Blog Tour: Float Plan

Float Plan came across my radar in summer 2020. A blogger I've trusted for a long, long time (@greadsbooks on Instagram) talked about this great new book from Trish Doller she had beta read and absolutely loved. It was on NetGalley already so I requested it because it sounded SO GOOD. Fast forward to last weekend when I finally curled up with the book aaaaand...absolutely devoured it. Friends, I honestly can't think of a single thing I did not like about this novel. 

Here's the book's description:

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.

The novel starts in a really dark space as it begins with Anna's fiance's suicide note. Now, I know the description doesn't get into that but I think it's important that people know upfront that someone dies by suicide in this book. And it's something that Anna has to deal with throughout the novel - that she was the one left behind, that she feels she wasn't good enough to keep Ben alive. It's tough to read and I'm privileged enough that I've never been in that kind of situation so it's important for those who may be triggered by suicide to know before going into this story. Doller makes sure to keep it real while also lightening the story as time passes. Anna's story isn't going to be everyone's story but I appreciated this small insight into how someone might deal with losing their loved one to suicide.

Now, you might be wondering how this book could also be a romance when Anna is reeling from the death of her fiance. Know that it's about ten months since his death. (I know there's no time limit on grief which, I think, is something at least one character says throughout this book.) She may think she's going on this trip because she wants to hold on tight to Ben's memory but she soon realizes - after many, many bumps in the, well, ocean - that maybe this trip was more of a way to find some peace and chart a new course (yep, I went there with the sailing puns). I don't think many authors could find a way to bring a character from deep grief to emerging from grief to finding a new partner as well as Doller did. She approaches it with kindness and compassion which you really feel while you're reading.

Anna is magnificent. She's lost, in so many ways (except literally - she does always know where she's going even if it's a bit of a rough go), but the reader can see the woman she can become through all the grief she's wrapped up in. She's smart and funny and strong and I would love to have a cocktail or two on the beach with her. And as for Keane? Hoo boy, I would love an Irishman on a boat. Don't tell my boyfriend. He was such a great hero - so layered and so kind. Their dynamic was perfection and I fell in love with them both.

I have never felt the urge to sail around anywhere for any length of time on a small sailboat but I found myself really intrigued, and a tad envious, of Anna and Keane's lifestyle as they took the boat around the islands. It was a nice bit of armchair travel to discover some new Caribbean islands right alongside Anna and also revisit a spot I've traveled to before, on a much bigger ship. There's a scene when they arrive in Nassau, Bahamas where I've been twice on two separate cruises. It was nice to be brought back to that moment of sailing into the harbour but also totally being called out for being a tourist by the characters. I am well aware I only saw what tourists see and really appreciated the viewpoints given by the characters in the book.

I hadn't read any of Trish Doller's work before so I came into Float Plan with no real expectations. I was completely blown away and was left feeling so pleased and full of all the warm and fuzzies after I finished the book. It was well-written and so, so enjoyable. I highly recommend everyone reads it! Seriously. Go buy a copy now!

About the author

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.

For where to buy the book, click here.

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*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, St. Martins Press, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*