While this story started off on a very sad and tragic note, it definitely also brought a lot of feelings of hope and joy along the way. I definitely feel that the author respectfully and accurately portrayed a character who is feeling much grief but also is trying to figure out a way to continue through it. I also feel that readers will also enjoy learning about all the islands that are encountered on this sailing trip.

Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me and I ended up DNFing it. I think it’s the perfect book for some people out there, but I didn’t realize before going in that it would deal with suicide and the topic was just a bit too heavy for me right now

Float Plan by Trish Doller

Thank you @smpromance for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Trigger Warning: talk of suicide

I have heard such good things about this book that I was so excited to start it. To be honest, even after reading all the reviews, I still wasn’t sure what to expect for this book.

What I Loved?
⛵️ Keane. Who knew that I needed an Irish sailor to start off my spring break? He was just the sweetest person with Anna.
⛵️ Character Development. You know from the first page that Anna is struggling with her fiancé’s suicide less than a year before this book starts. And it is ever present. But throughout the book, you watch Anna deal with every single emotion but also find her happiness.
⛵️ All The Places. Anyone else want to go to every single place that they described in the book? I didn’t know there were so many islands and now I need to visit them. If seasickness wasn’t an issue, id even want to go on a sailboat like Anna and Keane.
⛵️Queen the Dog. Did you think I would write this review and not mention the pup? Of course not.

Man oh man, where do I even begin to collect my thoughts on this book? This was an emotional book that drew me in from the first page.
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Between the main characters and the lovely people we meet along the way, my heart is just so full.
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This book also touches on mental health in a respectable way and sheds light on the topic of suicide.
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This is definitely a book I would recommend to anyone who enjoys romance reads, that also focus on important issues.

The Float Plan was one of those books that really makes me believe in love and fate! I loved how two characters who are both dealing with grief are brought together.
I have to admit at the beginning of this book I was a little weary. I didn’t know if I liked Anna much and I was afraid this whole book would focus on her dead boyfriend. I am VERY happy to report that was not the case at all. Anna is understandably grieving over Ben, but I did like that the sailing trip turned more into about her finding herself than about reconnecting with Ben. I do wish that this book had touched a little more on the mental illness aspect of Ben. We get glimpses and for as much as the story focuses on him we don’t get much understanding about his struggles or what it is like to be in a relationship with someone suffering from mental illness.
This is mentioned several times in the book and I have to echo it here, Keane is like to worlds nicest guy! He is sweet and kind and just pretty amazing! I completely see why Anna would be attracted to him. I liked the fact that Keane was able to get Anna to sway from Ben’s plans, and therefore start thinking for and about herself.
This was a great read, full of adventure and heart!

As someone who has previously loved all of Trish Doller's young adult reads, I was thrilled that she was publishing a romance. I wasn't sure what to expect going into this one. Grief is a hard topic to tackle in a way that does justice to the feelings grief brings but isn't too heavy for the readers. I think she struck a perfect balance with Anna's story. It made me feel, but I didn't drown in the feelings. While there is definitely romance (and a HEA) here, the bulk of this story is Anna's journey of finding herself after the loss of her fiancé. Keane was amazing and charming and I'm so glad he was part of this story. I loved the slow burn of the romance between him and Anna. They made a fantastic pair. It was easy to root for them.

My only complaint, and it's a small and probably nitpicky one, is the number of boating terms and the detail at times. As someone who has never sailed, it was hard to follow and I can only Google so much while I'm reading. I did find myself skimming some of those parts when I switched to the ebook.

But all in all, this was a fantastic book. I very much enjoyed it and all the feelings it evoked. I listened to the audiobook for probably 60% of the book and it was excellent. The narrator, Sarah Naughton, did a great job bringing Anna and Keane to life.

CW: suicide, grief

10 months after Anna Beck’s fiancé committed suicide, she decides to sail from Florida to the Caribbean. She basically quits her life to take the trip they were planning before his death.

Anna meets Keane Sullivan early on and he helps her sail but he also helps her sort through her emotions as he gives her the space she needs to process what she wants her future to look like.

I loved the discussion of ableism in the book. Keane has a prosthetic leg and after the accident where he lost his leg, he was turned down for various sailing gigs. Anna and Keane’s discussion through that subject felt very real

This is billed as a romance but I don’t feel like it really fits that genre. I enjoyed the closed-door romance aspects but I felt like it fits a bit more in the women’s fiction genre.

Thank you to Net Galley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC

If this book is on your radar, make sure to listen to “I’m on a Boat” by T-Pain. I’m making it the official Float Plan anthem.

Review of Float Plan by Trish Doller:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

⚠️ Trigger Warning: Discussion of self-harm, suicide, grief

Anna has been living the past year in a trance and just going through the motions after the devastating loss of her fiancé, Ben, who died by suicide. Ben had mapped out a plan to sail to the Caribbean and when a reminder goes off on the morning they were supposed to set sail, Anna impulsively takes off on the sailboat in an attempt to follow through with his plans. Although Anna made it through the first night, she admits to herself that she needs help from an experienced sailor. Enter Keane Sullivan, an Irish sailor who is also dealing with his own challenges and uncertain future. What they don’t realize is that they each have something to offer the other and while Anna doesn’t believe she could ever love again, love shows up in the unlikeliest of places from someone with the biggest heart.

FIVE FULL AND BRIGHT STARS! This was a pleasant surprise. I couldn’t put this book down. It was fast-paced, full of fun and witty banter, with a slow and unexpected romance. The best kind of romance is when you’re not even looking for it yet it’s staring you right in the eyes; one that isn’t love at first sight but instead, develops over time and built on a foundation of friendship. I just adored all the characters, especially Keane who showed us just how able he is despite his disability. The non-linear stages of grief and loss are depicted practically and realistically. Along those same lines, I appreciated the author’s use of person centered language. The description of the scenery also made me feel like I was on vacation and there’s even a strong possibility that I feel too confident in my “abilities” to sail a sailboat with no experience after the level of detail that went into describing Anna’s sailing adventure. 🤷🏽‍♀️ (I promise I won’t attempt it but still..) This is the perfect beach read or quarantine read to feel like you can escape to the beach! It’s one I strongly recommend!

Thank you @SMPRomance, @StMartinsPress, and @Netgalley {#partner} for gifting me with a copy in exchange for an independent and honest review. Float Plan was released on 03/02/2021 and is available now!

Float Plan opens with a heart breaking letter from Ben to his fiancé Anna in which he apologizes for the pain he is going to cause. Ben dies by suicide. And, yes, ten months later Anna is still in pain. Without telling anyone in advance, Anna embarks alone on the voyage Ben had charted out for them to take together. She has never sailed alone before and quickly learns she will need help. She meets Keane under unusual circumstances and he agrees to help her for at least part of her journey. What follows is a beautiful story about two people who find each other when least expected.

Tragedy casts a shadow for both of them. Ben's death creates both a void and a presence. Anna grief surfaces without warning. She doesn't know how to live without him. Keane has experienced a different kind of loss and he, too, has difficult moments. Can two strangers who are looking for something find it in each other? Sailing from port to port, sharing in the duties and tasks of operating the boat turns into a trip that is more than a voyage.

Infused with lush descriptions of place, food and feelings, this story is emotionally stirring. Thoughtfully told, the narrative is a beautiful and compelling description of a relationship. It is well worth reading. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Anna’s fiancé died by suicide a year ago, and as this book opens she is still feeling stuck. Stuck in her going-nowhere waitressing job, stuck in her very trying relationship with her late fiancé’s mother, stuck in her own process of trying to move on. She impulsively decides to take the sailing trip that Ben had been planning for the two of them to take through the Caribbean, even though she has nowhere near enough experience to complete a trip like this. So after a few very trying days of sailing on her own, a series of unfortunate events leads her to the very charming Keane Sullivan.

I don’t know where I got the idea that Keane was going to be a grumpy sort of character who is secretly a softie, because that does not describe his actual personality in the slightest. Keane is a sweet, knowledgeable, super kind, wears his heart on his sleeve kind of guy. Through him we get great disability rep, and what’s more, Anna gets someone to lean on, someone steady to be there as she begins to really heal. More than a romance, this book is a journey through Anna’s grief, and through the anguish Keane is facing now that the thing he has always loved, the thing he has planned to do for the rest of his life, is gone. We follow both of these characters as they try to figure out what you do when your entire world turns around and all of a sudden, nothing is what you planned.

Final Thoughts: This is Trish’s adult debut, and I sincerely hope it will not be her last. She has long been a favorite of mine in the YA world, and if you’ve somehow been living under a rock, please go read her entire backlist and honestly I’m jealous you have so many to read for the first time.

Favorite Quotes:

“He is selfish. I am selfish. To the point where we cancel each other out, and we’re just humans, bumping along the dark walls of our lives, feeling for the switch that will give us light. Hoping we don’t f*ck everything up.”

“Kind is one of the easiest things to be.”

I loved this story and the emotions the author brought out through telling Anna’s. She had way with handling the elements of grief and also making me laugh at other points. We get to see Anna grow and heal and experience her grief after the death of her husband Ben, making this more than just a romance story but one that also speaks to your heart. I could picture myself right out there on Carribean and loved the rich descriptions she used of the islands throughout the story.

I received a copy of this book with NetGalley for my honest review.

This is a very unique rom com love story with lots of growth with the characters. I knew going in it would not be a completely light hearted read, but I didn't know how much I would really love it. The romance between Anna and Keane sigh.. just wraps me in a comfy pillow of happiness. Warnings for triggers for suicide. The struggles that each Anna and Keane have one through to this point and then together makes their love story even better and stronger. Grab this one!!

Thank you @smpromance for the eARC of FLOAT PLAN by Trish Doller in exchange for a review. I also listened to the audiobook courtesy of my library.

Synopsis:
Since the loss of her fiancé, Anna has been shipwrecked by grief—until a reminder goes off about a trip they were supposed to take together. Impulsively, Anna goes to sea in their sailboat, intending to complete the voyage alone.

But after a treacherous night’s sail, she realizes she can’t do it by herself and hires Keane, a professional sailor, to help. Much like Anna, Keane is struggling with a very different future than the one he had planned. As romance rises with the tide, they discover that it’s never too late to chart a new course.

Thoughts:

I enjoyed FLOAT PLAN. It is more than a book about grief, and moving on after the death of one's partner. FLOAT PLAN is one of those books that straddles the fine line between Women's Lit, and a romance. It's a "road trip" romance, but I think it is mainly a book about the journey in finding yourself, either again, or in some cases, for the first time.

It's a travelogue, and as Anna reaches each new destination, she learns more about sailing, gains confidence in herself, let's go off the grief she's been holding on to.

There are some scenes towards the end of the book where you see how much Anna has grown and learned some she first started the trip. It's not just something that the reader sees, but that Anna is able to see in herself.

The relationship between Anna and Keane is well written. I switched off between the print and audio versions. Though the book is written entirely in Anna's POV, from Sarah Naughton's narration, you can tell that Keane is gone for Anna from the first moment. He takes care of her, and wants to make sure she's able to take care of herself. When the two finally get together, it's low steam/fade to black.

Content Warning: I appreciate that Doller provided a warning about suicide, and depression at the beginning of the book. Would also include amputation (off-page, Keane wears a prosthetic).

#FloatPlan #TrishDoller #StMartinsPress #SMPRomance #Macmillian #MacmillanAudio #SarahNaughton #2021Debut #WomensLit #IReadRomance

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½⭐️ (4.5 stars)

On the day when she was meant to set out on her sailing trip through the Caribbean with her late fiancé, Anna decides to leave her life and sail the journey they had always planned to do together – alone. But she quickly realizes she’s in over her head. That’s where she meets Keane, a disabled sailor who’s struggling to find his place in the world after the accident that left him with one amputated leg means he’s more of a liability than an asset when it comes to crewing.

Together, the two set out to explore Caribbean islands and travel to Trinidad, the final destination on Ben’s map, learning more than they could have expected about loss and love along the way.

This was such a powerful read! I didn’t realizing, going into it, how emotional it would make me. But boy, did I quickly learn better. Many times while reading I found myself holding back aching sobs or unable to stop myself from laughing out loud like a maniac.

It’s a testament to Doller’s writing that I was able to connect so well with these characters. It’s not hard to immediately root for both Anna and Keane. They’re extremely likeable, undeniably good people, and their character development was so thoughtful and moving, how could you not want to watch them grow? In particular, I loved independent and strong Anna was throughout this novel. So inspiring!

Both characters go through so much both before and throughout the novel that it really feels like an accomplishment when you get to the end of their story. They come so far – and not just in distance travelled. I loved where we leave them. I wish them nothing but the best!

One thing to note is that this book really doesn’t pull any punches, there are some pretty heavy topics discussed throughout. But it never feels too heavy, mixing in the right about of lightheartedness and humour when needed.

Honestly, this book was just such a sweet story of personal growth, self-discovery, and coming to terms with loss. Just thinking about it makes my heart ache – in the best of ways. If you’re in the mood for a thoughtful, emotional read, this is the perfect book for you.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Griffin/Press, for inviting me to participate in this blog tour and providing me with an e-ARC of this book via Netgalley. All thoughts are my own.

Float Plan was such a beautiful story about two people finding each other at the right time, both dealing with their own grief and loss.

Trigger Warning: Suicide, Grief

Anna is approaching the one-year anniversary of the loss of her fiance, Ben, to suicide. She's reminded of the sailing trip they were planning to take together. Ben had mapped out every detail, and it had always been his dream. While still processing her grief and loss, Anna decides to embark on the sailing journey but knows she can't do it alone.

Enter Keane Sullivan! He's dealing with his own loss, and I love the friendship that develops between them. They both end up healing each other when they least expect it. I don't want to give away too much, but pick this one up for a profound story of love, healing, and second chances!

"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."

One of my favorite parts about this book was the setting! The adventure begins in Fort Lauderdale and ends in Trinidad, with so many gorgeous stops along the way.

I just assumed it was a romcom. It was so much more than just a simple romcom! This story was about grief, finding yourself after sadness and learning to live each day going forward, and of course love and adventure! I ended up finishing it in a day and would highly recommend this one.
Anna heads out on a solo sailing trip after she loses her boyfriend, Ben to suicide. Yes that is a huge serious topic and I like how the story didn’t just pretend it was in the past and moved on, throughout the story Anna deals with her feelings and how she lives each day. To me that made me respect @trishdoller even more as an author because so many stories deal with massive triggers like suicide, drug abuse, rape and mental illness and just graze over them and it drives me crazy.
Anna sets off on an adventure and she not only meets amazing people, she realizes that there is a lot of life worth living outside of her sadness. She also starts to realize who she is without Ben and how that life looks. For a story that is heavy it’s not written heavy and I couldn’t put it down.

I’m beginning to believe there are no coincidences. Books come to us we need them and for me that has happened, yet again, with FLOAT PLAN.

I often focus on the emotional and sad elements in romance books because that’s where I am and that’s what I connect with the most. So before I get into all of that, I need to emphasize that this book is not one big book of sadness. FLOAT PLAN is a story of adventure and love and friendship and community and loss. It’s about Anna finding herself and new beginnings. It is all of these things and more, and anyone who reads it will find exactly what they need from it. Even if that is simply to be entertained.

I loved going on this adventure with Anna and meeting the people that she met and seeing the places she visited. I loved watching her become self-reliant and problem solve during the days she sailed solo.

And I loved Keane and how he proved there are men like him out there. I know. I married one of them.

And I loved watching Anna and Keane fall for each other and feeling the joy they felt together.

My heart ached time and time again for Anna for her loss of Ben. When the life you have, or the life you think you’re going to have, is ripped from you, nothing is familiar. Even yourself.

THIS DID ME IN:
“I cried until my eyelashes hurt, because there is no longer a we and I’ve forgotten how to be me without Ben.” Then I got out of bed and started packing.“

FLOAT PLAN cracked me open and set off a chain reaction that led to the realization that I’m ready for more. I’m ready to live and create new memories. There were many thoughts that led me to that point and they all circled around and were jumbled up, but ultimately I’m ready to take some chances and I NEED to do the LIVING that I’ve wanted to do.

JUST THIS:
“. . 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’ve said this many, many, many times. Hope and grief can exist in the same space.They have to or we can never fully live because grief never goes away.

Reading FLOAT PLAN was a therapy session (or a few) for me, and it’s definitely a book that will stay with me. I needed this book more that I can even put into words. The power that books can have truly amazes me as they continue to guide me through this life.

I loved it.

Every once in a while you come across a story that completely captures your heart.

Float Plan did absolutely that.

Anna Beck spent an agonizing 10 months mourning the loss of her boyfriend who died by suicide. When she wakes up two days before Thanksgiving to a notification on her phone that Ben set three years before - TODAY IS THE DAY, ANNA! WE’RE GOING SAILING! - she packs up her life, goes to the store for supplies, and heads out alone for the sailing trip they planned to take together.

After her first 24 hours on the boat aren’t exactly smooth sailing, she wisely decides to hire someone more experienced to help along her specifically charted course. She finds Keane Sullivan - or rather he finds her - and not only is he a professional sailor, he also knows something about losing the life you planned to have.

Float Plan is a heartwarming adventure of epic proportions! As Anna and Keane travel from island to island battling elements and their growing attraction, there’s no shortage of fun characters and life-changing experiences. Anna learns to chart her own course, while Keane finds the purpose for his.

Keane was EXACTLY the person Anna needed in her life. But also Anna was exactly the person Keane needed in his.

Sidenote: As a mother, I’m horrified that Anna hired some unknown man to help sail her boat. But the romantic in me is “damn, that was one sweet meet-cute!” Also, in a day and time when it seems everyone is angry and only out for their own interests, it was delightful to read a story filled with kind, generous people. I now want to buy a sailboat and travel around the Caribbean!

There’s not a single thing I would change about this book, except maybe make it 200 pages longer. Ms. Doller’s writing is flawless and I felt like I was a fly on the wall to Anna and Keane’s adventure. Her descriptions are vivid, but never filled with so much extraneous information to cause the figurative effect of dropping an anchor to the pace of the story. I felt the depths of Anna’s sorrow without feeling oppressively sad. I felt her sense of determination and cheered for her successes. I loved Anna’s journey of discovery, I loved Keane’s gentle guidance and encouragment, I loved Anna and Keane’s relationship and how it developed. For a book that dealt with some heartbreaking topics, it didn’t have a heavy tone - instead it had me feeling hopeful and happy.

"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 just...loved this story.

I can’t recommend it enough. READ IT!!!

* thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

📚Book Review 📚
TW: Suicide, grief, depression, death of a loved one, ableism

I honestly saw this book around bookstagram for a while ago and already had it on my TBR before I was lucky enough that @smpromance reached out to me to read a copy in exchange for a review. I am so glad they did because I loved this little book.

Not surprisingly, I was in tears about five pages into this one. It’s not hard for me to cry, but I’m not usually that quickly affected by a book. I could feel Anna’s pain and grief just emanating off the page. I felt this was such a beautiful story of finding yourself again after such insurmountable loss when one’s life is so tightly woven and intertwined with that of the loved one lost.

Though the overall subject matter is heavy, Doller does a seamless job of weaving in humor and heart meltingly sweet moments. Not to mention Keane Sullivan may now be my number one book boyfriend. This story was under 300 pages, and Doller built the chemistry between Keane and Anna beautifully.

All of this takes place with a backdrop on this great sailing adventure island hopping from Puerto Rico to the Caribbean. The story swept me away and easily let me escape on as close to a tropical vacation as I will get in the near future.

If this isn’t already on your TBR, definitely add it now!

I don't know what it was about this book that made me love it so much but I did. The story starts out quite heavy with the death of Anna's fiancé and her trying to find herself. She decides to take the boat and go on the sailing trip they were supposed to go on together. She realizes pretty quickly that she needs help on the trip and hires Keane, an experienced sailor who has one prosthetic limb. He's a huge help but her original trip veers off course pretty quickly.
This story was such a wonderful balance of heart, humor and depth to it that I did not expect at all. I loved Keane pretty much immediately and his attitude towards life is fantastic. Even though he lost a leg in an unexpected way, he can sail with the best of them. Anna grows so much through the book and I felt so proud of her as the story went on. They bonded so easily and their relationship bloomed so effortlessly. Their friendly banter was on point and even though it takes a while for them to get there, it wouldn't have worked any sooner. Their destinations and adventures sounded amazing and the whole book was just refreshing. There are dark moments in the book, especially when talking about Ben, her dead fiancé. His mother was quite a cold character that I actually gasped at her actions. Despite her very few scenes of the book, I couldn't believe what she was asking. I absolutely loved the addition of Queenie and Keane's brother just brought even more life to the story. Anna's boat even felt like a character. I honestly would love to see this adapted into a movie. It's a quiet and intimate book where Anna has to find herself and figure out how she can live without Ben and her journey there is wonderful.
HIGHLY recommend and it may be my favorite book of the year so far.