The Shippers by Katherine Center
The Shippers by Katherine Center is a new Summer Romance for 2026 which is also a Wedding Romance! The book features romantic hijinks aboard a cruise ship and a cat and dog couple (she’s dramatic and extra, he’s sweet and good natured.)
The Shippers by Katherine Center
I’ve read two Katherine Center books (Things You Save in a Fire, which I loved, and What You Wish For, which did not work for me. To be fair, it’s her lowest rated book.) So I was curious to see what I’d think of The Shippers.
I was drawn to try The Shippers by the 1) cruise ship wedding premise and 2) the fake dating. I got that plus a Runaway Bride moment! On the down side, I also got a diss of Rocky Road ice cream, which really hurt my feelings (that and mint chip are CLEARLY the top ice creams. If you disagree, please argue your case in the comments!)
What’s the book about? Main character Jojo’s sister Ashley (the happy bride to be) decides that, after abandoning her partner of four years at the altar, Jojo needs to fix her bad romance juju. She’s not wrong about this!
Ashley’s other theory? That Jojo is clearly fixated on Finn, the guy with whom Jojo shared her first kiss at age ten. Since First Kiss Guy (Finn) is coming to Ashley wedding, Jojo gets her old friend Cooper to come and support her as she gets Finn to fall in love with her.
Review of The Shippers by Katherine Center
Let’s discuss the elephant on this cruise ship: Jojo. She’s a LOT. Super dramatic, with some manic energy as well. Some readers thought that despite her math genius, her behavior was deeply immature, even annoying at times. Also, oblivious. And I cannot disagree. She wasn’t the high point of the book for me, but didn’t ruin it for me either.
Cooper, Jojo’s childhood best friend, was a gabardine vest wearing Golden Retriever. (No, not literally. He’s a guy who wears vests.) Patient and sweet, he’s the perfect person to balance out Jojo’s manic energy.
Watching the two of them bumble around the cruise ship, bantering about unicorn underpants (literal) and how to correctly give someone a hickey, was extremely entertaining. And the resolution was surprisingly sweet. Yes, I’m shipping this happy couple!
The Shippers by Katherine Center had:
- A chaotic romantic comedy vibe
- A lot of comic banter (very dialogue heavy as well)
- A somewhat divisive main character
- A cruise ship wedding (though not a major plot point)
- Closed door romance (The Shippers is romantic, but low spice!)
- Publication date: May 19 2026 by St Martins Press. Thanks so much to them for the advance review copy.
The Shippers is perfect for:
- Fans of classic 90s rom coms like The Runaway Bride or My Best Friend’s Wedding
- Readers who don’t mind a main character who is a little bit extra.
Want more summer romance?
Quizzes and Summer Romance Reading Guide!
- My Master Summer Romance 2026 Post – all the summer books in one place!
- My Find Your Summer Adventure quiz!
- Grab My Summer Romance Reading Guide with a checklist of ALL the summer romances I could find, plus a bingo card, a coloring reading tracker and more!
The Shippers is also part of my list of Romance Books With Weddings, so check that post out if you love books featuring weddings, as it has some great options for your summer reading!
