Synopsis (via Goodreads): 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.
Trish Doller made me want to buy a boat - specifically an Alberg - despite my motion sickness and the fact that I would likely be miserable the entire time. Anna's adventures were amazing! The people she met, the places she saw, the experiences she had - I'm a little jealous of a fictional character, to be honest. Don't even get me started on the swoonworthiness that was Keane Sullivan! He fell into her life by accident, but I absolutely loved every second of their strangers-to-friends-to-lovers romance. Oh! THE FOOD. This book made me hungry.
The first few pages broke my heart, and I thought the author was setting me up for some serious sadness. Fortunately, the heartbreaking part of the story was its start, and then we get to see Anna heal and find herself again. I think Anna was happy with Ben, but I also don't think she was everything she wanted to be. She was complacent and content with her life - which was totally fine - but I liked that Keane challenged her. He made her try new things, introduced her to new people and places, and he understood when she needed space and when she wanted comfort. Keane sees the world in a really unique way, and I enjoyed it when he shared his stories and experiences with her (his family sounds lovely). Anna grew as a person when she was around him, and I think she helped him see things a little differently, too.
Would I be able to sail a boat all by myself across the ocean? Nope. I do not have that skill set, and I would be completely terrified to even try. What would happen if I fell overboard and no one was there to see it? I think what Anna did was very brave AND very stupid, but I'm happy she realized she needed help early on in the book. Her mistakes were genuine, her feelings and emotions felt authentic, and her experiences were relatable even though I've never been faced with a loss like hers (or left everything I knew behind for an adventure). Doller has written two really amazing characters, and I cannot wait to re-read their story! Definitely one I'm keeping on my shelves. (★★★★★)
Pros:
- No annoying tropes
- No uncessary drama
- Keane is Irish
- Keane gives forehead kisses
- Problems were realistic
- Characters you want to root for
- Relatable family issues
- The setting
- The writing
- EVERYTHING!
