Float Plan blew me away. It's part romance, part grief, and part finding yourself. Ten months after Anna lost her fiance she gets a reminder on her phone of a trip they were going to take and just up and goes. It was such a powerful opening, and obviously what Anna needed to do to deal with her grief. I adored Keane, who has his own struggles. I don't want to talk much about it, because I appreciated the surprise of what he was dealing with, and it's impact on Anna.

Anna and Keane were good for each other, and what they each needed to become whole again. The very best thing about Keane is that he did not treat Anna like she couldn't handle things on the boat, making sure to show her what she didn't know (which considering her grand sailing plans was quite a bit) rather than just do it for her. Anna's strength and determination really showed through as well, I would have quit before leaving Florida!

Float Plan is the perfect book to settle into if you need a bit of a wallow, but also know that you want that happy ending.

HJ Top Pick

Ten months after her fiancé Ben’s suicide, Anna, motivated by incredible grief, throws her small worldly possessions aboard the 30 ft Alberg that he gifted her in his will, with the fool-hearty intention of sailing from Fort Lauderdale to Trinidad by herself.

Having sailed only a handful of times with Ben, Anna is a complete amateur, yet the need to achieve their shared dream is a powerful driver in pushing her to flee the life of loss she’s been living. After the first overnight leg to Bimini however, Anna realises she is way out of her depth and does the sensible thing of remaining at port until she can find a suitable crewman to help navigate the trip. Keane, also coming to terms with his shattered dreams, is the ideal sailor for Anna to share the journey with, particularly given his champion sailing skills and his capacity to empathise and create space for her to learn more than just the tricks of the trade.

From beginning to end, this incredible love story was heartbreakingly beautiful, and Doller’s masterful writing captured the daily, if not hourly struggle that exists for those shattered in the wake of suicide. Anna was the perfect survivor wherein her inner narrative was painted by the competing and torturous pressures of grief; the push and pull of when to feel happiness without guilt, when to feel love without hating yourself for feeling , and when to want something more for yourself then being trapped in memories and dreams of the past. Her ongoing self-doubt, and her frequent moments of self-blame were raw and honest, and yet it was her tenacity and grit that gave breadth to the real bravery wherein the strong themes of resilience were a sheer delight to experience. And Keane – sheesh! What an incredible human: intelligent, warm, perceptive and similarly courageous, his very real and life-long struggles were captured poetically, providing perfect connection between his motivation and sensitivity when it came to his treatment and care of Anna. Whilst simple in it’s over-arching plot structure,

Float plan is anything but, particularly when it came to peeling back the layers of the heart that Anna was slowly rebuilding whilst simultaneously protecting herself from breaking. Incredible scenery, amazing adventures, independence and learning the life-long lessons of self-belief and ownership were the keystones of a fabulous read that was magnetic from the very first page. Without a shadow of a doubt, this is a beautiful must-read book that encourages everyone to never give up on love and to never give up on life.

Waves of unparalleled grief are overtaking Anna after the loss of her fiancé by suicide. Her life is crashing down around her and on impulse she takes off on a journey they had planned to the Islands on their sailboat. Unprepared and reckless, Anna soon recognizes she can't make the journey without help from someone more experienced on the seas.

Keane Sullivan, a professional sailor, answers her flyer and literally saves her life after a drunken stupor on her first stop in the Caribbean. Together, they embark on the open waters trying to set course on the plan her fiancé envisioned for the trip. Keane and Anna have both suffered loss in different ways, hampering their ability to feel the open waters flowing in their hearts on what they want from life.

This book is so wonderfully heartwarming and endearing. Keane is a hunky, sweetheart knowing when, what and how Anna needs him to overcome fear, loss and a broken heart. I've never rooted for a couple more than I have for these two. This slow-burn romance is filled with vivid details of the islands, the colorful oceans and the acknowledge that grief sucks.

This is a story about grief and emerging on the other side of it. Anna's fiancé died by suicide ten months ago and when the forgotten alarm on her phone goes off two days before Thanksgiving, she packs up and starts off on the sailing voyage they were meant to take together.

Along the way she takes on challenges she never expected, and hires Keane, an experienced Irish sailor, to help carry the load. Told from Anna's perspective, we see her deal with the death of her fiancé and her confliction about her feelings for Keane.

It's a slow burn with a low heat level, but it's emotionally fulfilling. I consumed it over the course of a single day.

I found myself looking up sailing terms (I didn't know what a V berth was, but I do now), but I never found myself distracted from the story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Float Plan by Trish Doller, published by St. Martin's Press, is a gripping story, ecxellent written. An emotional read that had me in tears more than one time. The story deals with sensitive subject, prepare to have tissues and consider you warned.
Anna is grieving her boyfriend Ben. She decides to go on a boattrip, a trip that both of them had planned. And off she is to mozrning her lost love, finding herself, maybe finding a new love.
A great read, unputdownable, a read in one sitting book.
I recommend Float Plan, 5 stars.

Anna sets out on a life changing journey. This story was wonderful, the way the author wrote about all of the stops she made were so vivid. It made me feel like I was actually on that sailboat. This book is about losing love,, mending hearts and moving on. I truly enjoyed this book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so good. Be forewarned, there is mention of suicide in this book. That being said, I believe it was handled with grace and wasn't thrown into the story just because.

While reading I felt as if I was on the journey with Anna and boy was it a journey. She is so broken, yet strong, hardened yet kind. Her fiancé committing suicide rocked her world and almost a year later she takes their previously planned sailing trip alone. The hutzpah this takes is immeasurable. I love how she was able to "find herself" through sailing, meeting Keane, and exploring new places.

Keane. What an amazing character. An irishmen that has had his own share of pain, but continues to push through. He's something I feel like you rarely see in real life, a real gentleman who is there when you need it, but also lets you be.

This book made me laugh, cry, and love. I highly recommend reading the story of Anna and Keane. Also I wouldn't be upset if we got a sequel or a book for Eamon.

Float Plan by Trish Doller is coming out soon, and you don’t want to miss it. This is a beautiful and heart-warming story that I immediately connected to from the opening pages. You will experience a full gamut of emotions as you read this well-written book … and you’ll love it!

Here’s the scoop:

Since the loss of her fiancé, Anna has been shipwrecked by grief—until a reminder goes off about a trip they were supposed to take together. Impulsively, Anna goes to sea in their sailboat, intending to complete the voyage alone.

But after a treacherous night’s sail, she realizes she can’t do it by herself and hires Keane, a professional sailor, to help. Much like Anna, Keane is struggling with a very different future than the one he had planned. As romance rises with the tide, they discover that it’s never too late to chart a new course.

Trish Doller’s unforgettable adult debut, Float Plan, reminds readers that starting over doesn’t mean forgetting: you can build a new home, right alongside the old.

Awesome book, coming out on March 2!

This book. It just immediately hit me so hard in the feels and I couldn’t put it down. It’s a fairly short book and I finished it in about 3 hours. My only issue is that I wanted more!

💛The characters were honest and their emotions were open and real. The romance was sweet and uncomplicated, but where the book truly shined was in Anna and Keane’s individual character development. They had both been through such trauma and seeing them work through their grief and come to terms with lives that they didn’t envision was the best part for me.
💛As book boyfriends go, Keane is the ultimate! Irish, strong, patient, passionate and so sweet. Their romance was a bit of a slow burn and worth every second. There was no unnecessary drama or conflict - everything just fit.
💛You will for sure want to go sailing in the Caribbean after reading this. The authors passion definitely came through and it was beautiful.

⚠️: Large focus on suicide from the very first page

The book opens with Anna’s fiance’s - Ben’s - suicide note, and follows Anna on her physical journey sailing around the Caribbean and her emotional journey, learning how to live her life without Ben.
Anna is realistic, relatable, and I was rooting for her throughout. While this book is a slow-burning romance, the biggest love story was Anna’s self-discovery and personal growth, as she learns to fall in love with life once again.
While a lot of the sailing terminology went straight over my head, I was still able to clearly picture what was happening, and the descriptions of the islands visited throughout the book have filled me with wanderlust.
Although - as I often find with this kind of book - much of the plot was predictable, there was a comfort in this predictability, and I wasn’t bothered by it because this book is *so* much more than the events that happen within its pages. This is a story of second chance love, new experiences and learning how to navigate grief - driven forward by strong character growth. I’d highly recommend this to anyone who’s a fan of slow-burning romances and realistic characters with strong development.

Sidenote - Keane Sullivan is a DREAM.

Float Plan is a breath of fresh air in contemporary romance, a engaging and truly moving story about finding love. I didn't expect it to be so moving, but the frank way it deals with suicide, as well as grief, was so well done and helped me really connect with and root for Anna and Keane.

The setting is gorgeous, and Trish Doller definitely knows how to build romantic tension--and the result is an engaging and nuanced read that will appeal to romance readers as well as women's fiction readers. And with her YA background, I absolutely see a lot of crossover apoeal there too for older teens. Very highly recommended.

I love a sailing story and the fact this was a sailing romance made it even better! This is a sweet story about loss and grief and I really enjoyed it.

This was a really charming read. I love how Anna's physical journey (sailing) mirrored her emotional journey from being in the throes of grief to finally being able to live for herself again and open herself to new experiences and to love.
The author does a really good job letting the characters develop, along with the plot. At no point did I feel anything was rushed. I also admire how she presented the different stages of grief, and how natural it felt to see Anna go through it all. This is Anna's story, not Ben's, and I loved how it reflected that. 3.5 stars.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for my ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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Once in a while a book comes along that really stands out from the rest. Trish Doller’s adult debut novel FLOAT PLAN is one of those books for me.
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It's about a woman who impulsively sets off on a sailing trip after losing her boyfriend to suicide ten months prior.
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Anna soon realises it is too treacherous to navigate the seas by herself and hires Keane, a professional sailor, to help her complete the journey.
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Anna and Keane are both characters struggling to stay afloat after experiencing crushing heartbreak and I thought the author explored their journey through grief so realistically and authentically. I was utterly engrossed in their story.
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I also really admired the writing and the many clever ways in which the author uses the sea, the sailboat and Anna and Keane’s trip as metaphors for navigating the grieving process.
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This book was a definite 5-star read for me and I highly recommend it.

This book really took me by surprise. Death of a partner or spouse is not something I am usually drawn to but from the minute I started this book I could not put it down. I stopped reading my current book and binged this one in less than 24 hours. I loved Anna and Keane's story so much. It was a lesson in learning to let the past go but not forgotten and to try and start over when it doesn't seem like you can. Anna went through a lot of inner turmoil and I loved her journey that she too on the boat, with starting out thinking of it as her late finace's to in the end it being truly hers. I loved all the history and information that the author gave us on all the islands that Anna and Keane went to on their trip. I am not one for water travel but this book seriously made me want to sail around the Caribbean Islands for a few months. This book combined with another recent read really has me wanting a tropical vacation and warmer weather. I highly recommend this book! There are some serious topics about in the book so if you are interested I would look into trigger warnings. Thank you St.Martin's Press for my gifted copy for review.

An Adventure to Recovery

"Float Plan" by Trish Doller
I was caught hook, line and sinker by this story. I just could not put it down. This story has it all. Romance but no graphic details. Heart-break, Adventure, Poor Choices, Trauma from Choices, a Travelogue most of us will never witness ourselves (live in person)… but isn't that why we read to be where we are not.. fantasy land. Sorry, got carried away there for a moment. You really do want to read this story to find out where the "Float Plan" takes Anna, from where she starts, where she goes, some of the people she meets, and how the story ends. You will not be disappointed. Happy Reading ! !
Note: I received an ARC of this story from the publisher. This review is my honest opinion.

“Kind is one of the easiest things to be.”⁣
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The Float Plan was so so so beautiful. This was such a well written story of loss, grief, finding yourself, perseverance, finding love after loss, and learning to be okay alone.⁣
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This story touched on tough topics in such a wonderfully gentle way. ⁣
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Anna loses her fiancé to suicide; he leaves her his boat and a map to travel the Caribbean. She decides to leave Florida and go on the journey alone to keep her promise to him to travel to Trinidad. She meets so many wonderful people along the way, who teach her how to view life differently and she slowly overcomes the grief that has been weighing her down. ⁣
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The descriptions of the different islands that Anna sails were magnificent. I could see the beautiful skies and smell the sea breeze. I could feel her grief and pain; I could feel her joy and happiness. I loved learning about all of the different cultures throughout the different islands she travelled. I don’t know anything about sailing but it was truly such an inspirational, heartwarming and heart wrenching story. ⁣
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If you are looking for a sweet romance and a well written story, with beautiful views and culture, go pick this up.⁣
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an ARC for my honest review. ⁣
#bookstagram #books #romance #thefloatplan #bookcommunity

Title: Float Plan
Author: Trish Doller
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5

Since the loss of her fiancé, Anna has been shipwrecked by grief—until a reminder goes off about a trip they were supposed to take together. Impulsively, Anna goes to sea in their sailboat, intending to complete the voyage alone.

But after a treacherous night’s sail, she realizes she can’t do it by herself and hires Keane, a professional sailor, to help. Much like Anna, Keane is struggling with a very different future than the one he had planned. As romance rises with the tide, they discover that it’s never too late to chart a new course.

This was a fantastic read! I loved it from the very beginning. Anna grows so much as a character as she grieves, struggles, then realizes life does go on after loss—and she becomes stronger and more capable. I loved reading about all the different places she visited and the people she met. And Keane, well, a handsome man from Ireland is always a bonus! (But he’s a terrific guy, too.)

Trish Doller was born in Germany but now lives in Florida. Float Plan is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Blog link live 3/5.

I went into Float Plan expecting a sweet romance. That’s what I got for sure, but in addition to so many other things! This is not just a romance book and I absolutely loved it!

Anna loses her fiancée to suicide and has been bereft ever since, stuck in her grief. After a reminder goes off about the epic sailing adventure they had planned together, Anna decides to set sail...by herself. What follows is a journey of self discovery and adventure.

The setting was absolutely magical. The romance was sweet and I was charmed by the characters. The dialogue was bright and witty, making me smile time and time again. But what stood out to me the most was the way the author depicted the journey of grief after suicide. I can attest that it is grief on steroids and that there are so many more emotions thrown into the mix. The author gracefully attacked this subject and delivers it in a relatable, authentic way. After the loss of my mom to suicide, I threw myself into training for a marathon. It was incredibly cathartic for me so I could relate to Anna and how she was determined to go on this journey and learn how to sail by herself. This novel was incredibly well done and I absolutely loved it. 5⭐️ My thanks to @stmartinspress for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

This book surprised me in so many ways, and was just beautifully done! A story of grief, love, and self-discovery, FLOAT PLAN will take readers on an enchanting voyage from beginning to end. CW: suicide