Thank you @macmillan.audio @smpromance for a copy of Off the Map. This was an enjoyable read despite this being my least favorite trope - insta love- lust. I love the fun adventures that Carla and Eamon took before Anna and Keanne's wedding. The book lack tension/banter which is always love. I love Carla's relationship with Biggie, her father dealing with dementia. I thought the end was tied up a bit too conveniently to resolve Carla and Eamon's reason why they can be together.

Steamy vacation romance! Like steam right off the bat! I really enjoyed Off the Map. It reminded me a lot of the movie Leap Year which I just love. Romance, adventure, the Irish country side, and handsome Irish man...not much better than that.

In Ireland as the maid of honor for her best friends wedding, Clara gets picked up by the best man on their way to the wedding. Clara has lived a life of adventure, taking many trips with her father, and then solo in their old Jeep, Valentina. Upon meeting the dreamy Eamon, Clara realizes he has been holding back his whole life on his dreams of travel, and the two take off on a series of adventures on their way to the wedding. Days later than planned, and many stops (sometimes very humorous) stops along the way, Eamon and Clara are learning a lot about themselves and each other while traveling together.

I enjoyed the heart behind this book. Clara's father is suffering from Alzheimer's, and while the travels in Ireland make up a good portion of the book, the last quarter of the book really focuses on Clara's emotions and dealing with her ailing father's condition. The book romance started off rather quickly, so I wish there was a little more tension with the characters at the beginning, or maybe more of the emotional component in the beginning of the book as well as a balance. Overall, if you are looking for. a fun vacation read with lots of steamy scenes, Off the Map is your book!

When her dad got diagnosed with early onset dementia 8 years ago, he told Carla that he didn't want his diagnosis to take over her life and he wanted her to continue traveling like the two of them had done throughout her life. So, Carla has been traveling the world for years - just her and her Jeep Wrangler. No love, no commitments, stopping occasionally to bartend in her hometown. When her best friend plans her wedding in Ireland, Carla is excited for this new adventure, though she doesn't expect much traveling around. The grooms brother, Eamon, is tasked with picking her up from the airport. The two feel an immediate connection and Eamon is taken by Carla's sense of adventure - something he's always desired but has never pursued.

Shockingly to me, I actually didn't mind that this was insta-love/insta-lust. Not usually my favorite trope, but I thought it worked here. I liked both Carla and Eamon and how their connection (though perhaps fueled by lust in the beginning) was about more than just sex. Though, there was plenty of that throughout the book! I would say more scenes than your typical contemporary romance, though perhaps not as descriptive as some.

Here's the thing - the main thing that REALLY bothered me about this book and had me wavering between 3 and 4 stars was that Carla hasn't seen her father in person in 6 years.. Which maybe makes sense because she has been traveling all over, right? WRONG. Because she says that she spends a few months a year in Fort Lauderdale working at a bar...which is the same city that her father LIVES IN. You're telling me that because your dad said he doesn't want you to watch him decline, you take that to mean he doesn't want you to see him ever?? Even if that is what he meant....why would you listen to that? Like sure, respect his wishes absolutely but that means you cant even visit once a year?? He was clear about not wanting her life to be taken over by his dementia but she still could have traveled and seen him. IDK that part really just did not work for me.

The other thing I've really liked about this series is that the books are under 300 pages, which I find really satisfying. However I actually felt like this one could have been longer...the ending felt a bit rushed.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for a review. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you to @smpromance for my e-ARC and @macmillan.audio for my ALC of OFF THE MAP!

Pub date: 3/7/23
Genre: romcom (insta-love, no strings attached)
Quick summary: Carla's YOLO, travel-filled lifestyle leaves no time for serious relationships - but when she meets Eamon on the way to his brother's Irish wedding, she may have to re-evaluate her roadmap.

Another day in February, another romcom review! This is book 3 in the Beck Sisters series - you don't have to read them all in order, but definitely don't miss my fave, FLOAT PLAN (book 1). 

Insta-love is usually not my favorite trope - but I was here for Carla and Eamon's relationship. I felt the sparks from the moment they met - narrator Sarah Naughton did a wonderful job capturing their banter and spirit. Carla's commitment phobia was a little frustrating at times but understandable given her family struggles. Eamon was swoonworthy, and I loved how both of them grew over the course of the book!

I ended up finishing this book in one day - it was the perfect book to listen to while enjoying a warm spring day. I suggest listening to it - the audio made me feel immersed in the story, like I was on the road trip with Carla and Eamon.

Carla is Anna's best friend from that horrible pirate restaurant and travels religiously because her father with dementia asked her to stay away so she doesn't watch him deteriorate. The love she has for him is palatable and it's a slow motion heartbreak in the making. She dutifully spends six years travelling and not getting too close to anyone.

The series starts with her flying into Dublin for Anna and Keene's wedding and having tangible tension with Eamon. He's the brother of the hero from Book 1, Float Plan. He spends the whole book wishing he had done any of the dreamy things he planned on while she's the real life embodiment of what it looks like to actually go out and do the things. They are lovely. After she leaves him at the wedding, she goes home to care for her father and they're left at an impasse. The relationship between Eamon and Carla was almost effortless and the real pain was between Carla and herself.

Read the whole series. Don't tell me if it's not for you because every book has hurt me at least a little and I have a cold dead heart. Trish, if you don't hurt me with Ciara's book next, I won't even know what you're doing here. He was barely in the book and I can tell that Dominic is not it.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Trish Doller for a copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and MacMillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC in exchange for my honest review of the latest chapter in the Beck Sister series by Trish Doller, beautifully narrated once again by Sarah Naughton - 4.5 stars!

Carla Black works as a bartender in Florida in the winter, saving up enough money to travel the world in the summer. Her dad, Biggie, raised Carla by himself after her mother left when she was very young. They spent every summer exploring the national parks. When Biggie was diagnosed with early onset dementia, he encouraged her to continue her travels. She flies to Ireland to be the maid of honor at her best friend Anna's wedding, and meets the best man, Eamon, who is to transport her to the wedding site. They have an instant connection and make a few detours along the way.

I loved the first two books in this series - Anna, the bride, was the subject of Float Plan. You definitely don't need to have read those two books but they are great reads! This one gets a slightly lower rating from me mostly because of the more vivid sex scenes between Carla and Keane starting from their first meeting - seemed a bit rushed and explicit. But the majority of the book was pure fun - it was going along on a road trip, having adventures, letting yourself be vulnerable, and falling in love. Both Carla and Keane needed to figure out what was important and be true to their hearts.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for this ARC!

Once again, I didn't realize this wasn't the first book of a series and wish Netgalley made a point to include that with the titles! I don't feel like I missed out on anything by not reading the other books but still would've been nice to know it's part of a series.

I think the premise of the book was a very cute idea and while it had a lot of great ideas/life lessons shared in it, the writing style just wasn't for me. This was absolutely insta-love./lust from the first two chapters. There was no build-up to their relationship, no chemistry, and honestly, nothing that made me root for them. Sure, they got along but there was nothing that really made me go "oh yeah, they belong together" kind of thing. They JUST met and sleep together then decide to travel together while delaying their arrival to his brother and her bff's wedding preparations. You're the best man and maid of honor...come on lol. Also, Eamon kept saying "Jaysus" because he's supposed to be Irish and I never wanted to punch a character in the throat as I did with him. He said it all the time. Including during the smut scenes. No.

I enjoyed the traveling aspect of it and watching Carla continue to live out this dream of hers while Eamon grew a backbone and stepped out of his family's shadows but overall, this book lacked that pull that kept me engaged with it and the writing style didn't work for me. It was a short read so I think if people don't mind the insta-love and like a road trip type of rom-com, this could work for you!

There are some authors whose books are so comfortable and fit so well that they feel like home, and Trish Doller is one of those authors for me. I wasn’t expecting to love Carla as much as I do. She’s a flawed character but her flaws make her even more relatable. Eamon is wonderful and I loved catching up with Anna and Keane. I’ve loved every page of this series and I’m not sure where else it could go but if it does go somewhere I’ll read it.

“You make me happy. You make me wild. And I don’t think I’ll ever get you out of my system.”

“Feel all the feelings, Carla. Let them hurt, then let them heal.”

Carla Black lives her life on the move, seeking adventure wherever she finds it and isn’t afraid to go off course. Eamon Sullivan has always been willing to set his dreams aside to do what was expected of him. Fate has brought Carla and Eamon together when he agrees to pick her up in Dublin for her best friend’s wedding. What could have been an uncomplicated trip across Ireland instead gives our couple a chance at love when their connection becomes more than they bargained for.

This is the next installment in the Beck Sisters novels, and I was excited to see Carla and Eamon back for Anna and Keane’s wedding (Float Plan)!

Eamon is so swoony and their instant chemistry is evident in the way that he helps Carla open up and be vulnerable, and how she encourages him to free himself from the weight of other’s expectations.

All of the detours Carla and Eamon take on the way to the wedding were so enjoyable to read. Both Eamon and Carla were well developed, and parts of their journey had me in tears.

- Insta-love
- “Just a fling”
- Found family
- Steamiest in the series!

Thank you to St. Martin’s, NetGalley, and Trish Doller for the digital review copy!

CW: dementia, death of a parent, parental abandonment

Off the Map confirmed that Trish Doller is an automatic read author for me.

Carla's whole life has practically been an adventure in travels. So naturally, when she goes to Ireland to be in her best friends wedding, she takes a few detours that result in a few unexpected Ireland adventures. Even more unexpected, is that Eamon Sullivan, the best man and brother of the groom, join her on these adventures.

I don't normally like the insta-love trope but Trish Doller does it so well. Along with forced proximity, strangers to lovers, and a very well done third act breakup, this book was an easy 5 star read for me.

While I haven't read Rachel & Mason's story, Off the Map is so far my favorite of the 3 books in the series. The talk about immortality, her navigating Biggie's dementia, and her own struggles with feeling like she's constantly running from anything that can hurt her is what really hit me hard in the feels.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

I loved revisiting the characters from Float Plan and seeing Carla and Eamon's story! If you loved Trish Doller's other books in this series, this one won't disappoint!

This book has everything. Adventure, love, drama, family, and friends, and does them all extremely well. It definitely made me want to go back and explore Ireland more. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. This is by far my favorite of these series and a book I will shout about from the rooftops.

I will officially read anything Trish Doller writes. I absolutely adored this book. The characters of Carla and Eamon were so well written but what really got me was the last few chapters with Carla and Biggie. The way their relationship was described was heartwarming and heartbreaking all at once. This book is love. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review!

<i>Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>

[author:Trish Doller] is back with a follow up to her Beck Sisters books, this time following Anna’s best friend, Carla, and Keane’s brother, Eamon. Carla is headed off to Ireland, pausing her six years of traveling around the world in her old red Jeep, to be Anna’s maid of honor. Eamon, the best man, is meant to pick her up from the airport and drive her to his hometown for the wedding, but they get a bit side-tracked when Carla greets Eamon (then a stranger) with a kiss to put off another guy at the pub. Soon, they decide they’ll camp en route to the wedding, maybe do a bit of off-roading in Eamon’s classic Land Rover.

I’ve been looking forward to reading this for a long time, and it did not disappoint. Trish Doller writes romances that have these huge emotional beats - romantic love, but also loss, and the love among blood families and found families.

I loved [book:Float Plan] and [book:The Suite Spot], which were both about women picking up and leaving their lives behind, looking for escape, and finding love as well as themselves. Carla’s been on the move for six years, having long ago loosened her ties.

In some ways, Carla has a lot of the same tropey traits as many other romance leads - hopping from one lover’s bed to another, barely letting them make a mark on her. But unlike many of those characters, her reason is because of her love of roaming, overlanding in her old Jeep, just like she did with her dad growing up. I absolutely fell in love with Biggie, Carla’s biker king of a dad, and Stella, her sparkly, straight-laced stepmother, who are dealing with the tragedy of Biggie’s dementia with grace and wit.

And then there’s Eamon. Oh, Eamon. As Carla asked more than once, “How are you still single??” He spends [book:Off The Map] being absolutely wonderful to Carla from start to finish. The conflict that arises between them is not some manufactured misunderstanding to create the third-act breakup so many romances feel the need to include, no matter how out of character the actions are that lead up to said breakup. No, Eamon and Carla are pushed kept apart by difficult circumstances, but never do they betray one another. Now all I want is to drink sangria while laying in the heather on a sunny Irish summer day.

And I love that we get to add Boudicca the feisty blue kitten to the pantheon of excellent romance pets, along with Anna and Keane’s Queenie.

[book:Off The Map] by [author:Trish Doller]
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ early and often!
🐂 🍷 one angry, drunk bull
🐈‍⬛ 🦅 one awesome warrior kitten

Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin for the free copy.
What I love about Doller's past two books and this one is how she's not afraid to bring in so much emotion to her stories. She takes such heavy topics and handles them with care and depth. Carla was such a great character. Her bluntness was admirable. I also enjoyed Eamon and the journey they took through Ireland. While traveling, these two characters shared openly about adult and personal struggles. I loved their friendship from the start. I also am so glad the book didn't have a ridiculous third act blow up. The characters were mature and willing to take ownership of their actions - love this in a book.
The only thing that caught me off guard was that I wasn't expecting it to be as steamy as it was because the other two were not at this level.
The narration was well done. I thought the narrator did a great job of bringing Carla and Eamon to life - especially with the Irish accents.

What a beautifully written, romantic, and yes, heartbreaking book. Even though I typically prefer books where the emotional connection comes before the physical one, there is no denying the chemistry between Carla and Eamon and I loved the vivid descriptions of their travels. Although the romance arc is strong, this book straddles the line with upmarket fiction in terms of a strong secondary non-romantic plot and almost literary writing style. The story between Carla and Biggie had me sobbing. It was fun to visit Anna and Rachel and their partners from the first two books, but the focus was squarely on Carla. A great conclusion to a series focused on characters finding themselves and new beginnings in the midst of massive life changes. Highly recommend.

Trigger warnings include dementia and parental abandonment.

I really enjoyed Eamon and Carla. I found Carla's situation with her father having dementia moving. I lost my grandfather to dementia this past July. I brought up all the feels and sympathy for this character and her journey experiencing that. I too wonder if this is something i might experience myself as i get older since I am at risk for this as well.
I got teary eyed in a few parts and laughed at others. This also sparked my wanderlust of wanting to visit Ireland. I enjoyed this one.

Off the Map, by Trish Doller, is a light-hearted romance that takes on some deeper issues. While it is not the first in the series (I didn't realize) I didn't feel like I was missing out from not having read the previous ones. Romance, humor, travel, and great characters make for a fun read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve loved all of Trish Doller’s novels so far, but the premise Off the Map really spoke to my soul. I love traveling and visiting national parks, so I felt like I had a lot in common with Carla at the beginning. I loved that she convinced Eamon to enjoy life a little more and see the world while he was able. Their detours through Ireland were a lot of fun to read! Insta-love makes it harder for me to believe in the staying power of Eamon and Carla’s romance, but they certainly have chemistry and I was all about the insta-lust.

quickly realized that while Carla and I have similar interests, we’re nothing alike personality-wise. I couldn’t imagine abandoning her ailing father for ten years, even if he told her to! I wasn’t expecting the dementia storyline, and it made me really sad for Carla’s dad and his girlfriend.

I do wish we got to see more of the characters from the previous books. Anna’s wedding was less than a page. Anna and Keane were my favorites of the series, so I was hoping for more of a reunion. I don’t even think Mason was mentioned, and Rachel was only in passing.

I love Frank Turner, and adored his mention in the book–that’s a first for me!

this book was super cute and unique. I’ve never read a story about a digital cartographer and it made things super interesting! I fell in love with these characters and the end had me crying. Carla had such a positive attitude about living her life to the fullest and working toward her dreams & it was inspiring, especially since she dedicates a lot of her adventures to her dad. Eamon is a top tier book boyfriend and the chemistry between the two of them is perfect! Insta-love isn’t my favorite trope, so that’s the only reason I’m giving 4 stars, but otherwise, I enjoyed this read!