Book Review - The Cruise by Caroline James

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Title: The Cruise

Author: Caroline James

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: One More Chapter

Publication Date: 20th April 2023

Rating: 5 Stars

Three women.

One widowed.

One unmarried.

One almost divorced.

All aged 63, but not ready to give up on life!

Leaving behind the heartache, guilt and disappointment of their real lives, three friends decide that now they’re in their sixties, it’s time they finally did something for themselves!

Swapping Christmas turkeys and BBC reruns for crystal waters, white sandy beaches and smooth golden rum, Anne, Jane and Kath throw caution (and tradition) to the wind as they set sail on a luxury two-week Christmas cruise around the Caribbean.

Will the three friends find the comfort and joy they seek aboard the Diamond Star?

I love Christmas! 

I love Cruises! 

I love the Caribbean! 

I love Caroline James!

Yes I love all the C's and completely and utterly adored The Cruise. I couldn't get enough of it and devoured it as fast as my time to read would allow. 

Can I just say I loved literally everything and leave it there?!

I absolutely adored the cruise ship the ladies were on, it was smaller than I'm used to but I really got to know every aspect of this ship, and I loved their itinerary too.   The various ports of call were described so well, I thought as though I was in the Caribbean myself. 

I'm also a huge fan of having Christmas in the sun who was ready to applaud the three friends for deciding to take the plunge and have a holiday of a lifetime. They are in their sixties and this cruise proves to be pivotal in all of their lives. 

I especially loved Jane and how she developed and gained confidence over the course of the cruise. I could identify a bit with her, also being a larger lady, but unlike her I've never let my size put me off anything. I felt for her, and her growing friendship, which is reluctant at first with Selwyn is beautiful to see. 

I enjoyed getting to know Selwyn, and we had chapters focusing on him too, which was good to see, as well as on Dickie, the rather stale, cheesy comedian who really is a slippery sort of a character.  His jokes and his outlook on life really needed a lick of paint, but he certainly fit the bill as a ship entertainer. 

And then there are the other guests on board, what a great assortment of characters the author came up with, and I especially loved The Captain.  

I was so deeply involved with this story that I had tears pricking my eyes and a lump in my throat a few times towards the end of the book, for a whole variety of reasons.  

I just wish I could have been on the ship with our three heroines, but as it is I loved seeing how their stories developed, over the course of a fortnight in the Caribbean.  

Simply superb, totally amazing, please can we have more cruise based books! 

Thank you to One More Chapter and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.