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Star Shipped
Cat Sebastian’s long-awaited foray into contemporary romance! A witty, emotional, and deliciously slow burn enemies-to-lovers romance between two costars on a popular sci-fi television series.
Simon and Charlie, actors on a long-running sci-fi show, can’t stand one another. Charlie is impetuous, outgoing, and basically feral, and Simon thinks he should have stayed in reality television where he belongs. They’ve spent the better part of a decade quarreling over the spotlight and pretty much everything else, and everybody in the industry knows it. Now that Simon’s contract is finally done, he can move to New York, start fresh with work he actually likes, and get away from Charlie.
Simon’s only problem is that people might assume he’s been pushed off the show due to being impossible to work with. And he is kind of difficult to work with. He doesn’t get along with people—unlike Charlie, who somehow tricked everyone on the show into adoring him despite some outrageously bad on-set behavior during the show’s first season. Simon would rather never have to see Charlie again, but reluctantly agrees to stage a very public friendship during the short time before he moves. When Charlie has to leave town to deal with a family emergency, this means Simon comes along. Their road trip brings Simon to places he would never have willingly chosen to visit—and he finds he’s actually not having a terrible time.
The more he gets to know Charlie, the more Simon suspects he’s underestimated his former coworker. Simon also realizes that after seven years, Charlie might know him better than anyone ever has. Even stranger, Charlie seems to be starting to actually like him, despite knowing him so well. Still, Simon is about to move three thousand miles away, so whatever’s starting between him and Charlie can’t really amount to anything... right?
Tropes:
Enemies to Lovers
Opposites Attract
Forced Proximity
Slow Burn
Simon and Charlie, actors on a long-running sci-fi show, can’t stand one another. Charlie is impetuous, outgoing, and basically feral, and Simon thinks he should have stayed in reality television where he belongs. They’ve spent the better part of a decade quarreling over the spotlight and pretty much everything else, and everybody in the industry knows it. Now that Simon’s contract is finally done, he can move to New York, start fresh with work he actually likes, and get away from Charlie.
Simon’s only problem is that people might assume he’s been pushed off the show due to being impossible to work with. And he is kind of difficult to work with. He doesn’t get along with people—unlike Charlie, who somehow tricked everyone on the show into adoring him despite some outrageously bad on-set behavior during the show’s first season. Simon would rather never have to see Charlie again, but reluctantly agrees to stage a very public friendship during the short time before he moves. When Charlie has to leave town to deal with a family emergency, this means Simon comes along. Their road trip brings Simon to places he would never have willingly chosen to visit—and he finds he’s actually not having a terrible time.
The more he gets to know Charlie, the more Simon suspects he’s underestimated his former coworker. Simon also realizes that after seven years, Charlie might know him better than anyone ever has. Even stranger, Charlie seems to be starting to actually like him, despite knowing him so well. Still, Simon is about to move three thousand miles away, so whatever’s starting between him and Charlie can’t really amount to anything... right?
Tropes:
Enemies to Lovers
Opposites Attract
Forced Proximity
Slow Burn
384 pages, Paperback
First published March 3, 2026
493 people are currently reading
16942 people want to read
About the author
Cat Sebastian
27 books5,413 followersCat Sebastian has written sixteen queer historical romances. Cat’s books have received starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist.
Before writing, Cat was a lawyer and a teacher and did a variety of other jobs she liked much less than she enjoys writing happy endings for queer people. She was born in New Jersey and lived in New York and Arizona before settling down in a swampy part of south. When she isn’t writing, she’s probably reading, having one-sided conversations with her dog, or doing the crossword puzzle.
The best way to keep up with Cat’s projects is to subscribe to her newsletter.
Before writing, Cat was a lawyer and a teacher and did a variety of other jobs she liked much less than she enjoys writing happy endings for queer people. She was born in New Jersey and lived in New York and Arizona before settling down in a swampy part of south. When she isn’t writing, she’s probably reading, having one-sided conversations with her dog, or doing the crossword puzzle.
The best way to keep up with Cat’s projects is to subscribe to her newsletter.
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 978 reviews
March 3, 2026
Look. I’m a really nosy person. I love knowing people’s business, and if an entire book is me being a fly on the wall of someone’s apartment while he slowly figures out that he thinks his co-worker of several years is hot and nice and maybe not quite so much of a himbo as previously thought (still a himbo but, like, a Himbo Lite with an extra serving of childhood trauma), well then that’s the book for me. There’s little plot in this — Cat Sebastian specializes in a sort of slice-of-life/dummies-falling-in-love mashup — but don’t let that turn you off, you snobs: the characters are rich and complex, and there’s a little diva dog named Edie. This is Sebastian’s first contemporary novel after, I don’t know, four thousand historicals, and it was oddly familiar but refreshing to read her very distinct voice discussing Discord and TikTok, a sort of comforting narrator through these unpleasant times we find ourselves in. A dedicated hater of all things space-related, even I was able to enjoy the conversations the characters had around their show, described as Twin Peaks in space (dreadful), a testament to CS’s addictively charming writing. Maybe someday she’ll publish something I don’t love to death, but I doubt it.
September 6, 2025
Without a doubt, one of my top romances of the year. Absolutely phenomenal.
March 19, 2026
Such an amazing story with absolutely wonderful characters. I honestly can't say who I loved more – Simon, Charlie or Jamie. Or Edie, the dog.
Excellent representation of mental health, complex and well-developed characters, the dynamic and the relationships between the characters beautifully done. A good balance between being funny and heavy. I loved the found family aspect of the story and all the sci-fi references.
Is Jamie getting his own book? I really hope he does, I'd love that.
My first read from this author, because she finally wrote a contemporary. 😊 Love her writing style.
Also, I wanted to listen to this book on audio but, sadly for me, it's narrated by Joel Leslie. I couldn't finish the sample.
Excellent representation of mental health, complex and well-developed characters, the dynamic and the relationships between the characters beautifully done. A good balance between being funny and heavy. I loved the found family aspect of the story and all the sci-fi references.
Is Jamie getting his own book? I really hope he does, I'd love that.
My first read from this author, because she finally wrote a contemporary. 😊 Love her writing style.
Also, I wanted to listen to this book on audio but, sadly for me, it's narrated by Joel Leslie. I couldn't finish the sample.
December 28, 2025
4.5 stars. Containing Cat Sebastian’s signature tenderness and queer sensibility but this time in a contemporary, cinematic setting, Star Shipped is yet another excellent queer romance worthy of a silver screen.
December 15, 2025
It took me a while to get used to the writing, it isn't as flowy as what I'm used to in romance books, but once I got past that start I ate it up.
This was my first Cat Sebastian book, hence the first part about how I'm not used to her writing. I'm not a fan of historical books, but this is contemporary so I thought I'd give it a try and I was pleasantly surprised.
We follow Charlie, an actor in a tv series, and his co-star of seven years, Simon. Charlie has severe anxiety and mild OCD, and that's a big part of the plot which I loved. The author handled the feeling of having limitations and being at war with yourself because you don't want other people to have to go out of their way for you beautifully.
The way Charlie accepts Simon for who he is, accommodating to make things better for him, it's so sweet I could cry(I actually did cry a few times). Don't go in expecting a lot of smut, this is not it. Star Shipped is mainly a book about finding your people and accepting yourself. I love how the characters are a little older, showing you don't have everything figured out once you hit 30, it's a constant journey.
I really liked Star Shipped, I might even try her other books.
Thank you Netgalley and Avon Books for the ARC!
This was my first Cat Sebastian book, hence the first part about how I'm not used to her writing. I'm not a fan of historical books, but this is contemporary so I thought I'd give it a try and I was pleasantly surprised.
We follow Charlie, an actor in a tv series, and his co-star of seven years, Simon. Charlie has severe anxiety and mild OCD, and that's a big part of the plot which I loved. The author handled the feeling of having limitations and being at war with yourself because you don't want other people to have to go out of their way for you beautifully.
The way Charlie accepts Simon for who he is, accommodating to make things better for him, it's so sweet I could cry(I actually did cry a few times). Don't go in expecting a lot of smut, this is not it. Star Shipped is mainly a book about finding your people and accepting yourself. I love how the characters are a little older, showing you don't have everything figured out once you hit 30, it's a constant journey.
I really liked Star Shipped, I might even try her other books.
Thank you Netgalley and Avon Books for the ARC!
Want to read
November 18, 2024Cat Sebastian could write a 60k worth of grocery list and i’d still want to read it.
March 20, 2026
2.75 stars
So I obviously knew this would be different from her other romances with the switch to a modern day setting. I was excited about that because I think Cat Sebastian is a great author, and I was sure she could pull this off. Now though? I’m not so sure anymore.
Because this kind of fell flat for me. Nothing happened, it was boring in a way that her other books weren’t even though they are also low on actual plot outside the romance. I didn’t like the main character. And the way this was written was just not for me, the pacing felt kind of choppy with very different vibes than her other books.
But let’s start at the beginning.
While the idea of two TV stars who dislike each other but then decide to fake a friendship to gain more popularity for potential future projects might not be exactly up my alley (because of the TV show aspect), it had enemies to lovers written all over it and that’s what I’m here for. But it's not really what I got.
And that’s because there was no real tension (or chemistry) to be found between them. There was no enemies to lovers’ element to this story.
Yes, they seemingly disliked each other at the start of the book, for a brief moment. But they’ve already known each other for 7 years. They already know the other person, and they’ve basically already fallen in love with each other. One of them just hasn’t realised it yet and the other hasn’t allowed himself to act on his feelings because he thinks it wouldn’t be a good idea with them being coworkers and all. So like neither of them really even disliked the other at that point.
That’s one thing that bothered me. The other was that the further I got, the more it turned into something that felt more like a character study of Simon and less like a romance between Simon and Charlie.
The story is told from Simons POV, so ofc he’s the character that you know most of. After all you’re in his head throughout the story. That’s fine, that’s expected. But there was so much Simon in here that I barely got to know Charlie at all. He remained bland, vague and underdeveloped. He never turned into a fully fleshed out main character. Which is a problem because a good romance needs two strong main characters.
And aside from that, Simon wasn’t easy to like. I get that he wasn’t exactly supposed to be likeable, that he was a complex and difficult character who struggled with so much. All of that was portrayed in a great way, very realistic and with care. I felt for him and I understood how challenging everything was for him. But at the end of the day, he just wasn’t a pleasant character to read about for me. And I’m fine with difficult characters, but I have to at least like them somewhat when I read a romance. Otherwise, I won’t be rooting for them, and what’s even the point then?
__
March 2026 can’t come soon enough ✨🙏
So I obviously knew this would be different from her other romances with the switch to a modern day setting. I was excited about that because I think Cat Sebastian is a great author, and I was sure she could pull this off. Now though? I’m not so sure anymore.
Because this kind of fell flat for me. Nothing happened, it was boring in a way that her other books weren’t even though they are also low on actual plot outside the romance. I didn’t like the main character. And the way this was written was just not for me, the pacing felt kind of choppy with very different vibes than her other books.
But let’s start at the beginning.
While the idea of two TV stars who dislike each other but then decide to fake a friendship to gain more popularity for potential future projects might not be exactly up my alley (because of the TV show aspect), it had enemies to lovers written all over it and that’s what I’m here for. But it's not really what I got.
And that’s because there was no real tension (or chemistry) to be found between them. There was no enemies to lovers’ element to this story.
Yes, they seemingly disliked each other at the start of the book, for a brief moment. But they’ve already known each other for 7 years. They already know the other person, and they’ve basically already fallen in love with each other. One of them just hasn’t realised it yet and the other hasn’t allowed himself to act on his feelings because he thinks it wouldn’t be a good idea with them being coworkers and all. So like neither of them really even disliked the other at that point.
That’s one thing that bothered me. The other was that the further I got, the more it turned into something that felt more like a character study of Simon and less like a romance between Simon and Charlie.
The story is told from Simons POV, so ofc he’s the character that you know most of. After all you’re in his head throughout the story. That’s fine, that’s expected. But there was so much Simon in here that I barely got to know Charlie at all. He remained bland, vague and underdeveloped. He never turned into a fully fleshed out main character. Which is a problem because a good romance needs two strong main characters.
And aside from that, Simon wasn’t easy to like. I get that he wasn’t exactly supposed to be likeable, that he was a complex and difficult character who struggled with so much. All of that was portrayed in a great way, very realistic and with care. I felt for him and I understood how challenging everything was for him. But at the end of the day, he just wasn’t a pleasant character to read about for me. And I’m fine with difficult characters, but I have to at least like them somewhat when I read a romance. Otherwise, I won’t be rooting for them, and what’s even the point then?
__
March 2026 can’t come soon enough ✨🙏
March 4, 2026
Loved how quickly Simon went from believing he hates Charlie to eagerly standing by to push Dave into traffic should he dare not hug Charlie back.
One of the rare instances where I love both MCs. Simon's not everyone's cup of tea(or so he thinks, what with the anxiety and mild OCD) so he stays away from people before they can stay away from him. Very snarky, too, but sweet, if you can read between the lines.
I love how into him Charlie is. Just seems to really enjoy being around him, even when Simon's sharp tongue is pointed at him. Makes it even cuter that he can match him snark for snark.
Simon hates that he needs accommodations and doesn't want to make them anyone else's concern. Right from the jump (and in many ways that we discover later) Charlie WANTS to be concerned. He wants Simon to be comfortable.
So what if he needs to place the mugs with the handles facing four o'clock? So what if he has to walk a few minutes to his home after driving Simon home because he knows Simon hates driving?
That's just being nice, you say? Well then, so what if he has to buy a first class ticket for Simon's dog and fly it from one coast to another just because he thinks Simon misses the dog?
He's headed that way, anyway. 💀
Their banter is my favorite part of this.
"You're so fucking petty."
"Only to you."
My personal favorite love language 🥰
And their first sex scene is the stuff of legend. By then, they clearly both like each other but are not yet comfortable in it. They want it to be good for the other, but that requires communication and that's not their thing.
"No, really. How do you like it?"
"I told you. Very vanilla."
Yesssssss finally an MC who doesn't want to prick the other's dick and lick the blood(yes, C. P. Harris, I still remember and I still haven't forgiven you).
"Just tell me where, in an ideal world, my dick is in all of this. I feel like you're telling me you wanna get fucked but I literally do not know because you're being such a weirdo."
So valid. They're asking him how he wants it and he's all, "ionno. Nice."
Then....
"I mean, I could fuck you. Like if you really wanted me to. In an emergency situation."
"You'd fuck me to save my life?"
"Yes, exactly. You're welcome."
I'm so amused that this man knows exactly what he wants BUT he's unable to express it in any coherent way.
Good thing Charlie is a mind reader.
"You said you'd do it the other way. To save my life. What do you need? A doctor's note? A prescription?"
"A court order. A petition with 10,000 signatures."
😂 Man said yeah, I can be vers once in a while for you, as a treat, but it won't be easy and the requirements would be so stringent that you'd just give up and fuck me.
Still, though. I like how clear about wanting it nice and vanilla Simon was(well,as clear as Simon can be about anything). No gymnastics necessary. I don't want to be mean to you. I also don't want you to be mean to me.
I also love how adorably flustered he was that Charlie figured it out, that he wanted to lie there and be taken care of.
More than anything, I love how they both think they're too much, but they're just the right kind of extra for each other.
Charlie thinks he's needy?
Simon thinks he's a global market leader in nuclear grade neediness.
Simon doesn't want Charlie to go back to his place? Great. Charlie looks like he'd love to be locked up in a 'codependence basement'.
Also, Simon is always in his head about everything but he's somehow able to tell when Charlie needs to be in his head about stuff, too, and in those instances he's able to be the solid one, so Charlie can spiral.
Shocked me as much as it did Charlie.
"How are you being calm right now? Not being calm is like your whole thing!"
And yes, usually I love when MCs can just be direct about what they're feeling and what they want but I found it unbelievably adorable that these two were just so into each other and so incapable of just SAYING it that they found increasingly convoluted ways to say it to each other(without actually saying it, and while maintaining plausible deniability in case the other wasn't on board).
Spoiler alert: the other was always on board. And even better, it seemed obvious to everyone around them even before it became obvious to them.
Want to come back to my place instead of yours because I'm sure there's no groceries at yours and I'm sure you must be hungry aaaaaand there's coffee and donuts at mine?
Mind you they'd just returned from what was basically a week away together.
Also loved how they eventually got to a place where they kind of suspected they knew how the other felt, but it hadn't yet been said, so whenever they wanted more, instead of getting mad when the other didn't offer it, they'd just keep the conversation going and offer alternative ideas until the other finally understood what they were angling for.
So you have multiple conversations along this vein.
Do you want to take the dog with you?
No. Why? Do you have something else to do? I shouldn't have assumed you'd babysit it.
I don't have anything else to do. Just, I know having him around makes you happy. Maybe I'll go to the gym.
Oh. Okay.
But maybe I could just come along. With you.
Why would you want to do that?
Um.
Actually, I think my family would really like you. If you'd like to come.
Okay. Guess I'll come with you then.
Chaotic but effective communication. Growth💀.
This was sweet. Had me giggling and kicking my feet.
Minus half a star because the ending felt so abrupt and idk if that was just me wanting more of them, but also.....Joel Leslie(ugh).
To anyone else that suffers from my affliction ie a Joel Leslie intolerance, he's not so bad at 1.5x speed. Still bad. But not SO bad.
Also that one instance of one MC hitting on the other's best friend. I'm totally being a hypocrite on that front because I love cheating AND this wasn't even that because nothing had started between the two MCs by then, but also by the end it's clear that specific MC had a thing for the other MC all along so him hitting on his best friend of all people rubbed me the wrong way(even though the other MC saw it in real time and was not bothered by it in the least—again, because technically there was nothing between them by that point).
Alas. GR doesn't let us dock half a star. But 4.5 for me.
One of the rare instances where I love both MCs. Simon's not everyone's cup of tea(or so he thinks, what with the anxiety and mild OCD) so he stays away from people before they can stay away from him. Very snarky, too, but sweet, if you can read between the lines.
I love how into him Charlie is. Just seems to really enjoy being around him, even when Simon's sharp tongue is pointed at him. Makes it even cuter that he can match him snark for snark.
Simon hates that he needs accommodations and doesn't want to make them anyone else's concern. Right from the jump (and in many ways that we discover later) Charlie WANTS to be concerned. He wants Simon to be comfortable.
So what if he needs to place the mugs with the handles facing four o'clock? So what if he has to walk a few minutes to his home after driving Simon home because he knows Simon hates driving?
That's just being nice, you say? Well then, so what if he has to buy a first class ticket for Simon's dog and fly it from one coast to another just because he thinks Simon misses the dog?
He's headed that way, anyway. 💀
Their banter is my favorite part of this.
"You're so fucking petty."
"Only to you."
My personal favorite love language 🥰
And their first sex scene is the stuff of legend. By then, they clearly both like each other but are not yet comfortable in it. They want it to be good for the other, but that requires communication and that's not their thing.
"No, really. How do you like it?"
"I told you. Very vanilla."
Yesssssss finally an MC who doesn't want to prick the other's dick and lick the blood(yes, C. P. Harris, I still remember and I still haven't forgiven you).
"Just tell me where, in an ideal world, my dick is in all of this. I feel like you're telling me you wanna get fucked but I literally do not know because you're being such a weirdo."
So valid. They're asking him how he wants it and he's all, "ionno. Nice."
Then....
"I mean, I could fuck you. Like if you really wanted me to. In an emergency situation."
"You'd fuck me to save my life?"
"Yes, exactly. You're welcome."
I'm so amused that this man knows exactly what he wants BUT he's unable to express it in any coherent way.
Good thing Charlie is a mind reader.
"You said you'd do it the other way. To save my life. What do you need? A doctor's note? A prescription?"
"A court order. A petition with 10,000 signatures."
😂 Man said yeah, I can be vers once in a while for you, as a treat, but it won't be easy and the requirements would be so stringent that you'd just give up and fuck me.
Still, though. I like how clear about wanting it nice and vanilla Simon was(well,as clear as Simon can be about anything). No gymnastics necessary. I don't want to be mean to you. I also don't want you to be mean to me.
I also love how adorably flustered he was that Charlie figured it out, that he wanted to lie there and be taken care of.
More than anything, I love how they both think they're too much, but they're just the right kind of extra for each other.
Charlie thinks he's needy?
Simon thinks he's a global market leader in nuclear grade neediness.
Simon doesn't want Charlie to go back to his place? Great. Charlie looks like he'd love to be locked up in a 'codependence basement'.
Also, Simon is always in his head about everything but he's somehow able to tell when Charlie needs to be in his head about stuff, too, and in those instances he's able to be the solid one, so Charlie can spiral.
Shocked me as much as it did Charlie.
"How are you being calm right now? Not being calm is like your whole thing!"
And yes, usually I love when MCs can just be direct about what they're feeling and what they want but I found it unbelievably adorable that these two were just so into each other and so incapable of just SAYING it that they found increasingly convoluted ways to say it to each other(without actually saying it, and while maintaining plausible deniability in case the other wasn't on board).
Spoiler alert: the other was always on board. And even better, it seemed obvious to everyone around them even before it became obvious to them.
Want to come back to my place instead of yours because I'm sure there's no groceries at yours and I'm sure you must be hungry aaaaaand there's coffee and donuts at mine?
Mind you they'd just returned from what was basically a week away together.
Also loved how they eventually got to a place where they kind of suspected they knew how the other felt, but it hadn't yet been said, so whenever they wanted more, instead of getting mad when the other didn't offer it, they'd just keep the conversation going and offer alternative ideas until the other finally understood what they were angling for.
So you have multiple conversations along this vein.
Do you want to take the dog with you?
No. Why? Do you have something else to do? I shouldn't have assumed you'd babysit it.
I don't have anything else to do. Just, I know having him around makes you happy. Maybe I'll go to the gym.
Oh. Okay.
But maybe I could just come along. With you.
Why would you want to do that?
Um.
Actually, I think my family would really like you. If you'd like to come.
Okay. Guess I'll come with you then.
Chaotic but effective communication. Growth💀.
This was sweet. Had me giggling and kicking my feet.
Minus half a star because the ending felt so abrupt and idk if that was just me wanting more of them, but also.....Joel Leslie(ugh).
To anyone else that suffers from my affliction ie a Joel Leslie intolerance, he's not so bad at 1.5x speed. Still bad. But not SO bad.
Also that one instance of one MC hitting on the other's best friend. I'm totally being a hypocrite on that front because I love cheating AND this wasn't even that because nothing had started between the two MCs by then, but also by the end it's clear that specific MC had a thing for the other MC all along so him hitting on his best friend of all people rubbed me the wrong way(even though the other MC saw it in real time and was not bothered by it in the least—again, because technically there was nothing between them by that point).
Alas. GR doesn't let us dock half a star. But 4.5 for me.
March 20, 2026
**** 4.5 Stars ****
What a gorgeous read!!!!😍
What a gorgeous read!!!!😍
March 7, 2026
Wow, this book was everything. It could have been 1000 more pages without much happening and I’d happily devoured every one of them.
Straight to the favourites shelf!
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Straight to the favourites shelf!
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
March 10, 2026
made me laugh out loud but lacked chemistry? i had an alright time 🧚🏼🧚🏼🧚🏼
thank you to edelweiss for the arc!
thank you to edelweiss for the arc!
March 20, 2026
before reading: this is the Cat Sebastian book i never knew i always wanted
after reading: ↑ what she said
after reading: ↑ what she said
October 6, 2025
Rating: 4.25
"You are a mess. A disaster. And that fact is so special to me.”
Star Shipped (OUT MARCH 3, 2026) is Cat Sebastian's first contemporary novel and it's what you get when you take all her Cabot books and mix them with Star Trek RPF. In other words: this book is delightful and laugh-out-loud funny with emotions that hit you straight in the gut. The MCs costar in a long-running sci-fi show and there's plenty of fantastic banter as their relationship evolves from mutual dislike to romance.
"I’m trying to be nice,” Simon complains.
“You’re so bad at it. Have you ever tried before? Is this your first time? Should I be flattered?” Somehow, Charlie’s managing to sound mean and hurt and fake-flirty all at once.
The characters are Going Through It, Simon more so than Charlie, and the book does a great job getting into the mind of someone who feels in a place of unbelonging in the world and who often struggles to get through the day without a minor breakdown or two.
These guys are both dealing with a lot and they both remain disaster gremlins with emotional constipation throughout. Just a little less so with each other as time goes on and they start to build something between them ❤️
"I can’t fake normal right now.”
That’s so uncomfortably relatable that Simon’s at a loss about what to say.
As someone who grew up in fandom, Star Shipped felt perfectly aligned with my interests in so many ways. I've literally been part of fandom discussions like the Discord messages in the book 😂
I was snort-laughing while reading and also wincing from being perceived (so rude!) and I almost felt like Simon was too relatable at time 😅
That said, the pacing was a bit off for me and the ending didn't quite feel complete. There were also some things regarding Simon's mental health and diagnoses that I wasn't fully satisfied with and while I adored the romance, I wanted more of it heh.
"I don’t want to ruin this,” he says in a rush. “Don’t let me ruin it.”
Overall though, this was a fantastic book! Cat Sebastian remains my favourite author and regardless of whichever genre her next book is, I'll be getting my grubby little hands on it because I just adore her writing so much.
Thanks to Avon for the ARC
"You are a mess. A disaster. And that fact is so special to me.”
Star Shipped (OUT MARCH 3, 2026) is Cat Sebastian's first contemporary novel and it's what you get when you take all her Cabot books and mix them with Star Trek RPF. In other words: this book is delightful and laugh-out-loud funny with emotions that hit you straight in the gut. The MCs costar in a long-running sci-fi show and there's plenty of fantastic banter as their relationship evolves from mutual dislike to romance.
"I’m trying to be nice,” Simon complains.
“You’re so bad at it. Have you ever tried before? Is this your first time? Should I be flattered?” Somehow, Charlie’s managing to sound mean and hurt and fake-flirty all at once.
The characters are Going Through It, Simon more so than Charlie, and the book does a great job getting into the mind of someone who feels in a place of unbelonging in the world and who often struggles to get through the day without a minor breakdown or two.
These guys are both dealing with a lot and they both remain disaster gremlins with emotional constipation throughout. Just a little less so with each other as time goes on and they start to build something between them ❤️
"I can’t fake normal right now.”
That’s so uncomfortably relatable that Simon’s at a loss about what to say.
As someone who grew up in fandom, Star Shipped felt perfectly aligned with my interests in so many ways. I've literally been part of fandom discussions like the Discord messages in the book 😂
I was snort-laughing while reading and also wincing from being perceived (so rude!) and I almost felt like Simon was too relatable at time 😅
That said, the pacing was a bit off for me and the ending didn't quite feel complete. There were also some things regarding Simon's mental health and diagnoses that I wasn't fully satisfied with and while I adored the romance, I wanted more of it heh.
"I don’t want to ruin this,” he says in a rush. “Don’t let me ruin it.”
Overall though, this was a fantastic book! Cat Sebastian remains my favourite author and regardless of whichever genre her next book is, I'll be getting my grubby little hands on it because I just adore her writing so much.
Thanks to Avon for the ARC
March 10, 2026
Feuding co-stars, Simon and Charlie, don't have much reason to be around each other outside of filming. However, when Simon informs Charlie that he is not returning for another season of their show, the two agree to fake a friendship so their years of animosity don't make it into the tabloids. This was such a sweet and emotional read! I loved the OCD and chronic illness representation and how it helped shape Simon and Charlie's relationship as they got to know one another. The two had this perfect push and pull banter and so much chemistry. They were just so protective of themselves and one another, and it was lovely to see how that protection evolved into them being able to be vulnerable as they became more comfortable with each other. Their slow burn romance unfolded so delicately and was layered in so many tender moments and all the caretaking scenes one could want. This was such a beautifully heartfelt and evocative read, I cannot recommend it enough!
~Many thanks to Avon for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
~Many thanks to Avon for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I'm not ashamed to say I went to the publisher with my heart on my sleeve and all but begged them to take mercy on my pending NetGalley request — which they were lovely enough to do. I just wish I had a more effusive review to give them in return for their kindness.
As a longtime Sebastian fan (though, admittedly, moreso for the earlier releases..), I was pretty psyched to see a contemporary novel being offered up to the masses. The fact that it was a hate to love set around feuding or at least bickering longtime costars, and on a sci-fi show no less, well. I was seated. But unfortunately, despite the concept and some of the early banter, I just didn't feel this one stuck the landing. And unfortunately I think that's mainly because of Simon's character and the fact that his perspective colours everything. I'm not usually (ever?) mad to be given more layers or realism to a character but I definitely feel his struggles with anxiety and OCD and migraines ended up being too much of a focal point.
Like, don't get me wrong it makes sense, and I felt it was done with care, but it took up space that I felt could've been used to insert more on-set shenanigans. Or given to that slow unfurling of the early stages of their road trip — by the way, this was the flimsiest excuse for the forced proximity ever but honestly I wasn't mad about it. It's just funny — and also just more Charlie-centric page time in general. Despite some of his drama being the reason a lot of this relationship evolution even happened, I feel like there was a lot more to unpack with him and we didn't get as much acknowledgement or attention from Simon's perspective in support of that vs Charlie doing a lot of work to acknowledge and adapt to whatever Simon needed. I don't know, it just felt offbalance.
This ended up being incredibly low stakes considering the potential impact to their show, and their careers, which in some ways is a nice change of pace, but ultimately it then resulted in just waiting for them to both get out of their own way and be happy. It's very introspective and mental-health positive but this isn't exactly what I thought I was signing up for based on the pitch. But they were cute, I guess? Even if, after all that build up, the burner on their chemistry was set to low.
Despite not getting what I wanted out of this, if you're looking for some easy light reading, where nothing bad happens and — other than navigating Simon's headspace — there's nothing too stressful to encounter, you'll probably enjoy this slowburn set in a safe queer space.
2.5 stars
** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
As a longtime Sebastian fan (though, admittedly, moreso for the earlier releases..), I was pretty psyched to see a contemporary novel being offered up to the masses. The fact that it was a hate to love set around feuding or at least bickering longtime costars, and on a sci-fi show no less, well. I was seated. But unfortunately, despite the concept and some of the early banter, I just didn't feel this one stuck the landing. And unfortunately I think that's mainly because of Simon's character and the fact that his perspective colours everything. I'm not usually (ever?) mad to be given more layers or realism to a character but I definitely feel his struggles with anxiety and OCD and migraines ended up being too much of a focal point.
Like, don't get me wrong it makes sense, and I felt it was done with care, but it took up space that I felt could've been used to insert more on-set shenanigans. Or given to that slow unfurling of the early stages of their road trip — by the way, this was the flimsiest excuse for the forced proximity ever but honestly I wasn't mad about it. It's just funny — and also just more Charlie-centric page time in general. Despite some of his drama being the reason a lot of this relationship evolution even happened, I feel like there was a lot more to unpack with him and we didn't get as much acknowledgement or attention from Simon's perspective in support of that vs Charlie doing a lot of work to acknowledge and adapt to whatever Simon needed. I don't know, it just felt offbalance.
This ended up being incredibly low stakes considering the potential impact to their show, and their careers, which in some ways is a nice change of pace, but ultimately it then resulted in just waiting for them to both get out of their own way and be happy. It's very introspective and mental-health positive but this isn't exactly what I thought I was signing up for based on the pitch. But they were cute, I guess? Even if, after all that build up, the burner on their chemistry was set to low.
Despite not getting what I wanted out of this, if you're looking for some easy light reading, where nothing bad happens and — other than navigating Simon's headspace — there's nothing too stressful to encounter, you'll probably enjoy this slowburn set in a safe queer space.
2.5 stars
** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
March 12, 2026
I think I need to read this one again before I truly review it…
In the author’s note at the end Sebastian writes:
This is probably a good place to point out that Simon’s experience with anxiety and migraines isn’t meant to be universal or exemplary; he’s a work in progress, like most of us.
But here’s the thing, Simon’s social anxiety, obsessive compulsiveness and his isolation resonated so deeply, this book kind of wrecked me. Over and over, I kept tearing up and having to step away because it hurt how much I felt his emotional pain. As for the migraines, while I also get migraines and cluster headaches, mine are different but that aspect of his character also deeply resonated.
In any case, I LOVED this book but I need some distance from the way it wrecked me with its resonance before I can write a thoughtful review.
Borrowed both the ebook and the audiobook from the library and have already purchased the ebook. Sadly, the audiobook is narrated by Joel Leslie and I just don’t enjoy his style or voice. I tried, but I didn’t last more than a minute.
For the moment, 4.5 stars 💛
In the author’s note at the end Sebastian writes:
This is probably a good place to point out that Simon’s experience with anxiety and migraines isn’t meant to be universal or exemplary; he’s a work in progress, like most of us.
But here’s the thing, Simon’s social anxiety, obsessive compulsiveness and his isolation resonated so deeply, this book kind of wrecked me. Over and over, I kept tearing up and having to step away because it hurt how much I felt his emotional pain. As for the migraines, while I also get migraines and cluster headaches, mine are different but that aspect of his character also deeply resonated.
In any case, I LOVED this book but I need some distance from the way it wrecked me with its resonance before I can write a thoughtful review.
Borrowed both the ebook and the audiobook from the library and have already purchased the ebook. Sadly, the audiobook is narrated by Joel Leslie and I just don’t enjoy his style or voice. I tried, but I didn’t last more than a minute.
For the moment, 4.5 stars 💛
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.5 / 5 Stars
I just found a new auto-read author. I am obsessed with Cat Sebastian’s writing and I loved this book. Simon and Charlie star in a space TV show and they cannot stand each other. They have bickered and fought for seven years, but when Simon needs some good publicity so that people don’t think he’s difficult to work with (even though he is kind of difficult), he and Charlie agree to a public friendship. And after seven years, they might know each other better than they want to admit and maybe there is a hint of something there.
You will probably like this book if you like:
🎬 Queer romance (M/M) about feuding TV actor co-stars
🎬 Hate to love
🎬 Opposites attract
🎬 Forced proximity (movie set and road trip)
🎬 Idiots to lovers
🎬 Care taking
🎬 Emotional slow burn
🎬 Migraine, OCD, anxiety, and substance misuse rep
I can’t say enough good things about Cat’s writing. It was so funny in the way that a seasoned stand up comedian will have perfect punchlines while also having throwaway jokes that are also somehow perfect. I feel smarter and funnier after having read this book. The language, metaphor, analogues are so exacting and precise and just hit everything on the head exact right way. I want to live in her brain forever. I truly highlighted half of the book with my favorite phrases and thoughts and jokes
And there are tough topics in this book and Cat handles them beautifully. I thought the anxiety rep was done really well and as someone with anxiety, I think she managed to capture how anxiety can make you keep your world small to try to make things manageable (which can make you more anxious, which then makes your world smaller, and then we’re in an anxiety spiral and isn't that the best).
The relationship between Simon and Charlie unfolds so quietly and so tenderly. They manage to go from hate to like to love because they have an intimacy that comes with spending so much time together, whether you like someone or not. And that intimacy can and does translate into connection and attraction. And these two are circling each other so carefully and so cautiously that all you want to do is hug both of them. And yet, they figure it out! I was so deeply rooting for these two dummies (complimentary) the whole time.
There were a few moments in the middle that felt a little slow to me but otherwise I really enjoyed living in this world. And I am usually not a fan of third person present but it was perfect here. I couldn’t imagine it in any other way (which is saying a lot).
Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: March 3, 2026
ೀ ⋆ Follow me on Instagram @book.recs.by.lina for book recommendations and general fun times ⋆ ೀ ⋆
I just found a new auto-read author. I am obsessed with Cat Sebastian’s writing and I loved this book. Simon and Charlie star in a space TV show and they cannot stand each other. They have bickered and fought for seven years, but when Simon needs some good publicity so that people don’t think he’s difficult to work with (even though he is kind of difficult), he and Charlie agree to a public friendship. And after seven years, they might know each other better than they want to admit and maybe there is a hint of something there.
You will probably like this book if you like:
🎬 Queer romance (M/M) about feuding TV actor co-stars
🎬 Hate to love
🎬 Opposites attract
🎬 Forced proximity (movie set and road trip)
🎬 Idiots to lovers
🎬 Care taking
🎬 Emotional slow burn
🎬 Migraine, OCD, anxiety, and substance misuse rep
I can’t say enough good things about Cat’s writing. It was so funny in the way that a seasoned stand up comedian will have perfect punchlines while also having throwaway jokes that are also somehow perfect. I feel smarter and funnier after having read this book. The language, metaphor, analogues are so exacting and precise and just hit everything on the head exact right way. I want to live in her brain forever. I truly highlighted half of the book with my favorite phrases and thoughts and jokes
And there are tough topics in this book and Cat handles them beautifully. I thought the anxiety rep was done really well and as someone with anxiety, I think she managed to capture how anxiety can make you keep your world small to try to make things manageable (which can make you more anxious, which then makes your world smaller, and then we’re in an anxiety spiral and isn't that the best).
The relationship between Simon and Charlie unfolds so quietly and so tenderly. They manage to go from hate to like to love because they have an intimacy that comes with spending so much time together, whether you like someone or not. And that intimacy can and does translate into connection and attraction. And these two are circling each other so carefully and so cautiously that all you want to do is hug both of them. And yet, they figure it out! I was so deeply rooting for these two dummies (complimentary) the whole time.
There were a few moments in the middle that felt a little slow to me but otherwise I really enjoyed living in this world. And I am usually not a fan of third person present but it was perfect here. I couldn’t imagine it in any other way (which is saying a lot).
Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: March 3, 2026
ೀ ⋆ Follow me on Instagram @book.recs.by.lina for book recommendations and general fun times ⋆ ೀ ⋆
March 6, 2026
OKAY FINE! CAT SEBASTIAN IS A GENIUS!
I’m mostly giving this four stars to be petty which is, in a way, in the spirit of the book!!
I’m mostly giving this four stars to be petty which is, in a way, in the spirit of the book!!
March 22, 2026
Safety info, content warnings and tropes down below.
While I didn’t go into this with super high expectations, it’s still a Cat Sebastian book so I thought I’d for sure love it a lot. Well, it didn't suck and the writing was good, but for some reason it just never really clicked for me. I didn’t quite buy into the connection between Simon and Charlie until really, really late in the story, and it didn't draw me in or keep my attention like the other books I’ve read by this author did. It builds on the thought/trope of having one oblivious and cold MC and the golden retriever ‘enemy’ MC who has been into the grump from the start, but it really didn't feel like Charlie was into Simon in way that was more than surface level attraction for a long time (the OM stuff didn't help that). There’s nothing wrong with the way it actually played out, but I don’t think the way I read it was how the author intended.
Anyway. What a long-winded and uninteresting way to say: This was okay and I liked some of it but didn't love it like I hoped. One thing I really did love was the anxiety and OCD representation. That was really well done and Simon was easy to like and connect with because of it.
I listened to the audio and for some reason scene breaks in the writing wasn't including in the narration (and I have since learned they're barely noticeable in the ebook), which lead to scene changes mid chapter with no pause whatsoever and that was incredibly confusing. Changing from place to place or even a different day with no break to indicate a change is frustrating.
Also, while the cover is great on its own, it absolutely screams 80s vibes, which is a very strange choice for the author's first contemporary romance.
The ebook is $12 and I genuinely can't get myself to recommend buying it because of that alone, but give it a try if it's at your library or you have access to the audio with a subscription.
3.5 stars
Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Movie actors
Co-stars
Enemies to lovers
Contemporary
Disability rep (migraines)
Dog dad
Mental illness rep (anxiety)
Reluctant roadtrip
Forced proximity
Pillow princess
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Anxiety attacks
Prescription drug use
References to past addiction and rehab
OCD symptoms
Sexual content
Alcohol consumption (mild)
Mention of parent being an addict
Recreational drug use (edibles, self medicating)
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: Charlie kisses a former hookup on page because he didn't want the hookup to feel rejected when they ran into each other again (Simon sees it). Charlie and Simon’s ex-turned-best friend flirt with each other briefly and Simon overhears them. All of it happens early on and Simon isn't very bothered by it.
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, single
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
Main characters’ age: 27 and 34
Series: Standalone
Kindle Unlimited: No
Pages: 384
Happy ending: Yes
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
While I didn’t go into this with super high expectations, it’s still a Cat Sebastian book so I thought I’d for sure love it a lot. Well, it didn't suck and the writing was good, but for some reason it just never really clicked for me. I didn’t quite buy into the connection between Simon and Charlie until really, really late in the story, and it didn't draw me in or keep my attention like the other books I’ve read by this author did. It builds on the thought/trope of having one oblivious and cold MC and the golden retriever ‘enemy’ MC who has been into the grump from the start, but it really didn't feel like Charlie was into Simon in way that was more than surface level attraction for a long time (the OM stuff didn't help that). There’s nothing wrong with the way it actually played out, but I don’t think the way I read it was how the author intended.
Anyway. What a long-winded and uninteresting way to say: This was okay and I liked some of it but didn't love it like I hoped. One thing I really did love was the anxiety and OCD representation. That was really well done and Simon was easy to like and connect with because of it.
I listened to the audio and for some reason scene breaks in the writing wasn't including in the narration (and I have since learned they're barely noticeable in the ebook), which lead to scene changes mid chapter with no pause whatsoever and that was incredibly confusing. Changing from place to place or even a different day with no break to indicate a change is frustrating.
Also, while the cover is great on its own, it absolutely screams 80s vibes, which is a very strange choice for the author's first contemporary romance.
The ebook is $12 and I genuinely can't get myself to recommend buying it because of that alone, but give it a try if it's at your library or you have access to the audio with a subscription.
3.5 stars
Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Movie actors
Co-stars
Enemies to lovers
Contemporary
Disability rep (migraines)
Dog dad
Mental illness rep (anxiety)
Reluctant roadtrip
Forced proximity
Pillow princess
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Anxiety attacks
Prescription drug use
References to past addiction and rehab
OCD symptoms
Sexual content
Alcohol consumption (mild)
Mention of parent being an addict
Recreational drug use (edibles, self medicating)
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: Charlie kisses a former hookup on page because he didn't want the hookup to feel rejected when they ran into each other again (Simon sees it). Charlie and Simon’s ex-turned-best friend flirt with each other briefly and Simon overhears them. All of it happens early on and Simon isn't very bothered by it.
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, single
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
Main characters’ age: 27 and 34
Series: Standalone
Kindle Unlimited: No
Pages: 384
Happy ending: Yes
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
March 3, 2026
I swear to god Cat Sebastian could write a grocery list and I would buy 12 copies and submit it for a Pulitzer.
STAR SHIPPED was perfection. Simon and Charlie’s banter was unmatched and their chemistry left me swooning. The book itself was really low angst with minimal drama. These two were so freaking funny while also being so tender and protective of one another. The mental health rep was phenomenal and I am beyond obsessed with Edie. She’s a dog, and I wouldn’t hesitate to serve jail time for her.
If you want to read about two idiots in love who quickly get their heads out of their asses and fall hard while also still (affectionately) bullying one another, this is for you.
STAR SHIPPED was perfection. Simon and Charlie’s banter was unmatched and their chemistry left me swooning. The book itself was really low angst with minimal drama. These two were so freaking funny while also being so tender and protective of one another. The mental health rep was phenomenal and I am beyond obsessed with Edie. She’s a dog, and I wouldn’t hesitate to serve jail time for her.
If you want to read about two idiots in love who quickly get their heads out of their asses and fall hard while also still (affectionately) bullying one another, this is for you.
March 5, 2026
This is one of those books… the ones you wish you could read forever… maybe a bit everyday to check in on Charlie and Simon, so you don’t have to let them go. It’s inadequate to say this book is beautiful. Yet say it I will because it is. I have loved every Cat Sebastian book and this one was no different. Is there a machine that can allow me to inhabit all those worlds simultaneously for all of time? Asking for a friend.
My favourite part of Sebastian’s writing is always the nuance that adds these complex layers - to the characters, to the plot. Enriching them, making me go ah I did not see that, so that’s what it means, that’s why he’s doing that, that’s why it’s ok that happened- if only I had a key to life like that oh how powerful I would be . The other thing I always love about her writing is the characters- this is separate from the first point - and fine maybe connected - but I love them and their foibles and quirks and their very very real challenges. Their layers are not just laid out for us to read… no no no, we discover them, analyse them, see them change accept adapt thrive, it’s the best feeling.
Charlie and Simon are not… simpatico! While they work well together there is a lot of friction and yet there is more, we see that from the beginning- they are intrinsically connected - exchanging a whole host of subtext and there is a parallel relationship running there. Neither have it easy, the trauma and healing the mental health rep the disability rep is stellar in this story because it’s very human, very real the resistance almost to it is very real.
As the walls start falling between the two it’s like a beautiful sunrise, flooding everything with with warm healing glow letting them embrace their shadows. They don’t loose the friction but let it shape ther connection into something more than just swoony love which it is but more.
I love the found family and sense of belonging the author exposes which moves along Simon’s arc once he opens himself to seeing it. I loved Jaime- I hope we get his story. I loved Lian and Alex and Roshini.. maybe even Dave because Sebastian doesn’t write unidimensional characters.
Highly recommend reading this book, it’s a favourite of this year for sure.
My favourite part of Sebastian’s writing is always the nuance that adds these complex layers - to the characters, to the plot. Enriching them, making me go ah I did not see that, so that’s what it means, that’s why he’s doing that, that’s why it’s ok that happened- if only I had a key to life like that oh how powerful I would be . The other thing I always love about her writing is the characters- this is separate from the first point - and fine maybe connected - but I love them and their foibles and quirks and their very very real challenges. Their layers are not just laid out for us to read… no no no, we discover them, analyse them, see them change accept adapt thrive, it’s the best feeling.
Charlie and Simon are not… simpatico! While they work well together there is a lot of friction and yet there is more, we see that from the beginning- they are intrinsically connected - exchanging a whole host of subtext and there is a parallel relationship running there. Neither have it easy, the trauma and healing the mental health rep the disability rep is stellar in this story because it’s very human, very real the resistance almost to it is very real.
As the walls start falling between the two it’s like a beautiful sunrise, flooding everything with with warm healing glow letting them embrace their shadows. They don’t loose the friction but let it shape ther connection into something more than just swoony love which it is but more.
I love the found family and sense of belonging the author exposes which moves along Simon’s arc once he opens himself to seeing it. I loved Jaime- I hope we get his story. I loved Lian and Alex and Roshini.. maybe even Dave because Sebastian doesn’t write unidimensional characters.
Highly recommend reading this book, it’s a favourite of this year for sure.
March 14, 2026
1.5 stars. i think i hated this book. i’ve been so excited for this release seeing as it carries all the usual tropes i’d enjoy but it did not deliver. at all.
simon, the main character, is exhausting to read about. i think his mental health was written in a good way and as someone who deals with anxiety, i could relate to most of his thoughts and feelings but outside of that? i couldn’t tell you one single thing i enjoyed about him. i read to escape my own brain, i don’t want to be stuck with a character that is constantly self deprecating. simon is overly bitchy for no reason and insufferable. his reasonings for disliking blake for seven fucking years are lackluster at most. i think it was because blake is younger… and hotter… and has more friends… and didn’t have a history of acting? maybe? fuck do i know, the author never really explains it.
this book is an enemies to lovers story, and you’d expect (or at least hope for) tension before they get together but one moment they were cussing each other out and the next they were kissing? the shift happened way too fast and the chemistry was still non existent at that point. sue me but when i read an enemies to lovers book, i want to expect and yearn for the moment they get together, not be completely blindsided by it.
i had hoped this book would have more scenes of simon and blake actually acting together but i guess we can’t ask for acting scenes in a book marketed as a romance between co-stars.
i feel like my review turned super bitchy. i blame it on simon rubbing off on me.
simon, the main character, is exhausting to read about. i think his mental health was written in a good way and as someone who deals with anxiety, i could relate to most of his thoughts and feelings but outside of that? i couldn’t tell you one single thing i enjoyed about him. i read to escape my own brain, i don’t want to be stuck with a character that is constantly self deprecating. simon is overly bitchy for no reason and insufferable. his reasonings for disliking blake for seven fucking years are lackluster at most. i think it was because blake is younger… and hotter… and has more friends… and didn’t have a history of acting? maybe? fuck do i know, the author never really explains it.
this book is an enemies to lovers story, and you’d expect (or at least hope for) tension before they get together but one moment they were cussing each other out and the next they were kissing? the shift happened way too fast and the chemistry was still non existent at that point. sue me but when i read an enemies to lovers book, i want to expect and yearn for the moment they get together, not be completely blindsided by it.
i had hoped this book would have more scenes of simon and blake actually acting together but i guess we can’t ask for acting scenes in a book marketed as a romance between co-stars.
i feel like my review turned super bitchy. i blame it on simon rubbing off on me.
March 14, 2026
New Cat Sebastian books are currently instareads and stay up late to finish it. But oh so rewarding.
This time it is a contemporary (and it really works! Discord and tiktok and covid tv breaks), and just one PoV character - a very grumpy anti-social (really suffering from disabling anxiety) actor in a sf tv show needing to spend more time with his odiously good natured golden retriever of a co-star. Both characters and actors are the object of fandom shipping and now they need to spend time together (route 66 mini road trip!) for some good social media representation, and while they are at it, talk. Ant talk they do, figuring out what they feel about many things including each other but not just that. Clothes buying and being petty as acts of service, each learning to trust the other.
It is crazily funny, insightful descriptions or jokes in every page...
This is basically perfect (ok, I am me and I will still find something to quibble about probably) but it's so profoundly emotional in the best way. And very very funny.
It is also somehow a love letter to those middle-brow speculative works which spark fandoms and the fandoms who follow those and debate it and create things from it. Portraying the positive about being a fan of something and its rewards, but without hiding that the darker, intrusive, parasocial side does exist. I thought it struck the perfect balance in being positive about fandom but not brainless positive and ignoring parasociality and fan intrusion (which seems to be getting crazier all the time...)
I have said it before, about After Hours at Dooryard Books that she upleveled from a pretty high starting level and the uplevel continues . The polish of the word choices, the depth of the psychology... Not that I love After Hours at Dooryard Books any less or it is any worse, not al all but they are both fantastic and just right and different..Instaread and drop everything status reinforced...
About those quibbles, I think this was maybe maybe a little bit slow in the last third and I did not quite instantly get Simon's mixed feelings about his family and mother.
This book does something interesting: it features a lot of textbook potential for romance genre conflict (the ex and flirting, career choices, rich powerful family) and every single time there is potential for some trope-ish misunderstanding and breakup, it just does not go there in a way that feels really hopeful.. And every bit of realism adds to the glow of their happiness (if this makes any sense). There is something so freeing, so light about the misunderstandings and external conflict tropes avoided. They got enough internal baggage for a book about just it to be enough! (I wish more romance authors understood this or I would not be so meh about the current state of the genre...)
One of those books I just know I am going to reread every word right from the start, one of these days...
Edit to add, the reread was almost immediate, and it holds. I am fangirling so so hard... (but seriously, the themes, the layers, the quotes...)
More book pushing, for non romance readers. I think the one book this reminded of was The Guncle but here there are no kids (well, there is Charlie, the love interest), and this is not about grief (but about anxiety), and it has a real romance, unlike the Guncle. But I think readers who do not read romance but liked The Guncle will also love this...
This time it is a contemporary (and it really works! Discord and tiktok and covid tv breaks), and just one PoV character - a very grumpy anti-social (really suffering from disabling anxiety) actor in a sf tv show needing to spend more time with his odiously good natured golden retriever of a co-star. Both characters and actors are the object of fandom shipping and now they need to spend time together (route 66 mini road trip!) for some good social media representation, and while they are at it, talk. Ant talk they do, figuring out what they feel about many things including each other but not just that. Clothes buying and being petty as acts of service, each learning to trust the other.
It is crazily funny, insightful descriptions or jokes in every page...
This is basically perfect (ok, I am me and I will still find something to quibble about probably) but it's so profoundly emotional in the best way. And very very funny.
It is also somehow a love letter to those middle-brow speculative works which spark fandoms and the fandoms who follow those and debate it and create things from it. Portraying the positive about being a fan of something and its rewards, but without hiding that the darker, intrusive, parasocial side does exist. I thought it struck the perfect balance in being positive about fandom but not brainless positive and ignoring parasociality and fan intrusion (which seems to be getting crazier all the time...)
I have said it before, about After Hours at Dooryard Books that she upleveled from a pretty high starting level and the uplevel continues . The polish of the word choices, the depth of the psychology... Not that I love After Hours at Dooryard Books any less or it is any worse, not al all but they are both fantastic and just right and different..Instaread and drop everything status reinforced...
About those quibbles, I think this was maybe maybe a little bit slow in the last third and I did not quite instantly get Simon's mixed feelings about his family and mother.
This book does something interesting: it features a lot of textbook potential for romance genre conflict (the ex and flirting, career choices, rich powerful family) and every single time there is potential for some trope-ish misunderstanding and breakup, it just does not go there in a way that feels really hopeful.. And every bit of realism adds to the glow of their happiness (if this makes any sense). There is something so freeing, so light about the misunderstandings and external conflict tropes avoided. They got enough internal baggage for a book about just it to be enough! (I wish more romance authors understood this or I would not be so meh about the current state of the genre...)
One of those books I just know I am going to reread every word right from the start, one of these days...
Edit to add, the reread was almost immediate, and it holds. I am fangirling so so hard... (but seriously, the themes, the layers, the quotes...)
More book pushing, for non romance readers. I think the one book this reminded of was The Guncle but here there are no kids (well, there is Charlie, the love interest), and this is not about grief (but about anxiety), and it has a real romance, unlike the Guncle. But I think readers who do not read romance but liked The Guncle will also love this...
March 4, 2026
Just wonderful, the feels, the humor, the writing. Will reread and is going to my comfort reread shelf.
March 18, 2026
So, I reviewed initially on the audiobook but woof, Joel Leslie is NOT the narrator for me. He is SO bombastic, and for a contemporary romance his narration choices felt, to put it bluntly, like a joke. No thanks.
After switching over to the print version, I can say this was so warm, and cute. I really loved how prickly these two were with each other, was not really expecting the roadtrip element (but did enjoy it soooo much), and overall had a really good time.
For being touted as a "star trek" inspired show (charlie and simon are co-stars in the show), all of that was very light throughout the story. This is very tightly focused on Charlie & Simon and falling in love. Not much on set-anything (the show is wrapped during most of it).
Lots of good mental health things, disability things, and a cute dachshund too. Cat Sebastian classics.
thank you to the publisher for the ALC & the eARC.
After switching over to the print version, I can say this was so warm, and cute. I really loved how prickly these two were with each other, was not really expecting the roadtrip element (but did enjoy it soooo much), and overall had a really good time.
For being touted as a "star trek" inspired show (charlie and simon are co-stars in the show), all of that was very light throughout the story. This is very tightly focused on Charlie & Simon and falling in love. Not much on set-anything (the show is wrapped during most of it).
Lots of good mental health things, disability things, and a cute dachshund too. Cat Sebastian classics.
thank you to the publisher for the ALC & the eARC.
January 27, 2026
Received from Edelweiss, thanks!
Okay, before I get into the actual review, I need to talk about the cover of this book. I hate it. And I don't hate it because of the style, I'm actually a huge fan of pulp covers! But I hate it for this book. Because this is Sebastian's first contemporary book, and it took me a good quarter of the book to get my head around the fact that is was contemporary, because the cover screams 1950s to me, and that's all I could picture as I was reading. So, while on another, historical, book, this cover would be amazing, it is absolutely the wrong cover for this book.
Now, onto the good stuff.
I LOVED THIS BOOK. I haven't read a lot of Cat Sebastian, but this is by far my favourite. And unless something absolutely wild happens this year, this will absolutely be one of my top reads of 2026 (and yes, I am that confident saying that within the first two weeks of the year).
So, this is supposed to be enemies or rivals to lovers, and it sort of is? But as the book progresses we learn more about each character and maybe they weren't enemies or even rivals at all? These are two very different men, each with their own type of trauma and past, and it was so emotionally satisfying to watch their journey, and how they were able to use their own trauma to understand the other. Trauma Informed Relationshipping FTW.
I don't typically enjoy a slow-burn or overly angsty story, but if all of that slow-burn and angst is wrapped up in caring, then I am so here for it. And there is just so much caring in this book. Even when they don't know each other very well, they still recognize what the other needs and does what they can to give that to them. The level of caring in this book is off the charts.
With the way the world is currently, I've been having a lot of trouble reading with my eyes, I've been leaning heavily into audiobooks, and this was the first book in MONTHS that I read with my eyes that completely grabbed me and had me constantly wanting to pick up my kindle to read more. This may have also been the book to finally break me of my Heated Rivalry instagram edits psychosis, IT IS THAT GOOD.
Okay, before I get into the actual review, I need to talk about the cover of this book. I hate it. And I don't hate it because of the style, I'm actually a huge fan of pulp covers! But I hate it for this book. Because this is Sebastian's first contemporary book, and it took me a good quarter of the book to get my head around the fact that is was contemporary, because the cover screams 1950s to me, and that's all I could picture as I was reading. So, while on another, historical, book, this cover would be amazing, it is absolutely the wrong cover for this book.
Now, onto the good stuff.
I LOVED THIS BOOK. I haven't read a lot of Cat Sebastian, but this is by far my favourite. And unless something absolutely wild happens this year, this will absolutely be one of my top reads of 2026 (and yes, I am that confident saying that within the first two weeks of the year).
So, this is supposed to be enemies or rivals to lovers, and it sort of is? But as the book progresses we learn more about each character and maybe they weren't enemies or even rivals at all? These are two very different men, each with their own type of trauma and past, and it was so emotionally satisfying to watch their journey, and how they were able to use their own trauma to understand the other. Trauma Informed Relationshipping FTW.
I don't typically enjoy a slow-burn or overly angsty story, but if all of that slow-burn and angst is wrapped up in caring, then I am so here for it. And there is just so much caring in this book. Even when they don't know each other very well, they still recognize what the other needs and does what they can to give that to them. The level of caring in this book is off the charts.
With the way the world is currently, I've been having a lot of trouble reading with my eyes, I've been leaning heavily into audiobooks, and this was the first book in MONTHS that I read with my eyes that completely grabbed me and had me constantly wanting to pick up my kindle to read more. This may have also been the book to finally break me of my Heated Rivalry instagram edits psychosis, IT IS THAT GOOD.
October 6, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
Cat Sebastian on her way to save the contemporary romance genre iktr
Cat Sebastian on her way to save the contemporary romance genre iktr
March 7, 2026
With a heavy heart I must admit that I miss Cat Sebastian’s books having a touch of plot. I am all for a character study but in a romance *something* needs to happen to these characters so we understand how they interact with the world? I do feel like we have gone from ‘fun heist’ to ‘two people get together at 40% and then just make coffee and food for each other for the rest of the book’ a little too quickly. Can I have a little bit of stakes? As a treat?
Which is not to say that I did not enjoy this, because it has its lovely moments, but I’ve maybe read too many of her recent works and the formula of a protagonist who feels like they are too much realising they deserve care and then receiving that care has been done kind of the exact same way over and over. At about 60% of the book I am very happy for these two but must I read on where there is not an ounce of confict? When all they do is unearth a minor concern or gripe and then overcommunicate leaving no anxiety unturned? ‘We love each other but now let us negotiate exactly how we will give each other space by asking for space’. Girl no! I miss the highway men!
Plus - the basic premise (a scifi show!) is criminally underused and I don’t love how the narrative voice was this full of social media speech. I think the voice works better in historicals.
Which is not to say that I did not enjoy this, because it has its lovely moments, but I’ve maybe read too many of her recent works and the formula of a protagonist who feels like they are too much realising they deserve care and then receiving that care has been done kind of the exact same way over and over. At about 60% of the book I am very happy for these two but must I read on where there is not an ounce of confict? When all they do is unearth a minor concern or gripe and then overcommunicate leaving no anxiety unturned? ‘We love each other but now let us negotiate exactly how we will give each other space by asking for space’. Girl no! I miss the highway men!
Plus - the basic premise (a scifi show!) is criminally underused and I don’t love how the narrative voice was this full of social media speech. I think the voice works better in historicals.
March 8, 2026
Simon and Charlie, joint Olympic gold medalists in “refusing to use actual words for their feelings”
November 18, 2025
4.5!
This felt different from Cat Sebastian’s usual and not just because it’s her first contemporary! Despite the differences, there’s that signature CatSeb style and heart at the core of the story. This almost felt less focused on the romance and more on our two mc’s, Simon and Charlie, learning to just be more gentle with themselves and each other. However, by the very end, I was totally sold and swooning!
Simon Devereaux is “uncomfortably relatable” and I have this weird thing where I usually hate to see my own anxieties on the page. I’d like a moment away from them please and thank you! But Simon’s portrayal was done with a lot of care and I appreciated seeing it so much. I definitely know what it’s like to be your own worst enemy and his arc is really lovely to read.
I do wish we had Charlie’s pov! He’s such an interesting character and I would’ve loved to learn even more about him by seeing his perspective. The discord messages were absolutely hilarious and had me laughing out loud. This is 100% a love letter to fandom and this will feel familiar if you’ve ever been in one.
In short, CatSeb’s foray into contemporary paid off! But you already knew it would. I certainly had no doubts.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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I’m seated. The bookstore employees are scared and asking me to leave because it’s “not even published yet” but I’m simply TOO seated
This felt different from Cat Sebastian’s usual and not just because it’s her first contemporary! Despite the differences, there’s that signature CatSeb style and heart at the core of the story. This almost felt less focused on the romance and more on our two mc’s, Simon and Charlie, learning to just be more gentle with themselves and each other. However, by the very end, I was totally sold and swooning!
Simon Devereaux is “uncomfortably relatable” and I have this weird thing where I usually hate to see my own anxieties on the page. I’d like a moment away from them please and thank you! But Simon’s portrayal was done with a lot of care and I appreciated seeing it so much. I definitely know what it’s like to be your own worst enemy and his arc is really lovely to read.
I do wish we had Charlie’s pov! He’s such an interesting character and I would’ve loved to learn even more about him by seeing his perspective. The discord messages were absolutely hilarious and had me laughing out loud. This is 100% a love letter to fandom and this will feel familiar if you’ve ever been in one.
In short, CatSeb’s foray into contemporary paid off! But you already knew it would. I certainly had no doubts.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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I’m seated. The bookstore employees are scared and asking me to leave because it’s “not even published yet” but I’m simply TOO seated
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