Every once in a while you come across a story that completely captures your heart.

Float Plan did absolutely that.

Anna Beck spent an agonizing 10 months mourning the loss of her boyfriend who died by suicide. When she wakes up two days before Thanksgiving to a notification on her phone that Ben set three years before - TODAY IS THE DAY, ANNA! WE’RE GOING SAILING! - she packs up her life, goes to the store for supplies, and heads out alone for the sailing trip they planned to take together.

After her first 24 hours on the boat aren’t exactly smooth sailing, she wisely decides to hire someone more experienced to help along her specifically charted course. She finds Keane Sullivan - or rather he finds her - and not only is he a professional sailor, he also knows something about losing the life you planned to have.

Float Plan is a heartwarming adventure of epic proportions! As Anna and Keane travel from island to island battling elements and their growing attraction, there’s no shortage of fun characters and life-changing experiences. Anna learns to chart her own course, while Keane finds the purpose for his.

Keane was EXACTLY the person Anna needed in her life. But also Anna was exactly the person Keane needed in his.

Sidenote: As a mother, I’m horrified that Anna hired some unknown man to help sail her boat. But the romantic in me is “damn, that was one sweet meet-cute!” Also, in a day and time when it seems everyone is angry and only out for their own interests, it was delightful to read a story filled with kind, generous people. I now want to buy a sailboat and travel around the Caribbean!

There’s not a single thing I would change about this book, except maybe make it 200 pages longer. Ms. Doller’s writing is flawless and I felt like I was a fly on the wall to Anna and Keane’s adventure. Her descriptions are vivid, but never filled with so much extraneous information to cause the figurative effect of dropping an anchor to the pace of the story. I felt the depths of Anna’s sorrow without feeling oppressively sad. I felt her sense of determination and cheered for her successes. I loved Anna’s journey of discovery, I loved Keane’s gentle guidance and encouragment, I loved Anna and Keane’s relationship and how it developed. For a book that dealt with some heartbreaking topics, it didn’t have a heavy tone - instead it had me feeling hopeful and happy.

"I'm starting to understand how sadness and happiness can live side by side within a heart. And how that heart can keep on beating."

I just...loved this story.

I can’t recommend it enough. READ IT!!!

* thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

📚Book Review 📚
TW: Suicide, grief, depression, death of a loved one, ableism

I honestly saw this book around bookstagram for a while ago and already had it on my TBR before I was lucky enough that @smpromance reached out to me to read a copy in exchange for a review. I am so glad they did because I loved this little book.

Not surprisingly, I was in tears about five pages into this one. It’s not hard for me to cry, but I’m not usually that quickly affected by a book. I could feel Anna’s pain and grief just emanating off the page. I felt this was such a beautiful story of finding yourself again after such insurmountable loss when one’s life is so tightly woven and intertwined with that of the loved one lost.

Though the overall subject matter is heavy, Doller does a seamless job of weaving in humor and heart meltingly sweet moments. Not to mention Keane Sullivan may now be my number one book boyfriend. This story was under 300 pages, and Doller built the chemistry between Keane and Anna beautifully.

All of this takes place with a backdrop on this great sailing adventure island hopping from Puerto Rico to the Caribbean. The story swept me away and easily let me escape on as close to a tropical vacation as I will get in the near future.

If this isn’t already on your TBR, definitely add it now!

I don't know what it was about this book that made me love it so much but I did. The story starts out quite heavy with the death of Anna's fiancé and her trying to find herself. She decides to take the boat and go on the sailing trip they were supposed to go on together. She realizes pretty quickly that she needs help on the trip and hires Keane, an experienced sailor who has one prosthetic limb. He's a huge help but her original trip veers off course pretty quickly.
This story was such a wonderful balance of heart, humor and depth to it that I did not expect at all. I loved Keane pretty much immediately and his attitude towards life is fantastic. Even though he lost a leg in an unexpected way, he can sail with the best of them. Anna grows so much through the book and I felt so proud of her as the story went on. They bonded so easily and their relationship bloomed so effortlessly. Their friendly banter was on point and even though it takes a while for them to get there, it wouldn't have worked any sooner. Their destinations and adventures sounded amazing and the whole book was just refreshing. There are dark moments in the book, especially when talking about Ben, her dead fiancé. His mother was quite a cold character that I actually gasped at her actions. Despite her very few scenes of the book, I couldn't believe what she was asking. I absolutely loved the addition of Queenie and Keane's brother just brought even more life to the story. Anna's boat even felt like a character. I honestly would love to see this adapted into a movie. It's a quiet and intimate book where Anna has to find herself and figure out how she can live without Ben and her journey there is wonderful.
HIGHLY recommend and it may be my favorite book of the year so far.

Float Plan by Trish Dollar was one of the best books I have read in a long time. The writing in this book was so beautiful and lyrical. There were some difficult scenes in this book, which I though the author handled really well.

I was a bit hesitant starting this book because I didn't know if I could find trust in any author to do right by this sensitive subject, but I must say, I was blown away by the way it was handled.

The pacing of this book was so beautiful and the descriptions of the enviornments adding an extra layer to the book.

Highly recommend this book for anyone who is looking for a book about love, forgiveness, grief, and identity.

A great escape read!! Anna is dealing with her grief over her fiancé Ben’s suicide and embarks on the sailing trip they had been planning with the sailboat he left her. She quickly learns that she can’t sail it on her own and makes an arrangement with Keane, a sexy Irishman with a prosthetic leg she meets one night. Together they rediscover new dreams and find unexpected love on the seas. I enjoyed this book a lot, especially having a main character with a disability and the way he lives with it shown so normalized. Lots of fun travel descriptions of Caribbean islands and a slow-build romance that I shipped hard! Highly recommend, especially for fans of After you, P.S. I love you and Evvie Drake starts over

*Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own*

Trigger warning for self harm and suicide.

Apart from the fact that I got lost and lost half of the book because I didn't understand half of the terms and nomenclatures about boats I loved this book, it takes us on a journey together with protagonist it was wonderful.
I would have read this book in a day if I didn't have so much to do,it is so fast and captivating.
This book is a journey that we embarked on with the main character, in the end there is no way you will not be changed and moved by this story.
The emotional journey that the protagonist goes through is incredible and the author's writing makes you go through everything with her.
I loved traveling with this story, meeting places and people with our protagonist and falling in love with everything with her.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read something fast but exciting that changes you at the end of the reading.

A warning to potential readers: this deals with death by suicide, method, being the person to find them, grief, and depression.

“But I am less afraid of what might become of me while sailing alone in the Caribbean than of what might become of me if I stay.”

I devoured this book. It was heavy in sections, but well balanced with humor and romance. Anna seems to have lost herself when she lost Ben. She doesn’t seem to be living but is existing day to day. She decides to go on the boat trip Ben had planned because what else is she going to do? Anna embarks on her journey ill prepared for what it entails, so she has no choice but to hire someone to assist her, enter Keane.

He’s naturally charming and hilarious. He has also experienced hardships in life so they make a good pair and become fast friends. Keane knew when to step in and when to back away and let her process and work through her grief. Their blossoming friendship was really beautiful and I liked how the romance never felt rushed but naturally and slowly evolves.

Each new destination gives Anna a deeper insight into herself as well as her relationship with Ben. This could have been cliche, but I felt like each new island brought on fresh characters, my favorite might be Eulalia on Cat Island, and more layers to Anna. Sometimes she would slip away when I wanted her to push forward, but it made her grief feel more realistic.

"You can stay if you want, but I have no interest in anyone who doesn’t recognize you for the exceptional human being you are.”

Doller’s writing is descriptive but never over the top. It felt like I could feel the sun and see the water. The depth of emotion was there and while I never got choked up it resonated with me. What a brilliant adult debut and I can’t wait for more. I’m off to read all her young adult titles because I need more.

Float Plan is about a woman named Anna, who has been grieving the loss of her fiance, Ben, for about 10 months. Tired of her grief being in control and reminded of the trip they had planned, she impulsively quits her bartending job and sets sail to complete their voyage on her own. However, she quickly learns she doesn’t quite have the skills it will take to get her to the Caribbean, so she enlist the help of a professional sailor named Keane.

Keane is a vagabond trying to adapt to the new path life has thrown him on. When he sees an opportunity to keep a little of his original goals in hand he seize the opportunity.

Together they set out to complete the trip as tensions rise and dangerous complications ensue.

Set on the sailboat and with multiple island visits, this adventure creates a unique backdrop for the swarm of emotions Anna learns to finally deal with and explore.

I thought this book was a lovely read and gave it 3.5 stars.

Just reading about Anna sitting at home and working through her grief and meeting someone that’s bringing forth emotions she hadn’t felt for anyone else for a while wouldn’t have been as interesting.

What makes it so interesting is the situation these characters are in. Watching Anna and Keane battle with their emotions and uncertainties while being in close quarters on the sailboat and while meeting new people on the islands and facing new situations together.

Anna is grieving the death of her fiancée by suicide. When a calendar event on her phone reminds her
of the sailing trip they were supposed to take, she decides to impulsively set sail in his sailboat.
Following his itinerary, she is set on making this journey alone. However, after a few mishaps and
recognizing she cannot make the journey alone, she hires Keane to help accomplish her mission. He is
dealing with his own struggles after an accident has limited his job opportunities on the sailing circuit.

This is a slow burn romance as Anna and Keane start out as confidants and friends moving into a more
emotional connection as they explore remote islands and beautiful Caribbean locations.

My Thoughts:
What a beautiful story about finding the strength to do something out of your comfort zone, giving life a
chance and starting over. The characters are both broken, but still moving forward and finding happiness where it was not expected. I would go on an adventure with these two anytime!

I loved this book so much! It's such a fun and sweet story, but at the same time, it's about how to deal with grief and how to move forward after a catastrophic event destroys the future you thought you'd have.

Anna is the kind of woman you can't help but like and root for. She's doing her best and she wants to take this trip to honor Ben but also because her life is currently awful. She can't move forward, so she decides to take the trip she and Ben planned to take. But unfortunately, she's can't really do it herself because she's not a particularly capable sailor. (She would've been fine with Ben, but she can only sail in perfect conditions and that's not always possible. And then she meets Keane. And he is amazing.)

This is the best book to read now. (Or any time.) It's fun and inspiring and a great time. Highly recommended.

Although not a book I would purchase in my professional role, it is one that I will be recommending in my personal life! Thank you so much for allowing me to have access to the digital arc!
I was smitten with the cover, then I read the synopsis, and I thought maybe this wasn't the right time for me to read this. So, I gave it the two chapter try, and was hooked!

Float Plan resonated with me because I lost both of my parents to covid in the past 10 months. The idea of feeling guilty for moving on when someone you loved so much is gone is one I understand well. As I followed Anna’s journey through grief, I saw pieces of myself and I think anyone who has lost someone close to them will be able to relate to her feelings.

While this story starts with heartbreak, it is really heartwarming and beautiful in the end. Both Anna and Keane are dealing with grief over a loss. They are each facing futures they never thought they would face and I loved that element of their story. The resilience of people dealing with difficult situations has always inspired me. Anna and Keane perfectly illustrate that ability to embrace a different path in life and a second chance at happiness.

I absolutely adored this book. It’s powerful and emotional yet also funny and sweet. I loved thee sailboat/tropical setting, which is a unique plot element that I haven’t really seen before. Everyone will find something in this story that resonates with them. Float Plan is the type of book that makes you feel a range of emotions from sadness to happiness, grief to hope.

Float Plan is about a woman, Anna, mourning the recent suicide of her fiancé, who sets off on the sailing trip around the Caribbean that she and her fiancé had planned to take together. Along the way, Anna takes on a crew member, Keane, to help her complete her journey. Oh, this book gave me all the feels. ALL THE FEELS.
Anna is broken and grief stricken but also so incredibly brave, strong and resilient. She is the perfect example of digging deep, finding your grit and learning so much about your own strength in the process. Her relationship with Keane is what rom com dreams are made of. The adorable and hilarious banter and the overall sweetness between the two of them is like a warm hug and a steaming hot cocoa loaded with marshmallows. And I absolutely gobbled up all of the sailing jargon (and no, I don’t sail but I do watch Below Deck..) and I fell in love with the various quirky characters they met at the various ports along the way. A true love story but not just love between two people but finding love of yourself and standing on your own two feet - pushing the limits and learning how much you are capable of doing. I smiled the entire time that I was reading this book and didn’t want it to end.

A transportive and emotional story about second chances, sailing, and finding love once again. This is a forced proximity romance about a heartbroken young woman running away from home to sail the Caribbean with a mysterious Irishmen who loves the sea. A book that found me at the perfect time: vivid, simmering with intense sexual tension, and one of my new favorite book escapes!

Blurb: After Anna’s boyfriend commits suicide she decides to take his boat and sail away from her life. A handsome seamen named Keane helps Anna on her trip across the ocean and in the process they both learn to let go, grow, and fall in love again.

I really fell hard for this book! The setting brought me into an entirely different world and I felt like I was experiencing this trip with Anna and Keane first hand. I have a weakness for book heroes who are broken and vulnerable, and Keane was exactly that. Doller brought us characters who were struggling and she helped them power through their emotions with honesty and truth. This is a really beautiful novel that captures the stages of grief and explains tragedy and hope within the same breathe. Just a really exceptional romance!

An engrossing read about healing and discovery...of islands and yourself, and piecing yourself back together. The sailing and the gradual development of the main relationship was a plus.

What an incredibly touching extraordinary novel. This explores Anna's journey after a tragedy.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for fair and honest review.

Second chance loves, grief, sailing, and new discoveries come together in this romantic and beautiful story about what happens on the journey of dealing with the grief of losing a loved one and trying to move on. It has been one year and Anna is still reeling from the loss of her fiancee Ben, who had committed suicide and left her asking herself what she could have done and how she is suppose to continue on if she is left in this state of grief and pain. Ben and Anna had planned on going on a world sailing voyage together, and after losing Ben, Anna decides it’s time to go on the sailing voyage they had originally planned to go on together by herself. However, after a dangerous night of sailing, Anna realizes she’s going to need help completing her journey and hires Keane, a professional sailor who offers to help for free as long as they arrive at the destination. Keane is struggling with loss, though a different loss than Anna’s. He has lost a leg due to a horrible accident and is now sailing the sea. Anna and Keane begin to find that they understand one another and each other’s losses, and a sweet friendship and romance ensues about two people who are discovering something new together.

This was a really great book that deals with how moving on is extremely difficult and the grief we feel after losing a loved one takes time to heal. Sometimes it takes trying new things, meeting new people, crying, or going on an impulsive sailing journey and quitting your job, but healing takes time and learning to give things a second chance is important. It’s a sweet story about not only opening yourself up again after grieving, but about healing yourself and finding acceptance.

*Thank you so much St. Martin’s Press for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review and for being part of the blog tour!*

Anna’s grief after her fiancé’s suicide has settled over her like an impenetrable fog. For months, they had been meticulously planning a sailing trip with stops at various destinations. On the day they were meant to depart, Anna abandons her old life to take the trip on her own and ends up hiring Keane to be her guide and helpmate.
Keane is more silently going through his own life changes after losing a leg in an accident. Sailing is his blood and air, yet his capability has come into question now that he uses a prosthesis. Like Anna, he too, is looking a second chance. His down to earth personality and ability to read others are as much of a help to Anna as his sailing knowledge. He instinctively knows when to push her to go further and when to pull back, his reliability a staunch contrast to the ever-changing seas that surround them.
With their personal growth as much of a focus as their blossoming friendship and later romance, Float Plan offers a heartfelt look into the effects of different types of loss. Anna and Keane are both realistically flawed, each struggling in their own way to find equilibrium. Their meeting feels like nothing short of kismet yet never pushes against the bounds of believability. 4.5 stars to this stunning tale. My thanks to St. Martin’s Press for a complimentary copy. This did not impact my review.

This was so much fun to read. The descriptions of the islands makes me want to sail the world with my love. Loved the story, loved the ending. Fantastic read. Didn't want to put it down.

My review: 4 stars.

Trigger warning: suicide.

This was just delightful and exactly the type of book I needed to kick me out of my book and winter doldrums. Though fair warning, it'll make you want to leave right away for the Bahamas and Caribbean, but it was just enough  tropical fun and description to make me forget the frigid temps and roaring wind of New England winters. It was the right book for the moment- reminded me of travel, gave me inspiration of places to visit, and brought actual warmth when I was literally cold. It did not make me want to sail on my own sailboat though because my type of getaway involves doing very little hard work, and sailing on your own seems like a more arduous and dangerous version of camping.

Overall, the book was predictable in terms of plot and an obvious falling in love story, but it was more about the process of self-discovery and understanding her grief for Anna that progresses as the sailing journey moves ahead. There's a bit of self-awareness and learning about Keane, but the book is written solely from Anna's perspective. While I enjoyed this book, I would have loved more from Keane's perspective and understanding him a bit more and that likely would have knocked this into the 5 star category.

Highly recommend for a lovely, quick read that'll make you want to plan your first post-pandemic Caribbean adventure!