Anna is devastated after her fiancée commits suicide, but after ten months of grieving, she embarks on an adventure they previously planned. Anna goes through with sailing from Miami, to a variety of islands in the Caribbean. Off to a challenging start, she enlists the assistance of Keene, an Irishman looking for his own answers to an earlier accident. I really enjoyed the book, as a travel log for the beautiful islands of the Caribbean, and for the developing relationship between Anna and Keane, as well as the strength Anna finds in her journey. I recommend this book and thank NetGalley for the ARC.

I wasn't sure how a romance novel that dealt heavily with grief would work, but I think Trish Doller did a wonderful job of portraying someone working their way through their grief and finding love through the process.

Anna decides to go on the sailing trip her late fiance had planned, but quickly realizes she's in a little over her head. She hires Kearn as her guide to help her sail through the Caribbean where she learns more about sailing and herself. I thought it was a wonderful romance that built, understandably, very slowly as Anna works through her grief. I also felt that Anna's grief felt incredibly real and understandable and I was really invested in her journey.

Serious trigger warning for suicide as the book begins with a suicide note.

This book is definitely an adventure. Trish does a great job of building the characters - Keane is an absolute sweetheart - and the depth of emotions we get from Anna is heart breaking.

I am an experienced offshore sailor, so the middle EVENT was very hard to read - and also an enormous deal and I find it hard to believe Anna would have survived, never mind kept up the positive attitude that she had. On the other hand, I've been to many places in the book and the depiction of the islands and the sailing community were spot on.

Great characters and adventure. Not very steamy but honest and open.

I was sent a free book and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

So to be honest, I didn't know what to expect from this book. I have to say I enjoyed every bit of it. Following Anna on her journey was wonderful. She really did experience so much more of a journey than just the sailing she set out to do. I love love love Keane. What a wonderful character in need of a healing journey of his own. I love Keane and Anna together. His kindness is the best part of him.

Anna dealing with the loss of her fiance was wonderfully written. I liked how it was reiterated that grief doesn't have a timeline. Also, that grief ebbs and flows. Anna would move forward and back with her grief. I think sometimes people expect you to be at certain place at a certain time but EVERYONE deals with grief in their own way.


Thank you to St. Martin's Press Griffin and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book was fine, but I just wanted a bit more. Though there were some heavy subjects, for the most part this book just seems to skim the surface. I could have used more of a dive both into the high and low points. That said, these are some of my favorite characters that I've come across lately. I want a Keane in my life.

3.5 stars, I recommend for anyone that dreams of island hopping the Caribbean.

Thank you to @stmartinspress, @trishdoller, and @netgalley for my gifted copy of Float Plan! I had a blast buddy reading this with @lovearctually, and chatting at the end. Float Plan is out on March 2nd!

After losing her fiance in an accident, Anna decides to impulsively take a sailing trip that they meant to take together. She experiences an awful night at sea, and then decides to hire Keane, a professional sailor, to help. What results is a beautiful story on the high seas that neither of them expect.

Float Plan is one of those books I wish I could experience for the first time again. The love story was so sweet and gentle, and moved at just the right pace for the circumstances. Anna and Keane (and his brother Eamon) are all incredibly likeable, as are the people they meet on their voyage through the Carribean. I loved watching their romance bloom so organically on the boat. Plus, the descriptions of nature in the book were incredible...I wanted to jump right into the story with them and escape Fort Worth!

Chatting with Trish Doller was an absolute pleasure! She’s been to several of the islands in the book, and did a great deal of research on the ones she hasn’t visited (her instagram @trishdoller will give you a major case of wanderlust). Her research made her want to go to Montserrat next! She worked on Float Plan for six years, and her favorite part(s) to write was Anna’s journey of healing.

This book was an amazing read.
It handled the topic of grief beautifully and I loved reading Anna's story of sailing and honoring Ben's memory.
It didn't focus on romance so much as handling life after someone you love is gone.
Trigger warnings for suicide and grief.
I adored the sailing aspect of this book. I've never been interested in sailing but this book made me wanting to sail to Turks & Caicos asap.

Since losing her fiancé to suicide, Anna Beck has been drowning in her grief. When her alarm goes off to set sail for a trip she and Ben were supposed to start, she flees. Escaping Fort Lauderdale, Anna sets sail only to realize she isn’t prepared to make the trip alone. Barely making it to her first stop, Anna hires Keane to help sail the rest of the 1,700 mile journey.

Keane Sullivan was a top professional sailor, but like Anna is struggling to make a new future for himself. When helping her sail from island to island honoring Ben, they learn that moving on doesn’t mean forgetting, but making room for more.

First, this book may be a trigger for some. It discusses suicide, depression, and trauma frequently, so please be mindful of that before starting.

Anna is grieving. Deeply grieving, he pain, loneliness, and guilt are living things. The writing is mournful. You will feel what Anna feels. I caught myself having to stop and remind myself that the feelings belong to Anna not me. That is how fluid Trish Doller’s writes. To fully experience Anna’s journey to heal and make room for new memories and love, you have to experience her hurt. And you will, but you’ll also experience her healing.

I cannot recommend this book enough! I know I’ll be thinking about it for a long time, but you should experience it for yourself. But have tissues at hand, because you will be crying, laughing, and everything in between.

4.5 STARS


Anna Beck has been living in a grayed-out world of pain and grief caused by the devastating loss of her fiancé for months. When a reminder pops up for their plan to sail the Caribbean for the trip of a lifetime, it awakens something in Anna. Impulsively, she walks out of her job grabbing onto that sailboat as a literal lifeline but without the truly necessary skills of sailing alone. She barely makes a hazardous night crossing to Bimini. Anna realizes very quickly after making another poor judgement call while on the island putting herself in serious harm’s way that she needs help. The much-needed assistance comes in the form of an Irish professional sailor, Keane Sullivan, who is looking for just such a job. Keane needs Anna nearly as much because his whole life and dreams have been upended by difficult circumstances as well.

Keane is exactly the right person for Anna teaching her how to sail and regain some equilibrium in the world. Keane is also trying to put his life back together after a life altering moment. His affable nature and spirit of fun helps Anna to see the color in the world again although she still struggles with grief and guilt. Slowly they build a working relationship that has potential for more, but Anna has a lot of things to let go of in order to move forward with her life.

Besides be an enjoyable sailing yarn about the delights of the Caribbean and adventures of folks who live on their sailboats, this story is truly a journey of healing for Anna as she learns not only to be more self-sufficient, but to embrace life with joy again. She and Keane share a mutual attraction, but neither is quite in a place to act on it in the beginning. Anna’s fiancé, Ben, is with her during the journey in spirit because they had planned this trip together. The way he left her was particularly heartbreaking as Ben took his own life. This is a very sensitive subject and at times a hard read; however, I think the author handles it well and gives perhaps some insight into the people left behind who have had to go through this painful experience.

Ms. Dollar’s engaging prose gives the reader a feel for the sailing life from the rough crossings, mechanical issues as well as the sublime moments and interesting people who live aboard boats on the salty seas. Island life is also an integral part that takes readers beyond the tourist views to some history and the flavor of the local people. This story is also well balanced I think between the deeply emotional issues and the action adventure, flavored with a slow burn romance.

Anna impulsively decides to take a sailing trip that she had planned with her fiancé. Ben bought a sailboat, and their plan was to sail around the Caribbean together. It was all planned. It was going to be terrific. Until he committed suicide and left Anna behind questioning why. Anna is bereft, and has been mourning, but she quits her job and leaves on the trip on her own. She quickly realizes that she cannot do the trip alone. She enlists the help of someone experienced in sailing so that she can live out the dream of hers and Ben's. Enter Keane, a delightful Irishman who knows how to sail and may just be exactly what Anna needs to get her through this difficult time. Keane has his own issues he is dealing with as well. Anna may be just what he needs too. These two characters are terrific. You will fall in love with both of them instantly. I do not read a lot of romance novels. I need a great story to keep me going. This is truly a great story. I enjoyed it!

Book Info
Paperback, 272 pages
Expected publication: March 2nd 2021 by St. Martin's Griffin
ISBN 1250767946
(ISBN13:9781250767943)
Edition Language English
Other Editions (3)
Source:Netgalley EARC
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BOOK BLURB

Critically acclaimed young adult author Trish Doller's unforgettable and romantic adult debut about setting sail, starting over, and finding yourself.

Since the loss of her fiancé, Anna has spent the last year foundering on land, shipwrecked by her grief and inability to move on. But when a reminder goes off about a trip they were supposed to take, she impulsively sets off in their sailboat, intending to complete the planned voyage around the Caribbean that Ben had mapped out for them.

But after a treacherous night's sail and a brush with an ocean tanker, she decides she can’t do it alone, and hires a professional sailor to help her get to Puerto Rico. Much like her, Keane is struggling with a very different future than the one he had planned, and he can’t refuse her offer. Together they find a way to rebuild their lives and the possibility of new love.

My Thoughts
All of us deal with loss in our way, Anna chooses one that if more proactive than most.

At first for all the wrong reasons, but as time goes on and the trip takes hold of our unlikely adventurer those reasons change in ways that Anna never dreamed of.

Ways that she finds to be healing but also freeing as well.

I wasn’t too sure of how a woman alone taking a long ocean journey would keep me interested.

After all reading about how mistakes were made by novice sailor Anna could only carry the story so far, right.

However, the author proved me wrong with a beautiful journey for not only Anna but one for Keane as well.

Beautiful in the nature of where the two went, where they end up and everything in between!

Read too fast because could not stop till finished.

Loved both Annas emotional and physical journeys in this story.

[EArc from Netgalley]
On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

Thank you Netgalley and SMP Romance for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I put off reading Float Plan for a little bit because I worried it would be too sad since Anna's finace, Ben, died by suicide. There were definitely hard sad moments, but overall this was a very uplifting and hopeful book.

I absolutely adored this sweet journey. Anna was such a strong character. I’ve worked in mental health and my heart went out to her over her loss of Ben. Once I got into Float Plan, I didn’t want to put it down. If I had more time I would’ve devoured it in one sitting.

I loved traveling to different Caribbean islands with Anna and Keane, especially ones I’ve never heard of or been to. This was a perfect escape during this covid pandemic when we can’t travel. I also enjoyed more about sailing and often found myself googling their alberg or other elements of their trip.

The romance between Anna and Keane was perfect. They were so supportive of each other’s struggles. I loved that they went from friends to much more.

I absolutely adored this book and can’t wait to read more by Trish Doller.

I will update with the link once I shared to my bookstagram page.

Float Plan by Trish Doller was a pleasant surprise! Anna is grieving over the loss of her fiancé, Ben, from death by suicide. Ben had planned an extensive trip through the Caribbean on a sailboat he refurbished. When the sail date nears, Anna impulsively decides to the voyage alone.

Anna realizes she can't make the journey alone and hires a professional sailor to accompany her. Keane is from Ireland but was a professional sailor up until an accident the previous year. Anna helps Keane as much as Keane helps Anna.... emotionally and physically.

I loved the setting for this book and the author expertly describes the different locations Anna and Keane sail to. I also loved Keane's accent written in the dialogue. I was hesitant to pick up a book that has a disclaimer about suicide, but I'm so glad I did. Float Plan is about Anna's journey to live without Ben and chart a new course.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I'm finding more and more often that not reading a summary and going into a book blind is somewhat to my disadvantage. By judging this book by this cover, I never would have imagined anything less than a light and breezy bucket list vacation on the wide open seas.
From page one, this deals with difficult topics. Anna slides into barely an existence when her fiance commits suicide. They had big plans for sailing the Caribbean and when the time comes, she takes the leap to go on her own. Anna is jolted back into reality when her downward spiral meets an unexpected wakeup call on her way to her first stop and the entrance of one Keane Sullivan.
The first (almost) half is harder to read. Anna's lack of hope for her future makes her a difficult character to immediately root for. Her small moments of joy kept me reading and the last half was definitely more in line with what I expected. I most liked that she found value in herself rather than placing it solely on someone else like she had with her fiance.
It's interesting that Trish mentions the "taboo" in this book like periods. It's completely real life and yet literature typically suggests otherwise. It really stuck out to me even though it should feel like a comment in passing more than anything. What does that say about how "far we've come" as a society?
TW: Suicide, Depression, Grief, Steam
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

A beautiful love story that shows love after tragedy. Float Plan is a cute romance set in the beautiful setting of a sailboat in the Caribbean. Coming from tragedy, both characters learn to grow and learn to live again. I enjoyed how it wasn't a story about a man coming to save a woman. I also enjoyed a main character who is Catholic, but that doesn't become his whole story line. I will definitely be passing this book onto friends.

Float Plan is a book about starting over, moving on, and discovering your strengths.
The beginning of the book is very sad as Anna is dealing with the grief of her fiancé’s suicide. I did appreciate the warning at the beginning of the book because I think that’s important for readers to know. It isn’t something that’s skippable, as his suicide is really something that Anna thinks about throughout the entire story. Although I don’t feel the romance is the center of this story, it really does have a sweet romance intertwined with Anna’s learning to believe in herself and discover who she wants to be. Keane is a sweetheart and I adored the way he treated Anna with respect and pushed her to be confident yet was patient with her, knowing that she was still hurting from a broken heart. Keane is one of the good guys. This is a good story, but readers should know that this isn’t a romcom. I was initially hesitant to read a story about moving on after a loved one’s suicide, but after seeing the pain and the slow process of healing through Anna’s perspective, I’m glad I read this book.
Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for a digital advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks you for an arc in exchange for an honest review!!! This book reminds me a lot of that couple from that’s movie He’s just Not that into you. The couple where the guy loves his boat and ends up moving on it. I’m not really sure why but that’s who I pictured. I think this book is definitely for boat lovers. There was a lot of language in there that I had to look up, because I couldn’t remember what certain boat terms were which was fine. I thought it was overall pretty sweet. I think there was something missing for me but I can’t figure out what it was.

If you like romance, if you need a palate cleanser between heavy fantasy books, then you need to read this book. This book explores grief and learning to take the time you need to grieve because there IS no "time limit" as well as feelings of "Am I ready to move on? What will moving on mean?"

While this explores grief, it's done in a way that doesn't leave you feeling heavy and sad. Anna is 25 and her fiancee has committed suicide. (This isn't a spoiler, it's the first chapter.) Anna has been grieving for 10 months and can't figure out how to live for herself now that her whole world has shattered. Her fiancee left her the boat and his plans for a trip they were supposed to go on together. Anna decides the best way to move forward is to take the trip on her own.

This book was sweet, heart-warming, sad, and a lot of fun. There were one or two low key sex scenes which I appreciated because I don't like smut in my books (anymore). The author did a great job with getting into Anna's feelings as well as a few others she meets on the way. The descriptions were well done and you actually felt like you were taking this trip with Anna and exploring the Caribbean area.

HIGHLY recommend!!!!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this advance reader copy to read and review for an honest opinion.

A story on overcoming grief and rewriting your story, Trish Doller’s “Float Plan” is sure to be a roaring hit of 2021.
Anna wakes up one day seeing Ben, her first mate, dead by suicide. She is devastated as they planned to travel the Caribbean together on the Antigua sailboat. Fast forward about a year and Anna decides to sail using Bens itinerary. Luckily, Anna meets Keane (her new sailing partner) and they journey mainly through Ben’s plans.
Trish Doller’s writing about grief is beautiful. I highlighted many lines throughout my reading that truly struck with me. Doller does not leave a character plot undone and does justice to every day spent discovering the Caribbean. “Float Plan” touches on many aspects of human emotions and includes beautiful scenery words that allow the reader to imagine they are there.
I recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys nautical adventures, needs a getaway via a book, or just needs a romantic read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy of this in exchange for a review.

Anna has lost her fiancé to suicide and is dealing with all the grief 10 months later. He had a boat and had planned a trip and Anna decides spur of the moment to take that trip alone. She takes the trip despite her family and friends trying to talk her out of it.

After a disastrous start, she advertises for someone to help sail her boat. She meets Keane, who joins her. The book then details their trip and their adventures.

I got a little bored with this once the trip started. It was a lot of description of the route and sailing. This one was just okay for me.