The Shippers, Katherine Center
The Shippers, Katherine Center
13 Rating(s)
List: $26.99 | Sale: $18.89
Club: $13.49

The Shippers
A Novel

Bestseller

Author: Katherine Center

Narrator: Patti Murin

Unabridged: 11 hr 8 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/19/2026

Synopsis

NO ONE DOES SUMMER ROMANCE LIKE KATHERINE CENTER.

One of the hottest, fastest-rising rom-com stars delivers her latest swoon-worthy novel about a destination wedding on a cruise ship.

"[Patti] Murin's velvety voice, excellent timing and expressive pitch deliver both emotional weight and comedy." — BookPage

She wants him to help her woo someone else.

Genius. Foolproof. Can’t go wrong.

After a lifetime of being bad at love, JoJo Burton vows to solve her intimacy issues once and for all at her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship. Armed with pop psychology, she diagnoses herself with a fixation on the neighborhood guy who was her first crush and first kiss (and who just happens to be a newly-divorced wedding guest). Determined to woo him for closure, she ropes in her childhood bestie, Cooper Watts, as her wingman. Cooper: who RSVPed no, but showed up anyway. Cooper: who moved to London without a word four years ago. Cooper: who broke her heart.

Shipboard antics abound in this witty, heart-tugging, childhood-friends-to-lovers romance, as JoJo and Cooper team up, fake flirt, slow dance, share a cabin, sing duets, get jealous, answer long-held questions, and finally, at last, discover truths about each other that will change everything.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press.

About Katherine Center

BookPage calls Katherine Center “the reigning queen of comfort reads.” She’s the New York Times bestselling author of over half a dozen books, including How to Walk Away, Things You Save in a Fire, and What You Wish For. Katherine writes laugh-and-cry books about how life knocks us down—and how we get back up. She’s been compared to both Jane Austen and Nora Ephron, and the Dallas Morning News calls her stories, “satisfying in the most soul-nourishing way.” Her books have made countless Best-Of lists, including RealSimple’s Best Books of 2020, Amazon's Top 100 Books of 2019, Goodreads' Best Books of the Year, and many more. Bestselling author Emily Henry calls her summer 2022 book, The Bodyguard, “a shot of pure joy.” The movie adaptation of Katherine’s novel The Lost Husband (starring Josh Duhamel) hit #1 on Netflix, and her novel Happiness for Beginners is now a Netflix original starring Ellie Kemper. Katherine lives in her hometown of Houston, Texas, with her husband, two kids, and their fluffy-but-fierce dog.

About Patti Murin

Patti Murin is an acclaimed, Audie Award–nominated audiobook narrator celebrated for her vibrant, emotionally resonant performances. She has brought to life bestselling novels written by blockbuster authors Christina Lauren, Katherine Center, Jodi Picoult, among many others. Known for her sharp comedic timing and ability to embody complex characters, Patti specializes in contemporary romance and women’s fiction, and would love to explore all of the genres. She is a self-proclaimed and proud book nerd who routinely reads 200 books per year for pleasure. She is also a highly lauded musical theatre actor who originated the role of Princess Anna in Disney's Frozen on Broadway, and took a turn in the bubble as Galinda in Wicked. Keep an eye out for her on the Hallmark Channel in one of the many movies she has made!

Reviews

Goodreads review by Nilufer on February 26, 2026

Hmm… I have to admit my expectations were much higher for this book, especially considering it’s written by one of my auto-approved, favorite romance authors. The opening alone had me hooked: an entertaining, chaotic wedding ceremony where the MCs escape in a modern The Graduate–style moment. Add in......more

Goodreads review by ivy on March 04, 2026

3.5 stars my favorite katherine center book, by far 🥹!!! oh wow, going into this my expectations weren’t the highest because although her books were mildly likable, they weren’t anything to really enjoy or savor.. but how this book proved me wrong! ’the shippers’ follow Josephine [jojo] and Cooper, w......more

Goodreads review by Sarah on February 28, 2026

4.5 ⭐ (Yay! I remembered to write the full review for the book, lol!) ⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ JoJo Burton is bad at love, but wants to fix her intimacy issues at her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship by possibly wooing her first crush and first kiss, who is newly divorced and is attending the wedding. Bu......more

Goodreads review by Casey Reads 🌸 on December 19, 2025

I am in love with Cooper! 🩷 This book made me want to go back in time and fall in love with my best friend. It was just so good. Was it somewhat predictable? Yes, but it felt like a romcom from the early 2000s. Just sooooo good. It could be a movie for sure. A cruise. A wedding. Drama. Laughs. What mo......more

Goodreads review by Cara on March 05, 2026

REVIEW TO COME💓😍💓😍💓😍💓!!!!!!!! 🥥🌴🌺🍍🌸A destination wedding on a cruise ship??? This is my most anticipated read of 2026🥥🌴🌺🍍🌸 !!!!!!!!......more

Quotes

"Center employs the forced proximity trope to excellent effect in bringing these two back together, and the characters’ sparkling banter effortlessly captures their long-standing intimacy. It’s a joy to watch their friends-to-lovers journey unfold." —Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

“Catnip for romance fans. As Center reveals in an author’s note at the beginning, “Spoiler: This book will end well.” The destination may not be a surprise, but the journey is a delight. A fun, positively frothy friends-to-lovers romance.” —Kirkus Reviews

"Center (The Rom-Commers) has a signature rom-com voice and offers plenty of banter that her fans adore. Readers who have already fallen in love with her previous works will find this a winner too." —Library Journal

"A charming escapist romp. Readers are hungry for fun rom-coms, and best-selling Center has become the go-to source." —Booklist

“Katherine Center is a pro at crafting sweetly cozy romances all but guaranteed to tug at your heartstrings, and her latest is no exception.”—Marie Claire

“Another of my favorite rom-com writers, Katherine Center, is here to provide our beach bags with some tropes for summer. This one takes place on a cruise ship and I’m not mad about it.”—Scary Mommy

“Sign up for a romance novel that combines a wedding, a long-lost best friend and a cruise.”—Today.com“The wedding romance you need.” —People.com

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