I didn't think it would happen, but Trish Doller's latest book Off the Map has officially become my favorite book from her. I SO loved Float Plan, but I loved this one just a tiny bit more. In Off the Map we follow Carla, who is Anna's friend from Float Plan, as she travels to Ireland for Anna and Keane's wedding. She is to meet Keane's brother Eamon, and he is to take her to the wedding after she lands in Dublin. I don't want to spoil too much about this book, but to say that Carla and Eamon hit it off from the beginning is an understatement. I am normally not a fan of romance stories where the connection moves as quickly as it does in Off the Map. It had me worried for a bit, but it didn't take me long to get on board with the story. Carla and Eamon take some unscheduled detours on their way to the wedding, and we are taken along for the ride. I loved them together and I think I can add Eamon to my list of favorite book boyfriends where I'm sure he will reside for a good long time. Carla is also dealing with losing her father to dementia. This storyline was especially meaningful to me because of my own personal experience with the disease.

FYI more steam than the previous books if that is something you would like to be aware of. If you have not read Float Plan, you can still read this one as a stand-alone, but personally I recommend reading Float Plan first.

My sincere thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book and give my unbiased opinion of it.

Off The Map is the third book in the series. Although I have read the other two books in the series you can read this book as a stand alone. First off, I absolutely adored Carla’s relationship with her dad and their sense of adventure and how she carried on her sense of adventure with Eamon. This book will take you in a roller coaster of emotions from it being spicy, sad and funny. Thank you NetGalley and publisher for giving me an ARC in return for my honest opinion.

Off the Map ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Carla is an explorer to her core. There’s nowhere she’d rather be than in her Jeep, on the road to somewhere new. But when she heads to Ireland for Anna and Keane’s wedding and meets Eamon Sullivan, the excursion becomes much more than she bargained for.

Wow this book moves fast. I’m usually not sold on insta-love but something about the forced proximity and adventure of it all had me sold. This book is much spicier than the previous two of the series but I was totally okay with that.

Eamon is Keane’s (I’m sure we all remember him) brother but he’s very different. He lives a structured life and has never been one for spontaneity, but Carla may be just what he needed to finally let loose and venture into the unknown.

There are just so many things I loved about this book but I obviously have to mention Carla’s relationship with her dad, Biggie. I don’t want to say too much but they definitely had me in tears toward the end.

Read this book for
-adventure
-wanderlust
-lots of Ireland
-sangria drinking bulls
-forced proximity
-father/daughter healing

Thank you netgalley and St Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. OFF THE MAP is on shelves today!

I did not finish this book. It was a sequel and I need to read the others in the series beforehand. It was an interesting premise, and I look forward to reading the story.

Some of the reasons I loved it:
1. The achingly real portrayal of family dynamics- especially with aging parents.
2. The relatable emotional struggles of the heroine.
3. The hero’s struggle to finally take the leap to do what makes him happy instead of what everyone (esp. his family) expects him to do.

She’s the maid of honor and he’s the best man. They’re supposed to be booking it to get to the wedding celebration and be there to provide moral support. Instead the sparks fly from the second they meet and an unforgettable night together turns into a trek across the Irish countryside and an adventure that leaves an indelible mark on their hearts.

Full review to come on my blog later this week!
Plot- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice-🌶️🌶️🌶️ (fairly explicit, open door, consensual- at least 4 scenes)

More robust review will be up on my blog later this week!

This book was such a delight. If you're a seasoned traveller like me, you'll identify with Carla's travel bug, and love hearing about her strategies, tips, and values when it comes to trekking across the US and the globe. If you're not a seasoned traveller but have wanderlust, you'll also love this book! The lush and green Irish setting is a perfect fit for a springtime release, and the love story is one that will make you smile. The storyline about dementia is heartwrenching but powerful, and fans of The Float Plan will love the Easter eggs about Anna and Keane. If you're looking for something that will feel fun and sweet, this is it!

The first thing that drew me to Off the Map was the cover. After visiting Ireland a couple of years back, I’m always down to read a book set in Ireland.

Trish blew me away with this one. I haven’t read any of her previous books, but I guarantee I’m going to now. Off the Map is so heartfelt and cozy, it’s one of my favorite ARCs I’ve had the pleasure of reading.

What I loved: 

- Cqrla’s relationship with Biggie. Their relationship portrayal was beautiful!
- The setting in Ireland and discussion of other travels. This is an escapist book and I loved the off-road trip with Eamon and Carla.
- Eamon! I loved his personality and how he complemented Carla’s
- Yes, this one is technically a rom com, but it’s so much more. Some heavy concept are discussed (dementia, finding yourself, etc) but Trish handles them with sensitivity and love.
- Trish’s writing style! I thought this book was the perfect pace and was written in an easy way to follow along and made it such an amazing read.

Read if you liked: 

- All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata
- Maggies Moves On by Lucy Score

All in all, I really really loved Off the Map. This is truly an escapist romance that’s extremely heartfelt. Be sure to add this one to your list!

A massive thank you to NetGalley, Trish Doller, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I am normally not a romance novel reader, but I heard good things about this author and this book, Off the Map, by Trish Doller, so I thought I would try it.

This is the first book I've read by this author. It had all the right elements for an enjoyable read, humor, romance, and some bittersweet moments. Loved the atmospheric scenes and descriptions. Enjoyed getting to know the characters, and the story wasn't too sappy.

I would read more by this author and recommend this book to those who enjoy this genre.

#NetGalley @StMartinsPress @smpromance

Off the Map is the third book in Trish Doller’s romance series that includes Float Plan and The Suite Spot. You do not need to read The Suite Spot before reading Off the Map, but I would recommend reading Float Plan, as the main characters in Off the Map are closely tied to the main characters in Float Plan.

Carla is traveling to Ireland to be maid of honor in her best friend’s wedding where she meets up with the best man, the groom’s brother. Carla and Eamon have an instant connection and the story follows their adventures together. Like Float Plan, where Anna was grieving a major loss, Off the Map includes grief and coping as Carla’s father has been diagnosed with early onset dementia.

Carla was raised by her single father, Biggie, and every summer they took their Jeep to national parks and filled their national parks passport. Carla has been to 392 US national parks and has traveled and lived in many places, always on the move. Before reading this book, I had never heard of “overlanding”; Carla and Eamon talk at length about this way of traveling in the book.

If you enjoy reading a contemporary romance steeped heavily in travel, Off the Map and Float Plan both fit the description. I loved Carla’s time in Ireland and especially enjoyed how welcoming the Gallaghers were to Carla and Eamon.

Review posted on Instagram, Facebook, and Goodreads

Clara Black lives by a motto “here for a good time, not for a long time.” And that’s how it is for her traveling the world. She stops just long enough to replenish and moves onto the next. Eamon Sullivan is a cartographer who creates digital maps. He enjoys his job and helping lost people find their way. But fate has them bumping into each other when Clara arrives to Dublin for her best friend’s wedding. Unexpected feelings bloom.

I love a good adventure romp. This book hit the spot for perfect meet-cute. It’s definitely an Insta-love story as well. I loved how the two main characters are written and the interactions. Clara is adventurous but she also learns to find herself and the love she deserves.

This story made me want to go in adventure, get lost, and discovery new things!

"Here for a good time, not a long time"⁣
⁣
This is Carla's motto for life. Her single father raised her and the two of them went on adventure after adventure. On a trip to Ireland to attend the wedding of the characters from Doller's first book Float Plan she meets someone...⁣
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This was a super cute (and a lil spicy) book about wanderlust but also about how sometimes traveling can be a way to distract the mind, not wanting to face certain sad feelings. ⁣
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I think Float Plan is still my favorite but all three books in this series have fit the bill of a cute romance 👌⁣
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Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this free copy! Off the Map is out TODAY!

Off the Map is the new ridiculously fun, fast read by Trish Doller set to make you want to pack it up and travel by backpack.

Carla is a born traveler. After her mother walked out of their lives when she was five, Carla and her dad Biggie have traveled around the world. But after he was diagnosed with dementia, Carla has spent the last eight years traveling alone, banished from seeing him in his decline. Now in Ireland for her best friend's wedding, Carla immediately falls for the best man and brother of the groom, Eamon. He's longing to travel and Carla is along for the ride as they take a few detours to the wedding. Will Carla convince Eamon that it's better to travel light, or will Eamon show Carla that it's okay to fall in love and trust others to help her along the way?

This book was like a warm hug for travelers, and at 272 pages it feels like the perfect book to fit in your backpack on your next adventure. I've never read Trish's writing before but by the end I found that this is actually a stand alone sequel to Float Plan and I immediately went to download it. This book was fun, fast, heartfelt, and poignant all in the short span of a three hour read. Carla's relationship with her father was touching and brought me to tears a few times at the end. What I ultimately loved most about this book is there's no pointless drama for the sake of drama. Maybe that's why it was only 272 pages - it was everything it needed to be and nothing more. It was perfect and makes me want to overland in Ireland now.

"Off the Map" takes you on an emotional, life-changing journey in which two restless souls find what their heart has been looking for for a while now.

Carla has led a fulfilling life on the road, but lately it hasn’t been enough to keep loneliness and thoughts of her dad’s progressing dementia at bay. By contrast, life has stagnated for Eamon. He’s always longed to travel but was always hesitant to do so. Instead, he felt obligated to remain on the path laid out for him years ago.

Everything changes the second they meet. It’s an instant physical connection that develops into a deeper, emotional connection so exquisitely crafted by the author. Carla and Eamon are very comfortable and at ease with each other. They know and understand each other in a way others haven’t. It’s like best friends picking up right where they left off after a long time apart.

But no journey is ever completely smooth sailing. The picturesque views of Dublin bring into focus all they’ve been running from and everything they could live for if that’s what they truly want. And no matter how many detours they make or how strong their feelings for each other are, Eamon and Carla’s time together is finite. A future together is seemingly impossible. It’s heartbreaking.

Usually, Carla is emotionally distant, stringent about not forming any attachments to anyone on her travels. Until Eamon, who sees something in her that others haven’t seen and vice versa. Before, Eamon would hesitate to stray from his predetermined path, but traveling with Carla has given him the hope and assurance he’s needed finally to go after what he wants and live life.

Carla and Eamon’s time together was memorable. A simple road trip turned into a fun adventure and so much more. Perhaps the best, worst time for the MCs to fall in love. I liked how Carla’s blunt but true advice was referred to as the “machete of truth,” a truly on-point phrasing. I laughed out loud reading the story about the Nativity performance. And the sangria drinking bull? Well, that’s something you’ll have to read to believe (ahaha!).

Trish Doller really knows how to tell unforgettable stories of two lost souls finding their way home. I appreciate the messages that "Off the Map" emphasizes: that there is no waiting for the perfect time to do the things you want to do. That you should do what makes you happy, not what’s expected of you, and to live life to the fullest. I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Off the Map." It was magnificent!

CW: parent with dementia, car accident, death of a family member

Thanks again St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the eARC to read in exchange for an honest review!

Oh my god! I loved this so much. I literally just gave this novel a big hug.
A quick read that had all the things I love. Steamy romance, chemistry, adventure and lots and lots of kissing! **sigh**
I adored Eamon and all his charm. And Carla was a sassy strong female that I was so jealous of. All her trips around the world and I just couldn’t get enough of these two. I’m still smiling and I might of cried a little, so yes it was a satisfying read. I highly recommend it. I also had a chance to listen to the audiobook which was excellent. Sarah Naughton was the narrator and she did all the voices well!
I. Loved. It.
Thanks St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley.

Off The Map was such a fun and entertaining read. This was my first Trish Doller book and I didn’t miss a beat while reading, so it can definitely be read as a stand alone book, That being said, immediately upon finishing I went to my book wish list and added Float Plan and the Suite Spot because I’m eager to read the other books she’s written.

My only critique is that this book definitely felt like two different genres. Romance at the front and contemporary fiction at the end. I would have liked a little more meaning of the two, because while I understand why it happened, it was a little jarring to switch from romance to a more sad tone. Maybe getting Eamon’s POV at this point would have bridged the gap a little bit.

Either way, it was engaging and entertaining and I read it in 24 hours. It has adventure, romance, laughs, and heart.

As the third installment in the series, Off the Map, focuses on prior best friend side character, Carla Black, from Float Plan. Upon traveling to Ireland for Anna's wedding, she encounters the grooms best friend and brother, Eamon - hijinks and detours ensue along with a lot of spicy rendezvous. We featured this novel for our latest podcast episode, so please listen for a more detailed review.

What we liked:

The references - pop culture and literary - Rae felt very seen by this novel. Plus the Ted Lasso ref in the acknowledgements? MVP!
The story feels like it's been lived in - Every detail felt very real as if the author or someone she knew had experienced something similar and it was relayed to the reader on the page. Very believable

What we didn't care for as much:
Sometimes Carla was frustrating - just accept that you've met the one and go with it.
By not reading the first two books we are missing some context and some decisions made in this book are very abrupt.

Let's end on a high note! Two more things we enjoyed:
The love story is instantaneous and works in this book.
Found family is the best.
And bonus - Eamon for the win.

Just a note, a trigger warning for loss of parent and dementia should have been included.

CW: dementia, memory loss, absent parent, death of loved one, caretaker role for an adult dependent

Off the Map is my first book by Trish Doller and it won't be my last.

Carla is in Ireland for her best friend's wedding. Eamon, the best man & brother of the groom, is to meet her at the airport and drive her to the family home for the big event. Instant chemistry kicks in and, with Carla's lovely supportive influence, a trip that should take a few hours becomes a three day adventure.

I love a good road trip. The forced proximity of it all. And they were strangers! It starts casual with instant lust that sizzles on the page. They also hike and camp, share a tent and a Range Rover cabin, and survive an Irish traffic jam. And in all this they talk and share things of themselves you might only trust a stranger with. Because at first they think theres no risk, it'll all end, its just for now and not forever. They way they begin to trust eachother is swoon worthy.

Carla & Eamon have their three days of adventure and revelations. At the end though, they're dropped back into their lives and have to decide to continue on - Carla traveling as a means to run from the emotinal toll of a sick family member, and Eamon complacent in a role that appeases his own family - or take their lives off the map.

I recommend this book for its treatment of starting over late in life. For allowing oneself the grace to make mistakes, change, and also ask for help when needed. Its the journey, not the destination right? And you know, this absolutely the perfect long distance flight read.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press / St. Martin's Griffin for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, I read an advanced reader's copy of Off the Map by Trish Doller, published on Tuesday, March 7. I didn't realize this is the third book in a series, and the first one has been on my TBR list all this time! This is a stand alone novel because I was able to quickly understand the characters' connections without the sometimes long-winded summaries given in other series.

Carla has set rules about travel that she follows: pack light, be self-reliant, enjoy the local people, food, and scenery. Rick Steves would approve. She arrives in Ireland for her friend's wedding and the groom's brother meets her at a local bar. This is where this rom-com gets spicy 🌶️🌶️🌶️ for those who don't like those details in a romance novel. Carla and Eamon get close obviously, but they are able to complement each other that's really fun. When they drive across country from Dublin to Tralee, they take a few detours (Carla's specialty). For the first time these detours, or distractions, make her want to go home again, instead of run away. Home to where her dad, Biggie, may or may not remember her on any given day because he has dementia. This romance novel is amazing because there is so much growth in these characters. They go from following arbitrary rules, to making their own.

I'm rating it 5 stars for the characters' depth, travel descriptions, sensitivity to dementia, and it's fun to read.

Carla Black has been travelling the world in her vintage Jeep Wrangler for nearly a decade - she sees the sites and doesn't stay anywhere for too long, as her life motto (as learned from her father, Biggie, is "here for a good time, not for a long time"). It's possible she keeps moving to distract herself from going home, back to where her she's slowly becoming a forgotten memory in her father's eyes. Eamon Sullivan works to create digital maps of places other people get the chance to travel to, while he stays at his computer, helping others find their way while feeling directionless in life himself. Unhappy at work and recently dumped, it feels like his dreams are a bit... stalled out. The two meet in person for the first time when Carla travels to Ireland as the maid of honor for her best friend's wedding (a best friend that happens to be marrying Eamon's brother) and Eamon is tasked with picking her up from the airport. Unexpected sparks fly the second the two lock eyes, and while Carla is only in Ireland a short time, and they should be making their way across the country, it doesn't stop them from embarking on plenty of chemistry-laden detours, which may lead to unexpected feelings and a opportunity for love... if only they decide to take a chance.

*I would like to add a content warning as there is discussion of a parent with dementia and death of a parent*

I found Carla and Eamon's story to be incredibly touching. It was an interesting book to get into, because I had been so used to the style of the first two novels, and Carla is very different from Beck sisters so reading from her perspective definitely took some getting used to at first. Both Carla and Eamon are at a place in their life where they are letting other people dictate their life trajectory - Carla's father pushed her away from home at the beginning of his dementia diagnosis, and she feels it's only right to use Biggie's life motto to travel and see what the world has to offer, while Eamon feels stuck and unable to follow some of his dreams because he's tethered to other people's ideas of how he should life his life. It was really great seeing how they both help each other - Carla shows Eamon that's it's ok to stick up for yourself, take the time away from work and just live the life that he wants to, and be free from other people's expectations, and Eamon shows Carla that sometimes it's worth it to be vulnerable, to show your true feelings to the people you care about and allow them to extend a helping hand or comfort because you don't need to go through difficult times alone. Honestly, I would've been fine with the detour section of the book being longer, and giving Carla and Eamon more time to sit with their feelings, but I understand that it definitely could have become repetitive if they had to keep calling Keane and Anna to explain why they needed just one more day before finally arriving for the weddings festivities. I appreciate how Eamon and Keane did have the time to discuss how hard it was for Eamon to bear the brunt of the blame from their mother when they were younger - I wish we could've seen that conversation on-page, but since we only get the book from Carla's perspective we get Eamon's explanation of it later, after it had happened. Something else I wish we could've seen was more details about the wedding - I know this is Carla and Eamon's story, but the wedding, and the day or two leading up to it, is really the only time we get to see a lot of additional characters interacting with our main two, including Eamon's sister, Cathleen, who ensures the kitten Carla saved from a hawk is alright, another sister, Ciara, who owns the pub and offers Carla a ride to the hotel, and his mother, who, after hearing from Carla just how much she needs to listen to her son instead of lecture him, has a much needed, albeit a little late, conversation with Eamon. I will say that the events towards the end of the book did make me cry, as did some of the conversations about the unpredictability of life and to make the most of every moment with the ones you love because you don't know when they'll be gone. Families aren't perfect, but you can grow to appreciate every complexity and make the time your loved ones have left special.

One major difference between this book and the two prior installments of the series is that Float Plan and The Suite Spot were more of slow burn romances, where as Off the Map does have more on-page intimate scenes and the first encounter occurs pretty early on. I mean, when Eamon walks into the bar he designates as the meeting point, Carla jumps up and kisses him - it is sort of a ploy to get another patron to leave her alone, but still. It's clear that the two share sexual attraction that the couples couples didn't, at least towards the beginning of their interactions. And while I am not usually someone who prefers books with more on-page scenes (and did sometimes skim those passages), I appreciated how this different type of relationship was portrayed. Because sometimes couples do have sex the first time they meet. And, if they do develop a romantic relationship further on, that initial interaction doesn't make their relationship any less valid. Sex can also mean different things to different people, and as long as boundaries are established consent is given from all parties involved, no one else should judge. In the book, Carla initially doesn't let herself become more emotionally attached, because she knows that she'll be leaving soon, but she knows she feels attraction to Eamon, and knows Eamon feels the same, so they do have sex to fulfill those urges. Later on, the two do form a more emotional connection, after sharing more personal parts of themselves with each other. All in all, I just think it's important to highlight the difference in these relationships, as readers who have read the first two books in the series may be caught off guard by it when they pick up this installment.

In conclusion, I think this was an excellent send-off to The Beck Sisters series. It has been an absolute joy seeing Anna, Rachel, and Carla find their happily-ever-afters with partners who love and adore them just as much as they do. I can't wait to see what other stories Trish Doller has in store for the future. *Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin's Griffin, for the early copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

So I’ve only read one other Trish Doller book (float plan) and it was the perfect one to read before diving into this one. We met both Carla and Eamon separately in it and their story together in off the map is so sweet and wonderful. As some filled with wanderlust (and heading on my own mini European vacation soon) this book gif all the right wanderlusty vibes while hitting home that there’s a balance between traveling and maintaining strong relationships. I just loved both Carla and eamon. And I loved getting to see Anna and Keane again. Fantastic read!