Allison’s Book Report: “The Shippers” by Katherine Center

It's that time of year – the “unofficial start of summer” was last weekend, and with it comes sitting by pools, napping in hammocks, taking vacations, and enjoying all of the adventures we can cram into the season. With all of that comes the need for a good read, and this week, I have the perfect rom-com to kick your summer off right.

If you love a romance that seamlessly blends a sun-drenched vacation vibe with a genuinely moving friends-to-lovers story, Katherine Center’s “The Shippers” is a total delight. The novel introduces us to JoJo Burton, a woman who is thoroughly convinced she is hopelessly bad at love. After a spectacular, last-minute realization that she absolutely cannot go through with her own wedding — thanks in part to a well-timed intervention from her childhood best friend, Cooper Watts — JoJo calls the whole thing off. Newly single and determined to finally crack the code on her intimacy issues, she heads out on a luxury cruise for her sister’s destination wedding. Armed with a bit of pop psychology, JoJo diagnoses herself as being emotionally stuck on her very first crush, a newly divorced guy who happens to be a guest on the ship. She decides the best way to get closure is to woo him, and she hilariously decides to enlist Cooper as her wingman to pull it off.

The problem? Cooper is the exact same guy who broke her heart when he abruptly moved away to London years ago without a single word. As the cruise gets underway, JoJo’s foolproof plan naturally descends into chaotic shipboard antics. Forced into close quarters, JoJo and Cooper find themselves sharing a cabin, fake flirting to make her crush jealous, slow dancing, singing karaoke duets, and dealing with intense bursts of jealousy. Amid all the bright, festive vacation energy, the lines between their lifelong friendship and real romantic feelings begin to blur. Center does an incredible job weaving hilarious banter with deeper themes about family dynamics, particularly through a poignant subplot involving JoJo’s parents’ crumbling marriage. Ultimately, the story is less about chasing an old crush and more about JoJo learning to look at what has been right in front of her all along. It’s a beautifully written, witty, and deeply comforting romance about second chances, letting go of past hurts, and discovering that the person who truly feels like home is someone you’ve known your entire life. By the time the ship returns to port, you are guaranteed to be smiling.

Whatever you have planned this week, I hope you enjoy “The Shippers” as much as I did. Don’t forget to check out my Instagram @allison.the.reader for more book-related fun!