Ship Happens

An Alaskan cruise in December? Sounds very cold… or, as the Captain phrased it: “We want to welcome you to what'll be the greatest week of your life!” - Only Owen absolutely isn't sure of that. “He likes being home, he likes having his routine, he likes going to the places that he likes.” This is Owen, and Owen loves nothing more than being home - other than his ex-boyfriend Jacob. “How dare people try and have fun.” Owen isn't exactly grumpy, but he definitely keeps himself from being happy. I loved how well written his grief and his feeling of being betrayed are. The grieving after the loss of a relationship is so beautifully written; it was almost palpable, and sooo relatable for me. The main character is messy and has flaws, and even acts quite unfairly towards Jacob from time to time, but I think that made the character more believable and human. A big plus for me was the depiction of the trans and chronic illness representation.  The blurb immediately intrigued me because I absolutely looooove a cruise ship as a book setting, plus the book is in 3rd-person POV and only from one main character's perspective, which is a nice change after a lot of romance books I read lately. The only thing I didn't like so much is the present tense, but that's just a me thing. I also want to mention the cover because I think it's exceptionally beautiful and captures the story's vibe quite well. This was my first Mason Deaver book, but it'll definitely not be my last. Review based on Advanced Reader Copy by NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager.