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mrsbennettreads's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Grief, Car accident, and Ableism
kelly_e's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Title: Float Plan
Author: Trish Doller
Series: Beck Sisters, #1
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.0
Pub Date: March 2, 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Quick • Fearless • Adventurous
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Ten months following the unexpected suicide of her fiancé, Anna finds herself at a complete loss. When she gets a reminder for the sailing trip Ben and her were supposed to embark on, she decides to pack up and go it alone. After just one night, she realizes there is no way she's going to be able to do this alone. Enter Keane, himself reeling from a life upended, who offers to help her set sail on the path Ben planned out. Together they set sail, finding ways to rebuild their lives, and find themselves.
💭 T H O U G H T S
My own partner died in 2020, so even before I began reading, I knew I shared a connection with the main character. But for me Float Plan lacked the emotional depth, I was hoping for, and which so many readers have alluded to. It felt as though the trauma surrounding Ben's suicide and Anna's grief took a back seat, while they should have played a bigger role. As a whole, the aspect of grief felt entirely rushed and inauthentic. Don't get me wrong, I know firsthand how every grief journey is different, but to me there was so much potential to develop emotional depth and grief awareness here. And maybe for the average reader, the author has accomplished that.
If I could put myself outside my own grief journey, I'd likely be more forgiving of that side of the story because there's certainly a solid story, welcoming cast of characters, and the writing has a good flow. I just constantly found myself yearning for more of Anna's relationship with Ben, and his life. The locals in each of the places they visited were a definite bright spot in this story.
Even though this one was underwhelming for me on a personal level, I will be keeping an eye out for the follow up book coming out this year.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• slow-burn romance readers
• anyone needing an escape
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Someone at his funeral told me that Ben will always be alive in my memories, but it's not the fucking same at all."
"'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.'"
"The stages of grief are not linear. They are random and unpredictable, folding back on themselves until you begin mourning all over again. I have bargained with a universe that is not listening. I have cried myself hollow. I have leaned into the belief that I can't live without Ben Braithwaite, but kneeling here in the sand on a beach four hundred miles from home says maybe I can - and that terrifies me."
Author: Trish Doller
Series: Beck Sisters, #1
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.0
Pub Date: March 2, 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Quick • Fearless • Adventurous
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Ten months following the unexpected suicide of her fiancé, Anna finds herself at a complete loss. When she gets a reminder for the sailing trip Ben and her were supposed to embark on, she decides to pack up and go it alone. After just one night, she realizes there is no way she's going to be able to do this alone. Enter Keane, himself reeling from a life upended, who offers to help her set sail on the path Ben planned out. Together they set sail, finding ways to rebuild their lives, and find themselves.
💭 T H O U G H T S
My own partner died in 2020, so even before I began reading, I knew I shared a connection with the main character. But for me Float Plan lacked the emotional depth, I was hoping for, and which so many readers have alluded to. It felt as though the trauma surrounding Ben's suicide and Anna's grief took a back seat, while they should have played a bigger role. As a whole, the aspect of grief felt entirely rushed and inauthentic. Don't get me wrong, I know firsthand how every grief journey is different, but to me there was so much potential to develop emotional depth and grief awareness here. And maybe for the average reader, the author has accomplished that.
If I could put myself outside my own grief journey, I'd likely be more forgiving of that side of the story because there's certainly a solid story, welcoming cast of characters, and the writing has a good flow. I just constantly found myself yearning for more of Anna's relationship with Ben, and his life. The locals in each of the places they visited were a definite bright spot in this story.
Even though this one was underwhelming for me on a personal level, I will be keeping an eye out for the follow up book coming out this year.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• slow-burn romance readers
• anyone needing an escape
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Someone at his funeral told me that Ben will always be alive in my memories, but it's not the fucking same at all."
"'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.'"
"The stages of grief are not linear. They are random and unpredictable, folding back on themselves until you begin mourning all over again. I have bargained with a universe that is not listening. I have cried myself hollow. I have leaned into the belief that I can't live without Ben Braithwaite, but kneeling here in the sand on a beach four hundred miles from home says maybe I can - and that terrifies me."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Suicide
Moderate: Grief and Mental illness
Minor: Ableism, Cursing, Sexual content, and Vomit
depression, death of a partnerlmcbarton's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really liked this book! It was fun but dealt with challenging issues. It was light-hearted without being shallow. This book has romance in it, but I wouldn't call it a romance novel- more about self-discovery. Also, reading this makes me want to travel. And sail. And explore the Caribbean. And eat lobster.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Ableism
romcom_reader's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
maaan i do love an irish sailor
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Ableism
teacupsandfirereads's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I picked this book up because so many friends really enjoyed it. However for me, it was a quick, enjoyable read, but I didn't love it, and after the last page, most of it is a blur. Meaning I can't remember the details of the story, but the overall story. Yes it had more depth than a typical romance, but I did feel that parts of that were lacking in terms of development. It still sort of felt surface level. I do think it is worth picking up if you are looking for something quick and fun.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Grief, and Mental illness
Minor: Ableism
lexa's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I flew through this book. It took a bit to get used to the sailing terminology, and I found myself googling many of the locations, but once I got into it, I was hooked. So much more than a romance novel, Float Plan is about grief, friendship, discovery, and the power of community.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Grief, and Suicide
Minor: Medical content, Sexual content, and Vomit
whatellieread's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
The book opens with Anna’s fiance’s - Ben’s - suicide note, and follows Anna on her physical journey sailing around the Caribbean and her emotional journey, learning how to live her life without Ben.
Anna is realistic, relatable, and I was rooting for her throughout. While this book is a slow-burning romance, the biggest love story was Anna’s self-discovery and personal growth, as she learns to fall in love with life once again.
While a lot of the sailing terminology went straight over my head, I was still able to clearly picture what was happening, and the descriptions of the islands visited throughout the book have filled me with wanderlust.
Although - as I often find with this kind of book - much of the plot was predictable, there was a comfort in this predictability, and I wasn’t bothered by it because this book is *so* much more than the events that happen within its pages. This is a story of second chance love, new experiences and learning how to navigate grief - driven forward by strong character growth. I’d highly recommend this to anyone who’s a fan of slow-burning romances and realistic characters with strong development.
Sidenote - Keane Sullivan is a DREAM.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Ableism and Suicide
bringmybooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Griffin, & St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.
Oh, wow. Wow. I cannot get over how much I thoroughly and completely enjoyed this book and these characters. I felt that Doller was very sensitive and honest in her portrayal of someone in grief, and I felt so keenly for Anna but loved watching her grow and find reasons to smile and laugh again.
Interestingly enough, after re-reading the synopsis, I realized that it's EXACTLY what you get in this book - but there's so, so, so much more here to be had. The descriptions of the islands, the way Keane and Anna's partnership to friendship to maybe more evolves, the descriptions of the ocean, the boat, and sailing??? Fantastic.
And Keane? YEP. Yes. YEP. Can we all just rejoice over having a male MC that is rugged, determined, strong, opinionated, and alpha - and just an overall decent human being??? Every time he did something kind just by being aware of Anna and her needs and she thanked him, he would say something along the lines of, "I don't need thanks for doing the only possible thing anyone should do." and it was So. Dang. Refreshing. There were obstacles, there were moments he was cranky and less than charitable, but overall he was just a good dude. We need more just good dudes.
I know very little about sailing myself, but this book alone makes me want to quit my job, spend everything I have on a boat, and disappear somewhere over the horizon. (Jury's still out on this, we'll see.)
Absolutely loved this one (read in less than 24 hours!), and I plan on both pre-ordering a print copy AND re-reading this one via audio later this year. It's that good.
Oh, wow. Wow. I cannot get over how much I thoroughly and completely enjoyed this book and these characters. I felt that Doller was very sensitive and honest in her portrayal of someone in grief, and I felt so keenly for Anna but loved watching her grow and find reasons to smile and laugh again.
Interestingly enough, after re-reading the synopsis, I realized that it's EXACTLY what you get in this book - but there's so, so, so much more here to be had. The descriptions of the islands, the way Keane and Anna's partnership to friendship to maybe more evolves, the descriptions of the ocean, the boat, and sailing??? Fantastic.
And Keane? YEP. Yes. YEP. Can we all just rejoice over having a male MC that is rugged, determined, strong, opinionated, and alpha - and just an overall decent human being??? Every time he did something kind just by being aware of Anna and her needs and she thanked him, he would say something along the lines of, "I don't need thanks for doing the only possible thing anyone should do." and it was So. Dang. Refreshing. There were obstacles, there were moments he was cranky and less than charitable, but overall he was just a good dude. We need more just good dudes.
I know very little about sailing myself, but this book alone makes me want to quit my job, spend everything I have on a boat, and disappear somewhere over the horizon. (Jury's still out on this, we'll see.)
Absolutely loved this one (read in less than 24 hours!), and I plan on both pre-ordering a print copy AND re-reading this one via audio later this year. It's that good.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Ableism
sebrittainclark's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Ableism
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