This book is more than a romance. At its core, it's a coming of age story, and has some grown-up romance and unique settings to make it even more appealing. The protagonist is a young woman reeling from the death of her much-loved boyfriend, who makes what seem to be all the wrong choices for working through her heartbreak. She leaves family, friend, and job to follow her boyfriend's dream for the two of them -- sailing into the Caribbean with an itinerary that he had established. As she learns to sail and fend for herself, she also discovers just how much of this trip and her life was comprised of her boyfriend's desires and not her own. She begins to think for herself, and to slowly build a new relationship. This book has it all - a little steamy, a lot of self-discovery, fascinating setting.

Fantastic book
Reminded me of adrift the movie
Lots of romance suspense and relatable topics
Hugely recommended

Float Plan by Trish Doller Review

This novel follows Anna who lost her fiancé Ben to suicide 10 months prior. One day she gets a calendar alert that they were supposed to leave on a sailing around the world trip that day and she impulsively decides to go. She soon realizes she is out of her league and has to hire a crew. In walks Keane Sullivan who is too nice and very helpful. Anna starts being able to deal with her grief as she sees the world.

WHAT I LIKED:
It was so easy to fall into this story (especially once Keane shows up)
I’m trash for Road Trip books and this is like an extreme version of this
I just like the whole emotional journey & actual journey paralleling each other
I read a nonfiction book where a couple sailed together and this lowkey reminded me of that & I felt like I knew nautical stuff (I don’t)
This reminded me of one of my all time favorite novels, Just One Day with the guy playing a similar role in the story
Keane!! I loved this man, did he seem too perfect, 100% yes, but this is fiction + HIS BROTHER
Anna’s relationship with her mom and seeing it evolve

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE:
Some of the writing was not *the best*
Also, since I read that sailing nonfiction, some of the sailing seemed a bit too “rose colored glasses” and too neat
I would have liked to see more from Anna’s family & her friend

Well this was just lovely. Maybe I'm a bit biased as I've always wanted to sail, but I loved all the sailing details and reading about living on a boat. Finally a novel that had me focused on the story not just the romance. Lots of interesting characters and places, I just wanted more.

Float Plan
by Trish Doller
St. Martin's Press
You Like Them
St. Martin's Griffin
Romance
Pub Date 02 Mar 2021 | Archive Date 16 Mar 2021

This is a very well written slow burn romance. Dealing with grief and trusting again is a theme throughout.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for the ARC. It was a much better book than I expected.

5 star

I don't usually pick up romance novels, but my husband loves sailing, and we were spending a week at the beach, so why not? This book surprised me in being more than a romance - it's also a tale of self-discovery for both of the main characters. Along the way, the reader gets a great travel story taking place across numerous tropical islands - it was a fun armchair trip during these COVID times of self-isolation. 4 stars!

Anna was supposed to set sail on the trip of a lifetime with her fiance - but after his suicide, she decides to undertake the journey alone. When she realizes she needs help, mysterious sailor Keane shows up offering to take her to Puerto Rico. As the two sail from port to port, they connect on a deeper level with each other and their own selves.

I really enjoyed how natural Anna and Keane's relationship felt - rather than falling for each other instantly, they have a great friendship that develops along with romantic feelings. It's also clear that they both have their own demons to wrangle with, and they have to deal with those issues before love can blossom. The obstacles in their relationship felt realistic, and I was rooting for them throughout the book. My only complaint about the book was all the sailing detail - it was interesting overall, but sometimes it slowed down the story a bit. But clearly the author knows her stuff on this topic!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book.

As we travel along with Anna and Keane, the people they met along the way added a unique story. Keane was exactly what Anna needed though, he allowed her to grieve as she needed, made sure she was safe, and became a good friend.

The cover on the book, made me want to sail away. The trip itself made me want to get on a sailboat and sail the Caribbean. It was beautiful written and really brought the islands to life. I loved all of the things Anna and Keane got to do together while sailing and visiting islands and meeting new people.

The details the author described throughout the book was amazing. My first book by the author and I cannot wait to read more, hopefully, they will be a book 2. You can read this book in 1 sitting, I read it in two.







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This was a great book to read during a pandemic. Although travelling is not encouraged at this time, I feel like I’ve sailed the seven seas and basked in the Caribbean sun.
Not only was if fun to vicariously travel, but it was also lovely to read about Anna’s and Keane’s personal journeys and successes. They are dynamic characters who are easy to cheer on through their experiences.
Float Plan is a great book for those looking for a romance with heart, depth, and a chance to see the world.

I absolutely loved this book! Anna inherits her late fiancee's boat, and sets off to take a sailing trip they planned to take together prior to his death by suicide. I was initially thinking this book had the potential to be overwhelmingly sad, but it was actually a really beautiful story about hope and healing. I loved reading about life on the seas and her sailing adventures, especially once Keane comes on board as a professional sailor to help her complete the journey. The descriptions of all the tropical places were amazing and vivid, and I could have read a hundred more pages about Anna and Keane's adventures. This ended up being one of my favorite romances I've read in a long time!

Float Plan was such a delightful surprise. I came in with neutral expectations since I knew nothing about the author, except that her previous books were YA. There are no vestiges of YA here: this book has a maturity and depth that serves its adult characters well. It never feels like a transplant. I knew it was about grief and sailing, two aspects that had me wondering if this book would be right for me. The sailing part was woven perfectly into the story. It is detailed—a world in itself—, but never boring, and is an essential element of the plot. The central premise of the book revolves around grief and finding love again. This is where Float Plan shines. Anna's fiancé, Ben, committed suicide; now Anna is grieving him and going on the sailing trip they were meant to do together. Ben is a big presence in this book and his tragedy is portrayed with realism and compassion: you always feel how important Ben still is to her and all her conflicting emotions about how he died. Then Keane comes into the picture, and he's just perfect: exactly who you want Anna to find. He is patient and mindful of the process she is going through, while he is going through his own difficult issues. They evolve slowly in a way that feels right for this topic and, even though there is sadness, you always feel a heartwarming undercurrent that makes you want to move along with the story. This book is the opposite of a page-turner: it's a slow, thoughtful, burn that I intentionally took even slower in my reading because I never wanted it to end. Highly recommended 5 stars.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Perhaps one of the best parts of being a librarian is getting early access to new books. I am always particularly floored by debut authors who knock it out of the park. While this isn't her first novel, it is her first novel for adults, and Trish Doller is a name that will soon join the ranks of the great contemporary romance authors, because Float Plan was simply unputdownable. I read it start to finish without stopping. This book opens with a suicide note, but ends with a reminder that life is truly ours for the making. The cure for anything is saltwater- sweat, tears, or the sea.
Coming soon to a library near you in March 2021 and NOT to be missed!

I finished Float Plan 2 days ago and I’m so sad it’s over! It’s by far my favorite book of the year, I loved every page and savored every second of it! It’s a fun, lighthearted, sweet story with lovable characters and an incredible setting. Float Plan is narrated by Anna, a twenty-five year old who has just lost her fiancé, Ben, to suicide. Before Ben passed away, he bought a boat and created a sailing plan for the two of them. Anna decides to quit her job and live out his plan and along the way creates her own journey of self discovery, while grieving the love that she has lost and making new friends along the way. Float Plan is a must read for anyone who loves a tropical setting and romance novels with a deeper side!! It’s both the perfect beach and poolside book as well as a cozy cold weather read. Do not miss out on this delicious read!! 5 billion stars ⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

WOW what a fun trip this was! Float Plan is heartwrenching and heartwarming (but in a good way, I promise no dogs die), a true escape into a unique story of self-discovery and love. I want 10 more chapters and a sequel.

A lovely story of hope and healing! After losing her fiancé to suicide, Anna decides to embark on a journey across the Caribbean, a trip she and her fiancé had planned to take together. Her voyage gets off to a precarious start until she is rescued by Keane, an Irishman with a tragic past of his own. Although she isn’t quite ready for love again, Anna accepts Keane aboard her boat as a friend to accompany and assist her throughout her journey. Together, they uncover a path to recovery and discover truths they hadn’t expected. By the end of this book, I found that I had completely fallen for these characters. They were written in such a heartfelt and relatable manner that I instantly connected with them. Keane is perhaps one of the best male leads I’ve ever encountered in a book because he perfectly balances strength and gentleness. The pacing of the story was excellent as well. Although it covers some heavy topics, I never felt weighed down and finished the book with a smile on my face. I hope there is a sequel because I would love to read more about these characters! Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for providing me with an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Following the suicide of her fiancé, Ben, Anna is devastated and a shell of her former self. Anna is consumed with grief and decides to run away from her life in Fort Lauderdale by taking Ben's boat - his pride and joy - on the sailing adventure he always dreamed of completing. Anna is flying by the seat of her pants and soon realizes that she's actually quite an inexperienced sailer. After narrowly escaping disaster, Anna hires an experienced (and handsome!) crew member, Keane, to assist in her safe passage from Turks and Caicos to Puerto Rico. Soon the pair are traveling through the Caribbean as Anna works to rebuild her life after Ben.

With Anna still mourning the loss of her fiancé, I wouldn't necessarily call "Float Plan" a fun book because it can be quite heavy and emotional at times, but it is certainly a charming read. And I mean that as a positive! It's not the typical fluffy, romance novel. Trish Doller writes about grief in such a raw and empathetic way. There is so much heart. Anna carries a lot of emotional baggage and has so much to overcome, but watching her grow into her own person was a real high point.

I loved reading about the islands Anna and Keane visited, and learning more about these Caribbean destinations. The people they met while traveling were such solid side characters. They brought a spark and life to the novel when Anna was in a dark place. As we travel along with Anna and Keane, the people they met along the way added a unique, fun element to the book.

While it sometimes felt like Keane was a little too perfect as a leading man, I was totally along for the ride. I was so invested in watching their slow-burn relationship evolve. He was exactly what Anna needed for the extra push in her journey.

At 272 pages, "Float Plan" is a quick novel but Doller packs a lot into the relatively small package. I read it all in one sitting and it was the perfect length. It's full of charming moments and wonderful adventures. Anna's journey - both physically and emotionally - starts off so dark, but I was so happy for her by the end.

(Will share review on blog February 25, 2021 and post review to Instagram on pub day.)

Anna is not the greatest sailor but surrounded by grief needs to take this adventure of sailing to the Caribbean. Keane comes along to help her and then Queenie, as they set sail on this big adventure. Not only looking for healing, Anna also needs to find herself again and Keane is a great friend to help her through everything. The story is very easy to read and relate to. The secondary characters are quite secondary, which I really liked having the book mostly about Anna and Keane, but they are enchanting! Anna and Keane grow very close living together on a sailboat but it is a slow burn and felt like a realistic timeline. Definitely would recommend.

This book gives you all the feels. Sadness, happiness, anger, laughter, love, resilience...this book had it all. Anna found herself, her confidence and her happy place as she sailed the Caribbean. Keane and Queenie were her partners in crime on the adventure, but became her partners in life. This book is the feel good book you need to read.

This book blew me away! I was unable to but it down. Perfect, dazzlingly, very well written. The details the author described throughout the book was so amazing. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Ten months after her fiancé dies by suicide, Anna walks out of her life and onto his sail boat, determined to make the journey he planned for them. Having never sailed alone, she is quickly over her head and hires an experienced crewman to help her, not knowing he is dealing with a loss of his own. Doller deftly weaves their battles with the ocean and with grief into an uplifting story of the swells, reefs, sunshine and storms of coming to terms with loss. I enjoyed learning about the Caribbean islands along with Anna. The possible triggers of suicide and self-harm are present and are noted at the beginning of the book. The light cover and the opening suicide note certainly merits this warning. Recommended.

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Does this book have strong word building?
Yes
Did it have an interesting plotline?
Yes
Then why did you dnf this?
I have no idea.

To be honest, I think this book had great potential and my gripe with it comes with a rare case of it's not you, it's me. I could not for the life of me attach myself to Anna for some reason and I could not immerse myself into the story completely. To be fair it might just be me and traveling troupes. In no way is this a bad book; the world-building and structure are quite strong, but alas it's not you, it's me.