Hey there! Today I have a review of “Off The Map” by Trish Doller, which came out in March.
A digital ARC of “Off The Map” was provided to me by St. Martin’s Press/SMP Romance via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Read on to check out the official synopsis of the book, my review, and a bit about the author!
Synopsis
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.
My Thoughts
I thoroughly enjoyed “Off The Map.” It was a cute, steamy, quick contemporary romance with a good emotional punch.
Now when I say this one was quick, I mean it. The bulk of it takes place over about a week and we jump right into between our love interests, Carla and Eamon. What I loved so much about this book was that while it was fast-moving, the romance didn’t feel rushed and give me the the ick insta-love sometimes can. I think this was down to Carla and Eamon fully acknowledging multiple times that the timeline is insane.
That being said, while I did like how the book was told, I absolutely would have loved something longer. I think Carla and Eamon have a lot of potential.
I really liked Carla and her emotional journey outside of her romantic journey. She grew a lot as a character in such a quick amount of time because she experienced so much in such a short period of time. It balanced really well. I also liked Eamon a whole lot. He was a sweet love interest and I thoroughly enjoyed getting a little glimpse into his emotional journey as well. They both had so much growth.
Some characters I felt were lacking were Rachel and Anna. They are big parts of the book, but I felt like I knew nothing about them. Come to find out, there are two books before “Off The Map” that follow both ladies. I can’t wait to get to them! I’m also interested to know if the boss from the pirate bar is in these books? Because he was weirdly present for someone who gave me nothing.
“Off The Map” is definitely one of my favorite road trip books. There were tons of good road trip antics on the Irish farmlands, mountains, and beaches. I would love to read more about Carla and Eamon in the future.
★★★☆☆ = 3/5 stars
About The Author
Trish Doller is a writer, traveler, and dog rescuer, but not necessarily in that order. She is the international bestselling author of Float Plan, The Suite Spot, and Off the Map. She has also written several YA novels, including the critically acclaimed Something Like Normal. When she’s not writing, Trish loves sailing, camping, and avoiding housework. She lives in southwest Florida with an opinionated herding dog and an ex-pirate. Find Trish on Instagram at @trishdoller.
Selina Falcon 