If you can’t be on a cruise, why not read about one? Reading can transport you anywhere you want - and we want to be on a cruise, right? So I’ve curated my current top 5 romantic novels set on a cruise-ship. Some may be a little old but still available from good bookstores/Amazon and some also available as audio books on Audible.

I quite enjoy a romantic novel to while away the hours on those fabulous sea days. My idea of heaven is stretching out on a traditional wooden steamer on a wraparound teak-floored promenade deck enjoying the feel of the breeze ruffling the pages of my satisfyingly heavy hardback summer read. The reality might occasionally be a plastic lounger on a crowded pool deck angling my kindle away from the sun or rescuing a soggy paperback out of the hot tub, but the pleasure of immersing myself in a book is exquisite wherever I am.

Please leave your own suggestions and reviews in the comments.below - who knows, we might even set up our own Cruise Lovers Book Club! Who’s up for that? Let me know which book you’d like to start with. And don’t worry if romance is not your thing - I will be following g up with thrillers and murder-mysteries next!

1 Here Come the Girls

Author: Milly Johnson

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Format: Paperback, Kindle, Audible

Four old school friends, approaching their 40th birthdays with unfulfilled ambitions, embark on a cruise to realise at least one of their dreams.

Synopsis

Ven, Roz, Olive and Frankie have been friends since school. They day-dreamed of glorious futures, full of riches, romance and fabulous jobs. The world would be their oyster.

Twenty-five years later, Olive cleans other people's houses to support her lazy, out-of-work husband and his ailing mother. Roz cannot show her kind, caring husband Manus any love because her philandering ex has left her trust in shreds. And she and Frankie have fallen out big time.

But Ven is determined to reunite her friends and realise the dream they had of taking a cruise before they hit forty. Before they know it, the four of them are far from home, on the high seas. Can blue skies, hot sun and sixteen days of luxury and indulgence change their outlook on life?

A heartwarming and hilarious novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author.

2. The Holiday Cruise

Author: Victoria Cooke

Publisher: Harper Collins

Format: e-book, Kindle

After losing both her cheating husband and her business, Hannah launches herself into a new career onboard a cruise ship.

Synopsis

As if it wasn’t enough to be cheated on by her husband of ten years, Yorkshire lass Hannah Davis is losing her beauty salon business too. Luckily, her big sister is there to pick up the pieces, but Hannah is determined to find some independence.

Impulsively, Hannah applies for a spa job...on a cruise ship! Christmas in the Caribbean, springtime in the Mediterranean, what's not to like? But, despite being in her thirties, Hannah has never done anything in her own before, and she's terrified.

As the ship sets sail, Hannah has never been further from home...or closer to discovering who she is and who she wants to be.

A Warm Feel Good Must Read!

“An unexpected gem”.

3. Seven Days In May

Author: Kim Izzo

Publisher: Harper Collins

Format: Paperback (Waterstones); Kindle

Set in the First World War, two young heiresses set sail from New York across the Atlantic on the ill-fated liner, the Lusitania.

Synopsis

Two storylines in one fabulous book: As the First World War rages in continental Europe, two New York heiresses, Sydney and Brooke Sinclair, are due to set sail for England. Brooke is engaged to marry impoverished aristocrat Edward Thorpe-Tracey, the future Lord Northbrook, in the wedding of the social calendar. Sydney has other adventures in mind; she is drawn to the burgeoning suffragette movement, which is a constant source of embarrassment to her proper sister. As international tempers flare, the German embassy releases a warning that any ships making the Atlantic crossing are at risk. Undaunted, Sydney and Brooke board the Lusitania for the seven-day voyage with Edward, not knowing that disaster lies ahead.

In London, Isabel Nelson, a young woman grateful to have escaped her blemished reputation in Oxford, has found employment at the British Admiralty in the mysterious Room 40. While she begins as a secretary, it isn’t long before her skills in codes and cyphers are called on, and she learns a devastating truth and the true cost of war.

As the days of the voyage pass, these four lives collide in a struggle for survival as the Lusitania meets its deadly fate

“Truly Captivating, Heartbreaking and Revelationary”

4. Shipped

Author: Angie Hockman

Publisher: Simon Schuster/Headline Eternal

Format: Paperback, Kindle

Fancy a cruise to the Galapogas? Read on.

Two work rivals and arch e-enemies are vying for promotion at a cruise line. The final interview task determining their fate sees them on board ship bound for the Galapagos.

Synopsis

The Unhoneymooners meets The Hating Game in this witty, clever, and swoonworthy novel following a workaholic marketing manager who is forced to go on a cruise with her arch-nemesis when they’re up for the same promotion.

Between taking night classes for her MBA and her demanding day job at a cruise line, marketing manager Henley Evans barely has time for herself, let alone family, friends, or dating. But when she’s shortlisted for the promotion of her dreams, all her sacrifices finally seem worth it.

The only problem? Graeme Crawford-Collins, the remote social media manager and the bane of her existence, is also up for the position. Although they’ve never met in person, their epic email battles are the stuff of office legend.

Their boss tasks each of them with drafting a proposal on how to boost bookings in the Galápagos—best proposal wins the promotion. There’s just one catch: they have to go on a company cruise to the Galápagos Islands...together. But when the two meet on the ship, Henley is shocked to discover that the real Graeme is nothing like she imagined. As they explore the Islands together, she soon finds the line between loathing and liking thinner than a postcard.

With her career dreams in her sights and a growing attraction to the competition, Henley begins questioning her life choices. Because what’s the point of working all the time if you never actually live?

“If you're looking for a witty, escapist, enemies-to-lovers rom-com, filled with 'sun, sea and sexual tension', this is the book for you!”

'OH MY GOSH, THIS BOOK! UN-PUT-DOWN-ABLE! . . . It's been a long time since a book brought me such joy!'

5. Santa Cruise

Author: Fern Michaels

Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation

Format: Hardback, Paperback, Kindle, Audible

One for the festive period. A heartwarming novel that takes you on a singles cruise with four lifelong friends who might just find the gift of love this Christmas.

Synopsis

Fifteen years after leaving high school, four strong, successful female friends reconnect at their school reunion. They find they still have a lot in common including the desire to meet Mr Right. Fast forward to late December, Amy, Rachael, Frankie, and Nina gather in Miami, ready to board their state-of-the-art cruise ship. The entertainment options are endless, the food is to die for, and the passenger list includes hundreds of eligible men. The highlight of the week will be a magnificent New Year’s Eve celebration with multiple theme parties, dancing, and fireworks. The ladies are happy to give Cupid a helping hand here and there—hanging mistletoe in elevators and cheering each other on through speed-dating events and shore excursions. Holidays—like the path of love itself—don’t always go exactly as planned, but over the course of one festive, unforgettable week, all four will set sail on surprising new adventures.

Bringing The Sunshine To The Holiday Season

So = Do you fancy a Book Club?

Leave a comment Below!

Note: Where possible I have provided a title link to purchase the books - this is purely for convenience. I am (deliberately) not affiliated to any sources and receive no commission.