From USA Today, #1 Amazon, and BookTok bestselling author Kandi Steiner comes a sizzling, second-chance romance set on the high seas—perfect for fans of Below Deck and readers who crave angsty, high-stakes love stories.

Ember Reed is finally living her chief stew on a Mediterranean superyacht, sun-kissed days at sea, and the star of Close Quarters, the hottest new reality TV show. But just as she finds her stride, the producers throw her a curveball—by hiring the one man who nearly sank her.

Finn Pearson was the one that got away. The boy who kissed her like they had forever, then left without a word. But now he’s the chef in her new crew, and the cameras are watching their every move, innocent, or not.

Even on a superyacht, there’s nowhere to hide from the past. Every stolen glance, every whispered argument, every lingering memory threatens to ignite what never fully burned out. And as the tension spills into their day jobs, even the dinner service is spiralling into disaster.

They’ve crashed before… but could eight weeks at sea be their second chance to get it right? Or will it be the storm that finally sinks them for good?

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From the get go this one sounded like it would be such a fun read and it was, but also was more. Ember is finally getting her chance to work as a Chief Stew on a yacht and wanting to prove herself, while cameras follow her and the crew to film a reality show reminiscent of Below Deck. Imagine her surprise when the man she never really got over, who broke her heart, shows up to be the Chef on board. Add in a full cast of characters, forced proximity drama and tension you could cut with a butter knife and it’s a fun time.

I was excited to get to tandem read between an eARC and an ALC – the audiobook has duet narration and is wonderfully done, with unique voices for everyone so that they all stand out. I really enjoyed the flashbacks to Finn and Ember’s relationship as well as the behind the scenes interview portions from the filming of the show as the story goes on.

If you’re looking for a book that is filled with yearning and tension that often spills over, but is also a messy reality TV drama, definitely pick this one up. There are tons of not only intense moments, but also hilarious and heartfelt ones.

Happy reading!

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