Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Summary from GoodReads
After All the Feels and Spoiler Alert, Olivia Dade once again delivers a warm and wonderful romantic comedy about two co-stars who once had an incredible one-night stand—and after years of filming on the same remote island, are finally ready to yield to temptation again…
Maria’s one-night-stand—the thick-thighed, sexy Viking of a man she left without a word or a note—just reappeared. Apparently, Peter’s her surly Gods of the Gates co-star, and they’re about to spend the next six years filming on a desolate Irish island together. She still wants him…but he now wants nothing to do with her.
Peter knows this role could finally transform him from a forgettable character actor into a leading man. He also knows a failed relationship with Maria could poison the set, and he won’t sabotage his career for a woman who’s already walked away from him once. Given time, maybe they can be cooperative colleagues or friends—possibly even best friends—but not lovers again. No matter how much he aches for her.
For years, they don’t touch off-camera. But on their last night of filming, their mutual restraint finally shatters, and all their pent-up desire explodes into renewed passion. Too bad they still don’t have a future together, since Peter’s going back to Hollywood, while Maria’s returning to her native Sweden. She thinks she needs more than he can give her, but he’s determined to change her mind, and he’s spent the last six years waiting. Watching. Wanting.
His shipwrecked Swede doesn’t stand a chance.
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REVIEW
Disclaimer: This review was for my Illumicrate copy and the special edition that complimented the first two books also re-designed by Illumicrate. My copy was yellow and blue, the outside of the pages was colored and there was also the autograph of the author. A gorgeous special edition indeed!
This series has been with me since 2020 when covid was in session, I was quarantined like the rest of the planet and I wanted some fluff. "Spoiler Alert" the first book of the series reminded me of my fanfiction
Wattpad days where I would write and write and write and by then I had fallen in love with Olivia's characters.
Now close to 3 years later the series ends with this amazing final book about Maria and Peter, two people who have lots and lots of pent-up feelings for each other and yet circumstances force them to hide it.
So we begin with... one night stand where Peter, an actor who hopes to make his biggest success on tv is found with Maria, a Swede theatre actress who hopes to find a new job in the USA, hopefully also close to cinema or tv. Both have a great time and the next day they realize that both have been cast together to work for a fictional (for the book) show, similar to a "Game of Thrones" series.
Feelings aside and misunderstandings lead both Maria and Peter to Ireland where they will film their own part of the show for the next six years! As their muddled relationship morphs into a friendship both Maria and Peter will forge new friendships but also try to navigate their growing feelings of attraction for each other amidst Hollywood contracts, fan bases, and misogynistic and stupid producers.
The book was *chef's kiss* amazing. Peter was amazing with Maria and their dialogue was one of the funniest I have ever read. It felt so natural and true as if I was listening to them talking. The pacing was good and steady giving time to develop the characters' relationships and trials but what I loved most was the theme of found family, one not created by blood but of love and affection.
I can detect Olivia's Swedish camaraderie here and it was very funny to be able to see Sweden even from the eyes of Peter who, poor fellow, went there to meet with Maria's family.
The series ended in the best way I could ever hope, solidifying Olivia's amazing way of bringing unique yet realistic characters to life both with humor, love, and the trials that come with any relationship.
Definitely recommended and I plan to re-read it again
About the author:
While I was growing up, my mother kept a stack of books hidden in her closet. She told me I couldn't read them. So, naturally, whenever she left me alone for any length of time, I took them out and flipped through them. Those books raised quite a few questions in my prepubescent brain. Namely: 1) Why were there so many pirates? 2) Where did all the throbbing come from? 3) What was a "manhood"? 4) And why did the hero and heroine seem overcome by images of waves and fireworks every few pages, especially after an episode of mysterious throbbing in the hero's manhood?
Thirty or so years later, I have a few answers. 1) Because my mom apparently fancied pirates at that time. Now she hoards romances involving cowboys and babies. If a book cover features a shirtless man in a Stetson cradling an infant, her ovaries basically explode and her credit card emerges. I have a similar reaction to romances involving spinsters, governesses, and librarians. 2) His manhood. Also, her womanhood. 3) It's his "hard length," sometimes compared in terms of rigidity to iron. I prefer to use other names for it in my own writing. However, I am not picky when it comes to descriptions of iron-hard lengths. 4) Because explaining how an orgasm feels can prove difficult. Or maybe the couples all had sex on New Year's Eve at Cancun.
During those thirty years, I accomplished a few things. I graduated from Wake Forest University and earned my M.A. in American History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I worked at a variety of jobs that required me to bury my bawdiness and potty mouth under a demure exterior: costumed interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg, high school teacher, and librarian. But I always, always read romances. Funny, filthy, sweet--it didn't matter. I loved them all.
Now I'm writing my own romances with the encouragement of my husband and daughter. I have my own stack of books in my closet that I'd rather my daughter not read, at least not for a few years. I can swear whenever I want, except around said daughter. And I get to spend all day writing about love and iron-hard lengths.
So thank you, Mom, for perving so hard on pirates during my childhood. I owe you.
If you want to find out more about me or my books, you can sign up for my newsletter (https://go.oliviadade.com/Newsletter); come find me on Twitter (twitter.com/OliviaWrites), Facebook (facebook.com/OliviaDade), and my website (oliviadade.com)
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