I am always a sucker for a romance set in my motherland. (No really, my maternal bloodline is fresh(ish) off the boat!) I could feel the mist coming off the shores of the Great Causeway. And the rush of adventure of being in a foreign land and wanting to see all there is to offer. I also loved hearing from a none 20 something adventurer.

I would love to hear about more of Carla's adventures!

I thought accents where done very well and the narration flowed very smoothly.

Thanks to NetGalley for an arc of this audiobook. Below is my honest review.

This is the third book in the Beck sisters series and can be read as a standalone. However, I do recommend reading the first two books in the series, especially Float Plan.

Carla spent the summers of her youth traveling with her father. She loved it so much that she travels half the year as an adult. This book begins with Carla arriving in Ireland for the wedding of Anna and Keane (of Float Plan).

Eamon, Keane’s brother, creates maps for GPS companies. He has wanted to travel for ages, but never quite talked himself into it. Anna and Keane ask him to pick up Carla from the airport. Sparks fly between them from the beginning.

Carla and Eamon go on adventures across Ireland while heading to the wedding. But, don’t forget that Carla has one rule — do not fall in love.

Will they make it to the wedding in time? Will our favorites of books past make an appearance? (Spoiler, yes!) Will Carla break her own rule? Will Eamon ever travel?

I really liked this one. Carla and Eamon were likable and fun. They clearly got along as friends and had wonderful chemistry. I loved seeing old friends on the page. The new secondary characters were strong. Also, I enjoyed how the characters dealt with the struggles in their lives, especially Carla’s relationship with her father.

This is worth the read. Plus, the narrator was fantastic.

A tale of misadventures that will have you laughing, swooning, and a little teary-eyed. The narration was perfectly done, bringing the story to life as though a friend was telling you their story.

Off The Map is the perfect reminder that life's too short to have regrets, and to live each day to the fullest, while cherishing your loved ones.

Title: Off the Map
Author: Trish Doller
Series: Beck Sisters, #3
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.00
Pub Date: March 7, 2023

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin for offering me a DRC and to Macmillan Audio for providing me with ALC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. #Gifted #Ad

T H R E E • W O R D S

Adventurous • Brisk • Cliché

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Carla Black’s life motto is “here for a good time, not for a long time.” She’s been traveling 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.

💭 T H O U G H T S

I knew I wanted to continue of with book three in the Beck Sister series, even though I didn't absolutely love the first two books, likely because I appreciated the off-the-beaten path settings of the first two books.

What I liked:
• the scenic destinations. Ireland is a bucket list destination for me, so I absolutely loved getting to 'visit' some tourist spots. I also liked learning about Carla's other travels, especially her visits to national parks with Biggie. It sparked my wanderlust.
• the depth. Each book in this series deals with grief in a different manner, and the inclusion of dementia was probably my favourite part.

What I didn't like:
• the instalove. This is one trope that just doesn't work for me. It always seems so unbelievable, and more build up would have made it better.
• the spice. This book is a lot spicier than the first too and at times it really feels like all they are doing is having sex, which felt unnecessary.
• the pacing. It felt too surface level and rushed. There wasn't space for so many aspects to be fully fleshed out. The death near the end felt like it came out of nowhere and like the author was just trying to wrap the book up quickly.

I am glad to have read this third book in the series, which can easily be read as a standalone, but it was a highly forgettable read. The narration by Sarah Naughton is okay. If you're looking for something quick for your road trip this would be a great choice though.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of the instalove trope
• readers who enjoyed Float Plan and/or Something Wilder

⚠️ CW: dementia, death, death of parent, sexual content, drug use, alcohol, abandonment

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

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

This was a cute romance! I love how falling in love with Carla’s love with Eamon helped her to find her priorities in life. It’s like she was fine until someone showed her what she was missing. On the other hand Eamon was the same way! He was fine until Carla showed him what he was missing. Together, they found a way to figure out how to move forward.

🌀Synopsis
Carla’s whole life is travel. Her latest trip is to Ireland to see her best friend get married. She’s determined to explore as much as possible in honor of her father, Biggy, who use to travel with her but now suffers from dementia.
Right away in Ireland she meets Eamon, the groom’s brother. The two hit it off immediately and form a bond. When they don’t have to be at the wedding right away they decide to explore the countryside while they travel. It’s something Eamon has always wanted but never done and it’s what Carla is best at.
The two encounter a lot of adventure and finally arrive slightly late to the wedding. Along the way, Carla realizes she is homesick and wants to spend as much time with her father while she can. Even though she is in love with Eamon, she’s not willing to keep adventuring with him.
When her dad dies, Eamon reappears and the two tackle their next adventure together.

Carla goes where the wind blows, while Eamon creates the maps that lead people home again. So, they don't seem like a likely pairing. Yet when they meet, the sparks fly and it's not long before they're in his bed.

She's good with casual; he's not interested in starting anything new. So it seems like a perfect short-term fling that won't last any longer than it takes to get Carla's best friend married to Eamon's brother that weekend.

As Carla shares some of the wisdom her ailing father taught her along the way, she sees how Eamon needs to live a little. So, they set about checking off a few of the items on his bucket list as they make their way across Ireland to the wedding venue.

But with each checkmark they make, they discover just one more reason why short-term may not be the best thing for either of them in the long term.

Thank you to Trish Doller, St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

I requested this audiobook from NetGalley because I have enjoyed the other two Beck Sisters books. I went into this one KNOWING it was going to be my new favorite book. Quickly, I realized it was not. There was a point in the book I asked myself if I was supposed to be loving either of these main characters. A few things were off for me (the open scenes felt weird and unnecessary, the selfishness of the characters, the lack of build up to their relationship). In the end I did love to see the character development but it wasn't enough to make up for the journey.
The narrator did a FANTASTIC job carrying all of the characters and accents. Loved it!

I’ve really enjoyed all the Beck Sister series and this one did not disappoint. It has an insta love trope, which isn’t usually my go to but I loved the relationship between Carla and Eamon. Their is love, laughter, spice and even some sad spots. The characters were well developed and the story was really well written, I actually binged this book in one day! Highly recommend if you’ve loved any of the other books in the series but could also work as a standalone.

Carla Black is just arrived in Ireland for her best friend Anna's wedding. After being met in Dublin by best man, and brother of the groom, Eammon, the two hit is off immediately (and sparks fly!). This one is spicy right off the bat.
The two decide to delay their joining the wedding party, they have a little time before the actual wedding after all, and do some exploring in Ireland. There are some fun, sweet moments between the couple.
The ending was bittersweet... Carla reunited with her dad, who has been suffering from Alzheimer's, but leaves Eammon behind in Ireland to do so.
Narration was excellent and really brought the characters to life.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eaudio Arc in exhange for an honest review.

This book was fantastic - a real and raw view at the life of a traveler with a cute love story woven in at the same time.

The story: This story was beautiful and had a great love story in it all at the same time. It had laugh out loud moments, heart wrenching moments, and made it impossible to not fall in love with Carla and Eamon, Biggie, and even the bull. Does it make me want to drop everything and go to Ireland? Yes. Do my heart strings hurt for Carla and her situation back home that she is running away from? Absolutely. Will I recommend to anyone who likes women's fiction? Another big yes.

The narration: The narrator did an excellent job. Her Irish accents were fantastic and it was always easy to tell which character was talking throughout. She hit all of the appropriate emotions as she narrated.

Content: I went into this expecting it to be a romance and while that is present, the real story in my opinion is between Carla and her father. I do wish I could've had more angst between Carla and the love interest Eaman, I felt that some of their adventures were a bit contrived and the pacing not always compelling. What I did love was the insta-love/lust. I actually like a reverse card on the slow burn. While all that spice was appreciated, what was missing was that emotional build up and angst that could've added to the chemistry between characters. I felt like if the action is going to be instant, why not have their vulnerability be revealed at a slower pace?

Narration: Excellent narration! The accents are on point and having the Irish influence is really fun to listen to the audio version. I definitely recommend the audiobook of this.

CW for parent with dementia, this is a HUGE factor in this story and will pull at the heartstrings.

Thank you to NetGalley, Trish Doller, St. Martin's Press, MacMillan Audio and St. Martin's Griffin for providing me with an ALC copy of this book!

The Beck Sisters has been one of my very favorite series (FLOAT PLAN is a top romance of all time), so obviously OFF THE MAP was one of my most anticipated romances of the year! Much like the two previous books, there were a lot of emotions packed in here. Dollar always does a great job of mixing thoughtful women’s fiction into her romance.

What to expect::
•Ireland setting
•Best friends brother in law (is that a trope?)
•Instalove
•Great father/daughter memories
•Wanderlust
•Camping and adventure
•Both MCs finding their path
•Updates on Anna and Keane
🔥Open door, light details

I did feel like the insta love was just too insta for me… I mean the best part is that build up! BUT, the forced proximity made up for most of that. Not my fave of the series, but still a great read!

🎧Surprisingly, the narration was just okay for me. I found myself switching to the ebook.

I loved this!
Off the Map is a quick and fun read filled with wanderlust. It was so nice catching up with characters from previous books in the Beck Sisters series while also meeting new memorable ones! The descriptions of the places visited in this novel were so vibrant and made me want to pack a bag and head out in an adventure!
4/5 ⭐️
I listened to the audiobook of Off the Map and Sarah Naughton did a fantastic job bringing the story to life!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I am a big fan of Trish Doller and this series/world of hers. Float Plan had me in the feels for ages and this book did the same. Road trips are hit or miss, but instead of hijinks, these stops and unexpected events were more intentional and fun. I loved how we slowly got to see Eamon and Carla's story unfold and how each little bit of information gave us a closer look into their family and their heart. My friend and I read this together and both decided that at times, insta love is just what we need. This is insta love, but the depth that we get from their romance on a deadline is so very good.

The narrator did a great job. I am a very slow audiobook reader and devoured this in two days.

4 stars!

I have enjoyed each of Trish Doller's Beck Sisters' books, and "Off the Map" is no different! I just love her writing style. She manages to balance deeply emotional plot points with simmering attraction and a hefty dose of self-realization that is neither forced nor preachy. "Off the Map" has everything: intrigue, spice, a simmering connection between two likable but flawed protagonists, travel across the (very detailed) Irish countryside, drama, weddings, Jeep rides, car sex, beer, and bluntness like no other! I adored Carla and Eamon. Their insta-love/lust connection might come about too quickly for some readers, but if you've read Doller's other two novels, it's on par for her. I like how the women characters always come first in her books (literally and figuratively). Carla is such a wonderful character! I like how she has to learn about herself and learn how to let a stable love into her life. Eamon has to do the same but also has to break free from the shackles of his family's expectations. I also loved learning about Carla and her dad, Biggie, who has dementia and sent Carla off on her own adventures so she didn't have to watch him forget her. Having had an extended family member go through this, I thought Doller's depictions were spot-on, albeit heartbreaking.

Sarah Naughton returns for the audiobook version of this novel. Naughton previously did the narration for "Float Plan" and "The Suite Spot." She does a blood awesome job narrating Doller's stories and bringing her characters to life. She's got such clever delivery! She has perfect inflection and does spectacular accents for Eamon and his siblings. Absolutely phenomenal narration, I'll listen to anything she reads. Naughton breathes such storied life into whatever she reads!

This is another terrific entry into the Beck Sisters series, and I cannot wait to see what's next from Trish Doller!

Thank you to NetGalley, Trish Doller, St. Martin's Press, and St. Martin's Griffin for providing me with an ARC copy of this book! All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for my review.

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.

Trish Doller just always hits the nail on the head. She’s a gifted writer who brings characters and places to life. I always look forward to her new books and this one was amazing! The narrator did a fantastic job on this!

Such a great book. I absolutely love the concept of this book. The characters are lovable and very easy to relate too. I laughed really hard at some of the spots. I was very happy with the ending and only upset a couple of times throughout the book. Very cute romance book.

I absolutely LOVED this cutie pie of a book. If you are looking for a book with a bit of spice this one has just the right amount.
There were a few character flaws with the main two characters Clara and Eamon, but they finally worked through those at the end, but they were a bit annoying through the book. The book takes place in Ireland and I have never really wanted to visit national parks for fun, but this book has me wanting to visit all sorts of national parks around the world! Clara and Eamon decide to take a detour on their way to be the Maid of Honor and Best Man at a wedding! What started out as fun turned into major feelings between the two and by the end of the week neither was ready to say goodbye and go back to their normal lives.

⚠️Trigger Warning⚠️
-Dementia Content(some pretty heart wrenching moments)

Big thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for allowing me this ARC

If you were a bride and your maid of honor and best man were supposed to show up a few days early for the wedding but don’t show up until the day before, how stressed would you be?

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.