“I’m starting to understand how sadness and happiness can live side by side within a heart. And how that heart can keep beating”
Trish Doller, Float Plan
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I have explored grief many, many times through novels...I have to say. I think this novel will stay with me for so very long.
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My first thought as I finished this book was all the warm fuzzies. My second thought...how do I convince Jesse to buy a boat and start sailing the Caribbean with me 🤔. I’ll keep you updated on that question!
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I adored this story. Keane and Anna were amazingly real. I wanted to hang out with them. Talk it all out. And of course kiss Queenie all over. At the surface this book is about a girl who looses her fiancé to suicide and how she jumps aboard his boat to sail the trip they planned together. It becomes so much more. You see friendship. Trust. Laughter. Tears. Pain. And at the end, I was completely entranced by the characters Trish brought to life. I mean. Sincerely. They are alive and well in my memory and in my heart.
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Pick this book up. Trust me.

I know next to nothing about sailing but still enjoyed the ride as Anna & Keane traverse around the Caribbean. They both are a bit lost in their own way and watching them work through their own loss and grief was inspiring and heartfelt. The depiction of loss was honest and realistic and the relationship between Anna & Keane was sweet and natural. This is a story for anyone who doubted themselves and needs a reminder of the strength that lies within us all--sometimes you just need someone to give you a push in the right direction. I didn't want this trip to end--it was a delight to read.

Float Plan by Trish Dollar opens with a suicide note from Anna's fiance Ben. Anna is overcome by her grief, unable to move forward from her loss, until she gets an alert on her phone telling her that it is the day she and Ben were intended to leave for their sailing trip, which would have ended on Trinidad where they would get married on the beach. They had been planning the sailing trip for years, and Anna impulsively decides to throw her belongings in a bag and set sail - alone. After a treacherous first night's sail, Anna realizes she cannot do this trip alone and hires Keane, and Irish professional sailor.

This book is a romance, but it is equally about dealing with grief and how to move forward after a devastating loss. Anna deals with genuine emotions, and her fiance's memory is not cast aside in pursuit of a new romantic fling. I felt secondhand heartache reading Float Plan, and it was an absolutely beautiful book. The romance is a very slow burn, which I feel was the right choice given Anna's situation.

I love that most of this book takes place in a small Alberg sailboat. The small quarters and forced intimacy of sharing a sailboat with someone led to great humor and tender moments. Even if you know nothing about sailing, I think you will appreciate the descriptions of sailing and all of the islands that Anna and Keane visit on their odyssey.

I highly recommend this book. It is not a light, fluffy romance like most chick lit, but it is an enjoyable and romantic book. I appreciate Dollar's willingness to explore deeper topics like how loved ones deal with suicide, grief, and moving on. There is language in this book, but the romantic moments are fade to black.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review.

FLOAT PLAN was such a charming book and I was not expecting to love it as much as I did. As someone who knows very little about boats and sailing, this book really captured my imagination. It goes deeper than typical fluffy romance novels, smoothly navigating the complex topics of depression and disability with remarkable care. The chemistry between the two main characters felt truly genuine; their emotional journey at sea had me hooked the entire time. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!

Float Plan is about a young woman, Anna, who lost her fiance a few months previously and gets a reminder for the sailing trip the two were planning to take. Anna decides to do the trip by herself, but after a disastrous first leg hires an experienced sailor, Keane, to help her. As Anna learns to sail and heals from her grief, she also struggles with her feelings for Keane.

I really liked most of this book. I loved how it dealt with grief and different kinds of grief, both the loss of a loved one and physical loss. Anna had a very emotional arc but I thought it was very well done, and her struggle with reconciling her feelings for her ex-fiance and her possible feelings for Keane was very realistic. I loved the relationship between Keane and Anna and how it developed. Some of it did seem a little quick to me because I'm not the kind of person to invite a total stranger to help me sail a boat. There was also a decision near the end that seemed to come about suddenly but I understand why it was made. Overall the ending was satisfying and hopeful.

My favorite part of the book was all the sailing and all the Caribbean islands. This book really made me want to go off on an adventure and get lost somewhere. I don't even sail but I felt the need to get a sailboat and just travel. It's definitely an escapist book and a perfect summer read, even if it takes place during Christmas.

Float Plan by Trish Doller is a charming tale of self-discovery wrapped in romance is both sea-worthy and swoon-worthy. Our main character is trying to put her life back together after tragedy by taking a sailing trip around the Caribbean that she isn't ready for-- physically or emotional. Enter a second mate who's just the guy she needs, but has his own isssues. Two broken soulds on a boat. I loved the connection between the caharcters, the dialogue, and the setting. As someone who has no fantasies about sailing around anything, Float Plan was both a satisfying reading exoereince and a travelogue! Well done.

Finding Float Plan was a moment of pure serendipity. This book is everything my vagabond heart could want. It’s got soul, sweeping vistas, heartbreak, and rock solid characters. Trish Doller has created something unique with Anna and Keane, and I’m so glad that she wrote this story. Float Plan is the book the world needs with all the craziness going on. It gives you hope that you can find your way again after a hardship.

I've never navigated the Caribbean in a sailboat, but I can picture it vividly after reading this book. Float Plan is a contemporary romance with a significant focus on the female protagonist's personal development and grief journey. If you're looking for a novel that will take you on a warm and sunny adventure, pick this up when it comes out in March 2021. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a charming read! Delightful beach reading. I really enjoyed the banter and the backdrop of sailing. Such a fun adventure.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Honestly the premise of this book could have just as easily been a good psychological thriller. A young woman decides to sail the seas alone and meets a stranger who helps her out along the way. I mean, at the beginning of this book, I was constantly like, "You could be in danger!!" In all seriousness though, this is not the direction the book takes. It is actually an emotional read about dealing with grief and finding oneself in the aftermath of grief.

For all my jokes, this was quite moving in some places and I personally loved the arc this book took. If you are expecting a lighthearted romance, however, this is not it. There are lighthearted moments and there is romance, but it also deals with heavier topics such as suicide, depression, and ableism. The narrative is readable, engaging, and the characters are endearing. I also loved traveling all over the Caribbean. I kept looking at a map while reading this book and, hey, I learned geography!

I will say that there was something about this book that (grief and heavy topics aside) had undercurrents of white privilege. Which, if you are sailing the high seas to find yourself there is a certain amount of privilege connected to that idea, right? Also only white people are interested in looking at historical plantations I think... I just kind of side-eyed these things a little bit and kept it in mind even as I was enjoying this read.

Overall, this was an endearing read and I very much enjoyed reading about the journey these characters took. It was the only vacation I took this summer, haha!

I received an advanced copy of Float Plan from NetGalley.com for an honest review:

'Float Plan' follows Anna who has recently lost her Fiance. In dealing with her grief she decides to take the sailing trip that they planned together. She hopes this can help her heal and move on. She also believes that she will be able to do the trip alone. After a scary night by herself she decides to hire someone to help her make the trip, Keane.

I have to say that I really liked this book. I was hooked in the first chapter. I thought it was well written and the flow kept the story moving at a good pace. Anna went through a lot of self discovery while on this trip and I thought the stages of grief were well done. Everyone handles grief in different ways and I found I could relate to Anna. I loved the introduction of Keane and his character brought so much to the story. Overall, great book and I have already suggested it to other people. This might be a re-read for me! I am looking forward to reading more of Trish Doller's work.

Float Plan is an engaging novel. It’s short on plot, and the arc of the storyline and it’s conclusion are never in doubt, but the emotional journey of the protagonist, Anna, is satisfying, and Doller has created a swoon-worthy yet human hero in Keane. An added bonus was the characters’ journey through the Caribbean. At a time (2020) when travel is on the back burner, this armchair cruise was a lovely way to spend a couple of days.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

To say that I enjoy this book is an understatement. This is the story of Anna who lost her fiance, Ben, and after struggling with grieve for over a year, Anna decided to set sail to fulfill their wish, especially Ben’s wish. On her journey she hired Keane, a great sailor who lost one leg in an accident and trying desperately to get back into racing. These are two broken souls trying to find their way back.

There are so many reasons why I love this book. First I admire brave Anna, although struggling with grieve she sets out on a fearless journey. There is a sense of peace as you journey with Anna and Keane to the various islands. The carefree nature of sailing, hopping from island to island. Kudos to Anna for fighting for a new lease in life.

Another reason I love this book is the many memories it evokes; growing up in the area, spending endless days in the ocean, sailing week with visits to Nelson’s Dockyard, visiting the various islands, the hospitality of and friendliness of the community, eating the fruits mentioned, sugar apple and soursop. How much I miss those beautiful beaches. This book took me back to a happy place and a truly happy carefree time in my life.

I was sad when the journey was over. I wish it had an epilogue. Over all an excellent read.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

This is a heartwarming tale of love, loss, and second chances. Anna is is a relatable character for me, having lost my first husband when I was 30. She is strong, and resilient. She just needed a little push. Keane, is just what Anna needs to help keep pushing her to heal. He's strong and confident. I have a serious crush on him. (Shh🤫, don't tell my husband 😉😁.)

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my feedback.

Have you read a book that pulled you in different directions while reading?

I felt my emotions being tugged in two different directions while reading this one. On one hand there were lots of aspects I really liked. I enjoy the scenic writing of each place that was visited. The author's descriptions made me feel as if I was on board the ship with Anna sailing the open waters or exploring each island they stopped at along the way. I loved the visuals I had and how the story allowed my imagination to go wild.

There were other times where I felt the story felt stagnient. I would keep reading hoping for some excitement to the story and when it did come it was only short lived. I kept wanted to feel the story or be emotionally entrawled by it, but it was a bit lacking for me. The good parts were really good in the this story, but when it wasn’t, I easily lost interest.

I wanted to connect with Anna, but I had a hard time sympathizing with her and her situation. I hated how she just devoted her life to the memory of Ben. She regretted every misstep she took that wasn’t apart of his dream as if she was dishonoring his memory of she strayed from the course. She really hindered herself in living her own life because she so badly wasn’t to fulfill Ben’s. There wasn’t a slow transition or growth with her character development. It felt as if one day she was mourning Ben, the next day she was in love with Keane. I felt the in between was lacking.

I wanted so badly to fall I. Love with this book and characters but for me there was a lot that was missing. I kept reading hoping to feel the spark and when I did, it was short lived and few and far between. There was something about the writing overall that felt dry. I saw drawn in durning some scenes but other scenes seemed to drag on and I wanted so badly to be engrossed in the story. Thank to you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review

I was on a sailboat once in my life many years ago. While reading the Float Plan, Author Trish Doller took me on an unforgettable Caribbean sail.

I experienced the salt-water breeze on my face, turbulent seas, an ocean like glass, scorching sun, sunsets that turned to a sky full of stars and more. So much more.

The loss of her boyfriend, Ben, is the cause of twenty-five year old Anna Beck's need to flee. The trip they planned to take together begins as a treacherous voyage of one who, despite her determination, realizes she isn't fully prepared to sail the vast seas alone.

Enter Keane Sullivan, the handsome sailor with struggles of his own that Anna hires to assist her on the voyage plan that Ben had meticulously laid out.

As their friendship grows in the close quarters of the sailboat they share, a romance begins to kindle.

As far as romances go, I found this book to be very refreshing. While both Anna and Keane find each other, they also find themselves and learn that it’s never too late to find a new future.

I thought the writing was excellent and the plot was unique! The cover on the other hand, I personally believe misses the mark as a representation of its contents. You know what they say, “Never judge a book by its cover.” This is so worth the read!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy of this advanced book for an honest review. This book was so good....it starts off with a suicide note from Max and then Anna coming to terms with everything decides to set sail on Max's boat for the trip "they always wanted to take" she meets Keane a drifter who sails on one boat and then the next.....oh my gosh what a great book about second chances and finding peace. Bravo!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy of this advanced book for an honest review. This book was so good....it starts off with a suicide note from Max and then Anna coming to terms with everything decides to set sail on Max's boat for the trip "they always wanted to take" she meets Keane a drifter who sails on one boat and then the next.....oh my gosh what a great book about second chances and finding peace. Bravo!

THIS BOOK IS MY NEW FAVORITE.

Ugh, man. So good.

Full review to come, but in the meantime: heartbroken heroine on a quest to find healing on a solo sailing trip through the caribbean after the death of her fiance by suicide. Irish sailing pro whose career is cut short by an injury that takes his leg. WEEKS ON A SAILBOAT IN THE CARRIBBEAN WHILE THEY HEAL EACH OTHER.

OMG so good.

Trish Doller is a remarkable writer. In Float Plan she takes us on a journey with Anna Beck, a 25 year old woman who has felt lost since the death of her fiancé by suicide nearly a year ago. She decides to take a trip they had planned to take together; sailing from Florida to Trinidad. Soon after setting sail, Anna realizes she is in over her head. She hires Keane (a professional sailor dealing with some life changes of his own ) to assist her on her trip.
Trish Doller paints such a vivid picture of life aboard the sailboat and the experiences on the various islands they visit that I felt as though I was right there with them. This book is a wonderful escape and I would recommend it for that reason alone. There is so much more to the story though. Both Anna and Keane are such like-able, strong characters, it is easy to become invested in their story. There is an element of romance, but this is an artfully layered story which also deals with grief, strength, relationships and happiness. I highly recommend Float Plan, and predict it will be a book that I will re-read in the future.