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The Shippers by Katherine Center: A Cruise Ship Rom-Com
Last Updated on July 3, 2026 by Sierra Richard
The Shippers by Katherine Center* is a sweet cruise-ship rom-com with childhood friends-to-lovers, messy family drama, and a summer romance you won’t want to put down. Here’s my honest take.
Disclaimer: Thank you to Katherine Center, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Commissions may be earned on links in this article marked with “*”.
Book Recap
JoJo Burton is a dumper. In fact, she has dumped every man she has ever dated, including her ex-fiancé that she left at the altar, but it’s time to change her fate. While on a cruise for her sister’s destination wedding, she teams up with her childhood best friend, Cooper Watts to help her land her first crush, Finn Turner. However, as Cooper serves as wingman, JoJo realizes that maybe she doesn’t need Finn Turner after all.
Top Tropes/Themes:
- Contemporary Romance
- Romantic Comedy (Rom-Com)
- Childhood Best Friends-to-Lovers
- Cruise Ship Destination Wedding
- Only One Bed
- He Falls First
- Forced Proximity
- Fun Banter
Spice Rating: 🌶️ (1 pepper – some mentions of adult intimacy and kisses)
Publication Date: May 19, 2026
Let’s talk about it…
Once I opened The Shippers, it was hard to stop reading this fun, summer rom-com. After reading The Love Haters by Katherine Center* last summer and only thinking it was “okay”, I decided to give her one more chance with The Shippers and I’m so glad I did. JoJo Burton and Cooper Watts are the perfect childhood friends-to-lovers. While there was a brief scene that included sexual harassment, the rest of the book was lighthearted and the author’s note at the beginning of the book is worth a read before diving into the story. The cruise ship setting makes this the perfect standalone summer read if you are looking for a fun and happy romance. This book gave me fun summer vibes and would be great for readers who loved Happy Place by Emily Henry*.
The Friendship Came First
When it comes to doing the friends-to-lovers trope correctly, the most important thing is making sure the friendship is strong. I could tell that JoJo and Cooper had a long history. There were many callbacks to their childhood that made their relationship as friends believable and was written in a way that never made me feel like I was being left out of the story. I loved how they sang together, shared a playful connection, and had a comfort around each other that only true friendships can have, even if they haven’t been in contact for many years.
The Romance Was “Shipped”
From the second Cooper Watts steps onto the page, I knew he was going to be a male main character (MMC) that I wanted to root for. Not only was he strong and handsome (like the other leads in Katherine Center books), but he also cared for JoJo in a very tender way. He ensured she had the things she needed to be healthy and also happy. While JoJo wasn’t my favorite female main character (FMC) due to her low maturity level, I still wanted to see her end up with a man who would appreciate her in the end and that man was Cooper. I do want to mention that JoJo’s high school level maturity was the main reason this book wasn’t 5 stars. She made many bad choices and the miscommunication that occurred due to that was my least favorite part of this book.
The Family Dynamics Were Icing on the Cake
I love a book that can do messy family dynamics right and I believe this book did it well. Weddings are a huge ordeal and they often don’t bring out the best in people. This Bahamas-bound wedding cruise was no different. This book brought in cousins, siblings, and parents all with difficult issues to overcome which of course led to drama, but also some beautiful and heartwarming moments between the family members.
My Final Thoughts
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Once I started reading the first chapter, I read 50 pages before I could even consider setting it down. I flew through the pages because the story was fun and easy to read. If you are looking for a fun summer rom-com between friends, I highly recommend grabbing a copy of The Shippers by Katherine Center*.
FAQs: The Shippers by Katherine Center
Is The Shippers by Katherine Center Spicy?
No, this is not a spicy romance book. There are a few kisses between characters and some hickeys between the characters, but nothing I would consider spicy. I gave it a 1-pepper spice rating since it kept things close-door and sweet.
Is The Shippers part of a series?
Nope, this is a standalone summer romance novel. However, if you are looking for more books by Katherine Center, she’s got plenty of books to choose from. Her books Happiness for Beginners* and The Lost Husband* have already been adapted into movies by Netflix and her 2022 novel, The Bodyguard* is currently in production under the name Guarding Stars and is set to release during the holiday season in 2026.
Are there similar books to The Shippers by Katherine Center?
For another summer read with friend drama instead of family drama, consider picking up Happy Place by Emily Henry*. If you enjoyed The Shippers, but want some magical realism, you may also enjoy Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston*. Want to kick up the spice rating, but keep the summer vibes? I would recommend reading Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli*. Of course, you can also check out Katherine Center’s extensive backlist of novels as well.
What is the plot summary of The Shippers?
JoJo Burton is looking to break her curse of dumping every man she has ever been with by winning over her childhood crush and first kiss, Finn Turner with the help of her childhood best friend, Cooper Watts as her wingman. However, the more time she spends completing “Operation Conquest”, the more she realizes her wingman was the person she was looking for all along.
Does The Shippers have a content warning?
Yes. There is a brief encounter with a drunk man that leads to sexual harassment. There are also several other heavy topics including abandonment, injury that includes blood, panic attacks, anxiety, confinement, kidnapping, and child abuse.
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