Love, love, love this book. Anna and Keane have both lost something significant in their lives. Anna needs Keane to help her make the sailing trip she was planning with her now deceased finance. Keane is an out-of-work sailor who lost his leg in an accident. The two find each other and help one another heal from the pain of each of their respective tragedies. We watch Anna slowly recover from her loss and learn to love again. Keane's kindness and patience help Anna move on with her life. Eventually Anna discovers that she can complete her journey without Keane's help, but does she want to be alone anymore? Float Plan is somewhat of a slow burn, with a sweet ending. It is a romance but so much more than just a romance. Highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy Josie Silver type novels!

Content warning: depression, suicide, death of a loved one, grief

I really like the premise of the story. About a year after the death of Anna's fiance, she decides to go through with their original plans to go sailing, following the float plan her husband had made for them before he died. Somewhere along, she puts up an ad looking for sailors/basically anyone who knows their shit and that's how she meets Keane.

Though the story deals with heavy topics, I love that underneath it all is Anna trying to move forward with her life. I have to applaud her for her independence and courage. I love her growth throughout the entire book. It’s something that kind of grew quietly and she became stronger and braver towards the end.

Keane is such a sweet, respectful, and capable character who always wears his heart on his sleeve. He’s been sailing for most of his life but ever since he got a prosthetic leg, people wouldn’t hire him anymore thinking he wouldn't be capable. He agrees to sail with Anna in hopes of finding a job opportunity in Portugal.

The pacing of the romance was good enough. The story is all in Anna's POV so initially, her uncertainty and second-guessing about her developing feelings were shown. They went from strangers to sailing partners to friends then lovers, and I loved that there was a right amount of development between Anna and Keane to make me actually root for them.

What I didn't like:
- Up until the 60%, I admit it got kind of draggy for me hence why I didn’t give 5 stars. I’m conflicted because although I feel that way, I understand the need for that kind of pacing at the initial parts of the story. Anna is still grieving and to move the story forward at a faster pace would be less believable.
- Another reason: all the boat/sailing terminologies... it makes the story more genuine but it just flew over my head esp since I know none of those things.

What else is there to say? Writing was good. Characters were wonderful and grew throughout the story. The romance tugged at my heartstrings. Please consider the content warnings before reading, but I do recommend this book ♡

If you're a fan of sweet romance novels with strong female characters, some steam, you will enjoy this story of Anna whose husband to be has committed suicide and she decides to go on their dream sailing journey anyway.

Along the way, she finds help, kindness, love and herself. I really liked that she's strong and capable and he's kind and generous. I also really enjoyed some of the transient but sweet secondary characters.

Sometimes a sweet, semi-predictable love story is exactly what's needed and this one hits the spot beautifully.

with gratitude to netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

This book was a delight to read. Doller does a fantastic job balancing heavy topics like suicide and grief with moments of effervescent joy. Seeing Anna discover a new love, gain self-confidence, and come into her own in the process, is the kind of heartwarming story we all need right now.

Float Plan is about Anna, a woman who is deeply grieving for her fiance, who committed suicide. They had planned to sail the Caribbean together, and after his death, Anna decides to take the trip alone. It doesn't take long for Anna to realize that her sailing skills are not up to par for a solo trip. So she hires a professional sailor named Keane, who is also Irish and handsome and single, to be her sailing partner.

This story was such a fun, romantic, sailing adventure! I adored these characters and thought it was so fun to sail around the Caribbean with them. Anna is dealing with serious grief, but the story doesn't dwell on her grief. It is more about her moving forward with life and the second chances that she has with life and friendship and love. The overall tone is inspiring and upbeat, making this a delightful read. It would be just perfect to read while sitting on the beach in the Caribbean. Actually, I think I might just need to take a trip to the Caribbean now so I can read this book again in that setting.

During the last third of the book, I started to feel a little restless. I felt like the story slowed down a bit and there just wasn't enough conflict to keep me fully invested. I actually feel this way often with romances, so it may be be more of an issue with me and the genre than the book itself. With a romance, I always know the couple will ultimately get together and stay together, and I think sometimes I just lose a little interest because I already know what is going to happen.

However, overall, this book was just a lovely story with great characters, a little bit of adventure and gorgeous settings. I would definitely recommend it!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review. This one is available on March 2, 2021!

I was really hesitant to read this book when I realized it starts with a suicide. It's not my favorite way to start a book and I was worried this book would be too depressing for me. But, once I was past the first chapter I found the book really easy to read.

Too many books lately have taken a turn from love story to suspense so honestly I kept thinking someone else was going to die or something else tragic was going to happen.

I was so happy that this book was just a good story with a happy ending. Overall I think this would be an amazing beach or vacation read. I loved that it was set on a sailboat in sunny locals.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this book.

Wow, what a read. I went into this book much like the main character sets sail -- without any real expectations or any real idea of what was going to happen. And let me tell you, I was more than pleasantly surprised.

This book takes you on a physical and emotional journey right along with Anna and Keane. Your heart will break with them, you'll laugh with them, you'll fall in love with them, you'll worry with them, and you'll travel to incredible destinations with them. This story tackles love and loss and everything that comes in-between in a beautiful way, and by the end you'll be aching for more.

A huge thanks to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for an ARC of the Float Plan by Trish Doller.
Anna embarks on a journey of self discovery, hires Keane, and finds not only the strength to move ahead but also her voice to do so.

I found myself googling locations to see the various islands she was visiting. Talk about paradise! This book also centered on them being at sea, and it made for a nice escape, as it seems like something that could happen during a pandemic. Look for this in the new year (March)! There are some steamy scenes to thaw the cold winter.

I have been a fan of Trish Doller's writing for ages it seems, but when I saw she had a contemporary adult romance coming out I freaked out a bit (in a good way)!

Doller seems to hover just under the radar which is unfathomable to me because her books are always spectacular. Float Plan, like her other books, just made me feel so so much while I was reading. Do NOT let the summary scare you - yes there are sensitive topics explored here, but they are done wonderfully.

There aren't many books that are based on a boat - I imagine it was really hard to do as a writer when part of what you're trying to do is have your characters do stuff, but Doller makes you feel like you are on that boat with Anna, fighting waves, catching fish, swimming in the water... And the locales that are shared... I've never had the urge to sail to any of these places in my life, but a few of them may now be on my bucket list for someday!

The romance here is subtlely done but Keane delivers the swoons like nobody's business.

This is a story about figuring out who you are and finding who you are after everything in your life suddenly changes, but it's also a story about strength and perseverance and I highly recommend this one for your reading lists in 2021.

I've read Trish Doller's young adult titles and enjoyed them. This had the same impact. I loved that the main characters aided each other through grief and to acceptance--and I love that it all came with a little romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f friends to lovers
-close proximity
-an adventure/escape on a boat
-a rescue dog
-slow burn

This was a beautiful story of grief and taking a risk. Both Anna and Keane suffered loss in different ways. While I know little about boats this book toed the line of creating a great atmosphere without being overwhelming with all of the sailing details. It pulled me in rather than detracted.

The story deftly handles sensitive topics including life after loss and issues of ableism. Keane was such a cinnamon roll and patient waiting, not pressuring her. I couldn't put this one down and truly enjoyed reading it. The romance was slow, but steady and sweet. But this was truly Anna's story of adventure and finding herself out in the ocean, meeting the right person at the right time..

CW: suicide, grief, ableism

Rating: Rave
Steam: 2.5

An absolutely lovely story of overcoming grief. The writing is beautiful, the characters are endearing and the story is satisfying. Surprisingly, the nautical jargon did not get annoying! And you will definitely question your life choice of not dropping everything and moving to a tiny Caribbean island! I do wish there was an epilogue, only because I wanted more story, as it is easy to invest in and root for these characters.

Thank you to netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Very hard to put in words, but the journey of Anna and Keane is one that, typically you really don't get to see in real life very often, (two broken souls with really hardcore losses), but it actually made me stop for a moment and think about this trainwreck of a year, and the fact we are still here standing. Just like Anna dealing with the loss of her fiance, not knowing what's better for her, and Keane coping with the loss of one of his limbs for crying out loud, you couldnt put two and two in a better match than this., and though its being published until the spring, I have to say the timing for reading this was very appropriate. This book will make people be more thankful, mindful and grateful for what they have AND for what they lost.

Thank you St Martin's press for the ARC. I needed this slap of reality in the shape pf a very well writren, very page turning story.

This book was a perfect escape! The romance is a lot of fun, and I have been dreaming about sailing the Caribbean ever since.

This very well could be one of my favorite books I’ve ever read. Soft, gentle, tender, this book takes a broken heart and cradles the pieces while they heal. The story explores pain and grief and all of its nuances, but does so in a way that makes you feel like you are sitting in the sunshine while you heal.
Anna’s fiancé, Ben, committed suicide almost a year ago, and Anna (on a whim) decides to take the sailing trip they had once planned to take together in an effort to heal and find herself. Along the way, she meets Keane Sullivan, one of the best, realistic, good guy love interests I’ve read in awhile.
One of the most valuable aspects of this book is Anna’s ability to learn to love, forgive, mourn, and trust herself completely and entirely. She is the hero of this story. The book also portrays the intricacies of loving someone while being able to live without them. While the subject matter can be tough, the story is the epitome of beauty and grace, touches of humor and reality and loveliness making it an absolute pleasure to read. I can’t recommend it enough.

Great story and loved the romance. Loved the cast of characters and how the story came to be. Great story and I would read this author again.

You ever read a book and can’t think of a single thing you disliked cause yup. Like maybe the fact it had to end. I could have taken the ending being stretched another 100 pages or so.

What do I have to do to get more? I’ll take a spin off with Eamon. I don't care just give me more please. This is a story that fits like a glove. I was so contented and smiling or laughing every chapter. It’s not “light” in the slightest. If you’ve ever known anyone who’s died by suicide or just suffered loss in any way, you’ll really understand Anna and Keane. That's why the humor is so necessary for the story. Doller didn’t write a book where two characters are instantly fixed by love and live happily ever after having no problems. She wrote real characters that have to constantly choose each other and face their traumas, insecurities, and doubts. That’s what made this book so great. You root for both characters getting the love they deserve.

This doesn’t even touch on how it felt like going on a trip just to read this book. I was googling all the sights and islands they stopped at and the author wrote about them so well you didn’t even need to see pictures. I think the most wild part of this story is that it made me want to go sailing 🥴 like I would definitely try it at least once. There’s something about mother nature not letting you conquer her and having to be attuned to her that seems beautiful, and I love to travel. This was basically my open invitation that if you’re like Keane please dm me. Thx ☺️

If you want to read a book about messy love, disability, and being lost, I would highly recommend this one. I honestly could keep going about how much I loved this story. I always look through my notes and highlights to write my reviews, but I wrote this one completely unassisted because it was so memorable.

This book was so refreshing in its approach to a rom-com! We have the conventional quirky side characters and push and pull factors between the main couple, but the sailing and personal baggage (grief, family stuff) made it all very fun to experience with Anna and Keane!

I'll have to admit—I did get a little lost in between all of the different places they visited and the abundance of random characters that were friendly and helpful in just the right ways to nudge them together. But it was all very charming and I got swept away in the mini-adventures and reflections that they made on where they were in their lives and where they wanted to be.

Very well written and a wonderfully captivating narrative throughout.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the wonderful ARC!

I Loved, loved, loved this book, and I know my library patrons will, too. I can't wait for more from this author.

“The cure for anything is saltwater—sweat, tears, or the sea.” ―ISAK DINESEN

This quote at the beginning gives an indication of what's in store. The opening scene broke my heart into tiny pieces. Pray that no one shouldn’t go through it and God gives them strength to overcome it.

Anna has been dealing with intense grief, goes on a voyage in a sailboat, which she is supposed to sail with her boyfriend Ben. She isn’t an experienced sailor, and hires Keane to help her. Keane has been going through a difficult change in his life as life did not pan out in the way he planned.

This is a beautiful book about grief, hope, change, and new beginnings. Anna is a strong and brave character to go sailing alone. I cried and smiled along with her. It’s the beautiful journey of Anna, starting with her lowest phase, going through every phase of grief, learning to overcome it, making new friends along the way, and turning her life around.

My favorite scene was when she learns how valuable life is, and decides to make the most of it, and realizes moving on doesn’t mean forgetting. Learning to build new life alongside old one from gorgeous locations.

I can’t get enough of Keane. I wish this book was a little longer so I can lose myself in their heartwarming camaraderie and romance. He is handsome, adorable, considerate and helps Anna to see life beyond her grief.

Doller’s writing is beautiful. Her vivid descriptions of sea, thrilling adventures made me enjoy this vicariously. Appreciate that romance doesn’t take center stage but this is about the second chances, overcome dark stages and slowly building romance between them is truly amazing.

Though it deals with heavy topics, overall, this is an awesome book filled with beautiful characters.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!