“I think those of us who love love stories are junkies for that joyful, blissed-out feeling of anticipating the happily ever after that’s a guarantee of the genre.

All genres have their guarantees, by the way: Sleuths will solve the mystery, thrillers will save the hero in the nick of time, superheroes will vanquish the villains at last. Part of what we like about the genres we like is the anticipation of those guarantees. We like to see the mystery solved, and the hero saved, and the villains vanquished. It feels good.”
― Katherine Center, The Shippers

If you’re looking for a feel good romantic comedy with witty banter and charming side characters, try The Shippers by Katherine Center.

JoJo Burton has been bad at love her whole life, to the point where people in her life say she’s cursed and always dumps her boyfriends. Determined to prove everyone wrong, she and her sister have formulated a plan. At her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship, they plan on hooking JoJo up with her first childhood crush, who also happens to have been her first kiss. JoJo believes she has imprinted on this man, who just happens to be recently divorced and coming to her sister’s wedding. All JoJo has to do is woo this man and all her problems will be solved.

With her sister unable to help due to it being her wedding week, JoJo enlists her childhood best friend, Cooper. Their relationship is complicated, due to the fact that Cooper disappeared four years ago and ran off to London. She is beyond excited to see him again, but it’s also agony. Cooper is willing to help her with Project Conquest, but the two have unresolved issues that keep popping up the more antics they get up to. JoJo has questions she wants answers to, while Cooper is the perfect fake boyfriend, slow dancing, fake flirting, and rescuing JoJo over and over.

The Shippers by Katherine Center is an absolutely adorable, swoony, salve of a romance. The banter between characters was witty. OH and the side characters – absolutely charming. (I especially loved the quirky grandma and the black cat of a cousin).

This title is also available in large print and audiobook.