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Shipped

Review

Shipped

Henley Rose Evans is a hard-charging young woman who is out to win it all. On the verge of a big promotion, she learns that she must produce a compelling marketing proposal for her cruise line, or lose the job to a reviled coworker. It gets worse when she finds out that they must share a cruise to the Galápagos Islands and submit competing proposals.

Graeme Crawford-Collins, whom Henley has never actually met in person, represents every man who has disappointed her --- both personally and professionally. Determined not to let it happen again, she sets her phone’s daily reminder to defeat Graeme. Throw in a sister who marches to the beat of a different drum and a boss who is subtly hostile, and Henley’s life is about to get complicated as she wonders if Graeme is cold and manipulative or not quite the demon she had envisioned.

"SHIPPED is a fun and enjoyable novel. I highly recommend it if you are looking for an easy and lighthearted read with an agreeable dose of social responsibility."

The style of writing is casual and free-flowing. The book is mostly narrated from Henley’s mind, and we ride along her stream of consciousness as she assesses her life choices and judgments. The latter refers to her feelings for Graeme. She has only encountered this mystery man via video meetings and phone calls, but has decided that he must go down. The problem is twofold: He is handsome and threatens to drag her into a destructive interoffice romance that can derail her career. Plus, he wants her promotion. Therefore, every action he takes or comment he makes is parsed and weighed to determine just how evil he is.

When Henley’s sister, Walsh, inveigles her way onto the trip, she presents an alternate image of life and responsibility. Unlike Henley, she lives in the moment. Flirty and breezy, she is ready to see the good in people, and is a constant reminder to Henley that there is another way. Of course, she has her own problems, and they often intrude upon Henley’s life as one would expect. 

If there is a weakness here, it would be the inclusion of forced analogies and similes that contribute little to the story. Examples include describing someone “as graceful as a truffle-sniffing pig” or “as useful as square wheels on a bicycle.” Fortunately, these digressions detract little from the flow and enjoyment of the book.

Angie Hockman does a great job of prioritizing her characters for us. Each one is fleshed out so thoroughly that I had cast many of them in my mind. She weaves a storyline that includes the Galápagos Islands and the threats they face --- and, of course, the implication that these threats cast a much wider net. At the end of the cruise, Henley’s love life, her career and the future of these vulnerable islands are hanging in the balance.

SHIPPED is a fun and enjoyable novel. I highly recommend it if you are looking for an easy and lighthearted read with an agreeable dose of social responsibility.

Reviewed by John Vena on January 29, 2021

Shipped
by Angie Hockman