Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Book Review: Off the Map by Trish Doller

Pages: 227
Genre: Adult Fiction
Pub. Date: March 7, 2023
Publisher: St. Martin's
Source: Publisher for review
Other Books By Author: Something Like Normal,
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
 
 
 
Goodreads says, "On the road to love, you don't need a GPS...  Carla Black’s life motto is “here for a good time, not for a long time.” She’s been travelling 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."

 

 

 

Carla Black is visiting Ireland for her best friend's wedding. Once she arrives at Dublin Airport, she will be picked up by her best friend's fiance's brother, Eamon. He will take her from Dublin to Tralee, which is located in the Irish countryside. Well, even though they know that that it's pretty cliche for the maid of honor and the best man to hook up, they do and have a wild (and very steamy) night. On the way to Tralee, they decide they have enough time for some adventures. This is a whole new world for Eamon who has never taken the time to have some serious fun as he is always the responsible brother whereas Carla is all about adventure. Thanks to her dad's love of adventure, she has always been a bit of a nomad and up for any travel. But now Carla's dad is suffering from dementia and this has her questioning all of her nomadic habits. Has she been running from things all along? If you love a good road trip romance, Off the Map by Trish Doller will satisfy, especially for readers who love Ireland.

I have not read Doller's other romances that deal feature some of these characters in Off the Map, but I don't think it's necessary in order to fully enjoy the novel. Carla is a fun character that lives a life of travel and this serves as a foil to Eamon who is Mr. Responsible. They both bring out the opposite in each other and in turn, highlight some of their differences very well. I really enjoyed their romance and it got pretty steamy right off the bat. Their romp through Ireland really had me missing the Emerald Isle and reminiscing of my own time there. I love a good road trip novel, so for me, this was the best part. March is the perfect month to read a story that includes a jaunt through Ireland, am I right?

Not all of Off the Map is a fluffy romance as Doller touches on the serious and heartbreaking disease of dementia. As I mentioned, Carla's dad is suffering from it and I think Doller highlights this very well and in an honest way. I have not read many books that feature characters with dementia, so I applaud Doller for including this sad condition that touches so many people's lives.

My only issue with Off the Map was Carla's spontaneous road trips. While I thought it was so much fun and enjoyed their various excursions, I couldn't imagine doing that to my best friend. If I visited Ireland for my best friend's wedding, I imagine she would be waiting for me to arrive and postponing it to tour with a boy seems really self-centered. I know why Doller did this from a story telling standpoint, but it still seemed really kind of rude to me.

Nonetheless, Off the Map is a fun frolic through Ireland, a destination I never get tired reading about. I recommend it to fans of romance who love a good road trip. So, are you a fan of Trish Doller's novels? Is this one on your TBR list? Let me know in the comments below.   

 

2 comments:

  1. I've only read one of her novels so far, but this road trip one sounds so fun!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Right? A road trip romance is always fun! Thanks for visiting, Angela.

    ReplyDelete

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