Shipped by Karrie Roman

Ryan Lowe has been a lonely nobody all his life. The only time he ever feels the rush of living is when he’s acting. Wanting to get as far away from his small town life and alcoholic father as possible, he leaves Australia to pursue a career as an actor in the bright lights of Hollywood, never stopping to consider the fame that might come with it.

Lucas Evers understands fame. He’s been a successful actor on the small-screen for years and loves his career. Nothing comes for free though, and the price he’s paid for his success is keeping who he is hidden from the world. He married his best friend to keep both of their secrets, and until now, he has been content with the cost of his fame.

When Lucas and Ryan are cast in a new television series based on a wildly popular book series everything changes for them. The show is a worldwide hit and together they have just become the most popular ship on the planet. As they begin to realize it’s not just their characters falling in love, the cost of their fame rises. Together they must face stalkers, anxiety, panic attacks, and attempted murder.

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
NineStar Press

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 stars

This is an angst-filled story about the romance between two young Hollywood stars. The relationship between co-stars Ryan and Lucas unfolds between the celeb gossip soundbites and the self-awareness of the book made me smile. The story doesn’t deviate too far from a traditional celebrity romance. The crazed stalker storyline has been told before, but the boys’ celeb nickname is a Millennial invention.

While we get both Lucas and Ryan’s points of view in this book, I found Ryan easier to like than Lucas. Where Ryan is an open book, Lucas’ is oblivious to too many important things going on around him – and his closeted life feels quite dated. The chemistry between Ryan and Lucas is instantaneous and I loved the slow build sexual tension between the boys.

The ending of this story unravels into soap opera worthy drama. Between police action scenes, harrowing injuries, miraculous recoveries, and complicated stalker plots, it all became a bit too much for me. Ultimately, this is a sweet and self-aware romance between two gorgeous leading men. It’s a Hollywood fantasy romance and while it isn’t always terribly plausible, it is very entertaining.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆
3.5 stars

This is the first in a new series, and I am looking forward to reading the next installment already!

I really enjoyed the story and the writing style is easy, my only real criticism is that it felt overly long. Part of that might have been that I wanted the answers, to see how it could work, and everything be reconciled. The first half of the book certainly didn't give me any clue as to the drama that would unfold in the second. Slow, easy falling in love, possibly with the wrong person, turned into quite a dangerous, hospital-needing rollercoaster of a second half.

It was a revealing insight into how many celebrities are hounded for any gossip available, and a reminder that they are people too. Ryan's unease was vividly written, and Lucas's support was, from the very beginning, an indication of how in tune they would be. Their connection and care for each other shone through, as well as the chemistry which fuelled the shippers.

Plenty more story to come and I will definitely be reading on. Thank you, Karrie Roman.

Karrie lives in Australia’s sunshine state with her husband and two sons, though she hates the sun with a passion. She dreams of one day living in the wettest and coldest habitable place she can find. She’s been writing stories in her head for years but has finally managed to pull the words out of her head and share them with others. She spends her days trying to type her stories on the computer without disturbing her beloved cat, Lu, curled up on the keyboard. She probably reads far too much.

Connect with Karrie

Twitter  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Shipped (Until You #1) by Karrie Roman to read and review.