Genius. Foolproof. Can’t go wrong.
DELUXE EDITION―a gorgeous hardcover edition featuring beautiful sky blue sprayed edges!
After a lifetime of being bad at love, JoJo Burton vows to solve her intimacy issues once and for all at her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship. Armed with pop psychology, she diagnoses herself with a fixation on the neighborhood guy who was her first crush and first kiss (and who just happens to be a newly-divorced wedding guest). Determined to woo him for closure, she ropes in her childhood bestie, Cooper Watts, as her wingman. Cooper: who RSVPed no, but showed up anyway. Cooper: who moved to London without a word four years ago. Cooper: who broke her heart.
Shipboard antics abound in this witty, heart-tugging, childhood-friends-to-lovers romance, as JoJo and Cooper team up, fake flirt, slow dance, share a cabin, sing duets, get jealous, answer long-held questions, and finally, at last, discover truths about each other that will change everything. (Pub Date: May 19 2026)
I'm so glad I got the chance to read this book! Katherine Center is definitely one of the biggest names in romance nowadays, but I still hadn't had the opportunity to read any of her work. Of course, I've been curious.
I can't be sure how representative of her stories this one is, but it's a pretty lighthearted romance that will make you grin all the way through. We meet JoJo right as she fake-faints so she won't have to marry the groom she spent so much energy trying to get down the aisle. This happens thanks to the guidance of her childhood friend Cooper, who had left for another country without a word and came back four years later to attend her wedding—or rather, to offer her a way out of it, only to fly away the moment the ceremony is canceled. Thanks to that fiasco, however, JoJo concludes that she has relationship issues and that maybe she can still be saved and get her happy ending if she can get back together with the boy who was her first kiss, Finn. Luckily, her family and neighbors, including Finn and Cooper, are all going on a cruise, so she'll have all the support and time she needs to conquer her trauma and win over her destined one.
It all sounds fun, and it was indeed a nice read. It's perfect for anyone who needs the hug of a guaranteed happy ending. But I was expecting more—a lot more. This is well-written, but when you pick up a book by such a famous author, you assume there will be that extra something that made everyone talk about her in the first place. So, keep in mind this could be my own fault, but I was disappointed that it was just a comfy romance. Yes, with romance you always know what will happen—the main couple will end up together. It might sound wrong to want to be surprised, but I still wanted some surprises. However, even the supposed plot twists were easy to foresee because they were always the most convenient answers to the problems. Still, that could have been fine if the dialogue itself hadn't been just as predictable. I don't remember swooning or really laughing at anything. The characters get thrown into so many unexpected situations—abandoning a wedding, a cruise, among others I won't list to avoid spoilers—but everything else follows protocol. It felt too easy. When it comes to a get-together story, I like feeling the chase, and the conquest is only worth it with real hurdles. Even Cooper was just too perfect of a book boyfriend. So perfect, in fact, that his flaws felt fake, just there to make sure he had flaws or even that the book didn't end in the first chapter.
I can't draw conclusions about Center as an author from just one book, but I think she might be the dictionary definition of a romance writer. All boxes ticked. And even though I mentioned I had higher expectations, this was still above average. Moreover, I'm curious to find out if this is the rule for her, or maybe just her writing the way that makes her happiest.
So, I can certainly state that this is the perfect read for people who need certainty and safety. The characters are perfect in their roles, things always work out, and when they don't, they are resolved in the easiest way possible. Don't worry. Don't feel anxious. Everyone is just one step away from happiness. Even I need that kind of comfort sometimes. If that's what you need right now, this is the book. Cute, fun, and lovely.
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
Rating: 3 out of 5.
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