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havlisar's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Went into this book thinking it was a rom com. Don't get me wrong there's an adorable love story in it, but this book is a near perfect representation of the experience of grief. It captures loss and the after effects so well. You'll feel and you'll cry when you read it. Very well done.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Grief
Moderate: Abandonment
whatirinreads_18's review against another edition
5.0
Well, this book was.... phenomenal. Sarah Grunder Ruiz has become my new favorite author.! Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships is a gem, and I cannot wait for more people to read this book and relate to the story. Few authors can weave the themes of grief, healing, and finding love so perfectly in a single book, but Sarah did that effortlessly. 5/5 stars to this beautifully-written and gem of a novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, and Car accident
maryashlyn's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Child death
madsmcw_reads's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism and Death of parent
booktrovertreader's review against another edition
This handles the topic of grief and in my personal stage in life, it is hard to handle at the moment
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Grief
jess_lynn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Grief, and Death of parent
librarianbritt's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Really didn't know what to expect, but this was not a rom com! While I definitely laughed out loud throughout the book, it really centers on the grief of the MC and her niece. I thought the author did a great job with these larger conversations around death and grief and it made the book really stand out from just a "rom com." I read this book in about 36 hours and was really blown away by how sucked in I got. I am also SO READY to read her next book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Grief, and Car accident
writingbookscoffee's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Grief
bookishvanessa's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Jo, a yacht stewardess living in Florida, comes up with a bucket list of 30 things she wants to do before her 30th birthday. When her two nieces unexpectedly show up to spend the summer with her, they make it their goal to tackle the list with Jo. Along the way, issues relating to family, friendship, love, guilt, grief, and more are brought to the forefront of the story.
I’ve seen a lot of reviewers mention how this book is much different than the cover design would lead you to believe, and I can back up that claim. Because I read some reviews before starting this book, I knew it wasn’t just a fluffy, “chick lit” type book and that it would deal with more serious themes like the death of a family member and grief. I really appreciated that there is more than meets the eye with this book.
With that said, I did want a little more romance and levity; there is romance, but it is very much a slow burn, closed door romance. Some of the dialogue felt a bit forced, and the story dragged at times for me (partially due to the slow burn romance when it was obvious Jo and Alex were into each other but kept fighting it). Also, I wanted more scenes on the yacht because that makes for such a fun environment in a book. With the word “ship” being in the title and on the cover, I think I was just expecting that to play into the storyline more than it did.
Overall, if you’re looking for chick lit with a little more depth and a summery beach read, you may enjoy this one!
CWs: grief, death of a child, death of a parent
I’ve seen a lot of reviewers mention how this book is much different than the cover design would lead you to believe, and I can back up that claim. Because I read some reviews before starting this book, I knew it wasn’t just a fluffy, “chick lit” type book and that it would deal with more serious themes like the death of a family member and grief. I really appreciated that there is more than meets the eye with this book.
With that said, I did want a little more romance and levity; there is romance, but it is very much a slow burn, closed door romance. Some of the dialogue felt a bit forced, and the story dragged at times for me (partially due to the slow burn romance when it was obvious Jo and Alex were into each other but kept fighting it). Also, I wanted more scenes on the yacht because that makes for such a fun environment in a book. With the word “ship” being in the title and on the cover, I think I was just expecting that to play into the storyline more than it did.
Overall, if you’re looking for chick lit with a little more depth and a summery beach read, you may enjoy this one!
CWs: grief, death of a child, death of a parent
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Grief, and Death of parent
kaykaysbookshelf's review
4.5
Okay cute cartoon cover romcom making me cry at work. This book was so much more than a romance book. I loved the birthday bucket list and the relationship between Jo & her nieces, I feel like you don't see enough of those in stories. The grieving process for these characters was really well done and had me crying multiple times. Honestly, it felt like the romance was just a bonus to Jo's story, and I would have felt fine without it, but I am glad it was there.
Spice: 1
Spice: 1
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Grief