This book has just jumped to the top of my favorite contemporary romances list, right up there with Roomies by Christina Lauren, which apparently means I have a soft spot for sweet and witty Irishmen!

Anna's journey is so incredibly endearing. She's grieving and there's more emotional trauma there than your average grief stricken fiance, given the way that Ben died. Keane is charming from the get, in a very honest and boyish way. It didn't take long to fall in love with his accent and all the things he says in it. You can tell how he feels about Anna all throughout, he wears his heart on his sleeve and it's completely adorable. The places they visit, the people they meet, the way he teaches her to live for herself and to be all she needs out of life is so incredible. Every single place is described so vividly that I feel almost like I've been there, and makes me want to actually go. I don't usually want sequels for contemporary romances, but in this case I would very much like a sequel, or at least maybe an added chapter where Anna gets to go to Ireland!!

I foresee myself rereading this one in the future, because how could I not?

Oh how I loved this book!

CW: suicide, loss of loved one, physical trauma

It opens with one of my very favorite quotes: "The cure for anything is saltwater - sweat, tears, or the sea." -Isak Dinesen. From there we meet Anna, whose fiance, Ben, has recently died by suicide. She's drowning in her grief so she makes the impulsive decision to jump on the sailboat Ben had been refurbishing and begin the charted trip they had planned to take together. Anna quickly realizes she's in over her head and hires an experienced sailor named Keane to help her. Together they sail among the Caribbean islands and by the time they reach the final destination they have gone from complete strangers to so much more.

There are so many things I enjoyed about this story. First, I loved both the main characters. Anna is dealing with a devastating loss and her grief consumes her. As the story goes on, we see her learn to manage that grief and figure out how life works without Ben. Doller does an excellent job of taking us through that particular journey. Additionally, I dislike when characters (particularly in romances) don't communicate or let their thoughts get in the way of themselves. Even though Anna is wrestling with some seriously big emotions, she communicates with Keane about them which allows the flow of the story to continue and minimizes reader frustration. In the end, you can't help but feel proud of and happy for her.

Keane is, in a word, the BEST. He's dealing with trauma of his own, but he consistently thinks of others first and is a kind soul. Plus I ALWAYS love an Irishman. The building of his and Anna's relationship is a slow burn but it is oh so wonderful.

Secondly, I really enjoyed the premise and setting of the novel. It was so enjoyable to follow along with their charted path, read about the gorgeous Caribbean countries, and meet the local characters. Sailing the Caribbean instantly became a dream of mine after reading this book and I'm sure you'll want to too!

I was drawn to this book with its theme of starting over and finding yourself. I was completely blown away by how it held me captive from Page 1 and didn't free me until the last page. The characters came alive and jumped off the pages into my head. Their journey was my journey too. I felt like I was there with them, experiencing their highs and lows and visiting all the places they visited. I enjoyed the subtlety and tentativeness of their growing love for each other. It was interesting, exciting and ultimately satisfying. This book is an exceptional read--the perfect beach read or rainy-weekend read or just-take-me-away read. The writing is perfection, flowing throughout from beginning to end. The story is easily relatable to all, whether or not you've experienced what these characters have. The ending wasn't what I was expecting (I loved that!). What more can one ask for? A definite 5-star read--don't miss it!

Sometimes I hate how words no longer come easily to me ever since I left blogging (blame the corporate world and #adulting) because I wish I could eloquently express how wholesome this book is.

I've been a longtime fan of Trish's works. I reread Something Like Normal last year so yeah, it's been a while...so maybe that's why starting Float Plan to me felt like reuniting with an old friend. The writing is instantly familiar and so Trish, and it made me feel good right away.

I mean, I did cry because the first two chapters were so sad but it still made feel good, you know?

<<Eventually (...) you'll start building a new house beside the ruins of the old. When you're ready, you'll know.>>

Float Plan is mainly about grief and rediscovering oneself after the loss of a loved one [cw: suicide], with sailing as a backdrop. Anna is so easy to love, she could be one of my friends. I laughed and cried with her, and my heart ached with every one of her memories with Ben. And Keane...where do I even start about Keane? Total dreamboat. Ruiner of real life men. I will be single until the end of time. If I can't have Keane Sullivan then I don't want anyone else, baby.

The wanderlust is strong in this one, too; Float Plan made me also want to leave everything behind and travel (just not by boat, I'll take a plane) (but not now because feckin' coronavirus). I got super excited too when Pulau Perhentian Kecil was mentioned (yay Malaysia!). I'm not a nature and island girl, but after Float Plan I feel like I want to be?

The romance in Float Plan are subtler than what I'm used to, but I truly appreciate how it suits the whole story. I love how it's not an instant, explosive attraction between Anna and Keane. Like, with Anna's baggage, her love and grief for her late fiance, having her being instantly attracted to Keane would have been undermining. Instead, it was a slow build-up; they went from polite strangers agreeing to sail together to Puerto Rico, to steady friends, to something else. The slow burn is just *chef's kiss*. I love it, I love it, I love it.

<<(...) But 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.>>

Overall, reading Float Plan is a joyful, emotional experience for me. It made me smile, laugh, and cry, and I highlighted too many quotes I felt sharing them all in this review (but I limit myself to only one). I can't wait for this book to come out so that everyone could read it.

‘Suicide doesn’t break a person’s heart just once’. Anna’s fiancé, Ben, took his own life, and now Anna is trying to live with the aftermath and all the questions that come with it. Ben always wanted to sail with Anna from Miami to Trinidad, and when an alarm comes up on the day they planned to leave, she decides spur of the moment to go on the trip herself. Not only was this book a poignant story of forgiveness and moving forward, but it was an amazing journey of self discovery and bravery. I especially loved how much I learned about sailing and the many islands and scenic stops she made along the way. I very much enjoyed this book, and look forward to reading more by this author! I was given a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What can a person expect more from a beautiful, heart wrenching, inspirational, promising second chances story?
Adorable characters!✅
Riveting, emotional, adrenaline pumping journey!✅
Well written dialogues with meaningful messages!✅
A unique second chances love story!✅
Yes you may find all of those at this novel! ✅

The summary of plot line: Two easily lovable characters set sail to complete a thrilling, adventurous voyage to visit spectacular places, experiencing brand new things, broadening their horizons, healing their past wounds, being shaken by the dangerous attacks of wild sea and sharpening their survival skills.

Anna lost her fiancée who committed suicide, leaving her job, family behind to finish the trip she’s planned with Ben( death fiancée), but she is emotional mess and her sailing experience cannot help her to accomplish her mission so she hires Keane.

Actually Keane finds and saves her after one of her most inappropriate situations she got herself into(getting drunk, hooking up with a man with a bar for one night stand but before the sex, thankfully the asshole’s wife calls and Anna runs away from the place without pants and the very same night and Keane finds her outside, arse naked, emotionally overwhelmed, carries her to her sailboat.)Anna thinks he’s already seen her worst so he can be trustworthy man who may help her to finalize her journey.

Anna suffers from grief as Keane tries to adjust his new and still active, adventurous life after losing one of his leg at the car accident.
They became their confidantes, close friends who share the secrets they haven’t told anyone before.

It was pleasure to see their slow burn, pure, heartwarming romantic relationship and the growing confidence of Anna who turns into one of the strongest persons after facing her fears, anger, resentment and sadness after losing her fiancée and she finds her inner strength as she discovers different islands, magnificent sightseeings and spending days with action packed activities.

And the most beautiful part of it, she found someone to share those remarkable experiences with her.

This story started as a four starred read but during the chapters, I was wooed by the characters, heartfelt, genuine dialogues, their intimate, special bounding. I loved the inspirational messages of the book and enjoyed the conclusion of the story.
It filled my eyes with tears and healed my soul. I wholeheartedly loved it and raising my stars to 5!

Anna and Keane’s beautifully heartwarming journey stole my heart!

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/St. Martin’s Griffin for sharing this memorable ARC with me in exchange my honest opinions.

Honestly, this book is terrible. I could not even finish it after about 100 pages. The plot moves too fast. The characters are thinly developed. I was hoping for a fun rom com, but instead I got a very weakly written book. Pass.

When I began this book I was a little iffy about it as it jumped right into the main story without building up Anna’s character but as it went on I forgot all about that. This is more than a romance novel, it is about going through the stages of grief, discovering your true self and learning g to live life to the fullest. I have never wanted to travel to the. Caribbean as it seemed to be all big resorts. The travels that Anna made were to small beautiful and sometimes rugged places that sound like heaven. I don’t know if they are even real places but this is where I would want to table to if I was physically able. Keane is an exceptional character both in being the dream guy but also for all he has overcome. If you are looking for a Romance full of meaning, beautiful scenery and a story of growth than this is the one for you. Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press and the author Trish Doller for the opportunity to read this wonderful warm book.

Float Plan by Trish Doller is a wonderful contemporary novel that has many components: fiction, part romance, part finding your way in life, and part grief/acceptance.

The author does a fabulous job balancing the line between subject matter that is heavy and heartbreaking: death, loss, grief, acceptance, finding purpose and second chances in life, and the light and airy: the beautiful, relaxing location of the Caribbean, friendship, acceptance, kindling romance, and love.

I felt so bad for Anna and all that she has gone through and lost. I was so thrilled to see her escape, set her eyes towards the horizons, and find Keane. Both characters have arrived into the story with complicated histories sprinkled with obstacles. Both experiencing a missing piece of themselves. Both in search of answers and a future.

This book was excellent in the fact that the characters were realistic, like able, and both had the ability to draw in the reader into their corners and champion their causes. I really liked both Anna and Keane and felt that they played well off of each other and it was great to see not only romance blossoming, but also that both were able to find ways to live on despite what life has handed them. The reader ends the book relaxed, satisfied, and with the overall feeling of happiness found despite it all. What a great way to end a great book.

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

Review I read in a blurb somewhere that the author wrote the book that she wanted to read...well, I guess I wanted to read the same book! This was the perfect getaway book. While reading this I just wanted to jump on the next sailboat to sail the Caribbean...I was totally along for the ride ( cruise?sail?) with Anna, Keane and Queenie the dog, enjoying the beautiful descriptions and the sights of all of the places they visited. I didn’t want this one to end! The characters were also well written and sympathetic, both trying to heal from events that had happened to them; I couldn’t help rooting for them the whole way as they were there for each other as the story unfolded.
If you’re looking for a nice, enjoyable, romantic sail to the Caribbean, this is your book!
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press & Netgalley for the digital review copy. (less)

Trish Doller's Float Plan had everything I look forward to in a book.
In her acknowledgements, she said she wrote the book she has always wanted to read, turns out it was also a book that I wanted to read but had no idea until today; just as I didn't know that my dream holiday is sailing across the Caribbean.
I have almost nothing to say, and all of them are reasons for you to read Float Plan.
It was the perfect escape because it wasn't just about falling in love but also learning about grief and how to move on. And it came with sunshine, a cute doggy, and the ocean, my personal favourites.
The characters were incredibly well-written, caring, and flawed. I didn't want this book to end! The descriptions of the landscapes and towns made it feel like a trip on its own.

Who hasn’t dreamed of jumping in a sailboat and leaving everything behind? In Float Plan, grief-stricken Anna does just that—sails away to the Caribbean to escape the depression she’s been in since her fiancé committed suicide—and experiences adventure, romance, and the possibility of a new life.

This book was an absolute delight. I wanted to climb into the story and stay there forever—with the setting and the characters. Anna and Keane, though both dealing with life’s challenges, were so personable, charming, and fun. The scenery of the islands was gorgeous and inviting. The story wrapped up nicely at the end, however, I would love to see the author make this into a series.

My only drawback with the book was the excessive use of the F-word. I have to wonder why the author chose to sprinkle this profanity throughout such a sweet story. It didn’t seem realistic for one or both of the characters to constantly use this language. I found it unnecessary and distracting.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this fantastic book in exchange for an honest review. I will be recommending this to all of my friends, family, book club groups, and colleagues.