Name: Jessica Ford's review of Float Plan by Trish Doller
Item: Float Plan
Rating: 5
Author: Jessica Ford

Trish Doller

"The perfect escape. Fresh, funny, and romantic. I wish I could sail away with this book." - Meg Cabot, New York Times bestselling author of The Princess Diaries and Little Bridge series Critically acclaimed author Trish Doller's unforgettable and romantic adult debut about setting sail, starting over, and finding yourself... Since the loss of her fiancé, Anna has been shipwrecked by grief—until a reminder goes off about a trip they were supposed to take together. Impulsively, Anna goes to sea in their sailboat, intending to complete the voyage alone. But after a treacherous night’s sail, she realizes she can’t do it by herself and hires Keane, a professional sailor, to help. Much like Anna, Keane is struggling with a very different future than the one he had planned. As romance rises with the tide, they discover that it’s never too late to chart a new course. In Trish Doller’s unforgettable Float Plan, starting over doesn't mean letting go of your past, it means making room for your future.

Float Plan

Float plan is at the moment one of my favorit books. Everytime when I read it, it makes me feel like time doesn't pass.

 is a beautiful story about loss, independence, love,travelling and mainly about what a coincidence can effect.

Trish Doller connected two character in a way that gives you the closure to the story. That makes you feel of being a part of it. The way she tells it, is what makes it being alive.

In my opinion this is a very underrated book and should get much more attention.

Selma

Jessica Ford

This book was written to rip your heart out and put it back together. You will be heart broken, you will go on a journey, and you will fall in love with yourself and life all over again. 

This hit me in my feels HARD. It’s such an adventure but also so emotional. The driving force is the main character working through grief and the representation was great. It’s a slow burn but in a really understandable way. They definitely earned each other. Huge TW for life after losing someone to suicide. Started and ended tears for me but for different reasons each time. 

Abigail

I’ve found the books I’ve bought because of rave reviews from bloggers (even though they haven’t been wildly popular) are the best books for me to read. I get why they had the amazing reviews. This was one of those books. People loved it and so did I. 

This is very much a book centred upon grief and the never ending feel it has to it. You don’t want to ‘get over’ your loss but you also wonder if you will ever not feel the weight of it around you with no way of knowing if you want it gone because does that mean you don’t miss the person you lost anymore? Anna was very much stuck so her impulsive decision to go on the sailing trip she was meant to be on her with her fiancé was a little reckless. What a story it made though! I am ready to buy a boat and go sailing around the Caribbean and I live miles away from it and can’t drive a car let alone sail a boat. 

Trish Doller has always been amazing at writing complex characters and creating a story you feel fully immersed in and that’s no different here. I felt like I was sailing with Anna and Keane and I adored it. I am so glad she moved to writing adult books because her YA novels are some of my absolute favourites and so I’m glad I now get to accumulate even more favourite books. 

Becky

I’ve found the books I’ve bought because of rave reviews from bloggers (even though they haven’t been wildly popular) are the best books for me to read. I get why they had the amazing reviews. This was one of those books. People loved it and so did I. 

This is very much a book centred upon grief and the never ending feel it has to it. You don’t want to ‘get over’ your loss but you also wonder if you will ever not feel the weight of it around you with no way of knowing if you want it gone because does that mean you don’t miss the person you lost anymore? Anna was very much stuck so her impulsive decision to go on the sailing trip she was meant to be on her with her fiancé was a little reckless. What a story it made though! I am ready to buy a boat and go sailing around the Caribbean and I live miles away from it and can’t drive a car let alone sail a boat. 

Trish Doller has always been amazing at writing complex characters and creating a story you feel fully immersed in and that’s no different here. I felt like I was sailing with Anna and Keane and I adored it. I am so glad she moved to writing adult books because her YA novels are some of my absolute favourites and so I’m glad I now get to accumulate even more favourite books. 

amazing book, read as a audiobook and so happy i did. The last two hours of the book where they finally get together I thought “it’s too long of a book” but after reading it it was perfect length.

Maria

https://autumnguest.com/blog/2022/03/18/autumn-reads-float-plan-by-trish-doller/

 In short, I adore this book. Great escapism, just the right amount of detail to live vicariously on a sailing trip through the Caribbean, and really likable characters with really natural growth and development, making for a much more compelling relationship. I wish I could give myself super-selective amnesia and forget this entire book just so I could have the pleasure of reading it for the first time again.

Full review: https://autumnguest.com/blog/2022/03/18/autumn-reads-float-plan-by-trish-doller/ In short, I adore this book. Great escapism, just the right amount of detail to live vicariously on a sailing trip through the Caribbean, and really likable characters with really natural growth and development, making for a much more compelling relationship. I wish I could give myself super-selective amnesia and forget this entire book just so I could have the pleasure of reading it for the first time again.

I loved this book so much. I didn’t know what it was about when I picked it but it had a cute cover and a high rating, so I went for it. I assumed it would be a fun, light read, but it started with a suicide note. I have to say it was heartbreaking, but also uplifting and funny, all at the same time. I loved the witty banter between the main characters, but also their soul-searching conversations. I’m sad that I will never get to read it again for the first time.

Nicole

Emilee VanVoorhis

Alex Flagg

Heartwarming love story about getting over grief and finding yourself before loving another. This was a cute, slow burn romance but it was much deeper than that! It was also a story about growth and independence. Very lovable characters!

Nikki

i want you.
 i need you.
 i miss you.
 i love you.
 i am coming home.


content warning: suicide, grief

this book deals with grief and loss (of loved ones and oneself). please consider the content warnings before reading!

what i liked most about this book is definitely anna's growth throughout the entire book. (view spoiler)[I can't help but shed a tear when she sailed on her own after Keane accepted the job offer. (hide spoiler)]

the only reason i'm not giving it a five star rating is because i'm super unfamiliar with the sailor terms and had a hard time relating with it.

Nicki 

Wow I did not expect to love this so much! I was not super interested in the sailing-related storyline initially, but I ended up flying through this book in one sitting because I did not want to put it down. There was so much character development in just under 300 pages with Anna learning to understand and work through her grief and learning to focus on and love herself in the process. Not to mention Keane was sweet and adorable as well. He had great banter/dialogue with Anna that made the story that much more enjoyable. Such a quick, cute read!

kimberly

ok i have much to discuss...🧍‍♀️

first of all as an island gyal this book made me so happy !!!! seeing our culture through the eyes of others is so cool and the fact that i havent even been to majority of the islands makes it much more interesting

watching sailing vloggers on YT also added to the experience bc i couldve actually visualized the whole story. from the islands to the boat terminology i felt very big brained

only problem i had w it is that there was literally no climax?? like huh.. there was something that happened that i guess was supposed to be the drama but it felt rushed and weird. the book was going so good until that part and after that i just got bored 

thank god that wasnt until almost the end so i got to enjoy majority of the book but i feel as if if i didnt live in the caribbean i would've rated this lower 🏃‍♀️

Samantha King

This book is so much more than a romance, it's deal with grief and learning to discover who you are when what you once knew is gone.
It is utterly beautiful, heart warming and captivating. 
I did not want to put this book down nor did I want It to finish it made me cry happy tears and sad tears. It tugged at my heart strings and made my heart sink as if I was the boat they were sailing on, sinking to the bottom of the ocean. 
I could imagine every scene and wow there are some truly beautifuly moments in this book. 
This is such an easy five stars. I loved the characters and their journey and im so sad its over.
So captivating

Deborah Kerr

I really enjoyed this short, sweet contemporary romance. There was the right amount of gravitas, banter, and emotional journey. Also, I loved, loved, loved Keane.

Lynn Braden

Anna has been grieving the loss of her fiance, Ben, for almost a year when she is awoken by a reminder on her phone that it is time for their sailing trip on the boat that Ben had been working on for a while. Once she gets on the boat and tries to sail it by herself, she realizes that she can't operate it on her own, so she hires Keane, who is a professional sailor that can't get a job because he has a prosthetic leg. As Keane shows Anna the Caribbean as only someone with experience can, Anna starts to think that she might have a future after all. 

Float Plan is an uplifting story about a woman moving on from the loss of her husband due to suicide. The book is almost a travelogue with its descriptions of the ports of call where Anna and Keane stop, which is nice, however, the character development is lacking, leaving them somewhat unrelatable. The romance in this story is a slow burn which is appropriate considering the situation both Anna and Keane find themselves in. Overall, Float Plan is good story about moving on after tragedy. 3 1/2 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

As someone who has previously loved all of Trish Doller's young adult reads, I was thrilled that she was publishing a romance. I wasn't sure what to expect going into this one. Grief is a hard topic to tackle in a way that does justice to the feelings grief brings but isn't too heavy for the readers. I think she struck a perfect balance with Anna's story. It made me feel, but I didn't drown in the feelings. While there is definitely romance (and a HEA) here, the bulk of this story is Anna's journey of finding herself after the loss of her fiancé. Keane was amazing and charming and I'm so glad he was part of this story. I loved the slow burn of the romance between him and Anna. They made a fantastic pair. It was easy to root for them. 

My only complaint, and it's a small and probably nitpicky one, is the number of boating terms and the detail at times. As someone who has never sailed, it was hard to follow and I can only Google so much while I'm reading. I did find myself skimming some of those parts when I switched to the ebook. 

But all in all, this was a fantastic book. I very much enjoyed it and all the feelings it evoked. I listened to the audiobook for probably 60% of the book and it was excellent. The narrator, Sarah Naughton, did a great job bringing Anna and Keane to life. 

CW: suicide, grief

Amy Arthun Lorton 

I absolutely loved this book. I cried and was okay with that. The narrator was great at accents. I lost sleep to listen to it.

Kourtney

Are you looking for a romance book that has a little more to it than just boy meets girl and they fall in love? Look no further than Float Plan!

WHAT I LOVED

This book was everything to me. Please take heed of the trigger warnings (suicide and self-harm) because you are dumped RIGHT INTO THE FEELS right off the bat. They are also listed in the book itself. 

Anna is 25, and leaves everything behind to sail on the boat that Ben left her after his death. She decides to use the plans that Ben made for a vacation they were to take together. After a bumpy start in the waters, we meet Keane.

From there, it isn’t all hearts and flowers. Anna is learning how to still live her life under the grief and anger that losing Ben left her with. We watch her learn to navigate not just the boat, but her life and what to do next, while also fighting with Ben’s mom and feeling pressure from her family. Keane is on a journey as well. Having suffered an accident, he is dealing with the aftermath of what's next for him with his life.

As I read about their journey’s, I felt their emotions right along with them. Is it ok to be happy after losing the man you loved? Is it ok to change the course of your life? Can the author write a sequel so I can come back to this way of life?

The secondary characters that Anna and Keane meet along the way are also so interesting and jump off the page, both good and bad (not everyone is so friendly!)

And the ending? I did one of those happy sighs as I switched off my Kindle.

AN ADDED BONUS

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where the main characters were sailing their own boat before. This book can teach you a LOT about sailing. I kept my phone next to me and looked up all the different vocabulary words, and I learned right along with Anna. Even the title of the book taught me something I never knew before. In addition, I pulled up a map of all of the different islands that Anna and Keane were sailing to, so I could follow along. I’m happy that I did, as I think it enhanced the story even more.

All in all, I absolutely loved this tale, and only felt a little jealous that Anna could just pack up and take off so quick! I also can’t wait to get back to being on a ship (although, I’ve only been on a cruise ship). Will I ever sail a boat by myself? Probably not. But I have Anna and Keane there for me when I want to return to that type of life.

 I received a free digital copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Krystal Pollock

This book was so good. For someone who can't be on boats, this definitely has been giving me a deeper look into sailing. This book does deal with grief but it's done so beautifully. It has plenty of funny moments as well that might make you giggle a little. And the slow burn romance between the two main characters Anna and Keane are what makes this book great.

Megan Rose

** spoiler alert **
           
  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.


Yes. Yes. Yes. Sometimes a book comes along and intersects with the perfect time that you need that book. Float Plan is that book for me.

After Anna loses her fiancé, Ben, she embarks on the sailing journey that he had mapped out for them across the Caribbean. She hires Keane, a seasoned sailor, to help her on the journey. Along the way, she discovers more about herself and her broken heart. A lot of miles are packed into this relatively short book but it hits all the emotions. 

What hit me the most was Anna’s personal journey. Don’t get me wrong- I loved her scenes with Keane (especially their banter), but I found her journey of learning to navigate life without Ben to be so impactful. I felt like I was on the journey with her, seeing her heart, soul, and mind grow and shift as she sailed across more and more miles.

I really enjoyed Anna’s story and had a hard time putting this book down. If you’re thinking of picking this up, please note that suicide is heavily referenced in this book. 

Trigger warnings: mention of suicide

Tess

A rom-com at sea? 🌊 Yes please 😃 feel free to sign me up everytime 🙋🏼‍♀️

⛵️This is a beautiful, inspiring, heartwarming story about a woman, Anna, and her journey after the tragic loss of her fiancé. 💔

It shows the struggle of letting go of the past and new struggles of navigating the future. The beauty of new beginnings and second chances. ❤️‍🩹 

⚓️ Read This If You Like::

🌊 Travel + Adventure
🌊 Friends to Lovers
🌊 The Ocean
🌊 Self Discovery Journey
🌊 Strong Female Characters
🌊 Second Chance Romance

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5
Float Plan by Trish Doller

Dani C

I received Float Plan as a Goodreads giveaway. All opinions are my own.
Float Plan started off WAAAAAY different than I expected. This story was darker and sadder than I expected, which made the victories of the main character, Anna, all the more glorious. While I appreciated the romance in this story I LOVED the personal development Anna experiences as she grieves and moves forward in her life. Her discovery that she can survive after such an intimate loss - followed by her discovery that she can do really big hard things without a man by her side - is the true story of Float Plan for me.
Trigger warnings include: suicide and disability discrimination.

Read for: female empowerment, a journey through grief, armchair travel through the Caribbean, sexy Irish men

Bethany Phillips

This book was such a delightful surprise! I picked it up on a whim (shoutout the Barnes & Nobles suggestion tables) and I am so glad I did. This book was so sweet and good and made me feel like I could legit do anything. 

While it is a contemporary romance, there are so many other things to talk about here. Disability rep, grief & learning to work through it, finding your own strength and learning you don’t *really* need that person/something else/job to be the best version of you. It was so good. 

It is fully immersive, intriguing, and inspiring. Truly such a good summer read!

Jessica Ford &
Float Plan by Trish Doller

Reviews

Highlights

Join the club

Jessica Ford &Float Plan by Trish Doller

Reviews

Highlights

Join the club

Jessica Ford &
Float Plan by Trish Doller