Float Plan

I adored this book! I read it in one day. The characters were charming, quirky, and realistic. They were battling demons and weren't always the nicest to each other - but honestly - it was refreshing to see characters be so REAL. Anna's fiancé tragically committed suicide nearly a year prior. Not only did his life end that day - so did Annas. She's been stuck inside her grief unable to cope for months. When she gets a reminder on her phone about a trip they were supposed to take together; Anna decides to be reckless and take the boat and do the trip on their sailboat solo. After one night of she realizes there is no way she can do all the island hopping by herself - she already almost crashed the sailboat in 12 hours and she still has show more over a month to go. She finds Keane, an experienced Irish sailor, willing to help her for free, in return for a trip to Puerto Rico. He's adrift in life as well - having lost his leg in an accident a few years prior. Once a sought after sailor - now he's reduced for begging for piddly little jobs to scrape by because most don't trust that he is able enough. At first Anna is still consumed by grief but soon she and Keane start making new memories; sunsets at sea, dolphins, weathering storms, and even finding a stray dog. Together they learn that even though the future may not be certain - the future looks a lot better when they're together. Utterly charming. A great story filled with unforgettable characters. You'll be rooting for them the whole way! show less

Loved the setting of this book - woman spontaneously sets off in a boat she has inherited – the challenges in being on her own on the sea in a small boat ... in foreign ports ... in the Caribbean. What's not to like, so it's got 4 stars from me. And then there's the slow to torch romance between Keane and Anna... Despite the sad circumstances that have led to her journey, this is a pleasant little romance novel, great for digging you out of the doldrums...! I'm surprised I haven't heard of Trish Doller before.

That Keane faced his own demons with his disability added a lot of meat to the story and was beautifully handled.

(Spoiler alert) I might have given this 4.5 stars if the long awaited romantic evening between the two leads had not show more been skimmed over in record time, making for an unexpectedly wimpy ending. show less

“But I’m starting to understand how sadness and happiness can live side by side within a heart. And how that heart can keep on beating” (248).

When you begin reading some books, you’re anxious to get through it, curious about what will happen. With other books, from the first few pages, you know you don’t want the book to ever end, savoring each stage of the story. This book is the latter kind. This book has so much of what I want in a summer read: heart and struggle, emotional rawness, but also fun, breezy things like sailing the Caribbean (definitely on my bucket list) and a hot, Irish love interest with emotional baggage of his own. It is the perfect mixture of depth and romance: A book that deals so tenderly with suicide show more and grief and healing from tragedy, but also includes so much life and beauty and joy alongside the sadness.

I love Anna’s journey through the Caribbean archipelago—all the lessons she learns about coming to terms with grief and accepting kindness from strangers and new friends and finding contentment and happiness in the beauty of people and places. show less

Anna is still moving through her grief after the suicide of her boyfriend Ben. A reminder on her phone spurs her to action and to undertake the Caribbean sailing adventure the two had planned in better days. She takes off from Florida on her own, but by Bimini, realizes she could use a crew member. Enter Irishman Keane, working through his own hurdles, who signs on to help her fulfill her trip. I don't know anything about sailing and not much about all these Caribbean islands either. But everything was so well described that it didn't matter. Anna and Keane help each other through a lot of growth moments, and although the cover might make it seem like a fluff read, it is so much more.

Thanks to Book Club Cookbook Giveaway and St. Martin's Publishing Group for an advance readers copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

Loved this book! Yes it begins with sadness, but the sadness is gradually overcome by main character Anna as we follow her on a sailing trip. A young man commits suicide before the book begins, and his grieving girlfriend impulsively decides to singlehandedly take the sailing trip they planned together, in the boat he bought and recently outfitted. The term "float plan" is an overview of a boat excursion that can give authorities a head start in looking for a boater if he or she fails to reach his or her destination.

I liked Anna from the start, and cared about her and the results of the decisions she show more made throughout the novel. While the premise sounds dark, and Anna's grief is realistically portrayed, the book is essentially a warmhearted second chance rom-com on a sailboat. Her love interest is professional sailor Keane Sullivan, who is conceived as that perfect guy who is struggling with a personal issue that, like Anna, changes the future he had expected. The various tropical locations sounded gorgeous, and the precarious sailing adventures kept me reading.

Author Trish Doller writes authentically about sailing, and notes that her husband provided her with accurate technical descriptions. But even if you don't know your jib from your jibe, it's the warm sunny days, salt water spray, and honest emotions of both the main characters that will have you turning the pages. show less

To be completely honest, I signed up for this giveaway because of the cover - I do that a lot. Reading books based on the cover alone is always hit or miss, but it definitely worked in my favor for this one. I loved this book so much, and I'll absolutely recommend it to anyone who asks. It was funny, heartbreaking, and touching.

Trish Doller does an amazing job at showing how grief impacts a person. It's far from linear and quick, which is exactly what Doller shows. I was blown away by how accurate Anna's grieving process was and how much it compared to my own. I loved that she was given time and space to grieve from Keane rather than being rushed to move on.

I adored Keane and Anna, both as a couple and as individuals. They were show more wonderfully written, and their relationship was beautiful. It wasn't rushed, and you could tell that they made each other a better person.

The book does mention suicide, but it was done in a respectful, sensitive way. I love Doller's writing style, and I'll definitely look into more of her books. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves romance.

Disclaimer: I received a gifted ARC of this book via Goodreads. This did not influence my opinion in any way. show less

I had such a good time with this romance! Anna is still grieving the loss of her fiance when she decides to take their boat on the trip that they had planned. It doesn’t take long until she realizes that she needs a bit of help and hires Keane to sail with her. Keane was exactly what she needed. He was incredibly patient with Anna and willing to do whatever it is that she needs as she works through her grief.

I just loved these two together and thought that the chemistry that they shared was amazing. I thought that Anna showed a lot of growth over the course of the story and I loved that she was willing to go after what she decided she wanted. All of the secondary characters were well done and added a lot to the story.

I listen to the show more audiobook and thought that Sarah Naughton did a fantastic job with this story. I really liked the voices that she used for both the male and female characters. I must say that the accent she used for Keane was absolutely perfect. I am certain that her performance added a lot to my overall enjoyment of the story.

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of contemporary romance. I thought that this was a very well-done story filled with great characters. I thought that Anna’s grief was handled incredibly well and I couldn’t wait to see Anna and Keane find their happily ever after together. show less