Off the Map

I fell for Trish Doller when I read her adult fiction debut, The Float Plan, last year, so I was thrilled to revisit some of those characters in Off the Map, her latest novel, due out March 7, 2023. While you don’t need to have read Float Plan to enjoy this book, I highly recommend it - Doller is a masterful romance author and it’s worth the time.

Off the Map wastes no time getting straight to the sizzling chemistry between Eamon and Clara. Clara is in Ireland to serve as the maid of honor for Anna and Keane’s wedding, and Eamon - Keane’s brother - is tasked with meeting her and driving her to the wedding location. When sparks fly from the moment they meet, the two quickly decide to live out the cliche of the best man and maid of honor succumbing to a fling.

Their fling quickly grows into something more serious when they realize how much they have in common - namely, the urge to explore. However, whereas Clara has been living out her dreams, spending half her year traveling the world in her Jeep, Eamon has hesitated to venture out of his comfort zone. Clara seizes on the opportunity and they decide to delay their arrival for the wedding in favor of taking a few days to explore Ireland’s countryside, encountering several adventures along the way (I am still laughing at the bull with a taste for sangria).

Ultimately, Clara and Eamon are both trying to cope with family expectations. We learn that Clara has been traveling for the past few years at her father’s urging. Following a dementia diagnosis, he doesn’t want her to watch him fade away, and tells her he wants her to live her life on the road for him instead of taking care of him. Eamon feels the burden of being the responsible brother; whereas Keane has been free to travel the world, Eamon feels pressured to hold down a responsible job and live up to his demanding mother’s expectations. Before they can find their happily ever after together, both Eamon and Clara have to first invest the time looking deep within themselves to uncover what will actually bring them joy, without giving in to what their respective families expect of them.

Doller crafts deeply relatable characters, and knows how to balance the emotional heft with moments of levity. The chemistry between Eamon and Clara truly sizzles off the page, and there are lighthearted moments that will definitely have you laughing out loud, only to find yourself weeping a few chapters later. I loved every moment of this story and flew through it in a single sitting, because I couldn’t tear myself away from the page.