Review: Off the Map by Trish Doller
Thank you St. Martin’s Griffith for my copy of Off the Map. All thoughts are my own!
One of my favorite author discoveries of the past couple years has been Trish Doller. Her books are gentle and heart wrenching, while providing a wonderful escape to new places. I really enjoyed visiting Ireland through this book and while I didn’t love this book as much as I loved others in the series, the ending really solidified for me how well this author addresses grief.
I’m not always looking to read about grief when I pick up a Romance, but the genre is about human connection. The things that happen to us in our everyday lives completely impacts our relationships and how we interact with others. This book is heavy at points, but it is also warm and sexy and fun.
Synopsis:
“Carla Black’s life motto is “here for a good time, not for a long time.” She’s been traveling the world on her own in her vintage Jeep Wrangler for nearly a decade, stopping only long enough to replenish her adventure fund. She doesn’t do love and she doesn’t ever go home.
Eamon Sullivan is a modern-day cartographer who creates digital maps. His work helps people find their way, but he’s the one who’s lost his sense of direction. He’s unhappy at work, recently dumped, and his one big dream is stalled out—literally.
Fate throws them together when Carla arrives in Dublin for her best friend’s wedding and Eamon is tasked with picking her up from the airport. But what should be a simple drive across Ireland quickly becomes complicated with chemistry-filled detours, unexpected feelings, and a chance at love - if only they choose it.” —NetGalley
What I Liked:
How it Surprised Me—After reading Trish Doller’s other two books in this series, I didn’t think she’d be able to surprise me. But this book certainly did! It was spicier than the other two books and I thought the characters were a bit more complicated. The book just started, which is very satisfying as a reader to pull you in right away.
The Setting—Ireland is a bucket list destination for me! I went briefly when I was on my semester abroad and I loved how the lush descriptions brought the countryside to life.
The Relationships—I have a soft spot for the characters from Float Plan, Anna and Keane, so I loved seeing them interact with Carla and Eamon. I loved Anna and Carla’s friendship, especially shown toward the end of the novel.
What Didn’t Work:
Pacing—Everything felt so fast in the beginning that I almost couldn’t imagine what the major conflicts would be. Something just didn’t work for me, and maybe it’s because I haven’t read a lot of “vacation fling” books that feature that trope!
The Ending—I needed more resolution for Eamon and Carla. I think with how this book ends in a tragic way, it really would have benefitted from an epilogue.
Lack of Eamon’s POV—Carla and Eamon both had SO much going on that it felt like the first 60% of the novel was equally split among them. But the last 35% was all about Carla and then Eamon swooped in at the end. I think I would have liked his POV or less about his issues? I don’t know how to articulate this.
Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: 1.5/5 Overall Rating: 3.75/5
Content Warnings:
Dementia, death of a parent, abandonment, terminal illness