Thank you so much to Netgalley and Macmillan for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is only my second Trish Doller book but both of them have been outstanding. Off the map follows free spirit and world traveler, Carla on a trip to Ireland for her best friend's wedding. When she gets there she meets buttoned up tech manager, Eamon. While the romance is incredible and moving- the heartstrings really get yanked around as Carla starts looking at her life philosophy (Here for a good time- not for a long time) and reassessing what is really important in this world. Carla's father, Biggie, has honorary main character rights in this book because he is such a huge presence. Watching these two characters grow and learn and decide what they want in life is beautiful and eye opening. You might walk away after reading it and decide that the pull of wanderlust is too strong. I currently have another tab open looking at flights.

This book is a book of love stories, not a romance. Carla and her love for Biggie, Carla and her love of friendships, Carla and her love of found family. Eamon was just the love story bow on top.

As this is an audio book I do want to mention the amazing job the producers did of finding a voice that really matched the story AND did a really good (to me) Irish accent. The sound quality and production was amazing but Macmillan audio always knocks it out of the park.

This is definitely my fav in the series! Maybe cause it had a bit more spice and a bit earlier on in the story? 🙃

Off the Map is the 3rd book in the Beck Sisters series, but could definitely be read as a stand-alone. I am glad I read the whole series though, I enjoyed all the books!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️ (but not super detailed)

Carla Black is headed to be the maid of honor at her best friend Anna’s wedding in Ireland. The best man & groom’s brother, Eamon Sullivan, is meant to pick her up at the airport. He texts to meet him at a local bar.

Eamon walks in while Carla is being hit on, and she grabs him and kisses him. Their chemistry is immediate. They are alike & looking for the same thing - no strings, just fun. But sometimes you don’t know what you’re looking for until you find it….

This book isn’t just a romance. It’s a story of self discovery and overcoming parental expectations, or what we THINK others want from us. Of finding who you’re meant to be, and what’s important to you.

Read if you enjoy:
⭐️ Insta-connection/attraction
⭐️ “I don’t do relationships” for both MCs
⭐️ Fated mates
⭐️ Road trip/adventure
⭐️ Self discovery
⭐️ Single POV (Carla’s)

I read this on ebook & also listened to the audiobook (back and forth) - both were great!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Audio, and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy to review! All opinions are my own.

"There isn't just one kind of family, you know? There's the people you find along the way."

Solo world traveler Carla comes to Ireland to be the maid of honor in her best friend Anna's wedding. From the moment Eamon Sullivan, the groom's brother and best man, meets her at a local pub to take her to the wedding accommodations, they have a smoldering connection.

Carla doesn't "do" relationships and most definitely does not fall in love, yet she finds herself irresistibly drawn to Eamon. Due to their chemistry and desire to keep hanging out, they decide to take a few detours so they can see some of Ireland before making it to the wedding site. Along the way, Carla will find herself coming to terms with her feelings about love, relationships, life choices, and her relationship with her critically ill father.

This is a SPICY romance so be warned!

Overall, I enjoyed this novel even though I had some problems with Carla. I found her to be selfish and self-absorbed especially for a thirty-something woman. She was the worst maid of honor to hook up with a guy-even if he was the groom's brother-and ditch out on wedding preparations and helping her best friend get married lol. I had a hard time with that decision and one she makes later that had me shaking my head in disbelief but I can't reveal as is a plot spoiler.

This did work as a standalone novel even though it is the third novel in the series. *Perhaps reading those other novels would allow me some additional insight into Carla so I don't want to dock this one in my star rating.

Off the Map is definitely a spicy rom-com with surprising depth and exploration of issues such as critically ill parents, father/daughter relationships, abandonment, emotional unavailability, etc.

This was my first novel by Trish Doller and I look forward to exploring more of this author's works.

This book definitely moves quickly, between the storyline and the relationship between Eamon and Carla. I’m not a fan of insta love and that is exactly what their entire relationship is based off of. I did enjoy her finding more about herself while grieving her fathers medical diagnosis.

4.5/5 stars

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy!

Carla Black has been traveling the world for as long as she can remember, running away from any of life's big problems. Her motto? "Here for a good time, not a long time." When she arrives in Ireland for her best friend's wedding, she instantly connects with best man Eamon Sullivan. Eamon creates digital maps, but hasn't explored the world the way he would want. En route to the other side of Ireland, both Eamon and Carla are forced to contend with the reality that their extreme approaches to life may not be as effective as they thought. Maybe they can learn a little something from each other...

This book was so sweet! I really enjoyed the travel aspect; this was a creative way to hear about a lot of different places! With Carla's dad having dementia, this book tugged at the heart strings and made me shed a few tears along the way. Carla and Eamon's sweet love story was incredible to read; they understood each other in such an unexpected way. With a bit of spice, I loved the journey Carla took to find herself where she truly needed to be. Trish Doller surprised me with the amount of depth and character development she was able to weave into this heartfelt and sometimes silly love story. I can't wait to read the others in this series!

TW: dementia and loss of a parent

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

Story: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Narration: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Overall: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Off the Map is the third installment of the Beck Sisters series. This story follows Carla, Anna’s best friend, and Eamon, Keane’s brother. The two are thrown together as they travel to Anna and Keane’s wedding. A bit of insta-love. A bit of road trip hijinks. A lot of heart.

Off the Map is another emotional romance from Trish Doller. I loved Carla and Eamon and their romance was sweet and spicy. It is a very quick read that pulls you into the story immediately. Natalie Naudaus does an amazing job with bringing both characters to life. Plus, her accents are on point.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable audiobook. First about the story: I expected this to be a fun read about a women traveling around Ireland and beyond. But what I got was something much more touching and sad: a woman dealing with a father with dementia. It was really good, just not quite the story I thought we would get. There is, of course, an insta-love romance in there as well. But to me that came second to the story of Carla and her dad.

And about the narration: I really enjoyed the narration. I did listen at 1.25 speed because I found it a bit slow paced. The narrator did a good job bringing in tones and inflections for the main characters voice. It really brought the emotions to life. And I though the narrator did very well with portraying both American and Irish accents.

This can easily be read as a standalone even though it is book #3 in a series.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for an eARD of this audiobook!

Float Plan by Ms. Doller will always hold a special place in my heart. When I saw Off the Map was being released, I couldn't have been more excited for another book in "this world."

Carla is a free spirit with a serious case of wanderlust. Her mother left when she was five and her father raised her on his own. Much of his parenting strategy may have included teaching her a protective mechanism that involved "always looking forward and never back." This keeps her on the road and intent on keeping things light with few attachments. Her father has developed dementia and basically told her to leave because he doesn't want her to see him deteriorate. Instead, her stepmother is caring for him. Carla is starting to struggle with her absence from her father and fearing she could miss his last days. She starts to wonder if she's really traveling for the experiences at this point or to escape.

Eamon is a structured person who is used to being the one held responsible. But he's not happy in his life and is craving adventure and a chance to explore. He finds himself being envious of his brother, Keane who has literally travelled the world. Yet everyone expects Eamon to always be the one who is "there."

When Eamon is sent to pick Carla up for the wedding of Keane (his brother) and Anna (her best friend), they find themselves caught up in a natural attraction that continues to grow. Not only is Eamon attracted to Carla physically, but he also finds himself drawn to her strong sense of exploration. She helps Eamon build up the courage to take the jump and decide to venture off on his own adventures down the road once he's able to get things lined up.

The trip for them from Dublin to Tralee for the wedding takes a bit longer than normal as they take several sight seeing detours along the way. It helps Eamon see that he can really take himself on the road and go explore the way he wants to. Of course over the course of the few days they are together, he discovers that part of the reason he enjoys these side trips is seeing things with Carla. But Carla is clear in the beginning that anything between them is temporary because she's leaving. Of course, Carla doesn't count on falling for Eamon either but she does. Unfortunately, they need to head in different directions. Eamon needs to travel now that he's built up his courage to actually take the leap. But Carla now knows she needs to go home and be with her Dad and help care for him.

Even though Carla and Eamon fell for each other quickly, it felt very organic and real to me. Carla was a spontaneous person who never overthought her actions so she didn't think twice about getting "romantic" with him quickly. She just didn't count on catching feelings. Eamon had always been with the wrong women until he meets Carla. So when he gets to know her, it's like a light goes off and it clicks with him that she's the one he's been looking for all along.

I simply adored this book. It's a quick read that I buzzed through in one day. I felt that both of these characters were ones that I could empathize with. I understand Eamon and his desire to never disappoint his parents even if he was miserable. I also somewhat understood Carla trying to follow her father's request to stay away - - but I was relieved when she decided she needed to go home and be with him even if he didn't want her to. I knew she'd regret it if she wasn't there. This was also the spiciest of the three books in this series and it made sense because of the characters themselves. Their initial relationship was built on the physical side of things until they let their emotions in.

Even though there are some humorous moments included in the storyline as well as the romance, it's also emotional. Carla's father's dementia is heartbreaking and the way that she views her life where "everyone eventually leaves" is also enough to bring tears. In addition, Eamon's situation with his family where he didn't feel like he could stand up for himself and live his own life was sad in itself. There were definitely a few real life issues touched on to give the storyline depth. It's a book with both swoon and substance.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: I also listened to the audiobook. The narration for this was exactly how I imagined it would be. The way the character's emotions were portrayed via the inflections in the narrator's voice really made you feel what was happening in the story. It had me literally crying in the later parts of the book when Carla's father was struggling with his memory. In addition, you could hear the pain in the character's voices when they had to leave on another in Ireland. It was terrific. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the ebook and audiobook. I voluntarily chose to read and listen to them and review them. The opinions contained within are my own.

"It was always a good time but I wish it had been a longer time...."

“I continue, realizing I came at her with my machete of truth.” I feel SEEN 👀

I will henceforth be referring to my bluntness as the machete of truth. Genius. But I digress..

I absolutely adored this book! This is book #3 in the Beck Sisters series. I gave Float Plan (book 1) five stars as well but somehow missed the second in the series. Oops. But it’s another five stars for these heartwarming and flawed but fierce characters.

I loved watching the character arc of Carla Black. She travels the world in her beloved vintage Jeep Wrangler, dodging meaningful relationships and running from emotion. She was raised by her father Biggie, a large man with an even bigger heart. When he is diagnosed with dementia, everything that Carla knows comes crashing down around her. So she runs. Again. Enter Eamon Sullivan, the hot Irishman who challenges her and truly sees her. Can he help ground Carla before she goes off the map?

The audiobook was so well done! The narration was great and really captured the angst, but also the heart, of these characters. I felt immediately pulled into this story and I did not want it to end. I am hoping that this is not the last of the series because I am not yet ready to say goodbye to Trish Doller’s writing of these characters.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Even though this is part of a series, it can easily be read as a stand alone. The story was fast paced and sweet.

“Carla Black’s life motto is “here for a good time, not for a long time.” She’s been travelling the world on her own in her vintage Jeep Wrangler for nearly a decade, stopping only long enough to replenish her adventure fund. She doesn’t do love and she doesn’t ever go home.”

This book was both more and less than I expected.

I didn’t get as much from Eamon as I expected. Yes, he’s unlucky in love, but when the blurb said “Modern Day Cartographer” I figured it would play more into the story.

I got way more emotional depth and growth than I expected, from Carla and her dad. You don’t often get that kind of intensity between any characters other than the love interest.

I found both the beginning, and the ending a little rushed. They bone literal hours after meeting each other, (I prefer a slower burn) then, at the end, there’s this huge obstacle to their relationship, then, suddenly, there isn’t. I think I might have preferred her time home longer – with them having to navigate her Dad’s dementia together.

While I read this book as a stand-a-lone, there are two that came before. I will be seeking out those first two books, for sure.

7/10

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for this adventurous ARC.

I have been a Trish Doller fan since falling head over heels for "Float Plan," so I was eager to get my hands on "Off the Map," especially since this is the third book in that series (though fine as a standalone). I hoped for the same blend of chemistry and deep, authentic emotions that went beyond just love, lust, and romance. For me, however, "Off the Map" fell a little short and I didn't love it as much as I wanted to.

The novel tells the story of Carla, who has traveled to Ireland to attend the wedding of Anna and Keane (stars of "Float Plan"). The plan is for her to be met by Keane's brother Eamon, who will drive Carla to the wedding in the Irish countryside. Instead, the two instantly hit it off and end up taking some side adventures once they realize all they have in common -- Eamon is feeling lost after living up to people's expectations of him as the responsible child for many years; meanwhile, Carla is feeling unmoored while her father drifts farther and farther away into dementia.

Who this book is great for: Those who love breezy romances with spicy open-door scenes. Doller definitely knows how to make a light page turner that will make any long day zip by in a blur of pages. It also puts a spotlight on dementia, which I think is a worthy inclusion as many of us will be exposed to this hard reality at some point in our lives.

Why it wasn't great for me: Because Carla and Eamon hit it off instantly (and in fact end up in bed together just a few hours later), I felt there was no real tension or teasing leading up to the relationship. This was similar to what bothered me with "The Suite Spot." And unlike "Float Plan," where I was charmed by the characters and found myself deeply caring for them, I really found it hard to build any kind of relationship with Carla and Eamon, mostly because their actions seemed so incredibly selfish and far-fetched. Carla has traveled overseas for her best friend's wedding and instead of rushing to her and spending the days leading up to it by Anna's side, she decides to have not one but THREE side adventures/delays with Eamon instead, each one of which put the wedding at risk. I also found myself missing the opportunity to sink back into the characters of Anna and Keane, as they were rarely featured.

Bottom line: If romance is your main genre, there's plenty here to sweep you along, especially if you like things extra spicy. Carla and Eamon are like horny teenagers and you'll get a front row seat to several spicy encounters. It's also a great light beach read (hey, just blame that blush on a little sunburn). For those who like their romances to cut a little deeper with complex emotions, though, you'll likely find this one only goes skin deep.

Once again Trish Dollar delivers a phenomenal book! I also really loved the Float Plan and when I saw this, I couldn't pass it up! Love the setting in Ireland and the narrators were excellent - Irish accents always make me melt haha. This book will definitely give you wanderlust but also all the feels!!! This book hurt my heart several times... The chemistry between Carla and Eamon is palpable, they are just so great together so when she leaves him after the wedding to go home and care for her father and they're left at an impasse, I was sad. Not just because they weren't together but because Carla is obviously fighting herself on so many things and I just wanted to give her a hug. Needless to say, the entire relationship with her father, who now suffers of dementia, the struggles, the pain... all of it. Absolutely heart breaking. It is obvious that she loves her father very very much. I'm happy that in the end Carla allows herself to let go and be happy!

I have a bad habit of skipping over books in series' like this but I have book 2 lined up to read next month and I can't wait. Doller is definitely an auto-read author for me.

Content warnings: Dementia, death of a parent, car accident, alcohol and drug use.

A huge thanks to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Ultimately I think the book was rushed. The relationship was rushed, the reconnection with the dad was rushed, the ending was rushed; each aspect needed more time to be believable.

That said, I enjoy this story, but I think it could have been a lot better.

I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

I really enjoyed this love story and all their adventures. I loved Carla’s relationship with her dad, so many stories have been told about single moms but there are a lot of single dads out there doing their best so I loved that! Eamon was just so sweet and I'm always a sucker for an Irish accent! I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a great job!

Trish Doller is quickly becoming one of my favorite romance authors. She seamlessly blends everything I love about romantic comedies with realistic drama and emotion that tugs at your heartstrings, which is basically my kryptonite.

While Anna and Keane remain my favorite couple from this series, I still fell quite hard for Carla and Eamon. One of the reasons I love Doller's characters is that I find them so relatable. Carla and Eamon both feel stuck, even if neither of them knows it. Both are unable to bear doing what needs to be done, despite desperately needing to. I saw a younger me in Carla, traveling the world alone, never tied down to one place, enjoying what came her way, and not apologizing for it. I appreciate seeing female characters like this.

As I said above, I fell quite hard for Carla and Eamon, which was shocking since instalove/instalust rarely work for me. However, here, I felt like it fit both the characters and the story. It never felt forced, and it allowed them to connect on a deeper level quickly.

The non-romantic subplot was heartbreaking, like always.

So much worked for me: the setting, the steaminess, the banter, and the emotion. I cannot wait to read what Doller writes next.

While this is considered a standalone, I do think it may be beneficial to at least read Float Plan before this, which is awesome, so you should read it anyway. I will note that, compared to Float Plan and The Suite Spot, the steaminess is more prevalent in Off the Map. Further, this is not a slow burn like the first two. So, if that's what you liked about them, be prepared.

I listened to the audio and the narrator was great.

Thank you to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio, and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Overall, Off the Map is a well-written and heartwarming novel that explores themes of self-discovery, love, and family. Doller’s writing style is engaging, and the characters are relatable and likable. The audiobook version, narrated by Sarah Naughton, is also highly recommended for her skillful performance.

A full review is available on my blog.

I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review. Beautifully written and just a ton of fun. I'm so happy I got this. So cute.

Off The Map by Trish Doller is a fun rom-com that will take you on a journey through the Irish country side.

Publication Date: March 7, 2023

SYNOPSIS:
Carla Black's life motto is "here for a good time, not for a long time." She's been travelling the world on her own in her vintage Jeep Wrangler for nearly a decade, stopping only long enough to replenish her adventure fund. She doesn't do love and she doesn't ever go home.

Eamon Sullivan is a modern-day cartographer who creates digital maps. His work helps people find their way, but he's the one who's lost his sense of direction. He's unhappy at work, recently dumped, and his one big dream is stalled out--literally.

Fate throws them together when Carla arrives in Dublin for her best friend's wedding and Eamon is tasked with picking her up from the airport. But what should be a simple drive across Ireland quickly becomes complicated with chemistry-filled detours, unexpected feelings, and a chance at love - if only they choose it.

Thoughts:
- Maid of Honor/ Best Man trope
- Road trip though the Irish country side which was a fantastic edition to the story.
- Third in a series but of course I never read rom-com series in order and couldn’t tell this was part of series. Great as a stand alone but now I want to read the other books in the series
-Paired this with the audio which I also loved. Great job by Sarah Naughton!

Four stars for this fun Rom-Com that kept my interest throughout. Something that has been so hard to do lately!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have really enjoyed reading all of the books on this series and was so excited to get this early copy. I loved it so much