I love sailing and was so excited to read this one. I read it in the height of summer and was captivated. It was dark and very raw. I love an island vacation romance and the mix of this genre with a second chance and grief process was so good. I loved the adventure and cried a number of times.

I read this book in one sitting. The story was heartfelt, and I loved how this book handled grief and learning to love again after something traumatic happening to you. It made me want to immediately go sailing and hopefully find a hunky guy to help me sail my boat around.

Let me get this off my chest – years later, I’m still bitter that Trish Doller did not become a household name with Something Like Normal. I’ve been very invested in Trish’s career ever since because one, her writing is magical; and two, she’s not afraid to explore uncomfortable topics. More people need to read her books! Fast forward to the present – Trish’s adult romance debut title is announced last year, and it was almost like kismet that I’m also primarily reading adult romance. Needless to say, my expectations for one of my favorite YA authors’ adult debut is high. And you know what? I shouldn’t be surprised – once again, Trish Doller DELIVERS.

Writing a review for a book I adored so much is always difficult. I just want to gush nonstop and shove as many copies as possible to everyone I know, but let me try.

If I were to summarize Float Plan in one phrase, I would say that it’s a love letter about learning to move on after the unthinkable. The book opens with our heroine, Anna, starting her sailing journey through the Carribean. Her fiancee Ben organized and planned the trip for the both of them, but he died of suicide before they were able to go. Anna is lost, grief-stricken, and months down the line, she hasn’t dealt with everything that’s happened. After a difficult first night of sailing, Anna decides to hire professional sailor Keane to help her with part of her journey.

As the story progressed, it started to become obvious that Anna and Keane were at similar points in their lives. They’re both dealing with the loss of their dreams, and they were scrambling to hold on to what’s familiar for as long as they can because they don’t know what else is next. For Anna, it’s her boat, and for Keane, it’s sailing. Seeing them decide if these two things have room in their futures made for an engrossing read. As Anna and Keane sailed to each new island, I loved seeing them shed layers of their past selves, and see who they want to be after their personal tragedies.

At the start of the trip, Anna was focused on fulfilling Ben’s itinerary, and she didn’t entertain Keane’s suggestions of places to visit. As time passed by, however, Anna started realizing that she wasn’t really interested in some of the places that Ben planned to go to, and she made changes of her own to the itinerary. This seems minor, but I felt like this was an important turning point in not just the story, but in Anna facing her grief – she starts remembering that Ben isn’t perfect, and she slowly realizes that getting mad at Ben for making the decision he did is part of the process. Anna’s journey was tough to read about – it’s something so private, yet at the same time something that a lot of people go through and need to learn more about.

Anna and Keane’s relationship goes through different chapters throughout the story. They start off as colleagues who need to run a boat together; they then become friends, slowly getting to know each other; and then confidantes, trusting the stories of their pains and troubles to each other; and finally, a hint of something romantic. Their travels were the perfect backdrop to their relationship slowly but surely growing – we see hints of how they treat each other change through their many adventures. Anna and Keane have the most beautiful love – full of warmth, comfort, and trust.

All in all, if it’s still not obvious after reading the last few paragraphs, I loved and couldn’t get enough of Float Plan. It has everything I’ve come to expect from Trish Doller’s books, and I can’t wait to read her next release!

What a FABULOUS book! I read it months ago (and forgot to share my review) but this one was so much fun.
I honestly went into it not knowing a ton. I knew that that MC had lost her fiance to suicide and that one year later, she was about to set sail on the boat they were fixing up together, even though she didn't know how to sale.
The romance was so sweet and charming. I LOVED the story and the love interest and the setting. It made me want to go sailing (even though I get sea sick!) So much fun!

Float Plan by Trish Doller is a contemporary romance or women’s fiction title. Just one glance at this one I new it should be a great read for me being someone that loves boating and travel so I just had to pick it up.

Anna has spent the last year nursing her broken heart and thinking she will never recover from the death of her fiancé. When a reminder goes off for a trip that the couple was supposed to take together Anna decides that she needs to still go on her own.

Anna packs up their sailboat and heads out on her own but before long she realizes she’s in over her head thinking she will make it all the way to the Caribbean on her own. Anna meets Keane who happens to be a professional sailor so she decides to hire him for the rest of her journey.

Thankfully this is one of those times I saw a cover that caught my eye and it turns out that I found a real winner. Float Plan was a beautiful story of personal growth and healing that happened to also have a little romance. I don’t think I even need to mention that the setting of this story out on the ocean and along the islands was absolutely wonderful. This definitely would make a lovely beach read with the summer season upon us right now.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This was definitely a quite unique storyline. I learnt a lot about sailing and I did appreciate the fact that this wasn’t solely a light romance novel and had some more substance.

I thought the romance aspect was a bit unnecessary and would have preferred if this novel solely followed our main character on her sailing adventure while mourning the death of her fiancé. Overall, it was an interesting and unique novel that unfortunately felt a bit cliche at times.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the gifted e-book in exchange for my honest opinion.

CW: suicide

I knew going into this not to expect a standard romance which was a great perspective to have. While there is a romance threaded throughout the story, this book is really more about grief.

After Anna’s fiancé dies by suicide, she struggles to move past her grief and decides to take his boat that he left to her on the sailing trip that he had planned for them to take together.

Her story had me close to tears constantly and I really appreciated that the resolution wasn’t that another man filled the void. It was a beautiful story that made me want to sail around the world.

I've read Trish Doller in the past, but what drew me to Float Plan was it's premise - Anna taking the sailing trip she was scheduled to take with her former boyfriend, who passed away, plus sailing in the Mediterranean with the help of one-legged Irish man Keane. It was unique and refreshing. Many books have a compelling setup but few are able to meet the same expectations in the plot. Float Plan, however, delivers equivalent satisfaction in its storytelling. I loved Anna and Keane and their adventure. Trish Doller's personal experience sailing in the Mediterranean plus her research was evident. Anna and Keane's adventure felt fresh and new. I loved it! Highly recommended.

Wow, cue tears. This book starts off super emotional, and really makes you pause before continuing to read. However, I am glad that I kept reading. I liked both characters, especially Keane, but Anna quickly warmed her way into my heart because I felt so badly for her.

However, I think this story needed a little bit more back story. I would have loved to have had more of Ben and Anna's relationship pre-suicide, or even pre-engagement. There were a few nuggets in flashbacks, but I would have liked more.

The chemistry and sexual tension building between Anna and Keane was great, but when the actual sex came, it felt awkward and rushed. Then that's ALL they did/talked about/thought about. I would have liked the story to remain on Anna's quest for healing/search for independence and confidence and less on the budding relationship. Overall, though, I did like this book!

What a great story! I love emotional stories and this one didn't disappoint! I laughed and yes, I cried (it was good!).

Float Plan was delightful! Although it dealt with heavier subjects, I loved the relationship between Anna and Keane. And while yes, I know it was a sailing book, I could done without so much sailing knowledge. Overall, I really liked it.

This is the perfect type of romance that I can just fall into and forget where I am. I read this in one sitting and I couldn’t get to the stores fast enough to purchase a copy! My only qualm about the book is the abrupt discussion of suicide so early in the book. Otherwise, I loved this book!

What’s not to like about this book. It has romance, grief and loss, adventure and excitement and most of all how to live life to the fullest.
After Anna’s fiancé Ben committed suicide she went into limbo while dealing with her grief. When on a whim she decides to act on what they had planned to do together which was sail to Trinidad.
When Anna realises that she has taken on more than she can handle she advertises for a crew. This was answered by the handsome Irish man Keane who was happy to sail with her for free.
The attraction between then was obvious but Anna’s grief over losing Ben was still too raw and Anna struggles with her feeling for both men.
The two are faced with some scary times but also some magical ones.
When Keane is offered his dream job Anna continues on her own and finds that she is more than capable of fixing issues as they arise.
I read this in be sitting as I was so involved in the characters and how it was going to play out at the end. Great read
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An emotional romance about finding yourself again after loss, Float Plan by Trish Doller is a touching story that will make you laugh, cry, and cheer.

Float Plan is another book that looks like a romantic comedy due to its playful cover - but it is quite the opposite really. After Anna's fiancé dies by suicide, she is determined to complete the sailing trip they had planned. Told from Anna's perspective, the reader will walk through the stages of grief with her. Knowing she can't sail across the Caribbean by herself, she hires a professional sailer to help her complete the trip. Enter Keane. 

Can we talk about Keane for a minute? He's sweet, understanding, and so very kind. He's also gorgeous and his Irish accent is swoon-worthy. So while the ending is predictable, it was still fun watching these two sail through their feelings for each other (see what I did there?)

I really enjoyed the setting as most of the book takes place on the sailboat or an island. Doller does a great job of bringing the reader onto the boat as it sails the seas.

Overall, this was a good read but it was heavy at times and the overarching theme of self-discovery was inspiring.

Trigger warning: mentions suicide

There is a warning at the beginning of the book that is helpful. Man this book has all the emotions. It is beautifully written and really heart felt. This is a book that will stay with you for a long time.

This book had a much more serious tone than I was expecting it to have. It started out with a suicide note that set the tone for the book. Anna was struggling to cope with her fiancé’s suicide and ends up taking his boat out on a sailing adventure that her and Ben were to do together. Along the way she meets Keane who helps her with not only sailing but with finding herself. There were several sailing terms I was not familiar with so I found myself looking everything up and learned so much about sailing in the process. I enjoyed how Anna and Keane really got to know and understand each other before they came together romantically. It was good for Anna to realize she could live without a man (Keane) when she had to do the last leg of sailing on her own. The author did a great job of showing Anna’s growth throughout the story and I liked how Anna came out strong in the end.

I’m hooked on these island type of stories. Maybe cause it summer and I’m thinking of vacation or traveling. Go read for you next adventure. It gives you the feels

I really enjoyed this wonderful romance set in the Caribbean. Anna is grieving her fiancé Ben's death as she decides to sail their boat from their former home in Florida through the Caribbean. Although the book deals with very weighty topics such as depression and suicide, the author perfectly balances these feelings with vivid descriptions of the various tropical islands and of life aboard a sailboat. Anna's family tries to tell her how to move on from Ben but she must find her own way through.

“Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever stop thinking about him.”

“Don’t know why you would,” Keane says. “Eventually—and I say this from experience—you’ll start building a new house beside the ruins of the old. When you’re ready, you’ll know.”</b></i>

There is one adventure after another aboard the sailboat, and a very unexpected hero name Keane Sullivan. I really appreciated his character, and how charming he was! Anna and Keane's slow-burn romance was fantastic and I loved how Keane wore his heart on his sleeve. So refreshing! Although there is wonderful romance and of course, a HEA, the focus of this book is on Anna's healing journey as she recovers from her loss.

I commend the author for the detailed research and descriptions of boating life. I literally felt like I was on the boat with Anna and Keane. I also loved the history of the various Caribbean islands that Anna visited.

If you are looking for a wonderful escape, you will love this book. The audiobook with Sarah Naughton as the narrator was excellent. Definitely put 'Float Plan' on your summer reading list!


“. . 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.”

I loved this book so much - there's so much good in it! It felt like a good read for coping with grief and loss, but also the perfect read for anyone who wants to take a vacation right now but can't! Highly recommended!

First off, thank you to the author for this copy in an exchange for an honest review

Beginning, the author gave a trigger warning for suicide and suicidal thoughts. Honestly, this was a huge act for the author to do. I love that it was included.

As for the plot, it was so cute and fun! I loved the cities and islands that were traveled to. Anna and Keanes love story is one for the books.