Float Plan by Trish Doller Book Review
“People expect to see only devastation, but there’s so much beauty here. Just wait.”
(pg. 196)
About
Author: Trish Doller
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Series: The Beck Sisters Book 1
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Synopsis
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.
Review
Spoilers Contained Below
❗️Note of caution: Float Plan touches on suicide❗️
To those floating by,
I had no expectations for what Float Plan was about. But gosh. What a light-hearted, soul-searching, healing read. Float Plan truly was a cathartic journey of rediscovery, adventure, trust, love, and hope. I loved every page and each island that Anna sailed to. Honestly, I give her all the props for someone who had zero clue how to sail a boat without losing her fiancé Ben. She really was the definition of kick butt in the best way.
I guess we’re getting right into the review because I mentioned Ben. Just a little note of caution again, Float Plan touches on suicide, so if that is a triggering or heavy thing, please please, skip over the next few paragraphs and go to where the green square starts. The following paragraphs will briefly discuss Anna and her finance Ben.
Skip to the green diamonds square if suicide is a triggering or heavy topic.
Okay, so I want to talk about Anna and Ben because this book wouldn’t even happen if Anna didn’t experience what she went through. I truly just wanted to hug Anna because she loved Ben and then she lost him when he took his life. Ben seemed like a good guy. He didn’t play games, he was very open and up-front to Anna from the start. Because they had such a strong and healthy relationship from the minute they met, it made it a billion times more painful to lose him. My heart hurt when Anna talked about why she wasn’t good enough for Ben to keep living. I wanted to tell her that she was good enough and that she shouldn’t place all this responsibility on her because sometimes it’s not about her. Honestly, I don’t know if I’m going to say this right and I fully apologize if I say something wrong. But we all battle different monsters or darknesses, and sometimes that darkness can pull us under or swallow us whole. Sometimes it can follow us like a shadow for the rest of our life and we never know how to get rid of it and it becomes too much. When I was going through a depressive time in my life, I felt this darkness everywhere and I would have deep thoughts no kid should have. I remember feeling like people didn’t love me and they wouldn’t care. And sometimes we can convince ourselves of that if actions or our mind becomes too loud. It’s hard to beat the thoughts our mind locks us in. So I could understand Ben in some ways. I also feel like Ben kind of hid his pain to Anna based on her first impression of him. That’s not to say that we all hide behind facades all the time to mask our pain, but that dark thoughts come in moments we don’t expect it. So maybe Ben had a good day that day and the darkness came other days—-we all have those days, some a lot more intense than others. But I just felt for Ben because it reminds me of the sentiment that we never know what people are battling each day behind a smile or a laugh. Maybe they aren’t really that happy on the inside and we never know that.
It hurts when you don’t know how much another person is hurting.
You want to help them and do everything you can to bring them happiness. But one thing I learned a lot when I was going through my depression was that happiness is what you can only give yourself. That’s probably a very clichéd thing to say, and it is. But it holds a lot of truth because we have the power to tell ourselves how we want to feel. Our minds are powerful. Sometimes our minds may not be our best friend, and it’s hard. So hard to navigate. But when you feel like you can’t be happy, everything just becomes so dark. in your life and you just don’t see the point in anything or the hope. And the world can be a heavy place. . . I feel like the world became a heavy place for Ben. I honestly wanted to know more about Ben and his upbringing or his history to understand how he felt. We only knew about him briefly from Anna’s backstories, but I wanted to know him more.
I also want to say that I think Ben’s suicide could have been talked about more sensitively because there were a lot of moments in the book where I questioned how triggering the conversations were. I appreciated that the beginning of the book included a trigger warning, but still, I believe that the conversations that were made about Ben could have been worded better to not sound as flippant or brushed-off because it is a serious conversation. Also, it felt like sometimes they talked rudely of Ben, and I never got the vibe that Ben was a bad person. That was one of the only critiques I had because sometimes the conversations didn’t sit right with me.
But Ben and Anna had all these plans of a future together—-an Alberg and traveling plans. But after what happened, it felt like she couldn’t wouldn’t continue on without him. That’s beyond hard and I could understand her pain to the extent that it’s never easy to lose a loved one. I could also understand how confused she felt because she thought she had a future with someone and now she had to figure things out again; starting over is not easy. I could also understand why she would feel angry. Anger is not a comfortable emotion, especially when you lose someone, but I could understand that she felt like Ben left her and she didn’t know what to do now. So she was angry that she was alone and that this image of their future was no more.
❇️
“But I am less afraid of what might become of me while sailing alone in the Caribbean than of what might become of me if I stay.”
(pg. 4)
But, I loved that Anna decided to do something for herself—she decided to take the Caribbean trip by herself to finish what she and Ben started. I also felt like she wanted to go on this journey to feel more connected to Ben because this was something they wanted to do together, so taking the journey would feel like she was doing it with him. In retrospect, I don’t thin kit’s bright for someone who doesn’t know how to sail to sail the entire Caribbean by herself 🤪. I don’t say that because Anna’s a woman, but because if a sis had the barest idea of how to sail, I’m pretty sure sailing an entire trip isn’t the safest, especially when she was grieving. Also, I understand why she trusted that dumb Chris guy who turned out to be a piece of trash. She threw herself at the first guy for comfort and emotion because she was angry at Ben, but I wanted to tell her that she shouldn’t have just gone off with this guy she barely knew.
Speaking of guys, gosh did I LOVE KEANE 💛.
“Gosh, you’re like an Irish Mary Poppins with facial hair.”
(pg. 94)
He’s honestly such a gem and a great guy. I will sing his praises because get you someone who respects common decency and boundaries, is chivalrous, kind, and honest. WHAT A HUMAN BEING. I AM A KEANE FAN OF HIM 👏🏼. His mom really raised him right to respect and honor women. As he should.
“Common decency should never be considered above and beyond.”
(pg. 80)
Preach it Keane. I feel like it’s kind of sad that I get excited about a decent guy who knows how to treat a person well. We live in a sad sad world if I’m excited over basic respect.
When he found Anna all haggard and drunk, sleeping on a boat, he had the human decency not to take advantage of her or do anything vile, but he took her back to her boat, watched over her, and cooked her breakfast. WHAT A MAN. I thought it was cute that the guy who texted Anna to help her do the Caribbean trip was Keane 😂. I laughed when Keane whipped out his phone and Anna had his phone out. I was like, they’re texting each other. It was fate that they would do this trip together because he found her sign and she answered. They also found each other, maybe not in the best light, but they found each other nevertheless.
I loved the disability representation with Keane. Keane was by far the strongest, toughest, and coolest main guy character I’ve read about in so long. Especially in a contemporary romance novel. Did I mention I loved this dude? What a legit good dude. I appreciated how Trish Dollar never made Keane seem incapable or weak because sometimes disability representation does make people who live with a disability seem like those things or they make those people the joke, and honestly I’m tired and angered at those narratives because just because someone lives with a disability, does not mean they are less of a person or incapable. Anyone who thinks otherwise needs to reflect on themselves. Besides my rant, Keane was the best sailor in the world before his accident, as Keane said. I like to think he’s still the best sailor in the world and I would like to say a thorough fudge off to those who think he couldn’t be a good sailor because he had a prosthetic leg. Keane knew how to take care of himself and he was twice, no triple times the man than any other person because of how decent he was and capable.
But sucky people denied Keane to sail with them, and that’s how he found himself traveling with Anna. Also, I loved that he didn’t want Anna to travel alone because, as I mentioned before, that would be completely unsafe for her. What a nice dude. How many times can I say this guy’s the nicest 🤪. Anyway, I liked how Keane opened up about his story to Anna because he felt safe and non judged. He was in a car accident where he was walking around the street late at night and got hit by two cars. That made my heart hurt because there are drivers out there who need to make wiser and safe decisions. Keane was just walking down the street and now his whole life had changed, and that wasn’t on him. But the way Keane bounced back and came back an even more incredible person was on him. WE LOVE KEANE.
The more they traveled together, the stronger their relationship built. I also liked how they found a nice groove or routine with each other because they were two strangers and now they were living in probably the closest quarters they could imagine. In the beginning of their sailing journey, I felt like Anna was holding on closely to the path that Ben and her always planned. I felt like this was a metaphor for how Anna couldn’t yet let go of the path or future that Ben and her planned. She wanted to stick closely to what Ben and her wanted to do so she could feel that closeness to him and to feel like she lived out what they wanted. I get it. But I agreed with Keane that she shouldn’t trust everything Ben wanted to do because maybe Ben wasn’t an expert about these islands. But Anna was adamant to stick to the plan. But I think the biggest thing we all know and have learned within the past year, is that plans change and things aren’t always what we dreamed or hoped they would be.
” . . . but Ben is still with me and I’m trying—-really trying—-to figure out how life works without him.”
(pg. 87)
I think Anna said this when she was on Cat island and she sent an email to one of her best friends. I liked how Anna phrased what she said because you could tell she was still carrying Ben with her. But she needed this journey to distance herself from being completely lost in her grief if she just stayed home and did nothing. Going on this journey, she channeled her pain into something she was passionate about and it was beginning to open up her eyes to what was out there beyond her grief.
“Eventually . . . you’ll start building a new house beside the ruins of the old. When you’re ready, you’ll know.”
(pg. 91)
Keane said this to Anna after a mass at the church in Cat city. Anna was looking out at the church, thinking about Ben and it made her tear up. I teared up for her too. It’s not easy losing someone. I loved that Keane created a safe place for her emotions, and gave her time and space to heal. I really liked the idea of new with the old just like the houses in Cat City—how some houses got destroyed by a natural disaster, so they built new ones with the old. I think this is such a powerful saying because sometimes we are so quick to demolish the old for the new—-let go of our past for the new. And there’s nothing wrong with making way for the new parts of our lives or ourselves. But I do believe that things are a balance and we will always have the past with our new selves—-our past experiences and emotions that we carry with us to make us who we are today. I liked how Keane said the last part because he understood that Ben was still an open wound she hadn’t healed from. She was still waking in the ruins of her old life that she hadn’t built new houses because she wasn’t ready. That’s okay. But I had hope that Anna would find a balance between new and old to become a different version of herself.
We also had a few conversations about religion. I liked the brief discussions about religion because Anna didn’t have a strong belief because of how Ben was gone and how someone could have saved him. Keane was highly religious and raised with a strong faith. I think over the journey they take, he gives her some faith in something better. Maybe not religion at this moment in her grieving process, but at least the hope that things will be okay. I think we all like to believe that things get better because if we didn’t, we would lose hope. Losing our hope is a sad, complicated thing.
But the more they traveled, the less her pain stuck with her. Anna developed feelings for Keane, which I mean, how could you not?!
To be honest, I thought they didn’t really like each other at first and they were both feeling attracted to each other because they were on a boat. Close proximity does that to a person if you know what I mean. But over time, I realized they actually had a good relationship going and supported each other in such beautiful ways that it was hard to deny their chemistry and love.
Heck, if we’re also being honest, we all knew the dude liked Anna from the minute he said yes to traveling with her. He was a shameless flirt, which I was not mad about. At all. I mean, get you a sweet talker who is actually sweet.
“I’m a f****** mess.”
“I don’t mean anything by it,” Keane says. “I just thought you might need a place to land.”
(pg. 105)
FREAK.
When he just cuddled her without any sexual intent because he just wanted to hold her and tell her it will be okay???? I was not okay 😩. He thought Anna needed a place to land so he said land in my arms and I’ll keep you safe and warm!
Keane doesn’t have a bad move in his body 🤪.
I just wanted to scream, “ANNA LAND!! LAND IN HIS ARMS!!!” Because without Ben, she had been falling in her grief for so long that she didn’t even know where the ground was. But with Keane, she was slowly finding that maybe there is a ground or a safe place to land after her grief; She didn’t need to fall and crash alone. I just lived for all the moments he was there for her where he just held her or hugged her without expectations because not a lot of people would just hold someone without wanting something more. But it never felt like Keane wanted something more. I mean, he probably did, but his intentions were so clear and so sweet that it never felt weird. He gave me good vibes and I loved him for her.
I also loved how in this moment, Keane talked to her about whatever because Anna needed a distraction and he just talked about his family. I love this man.
Anna also loved this man. When Anna tried to kiss him and he BACKED UP—-basically REJECTED HER—-I was like OOOOOOOOHHHH!!!!! Noooooooo! What are you doing Keane????? Kiss her!
But I get it. He was being his honorable, chivalrous self. Darn it. He had to be a good guy.
He didn’t want to start anything with her because he knew she was still grieving her ex. I mean, I loved that he didn’t jump into anything with her because he knew that wasn’t what she needed. I also respected that he had boundaries because he didn’t want to be with someone who still loved someone else at that point; that would only serve to hurt his heart. I also appreciated how Keane never pushed Anna to do something or go somewhere she didn’t want to go. We also stan someone who is not a creep. He could have been a creep who was trying to take advantage of a grieving woman on a boat trip, but no. He was always kind and hospitable, and I loved that.
If Anna wasn’t going to get with him, I sure was about to hop on a boat and go out to sea 😂.
“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.”
(pg. 104)
I would agree with Keane that at the point where Anna tried to kiss him, it was obvious she liked Keane as more than a friend, but she was not entirely ready for a relationship. She was still healing, even if that meant liking someone else. A big part of the healing process is letting go and it felt like Anna was sort of letting go of Ben at this point because she was more in tune with Keane, but at the same time, I felt her guilt at not wanting to betray Ben. She sort of felt bad that she almost kissed Keane—-like it was a bad thing that she was starting to move on. But I felt like she wasn’t betraying Ben’s memory because she should continue to live and do things that make her happy. I also felt like part of her felt guilty that maybe she would be okay if she did move on and leave Ben behind because it almost insinuates that she let him go when he was a big part of her life. We never truly let people go because we carry them with her, and Anna carried Ben with her, but she needed to let go of the idea that she didn’t deserve happiness or love because he was gone. She needed to build the old with the new. Keane knew that, and we loved that we was self-aware of her to look out for what was best for her.
“One day the stars will align . . . and you won’t be thinking about Ben, and the next man—whoever he may be—is going to be one lucky bastard.”
(pg. 128)
He basically friend zoned her in my eyes, which gosh. Being friend zoned sucks. But we ALL knew that he was talking about himself when he said the next man. BRO, there’s not going to be a next man, it’s always going to be you! You know what? Keane probably loved her even more at this point because he did the honorable thing and if-you-love-them-set-them-free mentality because he knew she needed to heal. I love this man.
You want to know why else I love this man 😂?
I loved that he doesn’t shy away from awkward or uncomfortable conversations. Ever since Anna opened up to him about Ben, he never made it this whole weird thing. Instead Keane was open, honest, and kind. He also said his opinion even if he wasn’t what Anna wanted or needed to hear because, you know, we all need those kinds of people in our life who are straightforward with us. I liked how he didn’t beat around the bush with the awkwardness of how he rejected her kiss. He straight up talked to her about it and apologized if he embarrassed her. I mean, I would have felt like a gosh darn idiot in the moment as well. But if Keane opened up the conversation to make the situation less awkward, I wouldn’t have felt like such an idiot.
I loved how they got an unofficial dog together. We stan Queenie!
I really loved that Anna had a dog because if things didn’t work out well with Keane, hey, at least she had Queenie to keep her company. You know what they say, dogs are ladies’ best friends.
Can we just talk about when Anna went FREAKING OVERBOARD??????
I was like, a sis can’t catch a break 😂!!!
First she got friend zoned and then she got thrown over the boat into rough seas.
Wow.
She was having a rocky day 🤪.
Gosh, but in all seriousness, I was completely worried for her because Keane was off washing his prosthetic or something and he wouldn’t have seen the woman he loved overboard. But Keane knew his woman fell overboard, and thankfully he got to her in time and that she wasn’t terribly injured. To be honest, I thought she would have had more injuries based on the description of her slamming her head and body repeatedly on the side of the boat. I felt like her almost drowning was a turning point in her wanting to live and to continue to let Ben go.
But also, can we just admire how Keane just had the perfect line.
“My vision blurs with tears. ‘You saved me again.’
. . . ‘Anytime.’ He tucks a strand of damp hair behind my ear and kisses my forehead. ‘Every time.”
(pg. 139)
Not a FOREHEAD KISS!!! And not a “I will save you every time” line 😩!!! He has saved her metaphorically and literally.
He LOVES her and I know it.
They connived their journey to more places, each one bringing a different adventure. One of the things I loved most about their journey was how they met all these new people. Anna and Keane made new connections with people. Creating new friendships with all these people on the islands or the boats was different for Anna because she’s not a conversationalist like Keane. I could understand that well because I’m more introverted and striking up conversations isn’t the easiest for me. Some people make it look effortless. But I liked how open and welcome everyone was to Anna and Keane. I loved meeting the divers who they followed around for a bit. I also loved Eaulalia on Cat City because she seemed like such a nice woman. I also loved the people who invited Anna and Keane on a boat with them and they popped some bubbly and chatted all the time. I didn’t like the girl who was too handsy with Keane because he was not his woman! In People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry, connection and traveling was mentioned greatly.
“Once I started traveling, though, things finally felt better. I met people, and–I don’t know, without the baggage of history or the fear of what would happen, it felt so much easier to open up to people. To make friends.“
People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry
(pg. 347)
A lot of people travel to see the world, but also, part of traveling is the incredible idea that you can meet new people and be whoever you want with others—they don’t have to know the you that others know. There’s a tantalizing freedom in that. But traveling fostered connections with people you wouldn’t have met if you have ever ventured further than where you are from. I felt like after the past few months she had, Anna needed to make connections with people to know that she wasn’t alone in her pain or grief. She also needed to remember that there was more life out there, more hope, more love, more joy, and better days. I loved how I felt Anna open up and find her confidence again the more time she spent with other people. I also think how awesome it is how people open up to you if you open up to them. It’s also amazing how you realize that there are places that we have yet to discover and love 💛.
When she was on Jost Van Dyke, I loved how at home she felt there and how the people welcomed her and Keane with open arms. I liked how they were invited for a Christmas dinner at Foxy’s. I loved how they had that little karaoke moment where Keane and Eamon (Keane’s brother) had their moment to shine and sing all terribly. We love terrible karaoke singing.
I loved that we got to meet someone from Keane’s family, Eamon. He was a joy like Keane as well—just as funny. He’s also as honest, kind, and respectful as Keane. When I say their mother raised two good men, I mean it. I need to get her number so I get her tips for the future 😆. She should teach a class about how to raise respectful men or people in general. Also, I loved how Keane and Eamon’s relationship was so easy going because it reminded Anna of all the good times she had with her sister, Rachel. My sister and I have a similar relationship as Anna and Rachel does—not as close as we have gotten older. It’s different because we don’t live under the same roof anymore, so we don’t see each other. So it doesn’t feel like I even know my sister sometimes. Also, I feel like we are at different life stages, and especially Anna and her sister, they were at different life stages; Rachel with her kids and Anna navigating her grief. It’s challenging to connect to people when we are at different places physically and mentally. Despite how sometimes people can grow a part, there will always be special memories we have with others that emphasize how much we love them. I loved the Christmas memories Anna would reminisce about. Anna and her sister would put on Christmas shows similar to Eamon and Keane’s karaoke tradition. I smiled to myself as I read this part because I used to put on Christmas dances by myself when I was younger. I don’t know, but my sister didn’t want to dance with me back then. But I remember doing a whole production too, none other than Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You. OF COURSE.
But I really loved how Anna felt connected to her family again in the way she wanted to be with them or reconnect with them. It emphasized how she was in tune with her emotions to want to pull family closer to her rather than have all this distance between them. My heart warmed when she called home and her mom and sister both sound scared but happy for Anna because they could tell that something changed in her. Sometimes change is good. I especially liked when Rachel said Anna sounded different because thinking about Anna in the beginning of the book and the Anna now, she was such a different person. She had light, companionship, friendship, hope, and freedom to heal. I’m loved when Anna and Keane said:
“You seem happy,” he says.
“I guess I am.”
(pg. 178)
I loved that for her 🥺💕. Such a stark contrast to the girl who would cry on the beach or get drunk and get stuck in a dinghy.
What was also so cool was how over time, you could see Anna let go of the journey she and Ben planned. The more places they went to and it wasn’t what Ben had imagined, the more she realized that Ben didn’t always have it right. That she should trust herself or those around her who also know more about the islands and land. I liked how she went with whatever Keane would suggest rather than stick to the map—she deviated from the plan. Life is like that sometimes—it goes of course from what we thought it would be, and sometimes it gives us just what we needed.
I think the best journeys are the ones we plan and expect the least.
It was just so nice to see her let loose and go with where life literally had to take her.
I also loved the little Christmas gift moment they had. Keane didn’t get her a gift because they weren’t exchanging gifts, but deep down, I had a feeling her got her something because this was Keane we were talking about 😄. But when Anna decided to gift Keane the Captain America mug that used to be Ben’s, I was like, “AWWWW.” She was finally at a place where Ben’s memory did not make her angry or lost or confused. She was letting go. And honestly, Keane already drank out of that mug the first day, so it was always his 😂. But her giving him the mug was extremely special because of who it belonged to and who much Ben meant to her, and now, how much Keane meant to her.
Because Anna gave him such a significant and meaningful gift, Keane gave her the greatest gift of all . . .
A New Year’s Eve KISS 😘. We love! FINALLY!!!
I mean, the kiss could have meant absolutely nothing because random people kiss on NYE all the time, but this didn’t feel like a random, spur of the moment kiss. This felt like a pride and true slow burn kiss that was explorative and as tentative as their relationship and it was just perfect for them.
“The line between love and not-love is so very thin. Minutes pass. Hours. Decades. Lifetimes.”
(pg. 194)
Anna just say you love him because we all know you do. Gosh, but the way Keane said he loved her the moment he decided he wanted to be her crew 🥺. I love this man.
I also loved how they had a conversation about what the relationship could mean to them after everything they’ve been through together and individually. Honestly, get you someone who gives you space to heal and then waits for you either way. We love Keane. I can’t say that enough . . . or maybe I can. Oh, well. Anyway, at that moment they finally decide to try to be a couple, they arrive at Montserrat, the place Keane always wanted to go.
“Ben wanted to see this island more than any other, but I keep that to myself. If this is Keane’s favorite place, I want to see it through his eyes.”
(pg. 197)
I LOVED THAT 💛.
She was building new with the old. She was healing to fit both people in her life, but make more room for the new to stand with her.
We also loved their little Marvin Gaye and get it on moment because it was about darn time. I also loved that Keane gave her his Christmas gift because it wouldn’t seem too personal now that they were a couple. He got her these gorgeous petal earrings, which I mean, I LOVE PEARLS. HEART OF THE SEA 😆.
Keane of my heart 💛.
Get it, King of my Heart, Keane of my Heart? Swifities can laugh with me 😂.
I must say, I love that Keane said he was in their relationship for the long haul and that he was committing himself fully to Anna . . . and then the next second, he leaves her 🙃.
I was just waiting for something to happen. You know the moment in all books where there’s the end conflict. I was like, everything is TOOOO perfect and good right now, it’s too good to be true. I can’t trust the ending of a book when there’s no conflict 🤪. And they wonder why I have trust issues. I’m joking. But Keane was offered a wonderful sailing job—basically what he loves and his dream—and Anna knew that. I knew that. And she knew that she had to let him take the sailing job because she couldn’t ask him to stay when his first passion was sailing. This was his opportunity, and I was here for it for him. BUT GOSH, the timing sucked!! He just said he was going to stay and now he was going to leave because of course he had to follow his dream. I loved that Anna cried because she knew in her heart she had to let him go. I think a lot of people would have told Keane not to go, I mean, I might have (not really). But that’s so hard. I was crying with her for a whole different reason 😢.
You know what they say, if you love them set them free. And if it’s meant to be, they’ll come back to you.
“Maybe Keane and I will be together someday, but I won’t lose the ability to function at the loss of him. And if that’s the legacy of our relationship, that is enough.”
(pg. 226)
I honestly loved that for her 👏🏼.
She knew she didn’t need no man to finish the last leg of the journey—side question, why do they call it the last leg of a journey??? Also, I really appreciated how she found peace with knowing that even if they didn’t find their way back to each other, she was happy with what they shared. I loved that. I also really really loved that Anna started this journey by herself and she was finishing the journey by herself. The way Trish Doller set the book up like that, was amazing to show how much stronger Anna had become—-that she was more than capable to stand or be on her own now. She could literally and figuratively brave the storms or the ups and downs that life can throw at her.
I thought it was super cute that her and Queenie were the Pirate Queens of the Caribbean. I didn’t know that they filmed the Pirates of the Caribbean in St. Vincent—was it? I’m not too sure if I remember that correctly, but that’s pretty cool! To be quite honest, my geography is trash 😂and I had no idea what or where any of these islands were, and not in a mean way, but in a I live as far away from these islands and in a secluded area of the world, so I had no clue. But it was so fun to learn about all these different islands near Florida, and I would love to respectfully visit them one day because they all sound cool and have such interesting histories. I might not sail them like our Pirate Queen, but I would love to visit. Ugh I loved when she popped off on those irritating and harassing people in St. Vincent who thought she was incapable because she was a woman sailing a boat. They made her so uncomfortable and they were incredibly rude. I didn’t like them at all. But when they touched her boat . . . OOOOOH, Anna said you can irritate me, but if you touch my boat, I’m unleashing unforgiving rage and a can of whoop a**. How dare they be condescending to her and touch her property???? America.
When Anna said she sailed 1,700 miles, I was FLABBERGASTED. What do you mean she sailed 1,700 miles. GOSH DARN. She could sail a cruise ship 😆. A queen indeed.
“Traveling almost 1,700 miles might not have made an impact on mankind, but the crack in my own small world is patched.”
(pg. 246)
I loved when Anna had this thought because she should be incredibly proud of herself for going on this healing journey and finishing it. It symbolized how she wanted to heal and she did; the journey changed her world. Not all journey’s or all things will be groundbreaking, but I think every journey is worth taking because it teaches us a lesson we wouldn’t have learned if we stayed exactly where we are. This sentiment goes with the saying of how you can’t grow if nothing changes or how being uncomfortable makes you change. Traveling 1,700 miles with a stranger was probably the most uncomfortable feat Anna had done in a while, but yet it helped her innumerably. I also loved the idea that a crack in her small world was patched because the wound was no longer bleeding, or to keep with the metaphor, she was no longer drowning in her sorrows. She was floating—-AHHHH! Maybe the book was called Float Plan because this whole time Anna felt like she was sinking in her grief, her loss, and her life, but when she took this journey, she kind of had a plan, but she realized how much plans and life changes. But in the end she was floating because she had all these kind people in her life and amazing adventures in her pocket. She was floating off of love, hope, and strength. I love that 💛.
You could also tell how much she has grown with letting people into her life or reconnecting with family. Like I said earlier, how she also took the last leg of the journey by herself and how she did it with grace and ease. She also fixed her boat with the help of the kind people she met. We love Dave. This scene was also such a contrast to how she couldn’t fix the boat in the beginning of the book and Keane did it for her. But she was living her best strong life by taking the reins on her boat and knowing how to fix it.
I loved the moment when Anna did finish her journey to Trinidad, and she texted her mom and sister to say she made it. She sure did—-in more ways than one 💛. I felt soooo proud and happy for her. I also loved that she took a nap after all that traveling because she deserved it. I also loved how it was such a perfect day for the end of her travels.
Something else that was a running mystery in the book was the name of the boat. The boat was originally Ben and Anna’s, and Ben’s mom hounded Anna about giving the boat back. Ben actually left the boat for Anna. The mom could suck my toe because she practically took everything else of Ben’s away from Anna, so this boat was hers to remember him by. I wondered what she would name the boat. I had no clue. I knew we were going to find out in the end because that would be a great wholesome surprise. I thought she might have named the boat Ben. I know, I know, pretty poetic 😆. My other guess was something to do with the journey she took. I don’t know. But the name she chose was perfect.
“Queenie gives a contented sigh, her fuzzy chin resting on my thigh, and I’m suspended in a perfect state of grace.”
(pg. 246)
State of Grace 💛.
I felt it symbolized her healing and her tranquility at the end. I felt it fit the boat perfectly for the gift it brought Anna.
“Polaroids make little topping sounds when they burn. Tiny fireworks to mourn what might have been. Tiny fireworks to celebrate the life of someone I once loved. Someone I will always love.”
(pg. 251)
I loved the moment Anna walked on the beach with the box of Ben’s things and she burned everything. I also loved how she burned Bens’ map book because she knew that she had her own plan and path to follow. She was going to follow where life took her and not where someone else had planned. I think sometimes we forget that we need to be in the driver’s seat, holding the map, instead of letting others dictate which directions we turn or which path we should follow. Sometimes when we get lost in other people’s routes, we lose who we are and it’s difficult to find our way back. I think Anna was on her way to finding herself again after this journey. Burning the box was also her way of completely moving on, but knowing that she still will always remember Ben, always love him. But she was ready to let go and be free from the sorrow and grief she had. She needed this moment to let go, and I loved that Trish Doller delivered such a special moment of healing.
“But I’m starting to understand how sadness and happiness can live side by side within a heart. And how that heart can keep on beating.”
(pg. 248)
This quote reminds me of the quote Trish Doller wrote earlier with how the old and new can stand together. It’s true that sometimes when we are happy, there might be a little sadness there, and vice versa—-two of the most opposite emotions are most often tied together. But cliché as it may sound, we can’t have one without the other. Even if we are both happy and sad, we continue on, and that’s life. It also reminds me of how Ben was her sadness and happiness and how Keane was one too.
The whole time, Keane hadn’t messaged one word to Anna, which was sooooo out of character for Keane. I mean, where did the Keane of my Heart go? How hard is it to shoot a text in the middle of the ocean 😆? You know, now that I’m thinking about it, if they sent texts in the middle of the ocean, they truly have the best carrier plan and cell service! I need to switch to that carrier 🤪. In all seriousness, it felt weird how he never even contacted her if he loved her as much as we thought he loved her—which was a lot. She sent him a few messages, and the Keane I know would have replied. I don’t know what he was doing.
I felt the ending was rushed in a lot of ways, and there were moments that could have been more detailed or had a smoother flow to it. It was rushed that once Anna finished her journey, that “coincidentally” Keane replied to her messages, saying he wanted her and loved her and was coming back to her. I mean, I was all for his declaration of love, but it felt too convenient to make the plot work. I also wanted more about what Keane did on his boating job because we never got many details besides he went and he came back. It would have been nice to know the process of why or how he decided to go back to Anna. I really wanted Keane’s POV once they split up on their journey. What can I say, I’m a Keane girl. Also, they had a very rushed sexual ending. Again, not mad at it, it just felt shoved into the last few pages because we had to finish this book out with a literal bang 😉. Excuse my poor choice of words. I would have loved something more sensual or romantic to fit their relationship this whole time—-a slow burn and friendship to lovers kind of thing. I also felt like it was too soon that they had such a bang because that wasn’t who they were as people. I don’t know. It felt rushed. But they really had at it at the end.
The ending also didn’t have the closure I was looking for. There was a lot of closure with Anna and her journey, but I would have liked more conversations between them about what they accomplished in each other’s time away. Maybe something about their true feelings and passion for each other. I don’t know, something was missing that I wanted more of. At the end, they said they wanted to sail to Ireland. I would just like to say, are they BONKERS??? They wanted to sail to Ireland from FLORIDA???? I’m not sure how far Ireland is from Florida, but I can bet your bottom dollars that it’s farther than 1,700 miles and a lot more of a rocky journey. That’s wild. I would not. Kudos to them if they actually do it. If they can stay together after that journey together, it truly is true love.
But overall, I genuinely enjoyed Float Plan and the journey Anna and Keane took. There were so many special and sweet moments. I also really loved the traveling to all these places and meeting all these people—-I’m living vicariously through their adventures because of the travel concerns these days 😅. I also just loved the whole metaphor and purpose of the journey because it created a wholesome and enjoyable read. I also want to shout out Trish Doller for giving us chapter titles!!!!!!! I LOVED the chapter titles 💛! Not everyone does it these days—such a rarity—-but chapter titles are so underrated. I mean, I love a good cheeky chapter title about. Keep the chapter titles coming!
I would like to end this review with the quote that I felt en-compassed 😉 the book well.
“The hardest part is behind you.”
(pg. 146)
The quote was written after Anna (I think) went overboard. But I felt like the quote meant so much more than in the off handed content that Keane said it. Because I think many times when we are going through something, it feels like the hardest or most gruesome thing ever, which is completely valid because our emotions are valid. But when we look back on it, many times we find ourselves thinking how that challenge was not as hard as we thought it was. And sometimes we can compare it to the challenge we currently face and think how our past challenges were not as hard. I don’t remember where I read about a similar sentiment, but I remember hearing that our past challenges don’t feel as hard because we became stronger because of it, so when we face the next challenge, we have that strength to help us through—-it’s like we level up with our challenges and grow stronger. That’s not to say that growing stronger means always being strong or that being strong is the epitome of greatness. A lot of times people were forced to be strong because of the circumstances they were in, and that could mean many emotional days and difficult days that were painful and tiring. I had many days like that. Have I become stronger because of it? Sure, but sometimes I feel like I became stronger when I didn’t even know I needed to be stronger or that I knew I was ready for it.
Suffice to say, we often think about hard moments in life and carry the weight of it with us, but we should remember that the hardest part is behind us. We have been through a hard moment, we have grown through it, and we are who we are, where we are today because of it. The hardest part is behind us.
Are there going to be more hard moments ahead of us?
For sure. Absolutely.
But we have faced so many hard moments before, that when a challenge arises, we can face it with the strength and knowledge of what got us through the other times. I felt like that is what Anna’s journey was—-she went through one of the hardest moments in her life, but after she met Keane and she went on this sailing expedition, all the hard moments were behind her. She got through it to everything that lay ahead. She will face more difficult moments in the future, but right now, she is at peace and going with the flow. I think there is a beauty in that. Anyway, I really liked that quote because it gives a touch of hope as well that we were able to do hard things. I’m in a classroom right now and my mentor has a poster above the whiteboard that says, “We Can Do Hard Things,” and that made me think of what I just wrote. But we can do hard things and we can get through them.
What was your favorite part of the book? Least favorite part?
What did you think of the book? Let me know below in the comments as I love hearing from you all 💕
If you could voyage somewhere where would you want to voyage to? It can be a whole chain of islands or places too!
I hope you have a beautiful day whenever and wherever you might be reading this 😊.
And as always, with love,
Rating
4.37 Full Bloom Flowers
Characters: I’m in the Keane Fan Club. Period. Anna’s pretty bada** as well!!
Writing: I loved loved loved the chapter titles. I also enjoyed the flow of the story and there were many running metaphors or ideas.
Plot: I loved seeing Anna heal through the journey she took mentally and literally 💛
Romance: Where can I find a decent, whole-hearted man like Keane? I had my doubts at first about them as a couple, but they really were cute together and it’s hard to fight such cuteness.