Hook, Line and Single

by Phoebe MacLeod

Preorder a BRAND NEW romantic comedy from TOP TEN BESTSELLER Phoebe MacLeod Ruby may be young, free and single… but she’s absolutely not ready to mingle.

Ruby is happily sworn off men. There’s nothing she needs that can’t get from her friends, cat or, frankly, the wonders of modern technology. So when her flatmate tricks her into going on a singles cruise, she’s furious.

Thankfully, Ruby isn’t the only one onboard under false pretences. Cameron also had no idea what he was letting himself in for. So after Ruby and Cameron strike up conversation, they agree to platonically pair off, to protect each other from the flirtatious advances of the other guests – not to mention the matchmaking efforts of Barry, the enthusiastic host.

There’s just one problem. Cameron isn’t just in the same boat as Ruby – he’s also good looking, kind and fun. As they explore the picturesque towns of the Mediterranean, Ruby finds herself enjoying his company much more than she’d intended.

Can Ruby keep her heart safe, or will she be in too deep by the time the boat docks at its final destination?

Readers LOVE Phoebe MacLeod's

‘The perfect book.’ Goodreads review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘This book fundamentally changed me and now I need to read every romcom I can get my claws on! I giggled, I almost threw my book, I kicked my little feet, and I finished it basically in one sitting … what more could you ask for?’ Goodreads review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘MacLeod weaves a tale of unexpected love, second chances, and the magic of warm summer days.’ Goodreads review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘Phoebe Macleod writes easy to ready, sweet but not shallow books. She has a lovely writing style and she’s the sort of author that I feel safe with, that I know I’m probably going to love pretty much anything she writes - one of the finish-a-book-and-buy-one-straight-after-on-kindle kinda vibes!‘ Goodreads review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘I love when a book can make me LOL in real life the whole time. This was such a fun rom-com and a safe one for people who like books without all the spice.’ Goodreads review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘This is a delightfully sweet and charming romantic comedy with a grumpy/sunshine trope (one of my favorites!)’ Goodreads review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘It's a very light, feelgood read and certainly put a smile on my face.’ Goodreads review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘A cute rom-com that focuses on friendship and different types of relationships, not just romance. I loved it, the characters are messy and complex as in real life.’ Goodreads review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Genres: Romance, Chick Lit, Fiction, Audiobook, Contemporary Romance, Friends To Lovers

274 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 17, 2025

About the author

Phoebe MacLeod is married and lives just outside Sevenoaks in Kent. She has two grown-up sons at university, and a disobedient dog. She enjoys reading, cooking, playing the piano and walking the dog. She’s also keen on vintage and classic cars and can often be seen behind the wheel of her own classic - a 1928 Ford Model A.

Reviews

[Haley Gonzalez · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay, so I reallyyy did not like this book & would not have finished it if I wasn’t committed to reviewing it on Netgalley. This book is advertised as a sweet romance that takes place on a cruise ship between Ruby and Cameron, but in my opinion it is not a romance at all & only takes place on the cruise ship for about half of the book.

They don’t even get on the ship until 30% into the novel and get off it at 75% with nothing of substance happening in between. Ruby doesn’t meet the MMC until 35% through which I think is far too late for a stand alone novel. I think this makes it really hard to fall for the characters and their love story as well as the complete & utter lack of interest they show in each other.

Besides my dislike for the plot as a whole and the lack of any connection between the ~love interests~ as a Christian where my faith is the center of my life, I found this book to be extremely offensive as they go to church at one point and represent Christians horribly. Maybe the author had a bad church experience & met people who claimed to be Christians but did not actually have a relationship with Jesus & that makes me so sad for her but the call of Christians is to love others well like Christ loved us by going on the cross for us.

This book spent at least 30% of the plot bashing Christians and her friend dated someone who leads a church and he does not represent the faith well at all. Whether you are a Christian or not, I just think using your reader audience to bash on an entire faith that is so important to so many people (even if faith was only important to one person) feels so mean. Curious what other people think once this book releases next month 🤷🏼‍♀️

[scl.ashx · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd like to thank NetGalley for this ARC in exchange of a truthful review.

3/5 stars

I gave “Hook, Line, and Single” by Phoebe MacLeod a shot because, let’s be honest, who doesn’t love the idea of a rom-com on a Mediterranean singles cruise?

A grumpy FMC who’d rather eat glass than mingle?

A fake platonic pairing with a handsome, kind MMC?

This had all the makings of a delightful romcom. But somewhere between boarding the ship and disembarking, the story lost its spark.

First off, the pacing was all over the place. The story didn’t even get to the cruise until 30% in, and by the time Ruby and Cameron finally met (a solid 35% into the book), I was already wondering if I’d been tricked into reading a story about Ruby’s best friend, Sam, instead. Sam’s love life is so front-and-center early on that it felt like Ruby and Cameron were supporting characters in their own romance novel.

For a standalone romance, that’s just too late to build the chemistry needed to root for them. By the time the boat docked, I still wasn’t fully invested in their connection—it felt rushed and, frankly, a little shallow.

The dynamic between Sam and Ruby was fun, but it kept stealing the spotlight from the actual romance we were supposed to care about.

There’s a lot of potential here, but the lack of depth in their connection made it hard to root for them. Ruby’s missed-ship adventure was a fun twist, but the story just didn’t spend enough time on the actual cruise or on building a believable romance.

While the book isn’t bad, it’s not what it promised. The pacing issues, superficial character arcs, and focus on side plots left it feeling underwhelming. If you go in expecting light, low-stakes fluff, it’s fine for a quick read. But as a romcom? It doesn’t quite make it to its destination.

#HookLineandSingle #NetGalley

[Booksandchinooks (Laurie)]

Ruby is happily single but her roommate Sam is definitely on the hunt for a husband. Ruby agrees to go on a cruise with Sam and once onboard finds out the cruise is set up for single people. Wanting nothing to do with the singles activities she ends up talking to Cameron who is also not interested in hooking up with anyone on the cruise. Since Sam has dumped her in pursuit of a husband Ruby and Cameron start platonically doing the sight seeing together and inevitably get closer the more time they spend together. It was quite a while into the book before they even meet so I think we could have seen more from them earlier. It was fun seeing their sight seeing adventures! I really didn’t like Sam. I found her childish and spoiled and her manipulation of everyone was frustrating. The ending seemed a bit rushed and I would have liked a little bit more there.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a funny, light and quick read, but packed in some solid topics to give it some depth.

We find Ruby who has sworn off men heading on a cruise with her BFF. They go to a singles mixer on the ship and it evolves from there. I liked the way the story veered when Ruby ends up missing her ship after a day ashore. It was a cute segué that added to the story in a way that staying on the ship wouldn't have. It also kept BFF Sam's secondary plot "there" but in the background (I was less interested in this, but appreciated its addition to the book). Low spice and lots of laughs contribute to an entertaining read.

I look forward to reading more Phoebe MacLeod books! Thank you to Phoebe, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Katie Rufo Barksdale · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started this book at about midnight, slept for a few hours and then finished it by noon. I enjoyed the concept and there was enough in the book to keep me reading to the end. I would have given this book 3 or 4 stars until I got to the end. The last couple of pages were a real turn off for me. I feel like it was slapped together last minute. I enjoy the slow build and was here for Ruby’s character development. When the book was gaining traction it just ends. The best way I can describe my emotions is comparing it to when you put on a song that you are vibing with and accidentally pause the song and when you go to start the song again you accidentally went to the next song. The timing and the vibe are all off and you are left feeling disgruntled.


But I was not a huge fan of her friend and flatmate. Sam was completely oblivious to anything outside of herself. I had a hard time empathizing for her. It took her too long to connect dots about the Ruby’s emotional walls.My detest for Sam only grew with time.

[Mandy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you Boldwood books & netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is not what it is advertised to be. I thought I was going to get a fun romcom story that takes place on a cruise but instead I got the complete opposite? 25% of the way through the book, they're not even on the cruise and the MMC and FMC haven't even met yet?? You spent the first half of the book following along Sam's (the FMC's best friend) love life more than the actual FMC. I started to even wonder if this book was about Sam's love life told from the prospective of her best friend?!?

Hook, Line and Single: ★☆☆☆☆ (1)

[Lisa Mandina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I’ve wanted to read this author for a while, and with my own very first cruise planned for this summer, I thought what a fun book to get started with! There was a lot of fun in this story. I enjoyed the characters relationships with each other. Ruby has some great friends, and her family members were fun to spend time with as well. The whole going to church to meet a guy for her friend Sam was hilarious! Besides knowing from the blurb that Ruby was being tricked into a singles cruise by her friend, it was obvious something was up when her friend was asking her how she would describe herself in a dating app bio. Although honestly I think her friend did a good job with what she said.

So many of the activities the singles group had going were ones that made me cringe and are part of the reason my introverted self would not want to be a part of those things. It was so realistic though for me, to see how her friend Sam kind of left her behind in finding her own perfect guy. That’s happened to me most of my life. My friends find a guy, then I get left behind, not even included as a third wheel. Cameron was a pretty nice guy and while we knew that Ruby had reasons and didn’t want to date anyone, we didn’t know the specifics, so I got a little irritated with her as she kept pushing him away. When we finally did get her reasoning, I could see how it made sense. However I was glad to see that she could see how much she was hurting him and it made her look at her reasons after finally sharing them with Sam. And honestly, as great as Cameron was, there wasn’t a ton of romance involved on his end either, other than doing lots of things to help her out. This is an instance where I think if we’d gotten half the book from his POV it could have made up for that.

Even though I’m a dog person, I do adore the stories with cats that are such a big part of someone’s life, just like my dogs are for me. So I loved their cat, and how it went to the bookstore for work with her! And the nude beach scene was funny, I did appreciate that! However, the part where she didn’t know about morning wood? That was a little unbelievable if she’d been in a serious relationship or had sex before. Especially at her age, and her talk about how a vibrator was a good enough stand-in for a man. I have no problem with that, just doesn’t sync up with not knowing that. Her jokes about “little Cameron” were funny though, and Frou Frou, those parts did keep me giggling.

Review first posted on Lisa Loves Literature.

[Nicki · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was really excited for this book and enjoyed the start, but boy did it end up disappointing me. I had a hard time finishing it in a way that I rarely do. I felt like the characters, especially the male lead, were underdeveloped, and the romance was both barely there and non-sensical. This is not a romcom, it is barely a romance. Also: for a book that has a lot of things to say about the church and religion, I felt preached at a lot. I had to force myself to finish, and would have stopped reading if I had not been given an ARC. I would not recommend this book. One star.

Long review (spoilers ahead!):
Our FMC, Ruby, owns a book store, has a great childhood friend she shares an apartment with and loves her cat Samson. Also: she has sworn of men for the last decade. Her best friend seems obsessed with finding a relationship, and is willing to date the most terrible men to find it. The scenes including this are probably meant to be funny, but make me pity her more than anything. There is also a gay best friend/colleague who lacks real personality and back story. A lot of the starting plot is focussed on the two friends showing up at a church, where they have a terrible experience. This is only relevant because the best friend starts dating a vicar later on, but the misgivings are so quickly resolved (and of screen) that the long church sequence doesn’t seem necessary. To me, it felt like the author might be having some strong feelings about the church herself. We spend about the first 30% of the book with the two gals, before the MMC shows up.

Cameron is our MMC, but he only shows up about a third into the book. He’s a policeman and checks whether people are allowed to keep their weapons permit. His last relationship lasted a while and ended recently. Honestly, this is all I know about the guy. His whole personality can be described as reliable and nice. This may sound good on paper, but in truth the character just reads as very, very bland. I have no idea what he likes about Ruby. I also don’t really know what Ruby likes about him. When she at some point sums up why he is so different from her ex, one of the four (!) reasons is “he just played a song I like in his car”. As there is no depth to his character, there is no depth to the relationship.

And honestly, that is where the story lost me. I was set up for a nice romcom with two strangers pretending to be a couple and then, gasp!, actually becoming one. However, the comedy fell flat, and there was no tension to speak of between the two main characters. When the FMC states that she knows the MMC must find her attractive, I had honestly no clue how she came to that conclusion as I had not ready any signs of his attraction to her. Her feelings, alas, aren’t much better. She gets the tingles when he gives her a naked massage and basically goes “well, we get along platonically, he looks okay and apparently my sex drive has not completely died after 7 years of celibacy, so this must be love”. It was very underwhelming. Without substantial comedy and with no romance to speak of, this doesn’t qualify as a romcom, in my opinion.

Basic features:
- FMC has sworn of all men and romance after a bad experience
- MMC is a typical nice guy with no personality to speak of
- Pretend relationship
- There was only one bed!
- A cute cat that deserves his own novel'

What I liked:
- The setting would have made for a great romcom. I loved the pretend relationship trope, and the ‘there was only one bed’ trope could have caused some great hilarity as well. All of this was promising and I was very hopeful reading the first part.
- Although I don’t necessarily like all the characters, they do seem realistic for the most part. Our MMC is described as deviously handsome with a 12 inch youknowwhat, which always annoys me in other books. Our female characters are flawed but sympathetic (most of the time).
- The author is very descriptive of surroundings and activities, making it easy to imagine the scene.

What I didn’t like:
- I did not like all the political points that were hidden through the story. There’s a lot going on about gun laws and gun safety, there is a huge thing about the church and moralistic stances on sexuality, and all of it just seemed so preachy to me. Sure, an author can be more liberal, progressive or conservative than I am, and so can the characters. But some of these parts almost felt like a TED talk, and I didn’t enjoy it.
- Oh boy, I’m going to sound like such a hater, but here goes: I absolutely HATED the big plot reveal. The reason why Ruby hasn’t dated in so long felt so immensely stupid to me. Her ex-boyfriend sounds like a cartoon villain, with how unbelievably evil he is. Imagining that somebody did something so ridiculous to her, she had therapy for a long while, and she STILL decided to basically form her whole personality around “I swear off all men forever” just seemed ridiculous to me. To make it worse: all of it was resolved through just a couple of conversations with her best friend and just one (1!!!) conversation with the MMC.
- The set up was too long. This didn’t have to be bad if all of it was relevant to the story and the story picked up once it started, but it wasn’t and it didn’t. I felt like I barely got to know the MMC.
- The romantic pacing felt off. There was not sign of any romantic feelings until about the 50% point, and then all of a sudden Ruby states that she’s pretty sure Cameron has feelings for her too. This left me flabbergasted, as I had seen no sign of any romantic tension whatsoever. What really had me screaming: in the morning she freaks out because she wakes up with his erection pressed against his back, but in the late afternoon she is suddenly fine with looking at his burned, flacid penis. Apart from the insane pacing issues, how is this supposed to convince me they are attracted to each other?
- The author is very descriptive, but sometimes the details felt like unnecessary filler. Additionally, she writes her dialogue without many facial descriptions and inner dialogue thrown in. It took me a while to realize what made the dialogue hard to get through for me, but I often felt like I was reading a script or a transcription of a scene instead of a book.
- As much as I liked Sam’s character and her witty banter, I felt she was a horrible friend. Her best friend hasn’t dated in almost a decade because of trauma, and she has never bothered to look through the façade. Additionally, she drags her onto the cruise under false pretences, and then angrily threatens to out Ruby for having a fake relationship to get away from all the pressure?! Girl please!

Honestly, I can go on. I started out excited for this book but just got more and more frustrated while reading it. I cannot give this book any more than one star. I feel very sorry for the writer as I expect she put a lot of herself and her own opinions into it, but that made it far from an enjoyable read for me.

I read this book as a free ARC, and left this review voluntarily.

[Alana · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thank you to NetGalley, Phoebe, and Boltwood Books for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

3.5 🌟 rounded up

The good:

This book was so cute, and it was one of the ones where you get invested in every single character that you meet. The book follows Ruby and her BFF Sam through an adventure in finding love. Although Ruby is dead set against a relationship, you’ll have to read this book to find out how she ended up in a singles group only on a cruise at the hands of Sam. The singles group director Barry is a hoot, and you are a monster if you don’t fall in love with him. I thoroughly enjoyed following along the story of Ruby and Cameron, and Sam and Robin. You truly will enjoy every single character you come across in this book, as well as finding yourself laughing at some of the banter.

The not so good:

This book didn’t end up matching the synopsis that I personally read about it. The first 30% of the book is a little too much introduction and then a bunch of nonsense, and the pacing feels a bit off. You really don’t even get to the meat and potatoes of the storyline until around 30% in. It’s hard to tell during that if we are following Ruby, or if we are following her BFF Sam through their adventures with love. If it just would’ve been maybe 15%, and then we got on the cruise and got into meeting characters and their storylines, it would’ve bumped this up to a 4.5+ ⭐️ rating. I would’ve loved to had more detail in time for the adventures off of the boat with Cameron and Ruby, as well as going a little bit deeper into the side characters storylines as well. This definitely has the potential of making it into a interconnected standalone series which I would just die for if we were being honest. So although in the first 30% I did contemplate doing a DNF. I’m so glad that I didn’t because I ended up, loving the rest of the story. I will be recommending it to my friends, and obviously to everyone reading this review as well. Although it may not be for everyone, it has so much potential and I do think it’s worth a read.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never heard of this author before and was excited when I was provided this ARC copy via NetGalley. This was such a quick and easy read that I ended up reading it very fast and couldn't put it down! Immediately you are drawn to the characters and you can really visualize every scenario happening. I loved the relationships between the characters namely the main characters of Ruby and Cameron. I thought it was refreshing how they started off as friends first and it developed into much more and I really loved the ending and the epilogue as well. There were some minor grammar mistakes here and there but that can easily be fixed by more editing and revision. Honestly I would not change anything with this story or book just a few suggestions if I'm being picky. Regarding some of the extra characters that Ruby and Cameron met when they were on their own I would love to see them being incorporated more especially in the end to wrap the story up. I don't want to give away any specifics to risk spoilers but maybe Ruby did stay in touch with one of those characters or there's a scenario that involves another encounter with Ruby, Cameron and those specific characters. Obviously it's not necessary but it would be a nice suggestion that would really make the book perfect. I would love to see a sequel because I connected with the characters so much! Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback and review.

[Luna Gerrits · Rating 3 out of 5]

what a cute romance. this is the second time ive read a cruise romance, and i love how they always have these parties and activities, and how you have some forced proximity. this makes you get to know people relatively fast, as we read about in this book. i love how this romance develops, and how her best friends romance develops. i also really wasnt expecting the backstory, which is explained a bit later on in the book. the characters are cute, and i love their story, but it felt a little bit superficial to me, i would have love more depth.

thank you to netgalley and the author for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review

[Booksopi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hook, Line and Single is the story of Ruby and Sam, two best-friends who go on a cruise for single people, but Ruby who's sworn herself off men doesn't know what this cruise is about. Against her wishes, she takes part in the various activities proposed by thr cruise and has to stay with Cameron as Sam met someone and matched with him.

I liked this book. It was entertaining, and cute. I did not connect with Ruby as much as I would have liked to, but I loved Sam and Samson -her cat, as well as Cameron. I would give it a 3.75 -rounded to 4- as I found it enjoyable, but it was not the best book I've read. I found the end rather rushed and having too much info-dumping.

[Isabella · Rating 4 out of 5]

easy breezy trashy romance reading

[Nicola “Shortbookthyme” · Rating 4 out of 5]

✅ Are you wanting to read a book that will have you laughing out loud? Well…..read this book and you will get that for sure.
Main characters, Ruby and Cameron make a cute couple ;). Sam, Ruby’s roommate, was pretty funny…she went looking for a hook-up at church?
I thoroughly enjoyed the cruise ship aspect.
The pacing of the story was solid and engaging.
Overall, a light, humorous slow=burn romance that was fun to read.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Carlina Kinch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me the privilege of being able to read this book!

For me this is a 3.5 star rounded up. This will make a fantastic summer hit, perfect to pack in your bags and take with you everywhere you might go! I adored the characters, and story line of this whole book. Except for Ollie but you'll find out why, and will wholeheartedly agree with me on that. He's not a true centre focus but he'll break your heart for own FMC and explain so much. This book pulls you in and the writing is flawless, it will make you feel like you want to jump in this world and join in everywhere.

The literal only reason for this not being a true 4 up to a 5, is that apart from all the great some of the conversations feel disjointed. The fmc says anyway or back to this (not exact wording there) a lot, her reaction to alot of other people is more than sassy it's almost an immediate jump on them for even the smallest thing. I could get the reaction some of the time but from 50% to the end it became a lot more obvious and it really pulled away from the story. I can set that aside, what I can't though is the 'little' reference from about 50% onward that just doesn't stop. That was for me 100% awkward, of all the things I have ever read that has made me feel the dirtest and I'm not the gender it was directed at. The thought process the fmc has at the beginning of that almost feels childish despite her clear experience, that's something that's learned in middle school sex-ed I've known that almost all my life. It just really felt awkward and out of place and 100% could have been left out (the thought process about is it possible and the little references). The whole time and everytime it was referenced again made me cringe and to have the words "seriously", and "seriously can we stop" pop in my head.

Other than that this was a good book and I am very grateful to have read it. So thank you very much from the bottom of my heart again I really appreciate it.

[Noelle Knox · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to Phoebe MacLeod, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled a great deal to finish this book. While the travel premise was inviting and the writing style perfectly acceptable, I had several issues with the book. The first third of the book was all about main character Ruby's best friend Sam and Sam's unfortunate dating luck. There were a few scenes that were very uncomfortable including one that takes place in a church. In this book, the author presents two rather extreme views of Christianity and their opinions on sex without presenting the middle ground. While I am not a religious person, I do think it is important to be respectful of people's religious beliefs regardless of the religion, and I can see how these scenes may be offensive to those who practice this faith.

Once Ruby finally meets her love interest, Cameron--which is not until thirty-five percent of the way into the book--the story focuses mostly on them. However, this slow burn is very slow and doesn't have much burn. There was no romantic tension between Ruby and Cameron, and the few moments of physical attraction that Ruby experiences are brief and shoved away. They are very sweet as friends, but they just feel like friends until they rush together at the end. I also struggled with Ruby's reasoning for not wanting a relationship. She makes it out to be this huge secret she has to keep from her best friend, but in the end, I didn't understand why. The reasoning was pretty typical, but then the author blows past a serious mental health topic in a passing manner. It felt as though that part was added in just to create a little more drama rather than actually commentating on an important mental health issue.

My biggest issue in this book, though, was the way Sam and Cameron treated Ruby--Sam, the best friend, especially. Both characters lie and manipulate Ruby into situations she doesn't want to be in for their own interest. I could understand this if it was part of Ruby's character development, like if she were learning how to stand up for herself, but Ruby is presented as this fiercely independent woman who knows what she wants, but she just takes the manipulation.

As always, reading is subjective and what doesn't work for one person may be a favorite for others. This book certainly was not my cup of tea, but there are some fun travel adventures and a few quirky tertiary characters. People who love the travel trope, this book may be for you!

[Ritu Bhathal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will admit that this is my first Phoebe Macleod book, and I was not disappointed.
I've always wanted to go on a cruise, and I'm drawn to books that include cruises in their timelines, so this was a good choice.
Ruby is perfectly happy living with her best friend, Sam, who is hopeless at dating but doesn't give up, and their cat, Samson, the most handsome cat in Margate, and working in her bookshop with her friend Jono.
There's no need for a man, She's sworn off them.
When an opportunity arises for the two BFs to go on a cruise, she reluctantly agrees, only to find that Sam has signed them up for a cruise with a minor difference; they are part of a singles group, with the intent of 'mingling'.
Not best pleased, Ruby grudgingly gives it a go, with unexpected results.
Cameron, the inevitable love interest, is a caring, considerate bloke, and, as a reader, I did find myself rooting for him.
The side characters are all great, with members of Ruby's family, like her sister, Em, who could probably do with her own novel outing. Samson the cat has his special appearances, and any story with a cat will reel me in.
It's a romance. Of course, there is a love story, but there is a darkness behind it, and Ruby's reluctance to even consider a relationship is slowly revealed at the end, giving her a great character arc.
An easy, enjoyable read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

[Cara bunnypop_bookstagram · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun easy read and I’ll be looking forward to reading more of the authors books.

I thought the characters in this book were well written and loved Ruby’s family, would’ve liked to have seen more from them.

Sam and Ruby’s friendship was funny and some lovely girlie moments even if Ruby seemed like a better friend most of the time 😂

I enjoyed how Cameron and Ruby’s relationship developed and loved all the cruise ship aspect and their little adventures off ship!
Little Cameron and Beacon were not words I thought I’d read in the same sentence 😂🙈

I found the cruise ship characters to be entertaining and would’ve welcomed knowing a few more

I would’ve liked the issues behind Ruby’s love life to have maybe came to light a bit sooner and seen her working to overcome them as the ending seemed a little ‘rushed’ in this respect with it all coming out and then the story moving forward.

Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy of the book

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️/5

[Starlight Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this arc, in exchange for an honest review.

I did enjoy this story at the very beginning. There was so much to relate to with in life, and the humour definitely got me through the 20% mark quickly. After though, the book fell really flat following Ruby’s friend Sam. The story didn’t really move anywhere and became stuck until the cruise idea arrived. It was lovely to see a cruise detailed in a book, as I find this is rarely captured. However, it would have been much nicer if there was more focus on Ruby and Cameron. I found their scenes very short and so much focus being lost due to other characters in the book. I definitely agree with other reviews that Ruby and Cameron become a side plot, as well that their storyline needed more flourishment. I certainly found the ending very rushed and suddenly finished, but a perfect ending non the less.

[Mallory Moureau · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Phoebe MacLeod for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read several books by Phoebe MacLeod and they are quick easy reads but I often don’t feel a big connection with the characters. In these stories, the FMC is often facing a personal issue or dilemma (recent breakup, work issues, etc) and needs to overcome the obstacle and while doing so finds the guy.

This book was no different. Ruby is living her life and claims to be happily single when her bff and roommate talks her into going on a cruise. After boarding the cruise she finds out she got tricked and they’re on a singles cruise. Her bff quickly connects with someone and luckily Ruby meets Cameron who offers to be her port partner and they explore Italy together.

Quickly Cameron and a simple excursion gets more complicated, especially when Ruby is convinced she needs to stay single.

Again, easy and quick read but nothing that really endeared me to the characters.

[Keri Barlow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ruby hasn’t dated in 7 years but her best friend / roommate Sam loves to date. When Sam tricks Ruby into a singles cruise, Ruby is livid but tries to make the best of it even when Sam meets Robin. Ruby meets Cameron and they become travel friends. At the end, Ruby has to face what happened in her past.

I was really excited based off the fact there was a cruise involved. However, I didn’t really feel a huge spark with Cameron and, honestly, it felt like it was more of Sam’s story. It was okay (and short) overall.

[prabh.reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was fairly an amazing read for me as being a Rom-com lover, I did eat this up. But, there was some places that the book has lost its spark.

First off, the starting of the book was felt too slow even for me who loves slow burns a lot but I was around 30% in but the characters had not even met yet.

On more thing was that I certainly loved the chemistry between Ruby and Cameron but I felt the story was more based on Sam’s love life.

My favourite part of the book was the time Cameron and ruby spent together.

[Vanessa Granillo · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was not what I thought it was, not my favorite read, took a while to get to the point. I adored The Fixer Upper by Phoebe MacLeod so was excited for this book, but it did not deliver this time. Took too long for me to enjoy. the character meeting needed to be faster. The world building with characters like Sam she stood out when it needed to be Ruby.

hope the next book is better!

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable and cute romcom. Lots going on between both Sam and Ruby’s love lives. Fun side characters on the cruise and ports. Lots of funny moments. Easy to curl up with a cup of tea and enjoy.

[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

The beginning of the book drags on and on. I was excited for a fun rom-com set on a cruise ship. Instead I got a messy chronicle of the FMC’s best friend’s life, church/Christianity bashing, and a quick romance for the FMC that wasn’t actually engaging. I don’t even think half the book actually takes place on the cruise. Not for me. DNF.

[Janilyn Kocher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Macleod always provides a raucous read.
I burst out laughing so many times! Here are just a few of the mentions: the title of a book, the slimeball, and the nice beach scene.
I thought Ruby handled Sam’s deception very well and I loved the trope with Cameron.
I was afraid Ruby would throw away happiness but in the end she didn’t let the ship sail without her!
I also loved Jono!
Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the advance copy.

[Dipsikha · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75⭐️

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple, easy to read and very funny, 5 star because you can't go wrong with a delightful rom com!

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 A cute summer cruise romance. The British language was easy to follow. Though, we went 0-100 in the relationships real fast.

[Alicia Kirkman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick fun read. Perfect for summer!