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.

When I pick this up, because od of the covers, I was expecting a light and fluffy and easy read.
But what I got is a rollercoaster of emotions.
It gave me the feels in the good way.
This one was really good.
Thank to Netgalley for sending me this one.
I really enjoyed.

4 stars.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 to Float Plan by Trish Doller.⁣
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Boat romance with a grief element? I was sold the moment I saw the cover on NetGalley. ⁣⛵️🌺💕
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Ten months after her fiancé, Ben, dies by suicide, Anna sets sail from Ft. Lauderdale to Trinidad on his sailboat—a trip they were supposed to take together. Along the way she meets and hires Keane, an Irish sailor who wears his heart on his sleeve. Keane helps Anna weather storms (both literal and figurative), and the two grow closer as they explore islands and meet friends, new and old. Anna is forced to confront her grief and consider what life and love can look like without Ben.⁣
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This book is emotional, unflinching, and beautiful. It is both sweet and swoony, heartbreaking and hopeful. I was rooting for Keane and Anna from the beginning. I especially admired how Doller didn’t flinch from the tragic history of both the characters and the setting.⁣
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I can’t wait for this book to come out from St. Martin’s press in March 2021. I’ll definitely be purchasing a hard copy, because this one is worth rereading!⁣
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Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for the chance to read and review .

**Review will be published on my blog/Instagram February 26th, 2021**

A TOUGH [& GOOD] READ.

Trigger warning, this review will be discussing suicide, grief, depression and possibly other sensitive topics. I mention it here because the basis of the book is losing a loved one who passed away from suicide.

I liked the way this book was approached. Every time Ben was brought up, the appropriate terms were used (such as passed away from suicide) which I sincerely appreciated. Anna’s grieving process was raw and out there in the open. It was heart-breaking and really had me pondering many important topics. Anna’s healing process wasn’t linear. She stumbled sometimes, took two steps forward to go one step back, but always had such a strength about her. I liked that this wasn’t linear because nobody can tell you how long is too long to grieve and process the unthinkable.

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 first. The chemistry was kept on the low end at first and allowed for a progression of emotions and desire to come out as it needed to.

The trip itself made me want to get on a sailboat and sail the Caribbean myself. It was beautiful writing 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. It added charming side characters and more depth to the story.

I’m grateful I picked this one up (and got approval from Netgalley!) because this approached a hard subject, and also gave a sense of hopefulness in enduring.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary fiction + romance
Language: strong throughout
Romance: kisses / make-outs; innuendo, a few open-ish (mild detailed) love scenes
Trigger warnings: suicide (of a loved one, including method and being the first one to find them); severe grief, depression; losing a limb from a car wreck and resulting trials

I loved this. At first I was hesitant as I know nothing about boats or sailing. But the reader learns along with Anna on her solo adventure. The romance was nice and heartfelt, and all of the characters worked in the story. The descriptions of the islands while island hopping made me want to go out and buy a boat.

I enjoyed every bit of this book. It's about Anna who's dealing with her fiance's suicide. She makes the split second decision to go the sailing trip her fiance planned. The trip helps her heal and discover what she wants. It's a cute story. I'm looking forward to read more by this author

Anna has barely been living after Ben killed himself. Anna is going sailing a trip she had planned with Ben. Anna starts off sailing by herself with dismay from her mom. I liked Anna and was hooked from beginning.

3.5 stars. Thank you for gifting me the experience of reading this book. Overall I really enjoyed the novel although it was tough to read at times.The author really brought me along through Anna’s grief and her inspirational healing journey. It was heart wrenching and emotional, but also promising and hopeful.

On a side note, my cat passed away today so Anna’s grief and my own were really along side one another this week.

Great novel for anyone looking for something more than a “fluff” story. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

A book about grief and finding one's way back into living. Very cute and a quick read, but the romance aspect takes a little bit of a backseat, as it should since the focus is on getting over loss.

This is such a poignant, delightful novel. I stayed up way too late because I just couldn't stop reading. The writing style is fresh and so enjoyable to read. I highlighted numerous creative, original phrases that made me smile. I am not an experienced sailor although I'm intrigued by the concept of taking such a bold adventure like Anna did. I do like to read for escape so Float Plan is a wonderful opportunity to see and experience sailing through the pages of this novel. Keane is a great hero and one who will live on in my imagination for a long time. The romance is a fantastic slow-burn and I especially enjoyed how Keane and Anna played to one another's strengths and weaknesses. Their character journeys are well-crafted and they both demonstrated so much growth from the beginning of the story to the end.

Sensitive reader alert: the loss of a loved one to suicide is a theme in this novel.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a complimentary ARC. All opinions shared here are my own.