Over the past two decades, Katherine Center has become an auto-buy author for many romance readers. Her formula for low spice rom-coms that still bring all the tension, build-up, and banter has even translated into a number of successful Netflix film adaptations: The Lost Husband (2020) starring Leslie Bibb and Josh Duhamel, Happiness for Beginners (2023) starring Ellie Kemper and Luke Grimes, and the upcoming late-2026 release Guarding Stars (adapted from The Bodyguard) starring Leighton Meester and Jared Padalecki.
Fans won’t have to wait that long for more of Center’s signature romantic tropes, though. This May she’s back with her latest novel The Shippers, a fun romance readers will want to pack for summer vacation alongside their swimsuits and sunscreen.
JoJo Burton is a brilliant mathematician … but her love life has always been anything but logical. Her most recent fiasco takes the cake, though. When JoJo’s estranged childhood bestie Cooper Watts surprises her just as she’s about to walk down the aisle—and convinces her this marriage isn’t meant to be—JoJo leaves her groom at the altar.
Cooper wasn’t wrong in his assessment, but a runaway bride moment is enough to throw any girl’s life into a tailspin. Never fear, though, JoJo’s sister Ashley has a plan to save the day. A therapist in-training, Ashley claims she has finally figured out the root of her sister’s lifelong intimacy issues—and has the perfect solution to end this relationship losing streak. If JoJo can reconnect with her childhood crush (and oh-so-memorable first kiss!), Finn Turner, her love-life curse is sure to be broken.
The plan seems foolproof. Ashley is getting married and Finn, who is recently divorced, will be in attendance. So, the whole crew boards a cruise ship for Ashley’s destination wedding, with elaborate plans for JoJo to reel Finn in and live happily ever after. But when Cooper shows up unexpectedly—again!—and gets roped into being JoJo’s wingman, things become more complicated than anyone is prepared for. Who knew Cooper would look so distractingly hot in a vest? Or that he would fake flirt well enough to not only make Finn jealous, but also get JoJo second-guessing if she’s focusing on the right childhood crush.
Center herself acknowledges in the author’s note for The Shippers that this story will “end well,” so there’s no fear of spoilers here. In fact, that’s part of what romance readers love so much about the genre. It’s the journey to a guaranteed happily-ever-after that makes these stories so fun—and Center handles this journey in an ever-entertaining way.
Part of her magic is pulling together a combination of everyone’s favorite romance tropes. Here you’ll find friends-to-lovers, fake dating, and a G-rated version of the one bed sleeping arrangement that everyone loves. Cooper is also an absolutely swoon-worthy book boyfriend, both caring and protective with a hint of possessiveness. Readers will love the epic adoration and hints of longing he drops along the way, while silently shouting at Jojo, who remains oblivious to what has been right in front of her the whole time.
This isn’t my favorite Katherine Center book to date, as the plot was drawn out at times, which slowed the build-up a touch more than I would have preferred. Nonetheless, The Shippers is a fun, fast warm-weather read for fans of closed-door romantic comedies. Center has a knack for immediately hooking readers with her characters’ undeniable chemistry, so you’ll have no choice but to keep turning the pages to watch the sparks fly.
The Shippers is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of May 19th 2026.
Will you be picking up The Shippers? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis
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.
