Carla and Eamon - where do I even begin? These two were made for each other. I love the idea behind this book - that sometimes something wrong or bad can turn into something truly magical. A great read for the busy wedding season which I have found myself in!

📚 Book Review 📚

I’ve been a fan of Doller’s books ever since I read Float Plan. They are short and sweet, but they always pack an emotional punch. Off the Map was no different.

Carla is navigating the grief of having an aging parent with early onset dementia while also trying to explore the world like her father asked instead of waiting around for him to “waste away.” Her travels take her to Ireland for her best friend’s wedding where she convinced the groom’s brother, Eamon, to go on an Irish off-roading adventure before the wedding.

I loved the setting for this and would LOVE to see it on the big screen and some of the spots Carla and Eamon get themselves into. The best part of the story was Carla coming to terms with her father’s diagnosis and realizing the road isn’t where she needs to be as hard as it will be to see him deteriorate. It also gives a brief perspective on the burden of caregivers to loved ones who are aging or struggle with memory problems. As much as I loved Eamon and Carla individually, I didn’t fully buy into their romance. The beginning of the story was packed with 🔥 which to me felt more like filler and stagnated the plot development.


I did enjoy this one, but this time it was more for the individual journey the main character was on and less about the romance.

I really enjoyed Float Plan and the Suite Spot, so I was excited to read another book around these characters, especially set in Ireland! I find Trish Doller's writing really easy to connect with and get absorbed in. These stories take you on difference adventures and I enjoy the 'go out into the world and self reflect' vibes.

Off the Map was another hit in this series for me. The imagery around the scenery, the road trip and (mis)adventures were interesting and funny, but as always, there was a deeper layer as well. The storyline around Carla and her dad was meaningful and well explored. Eamon was a great guy, and even despite not being a huge fan of insta-love, I thought he and Carla had a lot of chemistry. My only wish is we had a few chapters from his POV as it would have been interesting to see in his head in regards to the growth he was experiencing. However, I could appreciate it from Carla's perspective as well.

Thank you St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin, for the copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Off the Map was just the read I needed to kick off the spring season. My romance book club chose and discussed this in April 2023 and all really enjoyed it! I would have liked to see a bit more depth of character in our heroine, but overall the insta-love romance, the touch on grief and mental health, and of course, the beautifully descriptive Irish scenery made for a beautiful, yet lighthearted, story. 3.5/5 stars!

Trish Doller has become an absolute must-read author for me in the romance genre - her books are wrought with emotion and the characters truly jump off the page. I loved the relationship between Carla and Eamon and hope this will not be the end of this series!

Trish Doller has done it again! Off the Map explores the heartbreak of getting older, watching your parents age and feeling like you’ve missed the boat your person is on.

This is a lovingly-told story of adventure, friendship and risk taking. I loved every minute of it and couldn’t put it done. I connected to Carla and Eamon immediately and was invested in their individual and connected stories.

This story packed the steam and I was here for it. I don’t remember the other stories in this series being open door but it worked perfectly for this book and the characters.

I felt the anguish Carla was holding, as the story is told so vividly. I wanted to finish and hold onto it simultaneously.

You’ll enjoy this if you enjoy instant love, adventure and family-centered stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and SMP for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: family tensions, parent with dementia (on page), death of a parent (on page, stroke), grief, parental abandonment (past)

The third book in the series this can be rad entirely as a standalone

Check this one out if you enjoy (SPOILERS)

-m/f contemporary romance
-wedding hookup
-insta love
-the hard and soft one
-roadtrip elements

This was a fun romance, with elements of family and opposites attract woven throughout. Eamon and Carla on paper were not a perfect match, but they brought out different aspects in each other that they both appreciated. Both were family oriented, but also stuck in their ways. I loved the sense of adventure that they had for life in different ways and how they both pushed the other to figure out what they wanted.

Carla dealing with her dad's illness while running away with his encouragement was realistic. Eamon was very swoony and I enjoyed their story together.

Steam: 3

Thank you to @netgalley and @Stmartinspress for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @macmillian.audio for a free download of the audiobook.

Carla leads a pretty nomadic life returning to a home base only to work to replenish her living funds. Her best friend is getting married in Dublin and Eamon is tasked by the bride and groom to get her there. Carla’s free spirit encourages Eamon to evaluate his life as they choose the adventurous path to get to the wedding.

This book was such a delight! The adventures were fun and the sparks fly!

4 stars

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #stmartinspress #macmillianaudio #ltbreaderteam #offthemap #trishdoller #smpinfluencers

3.5 stars

I adored the ending but I do wish we had more of a build up in the romance department like the others in the series. I would have felt more of their connection if it happened in the middle then right off the bat. I also hated that Carla hadn't seen her dad due to his illness for years. That personally probably comes from working at a nursing home for the past 8+ years and seeing it over and over again (as I said this is just a personal feeling and had no bearing on my rating as I can see where it helped the storyline).

The story was fun but I struggled with the insta-romance trope. It took me a bit by surprise and isn't really my favourite. But I really enjoyed the parts about her and her father, and of course the setting!

So much of this book was silly and sweet as this couple traveled through the Irish countryside, getting to know each other as they embarked on a wild fling before their attendance at Keane and Anna's wedding.

This was my least favorite of the Beck Sisters Series, but still a compulsively readable and overall fun read. The writing style was consistent with the first two books along with the authentic characters with believable backgrounds and lives. I think Eamon and Carla's fast-and-furious romance wasn’t as entertaining as the natural progressions in the first two books. I still enjoyed their characterizations and Ireland setting. Eamon's feelings of stagnation and life choices to please his mother felt authentic. As did Carla’s completely opposite lifestyle. Like all of the author's stories, she mixes poignancy with wit and romance for the perfect outcome.

Very sweet romance and slice of life story. Definitely different from the other two Beck sister books, but still good on its own.

I loved this so much. I listened to it all on my flight to London recently and it was the perfect read. I love the characters and settings that Trish Doller puts into her books and this one did not disappoint. It was great getting to celebrate Anna and Keane while getting to watch two new people call for each other.

I enjoyed the banter between Carla and Eamon! The roadtrip setting through the Irish countryside was to die for and I hope we get more of these romances from Trish in the future!!

Cute, fun, with some deep topics for thought, OFF THE MAP is a good follow up from Trish Dollar. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the romance. This is a great book to take on a beach vacation!

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.25⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: contemporary romance📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
Such a fun and adventurous book that touches on a few sad topics

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Traveling/ going on adventures
Insta love
Cinnamon roll hero
Great chemistry
Steamy reads
Forced proximity
Its just a hookup
Ireland setting
Funny yet emotional reads

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
Carla and her Dad’s relationship
The bull and the sangria
The loss and grief themes is this book were handled very well

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
I wanted more of their story, especially once they actually got together

𝙵𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚀𝚞𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜:
★ “What happens in the pasture, stays in the pasture.”

I have loved every single book in this series of companion romances, and OFF THE MAP was no exception. I just adored Carla and Eamon, and getting to know them better (after first meeting them in FLOAT PLAN). Their stories are so captivating and unique, and seeing their connection flourish on the page felt magical to experience as a reader.

I’ve long been a fan of Trish’s books, both YA and adult, and every time I read one, I’m reminded of why. She has such a knack for writing fully fleshed out characters and deeply emotional stories, that are both relatable and wholly unique. Her books always feel like something totally new and special. OFF THE MAP was a total home run for me. It packed a major emotional punch, and left me feeling utterly satisfied by the very end.

I enjoyed this romance. Trish Dollar is one of my favorite authors in this genre and Off The Map did not disappoint, though I'm not a huge fan of insta-romance. I still liked this story, because there is some depth to the characters. Not my favorite of the Beck Sisters series, but I enjoyed Carla and Eamon's story.

I love everything Trish has written so far and this story was no exception. I could not put it down. The imagery and all the travel was fantastic and I really loved Carla and Eamon's characters. Plus their chemistry was off the charts. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

How was this simultaneously a blast and completely heart wrenching?!
I loved Carla and Eamon's instant chemistry, and the forced proximity of travelling around Ireland was the cherry on top. This was insta-love at its best; everything about them screamed that they were meant to be together. The book was also deeply emotional. I practically sobbed the whole last 15% or so which might be a plus to some people, but not usually my thing. My favorite part (even with the emotions) was Carla's whole growth journey. It was very cathartic to read about, and I love a story about someone sorting their life out.
Overall, I'd definitely recommend this to someone who enjoys an emotional romance! Plus a kitten!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced review copy of “Off the Map” by Trish Doller. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’ve read the previous two books (the second one was my favorite) so I knew this book would have a similar emotional feel where it didn’t shy away from heavy topics. That being said, this was my least favorite, I thought this would be a quick read, but instead I found myself putting it down frequently. The framework was just very off. I’m all for playing with the romance novel structure, but I couldn’t help but compare this book to Olivia Dade’s ‘Ship Wrecked’ due to the fact that the main couple immediately sleeps together. But unlike in Dade’s book, there is just no tension in Doller’s book that made me want to keep reading or to care about and root for the people I was reading about. If anything, I was really annoyed with them. They’re going to their loved ones’ wedding, bringing the rings, but then they decided to go off roading, risking potentially losing the rings, getting hurt, and delaying the wedding while their friends worry. It felt like having them sleep together was a fast way to build intimacy so it wasn’t as alarming that Carla decides to go off on a road trip with a man she just met and doesn’t really know.

Another part of the book that seemed messy was Carla’s thoughts about her mom. Her mom left and Carla doesn’t seem to be able to connect the dots that her mother was potentially in a power imbalance relationship (college student and professor) with Carla’s father. In the book, Carla’s father is dying and it’s set up where you know he’s going to die on page at some point. But Carla not being able to make all these connections between why her mother left just made me confused as a reader about how I was supposed to feel about his inevitable death. Carla spends much of the book just spinning in mental circles about her dad’s dementia.

Most of this book seemed like just a collection of Pinterest carpe diem quotes about traveling. I think Doller can write emotional elements into her stories, but the first two books were more impactful. I feel like this one was the weakest.

3/5 stars