Review will be posted on 3/7/23
Carla Black is visiting Ireland for her best friend's wedding. Once she arrives at Dublin Airport, she will be picked up by her best friend's fiance's brother, Eamon. He will take her from Dublin to Tralee, which is located in the Irish countryside. Well, even though they know that that it's pretty cliche for the maid of honor and the best man to hook up, they do and have a wild (and very steamy) night. On the way to Tralee, they decide they have enough time for some adventures. This is a whole new world for Eamon who has never taken the time to have some serious fun as he is always the responsible brother whereas Carla is all about adventure. Thanks to her dad's love of adventure, she has always been a bit of a nomad and up for any travel. But now Carla's dad is suffering from dementia and this has her questioning all of her nomadic habits. Has she been running from things all along? If you love a good road trip romance, Off the Map by Trish Doller will satisfy, especially for readers who love Ireland.

I have not read Doller's other romances that deal feature some of these characters in Off the Map, but I don't think it's necessary in order to fully enjoy the novel. Carla is a fun character that lives a life of travel and this serves as a foil to Eamon who is Mr. Responsible. They both bring out the opposite in each other and in turn, highlight some of their differences very well. I really enjoyed their romance and it got pretty steamy right off the bat. Their romp through Ireland really had me missing the Emerald Isle and reminiscing of my own time there. I love a good road trip novel, so for me, this was the best part. March is the perfect month to read a story that includes a jaunt through Ireland, am I right?

Not all of Off the Map is a fluffy romance as Doller touches on the serious and heartbreaking disease of dementia. As I mentioned, Carla's dad is suffering from it and I think Doller highlights this very well and in an honest way. I have not read many books that feature characters with dementia, so I applaud Doller for including this sad condition that touches so many people's lives.

My only issue with Off the Map was Carla's spontaneous road trips. While I thought it was so much fun and enjoyed their various excursions, I couldn't imagine doing that to my best friend. If I visited Ireland for my best friend's wedding, I imagine she would be waiting for me to arrive and postponing it to tour with a boy seems really self-centered. I know why Doller did this from a story telling standpoint, but it still seemed really kind of rude to me.

Nonetheless, Off the Map is a fun frolic through Ireland, a destination I never get tired reading about. I recommend it to fans of romance who love a good road trip. So, are you a fan of Trish Doller's novels? Is this one on your TBR list? Let me know in the comments below.

This story jumped in head first from the very first page and didn't slow down! I did learn that it was the third book in a series when I was about 75% in, but it could pass as a standalone as well.

I loved Carla and Eamon and their constant witty banter. They accidently fell in love, but it was always easy with them and I loved that. I felt like all of the characters were important and added depth to the story. I really liked the writing style and I can't wait to read the other two books in the series.

Carla Black & her Jeep Wrangler are
world travelers, only stopping long enough to replenish her adventure fund. She doesn’t do love and she doesn’t ever go home.

Eamon Sullivan creates digital maps, but he’s unhappy at work, recently dumped, and it seems he has lost his way. 

Eamon & Carla meet when he is tasked with picking her up from the airport for his brother’s wedding. But what should be a simple drive across Ireland quickly becomes complicated with detours, unexpected feelings, and a chance at love - if only they choose it.

What I liked…
-the characters: Carla was fun and adventurous, while Eamon was more reserved and preferred security. They balanced each other well, pulling out the good from one another, while helping to dig deeper to some truths they tried to ignore. While I was “in love” with the characters, I loved that they were flawed, it made them more real and easy to connect with.

-the setting: Ireland…need I say more? But I will, Trish did a great job using unique areas of Ireland, that were fun additions to the plot. Who knew you could surf in Ireland?

-family: even though our two main characters were the focus of the book, I loved that it centered around family. The good & the bad, our family makes us who we are.

I didn’t like…

This is just personal, but I wasn’t a fan of how quickly the characters “got together”, I prefer a slow burn, will they/won’t they…it just makes it more of a page turner for me. But it didn’t take away from the story, it almost gave them a more comfortable companionship which allowed their characters to develop.

Thank you to Trish Doller, NetGalley, & St Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this book and give an honest review.

REVIEW FOR OFF THE MAP

5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, SMP Romance and Trish Doller for the gifted copy!

I fell in love with Trish Doller's storytelling in 2021 when I first read Float Plan. I thought it was such a sweet romance, but also a story about a woman finding not just herself, but her power and strength that lies within it. I think this theme carried through to The Suite Spot, and now Off the Map. I loved Float Plan, liked The Suite Spot, and now I worship Off the Map.

Trish has an ability to tell stories without the fluff- when I read a book I often times find myself saying "does this scene need to be in here? Does this add to the story?" Like Carla's ability to have the subtleness of a machete, Trish has the ability to tell stories only using the essential parts. Every scene in this story builds onto the next, painting a beautiful picture of family, love, laughter and wanderlust.

I loved diving back into the gang, hearing what was going on with Anna and Keane. I loved learning about Carla's life and family - both born and found - and was inspired by her experiences and her untethered soul. This was the perfect read to have to avoid a hangover coming off of a high profile fantasy series, and I cannot recommend it more.

Sweet Baby Taddies. This story is perfection. We laughed, we swooned, we cringed and we cried.

In short description, FMC Carla, best friend to Anna, arrives in Ireland and convinces MMC Eamon, brother of Anna’s Fiancé, to take the detours he’s always wanted to as they travel across Ireland to get to the wedding.

We were both of us surprised that this story begins so carefree, instead of the intense emotion of Doller’s first two books. But of course it does. FMC Carla’s voice is so different from Anna and her sister. And it needed to be. Anna and Rachel were burned by love before and had a weariness of intentions. In Float Plan, Carla was Anna’s spirited best friend in a slutty pirate costume living life to its fullest. Naturally, this book is spicier and Carla is welcoming to experiences and people.

Eamon is not at all what Amy had expected. He’s so open and kind and put together. Amy was undoubtedly expecting a grumpy sunshine kind of story. But this is more of a Sunshine/Sunshine. Their instant connection and lust aren’t left hanging in the air between them. They pursue a fling instead as they acknowledge the connection. However with the baggage that bubbles out of both of them as the story progresses, it rather works.

Doller does not disappoint in the setting of this story. Her descriptions of the journey across Ireland and of Carla’s adventures in America are positively transporting for this pair of readers.

As we mentioned, we adore this story in every way, but it should be noted that if you live with someone with dementia, this story could be as triggering for you as it is cathartic for us. We found it particularly affecting. The fears, the struggles, the heartbreak, the worries, the devastation, the panic, the grief, the guilt, the frustration, and the love. “You’re my Carla. Aren’t you.” Tears.

I have read the other two books in this series by Trish Doller so I was excited when I got an ARC of this book from Netgalley. This book did not have a main focus on one of the Beck sisters (like the other two books did), but focused on Anna Becks best friend and her fiancés (Keane Sullivan) brother. This book started out with Carla Black and Eamon Sullivan meeting in a pub for the first time and Carla kissing him instead of answering a guy at the bar top if she was single. There relationship quickly heats up from there and it follows their adventure to Anna and Keane's wedding and all the side trips that they take. I loved the adventure aspect of this book and that you never really knew what Carla Black and Eamon Sullivan were going to get into or where they were going to go next. It was a mutual relationship where they both got to learn life experiences from each other (Eamon on going for what you want and not what others want for you, and Carla with not always running from your problems and to let those around you in).

I loved this book and could not put it down!!

For me, this book was really two separate stories: one where Carla travels through Ireland, and the second where she returns to Florida. The first one almost made me stop reading; Carla, and by extension Eamon, was so selfish that it was difficult to listen to. Weddings are stressful enough so adding to the stress by gallivanting through the country on an extended adventure with the rings seems so rude! Yes, there is a lesson here and she learns it in the second half so those who gave up on this book missed the tenderness of her relationship with her father (who also used the travel and evade methods of dealing with life). Still, the second part is much shorter than the selfish first part of the book so I completely understand giving up on this one. I am glad I finished it though but not enough to rate it more than 3 stars because the selfishness really grated on my nerves.

I loved this book! I really appreciate and enjoy that Trish Doller works in difficult interpersonal themes with her lighthearted books. This had me wanting to take a roadtrip across Ireland.

I am a Trish Doller stan at this point. I love everything that she writes and will eat it up.

I normally find instant love frustrating because it's so unrealistic but for whatever reason, the way this was written really worked. I felt that Carla and Eamon just connected and the way their emotional chemistry built over the timeline of the story made sense.

Carla was frustrating at first because of the way she was running from her emotional problems. I had trouble envisioning someone not visiting their deteriorating parent for years, but then when I was able to really think through how she was raised, it made a bit of sense to me. I still felt this was a stretch but I was able to imagine it.

I truly cried at the end of this story which doesn't always happen with books. The emotions that were evoked were so real.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I have been a fan of Trish Doller since the beginning. Float Plan hit me right in the feels and I loved book two, so of course I requested book three. This was very different from the last two, but the ending still hit me right in the feels. Carla is traveling to Ireland for her best friend Anna's wedding. She is supposed to meet Keane's brother Eamon, to drive her to the destination.
As soon as Carla and Eamon meet, there is a pull, like instantly, and it never lets go. Carla travels all over ever since her dad, Biggie, was taking her as a child. She has wanderlust and she feels like she will never settle down. Eamon is more straight laced, but really wants to experience more. They set out on a journey together that has ups and downs, but they both feel something real between them.
A little more than halfway into the book, Carla returns home because her father has dementia and isn't doing well. She leaves Eamon with the hopes that he will find exactly what he is looking for, but what he has been looking for is her. The angst from this book wasn't felt with the romance, because you could feel that these two were destined, but from the father/daughter relationship. It hit me right in the heart and I might have even shed a tear or two.
Thank you to St. Martin's, Netgalley and Trish Doller for an early copy.

Carla has perfected her on-the-road lifestyle, bartending all winter so she can travel the world the rest of the year. She lands in Ireland ready to serve as maid of honor in a wedding, but following a healthy amount of Guinness, Carla and best man Eamon become friends with benefits very quickly! While they are supposed to drive directly to the wedding venue, they begin taking detours through the Irish countryside, exploring those places less travelled, both contemplating what might be next in their lives. While this was meant to be a quick wedding fling, Eamon and Carla each have decisions to make about their future that could always extend their relationship further.

This is a single POV romance following Carla’s successes and struggles as she introduces Eamon to her love of overlanding and peaceful exploration. Carla comes off as an acquired taste, but her chemistry with Eamon is clear from the get-go, and I enjoyed how they balanced each other out, challenging one another to recognize their true desires in life. I’ve been a fan of Trish Doller’s writing since reading Float Plan last year, and I truly appreciate her ability to create lovely stories that hit all of my emotions in just under 300 pages!

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Griffin, and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Carla's mother left when she was 5 and her father Biggie was clueless to raise a young daughter in his own. He's a teacher, so on summer breaks he'd pack up his vintage Jeep and travel to national parks with her. Now she's been traveling the world and hasn't been home for years.
Eamon is one of seven siblings, but always the one his mother counts on to be responsible. Instead of following his dreams of travel he's stuck behind a desk as a cartographer creating maps for other people to follow.
When Carla comes to Ireland for her best friend Anna's wedding, Eamon as the best man is charged with picking her up and bringing her to the hotel. They instantly click and lose hours of time talking of her travels, then talking turns into an adventure of their own and feelings neither one expected.
This adventure story made me want to pack up my own jeep and just take off. Carla's life sounds like so much fun! I like how their personalities just click right away and he finally finds the courage to follow his dreams instead of being the responsible one all the time. I really enjoyed this fun, spicy romance!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’m a sucker for a good road trip book so I was thrilled to learn that Trish Doller’s new novel Off the Map would feature a road trip across Ireland. As if that wasn’t irresistible enough on its own, I was sold as soon as I saw that cover with the couple sitting on top of an upside down SUV, literally promising me a wild ride!

Off the Map follows Carla Black, who has traveled from Florida to Ireland to attend her best friend’s wedding. Readers of Doller’s Beck Sisters series will recognize Carla’s best friend and her fiancé right away, Anna and Keane from Float Plan. Once Carla arrives in Dublin, the plan is for her to meet up with Keane’s brother Eamon, who will drive her across the country to the wedding destination. That plan goes a bit off the rails, however, when Carla and Eamon hit it off better than anyone else could have anticipated and their trip across the country takes quite an unexpected and possibly life changing turn.

Carla is a bit of a free spirit and has been traveling around the world on her own for the better part of a decade now. She returns to Florida to work just long enough to save up enough money to bulk up her travel funds and then heads out again. Carla doesn’t do relationships and she never goes home. What I love about Doller’s characters though is that they’re complicated and messy. It turns out that Carla doesn’t go home, not because she doesn’t want to, but rather because her beloved dad, who has dementia, has asked her not to. He wants her out there living her life to the fullest, not watching him slowly forget who she is over time. So she’s out there on her own, trying to keep her promise to him. I loved Carla’s free spirit, but it definitely broke my heart to learn the real reason behind her extensive traveling.

Eamon is just as complicated and equally as lovable as Carla. He is struggling because he feels like his life has just stalled out. He makes digital maps so other people can travel, but yet he has been nowhere himself. He is also tired of always being the responsible one in his family and really just wants to cut loose and go on an adventure. Meeting up with Carla turns out to be just the right person at the right time as she encourages him to throw caution to the wind and show her around Ireland rather than driving straight to meet his family.

I really adored this journey for both characters. There were of course lots of fun, shenanigans, and sexy, steamy moments to be had along the way, but the best part was the conversation. Carla and Eamon opened up to each other about their hopes, dreams, fears, and so much more. I enjoyed watching them grow close and I loved that they were each able to get some things off their chests that it seemed like they had been holding in for a long time.

Off the Map is the perfect read for anyone who enjoys humorous romantic adventure stories balanced with weightier, more emotional topics like dementia and loss.

Love, love, love this one!! I listened to the audio version and the narrator was perfect for the characters. This is the third book in the series, I’ve read all 3 and thoroughly enjoyed them so highly recommend reading them in order but it could be read as a stand-alone.

What a wonderful trip through Ireland with two wonderful characters that were just meant to be together. Carla and Eamon had a fantastic chemistry. This book isn't full of high intensity action, instead full of thoughtful realistic questions that we all face. Each stop in their journey was so full of feelings. I loved every moment. Each book by Trish Doller gets better. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

OFF THE MAP was a little off the rails, IMO. We went from sweet and innocent Trish Doller books to insta love/lust that if I’m being honest felt really smutty to me. If that’s your thing (and I don’t judge if it is), this one might work for you, but it was not for me. I didn’t really like these characters and the storyline just felt odd and disjointed— some things felt extremely random. There was a little growth shown by the characters and the end got emotional but it did not make up for the rest of the story.

Carla Black had been traveling the world in her vintage Jeep Wrangler. Her father Biggie has dementia and tells her to keep traveling. He doesn't want her to see him deteriorate. She's headed to Ireland for her best friend Anna's wedding. She has to meet Keane's brother in a pub. She kisses him to distract another pub patron. Eamon Sullivan is a cartographer and is unhappy with his life. On their road trip to Tralee they do some detours and some romance happens. After the wedding, Carla decides she needs to go home to be with her Dad.

I bawled during this book. Her Dad and his dementia. Dementia is such an evil disease. I loved this book. I was hooked from the beginning and could not put it down. I loved their adventures and the relationship between Carla & Eamon. This is my first book by the author and definitely not my last.

This was such a fun read! I loved all the adventures they went on and the bull scene killed me. Hot steam, good character building and the last fifty or so pages had me sobbing on an airplane. Usually not a fan of insta love but this was cute.

This was an overall great read!

I loved it because started off hot 🔥!

Hi, making out and hot and heavy to start with?! Yes, you can count me in!

In all seriousness, it was a super fun and funny meet cute moment between Carla and Eamon, and had me invested in these characters from the get go, and how their story was going to evolve from there. The story ultimately follows the two as they make their way towards their friends wedding, while they help each deal with feelings of the past and present.

If you’re a fan of Dollar’s previous novels Float Plan & The Suite Spot you’ll see some old friends, and if you new to her books it will have you wanting to read her back list.

Fans of insta love, forced proximity, free spirited heroines, and open door romances are sure to love this one.

i’ve been a huge fan of trish doller after reading her first book, then lining up to buy the second on pub day. i was so happy to be able to review off the map as it was one of my most anticipated reads this year! i rate it 3 stars because it wasn’t bad but they’re could’ve been so much more. the romance aspect was too fast (like first 2 chapters fast) and i wish i could’ve seen more chemistry between the two characters. i’ll still buy the physical copy because again, i love trish doller, but sometimes your favorite authors release books that won’t be your favorite and that’s okay!