantic suspense. I have to disagree. Vehemently so! The first half of the story was contemporary romance only. It felt like the author tried to turn things around, but only succeeded in crowding the plot lines. There was a reason behind the attacks on Zoe. To be honest, a rather lame one. I knew from the start who the bad guy was and found the so called elements (make that scenes) of suspense more comical than anything else. No wonder with four important personalities / two relationships to handle. The suspense automatically took a backseat. I asked myself why not give Callie and Reed their own book?! She often acted a tad too pushy. I wasn’t sure if I liked her. I also expected some big whopper of an explanation why Nate left all these years ago. Didn’t get one, but at least Nate acknowledged that it may sound foolish now (looking back on everything). His intentions were good. Neither was I satisfied by his reasons, nor completely put off. While I immensely enjoyed the girl talk / boy talk - good to know what each of them were feeling and thinking - the ending didn’t live up to my expectations. Cute, romantic - yes! Did the story come full circle? No! I was hoping for an Epilogue. Let’s end it where it started! Furthermore Zoe was full of fear. She didn’t want to lose Nate a second time. I understood where she was coming from, but it doesn’t undo the fact that the author let her take a stand against something that was a big part of Nate’s life. The man she supposedly loved! How about unconditional love? Getting over her fears? What he decided to do afterwards wasn’t the point. A short read with lots of potential. Funny, cute and memorable - just not (yet) up there with the A list. 3 stars to Cruising Toward Love by Christi Barth!
Beware of Spoilers
A few of my favorite quotes for those of you who are interested:
° “Here people held on to their memories with the sticky death grip of toddler on an all-day sucker. Gossip didn’t need to be fresh. It just needed to be juicy.”
° “A page from the past can’t give me anything worse than a paper cut.”
° “I love a woman who’s tall enough to talk into my belly button. Makes everything line up better once things get horizontal.”
° “Zoe tasted like everything good in life rolled up in a soft, tender package.”
° “Before I jump to any conclusion that would end with me being tempted to kick you in the family jewels, is there any chance you’d like to explain yourself?”
Kindle Edition, published September 27th, 2011
Siren Publishing
Yay! Christi, thanks for your query!
Her sister is driving Zoe Balis nuts. Being on bridesmaid’s duty catering to bridezilla’s every whim isn’t enough? It turns out that no other than Nate Hyatt is the best man. You heard right! Nate Hyatt who abandoned her on prom night…never to be seen again. What could possibly happen to make things worse? A wedding that is called off and coming face to face with him again on a freakin’ cruise ship.
Will Nate win Zoe’s trust again? When attempts on her life send their trip on a downward spiral, Zoe must rely on the one man who broke her heart.
Zoe made for a great heroine. She preferred to live on the safe side – being prepared, taking no risks. But as soon as circumstances required it, she adapted to the situation and didn’t let anyone get to her. Except, of course, Nate! Spitfire Zoe brought out the meanie in him. In turn, she gave as good as she got. I couldn’t really stay mad at Nate for lashing out, pushing her buttons like he did. Their back and forth squabbles were so very entertaining just like all other interaction was deliciously tension-filled. I enjoyed being treated to several fabulous one-liners. They didn’t feel forced at all. Instead, more like a natural addition to the story. A book that’s easy to read, thanks to the author keeping the balance between serious and fluffy.
The idea of a cruise ship as the setting was new to me. I liked it a lot. Not just because it presented the perfect opportunity to include a fun treasure hunt in the story line - also because it was the only plausible way to keep hero and heroine near each other. Killing urges were involved; then again, they couldn’t escape. Zoe and Nate were forced to work through their issues and not run from them. The two were a good match. The chemistry was undeniable and made it easy to root for them to get their happily ever after. Never before have I read a book with four main characters. Others might argue that my assessment is wrong (believing them to be secondary characters), however, to me newfound friends Callie Caldwell and Reed Hunter turned out to be just as essential to the plot like Zoe and Nate. The hero started out as a bit too cocky for his own good. Yep, I liked it! Soon it became clear why his defenses were up. Not to say there weren’t any problems with such a big cast. I was happy with the direction the story took. Callie and Reed, two very different people who were attracted to each other: this definitely worked. Big time! Unfortunately at the expense of a few other aspects I would’ve loved to see get picked up. Aspects that would’ve gone a long way in terms of an even better rating. For example the built-up between Zoe and Nate; followed by some more glimpses at a serious conversation. No drama, no danger, no declarations of love. Just the two working on their issues together as a team.
I read that the book was labeled romantic suspense. I have to disagree. Vehemently so! The first half of the story was contemporary romance only. It felt like the author tried to turn things around, but only succeeded in crowding the plot lines. There was a reason behind the attacks on Zoe. To be honest, a rather lame one. I knew from the start who the bad guy was and found the so called elements (make that scenes) of suspense more comical than anything else. No wonder with four important personalities / two relationships to handle. The suspense automatically took a backseat. I asked myself why not give Callie and Reed their own book?! She often acted a tad too pushy. I wasn’t sure if I liked her. I also expected some big whopper of an explanation why Nate left all these years ago. Didn’t get one, but at least Nate acknowledged that it may sound foolish now (looking back on everything). His intentions were good. Neither was I satisfied by his reasons, nor completely put off. While I immensely enjoyed the girl talk / boy talk - good to know what each of them were feeling and thinking - the ending didn’t live up to my expectations. Cute, romantic - yes! Did the story come full circle? No! I was hoping for an Epilogue. Let’s end it where it started! Furthermore Zoe was full of fear. She didn’t want to lose Nate a second time. I understood where she was coming from, but it doesn’t undo the fact that the author let her take a stand against something that was a big part of Nate’s life. The man she supposedly loved! How about unconditional love? Getting over her fears? What he decided to do afterwards wasn’t the point. A short read with lots of potential. Funny, cute and memorable - just not (yet) up there with the A list. 3 stars to Cruising Toward Love by Christi Barth!
Beware of Spoilers
A few of my favorite quotes for those of you who are interested:
° “Here people held on to their memories with the sticky death grip of toddler on an all-day sucker. Gossip didn’t need to be fresh. It just needed to be juicy.”
° “A page from the past can’t give me anything worse than a paper cut.”
° “I love a woman who’s tall enough to talk into my belly button. Makes everything line up better once things get horizontal.”
° “Zoe tasted like everything good in life rolled up in a soft, tender package.”
° “Before I jump to any conclusion that would end with me being tempted to kick you in the family jewels, is there any chance you’d like to explain yourself?”
June 6, 2018
Right off the bat I’m going to say why it lost 1 star: two parts of some story that never actually fit for me with the rest of the story about Nate, Zoe, Reed and Callie. If someone has any idea what that was about, please, let me know, because I’m still trying to make sense out of it.
The rest of the story was funny, not too sweet, not too sexed up that I wanted to kill myself because of the characters’ obsession with each other. It had mystery, it had a bunch of hilarious things, and it wasn’t centered on just two characters. When you read the blurb (well, when I did) you picture the friendship thing of Zoe and Nate with elderly people. I was surprised when that wasn’t the case. Although we are never told how old Callie and Reed actually are, they must be around their mid to late thirties. Nate and Zoe are both 27/28, so they’re younger, but Callie is some internet mogul, brainiac to a fault, and, yeah, I know that might not be reasons enough for her to be “older”, I say no one starts an empire with 15 years.
The hunt was fun, but I kind of hoped for a bit more of action on that front. This isn’t exactly an adventure book, so it was a bit slow on that regard, but like I said: it was fun, and all the characters pitched in at some point.
It’s enjoyable for a Sunday lazy afternoon, drinking milk (or your beverage of choice) and chocolate chip cookies.
The rest of the story was funny, not too sweet, not too sexed up that I wanted to kill myself because of the characters’ obsession with each other. It had mystery, it had a bunch of hilarious things, and it wasn’t centered on just two characters. When you read the blurb (well, when I did) you picture the friendship thing of Zoe and Nate with elderly people. I was surprised when that wasn’t the case. Although we are never told how old Callie and Reed actually are, they must be around their mid to late thirties. Nate and Zoe are both 27/28, so they’re younger, but Callie is some internet mogul, brainiac to a fault, and, yeah, I know that might not be reasons enough for her to be “older”, I say no one starts an empire with 15 years.
The hunt was fun, but I kind of hoped for a bit more of action on that front. This isn’t exactly an adventure book, so it was a bit slow on that regard, but like I said: it was fun, and all the characters pitched in at some point.
It’s enjoyable for a Sunday lazy afternoon, drinking milk (or your beverage of choice) and chocolate chip cookies.
October 8, 2017
I love the Naked Guy series, so was eager to read this book. When her sister's fiancee skips town the morning of the wedding, Zoe is offered her's sister's honeymoon cruise ticket. Since she has been overworked from wedding preparations and her job as the town librarian and hasn't taken any time off in years, Zoe jumps at the chance. Unfortunately, the groom gave his ticket to his best man, Nate Hyatt, who 10 years ago, left Zoe the night of the prom, to enlist in the army, without any goodbye or explanation. Now they have to share the honeymoon suite and pretend to be in love. Neither one has ever gotten over the other, but Nate never explained why he left and doesn't understand how much he hurt her and made her feel inadequate. Now they have a second chance, but will they be brave enough to take it? They befriend another passenger and the cruise photographer and then strange things start happening to Zoe. Can her friends protect her? I very much enjoyed reading this book, However, in the copy that I read, there were two strange additions in Chapters 15 and 17, of a totally different story inserted into the book.
November 17, 2011
I discovered Christi Barth earlier this year when I stumbled upon Act Like We're In Love and fell in love with the story, the characters and Christi's writing (you can read my review of Act Like We're in Love here), just telling you this so you can picture how much I was looking forward to read Cruising Toward Love.
Cruising Toward Love is an interesting mix of a contemporary romance and romantic suspense. I really liked the contemporary romance part but didn't care for the suspense plot, but let me tell you about it in more detail.
The story starts wonderfully: Zoe is the considerate big sister and all around nice girl: she is not only helping out her baby sister in the organisation of Stella's (said baby sister's) marriage, but is organising her sister's marriage since her sister is enough of a brat to bat her eyelashes and pout to have her way. And poor soft-hearted Zoe gives in and takes on everything.
So Zoe is on her way, having just picked up the bridesmaids' gifts when some crazy biker almost runs her over, sending her (and all the crystal gifts and Stella's freshly cleaned out clothes) sprawling in a muddy puddle. You can imagine Zoe's indignation, well guess what, it even gets worse: because the handsome (but crazy) biker is none other than Zoe's high school sweetheart who left Zoe and their small town without any explanation and broke Zoe's heart and self-confidence by doing so. But no, don't think that is all: because Zoe's bratty sister forgot to warn her, that they have asked Nate to be the best man, thus Zoe has to endure his presence for several days and even smile since everyone's eye (and cameras) will be on them. So that is how the novel starts off.
I have to say that I tremendously enjoyed the first third of the novel, Nate and Zoe's meeting and the subsequent scenes were full of tension, banter and sizzling chemistry. Their love story sadly lost center stage once they got on the cruise as a lot of time was spent on Callie and Reed and they became just as prominent characters and not just secondary ones.
Callie is a vibrant, colourful, vivid, over the top young woman. She is like a force of nature, nonstop flirting with shy geek Reed:
“I don’t need the food out of your mouth, cutie. I’m just interested in the lips that go around it.”
"Whew! The lady laid on flirtation like she was laying down a fresh layer of asphalt. Hot, steamy, and thick."
Reed's PTSD was explored in quite depth, which frankly surprised me as I wasn't expecting it from a contemporary romance, especially as Reed started out as a secondary character:
"For months he’d seen himself as damaged, useless. The doctors tried to tell him depression was an expected symptom, but he didn’t feel depressed. He felt like a windshield the moment after it’s hit by a rock—covered with a web of hairline cracks, on the verge of splintering apart. Waiting for the next tiny thing that might shatter him irreparably."
Though Callie and Reed were both nice cute and quirky characters I would have preferred if they got their own novel and Cruising Toward Love could have focussed on only Zoe and Nate. Maybe it's due to this that I found the middle a bit slow and bumpy, I just wanted to read more about Zoe and Nate and would have liked Callie and Reed to cede the stage to them :-/ (I would have loved to read about Zoe and Nate finally talking and confronting everything that happened, what they thought ten years ago instead of their time together being always interrupted because of meeting Callie.)
Christi Barth had me hooked right from the start, the small town was adorable ("here in Towanda, adulterers were exposed while perms were wrapped"), Nate and Zoe had both chemistry and history, so I was a bit disappointed that their story wasn't explored in such depths I would have liked (for example their first kiss after ten years wasn't described at all, neither how it made them feel, which in my opinion would have been crucial). I liked Callie and Reed, but I couldn't forgive them that them being on the scene meant less time spent on Zoe and Nate.
The humour in the novel was refreshing and had me chuckle out loud several time:
“Togas, ouzo, and a great love of feta cheese comprise my entire knowledge of the nation of Greece,” said Reed. “Can anyone else do better?”
Nate shook his head. “Add a solid appreciation for gyros and that does it for me.”
“You keep surprising me with this latent romantic streak of yours. I like it, don’t get me wrong,” she added hastily, “but I sure don’t remember you being so sentimental in high school.”
Probably not. To a horny teenage boy, romantic gestures pretty much topped out at remembering to buy two sodas at the movies. And rubbing a few extra brain cells together to make sure one of them was diet.
And Nate was wonderful, in my opinion his proposal was one of the best and most moving one due to its simplicity and blaring honesty:
“Thinking about you makes me happy. Being with you sends me over the moon. I can’t do anything to bring back the time we wasted living separate lives. But I can ask you to let me try to make it up to you while you spend the rest of your life with me. Marry me, Zoe.”
Cruising Toward Love was an entertaining, sunny and funny contemporary romance, but why the suspense bit was added is beyond me as for me it didn't add much to the storyline and the reason behind the mystery was ridiculous and far.fetched and improbable.
Verdict: Cruising Toward Love was a nice and sunny read, I loved the sometimes witty, sometimes emotional banter or interaction between Nate and Zoe, but I expected to be blown away just as much as Act Like We're in Love did and sadly it didn't. I wonder if I hadn't read Act Like We're in Love first I wouldn't have had such high expectations for Cruising Toward Love. As it is, Cruising Toward Love was a nice and entertaining, funny and romantic story full of adventure and sunshine, but I still recommend you check out Act Like We're in Love.
I give Cruising Toward Love 3.5 stars!
Cruising Toward Love is an interesting mix of a contemporary romance and romantic suspense. I really liked the contemporary romance part but didn't care for the suspense plot, but let me tell you about it in more detail.
The story starts wonderfully: Zoe is the considerate big sister and all around nice girl: she is not only helping out her baby sister in the organisation of Stella's (said baby sister's) marriage, but is organising her sister's marriage since her sister is enough of a brat to bat her eyelashes and pout to have her way. And poor soft-hearted Zoe gives in and takes on everything.
So Zoe is on her way, having just picked up the bridesmaids' gifts when some crazy biker almost runs her over, sending her (and all the crystal gifts and Stella's freshly cleaned out clothes) sprawling in a muddy puddle. You can imagine Zoe's indignation, well guess what, it even gets worse: because the handsome (but crazy) biker is none other than Zoe's high school sweetheart who left Zoe and their small town without any explanation and broke Zoe's heart and self-confidence by doing so. But no, don't think that is all: because Zoe's bratty sister forgot to warn her, that they have asked Nate to be the best man, thus Zoe has to endure his presence for several days and even smile since everyone's eye (and cameras) will be on them. So that is how the novel starts off.
I have to say that I tremendously enjoyed the first third of the novel, Nate and Zoe's meeting and the subsequent scenes were full of tension, banter and sizzling chemistry. Their love story sadly lost center stage once they got on the cruise as a lot of time was spent on Callie and Reed and they became just as prominent characters and not just secondary ones.
Callie is a vibrant, colourful, vivid, over the top young woman. She is like a force of nature, nonstop flirting with shy geek Reed:
“I don’t need the food out of your mouth, cutie. I’m just interested in the lips that go around it.”
"Whew! The lady laid on flirtation like she was laying down a fresh layer of asphalt. Hot, steamy, and thick."
Reed's PTSD was explored in quite depth, which frankly surprised me as I wasn't expecting it from a contemporary romance, especially as Reed started out as a secondary character:
"For months he’d seen himself as damaged, useless. The doctors tried to tell him depression was an expected symptom, but he didn’t feel depressed. He felt like a windshield the moment after it’s hit by a rock—covered with a web of hairline cracks, on the verge of splintering apart. Waiting for the next tiny thing that might shatter him irreparably."
Though Callie and Reed were both nice cute and quirky characters I would have preferred if they got their own novel and Cruising Toward Love could have focussed on only Zoe and Nate. Maybe it's due to this that I found the middle a bit slow and bumpy, I just wanted to read more about Zoe and Nate and would have liked Callie and Reed to cede the stage to them :-/ (I would have loved to read about Zoe and Nate finally talking and confronting everything that happened, what they thought ten years ago instead of their time together being always interrupted because of meeting Callie.)
Christi Barth had me hooked right from the start, the small town was adorable ("here in Towanda, adulterers were exposed while perms were wrapped"), Nate and Zoe had both chemistry and history, so I was a bit disappointed that their story wasn't explored in such depths I would have liked (for example their first kiss after ten years wasn't described at all, neither how it made them feel, which in my opinion would have been crucial). I liked Callie and Reed, but I couldn't forgive them that them being on the scene meant less time spent on Zoe and Nate.
The humour in the novel was refreshing and had me chuckle out loud several time:
“Togas, ouzo, and a great love of feta cheese comprise my entire knowledge of the nation of Greece,” said Reed. “Can anyone else do better?”
Nate shook his head. “Add a solid appreciation for gyros and that does it for me.”
“You keep surprising me with this latent romantic streak of yours. I like it, don’t get me wrong,” she added hastily, “but I sure don’t remember you being so sentimental in high school.”
Probably not. To a horny teenage boy, romantic gestures pretty much topped out at remembering to buy two sodas at the movies. And rubbing a few extra brain cells together to make sure one of them was diet.
And Nate was wonderful, in my opinion his proposal was one of the best and most moving one due to its simplicity and blaring honesty:
“Thinking about you makes me happy. Being with you sends me over the moon. I can’t do anything to bring back the time we wasted living separate lives. But I can ask you to let me try to make it up to you while you spend the rest of your life with me. Marry me, Zoe.”
Cruising Toward Love was an entertaining, sunny and funny contemporary romance, but why the suspense bit was added is beyond me as for me it didn't add much to the storyline and the reason behind the mystery was ridiculous and far.fetched and improbable.
Verdict: Cruising Toward Love was a nice and sunny read, I loved the sometimes witty, sometimes emotional banter or interaction between Nate and Zoe, but I expected to be blown away just as much as Act Like We're in Love did and sadly it didn't. I wonder if I hadn't read Act Like We're in Love first I wouldn't have had such high expectations for Cruising Toward Love. As it is, Cruising Toward Love was a nice and entertaining, funny and romantic story full of adventure and sunshine, but I still recommend you check out Act Like We're in Love.
I give Cruising Toward Love 3.5 stars!
July 27, 2017
Genre: Romance - Second-Chance, Comedy. Suspense. Psychological, Military
Stand-Alone: Yes
Part of a Series: I don't think so but I REALLY want Reed and Callie's book
POV: Zoe, Nate and Reed
Steam-Level: Warm
5/5
If I could give this book more stars I would. What I thought was going to be a fun Second-Chance Romance turned in to soooo much more. Part comedy, part suspense, part second-chance and part psychological Cruising Toward Love had so many layers and depth. This story is smart, witty, and fast-paced The interplay between the characters with their different personalities and issues/flaws was enthralling. I could hardly put this book down Cruising Toward Love proves how talented Christi Barth is with her craft. If you haven't picked up one of her books I highly recommend this one to start your addiction!
I read this in the Destination Love anthology.
Stand-Alone: Yes
Part of a Series: I don't think so but I REALLY want Reed and Callie's book
POV: Zoe, Nate and Reed
Steam-Level: Warm
5/5
If I could give this book more stars I would. What I thought was going to be a fun Second-Chance Romance turned in to soooo much more. Part comedy, part suspense, part second-chance and part psychological Cruising Toward Love had so many layers and depth. This story is smart, witty, and fast-paced The interplay between the characters with their different personalities and issues/flaws was enthralling. I could hardly put this book down Cruising Toward Love proves how talented Christi Barth is with her craft. If you haven't picked up one of her books I highly recommend this one to start your addiction!
I read this in the Destination Love anthology.
February 6, 2017
This is the first book I've read by this author and I thought it was good. It's a story of second chance romance with new romance and mystery thrown in. I do wish there had been a little less focus on Callie and Reed (the supporting characters) so that more could have been on Zoe and Nate (the main characters). Other than that, I enjoyed reading this and will read more by this author.
*I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. This is my honest review.*
*I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. This is my honest review.*
March 13, 2017
A very sweet romantic mystery with a myriad of unexpected plot twists. A light and well-written enjoyable read with nicely developed characters and some sexy scenes.
October 16, 2017
Cruising Toward Love, which also appears in the Destination: Love anthology, was a fun second chance romance with a beautiful tropical setting. It's not all sunshine and umbrella drinks with Zoe and Nate sharing a honeymoon suite. Attraction and the sexual tension radiate off of them. It's obvious to the reader that they are clearly not over each other, no matter how much they say differently. I adore second chance romance. Spending the time to get to know each character while waiting patiently to find out just what happened between them is my idea of fun. Did Nate have a good reason to break Zoe's heart? Why did he do it? All questions are answered when both are ready to hear the answers. The only issue I had with the story was the secondary romance. While I enjoyed Callie and Reed, I wanted their romance to be it's own novella. It didn't take anything away from this book, I just felt like they should have been explored more in their own book. Although I was in the mood for a novella, I quite enjoyed Cruising Toward Love. From the second chance romance to the mystery behind the scavenger hunt, I had quite a fun time reading this book.
September 20, 2017
Funny and sweet
Christi Barth does it again! If you like some humor with your romance, and who doesnt, then this story is for you. Nate and Zoe have a rocky past together that the whole town knows and being a small town they wont let her forget or move on.
10 years previously Nate left Zoe and stood her up on prom night. He had good intentions that nobody knew about, least of all Zoe. Now he is back and in her sisters wedding, she cant avoid him and she keeps running into him literally. Can Nate get back into her good graces? Should Zoe protect herself from getting hurt again? Will a high seas cruise bring them together or bury them at sea? All these questions and more are answered in this absolutely fun, sweet and sexy romance that you won't want to put down. Well done Christi I cant wait to grab another book from you and lose myself again. ♡♡♡
Christi Barth does it again! If you like some humor with your romance, and who doesnt, then this story is for you. Nate and Zoe have a rocky past together that the whole town knows and being a small town they wont let her forget or move on.
10 years previously Nate left Zoe and stood her up on prom night. He had good intentions that nobody knew about, least of all Zoe. Now he is back and in her sisters wedding, she cant avoid him and she keeps running into him literally. Can Nate get back into her good graces? Should Zoe protect herself from getting hurt again? Will a high seas cruise bring them together or bury them at sea? All these questions and more are answered in this absolutely fun, sweet and sexy romance that you won't want to put down. Well done Christi I cant wait to grab another book from you and lose myself again. ♡♡♡
February 6, 2017
Zoe and Nate havent seen each other since Nate left Zoe on Prom Night for the Army. 10 years later Nate reappears to be the best man at Zoes sisters wedding. When the wedding gets called off Zoes sister insists she takes her place on the honey moon, Nate gets the same offer from the groom. When they find out on the ship sparks will fly
February 28, 2012
This book was a really fun read for me. I read it while on vacation myself and found myself unable to stop turning the pages, I was enjoying it that much. Read the rest of this review here: http://paperbacksandfrosting.com
May 18, 2012
Damn you Christi Barth for sucking me into Nate, Zoe, Callie, & Reed's world and not have the follow up book ready and waiting for me!! Fun read! Can't wait to find out what happens next (HINT HINT!!)
July 11, 2018
Nate dumped Zoe on prom night. Corsage pinned and everything. No one in the small town where she’s now librarian has ever let her forget it. It queers new romance situations and has made Zoe doubt her worth for more than ten years.
So she’s understandably upset when she learns via the grape vine that her bridezilla sister knows Nate is stepping in as best man on the day before the wedding and didn’t bother to tell her.
Nate ran and joined the army. He served as a medic under fire and it’s good experience when the groom decides to run out and leave Nate to tell the bride. Should be easy; he’s dumped a Balis sister before, right?
***
Her sister is just horrid… I mean really really horrid. I should feel sorry for her and all I’m thinking is that guy dodged a bullet. But then he’s pretty awful, too.
So the usual trope, they show up for the honeymoon cruise that’s bought and paid for.
Weird… we were trundling along with Zoe and Nate’s romance when all of a sudden we’ve got two new characters, Callie the unhappy but gorgeous tech multi-millionaire and Reed, the war vet cruise photographer.
*blinks*
I’d be prepared to like Callie but I can’t work out what she looks like or how old she is; one minute she’s in mumus and says she’s retired so I pictured Florida retired (you know) - the next she’s a tech savvy blonde bombshell who invented Google/askEdgar. She’s been bored for months *sniffs and eyes fill with tears* wow… I’m not actually sympathetic to this poor little rich girl shtick. Plus, she’s all over Reed like a charge of sexual harassment and he’s already told her multiple times he’ll lose his job if she doesn’t back off. But wahhhhh she’s lonely and bored, so she should be able to flirt.
Huh… guess I really don’t like her, eh?
But it was this that rocked me…
Wacko? The man has PTSD panic attacks and flashbacks.
She also describes him as damaged and implies it lessens his dating value.
*eyes narrow*
But he finds it refreshing and helpful. Uh huh.
They’re in the honeymoon suite - why would Nate and Zoe need to borrow Callie’s stateroom to have sex? And by the way, when he was looking for any room for Zoe to take rather than ‘his’ cabin, why didn’t Callie offer the second bedroom in the stateroom to Zoe?
And they never bother to deal with the fake married thing.
We get the pov of the other romance pair when this isn’t their story. And it’s a novella; it’s too short to share. Then there is a mystery, a treasure hunt during the cruise, and Zoe gets attacked several times.
It jumps around so much I literally thought I’d missed a page more than once.
And of course, it relies on the non-communication thing that makes me grit my teeth so hard my jaw hurts.
2 stars
So she’s understandably upset when she learns via the grape vine that her bridezilla sister knows Nate is stepping in as best man on the day before the wedding and didn’t bother to tell her.
Nate ran and joined the army. He served as a medic under fire and it’s good experience when the groom decides to run out and leave Nate to tell the bride. Should be easy; he’s dumped a Balis sister before, right?
***
Her sister is just horrid… I mean really really horrid. I should feel sorry for her and all I’m thinking is that guy dodged a bullet. But then he’s pretty awful, too.
So the usual trope, they show up for the honeymoon cruise that’s bought and paid for.
Weird… we were trundling along with Zoe and Nate’s romance when all of a sudden we’ve got two new characters, Callie the unhappy but gorgeous tech multi-millionaire and Reed, the war vet cruise photographer.
*blinks*
I’d be prepared to like Callie but I can’t work out what she looks like or how old she is; one minute she’s in mumus and says she’s retired so I pictured Florida retired (you know) - the next she’s a tech savvy blonde bombshell who invented Google/askEdgar. She’s been bored for months *sniffs and eyes fill with tears* wow… I’m not actually sympathetic to this poor little rich girl shtick. Plus, she’s all over Reed like a charge of sexual harassment and he’s already told her multiple times he’ll lose his job if she doesn’t back off. But wahhhhh she’s lonely and bored, so she should be able to flirt.
Huh… guess I really don’t like her, eh?
But it was this that rocked me…
“Everyone’s got issues. I mean, thanks for sharing and all, but you must not be too wacko”— she twirled her finger horizontally by her temple—“ or you wouldn’t be here raking in a paycheck.”
Wacko? The man has PTSD panic attacks and flashbacks.
She also describes him as damaged and implies it lessens his dating value.
*eyes narrow*
But he finds it refreshing and helpful. Uh huh.
They’re in the honeymoon suite - why would Nate and Zoe need to borrow Callie’s stateroom to have sex? And by the way, when he was looking for any room for Zoe to take rather than ‘his’ cabin, why didn’t Callie offer the second bedroom in the stateroom to Zoe?
And they never bother to deal with the fake married thing.
We get the pov of the other romance pair when this isn’t their story. And it’s a novella; it’s too short to share. Then there is a mystery, a treasure hunt during the cruise, and Zoe gets attacked several times.
It jumps around so much I literally thought I’d missed a page more than once.
And of course, it relies on the non-communication thing that makes me grit my teeth so hard my jaw hurts.
2 stars
September 9, 2019
Originally posted on Romancing-the-Book.com
This was a romantic suspense e-book that was easy to get lost in. It grabbed my attention from the beginning and never let go. There was family angst, a lost love, romance, adventure, a little mystery and a cruise through the Caribbean with lots of vivid descriptions in each port you could visualize yourself there. I could also taste the fresh air along with the flow of champagne and fruity, rum drinks, smell the ocean breezes and see the blue of the water. Christi Barth really made you feel as if you were there and part of the action. There were some twists and turns that were unexpected and a few that were very predictable but the author took a long time getting there. The unexpected actions of the four main characters along with their adventures and the romances that were building kept my interest. I haven't read any books by this author before this one but look forward to reading her first two since this was the third book she has written. If you like romance I think you would enjoy this book. Give it a try.
This was a romantic suspense e-book that was easy to get lost in. It grabbed my attention from the beginning and never let go. There was family angst, a lost love, romance, adventure, a little mystery and a cruise through the Caribbean with lots of vivid descriptions in each port you could visualize yourself there. I could also taste the fresh air along with the flow of champagne and fruity, rum drinks, smell the ocean breezes and see the blue of the water. Christi Barth really made you feel as if you were there and part of the action. There were some twists and turns that were unexpected and a few that were very predictable but the author took a long time getting there. The unexpected actions of the four main characters along with their adventures and the romances that were building kept my interest. I haven't read any books by this author before this one but look forward to reading her first two since this was the third book she has written. If you like romance I think you would enjoy this book. Give it a try.
September 23, 2019
A very fun double romance with a side of mystery
I love cruise ship mysteries and this book is one of my favorites. I loved all the characters, especially Callie! I loved her attitude for life & it rubbed off onto the other three. I'd love to go on a cruise with Callie. I highly recommend this book!1
I love cruise ship mysteries and this book is one of my favorites. I loved all the characters, especially Callie! I loved her attitude for life & it rubbed off onto the other three. I'd love to go on a cruise with Callie. I highly recommend this book!1
September 2, 2021
The dialog was unnatural and awkward and the characters were comically one dimensional. I love a good forced proximity/enemies to lovers romance trope but this was just boring. I didn't like or care for any of the characters and just stopped caring what happens half way through the book. DNF'd at about 70%
August 27, 2018
I really thought this was going to be a cheesy read. But to my delight it was adventurous and romantic. It had alot of great qualities and humor in the dialogue that made the more corny parts very readable. The treasure hunt was the most exciting part because of the mystery.
April 28, 2019
Fun story
This is the first book I have read by this author. I enjoyed the story immensely however felt that some of the suspense thrown in near the end was a bit too much. I look forward to reading more by this author.
This is the first book I have read by this author. I enjoyed the story immensely however felt that some of the suspense thrown in near the end was a bit too much. I look forward to reading more by this author.
August 15, 2021
So great! Loved the characters! The plot was so fun!
March 16, 2024
I can't say enough good things about this one. I typically avoid modern-day romances, but this one was fantastic! It had a little bit of everything with great character development.
February 11, 2018
I was on a cruise, wanted to read a book set on a cruise ship. Found this in an anthology. Second Chance romand between Nate and Zoe. He ran out on her at their high school Prom. She is a librarian in their home town surrounded by her large interferring Greek Family. He's an Army medic on leave to be the best man for his oldest friend who happens to be marrying Zoe's Sister. Groom runs out on the bride, Nick and Zoe end up taking their place on the Honeymoon, a Caribbean cruise. There's shenanigans, an thriller subplot line and a secondary romance between Reed (Cruise Ship photographer with PTSD from his time embedded in Iraq) & Callie (a young super rich retired tech guru). Fun read.
August 11, 2024
My cruises have never been that exciting!
Cruising the Caribbean is beautiful. I'll have to talk to the cruise director next time 😉.
Good story , a bit of action thrown in.
Cruising the Caribbean is beautiful. I'll have to talk to the cruise director next time 😉.
Good story , a bit of action thrown in.
November 9, 2011
If ever I’ve read a book and wanted to climb right in and hang with the characters, Christi Barth’s CRUSING TOWARD LOVE is it. These folks are just FUN! A lighthearted, often laugh-out-loud contemporary romance that just might earn you a reputation as a serial guffawer (not sure if that’s a word but us writers get to make stuff up, as long as we say it with authority), this book is a can’t-miss read for anyone wanting a bit of an escape from the ordinary. Both in setting and in style, CRUISING will totally float your boat! (Do I get bonus-geek points for throwing in a boat cliché already? No? Oh, well, carry on.)
The story opens in the rather hectic pre-wedding moments surrounding the nuptials of Zoe’s sister, Stella, who makes a convincing play for the Bridezilla title. After endless kowtowing to Stella’s whims, Zoe hangs on to that final straw until the bride bothers to mention the best man—and Zoe’s partner down the aisle—is Nate, the man who ten years ago left Zoe heartbroken without explanation. Sucking it up and putting on the perfect wedding face makes her squall inside, but it’s only one day, and with only a few hundred witnesses to her misery it can’t be so bad, can it?
Oh, it’s worse.
In the classic tone of careful-what-you-wish-for, Zoe’s prayers are answered when Nate delivers stunning news on the morning of the wedding. Now she won’t have to face him for the big day, but little does she know they’ll be forced to cozy up in the honeymoon suite. Of a cruise ship. Where there is absolutely no escape. (Insert evil cackle here).
By this point, there’s little hope of not being thoroughly sucked in by this story. The characters have spectacular voices and positively beam with personality. Nate’s leaving Zoe should put his chances of redemption in question, but you’ve just got to love him—and you do, long before you find out what the heck he was thinking. (Clearly Zoe is on the same page, as it’s all she can do not to throw herself in his arms.) With their well-fueled animosity—one of the only things upon which they seem to agree—it’s touch and go for a while there, each one likely entertaining thoughts of tossing the other overboard, but the sparks flying between these two characters quickly blaze into a of fire of titanic proportions.
Many (but not all, *nudge, nudge*) of the best CRUISING moments happen off the ship, when Zoe and Nate—who are stuck pretending to be honeymooners so they’re not ousted for impersonation—are paired with shipmates Callie and Reed for a multi-destination treasure hunt. The lighthearted plot thickens when Zoe becomes the target of a number of questionable “accidents,” these island excursions serving as much to develop relationships between characters as they do to add suspense. (Oh, and they’re funny. Epic-funny.)
The best part of this story—aside of the searing heat radiating from any immediate radius of Zoe and Nate—is the banter between characters. I found myself watching them like I would a tennis match, my head not quite literally swiveling from one to the other over the screen of my Kindle. Their unique voices shone with an outstanding level of character development I don’t often see—so much so that by the time I reached the last page I was a little sad to see them go.
But as to who went where, why, and with whom? You’ll have to hit the aquamarine waters of CRUISING TO LOVE to discover that one for yourself. And I can’t recommended highly enough that you do exactly that.
The story opens in the rather hectic pre-wedding moments surrounding the nuptials of Zoe’s sister, Stella, who makes a convincing play for the Bridezilla title. After endless kowtowing to Stella’s whims, Zoe hangs on to that final straw until the bride bothers to mention the best man—and Zoe’s partner down the aisle—is Nate, the man who ten years ago left Zoe heartbroken without explanation. Sucking it up and putting on the perfect wedding face makes her squall inside, but it’s only one day, and with only a few hundred witnesses to her misery it can’t be so bad, can it?
Oh, it’s worse.
In the classic tone of careful-what-you-wish-for, Zoe’s prayers are answered when Nate delivers stunning news on the morning of the wedding. Now she won’t have to face him for the big day, but little does she know they’ll be forced to cozy up in the honeymoon suite. Of a cruise ship. Where there is absolutely no escape. (Insert evil cackle here).
By this point, there’s little hope of not being thoroughly sucked in by this story. The characters have spectacular voices and positively beam with personality. Nate’s leaving Zoe should put his chances of redemption in question, but you’ve just got to love him—and you do, long before you find out what the heck he was thinking. (Clearly Zoe is on the same page, as it’s all she can do not to throw herself in his arms.) With their well-fueled animosity—one of the only things upon which they seem to agree—it’s touch and go for a while there, each one likely entertaining thoughts of tossing the other overboard, but the sparks flying between these two characters quickly blaze into a of fire of titanic proportions.
Many (but not all, *nudge, nudge*) of the best CRUISING moments happen off the ship, when Zoe and Nate—who are stuck pretending to be honeymooners so they’re not ousted for impersonation—are paired with shipmates Callie and Reed for a multi-destination treasure hunt. The lighthearted plot thickens when Zoe becomes the target of a number of questionable “accidents,” these island excursions serving as much to develop relationships between characters as they do to add suspense. (Oh, and they’re funny. Epic-funny.)
The best part of this story—aside of the searing heat radiating from any immediate radius of Zoe and Nate—is the banter between characters. I found myself watching them like I would a tennis match, my head not quite literally swiveling from one to the other over the screen of my Kindle. Their unique voices shone with an outstanding level of character development I don’t often see—so much so that by the time I reached the last page I was a little sad to see them go.
But as to who went where, why, and with whom? You’ll have to hit the aquamarine waters of CRUISING TO LOVE to discover that one for yourself. And I can’t recommended highly enough that you do exactly that.
January 2, 2012
Originally posted at: http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...
You can let go of the past, but what happens when the past doesn't let go of you? Zoe Balis doesn't have much of a chance to fully let go of the heartbreak her first love caused her all those years ago. Wherever she goes, there's a constant reminder that Nate Hyatt stood her up at prom. Why does everyone have to bring up what happened all the time?
And now, Zoe has to face Nate. At her sister's wedding. Or, almost wedding. What a tense moment when Nate is the one to break the news to the bride and surrounding family about the groom's cold feet. Talk about awkward! Zoe already hates him, and then he has to be the bearer of bad news? I wouldn't want to be in his shoes at that moment.
Then it only gets better from there! The two are stuck sharing a cabin on a cruise meant for the honeymooners! More tension! Ms. Barth kicks it up a notch as the storyline progresses. Let the fun begin, right? Fun...what fun? Not in Nate's eyes, and certainly not in Zoe's. The situation is disastrous!
Cruising Toward Love doesn't have just one conflicted couple, but two. Along for the ride on the cruise is a crew member, Reed, and a passenger named Callie. Reed has his own dark secrets and inner conflict, and Callie is footloose, free, and rich. She doesn't flaunt the fact that she's rich, but she doesn't care who knows it. Zoe and Callie meet up on the ship, while Nate and Reed hit it off, and often times in the book the four characters are doing activities together aboard the ship. Callie and Reed know the story between Zoe and Nate, or at least, know one person's side of it. I love that this book has a second romance within it. Ms. Barth creates characters that are real. Readers can relate to them, good and bad.
I love how the cruise brings Zoe and Nate together. The author does a wonderful job in keeping the conflict active, but not overdone. Their problems take time to resolve, and though Zoe was snappish through the first part of the book, it didn't stick the whole time. She allowed herself to be open and friendly with Nate after while, even before things got better for the two.
Even though Zoe's sister was only in the beginning part of the story, her character remained in my mind, and I'm hoping that sometime in the future she gets her own happily ever after. She deserves it.
There's a bit of a suspenseful sub plot in the story. It's not the main focus of the book, but it does add a little extra intrigue. I enjoyed this fun, witty, and romantic novel. Readers, if you enjoy a story with a reunited couple, then cruise towards your nearest online outlet and get yourself a copy of this book!
You can let go of the past, but what happens when the past doesn't let go of you? Zoe Balis doesn't have much of a chance to fully let go of the heartbreak her first love caused her all those years ago. Wherever she goes, there's a constant reminder that Nate Hyatt stood her up at prom. Why does everyone have to bring up what happened all the time?
And now, Zoe has to face Nate. At her sister's wedding. Or, almost wedding. What a tense moment when Nate is the one to break the news to the bride and surrounding family about the groom's cold feet. Talk about awkward! Zoe already hates him, and then he has to be the bearer of bad news? I wouldn't want to be in his shoes at that moment.
Then it only gets better from there! The two are stuck sharing a cabin on a cruise meant for the honeymooners! More tension! Ms. Barth kicks it up a notch as the storyline progresses. Let the fun begin, right? Fun...what fun? Not in Nate's eyes, and certainly not in Zoe's. The situation is disastrous!
Cruising Toward Love doesn't have just one conflicted couple, but two. Along for the ride on the cruise is a crew member, Reed, and a passenger named Callie. Reed has his own dark secrets and inner conflict, and Callie is footloose, free, and rich. She doesn't flaunt the fact that she's rich, but she doesn't care who knows it. Zoe and Callie meet up on the ship, while Nate and Reed hit it off, and often times in the book the four characters are doing activities together aboard the ship. Callie and Reed know the story between Zoe and Nate, or at least, know one person's side of it. I love that this book has a second romance within it. Ms. Barth creates characters that are real. Readers can relate to them, good and bad.
I love how the cruise brings Zoe and Nate together. The author does a wonderful job in keeping the conflict active, but not overdone. Their problems take time to resolve, and though Zoe was snappish through the first part of the book, it didn't stick the whole time. She allowed herself to be open and friendly with Nate after while, even before things got better for the two.
Even though Zoe's sister was only in the beginning part of the story, her character remained in my mind, and I'm hoping that sometime in the future she gets her own happily ever after. She deserves it.
There's a bit of a suspenseful sub plot in the story. It's not the main focus of the book, but it does add a little extra intrigue. I enjoyed this fun, witty, and romantic novel. Readers, if you enjoy a story with a reunited couple, then cruise towards your nearest online outlet and get yourself a copy of this book!
September 13, 2011
In Cruising Toward Love Christi Barth has brought together four people who are destined for trouble. Trouble of various kinds, in fact! Zoe Balis was stood up at her Senior Prom ten years ago by the only man she’d ever loved. Nate Hyatt was that man. Never planning on seeing Zoe again – ever. When Zoe’s sister plans a wedding, nothing will do but that Nate is Alex’ best man and, of course; sister Zoe will be Maid of Honor. Ah…..if that were all they had to do. Somehow Alex changes his mind, runs off and sends Nate to tell Stella the psycho bride the wedding is off on the morning of the event.
Stella handles things fairly well and decides that, since Zoe has done all she’s done for the wedding that she should take Stella’s cruise ticket and a vacation to the Carribean. Guess who Alex gave his ticket to? Yep, ya got it in one.
The first person Zoe meets is Callie Caldwell, VERY rich woman and computer geek on her first vacation in awhile. Callie takes over Zoe’s life and keeps her busy keeping up until Zoe meets her cabin mate. Then sparks of many kinds begin to fly.
Callie, girl wizard, is really lonely and looking for something. When she meets the ship’s photographer she sees something behind his glasses that pulls her. Until he tosses her on the floor one night when he hears a bang. PSTD is Reed’s companion and he needs a way out of it. Can Callie provide it or will he break her wrist like he did his last girlfriend’s?
Add in the fact that someone really, really wants Zoe’s Grandma Eleni’s necklace and you have a funny, sexy mystery comedy all rolled into one. This book was great!
Stella handles things fairly well and decides that, since Zoe has done all she’s done for the wedding that she should take Stella’s cruise ticket and a vacation to the Carribean. Guess who Alex gave his ticket to? Yep, ya got it in one.
The first person Zoe meets is Callie Caldwell, VERY rich woman and computer geek on her first vacation in awhile. Callie takes over Zoe’s life and keeps her busy keeping up until Zoe meets her cabin mate. Then sparks of many kinds begin to fly.
Callie, girl wizard, is really lonely and looking for something. When she meets the ship’s photographer she sees something behind his glasses that pulls her. Until he tosses her on the floor one night when he hears a bang. PSTD is Reed’s companion and he needs a way out of it. Can Callie provide it or will he break her wrist like he did his last girlfriend’s?
Add in the fact that someone really, really wants Zoe’s Grandma Eleni’s necklace and you have a funny, sexy mystery comedy all rolled into one. This book was great!
November 23, 2011
Have you seen the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding? All that family crowing around, telling you what to do, getting in your personal business and looking at you with pity. Zoe has all that to deal with on top of facing the guy who stole her heart then disappeared.
Cruising Toward Love has a great beginning. Unfortunately Zoe has awful luck and ends up covered in muddy water, has to deal with bridezilla, and is nearly scorched by fire. Fortunately all that pays off and she gets an all expense paid vacation, her sisters unused honeymoon ticket!
Zoe and Nate have this intense chemistry that makes you wonder how he could have ever left her 10 years ago. It seems like fate has intervened and given both Zoe and Nate the honeymoon tickets, which means a shared room. Hard to stay mad at someone and deny the attraction when you have to share the same bed and bathroom.
Once on the ship you are introduced to some memorable characters. Barth’s writing gives just enough depth to make them feel real and bring the scenery to life so you feel like you are another passenger feeling the sun on your skin watching this drama unfold. Besides a great reuniting love story you get a little mystery thrown in with the fun and games.
Cruising Toward Love is entertaining and well written. It will leave you feeling happy, which is a great reason to pick it up.
Review posted at Reading Between the Wines blogspot:
http://readingbetweenthewinesbookclub...
Cruising Toward Love has a great beginning. Unfortunately Zoe has awful luck and ends up covered in muddy water, has to deal with bridezilla, and is nearly scorched by fire. Fortunately all that pays off and she gets an all expense paid vacation, her sisters unused honeymoon ticket!
Zoe and Nate have this intense chemistry that makes you wonder how he could have ever left her 10 years ago. It seems like fate has intervened and given both Zoe and Nate the honeymoon tickets, which means a shared room. Hard to stay mad at someone and deny the attraction when you have to share the same bed and bathroom.
Once on the ship you are introduced to some memorable characters. Barth’s writing gives just enough depth to make them feel real and bring the scenery to life so you feel like you are another passenger feeling the sun on your skin watching this drama unfold. Besides a great reuniting love story you get a little mystery thrown in with the fun and games.
Cruising Toward Love is entertaining and well written. It will leave you feeling happy, which is a great reason to pick it up.
Review posted at Reading Between the Wines blogspot:
http://readingbetweenthewinesbookclub...
January 5, 2012
When I first started reading this, I thought kept trying to figure out how we were going to be cruising towards love between Zoe and Nate. There was so much going on around the wedding that never happened and Zoe's hate of Nate and the townspeople's inability to leave Zoe's love life alone that I was beginning to wonder if we were ever going to get to the cruise ship. Once we did get to the cruise ship, I realized this little vacation Nate and Zoe were on was going to be less than relaxing...which was sometimes entertaining and other times leaving me wishing they'd taken a shorter cruise!
The romance between Zoe and Nate was cute. High school sweethearts who's break up lead to misunderstandings, broken hearts and longing over the past ten years. Their inability to truly communicate with each other was a bit irritating at times. I mean, Nate blows into town and honestly thought Zoe would have any hard feelings about the way he left her. No matter how noble your reasons are, there is going to be fall out. It was as if these two thought it was better to ignore what happened or assume the other knows how the other feels rather than saying anything.
New friends, Callie and Reed have their own little romance, that was cute and had a little more meat to it (as it dealt with Reed's PTSD from his stint as an embedded photographer in Afghanistan). It was refreshing to see how Callie could see through Reed and help him deal with his PTSD and not feel as if he was a broken man.
The treasure hunt mystery was ok, but it lost it's believability at the end.
If you're looking for a quick weekend or beach read, this is definitely one for you.
The romance between Zoe and Nate was cute. High school sweethearts who's break up lead to misunderstandings, broken hearts and longing over the past ten years. Their inability to truly communicate with each other was a bit irritating at times. I mean, Nate blows into town and honestly thought Zoe would have any hard feelings about the way he left her. No matter how noble your reasons are, there is going to be fall out. It was as if these two thought it was better to ignore what happened or assume the other knows how the other feels rather than saying anything.
New friends, Callie and Reed have their own little romance, that was cute and had a little more meat to it (as it dealt with Reed's PTSD from his stint as an embedded photographer in Afghanistan). It was refreshing to see how Callie could see through Reed and help him deal with his PTSD and not feel as if he was a broken man.
The treasure hunt mystery was ok, but it lost it's believability at the end.
If you're looking for a quick weekend or beach read, this is definitely one for you.
October 31, 2011
Reviewed by JoAnne
Ebook provided by publisher
This was a romantic suspense e-book that was easy to get lost in. It grabbed my attention from the beginning and never let go. There was family angst, a lost love, romance, adventure, a little mystery and a cruise through the Caribbean with lots of vivid descriptions in each port you could visualize yourself there. I could also taste the fresh air along with the flow of champagne and fruity, rum drinks, smell the ocean breezes and see the blue of the water. Christi Barth really made you feel as if you were there and part of the action. There were some twists and turns that were unexpected and a few that were very predictable but the author took a long time getting there. The unexpected actions of the four main characters along with their adventures and the romances that were building kept my interest. I haven't read any books by this author before this one but look forward to reading her first two since this was the third book she has written. If you like romance I think you would enjoy this book. Give it a try.
Ebook provided by publisher
This was a romantic suspense e-book that was easy to get lost in. It grabbed my attention from the beginning and never let go. There was family angst, a lost love, romance, adventure, a little mystery and a cruise through the Caribbean with lots of vivid descriptions in each port you could visualize yourself there. I could also taste the fresh air along with the flow of champagne and fruity, rum drinks, smell the ocean breezes and see the blue of the water. Christi Barth really made you feel as if you were there and part of the action. There were some twists and turns that were unexpected and a few that were very predictable but the author took a long time getting there. The unexpected actions of the four main characters along with their adventures and the romances that were building kept my interest. I haven't read any books by this author before this one but look forward to reading her first two since this was the third book she has written. If you like romance I think you would enjoy this book. Give it a try.
December 15, 2011
This is an entertaining story with colorful characters and an exotic setting. Nate and Zoe have a lot of issues to work out, and it is frustrating not to learn of the reason for their conflict until well past the halfway point of the story. The plot is interesting and a bit suspenseful, and the subplot of the ship’s photographer and the internet millionaire is just as entertaining as the main plotline. A cruise ship makes a great setting for a mystery story and the scavenger hunt makes things even more confusing. Readers looking for a funny and suspenseful mystery will really like this one.
Maura
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
https://www.coffeetimeromance.com/Boo...
Maura
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
https://www.coffeetimeromance.com/Boo...
November 25, 2011
What could be worse than being stood up on your prom night and becoming a town legend of the untouchable woman? Maybe it would be the disturbing fact that your sister and best friend's husband to be has made a last minute wedding switcheroo and his best man is the very SOB who stood you up ten years ago. Add five parts comedy and five parts of chemistry and stir with a dash of simmering anger and you have one heck of a recipe for a romantic comedy. You will enjoy the sizzle and the smiles in this fun read and ask for second and third helpings from Ms. Barth.
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