Float Plan by Trish Doller
Genre : Contemporary Romance
Publisher : St. Martin's Griffin
Publication date : March 2nd 2021
Heartbroken by the loss of her fiancé, adventurous Anna finds a second chance at love with an Irish sailor in this riveting, emotional romance.
After a reminder goes off for the Caribbean sailing trip Anna was supposed to take with her fiancé, she impulsively goes to sea in the sailboat he left her, 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.
This book was so much more than what I expected it to be and that was a pleasant surprise! It follows the story of Anna, who is trying to move on from the loss of her fiance who committed suicide ten months back. Desperately trying to find a way out from her grief, she decides to single-handedly sail out to the Caribbean islands on the boat that her fiance - Ben restored, while following the route that was planned out by him.
While moving from place to place with her average sailing skills, she unexpectedly meets Keane, a sailor who lost his leg in an accident and has his own set of issues. After saving her ass(literally :D) he offers to accompany her till Puerto Rico where he hopes to find a job. Setting off on their adventure, Anna ends up meeting new people and while creating new memories and learning how to sail like a pro, she also discovers that it isn't necessary to forget the past to move on - all you need to do is to make a room in your heart for the future.
“Don’t know why you would,”Keane says. “Eventually—and I say this from experience—you’ll start building a new house beside the ruins of the old. When you’re ready, you’ll know.”
When the book started off with Ben's suicide note on the first page, I was quite surprised and I was wondering whether this was going to be sad and angsty. But it was quite different and the writing pulled me in completely. After the first few chapters I was hooked!
While following Anna on her journey, we realise that this story is not just about her moving on from her grief, but it's also about her regaining her confidence in herself and learning that though she may have lost her loved one, there is a future that she can live while still remembering him.
Though the story's main focus is on Anna, Keane ends up becoming an indispensable part of her journey and I loved the slow development of her relationship with him. They started off as partners, slowly became friends while learning to trust each other and soon fell in love. I loved seeing them slowly fall for each other. In the beginning, Anna can't help but remember Ben during every moment and she's quite dedicated to the plan that he'd mapped out. But later she slowly breaks away from it and learns to create new memories for herself and seeks out the experiences that she'd enjoy. And I loved watching this growth of hers! The trip that starts out as an impulsive decision to remember Ben, ends up creating unforgettable memories for her.
Keane was also an amazing character who was so sweet and hilarious! Though he wears a prosthetic leg and is unable to find a job in sailing like he used to(though he's still just as capable), he doesn't let himself wallow in his misery.
Another thing that I absolutely loved were the descriptions of their sailing adventures and the tidbits of history about each island that they visited. It felt like I was right there on the journey along with them. And though I literally know nothing about sailing, after reading this book I have the urge to jump on a sailboat and go island hopping just like them.
Additionally all the side characters were equally amazing! I loved Anna's mom and Keane's brother along with all the people that they meet on the way! Though all of them start off as strangers they quickly become wonderful characters with their own sets of experiences and stories. And honestly as someone who loves traveling, that's my favorite part. You meet people who you'd never thought you'd meet and end up having unforgettable experiences with them.
If I had any complaints about this book it'd only be that I wish I could hear a bit more about Keane's stories and his family. Keane is pretty much perfect and the romance reader in me would have loved seeing more about his experiences and what made him fall for Anna. An epilogue about their future adventures would have made it even more amazing!
I'd definitely recommend this book if you are looking for an amazing women's fiction novel with a good dose of romance and beautiful characters! Trish's writing is bound to make you fall in love with Anna and her adventures!
P.S. Look at this cute map with Anna's sailing route!
I was provided with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
TRISH DOLLER is the author of novels for teens and adults about love, life, and finding your place in the world. A former journalist and radio personality, Trish has written several YA novels, including the critically acclaimed Something Like Normal, as well as Float Plan, her adult women's fiction debut. When she's not writing, Trish loves sailing, traveling, and avoiding housework. She lives in southwest Florida with an opinionated herding dog and an ex-pirate.
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