REVIEW: Total Dreamboat by Katelyn Doyle

In Total Dreamboat by Katelyn Doyle, How much can possibly go wrong on a ten-day cruise? Turns out, quite a lot. Especially with two passengers there against their better instincts who begin to fall for each other. Hope Lanover was coerced to board the ship by her best friend Lauren, a social media influencer whose trip is being comped, allowing them to relax in the Caribbean sun for next to no money. Hope certainly isn’t against good food, karaoke, or dance lessons. What she isn’t fond of is getting bugged by her boss to work during her first vacation in forever. The one plus side is the handsome Brit who she crosses paths with on a daily basis. They have an attraction they can’t deny. And Hope lights up every time they banter while discussing British literature. But just as things are heating up between them, leading her to believe they might have something worth exploring after their trip ends, Felix misunderstands a situation out of Hope’s control. And the days that follow are one disaster after another that threaten to ruin any peace she’s found during the cruise.

‘I came on this trip to wake up, to feel alive. And I do. I finally do. And so much of that is because I met him.’

Felix is not a cruise ship sort of guy. But since getting sober, focusing on growing his businesses back in London, and atoning for years of ignoring his family, it’s the least he can do for his parents while they celebrate their anniversary. Right from the first day onboard, Felix can’t help but be drawn to sexy American passenger Hope. He’s not really at a point where he can commit to a long-term relationship but maybe a casual fling while on vacation could be good for them both. Things go better than expected…until they don’t. Everything seems to crumble once Felix admits to himself that he’s falling for Hope. After misunderstandings and chaos, the pair find themselves stranded onshore in Nassau with no way to get back to the ship. Banding together is the last thing either of them want, but it appears it will take a team effort to get out of their predicament. Once all is said and done, Felix still can’t stop thinking about Hope. Maybe once he’s more settled, he’ll find the courage to apologize and right one more wrong in his life.

‘I fell for Hope Lanover in six days and ruined it twice in three more.’

Author Katelyn Doyle showed no mercy on her main characters–much to the delight of this reader–in TOTAL DREAMBOAT where drama, shenanigans, and laugh-out-loud predicaments did abound.

“There is no one I’d rather be stranded in the Caribbean with.”

CW: View Spoiler »Alcoholism & drug use, depression, love triangle « Hide Spoiler

I was already sold on TOTAL DREAMBOAT after reading the synopsis and noting it was a rom-com set on a cruise ship in the Caribbean with a kind of friends-to-enemies-to-lovers vibe. Sounds fun, right? And Katelyn Doyle kept things mostly on the lighthearted side although there were some personal demons the hero and heroine had to overcome that were a bit more serious. All of that paired up with the sizzling chemistry between Felix and Hope made for an entertaining read that ended on the sweetest, most satisfying of notes.

In between Hope and Felix’s meet cute, the many hilarious disasters they narrowly avoided and their friends and family butting in, their ten-day fling felt oh so right. But honestly like it would also be tough to see it end for the pair. Because Felix and Hope just clicked right away. They had a lot in common. And their attraction was through the roof. But there were some issues that Doyle capitalized on to make their story more interesting such as Hope living in the US and Felix in England. Honestly though it was how Felix kept putting his foot in his mouth around Hope that had me shaking my head one moment and wanting to (nicely) shake some sense into him the next. Given his past experiences I understood why he would be careful and untrusting at first. But wow…Felix could be overly reactionary at times.

Hope was basically at a crossroads in her career. Tired of being mistreated and overworked, she wanted to get back to her true passion: writing. But living in expensive NYC meant she had to worry more about her finances daily than fulfilling her dreams. I really thought Doyle did a great job conveying how disillusioned Hope was with her PR job and how much she wanted to move on from a bad breakup eight months prior. She was at a standstill. Her friend Lauren tried to help by talking Hope into the cruise and stood by her side the entire time–although she did create some havoc here and there. Lauren, along with Felix’s family and some of the other passengers, rounded out this rom-com with some extra care and humorous scenes that will keep readers smiling.

QOTD: Have you met anyone on vacation (a cruise or otherwise) who made a lasting impression on you?

Book Info:

Publication: Published: June 24th, 2025 | Flatiron Books |

“FRESH AND FUN AS HELL — Katelyn Doyle is absolutely an author to watch.” —People Magazine

From the author of Just Some Stupid Love Story, an IRRESISTIBLE ROM-COM about what happens when a cruise ship romance goes…overboard

Hope Lanover needs a vacation. Her relationship has imploded, her creative ambitions have flatlined, and she can’t seem to locate the badass girl she used to be. So when her best friend invites her on a luxury cruise, she goes along with it, despite decidedly not being a cruise person.

Felix Segrave, a sober, determinedly single, workaholic chef, hates leaving his restaurant and routine. But when his parents surprise him and his sisters with cruise tickets, he can’t say no—he’s disappointed them too many times in his troubled past.

Hope and Felix are prepared to grin and bear it . . . until they lock eyes at check-in. Suddenly ten days in the Caribbean doesn’t seem so bad, if it means a fling with a sexy stranger. But when their romantic demons catch up to them and a huge fight leaves them stranded in paradise, they must work together—not to mention share a bed—to make their way home. Can they navigate the stormy seas of love or will they face romantic shipwreck?