I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Ship Happens by Lauren Biel Series: The Slaycation Series #3
on August 1, 2025
Genres: Dark Romance
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Love hurts, but I like the pain
Maverick
The second I board the Bruise Cruise, I’m ready to indulge—top-shelf liquor, five-star meals, and maybe a little pain to round out the night. What I don’t expect? Falling for the one woman guaranteed to ruin everything. A federal agent. She’s here to sink us, and I’m stuck sharing a suite—and a bed—with the enemy.Frankie
Get in. Take down Jim and his crew. Get out. That’s the mission.
But nothing about the Bruise Cruise goes according to plan. Especially not Maverick—handsome, odd, aggravating . . . and weirdly charming. Which is a problem.
And then he tells me his secrets, leaving me with two options: jump ship or go down with him.Ship Happens is book three in the dark romantic comedy series rocking the TikTok charts—and this time, all aboard means no one is safe. Expect savage banter, killer humor, and a romance that’s anything but smooth sailing.
Pack your bags, grab your life vest, and book your ticket—Ship Happens is your next slaycation! One click today!
Frankie is an FBI agent sent to infiltrate a cruise ship full of serial killers on vacation. As it turns out, Frankie is the one infiltrated…by a hot young serial killer named Maverick.
Ship Happens by Lauren Biel is the third entry in the Slaycation series, and if you haven’t read the first two, Sinner’s Retreat and Slay Ride, I highly recommend you do before reading Ship Happens. Also, this review will contain minor spoilers for those books as well.
Ship Happens takes place not long after the events of Slay Ride. Jim has purchased a cruise ship, but this time, he has something a little different planned. Along with the Sinners and Catle, Jim invites the “normies” on board as well. Joining our usual suspects, Ezra, Kindra, Bennett, and Cat, this time around are Maverick and Frankie, who are the main focus of this book. Frankie is the newcomer to the series, and despite the reverse gap, she and Maverick take an instant liking to each other. Maverick also knows about Frankie’s secret, and thankfully, he does everything he can to protect her.
I really enjoyed Ship Happens’ plot and liked the fact that Biel raised the stakes a bit higher compared to the first two entries in the series. There were points in the story where the tension increased, and I was biting my nails and other parts when I was literally laughing out loud. I never got bored or felt like skimming over parts to get to the next plot point. The driving force behind this roller coaster is the three-dimensional characters Lauren created.
The characters breathe so much life into the story. Maverick is a young man in his twenties, and you really get that from the way he’s written. Frankie is a mature woman of thirty-eight, and the banter between her and Maverick makes this reverse age gap so believable. The characters are diverse, and each one feels like their own person with their own personalities. Biel managed to build this living, breathing world that you live in while reading. What I loved most about Frankie and Maverick is the chemistry between them. Whether they’re joking with each other (shout out to Chester Copperpot) or getting hot’n’heavy with the champagne, they really drive this story forward.
There isn’t much to dislike about Ship Happens, or the other books, for that matter. This is one of my favorite book series, and I see it just getting better. Lauren leaves us with a hint at the end as to what Jim has cooked up for the next book, and I can’t wait! Speaking of the ending, this is where readers will either like or dislike it. For me, it was cute, cheesy, and kind of like a Scooby-Doo moment. I can’t say more than that without spoiling anything. So the question is, should you read Ship Happens, and the answer is a resounding, “YES!”
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