One Old, One New: Trish Doller Edition

One Old, One New features two books - one old, one new, which are connected in some way. Today, I am sharing two books by Trish Doller. 

Float Plan
Trish Doller
Age/Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Critically acclaimed author Trish Doller's unforgettable and romantic adult debut about setting sail, starting over, and finding yourself...

Since the loss of her fiancé, Anna has been shipwrecked by grief—until a reminder goes off about a trip they were supposed to take together. Impulsively, Anna goes to sea in their sailboat, 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.

In Trish Doller’s unforgettable Float Plan, starting over doesn't mean letting go of your past, it means making room for your future.

After losing her fiancé to suicide, Anna was drowning in her grief. As the day of their scheduled departure approached, she decided to make the trip on her own. What started out as a way for her to complete their planned journey ended up being a means for Anna to work through her grief, find her way back to herself, and see possibilities for her future. 

Doller does it again! I swear, her books always make me cry, touch my heart, and leave me brimming with joy. She did such an incredible job capturing all the complicated emotions that accompany losing someone to suicide, as well as the guilt one may feel when they attempt to move on. It was truly beautiful seeing Anna's progression. As she sailed from island to island, I saw her slowly coming to terms with the choice her fiancé made, while also beginning to envision her life without him. 

Obviously, there were tears, but Doller's super power is her ability to keep the story from being too sad. First of all this was an incredible trip! I have only been to a few of the islands, so I embraced my armchair vacation with both arms. I loved that she took me off the beaten path and incorporated the local flavor so well. I also met many wonderful people as we hopped from island to island. 

One of my favorites was Keane. He was hired to help Anna complete some of the more difficult parts of the journey. He was a talented sailor, who always seemed to see the bright side of things. But he was also dealing with a great loss, and though his loss was different from Anna's, it allowed him to relate to her in a way she really needed. He was also swoony and had incredible chemistry with Anna, and I have placed him high on my list of stupendous romantic heroes. 

I simply had the most incredible time sailing with Anna and Keane! Though the author and the promise of romance were initially the biggest draws for me, I found Anna's healing journey to be one of my favorite things about this story. It was emotional, touching, and just beautifully done. 

**ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

Where the Stars Still Shine
Trish Doller
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She's never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she’d like to forget completely. But when Callie’s mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie’s real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love--even with someone who seems an improbable choice--is more than just a possibility.

Trish Doller writes incredibly real teens, and this searing story of love, betrayal, and how not to lose your mind will resonate with readers who want their stories gritty and utterly true.

Callie and her mom had been on the run for most of her life. She had grown accustomed to having no friends, no roots, but then fate intervened. Retuned to the childhood home and the father she hardly remembered, Callie found herself suddenly surrounded by friends and family. Feeling as though she was betraying her mother, Callie had to decide if she should stay or return to life on the run. 

Can I just tell you how much I love a Trish Doller book. I am all about the books that make me feel, and this one had me feeling a LOT. I couldn't imagine being in Callie's situation, but I thought Doller did a phenomenal job inviting me into her head and helping me understand her thought process. This new life was nothing like she had ever experienced. Watching her form connections and think about a possible future was a thing of beauty. 

You could see how hard it was for Callie to adapt to this new lifestyle and new way of thinking. She made mistakes. Let's be honest, she made many, many mistakes, but she also learned and grew tremendously. Every bit of progress she made, and every step she took towards reclaiming her life made me happy. 

I won't pretend that I didn't struggle with the romantic relationship a bit. I thought he was a little too old for Callie, but watching their affection take root and grow into something meaningful changed my mind. But you know what, he ended up being a lot deeper and more sensitive than I originally believed, and heck, I found myself rooting for them.

The relationship between Callie and her dad was also really touching. He had lost his child for twelve years. He missed a lot, but he was wasting no time trying to forge a bond with her. Suddenly becoming a parent to a teen was no easy task. Dad had to employ a lot of trial and error with Callie. She was used to a lot of freedom and very little supervision. Dad had to walk that fine line with her, but the love was so obvious. 

Overall: This book was near perfect for me. It was moving and really tugged at my heartstrings. 

Have you ever been to the Caribbean?
Let us know in the comments!