I Saw Him Standing There (Oceanic Dreams #1) by Holly Kerr

I Saw Him Standing There (Oceanic Dreams #1) Reviews

• 
  ✨ Gramy ✨

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  I chose this series because it is listed under the Romantic Comedy category on Amazon. However, after the first fourteen chapters, I have yet to discover any humor in the plot or the characters.
  
  I had a lot of difficulties identifying with the heroine, I feel no curiosity to bother finding out what is going to happen and I'm bored with the vacillating emotions being bandied about by the heroine.
  
  I used to attempt to complete each book that I began. However, I've come to the conclusion that is a total waste of time. No author can make every reader happy. So if it doesn't click for me, I move on. And that is just what I did with this choice.
  
  I really gave it a good amount of time and effort. However, this one just seemed off-kilter to me. Others may be extremely delighted with it and that's great.
  
  #3604 in Romantic Comedy (Kindle Store)
  
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• 
  Elle G. Reads

  Release Date: May 20, 2019
  Genre: Chick Lit
  Series: Oceanic Dreams #1 (can stand alone)
  
  I Saw Him Standing There by Holly Kerr is such a fun read! It's light, quick, and is truly funny! I enjoyed being lost in Siggy's story for a few hours (I breezed right through this one) and found it to be quite a cozy little read. This book (and series) is a must read for everyone's beach bag this summer. I read this one sitting by the pool and couldn't think of anything better.
  
  In this one, Siggy gets an offer she can't refuse- a free A week on a luxury cruise. The only problem, she has to pretend she's someone she's not. Shouldn't be a problem for her as no one on the ship knows her. But when a cute cruise director catches her eye (and heart) she has to decide whether to fess up to her fib or loose an opportunity of love forever. Well, what would you do?
  
  This is a fun read and I think many readers are going to absolutely love reading it this summer!
• 
  Andrea Guy

  Siggy has gotten herself into quite a mess. She's a small time con artist that was a former rich girl fleeing from her boss. A borrowed car and another rich girl who thinks she's an Uber driver, land her on a "Love Boat" style cruise ship. So with someone else's identity, she gets to go "cruisin"
  
  Siggy reminded me a little bit of Stephanie Plum at the beginning of the story. She had a little bit of that zaniness that I loved in the early books from that series.
  
  I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading. I thought maybe she'd be a harder character, but no, Siggy was fun and sweet and really a good girl turned bad, but trying to be good.
  
  The romance with Will isn't really the point of the story, though their relationship is part of it. Its more Siggy finding her way back to herself. I also loved that her hobby was photography and she loved taking pictures as much as I do.
  
  As the cruise goes on she befriends some other shipmates and finds people that know Petra and who know her from her former life (as the rich girl). She also finds herself liking Will, the cruise director more and more and she knows she has to come clean.
  
  This story is sweet and funny. A clean story with a hint of romance a little bit of humor. I loved it and can't wait to read more by Holly!
• 
  Kathleen Kelly

  I Saw Him Standing There by Holly Kerr, is a story of a young woman who finds herself aboard a cruise ship. Siggy ends up getting a passenger in her car, the woman entering thinks that Siggy's car is an Uber. The woman gets a phone call from a man and she gets all giddy, gives her tickets, luggage to Siggy and tells her to have fun on the cruise. Siggy is running away from some bad dudes so she uses her passport and gets on board. The man who welcomes her on board is a hunky young man and she is 'in love'.
  
  Siggy feels guilty for doing what she did, she knows that she could more than likely get into trouble and get kicked off the ship. She also feels guilty for lying to the man she really likes but she is enjoying her trip so much that she puts it off. What ensues is a fun adventure story about finding your love on the Oceanic Aphrodite. Legend has it that if you are on the Aphrodite, you will find your love. Want more? Go get your copy here.
  
  This book is #1 in the Oceanic Dreams Book, and I will be reviewing all of them! I liked the writing as well! This book is a fun beach read, picnic read, at home on your deck read, anywhere you want to read it but read it you must. I enjoyed the story as it was a fast-paced read, characters likable and just a plain fun read!
  
  
• 
  Grass monster

  The Blurb :
  Small-time con artist Siggy needs to get out of town fast. When she’s offered tickets on the legendary Oceanic Aphrodite, Siggy jumps at the chance to get away. A week on a luxury cruise ship, with a suitcase full of clothes and all expenses paid? Yes, please! The only catch is that she has to pretend to be someone else.
  No problem. Siggy has no intention of getting close enough anyone to discover her secrets.
  But this is the Oceanic Aphrodite and love is in the air. When Siggy sees assistant cruise director Will taking tickets, Cupid’s arrow hits the target. Luckily, Will’s too busy smiling at her to check out her fake passport because he’ll toss Siggy off the ship if he finds out about the scam.
  Onboard, dolphins and cameras and runaway ferrets bring Siggy and Will together. The more time they spend together, the more Siggy wants to tell him the truth.
  
  My Thoughts :
  I loved the idea of a series called Oceanic Dreams, the covers stand out and you know you are in for a treat as the series is set on and around a cruise ship. Pure escapism at its best.
  The first offering in the series is written by Holly Kerr and called I Saw Him Standing There.
  We meet Siggy, having had a bit of a shady past and recent heartbreak with Charles she wants to get away from it all and she excepts an offer to jump on a Cruise Ship called the Oceanic Aphrodite otherwise known as the Love Boat where you will meet your soulmate. This offer comes in the form of mistaken identity when Petra jumps into Siggy’s car and thinks shes an Uber driver. Petra takes a phone call and decides she no longer wants her holiday so she gives her tickets, passport and belongings to Siggy and tells her to go ahead and take her place. Although Siggy is nervous to be using someone elses identity on the Cruise she fits right in and the adventures begin.
  She falls for Assistant Cruise Director Will, and goes to lengths to keep her real identity a secret, I could see this ending in tears and wanted Siggy so much to just come clean to him.
  She also catches up with old friend Miles, who happens to be on the cruise also.
  With lots of highs and lows and laugh out loud parts in the story, this has been an easy read and perfect start to kick off the series. Looking forward to book 2
• 
  Heidi Lynn’s BookReviews

  First, I want to thank Holly Kerr for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.
  
  I will admit when I first read the title of the book Tiffany’s version of the Beatles song popped into my head! I Saw Him Standing There by Holly Kerr is the first book in the Oceanic Dreams Series.
  
  At the very beginning of the book I had my doubts I was going to like it as the whole con-man storyline is not really my thing. However, quickly with a snap of a finger changed directions. This book is a short fun read that is exciting, tons of twists and turns, reunions, shocking secrets revealed, and a very creative storyline that has never been done before.
  
  I, myself, have always dreamed of going on cruise. Holly made me feel like I was a passenger on the boat as well. The descriptions and detail of the ship of ship were so vivid.
  
  I found myself cracking up as Holly had some funny lines in this book.
  
  May I also add named one of the girls Heidi. For that fact I was smiling ear to ear.
  
  This is just the first book in The Oceanic Dreams Series. There are 10 more in the series each by a different authors.
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  Yvonne

  What better way to start my summer beach reading season then with a series taking place on a cruise ship? Fun and romance scream out right from the start when Siggy finds herself a passenger on a “Love Boat” type of cruise with someone else’s identity.
  
  Siggy’s antics keep you laughing and shaking your head at the same time. You can’t help wonder how she will get herself out of this one and not land in jail.
  
  Sparks fly when she finds herself attracted to the assistant cruise director, Will. Not only is she falling in love, but she has to find a way not let him know she’s a fake without scaring him off. She has her work cut out for her to say the least.
  
  This is a charming book and a great start to a romantic comedy series. This promises to be a fun, delightful series filled with a wide variety of characters. It’s a quick read that left me smiling long after I swiped the last page. I know I’m going to love this series.
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  Susan (The Book Bag)

  I loved every book in this series! And I felt like I was on a cruise ship, taking my own vacation. What an awesome time I had.
  
  And I loved that I was able to get a little taste of 8 different authors' works. I have now found new authors to read.
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  Sophie-Leigh Robbins

  Loved this book! Such a fun and entertaining read.
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  Karen (BaronessBookTrove)

  I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Can Siggy convince Will to give her a chance?
  I Saw Him Standing There by Holly Kerr is a fabulous story of romance on a cruise ship. This book is a marvelous start to the Oceanic Dreams series.
  Seraphina “Siggy” Park-Smith a.k.a. Petra Van Brereton
  Siggy, wow! Siggy has got a lot going on. Let’s say that she has multiple names and what seems like personalities to go with them. Siggy changes so much throughout the story. It’s like being on the cruise not only helped her find love but also herself. Siggy still needs to let go of her guilt, but I feel like she is on her way to being the best Seraphina Park-Smith yet. She has a new job, a new man and her family back.
  Will McKay
  Will is an officer on the Oceanic Aphrodite cruise ship and as it turns out the first guy that Siggy meets and he believes that she is Petra. He is a nice guy and he is the goody-goody type. However, he isn’t a photographer. We learn a bit about Will, but the story is from Siggy’s point of view, so we don’t get into his head. Will does have some cool hangouts on the island stops.
  5 Stars for I Saw Him Standing There by Holly Kerr
  My rating for I Saw Him Standing There by Holly Kerr is five stars. I completely loved the story. Siggy is great. The romance between her and Will is sweet. The setting itself is spectacular, and I felt like I was on this beautiful cruise myself. Oh, and sign me up for one of the martinis.
  
  If you are looking for a quick summer read, I recommend I Saw Him Standing There by Holly Kerr. Now, I am on to Time of My Life by Laura Heffernan.
  
  
  

  
  
  

  About the Series
  

  Legend says a person with an open heart will meet their true love within a day of boarding the Oceanic Aphrodite. Siggy’s on the run, Liv’s taking her first vacation in ages, and Holly just wants to get to one million subscribers. But each of them finds a bit more than she bargained for. Will these 8 Sassy Singles sail off into the sunset with their matches or abandon ship?

  
  The Oceanic Dreams series is a set of eight romantic comedy novellas, all set on the same Caribbean cruise.
  
  
  Other Books in the Series
  
  

  
  
   
  
  To find my reviews for the series, click the links near the top of the page.
  
  
  
  Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of I Saw Him Standing There by Holly Kerr. 
  
  Also, check out my interview with Holly Kerr,
  HERE.
  
  Until the next time,
  
  
  
  Happy Reading!
  
  
  This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove
• 
  B.R. Maycock

  As you can see this is part of a box set about the Oceanic Aphrodite. I have to admit I bought it totally due to the cover, being in the mood for pure chick lit escapism and this didn't disappoint and also started reading so I could begin to make a dent into the mess that is my Kindle, which is brimming with books I HAVE to get started on. It is the story of Siggy, who, on the opening of our book, is on the run from some unsavoury characters who are her work colleagues (Siggy is a con artist). She is running as she has never been very good at her career choice (I laughed as I read about her beginnings and how her guilt used to lead her to redeem herself!) As she escapes, an extraordinarily rich lady offers her an out and before she knows it she's on a cruise ship sailing away. I really enjoyed this book from start to finish, it was a nice easy going read that had me smiling in all the right places. I'm sorry to say it would have impressed me a little bit more had it been purely comedy, I didn't really need the romance that went on and it actually made me question the fact that rom coms are so much more prevalent in my book land than humour. Why does a happy ever after involve the presence of a couple at the end of the book? Aside from this I did totally enjoy it and will most likely look out both the author and the series (I'm hoping the staff etc from the ship stay the same but I'm not sure if they do) again. 
  
  Definitely a recommended holiday read.
  
  Rating: 4/5
• 
  Els

  I remember watching ‘The love boat’ on tv some years ago and I did not want to miss one single episode. It goes without a doubt that this series would be straight up my alley.
  
  First of all I want to say that I love the cover. It’s fun, it’s bright and summery. It’s also book #1 in a series of 8 stories and I really think it’s a very clever idea to make them so recognisable. The cover is always more or less the same, but with a different color in the upper part. The cute little ship plays a big part too because it’s displayed at the beginning of every chapter.
  
  The story is light and made me smile several times. You can feel the warmth of the sun on your skin and see the views from the ship and the places where they dock.
  
  ‘You can’t hurry love’ was what Phil Collins sang, but you can’t slow it down either. When Cupid feels it’s the right moment, he will make you feel it. True love is forgiving even if you did not start your romance in a very honest way. That what life sometimes makes you do. Only the strong ones come to terms with it and fess up.
  
  The road to happiness is paved with honesty.
  
  This was a lovely and quick read and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series. 5 stars.
  
  Thank you, Holly Kerr
  
  
  https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com
• 
  Booklover Judy Lynn

  I love the Love Boat premise of this series. This first book is sweet. Siggy has some character development and the story is entirely from her POV. I really didn't feel like I got to know much of anything about Will except as related to his job. Many side characters are introduced, which I assume we will see again in other stories.
  Overall, I felt like this story could have been a little "more" of everything but just fell short. I will continue to the next book in the series to see if this story line is continued within the next one, but as a book alone it didn't really give me the HEA I wanted for the character.
• 
  Janet Miller

  This was a fun read. Through a case of mistaken identity, Siggy is thought to be an Uber driver. She wants to get away from her family issues so she decides to take the lady to pier to catch a cruise ship. She also wants to get away from someone who is after her. The lady she is driving ends up giving her the tickets for the cruise and tells her to pretend she is her. She also gives her her suitcase and passport. So Siggy decides what better way to get away than a free cruise. That's when all the fun begins. You will have to read it for yourself. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Highly recommended.
• 
  Pamela(AllHoney)

  The first book in the Oceanic Dreams series by Holly Kerr. Siggy is on the run from a guy who she owes money to. She is a con artist but not very good at it. A friend lends her his car that happens to have the Uber sticker and she ends up with a passenger who needs her to take her to the cruise ship Oceanic Aphrodite. But then the passenger changes her mind and offers her cruise ticket to Siggy. Siggy decides to go.
  
  I actually found this book to be delightful. Entertaining and humorous! I will read more by this author.
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  Gladys Mills

  I Saw Him Standing There. This book was interesting. I wasn't expecting this story. But it was a very good read! Siggy or Seraphina had turned away from her family and friends because of her past relationship. So she bumps into a girl that changes Siggy's life giving her a chance to get away from it all. Life was changing, she met someone and then Seraphina did something stupid. *** I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***
• 
  Pamela Devereux

  Fun summer read! First in a series where people are falling in love on the cruise. Siggy has been on her own for years. By accident she ends up on the cruise under cover. Will is the assistant cruise director. He is a lot of fun to be around. Karma has a way to balance everything out. You can go home and you can find love again. You have to want it badly enough to fight for it. I love the cast of characters!
• 
  Meaghan Royce

  I Saw Him Standing There was a great, short book by Holly Kerr. It starts with Siggy climbing out of a window to escape and by some weird turn of events she ends up on a cruise ship. I like how her past and present kind of meet and all at once she has to figure out who she is and who she wants to be. The ending was cute, but it felt like it ended abruptly. I like this series so far and will definitely be reading more.
• 
  Ashleigh

  A quick enjoyable read.
  I felt that the author had the ability to convey some depth to the personalities of the characters bringing a greater sense of reality to her story.
  The writing draws you in and keeps you interested until the end.
  The chemistry between the H and h is great plus their attitudes and events going on make the story even richer.
  
  I received a free copy of this book. This review was posted voluntarily.
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  D Marie

  This is a good book. It's light and quick read. Siggy and Will made a cute couple. She had issues, but she made the best out of a bad situation. Will was a sweetheart from the start. I absolutely love that the story took place on a cruise ship. It didn't take away from the story. I can't wait to read the rest of the series and I recommend this book.
  
  I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
• 
  Ash Lovesbooks

  Just A Sail Away!
  
  This is the first book in a fun series about an ocean love cruise with each book written by a different author. The characters are simple but interesting. The cruise is only one week so the amount of details are restricted slightly by the timeline. It’s a great fun read for a little vacation fun.
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  K Huskić

  Siggy was running from some bad people and was randomly handed tickets to a week long singles cruise. It was just the escape she needed, somewhere she couldn't be found, and a place she could get her head together. She was sceptical of the whole 'Love boat/Cupid's arrow' aspect of the ship, but then she meets Will...
  
  This was a short read, but so much fun! Read it in one sitting!
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  Jen

  I'll be perfectly honest. I grabbed this book for free on Amazon at some point and I only really read this book to finish a prompt in a reading challenge. I don't see myself continuing the series, even though I know the books are by different authors. I just wasn't really captured by the whole idea of a "magical" love cruise.
  
  But as for I Saw Him Standing There... I really had a hard time liking Siggy, the main female character. What was supposed to be a romantic comedy didn't really make me laugh or smile. It wasn't very deep and was a super quick read. It was just OK, just a middle of the road read for me.
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  reader 1085

  Sweet, fun lovely story with great characters. Got pulled into the story of Siggy.. cannot wait to read more of this series
  
  I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.