Reviews - Off the Map | The StoryGraph

1k reviews for:

Off the Map

Trish Doller

3.77 AVERAGE

ghostlibrary's review against another edition

2.5

emotional funny lighthearted sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

chymerra's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous emotional funny inspiring reflective sad fast-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

Carla has traveled the world in her red Jeep. Traveling has always been her way of dealing with issues. She hasn’t been home in years because her father is slowly developing dementia. She doesn’t believe in love because of what happened to her father and her when she was a child. Everything changes once she travels to Ireland for her best friend’s wedding and meets Eamon, the groom’s brother.

Eamon is not living his best life. His wanna-be Influencer girlfriend has recently dumped him, he is unhappy in his job, and his dream of traveling the world in his Land Rover has been shelved. He does not expect a gorgeous bombshell to upend his life when he meets Carla. And Carla doesn’t expect to fall hard and fast for Eamon. But with Carla’s father worsening, she chooses to go home and help care for him. Will Eamon and Carla be able to travel together? Or will they not take the chance given to them in Ireland?

I did something I usually don’t do when I first get a book; I read the reviews. I wish I hadn’t because the ones I read influenced what I thought about Off the Map. And yes, that made me push it to the back of my review pile. But, once I started reading it, I realized I greatly liked this book. So, note to self, no more reading reviews before reading the book.

Off the Map is the 3rd book in the Beck Sisters series. You can read this book as a standalone. Let me say it louder for those in the back: It. Can. Be. Read. As. A. Standalone. I started with book three and had zero issues understanding previous characters or their stories.

Off the Map wasn’t your typical chick-lit book. Some serious issues arose while reading it. Child abandonment, dementia, and not living up to parent’s expectations were among some of the issues. The author tackled these issues tactfully while not taking away from Carla and Eamon’s story.

Speaking of our main characters, I loved them. Did I think Carla was a bit brash and immature? Yes, yes, I did. And did Eamon need to grow a set during several scenes? Of course. But it did take away from how much I liked each of them? No, if anything, it added to their likability.

The main storyline with Carla, Eamon, the journey across Ireland, and their relationship was wonderfully written. I liked that Carla and Eamon clicked from the beginning. I also liked that Carla challenged Eamon to make his dreams come true. In return, he was there for her when her world turned upside down.

The storyline with Carla, her father, and why she avoided coming home/always traveling was heartbreaking. I don’t know how I would have reacted if I had been given that news. I also wouldn’t have responded too well to having my father, just being given that diagnosis, telling me to travel. But, considering Biggie (Carla’s father) and Carla’s relationship, it made sense. It also made sense when she decided to come home to help with his care. This storyline was heartbreaking in so many ways too.

I will be honest with this, but Carla and Eamon were struck with a severe case of Instalove. I am not a fan of Instalove and never will be. I will never believe you can be in love after four days together. I believe you can be in lust, but love, nope. I liked how the author kept their relationship growing despite being apart.

Speaking of lust, the sex scenes in Off the Map were out of this-world hot. I did get a giggle at Eamon and Carla almost getting caught in the act by the farmer while waiting for the sheep to pass. They did have great chemistry.

The end of Off the Map was a little bittersweet. I liked that the author went a year into the future and showed us how Carla and Eamon were doing. I liked the strides Carla took with her life after Biggie died. And I was touched by how she honored Biggie. Also, I was impressed with the traveling they did.

I would recommend Off the Map to anyone over 21. There is language, mild violence, and explicit sex scenes.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, NetGalley, and Trish Doller for allowing me to read and review Off the Map. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

mldavisreads's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous emotional inspiring

Adult contemporary romance. Karla is off to Ireland for her best friend's wedding. The arrangement is for Karla to meet the groom's brother (aka the best man) and catch a ride with him from Dublin. But when Karla and Eamon meet, sparks fly and the plan to proceed directly to the wedding festivities goes out the window. Karla is an experienced traveler, always packing light to be up for any adventure. Eamon has always been the responsible one, with a practical if impersonal flat in the city and a good-paying job. But hearing even a bit about Karla's adventures awakes his wandering spirit. So the two take the scenic route across Ireland, promising to be there for the actual wedding.

I liked that this story was only partially set in Dublin, and included more of the Irish countryside. I appreciated way that Karla and Eamon were able to share parts of themselves with each other that they couldn't with others because they were relative strangers. A fun adventurous romance with lots of self-reflection on life, love, and careers done by the main characters. Though this is listed as the third in a trilogy, it was no problem to read it on its own.

sbowlin's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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: Yes

This book was so relatable to me from the road trip through Ireland to the National Park passport to the simple black tattoos as travel souvenirs. Am I Carla? TBD...

I'm not a huge romance fan, with Trish Doller being one of the exceptions. I found the structure to be more in line with my preference (no shitty and cheesy third act conflict just for the sake of having a third act conflict). I feel like all of her books explore romance and trauma well.

I've seen reviews say that Carla and Eamon's fast progression was unrealistic. And while normally I would agree, I actually find it very fitting in this situation. I've found that, when traveling, I connect with people much faster and on a much deeper level. And I felt like Off the Map reflected that difference in relationship development well.

I think what's overlooked is that Carla ended up choosing herself over love, and that's not something often explored in romance novels. I thought it was a good contrast to the insta-love trope and made Carla a much stronger character.

acas29's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

missusmrs's review

3.5

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

bookmarklit's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-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: Yes

I’m not sure why this one took me so long to read but I really enjoyed it! The kind of book I didn’t find myself reaching for but I didn’t want to put it down once I started. I’ve loved these companion books overall - these characters and their stories are so lovely. Damon and Clara had a unique story where they hooked up right away and enjoyed each other’s company from the very beginning. It was really low-drama for the majority of the book, which was nice. I just didn’t have quite as much of an emotional connection to this one as the others maybe?