This was a very sweet and enjoyable book. As someone fortunate enough to not have gone through intense grief yet, I think there are some portions of the book that didn't resonate with me as they might with other people. I loved the setting, though, and found the way life on a sailboat was portrayed fascinating. It made me wish I was island hopping and spending time on the beach. I definitely fell for Keane, but I think it would be hard not to. This isn't all light and fun - there's a ton of heart in it. Read this for something that will explore feelings, with a slow burn payoff at the end.

I loved this book. It took me a while to get around to reading this one even though I fantasize about sailing the Caribbean. I think the cover threw me off a bit, it's so sunny and light, while the description seems like an emotional commitment (which I can get totally onboard for sometimes). How could you not fall in love and root for Anna? There is so much to admire in a character who impulsively takes a risk that, at it's root, takes so much courage. Her courage and strength is hidden just beneath the surface and Doller makes it believable, honest, and accessible. Keane Sullivan is the 'sailor' in shining armor. Irish heroes are always charming, adorable, irresistible. I'm totally down for it.
Doller has done a nice job of balancing the sailing terms with the story. I still searched a few things to solidify the images when it was convenient and my imagination was never hindered by the language.
Great read! Can't wait to get the hard copy in March. This would be a great book club read - fairly short, enough romance and pull to keep members reading, exotic locations to drool over collectively, and opportunities for discussion about grief, personal setbacks, growth, love and loss.
Thanks so much for galley!

I got this book solely because it was available and I’m so glad I made the rash decision . This book is one that I’m holding close to my heart . I love that at the beginning of this books there’s a little note that to give us reads a heads up about the content, that may be triggering in this book.
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I love that the love interest wasn’t a Douche cause I’m tired or their horrible guys 😩, Keanne is perfect and I need to be apart of his family because they all sound amazing. I love how the character Anna grief is portrayed in a realistic way because there’s no time line or a certain way to grieve a lost .
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This is a second change romance and just a great book about life and the bumps along the way. I really love hearing about the food , I’m from the Caribbean so seeing my culture in the book really made me happy .

This is a very positive, uplifting romance. Both characters have survived different tragedies that have left them with different experiences than they had planned. What I loved was how neither character showed pity towards the other. They just accepted each other's stories and helped each other when needed. Ultimately, this is a story of survivors. Survivors that learned that they could handle their new lives alone or together. This story lacked unnecessary drama and some of the more common romance tropes. I don't think that is easy to pull off.. Thank you for a great story.

When Anna’s fiancé commits suicide, she sets off for an adventure aboard his boat. She hires a professional sailor, Keene, to help.

This book is billed as funny and light, and while it was romantic and steamy, I thought it had a lot of substance and was more emotional than I expected. The writing is excellent, the chemistry is intense, the story is compelling. I loved it!!

Oh my. This book is just beautifully written. I literally just finished it and I am sitting here thinking about it. The first thing I have to say it was an unexpected surprise for me and I mean that in a good way. Part of the reason is that the cover does not fit the story at all. I am actually very sad it has the cover it does. The cover, to me, implies a light read. Maybe a summer read. But that is not what I got. What I got was so much more. It was heartbreaking and cathartic and just beautiful. And the cover sells it short. Which is one of the few complaints I have.

Float Plan follows the heroine Anna who decides to take a sailing trip she had planned with her fiancé before he committed suicide. We don't get to know too much about Ben, her fiancé, but he is a side character in the book as he is always present in Anna. There is also a side story that deals with his parents that I don't think was necessary but wasn't overly distracting either.

Along the way Anna learns it is not the best idea to set off on a sailing trip when you don't really know that much about sailing and she picks up Keane who is working through some issues of his own. I love the friendship that built between these two and that the author took the time to build on that. I love the descriptions of the places they visited, but also the people they met along the way. Anyone who has ever traveled knows that a visit to a new place is not only about seeing that place- but the people you meet along the way. And not to be too cliche but Anna was getting to know herself along the way. Keane is also showing growth dealing with his own demons, although I wasn't a fan with how he dealt with one at the end- I generally loved his journey.

While the topic isn't light, loss and grief never are, there was enough light and humor that made this a very enjoyable read. I felt lucky to be along on Anna's journey and although I have not read this author before, I just happened to grab it on NetGalley, I will definitely keep an eye out for other books of hers in the future.

Doller's Float Plan was a refreshing romantic read filled with humor, determination and personal triumph over loss and sorrow. I enjoyed the sailing accounts and found myself wanting more of the story at the end! Well done!

Trigger Warnings: Suicide

I really really really wish the description I read of the book would have been more explicit about the fact that the Anna’s fiancé died by suicide. I honestly don’t know that I would have requested the book had I known. It was very jarring to me to have the book literally start with a suicide note as a sort of prologue. I opened the book when I first got it from NetGalley in July, read the note on the first page, and had to step away from the book for four months. The book itself handles the topic well and was very realistic in the depiction of grief and loss. I think the author was smart to write the book in first person present. Usually first person present books are difficult for me to get into but it really worked for this book because it kept me as a reader in the head of Anna at that exact moment.

The reason I wanted to read this book that is a romance that takes place while the pair is sailing around the Caribbean and I may or may not have pictured them as Bill and Donna from Mamma Mia Here We Go Again the entire time I was reading the book. I love sailboats. It is my dream to live on one though that will likely never happen as I live in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. Having been to the Caribbean it was very fun to read about and reminisce on my island experiences being the tourist who arrived on a cruise ship.

Anna grew on me throughout the book and I liked Keane from the start. That being said, I don’t know that I see them as a forever couple. The book was quite the slow burn and I honestly would have been fine with their HEA being them deciding they would be better as friends and business partners. Of course if that was the ending then it wouldn’t be a true romance and I would be writing to complain about it not having themed up together. The book definitely fudges the line between romance and women’s fiction as it was more about Anna’s journey of healing than focused on their relationship. This was my first book by Trish Doller and I would happily read her work again.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for my review. I believe that this is a first novel for Trish Doller, and if it is I can't wait to read what she writes next! This novel was awesome! If I had to compare it to another book it would be Wild, except instead of a soul-searching hike, this is about a soul-searching sail!
Anna has lost the love of her life. To put it mildly, she's not handling it very well! When she gets a reminder of a sailing trip they had planned, she impulsively decides to take the trip-by herself. Along the way she realizes that she can't finish the trip by herself, so she enlists the help of a real sailor, Keane to help her finish the journey. Little does she know, Keane is on a journey of his own. This story is beautifully sad-in the very best way. One of my favorite reads this year!

Okay - I'm obviously in the minority for this book. I expected more based on the promo hype and previous reviews I had read. I thought it would be funny with good banter back and forth. This book fell flat in that regard for me as I don't remember laughing even once.

I also found the book a little depressing. The book starts off with the suicide note left to Anna by her fiancee, Ben. She finds Ben's body, but it's too late - he has already passed away due to an overdose. All of this happens in the first two pages of this book. Then we find out that Anna barely survived the next 10 months wallowing in her pain, but on a certain date, she decides to take the sailboat she and Ben were restoring and "sail the world". It had always been Ben & Anna's plan to sail on that date because they knew the boat would be finished. One of my first issues with this book is since Ben died and Anna didn't work on the boat in the 10 months after his death, how is the boat ready for sailing on the originally scheduled date?

Anna wants to honor Ben by following his well planned itinerary that he developed when he assumed it was his trip. He highlighted places that he wanted to attend and not necessarily places where Anna wanted to attend. Anna really hadn't been involved in the planning so she really didn't know any better.

After she sails solo from Ft Lauderdale to the Bahamas (and she nearly died after being hit by a cargo ship), she decides she needs to hire an experienced deck hand. She finds a guy 5 years older than her named Keane. He is perfect for the job.

They go on the trip and experience great memories, but Anna seems to interject Ben's name every 5 seconds. It really got old to me - I get it - she lost her fiancee through tragic methods, but I felt like she was too whiny for me.

I was provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated above are mine without biases.

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

I loved this story and this quote essentially sums up why. This is a wonderful story on forgiveness, of doing the impossible and charting out your own path. Anna's boyfriend was suffering from depression and commits suicide. It was heart-wrenching reading about Anna's feelings and experience. Her boyfriend, Ben spent 3 years charting a course through the Caribbean and the plan was for them to spend a couple months out at sea exploring the various islands and attractions. 10 months later, Anna decides to take the trip that was planned. She is not an experienced sailor but decides that she needs to do this, for herself and for Ben. Along the way, Anna puts out a request for an experienced sailor to help her navigate. Keane Sullivan answers her ad and before they know it, feelings develop between them. As they're both dealing with their own personal issues and heartache, Anna and Keane find a way to overcome their insecurities and learn that life has a way of working itself out.

This story was so heartfelt and wonderful that I wanted to keep reading their story! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this amazing book.

Float Plan by Trish Doller was a unique novel! Anna was heartbroken by the suicide of her fiancee until an alarm goes to remind her of a trip they were supposed to take together, so she goes to his sailboat and takes off to sea. Realizing that she can't handle the boat herself, she takes on a mate, Keane, who is looking for redemption and a way to prove himself after an accident. Will they find love as they sail the seas together?

It was wonderful to read a unique and fresh novel from a new voice in romantic adult novels. Really enjoyed this one! Thanks to the author, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for this PRC
Wow! What a gorgeous amazing read.... it’s been awhile since I have fallen for a boom like I did for this one. Trish Doller did a spectacular job with this entire novel dealing with a loss from suicide.
The story of Anna and her acquisition of her sailboat and making a 1700 mile travel is beautifully written and made me completely sad when the book was finished. I can only plea for a sequel to this novel that had exactly the right amount of romance and strong female character.

Do you need a life escape? This was a fun romp through the islands.

I liked the dynamic between the leads, but would have liked to see even more than what was depicted.

The boating terminology was a bit overwhelming and took me out of the story but overall found it very enjoyable!

This was a fantastic second chance romance. The characters were wonderful and I loved the story. Beautiful writing.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Float Plan by Trish Doller was a roller-coaster of emotions; a beautiful story about grief, healing and finding love again. I loved every minute of this story.

Many years ago, I read a book titled Something like Normal, a New Adult novel, by Trish Doller and was very impressed by her writing and wonderful storytelling. I was interested to see her take on a contemporary romance. Float Plan more than exceeded all of my expectations and made me cry like a baby.

In this story we meet Anna, who has been floundering through life for the last ten months after the death of her fiancé, Ben. When a calendar reminder of her scheduled trip with Ben jolts her into action, she impulsively decides to take off sailing on her own. After a disastrous start, she realizes she's going to need help if she has any hope surviving the trip.

Anna decides to hire Keane, a professional sailor, who is also at a crossroads after losing his leg in an accident. Keane is Irish and skilled and incredibly kind and saves Anna's life more than once and in more than one way.

I loved that this was a slow burn, Anna had a lot of grief and issues to deal with and Keane was more than willing be her friend and lifeline while she dealt with them. Keane himself had his own demons to slay and doubts to conquer.

Together these two take off on an unforgettable adventure that will lead them both to where they belong. Along the way they meet a lot of colorful characters and discover that it's okay to let go and live on after loss.

Everything about this story was perfection and I cannot wait to read more from this author.

P.S. Is it too early to ask for a sequel? Just kidding, mostly.

I loved the book! I was a charming read and the story was really beautifully written. The characters were strong and there was not a single time where I thought of anything else other than the book.
It’s a must read. Highly recommended

Guys, this book! There are only a handful of books that I re-read over and over and Trish Doller's upcoming rom-com has now been added to that select list. In fact, I loved Float Plan so much that I started re-reading it the very next second after I read the last word. It was that lovely.
This book is like a life lesson about love, loss, getting yourself back on your feet. It is ROMANCE in all caps, amazing characters, beautiful settings, smart dialogue and it's funny! And the sailing descriptions make me want to hijack an Alberg and get myself off to the high seas right this minute.
Read this book as soon as it comes out, people. You won't regret it.

Float Plan was a slow start for me. I wasn’t sure what to expect and, to be honest, I’m not too keen on boats or stories that take place mostly on water. A lot of the boat lingo went over my head and I wasn’t really interested in looking any of that up but it didn’t matter because there’s Keane.

I really love when men wear their hearts on their sleeves in stories and I’m so happy to see it more in the forefront of romances now. How Keane senses Anna’s needs without her asking or saying anything? How Keane doesn’t push or try to challenge Anna’s mourning? It’s refreshing to read a man so thoughtful and kind and unguarded. I would have very much liked to have seen Anna and Keane in Ireland!

Anna’s journey through her grief in Float Plan was really beautiful. For her to be able to hold ample space for both Ben and Keane in her heart is a triumph. I really enjoyed the brief period where she could see through her own lens what she was capable of doing on her own.

The sex scenes are brief, far and few between, and not very descriptive so I can’t necessarily call them “hot” but I don’t think they’re intended to be hot. It’s the sheer intimacy that made my heart race. Keane making breakfast. Keane looking with clear love in his eyes. The intimacy of domesticity and close quarters! Swoon