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alyssancoon's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-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
5.0
Strong themes of guilt and grief, but I thought this book was so beautiful and showed how healing from grief is not linear. I really loved the premise of traveling on a boat, something I've never done before. Spice 2 out of 5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
hannah_mezz's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Suicide, and Car accident
booksandbicycles'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Cute romance. Loved the island hopping. Definitely want to visit some of these places and try some of the mouthwatering food!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
madsmcw_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I've wanted to read this book for a while but have put it off because of the heavy premise. I was afraid it would honestly just be too difficult for me to handle mentally, but I'm SO glad I finally took the plunge to read it. While it covers heavy subject matter, at its core, this book is a beacon of hope.
Anna is honestly a badass. While she didn't have it all together at the beginning of the book she literally takes off on a sailing trip by herself with basically 0 sailing experience and that takes some guts. And generally just working through grief takes guts too. Anna's transformation over the story was just really inspiring.
Along with Anna's personal growth, you have the absolute sweetest romance thrown into the story as well. Keane was adorable and charming and loveable. He was the perfect counterpart to Anna and I loved watching them grow and bond together.
I listened to this audiobook literally in one morning (at 2.2x speed). The narrator was wonderful and this is really just a story that you don't want to put down until you make it to the end.
Anna is honestly a badass. While she didn't have it all together at the beginning of the book she literally takes off on a sailing trip by herself with basically 0 sailing experience and that takes some guts. And generally just working through grief takes guts too. Anna's transformation over the story was just really inspiring.
Along with Anna's personal growth, you have the absolute sweetest romance thrown into the story as well. Keane was adorable and charming and loveable. He was the perfect counterpart to Anna and I loved watching them grow and bond together.
I listened to this audiobook literally in one morning (at 2.2x speed). The narrator was wonderful and this is really just a story that you don't want to put down until you make it to the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Car accident, and Grief
cassmills's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Grief
Moderate: Mental illness and Ableism
littletiramisu's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide and Grief
sarah2438's review
5.0
5 stars, why the hell not. This was adorable. I loved Keane. I loved Anna's growth. This is a fun novel about sailing, recovering from loss, and meeting someone new along the way, and it does these things pretty much perfectly. I didn't feel bogged down with unfamiliar boat terminology, and having this take place 10 months after Ben's death means the author doesn't have to beat us over the head with Anna's grief. Bonus, it's quick- I read this in a day- and I love that the author included a content warning.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Grief
shelby1994's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
TW: Suicide
The loss of a fiancé to suicide may seem like a cringe-worthy and tone-deaf way to set up a romance novel, but Doller is able to match up parallel experiences of loss, apprehension, and overcoming unrealistic expectations for a life is no longer the reality, with real ease.
10 months after Anna’s fiancé dies by suicide, she’s still lost in a current of grief, and decides to take his sailboat and complete the sailing trip they had planned on taking together when he was alive. She’s quickly joined by Keane, who in an effort to help her survive the Caribbean depths, has to come to terms with his own loss of the life he thought he would have before an accident amputated one of his legs.
Suicide and the shockwaves that emanate after the death of a loved one is a taboo subject for many - and there are probably those who will disagree with the way that it’s handled in this book. But I found it to be bracing and honest - a sweet story about how brittle we can become after someone permanently leaves our life by choice, and how to reckon with their memory in the face of new horizons.
(there is a lot of sailing jargon in this, so recommend pulling up a diagram of a basic sailboat to have handy!)
Read If You Like:
Romances without contrived third-act drama
Well-rounded depictions of disability in romance
Rescue dogs
The loss of a fiancé to suicide may seem like a cringe-worthy and tone-deaf way to set up a romance novel, but Doller is able to match up parallel experiences of loss, apprehension, and overcoming unrealistic expectations for a life is no longer the reality, with real ease.
10 months after Anna’s fiancé dies by suicide, she’s still lost in a current of grief, and decides to take his sailboat and complete the sailing trip they had planned on taking together when he was alive. She’s quickly joined by Keane, who in an effort to help her survive the Caribbean depths, has to come to terms with his own loss of the life he thought he would have before an accident amputated one of his legs.
Suicide and the shockwaves that emanate after the death of a loved one is a taboo subject for many - and there are probably those who will disagree with the way that it’s handled in this book. But I found it to be bracing and honest - a sweet story about how brittle we can become after someone permanently leaves our life by choice, and how to reckon with their memory in the face of new horizons.
(there is a lot of sailing jargon in this, so recommend pulling up a diagram of a basic sailboat to have handy!)
Read If You Like:
Romances without contrived third-act drama
Well-rounded depictions of disability in romance
Rescue dogs
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
patrissia10's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Cursing, and Alcohol
Minor: Alcoholism and Sexual content