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Santa's Crew #1
Santa Cruise
Fans of Debbie Macomber and Danielle Steel won’t want to miss this enchanting, humorous, and heartwarming novel that takes you on a singles cruise with four lifelong friends who might just find the gift of love this Christmas…
At Ridgewood High, Amy, Frankie, Rachael, and Nina formed a deep bond. Now, fifteen years after leaving school behind, they’re back for a reunion, laughing, reminiscing, and chatting how much has changed—and how much hasn’t. Nina, once the star of every school play, moved to Hollywood and landed a recurring role on a sitcom. Amy, fondly known as “the brains of the operation,” is now a Silicon Valley bioengineer. Outgoing and compassionate, Frankie works for a New York publishing house. Rachael, always the most boy-crazy of the crew, married—mostly to please her parents—but is now divorced. All four are strong, successful, and somehow, still looking for the right partner. But Frankie has an idea to help solve that: a singles cruise for the holidays.
In late December, Amy, Rachael, Frankie, and Nina gather in Miami, ready to board their state-of-the-art cruise ship. The entertainment options are endless, the food is to die for, and the passenger list includes hundreds of eligible men. The highlight of the week will be a magnificent New Year’s Eve celebration with multiple theme parties, dancing, and fireworks. The ladies are happy to give Cupid a helping hand here and there—hanging mistletoe in elevators and cheering each other on through speed-dating events and shore excursions. Holidays—like the path of love itself—don’t always go exactly as planned, but over the course of one festive, unforgettable week, all four will set sail on surprising new adventures.
At Ridgewood High, Amy, Frankie, Rachael, and Nina formed a deep bond. Now, fifteen years after leaving school behind, they’re back for a reunion, laughing, reminiscing, and chatting how much has changed—and how much hasn’t. Nina, once the star of every school play, moved to Hollywood and landed a recurring role on a sitcom. Amy, fondly known as “the brains of the operation,” is now a Silicon Valley bioengineer. Outgoing and compassionate, Frankie works for a New York publishing house. Rachael, always the most boy-crazy of the crew, married—mostly to please her parents—but is now divorced. All four are strong, successful, and somehow, still looking for the right partner. But Frankie has an idea to help solve that: a singles cruise for the holidays.
In late December, Amy, Rachael, Frankie, and Nina gather in Miami, ready to board their state-of-the-art cruise ship. The entertainment options are endless, the food is to die for, and the passenger list includes hundreds of eligible men. The highlight of the week will be a magnificent New Year’s Eve celebration with multiple theme parties, dancing, and fireworks. The ladies are happy to give Cupid a helping hand here and there—hanging mistletoe in elevators and cheering each other on through speed-dating events and shore excursions. Holidays—like the path of love itself—don’t always go exactly as planned, but over the course of one festive, unforgettable week, all four will set sail on surprising new adventures.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published September 28, 2021
About the author
Fern Michaels
388 books5,958 followersFern Michaels isn’t a person. I’m not sure she’s an entity either since an entity is something with separate existence. Fern Michaels® is what I DO. Me, Mary Ruth Kuczkir. Growing up in Hastings, Pennsylvania, I was called Ruth. I became Mary when I entered the business world where first names were the order of the day. To this day, family and friends call me Dink, a name my father gave me when I was born because according to him I was ‘a dinky little thing’ weighing in at four and a half pounds. However, I answer to Fern since people are more comfortable with a name they can pronounce.
As they say, the past is prologue. I grew up, got a job, got married, had five kids. When my youngest went off to Kindergarten, my husband told me to get off my ass and get a job. Those were his exact words. I didn’t know how to do anything except be a wife and mother. I was also a voracious reader having cut my teeth on The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames and the like. The library was a magical place for me. It still is to this day. Rather than face the outside world with no skills, I decided to write a book. For some reason that didn’t intimidate me. As my husband said at the time, stupid is as stupid does. Guess what, I don’t have that husband any more. Guess what else! I wrote 99 books, most of them New York Times Best Sellers.
Moving right along here . . . Several years ago I left Ballantine Books, parted company with my agent, sold my house in New Jersey that I had lived in all my married life and in 1993 moved to South Carolina. I figured if I was going to go through trauma let it be all at one time. It was a breeze. The kids were all on their own at that point. The dump was a 300 year old plantation house that is listed in the National Registry that I remodeled. Today it is beyond belief as are the gardens and the equally old Angel Oaks that drip Spanish moss. Unfortunately, I could not get my ghost to relocate. This ghost has been documented by previous owners. Mary Margaret as we call her, is “a friendly”. She is also mischievous. It took me two weeks to figure out that she didn’t like my coffee cups. They would slide off the table or counter or else they’d break in the dishwasher. I bought red checkered ones. All are intact as of this writing. She moves pillows from one room to the other and she stops all the clocks in the house at 9:10 in the a.m. at least once a week. When the Azaleas are in bloom, and only then, I find blooms on my night stand. I have this glorious front porch and during the warm months I see my swing moving early in the morning when the air is still and again late in the day. She doesn’t spook the dogs. I always know when she’s around because the five of them line up and look like they’re at a tennis match. As of this writing we’re co-habiting nicely.
Most writers love what they do and I’m no exception. I love it when I get a germ of an idea and get it down on paper. I love breathing life into my characters. I love writing about women who persevere and prevail because that’s what I had to do to get to this point in time. It’s another way of saying it doesn’t matter where you’ve been, what matters is where you’re going and how you get there. The day I finally prevailed was the day I was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame. For me it was an awesome day and there are no words to describe it.
I’ve been telling stories and scribbling for 37 years. I hope I can continue for another 37 years. It wasn’t easy during some of those years. As I said, I had to persevere. My old Polish grandmother said something to me when I was little that I never forgot. She said when God is good to you, you have to give back. For a while I didn’t know how to do that. When I finally figured it out I set up The Fern Michaels® Foundation.
READ FERN MICHAELS' FULL BIOGRAPHY HERE: http://www.fernmichaels.com/biography/
As they say, the past is prologue. I grew up, got a job, got married, had five kids. When my youngest went off to Kindergarten, my husband told me to get off my ass and get a job. Those were his exact words. I didn’t know how to do anything except be a wife and mother. I was also a voracious reader having cut my teeth on The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames and the like. The library was a magical place for me. It still is to this day. Rather than face the outside world with no skills, I decided to write a book. For some reason that didn’t intimidate me. As my husband said at the time, stupid is as stupid does. Guess what, I don’t have that husband any more. Guess what else! I wrote 99 books, most of them New York Times Best Sellers.
Moving right along here . . . Several years ago I left Ballantine Books, parted company with my agent, sold my house in New Jersey that I had lived in all my married life and in 1993 moved to South Carolina. I figured if I was going to go through trauma let it be all at one time. It was a breeze. The kids were all on their own at that point. The dump was a 300 year old plantation house that is listed in the National Registry that I remodeled. Today it is beyond belief as are the gardens and the equally old Angel Oaks that drip Spanish moss. Unfortunately, I could not get my ghost to relocate. This ghost has been documented by previous owners. Mary Margaret as we call her, is “a friendly”. She is also mischievous. It took me two weeks to figure out that she didn’t like my coffee cups. They would slide off the table or counter or else they’d break in the dishwasher. I bought red checkered ones. All are intact as of this writing. She moves pillows from one room to the other and she stops all the clocks in the house at 9:10 in the a.m. at least once a week. When the Azaleas are in bloom, and only then, I find blooms on my night stand. I have this glorious front porch and during the warm months I see my swing moving early in the morning when the air is still and again late in the day. She doesn’t spook the dogs. I always know when she’s around because the five of them line up and look like they’re at a tennis match. As of this writing we’re co-habiting nicely.
Most writers love what they do and I’m no exception. I love it when I get a germ of an idea and get it down on paper. I love breathing life into my characters. I love writing about women who persevere and prevail because that’s what I had to do to get to this point in time. It’s another way of saying it doesn’t matter where you’ve been, what matters is where you’re going and how you get there. The day I finally prevailed was the day I was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame. For me it was an awesome day and there are no words to describe it.
I’ve been telling stories and scribbling for 37 years. I hope I can continue for another 37 years. It wasn’t easy during some of those years. As I said, I had to persevere. My old Polish grandmother said something to me when I was little that I never forgot. She said when God is good to you, you have to give back. For a while I didn’t know how to do that. When I finally figured it out I set up The Fern Michaels® Foundation.
READ FERN MICHAELS' FULL BIOGRAPHY HERE: http://www.fernmichaels.com/biography/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 831 reviews
July 1, 2021
Unfortunately, I was not able to finish this book. I was looking forward to reading the book on my recent plane ride. The setting of a romance on a cruise (and potentially several romances among the 4 friends) was definitely unique and grabbed my interest.
First, the cruise didn't start until half way through the book, exactly 44% into the book according to my kindle. The first half was mostly character development and backstory, but that could have been integrated into the story after they were on the cruise. It just took to long to get there for me.
And second, the detail provided for things that didn't matter to the story had me skipping over sections of the book. There is a need to set the scene throughout the story, but a quick description will do. Multiple paragraphs about the design of an apartment (as an example) is too much. When I read a book, it's more about the characters and their interaction and dialogue than it is about the minute details of the scene.
First, the cruise didn't start until half way through the book, exactly 44% into the book according to my kindle. The first half was mostly character development and backstory, but that could have been integrated into the story after they were on the cruise. It just took to long to get there for me.
And second, the detail provided for things that didn't matter to the story had me skipping over sections of the book. There is a need to set the scene throughout the story, but a quick description will do. Multiple paragraphs about the design of an apartment (as an example) is too much. When I read a book, it's more about the characters and their interaction and dialogue than it is about the minute details of the scene.
January 13, 2022
Santa Cruise by Fern Michaels is a contemporary romance which of course mainly takes place during the Christmas season. The book does say it’s for fans of Debbie Macomber and Danielle Steel but I’d say the style is more on the Danielle Steel side of that comparison.
Amy, Frankie, Rachael, and Nina attended high school together where they became the best of friends but once high school let out the ladies didn’t keep as close of touch as they wanted to. Now attending their reunion the four fall right back into that bond that they once shared.
The four ladies make a plan between them that if all of them are still single come the holiday season they are going to get together again and take a trip. Of course when the time comes they book a cruise to the Caribbean for the four of them and head to Miami to board the cruise ship.
Santa Cruise by Fern Michaels immediately grabbed my attention when I saw it because I am a huge fan of cruising myself so a little virtual vacay cruise sounded lovely. I will say that as far as the cruising element in the story it was pretty spot on too and having been to the areas the ladies visited I was completely there with them in my mind. The story of the friendship between Amy, Frankie, Rachael, and Nina and their lives along with their adventure was on that pulled me right in and I enjoyed overall.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Amy, Frankie, Rachael, and Nina attended high school together where they became the best of friends but once high school let out the ladies didn’t keep as close of touch as they wanted to. Now attending their reunion the four fall right back into that bond that they once shared.
The four ladies make a plan between them that if all of them are still single come the holiday season they are going to get together again and take a trip. Of course when the time comes they book a cruise to the Caribbean for the four of them and head to Miami to board the cruise ship.
Santa Cruise by Fern Michaels immediately grabbed my attention when I saw it because I am a huge fan of cruising myself so a little virtual vacay cruise sounded lovely. I will say that as far as the cruising element in the story it was pretty spot on too and having been to the areas the ladies visited I was completely there with them in my mind. The story of the friendship between Amy, Frankie, Rachael, and Nina and their lives along with their adventure was on that pulled me right in and I enjoyed overall.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
February 24, 2022
Pleasant story about four longtime friends embarking on a singles cruise for the holidays. The author is an animal lover. I like that she includes pets as part of the story for some of her main characters.
September 21, 2021
I was hoping for more from the Santa Cruise by Fern Michaels as I love Christmas stories and I've always enjoyed her novels. I was very disappointed in this one.
The 4 protagonists, in spite of being in their mid 30s sounded like a bunch of 50 year olds on their first singles cruise. So much time was spent describing their outfits (how many young, single women will go on a cruise ship and dress for dinner in capris and a top?) for each event, their apartments, the food and daily routine on the ship once they finally got on it that there was little space left for character development. I couldn't wait to finish the book, just so it was over. There were also several side stories that could have been left out because they had no bearing on the girls' cruise story. All in all I was disappointed in the novel. It could have been so much better.
Thank you to the author, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review. #SantaCruise #NetGalley #Fern Michaels
The 4 protagonists, in spite of being in their mid 30s sounded like a bunch of 50 year olds on their first singles cruise. So much time was spent describing their outfits (how many young, single women will go on a cruise ship and dress for dinner in capris and a top?) for each event, their apartments, the food and daily routine on the ship once they finally got on it that there was little space left for character development. I couldn't wait to finish the book, just so it was over. There were also several side stories that could have been left out because they had no bearing on the girls' cruise story. All in all I was disappointed in the novel. It could have been so much better.
Thank you to the author, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review. #SantaCruise #NetGalley #Fern Michaels
January 22, 2023
I tried to really get into this book. It had all the makings for what could have been a fun holiday read, but it was just boring and unrealistic.
4 friends meet up at their 15th high school reunion. All are single and decide to take a New Years Eve 7 day cruise from Miami to Cozumel and a few other ports along the way. It’s a singles cruise, so they are all open to meeting interesting men.
Ok….. that is as far as I got and I was nearly halfway through the book and the cruise still had not happened. I actually nodded off several times from boredom.
These women were in their early 30’s but talked more like 60 year olds and at times acted like 15 year olds. And one girl, Rachel, had to use the word Chicas in every conversation and if I had of been playing a drinking game I would have been plastered by the third chapter. I found it very annoying.
My daughter is 35 and I can tell you, she has dozens of close friends and none of them talk or act like these ladies. Not to mention that most of these characters seem to have mega successful jobs that not many girls in their 30’s would have. I mean one was even head of a publishing company in NYC…. With no mention of how she even got that job and rented a flat in Gramercy Park for $2500 a month. Oh please! You are lucky to get a parking space in the city for that amount!
But to continue with my inconclusive review, the more I read the more bored I got. Pages of wasted descriptions of the insides of homes and apartments. Bothersome Mothers, annoying ex-husbands, boyfriends with expiration dates shorter than the milk in my fridge… and like I said…. I never even made it to the cruise!
I decided I had 4 more books waiting to read in my library bag and hopefully one of those will be better than this one!
Good Luck to those who make it to the cruise, but Bon Voyage to these 4 boring woman from me!
4 friends meet up at their 15th high school reunion. All are single and decide to take a New Years Eve 7 day cruise from Miami to Cozumel and a few other ports along the way. It’s a singles cruise, so they are all open to meeting interesting men.
Ok….. that is as far as I got and I was nearly halfway through the book and the cruise still had not happened. I actually nodded off several times from boredom.
These women were in their early 30’s but talked more like 60 year olds and at times acted like 15 year olds. And one girl, Rachel, had to use the word Chicas in every conversation and if I had of been playing a drinking game I would have been plastered by the third chapter. I found it very annoying.
My daughter is 35 and I can tell you, she has dozens of close friends and none of them talk or act like these ladies. Not to mention that most of these characters seem to have mega successful jobs that not many girls in their 30’s would have. I mean one was even head of a publishing company in NYC…. With no mention of how she even got that job and rented a flat in Gramercy Park for $2500 a month. Oh please! You are lucky to get a parking space in the city for that amount!
But to continue with my inconclusive review, the more I read the more bored I got. Pages of wasted descriptions of the insides of homes and apartments. Bothersome Mothers, annoying ex-husbands, boyfriends with expiration dates shorter than the milk in my fridge… and like I said…. I never even made it to the cruise!
I decided I had 4 more books waiting to read in my library bag and hopefully one of those will be better than this one!
Good Luck to those who make it to the cruise, but Bon Voyage to these 4 boring woman from me!
December 8, 2021
This is so bad in so many ways. *facepalm* I suppose it isn't the absolute worst thing I've ever read, that's a pretty low bar.
The author did do some research on some things, and devised a one dimensional character in Amy to parrot verbatim exactly what Wikipedia and/or the tour guide on her "research trip" said, but she couldn't be bothered to check which day of the week Christmas falls on in 2020 or 2021. (For funsies, Christmas last fell on a Tuesday in 2018, and won't again until 2029.)
This could be forgivable if the author wasn't so clearly out of touch with EVERYTHING. All movie references are from pre-2000, music is similarly old with few exceptions. The author is clearly from a generation that does not value modern "PC culture" and it shows in casual homophobia and transphobia, as well as repeated comments from the douchiest of the male characters about how some women get offended by "compliments" and the rampant slut-shaming of Rachel.
Failed attempts to use modern vernacular make this book almost unreadable due to all the eye-rolling. A few examples include "snooze festival", "boob tube" (modern in the 1950s, I'm sure), and "cute-meet". Add to that detailed descriptions of how routine things like speed dating and silent auctions work and how many glasses are in a bottle of wine and I can't decide who exactly the author thinks her audience is, but she clearly thinks they're very stupid.
Avoid this book if you don't want to lose brain cells.
The author did do some research on some things, and devised a one dimensional character in Amy to parrot verbatim exactly what Wikipedia and/or the tour guide on her "research trip" said, but she couldn't be bothered to check which day of the week Christmas falls on in 2020 or 2021. (For funsies, Christmas last fell on a Tuesday in 2018, and won't again until 2029.)
This could be forgivable if the author wasn't so clearly out of touch with EVERYTHING. All movie references are from pre-2000, music is similarly old with few exceptions. The author is clearly from a generation that does not value modern "PC culture" and it shows in casual homophobia and transphobia, as well as repeated comments from the douchiest of the male characters about how some women get offended by "compliments" and the rampant slut-shaming of Rachel.
Failed attempts to use modern vernacular make this book almost unreadable due to all the eye-rolling. A few examples include "snooze festival", "boob tube" (modern in the 1950s, I'm sure), and "cute-meet". Add to that detailed descriptions of how routine things like speed dating and silent auctions work and how many glasses are in a bottle of wine and I can't decide who exactly the author thinks her audience is, but she clearly thinks they're very stupid.
Avoid this book if you don't want to lose brain cells.
December 24, 2021
Although I liked some parts of the book, there were many things I didn't like, and I thought more than once to DNF it:
- I was looking for a Christmas read, but the cruise/Christmas part doesn't begin until half of the book (the book begins in summer). Also, the cruise part wasn't very Christmassy either.
- There were a lot (and I mean A LOT) of details, like how much they tipped every single waiter, or the clothes they wore every day.
- There also were a lot of secondary stories that I think didn't add anything to the main story (like the one with Amy's mum).
- And a thing that is bothering me a lot in books lately: there is a brief mention of covid-19 (one of the MCs remembers when she had to work from home because of covid) but now it's 2021 and everything is normal again... In my opinion, if you mention covid in the book people should still be wearing masks, testing etc or you don't mention covid at all (I prefer by far the second option).
- I was looking for a Christmas read, but the cruise/Christmas part doesn't begin until half of the book (the book begins in summer). Also, the cruise part wasn't very Christmassy either.
- There were a lot (and I mean A LOT) of details, like how much they tipped every single waiter, or the clothes they wore every day.
- There also were a lot of secondary stories that I think didn't add anything to the main story (like the one with Amy's mum).
- And a thing that is bothering me a lot in books lately: there is a brief mention of covid-19 (one of the MCs remembers when she had to work from home because of covid) but now it's 2021 and everything is normal again... In my opinion, if you mention covid in the book people should still be wearing masks, testing etc or you don't mention covid at all (I prefer by far the second option).
August 24, 2021
*2.5
I received this book as a part of Goodreads Giveaways.
I really wanted to like this book because of my love of Christmas novels, but I couldn’t get into it. It tells the story of four friends who make a plan at their high school reunion to go on a singles cruise to Cozumel. The characters are all 33/34 years old, and I can assure you that nobody that age talks the way they do. It sounded like they were in their 70’s, which made it really hard to get through because it was so unbelievable. It had a cute idea, but there was very little Christmas in it as well.
I received this book as a part of Goodreads Giveaways.
I really wanted to like this book because of my love of Christmas novels, but I couldn’t get into it. It tells the story of four friends who make a plan at their high school reunion to go on a singles cruise to Cozumel. The characters are all 33/34 years old, and I can assure you that nobody that age talks the way they do. It sounded like they were in their 70’s, which made it really hard to get through because it was so unbelievable. It had a cute idea, but there was very little Christmas in it as well.
November 7, 2021
Amy, Frankie, Rachael, and Nina were highschool friends who were inseparable, until they lost touch after they graduated. Fifteen years later, they are attending their reunion and realized that although many things had changed, their friendship was still there. Although they live all over the US, they want their bond to grow. They are strong and successful, and still looking for the right partner. Frankie, the planner of the group decides they should take a single cruise for the holidays and they all agree. It is late December and all four are in Miami, ready to board the cruise ship with a passenger list that includes hundreds of eligible men. Imagine four highschool friends, who haven't seen each other for a long time, on a cruise together and hoping to meet an eligible partner, fun is bound to ensue.
I enjoyed this story, but would have preferred a quicker start and more cruising. The first part of the book was character development and background, which was interesting, but took too long. Once they got on the ship, things flew by. I did enjoy the characters, they were normal, not over the top looking for a quick hook up, which was nice. There was some fun on the cruise and some interesting friendships were made, but the story just didn't grab me. I finished it and liked how it wrapped up, but it is not one I will think about after the fact. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own.
I enjoyed this story, but would have preferred a quicker start and more cruising. The first part of the book was character development and background, which was interesting, but took too long. Once they got on the ship, things flew by. I did enjoy the characters, they were normal, not over the top looking for a quick hook up, which was nice. There was some fun on the cruise and some interesting friendships were made, but the story just didn't grab me. I finished it and liked how it wrapped up, but it is not one I will think about after the fact. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own.
September 26, 2021
It is the 15 year reunion at Ridgewood High School and 4 very close friends find themselves reconnecting. Nina is an actress in Hollywood, Amy is a bioengineer, Frankie works at a publishing house, and Rachel is now divorced and running a dance studio. They all realize that although they have all had success in their careers, they are all still single and none of them are happy about it. The 4 friends agree that they want to change this and agree to on a special holiday cruise together during Christmas time. Will they all find love?
Fern Michaels creates a fun vacation setting that pulls you in! I really enjoyed this sweet story of these old friends. There was plenty of humor and vivid setting descriptions that made you feel like you were on vacation too! For a light and easy read, check out SANTA CRUISE!
Many thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Fern Michaels creates a fun vacation setting that pulls you in! I really enjoyed this sweet story of these old friends. There was plenty of humor and vivid setting descriptions that made you feel like you were on vacation too! For a light and easy read, check out SANTA CRUISE!
Many thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
September 21, 2021
4 lifelong friends meet at their 15th class reunion and plan to go on a “singles” cruise after the holidays. They all meet someone and had a great time on the ship. I enjoyed this quick read and at times, I felt like I was on the cruise ship with them. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.
June 16, 2021
Pack your bags and set sail for a Single's Santa Cruise. Lifelong friends Amy, Frankie, Nina and Rachael reconnect during a class reunion. Their lives went in different directions but they are reexamining those decisions.
Navigating new futures, they leave their worries at the shore. Their itineraries were to find love connections but realize that loving themselves is the real destination.
Thank you to #NetGalley and Kensington Books for the early edition of #SantaCruise in exchange for an honest review. Escape reads provide a passport beyond the pandemic's walls. Travel within the pages to discover new countries and cultures. Fern Michaels' Santa Cruise is just the ticket for adventure and laughter this season.
Navigating new futures, they leave their worries at the shore. Their itineraries were to find love connections but realize that loving themselves is the real destination.
Thank you to #NetGalley and Kensington Books for the early edition of #SantaCruise in exchange for an honest review. Escape reads provide a passport beyond the pandemic's walls. Travel within the pages to discover new countries and cultures. Fern Michaels' Santa Cruise is just the ticket for adventure and laughter this season.
February 20, 2022
Could not finish this inane piece of drivel. Just awful. My first and last Fern Michaels book. The author had no clue how 30 year old women speak…they sounded like women in their 60’s or 70’s. The story,what there was of one, just went nowhere. I don’t even make it to the cruise when I just couldn’t take it anymore. Just awful writing. If I heard Rachael call one of her friends”chica” one more time I was going to vomit. How this got published, I’ll never know. Just the worst. Not even worth one star,really.
November 4, 2021
Fifteen years after graduating high school and after reminiscing at a class reunion, four friends who have had bad luck in love decide to take a singles cruise together at the holidays. Amy, Rachel, Nina and Frankie were all interesting characters with varied careers which were fun to read about. I liked the way the backstories were developed. Things that worked for me: the characters and the friendships—I would categorize this more as women’s fiction than a romance as the romance plays very little part in the novel. Things I struggled with: based on the cover, blurb and title, I was expecting this to be a Christmas-themed novel that takes place on a cruise, however the cruise doesn’t start until halfway through the novel, and the Christmas element is barely present in the book.
August 23, 2021
Entertaining but I hear my writing teachers say "don't tell me, show me". There's more telling than showing the story here. Nice to dream of a cruise again someday.
December 13, 2023
I had to keep skipping full chapters of this book because the useless details were monotonous. The book was out of touch, boring and the relentless slut shaming of Rachel was tiring. The book had nothing to do with Christmas. I felt like the women had the same conversations over and over again. It felt like a man who hates women wrote this book and if I wasn’t cutting it so close to my reading goal for the year I would have DNF’d it. I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone.
November 10, 2021
I will round up to 3 stars to be kind. I love Christmas themed novels but this one was not a "love" for me. A few friends agree to go on a singles Christmas cruise. Part of the reason I didnt like this novel is that this particular single's cruise didnt seem like a lot of fun to me. Do people still do speed dating? IDK but this story and cruise felt old and stodgy. Maybe an 80 year old may have enjoyed this single's cruise. Its a novel that should have been half the length. I hate novels that fill pages with trivial conversations like ... what characters are and will be wearing and other dumb things. Anyway, the novel is not terrible but I think Fern Michaels is not for me. I have never read her before and I know she is popular.
December 4, 2022
This book was just a tough read for me. One dimensional characters, stodgy dialogue and long explanations of things most people understand already (speed dating, silent auctions, etc) were some of the issues I had with this book.
October 11, 2021
A fun loving Christmas story. I loved every minute of it.
August 23, 2021
2.5 stars, but I am rounding up because I enjoyed it in spite of myself.
I am perhaps as far away from the main characters in this book as I could possibly be. I am 21 years old, married, and quite settled with no great desire to travel the world other than driving around the Great Plains with my husband. That said, despite my lack of reliability to the characters, I actually found them endearing. Rachel, Frankie, Amy, and Nina felt quite real to me, and their friendship was palpable. Though they were "looking for love," the concept that they should HAVE to get a man was not the main point of the story. The romantic resolutions often fell quietly to the background, and I enjoyed that.
I actually enjoyed the non-cruise scenes the most, as the girls prepared for the cruise and we were introduced to their family (and relationship) dynamics. Once the cruise started (almost halfway through the book), I actually got a bit bored. I don't usually read escapism books such as this, so I think I was wondering where the plot could go. Nonetheless, there were some fun twists, and it was an enjoyable and inoffensive story.
There were some things that I did not enjoy as much. Though I liked the characters, I had a hard time picturing them in their 30s. They often acted like high schoolers, especially when they were together. They were wildly immature to be as successful as Michaels makes them out to be. Not that that's necessarily a bad (or unrealistic) thing, but I could not for the life of me picture them as older adults. They felt to be in their mid-twenties to me, at most, and goodness gracious, they shout and squeal and hoot and holler so much! I felt like I was watching a YouTube vlog in book form. Next, the things Michaels chooses to describe vs. those she doesn't could bother me at times. She spent several paragraphs describing the girls' apartments/homes, but she spends a single sentence describing a speed dating session. Come on! I wanted that in scene! How fun would that have been? The other part of the storyline that really bothered me was the way the girls get obsessively attached to "protecting" an older woman they meet on the cruise. After day one, they begin stalking her and trying to figure out who she's dating in order to "protect" her. I guess I get it in theory, but it comes across as creepy and breaking SEVERAL boundaries. The older woman does wind up angry at them when she finds out, but they still face no real consequences. It just felt a little off and uncomfortable to read.
My only other complaint is that for a book titled "Santa Cruise," it did not feel very Christmas-y. I've been wanting a "Christmas in August" fix, and I was hoping this book would provide that, but alas, other than some mistletoe and a brief Santa appearance, there was nothing very festive for me. Oh well!
In the end, though this book has its troubles, it's an escapist fiction piece that isn't meant to be thought about too deeply. It is about friends having a good time, working through family and life difficulties, and finding love. Though these kinds of books are not usually my cup of tea, I had fun reading this book.
(I received an ARC of this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway. Though I am under no obligation to post a review as part of the giveaway, I am providing my honest feedback to thank the publisher for the free book.)
I am perhaps as far away from the main characters in this book as I could possibly be. I am 21 years old, married, and quite settled with no great desire to travel the world other than driving around the Great Plains with my husband. That said, despite my lack of reliability to the characters, I actually found them endearing. Rachel, Frankie, Amy, and Nina felt quite real to me, and their friendship was palpable. Though they were "looking for love," the concept that they should HAVE to get a man was not the main point of the story. The romantic resolutions often fell quietly to the background, and I enjoyed that.
I actually enjoyed the non-cruise scenes the most, as the girls prepared for the cruise and we were introduced to their family (and relationship) dynamics. Once the cruise started (almost halfway through the book), I actually got a bit bored. I don't usually read escapism books such as this, so I think I was wondering where the plot could go. Nonetheless, there were some fun twists, and it was an enjoyable and inoffensive story.
There were some things that I did not enjoy as much. Though I liked the characters, I had a hard time picturing them in their 30s. They often acted like high schoolers, especially when they were together. They were wildly immature to be as successful as Michaels makes them out to be. Not that that's necessarily a bad (or unrealistic) thing, but I could not for the life of me picture them as older adults. They felt to be in their mid-twenties to me, at most, and goodness gracious, they shout and squeal and hoot and holler so much! I felt like I was watching a YouTube vlog in book form. Next, the things Michaels chooses to describe vs. those she doesn't could bother me at times. She spent several paragraphs describing the girls' apartments/homes, but she spends a single sentence describing a speed dating session. Come on! I wanted that in scene! How fun would that have been? The other part of the storyline that really bothered me was the way the girls get obsessively attached to "protecting" an older woman they meet on the cruise. After day one, they begin stalking her and trying to figure out who she's dating in order to "protect" her. I guess I get it in theory, but it comes across as creepy and breaking SEVERAL boundaries. The older woman does wind up angry at them when she finds out, but they still face no real consequences. It just felt a little off and uncomfortable to read.
My only other complaint is that for a book titled "Santa Cruise," it did not feel very Christmas-y. I've been wanting a "Christmas in August" fix, and I was hoping this book would provide that, but alas, other than some mistletoe and a brief Santa appearance, there was nothing very festive for me. Oh well!
In the end, though this book has its troubles, it's an escapist fiction piece that isn't meant to be thought about too deeply. It is about friends having a good time, working through family and life difficulties, and finding love. Though these kinds of books are not usually my cup of tea, I had fun reading this book.
(I received an ARC of this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway. Though I am under no obligation to post a review as part of the giveaway, I am providing my honest feedback to thank the publisher for the free book.)
July 22, 2021
Four high school friends reunite for the fifteen-year reunion at Ridgewood High. Nina who is working on a sitcom, Amy is now a Silicon Valley bioengineer, Frankie works for a New York publishing house, and Rachel, divorced is now running a successful dance studio.
As the girls realize they do not have boyfriends or prospects Frankie suggests that if none of us have dates of boyfriends by Thanksgiving why not go on a cruise for the holidays? All the girls agree and are excited about the prospect of having fun, meeting new people, and enjoying delicious food and scenery getting away together. When Frankie offers a suggestion of four days in the Bahamas or a A seven-day exotic cruise all answer exotic and so the planning begins.
It is getting closer and closer to the day and they will all meet up the night before in Miami and get on the ship together. This is a state-of-the-art ship with eight hundred passengers and four hundred crew members. The choices of dining and activities seem endless but yet there seems to be something for everyone.
They all embark on the cruise with joy and excitement wondering what they will uncover while onboard? The restaurants are hard to choose as one seems to be even better than the other. Everyone is in great spirits and all other problems are put on hold till after the New Year.
Preparations for dance classes, cooking classes offshore sightseeing, and of course speed dating. Although only one of the women seems to have any success in speed dating the others are cheering for her. One of the women just found out she might not have a job in the the coming year and another has applied for a different job as she is not happy at her present one. One is just not sure she enjoys the perks that come with her job as she has nothing else and of course the romantic boy crazy woman would like to find fulfillment and enjoyment in her life.
These women enjoy each other's company and share stories and feelings about their plans for the future. It, unfortunately, was not one of her better books as it is just too predictable.
As the girls realize they do not have boyfriends or prospects Frankie suggests that if none of us have dates of boyfriends by Thanksgiving why not go on a cruise for the holidays? All the girls agree and are excited about the prospect of having fun, meeting new people, and enjoying delicious food and scenery getting away together. When Frankie offers a suggestion of four days in the Bahamas or a A seven-day exotic cruise all answer exotic and so the planning begins.
It is getting closer and closer to the day and they will all meet up the night before in Miami and get on the ship together. This is a state-of-the-art ship with eight hundred passengers and four hundred crew members. The choices of dining and activities seem endless but yet there seems to be something for everyone.
They all embark on the cruise with joy and excitement wondering what they will uncover while onboard? The restaurants are hard to choose as one seems to be even better than the other. Everyone is in great spirits and all other problems are put on hold till after the New Year.
Preparations for dance classes, cooking classes offshore sightseeing, and of course speed dating. Although only one of the women seems to have any success in speed dating the others are cheering for her. One of the women just found out she might not have a job in the the coming year and another has applied for a different job as she is not happy at her present one. One is just not sure she enjoys the perks that come with her job as she has nothing else and of course the romantic boy crazy woman would like to find fulfillment and enjoyment in her life.
These women enjoy each other's company and share stories and feelings about their plans for the future. It, unfortunately, was not one of her better books as it is just too predictable.
April 30, 2021
At a 15 year high school reunion, 4 friends reunite. As they had all formed a tight bond many years ago, this reunion gave them a chance to catch up, to laugh and reminisce. Nina, who had the lead in every school play, moved to Hollywood and landed a recurring role on a sitcom. Amy, is now a Silicon Valley bioengineer. Outgoing Frankie works for a New York publishing house. Rachael, always the most boy-crazy of the group is now divorced. Four single women with no male prospects for the future and as of yet no date for New Years Eve, all needing a boost to get out of their doldrums. But Frankie has an idea to help solve that: a singles cruise for the holidays. In late December they all board on a state-of-the-art cruise ship, for what they hope will turn out in their favor. Able to leave their everyday lives behind, they are looking forward to fun, adventure and men.
In what turns out as a very funny and sweet read, the reader also goes on this voyage and we too are taken away as we read along. Not only did this novel have me laughing it gave me hours of enjoyment, Although I am not single, my husband and I have enjoyed many, many cruises. As I inhaled this story, I too could see the decks, staterooms and the excursions these adventurous women enjoyed (the whole "enchilada"). Actually, I was jealous!!! After this horrible year, I am looking forward to another cruise as well (but that will have to wait a while).
For a very pleasant and happy experience, I highly recommend this novel. Ms. Michaels as given us a good novel that will not disappoint. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
https://bookreviewsbylulu.blogspot.com/
In what turns out as a very funny and sweet read, the reader also goes on this voyage and we too are taken away as we read along. Not only did this novel have me laughing it gave me hours of enjoyment, Although I am not single, my husband and I have enjoyed many, many cruises. As I inhaled this story, I too could see the decks, staterooms and the excursions these adventurous women enjoyed (the whole "enchilada"). Actually, I was jealous!!! After this horrible year, I am looking forward to another cruise as well (but that will have to wait a while).
For a very pleasant and happy experience, I highly recommend this novel. Ms. Michaels as given us a good novel that will not disappoint. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
https://bookreviewsbylulu.blogspot.com/
December 17, 2021
-1 star
I wanted to DNF this book so bad. SO BAD.
The cruise didn’t start until halfway through the book, and the first half was backstory and lazy buildup. The cruise should have started earlier and the backstories should have been integrated into the cruise storyline. I actually checked the description multiple times to make sure I was reading a holiday book about a cruise. And then when it got to the cruise, all of the fun bits were glazed over (like the speed dating) and we were left with boring ass description after description of the food and clothes and money they were spending. YAWN.
I’m not sure that would have helped given that the entire book is full of this overly descriptive writing style that is exhausting and tedious to read. I ended up skimming 75% of this in order to finish it. We don’t need to know every single person's entire outfit, the complete construction of an apartment, and every single bellhop and server that the women tipped and how much they tipped!!
On top of that, the dialogue and characters were SO CRINGE. These 30 something women acted like teenagers one minute, and then elderly women the next! Also..no one I have ever met uses the phrase “honey pie” in normal conversation multiple times. Just. No. Ew.
Santa Cruise is really...snooze cruise, my friends. There is ZERO holiday magic in this. None. I honestly don’t know how this was published, especially for an established author. A great idea was squandered here :(
Holiday Books: https://youtu.be/nwDw1vVyBlM
I wanted to DNF this book so bad. SO BAD.
The cruise didn’t start until halfway through the book, and the first half was backstory and lazy buildup. The cruise should have started earlier and the backstories should have been integrated into the cruise storyline. I actually checked the description multiple times to make sure I was reading a holiday book about a cruise. And then when it got to the cruise, all of the fun bits were glazed over (like the speed dating) and we were left with boring ass description after description of the food and clothes and money they were spending. YAWN.
I’m not sure that would have helped given that the entire book is full of this overly descriptive writing style that is exhausting and tedious to read. I ended up skimming 75% of this in order to finish it. We don’t need to know every single person's entire outfit, the complete construction of an apartment, and every single bellhop and server that the women tipped and how much they tipped!!
On top of that, the dialogue and characters were SO CRINGE. These 30 something women acted like teenagers one minute, and then elderly women the next! Also..no one I have ever met uses the phrase “honey pie” in normal conversation multiple times. Just. No. Ew.
Santa Cruise is really...snooze cruise, my friends. There is ZERO holiday magic in this. None. I honestly don’t know how this was published, especially for an established author. A great idea was squandered here :(
Holiday Books: https://youtu.be/nwDw1vVyBlM
Read
September 27, 2021Unfortunately I could not get into this book. I’m a woman in my early 30s, like the characters in this book, and the way they spoke was just… inaccurate. Honestly I was thrown off within the first few pages just by the description of Frankie. I know that everyone is different but her accomplishments just seemed so out of reach for her age.
Frankie wanted to become a singer, so she attempted to do so after high school and it unfortunately didn’t go anywhere. So she started doing temp jobs to afford her rent, and has worked her way up (with no mention of school) to be the Vice President of a major publishing company in New York by the age of 33? I just don’t believe it. And I don’t necessarily need romance books to be totally realistic, but with the combination of that and how the characters spoke, I couldn’t get a clear picture of them in my mind because it seemed like they should be closer to 50.
Lastly, I was disappointed how late into the book the cruise actually begins. They board around 45%, which still leaves a good portion of the book left, but based on the description, I didn’t expect it to take until halfway through the book for the characters to go on the cruise.
So this wasn’t for me, but if you choose to pick it up, hopefully it will be for you!
Thank you to Kensington Books & NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!
Frankie wanted to become a singer, so she attempted to do so after high school and it unfortunately didn’t go anywhere. So she started doing temp jobs to afford her rent, and has worked her way up (with no mention of school) to be the Vice President of a major publishing company in New York by the age of 33? I just don’t believe it. And I don’t necessarily need romance books to be totally realistic, but with the combination of that and how the characters spoke, I couldn’t get a clear picture of them in my mind because it seemed like they should be closer to 50.
Lastly, I was disappointed how late into the book the cruise actually begins. They board around 45%, which still leaves a good portion of the book left, but based on the description, I didn’t expect it to take until halfway through the book for the characters to go on the cruise.
So this wasn’t for me, but if you choose to pick it up, hopefully it will be for you!
Thank you to Kensington Books & NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!
May 20, 2022
I listened to this book. I think if I had read it I would have probably skimmed a lot if it. Four high school girl friends go on a singles cruise right after Christmas. This book talks about what’s happening in each girls life and their cruise adventure. The author was at times too descriptive about things that I thought this is ridiculous but then I enjoyed most parts. The author must have taken a cruise and took perfect notes because I’ve been on many and she described it to a tee. If you have not been on a cruise and are planning on going on one, read this because this tells you specifically what these girls had to do and it was accurate! I don’t think my nieces and her friends would enjoy this since they are in their 20’s but this is age appropriate for over 50.
January 18, 2022
Upbeat story about a group of 4 friend who re-connect and decide to go on a singles cruise for the Christmas holiday. Each one is very different.
There is Rachel who has a dance studio and is a serial dater; Amy the bioengineer; Frankie, who works in the publishing industry; and Nina a Hollywood actress.
Each one needs a change in their lives and feel that getting away would give them a chance to figure out what direction to go when they each return home.
Meanwhile, there are a lot of descriptions of fun cruise activities and sights in other places to add fun to the story.
A funny, light story just right for the holiday spirit!
There is Rachel who has a dance studio and is a serial dater; Amy the bioengineer; Frankie, who works in the publishing industry; and Nina a Hollywood actress.
Each one needs a change in their lives and feel that getting away would give them a chance to figure out what direction to go when they each return home.
Meanwhile, there are a lot of descriptions of fun cruise activities and sights in other places to add fun to the story.
A funny, light story just right for the holiday spirit!
November 21, 2021
Four lifelong friends meet at their fifteenth class reunion and decide to take
A holiday cruise together. None of them are married and decide to have
Some fun and meet new people. Not everything goes as planned but they have a good time and they find new opportunities. This is a fast paced story filled
With humor, friendship, new beginnings, good times and adventures-
A different kind of holiday romance and New Year celebrations. Enjoy!
A holiday cruise together. None of them are married and decide to have
Some fun and meet new people. Not everything goes as planned but they have a good time and they find new opportunities. This is a fast paced story filled
With humor, friendship, new beginnings, good times and adventures-
A different kind of holiday romance and New Year celebrations. Enjoy!
December 28, 2021
I received this book for free from Influenster. This was a very sweet story with several characters to follow. It was like reading a Hallmark movie instead of watching it, but I appreciated the epilogue because I always wonder if the happy ending lasts.
I noticed two typos because it’s the curse I bear as a communications director. I did like the descriptions of the fashionable outfits the women wore.
I noticed two typos because it’s the curse I bear as a communications director. I did like the descriptions of the fashionable outfits the women wore.
December 4, 2021
Four best friends meet again at a reunion; each a bit exhausted from routine life schedules. They plan to take a singles cruise during the holidays together and see where it takes them. Experience life on the cruise day by day enjoying these best friends choices and meeting of crew and passengers! A fun xmas read.
October 9, 2021
This was ok. Not very Christmas-y despite the title. There was a lot of potential. Could have been a fun book but was just a little boring. And I agree with the reviews that said the characters sounded much older then they were supposed to be. I’m glad it was a library book!
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