Plan Overboard

Toronto #14

by Heather Wardell

The much-anticipated sequel to ALL AT SEA brings back Melissa and the trio of brothers that vied for her heart, and a brand new heroine to root for in Corinne Kostopoulos.

All Corinne has ever wanted was the role of clarinetist for the Toronto Philharmonic Orchestra. The clarinet, and working to master it, is all she has left of her father, who abandoned the family when she was a little girl. But after failing to clinch an open spot in a heated audition, her life-plan soon goes overboard. Not only does she break up with her longtime boyfriend, Clay, she also makes a decision that will alter her destiny in ways she never imagined...

After a medical procedure and a couple of months of changing everything in her life, a pregnant Corinne meets Melissa and her gorgeous flirt of a brother-in-law, Austin, on a cruise. The heat of the Caribbean sun soon combines with a mutual attraction to create a sizzling connection neither Corinne nor Austin can deny. But when the truth comes out about Corinne's condition, will lifelong playboy Austin man up? Or will Corinne's hope for a future beyond a shipboard romance prove yet another PLAN OVERBOARD?

Genres: Romance, Chick Lit

243 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 27, 2014

About the author

I am a natural 1200 wpm speed reader and the author of twenty-three self-published novels including the free ebook "Life, Love, and a Polar Bear Tattoo" which has had over 400,000 downloads.

In my spare time, I read, run, swim, crochet, take care of my cat Pearl, and play drums and clarinet. Generally not all at once.

I only record books here if I absolutely love them and hugely recommend them. I definitely read more than you see here. :)

Reviews

[Niyati Em · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am so confused with this book. There was so much NOT to like about it, and yet Austin reminded me so much of my own husband, who is so sweet and kind. I DID NOT like Corrine at all! AT ALL. There was SO LITTLE backstory to what she did, it seemed convenient. Why did she break up with Clay when there was barely any mention of him in the book at all? It could have been completely cut off. Corrine just seems like such a methodical person who plans things to the T. I know many people like doing that, but then her emotions became something that seemed unbelievable. There was so little space given to her emotions and why she felt what she did, her childhood and what motivated her. That came in such little spurts. There was NO reason as to why she was such a perfectionist in the first place. It all came as realizations too late in the book.

And the blurb or the whole idea for the previous book is so awkward. A person who dates one person till the point they decide to get married, then they come on a cruise and she falls in love with her fiance's brother and also finds out she has dated her fiance's other brother. HOW awkward is it. HOW can a person stand the fact that she dated all 3 brothers? That part left me cringing so hard, I was going to quit reading.

Things happened far too conveniently in the book. WHY did Austin stick around? WHY did Corrine fall in love with him? WHY was she so detail oriented?

Spoiler alert

********************

For nearly 20-30% of the book, Austin isnt a part of her life, and the methodical and often emotionless way Corrine talks, her life truly moves on. It's like the story moves on as well and then that left me pretty pissed. What is the point of reading a romance if the characters DONT even meet or be in each other's lives for such a long time. And within the time that they don't, the main character has a baby.

***************************

I think one of my biggest issues with the book is the main character. I did not like how Corrine displays no emotion. The book reads like it is a diary without giving us her thoughts or motivations. There isnt any emotion in it at all. I don't understand you as a person, and I don't understand where you come from as a person.

The whole romance was led by Austin. There were no small moments that made us feel for the character. It was all show not tell and that I believe took away from a LOT of experiences from the book. I mean, men like Austin are real. Men can change. Men can be lovable. BUT the book doesn't let us get close to such men at all. It reads through them like a boring diary entry. And that was the worst part.

I felt like giving up too many times in the book, but I continued. But, honestly, save yourself some time. This isn't the best romance I've read and I feel bad giving this such a scathing review. But honestly, I've read so much better and this COULD have been better had it not been written as if Corrine was a robot. Honestly.


Thank you NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Autumn Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heather Wardell is an author I found long before I started blogging. And with Plan Overboard, I remembered why I enjoy reading her books so much. There isn't a lot of fancy flair to her stories, but they're real, relatable and she creates characters that you truly enjoy and often fall in love with.

What worked for me:
~The characters. Plain and simple. I wasn't all that sure I would like Corinne, but what I found was a woman who knew what she wanted, what she needed, and in the end...did what made her happy. Then there's Austin. I've always liked Austin, but I fell for him pretty hard in this book. He's been the kind of guy that would be fun to hang out with, flirt with, and have a steamy fling with, but never the guy I would have expected to go the distance. With Corinne, he was different. He found something he wanted for more than just a good time.
~There's a baby. That gets me every time. Add in Austin falling in love with the baby...goner.
~Corinne and Austin had great chemistry.
~The story had a great flow.
~I loved seeing past characters, like Melissa and Nicholas. It always makes me smile to see where characters have gone.

Overall, Plan Overboard was truly and enjoyable read. This book is part of a series, but you don't need to read them in order to enjoy or understand the characters. I've read several books in the series out of order and have never had a problem. If you like romantic chick lit, check out Wardell's books. They're solid and always enjoyable.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read and enjoyed Heather Wardell’s At Sea, and this is a continuation of that story, though you do not need to have read it or any of the others in this series to follow this story. In this book, Corrine, after not getting her coveted spot as a clarinetist in the local orchestra, falls into a funk. She emerges a new person, rejecting her boyfriend and friends, because they are part of her “music” person, not the “new” person she has decided to and plans to become. In her big change to a different life, she sets out to do one thing she has always wanted, having an in vitro pregnancy, because she has always wanted a child. While this is a worthwhile desire and one she probably should pursue, I thought Corrine stumbled into this decision, which is irreversible once it is a fait accompli, without good forethought. Yes, she develops a “plan” for her life, but I did not get the idea that this was a solid, workable plan, and we are talking about having a baby here, not something you can reverse or change much once done. As the story opens, she goes on a cruise with her brother and his friends and literally falls head over heels with a reputed bad boy, a playboy she meets. I was beginning to wonder about her maturity—it seemed like she jumped into things rather quickly without enough good thought of the repercussions. The guy, Austin, is a real love ’em and leave ’em kind of guy, but they nevertheless both continue to pursue what looks like a shipboard fling. Franky, I really did not take all that well to either Corrine or Austin for most of the book. The author portrays Corrine as the solid, thoughtful, mature character, but she did things that I found not in keeping with that image. Eventually, things work out for the best, but should a mother-to-be just jump into a fling with a reputed player, let alone should a woman, with little financial security and little training beyond her music, go for in vitro when she is rejecting her music, potential jobs and friends within the music community? I am not sure I would look up to her as the thoughtful, stable person after this, even though things do work okay for her. In addition, I guess her finances were better than most, as she never seemed to have much difficulty with expenses (except for her broken ac unit) throughout the book and lived what appeared to be an okay lifestyle—but, then this is fiction, so rules can be bent or not taken into account to fit the situation.

The character of Corrine and Austin were fairly well developed. I liked the way both “stepped up to the plate” with the baby and their relationship. However, I think it would have been a bit more believable that Austin would come around, if he had not been painted so vividly as a “player”, moving from one woman to the next, without any thought or hesitation. Yes, the author had him go through a lot of hand wringing and serious thought throughout the book, but it just did not ring true to me. Even Corrine goes through thought and hand wringing herself over what she should do, but she did not come across to me as the adult in the room as the author painted her. Finally, the book’s storyline and plot were very predictable. This just will never be my favorite book by the author, mostly because it never did ring true to me. I enjoyed the growth of the two main characters, but this was not done well enough to make me feel they really were growing. It seemed as if there was a rush to make them both seem more adult and accepting of every situation. Perhaps the book should have been longer than it was, to make me feel better. As it is, the book makes for a good beach read, fast moving and not that long. I think many would enjoy this if they realize that this is fiction and things in reality may not always go as smoothly as they do here or fall into place as nicely or quickly. I received this from the author to read and review honestly.

[Jeannie Zelos · Rating 4 out of 5]

 
Plan Overboard, Toronto Collection 14, Heather Wardell

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre:  Romance, Women’s fiction 

I’ve enjoyed several of Heather’s novels now and one thing comes across throughout them all – the Characters. They are real, I feel as if I could touch them, understand them, sympathise with them when things go wrong and am so happy with them when everything works out well. I need that in a story to enjoy it, it needs to have people I can relate to in some way and Heather always delivers that, wrapped up in a story that is very true to life, well planned and always entertaining. That's the purpose of a story for me – I want to be entertained, taken away from the day to day dross, and escape to another world.

There’s a gap in my reading here so I didn’t know any of the characters, but that didn’t affect my enjoyment – I was able to pick up the story easily. Corinne, poor Corinne has spent the last 20 years chasing a very exacting dream, a place in an orchestra that very rarely comes vacant. For her it has to be That orchestra, no other will do, so when she doesn’t get the coveted place she’s stunned. What now? What about all her plans? Failing to get in once the opening appeared hasn’t factored into her plans and she’s lost. Still, with that plan down she makes another, discards everyone and everything associated with Plan 1 and moves on to Plan 2. Poor Clay, her boyfriend is part of Plan 1 and he’s got to go....to me she seemed almost a control freak in her tightly regulated plans, but its what holds her together and without a plan she feels a failure. Well that's how she seems to me.
So what’s Plan 2? A baby that’s what. Plans in place to ensure she can afford it she changes jobs, seeks out a clinic and is soon on the way to parenthood. What she didn’t factor in was meeting Austin on the cruise with her brother and friends. They get on incredibly well, feel so drawn to each other, but Austin makes it clear at the start that its for the cruise only, no contact after and indeed his family take pains to warn her he’s lovely, will make her feel so special, as if she’s the only one for him, but in the end he’s a playboy and always leaves. Events happen that show that is true while they’re out and about. Still, she only wants some fun, she’s no plans for a man in her life so it suits her. Can life be so controlled though? No, of course not and they both develop feelings they didn’t expect ;-) and have to find ways to deal with it. There’s a complication though – Corinne's baby.

I loved both Corinne and Austin and it was clear early on that his feelings for her were unusual for him. His family were astounded at the things he did, buying her presents, giving up precious time usually spend on things he loves just to be with her. When it goes wrong it really goes wrong, and I so felt for them both. I did understand their feelings but to me they were too fixed in their ideas, the (new) Plan for Corinne, and for Austin his fears of not being able to be the man he wanted for her. At times I did get impatient with both, but of course its that drama that makes the book, that realism that made me want to shout at them.

Its a fun read, very emotional and even right to the end I was unsure how things would work out. How would Heather get them past their fears, the Plan, let Austin see he was more than he thought....and it made it so satisfying when things finally came together.

Stars: Four, a fun and realistic read 
 
ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers

If you enjoyed my review I'd love it if you would please click “Like” and if you didn't I'd love to know why, so I can make future reviews more helpful.
 

[I'd So Rather Be Reading {Nat} · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm one of Heather Wardell's biggest fans: I've followed her writing for years, read all of her books and I had the tremendous honor of writing the cover blurb for her last book. I've loved all of Heather's books, with Plan Overboard being one of my favorites to date. I think this is because I identified so completely with Corinne: we're both planners (big-time planners, in fact), mothers, and instinctively inflexible people. Like Corinne, motherhood has softened me up and made me slightly more flexible, although it's still a struggle for me.

I love the fact that sequels provide a glimpse of favorite characters from previous novels living out their happily ever afters. Melissa and Nicholas were such a cute couple in All At Sea, and I was so happy to see their relationship flourish in Plan Overboard. Even better was the fact that Corinne becomes friends with Melissa, Nicholas, and Nicholas' brother, Austin.

Corinne and Austin have an instant attraction to each other, and start a friendship that soon blossoms into romance. Both understand that the relationship is temporary and that when the cruise ends, they'll both go back to their normal lives. For Austin, this is his modus operandi: his mother takes he and his brothers on a cruise yearly. Every year, he has at least one relationship while on the trip. This fact is well-known and even joked about among his family members. As for Corinne, she has her life planned out to the smallest detail (written in a spiral notebook, no less---so me) and her plan does not include a man. She doesn't expect or really want to fall in love at this point in her life, and therefore is surprised at the intensity of her feelings for Austin.

The fleeting nature of Corinne and Austin's relationship belies the fact that it is life-changing for both of them. The cruise ends, but their story is far from over. I expected the cruise to take up a major portion of the book, and while it was essential to the story, the majority of Plan Overboard takes place after the cruise. I liked that Plan Overboard is Corinne's story, more so than Wardell's previous books where the male and female leads share the spotlight. The focus on Corinne allowed for loads of character growth, which is my favorite thing to read about. I loved Corinne's journey of following her dreams and how she slowly surrenders to an unexpected happiness.

Wardell writes with her usual steady pace: describing her characters' daily lives, but in an interesting and inventive way. I liked that Plan Overboard encompasses nearly a year's time, with not every day individually described, of course, but with plenty of details along with some jumps forward in time. I don't mind it when books move forward in time if the author can adeptly describe what happened in the lapse, and Wardell does this skillfully (as usual!).

My favorite aspect of Plan Overboard was the way Corinne found happiness. I loved how she slowly changed over the course of the story, opening herself up to surprises and changing her long-held belief systems about her parents, her dreams, her career, and herself as a person. Austin does plenty of growing as well, but it was Corinne's growth that resonated so strongly with me.

I finished Plan Overboard feeling happy, pleased with the perfectly befitting ending, and inspired to do some "letting go" of my own. Wardell's done it again: written a book that draws me in from page one, makes me laugh, cry and leaves me feeling both introspective and inspired to make changes in my own life.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was offered the chance to read this title by the author herself in exchange for a fair and honest review. This book followed the last two books by Heather Wardell that I reviewed (Everybody's Got a Story and Fifty Million Reasons). It's also the long-awaited sequel to All at Sea which chronicled the events between a portion of the key characters which frequently appeared throughout this novel. This story stood well on its own, but the author did a wonderful job weaving in the events of the previous one without shifting the focus away from the main character of this story, Corinne.

Oh, Corinne. The poor woman's world crumbled the moment she failed to achieve a dream that had been the driving force of her life for over a decade, maybe longer. The weight of that failure drove her to the other extreme and led to what many would consider to be a life-altering decision. I was a little taken aback by what she did because her behavior at the start of the novel didn't lead me to believe that she'd do something like that. Then again, I could understand it as the story progressed. Most of the characters in this novel had easygoing natures which made a lot of the book a fun read. Each of them kept their individuality while blending well when grouped together, especially during the cruise segments of the book.

As I mentioned before, some of the characters were introduced in an earlier book. Nick, Mel and Austin all had their histories and reasons explored in more depth in it, but the author was able to weave in the important events during conversations and other small ways. Not only did it help to me understand the reasons why they said or did something, each instance helped to advance the plot in a way that kept me interested. The pace of the story was fairly consistent from beginning to end, allowing me to enjoy the story but also helped keep those pages turning.

In the end I found myself enjoying this book for a couple of reasons. The main reason was the fact I could relate to Corinne in the way she perceived herself for not achieving what was her lifelong dream. I've been there myself. I've also met a man similar to Austin in a lot of ways. Though he's not as well off as the character, it was a treat to read a book and see similarities in one's own life. Now, I will admit that I found a couple of the plot devices as easy to guess. However, the chapters before the ending really hit the nail on the head in regards to realizing what life was all about. It made the ride worthwhile for me. If you're looking for a book about an instant connection, dealing with the shards of broken dreams, or coming to terms with life and its scorn of plans, then this is the book you'll want to add to your collection.

[Kathryn Laceby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally reviewed at Novel Escapes

Plan Overboard follows one of the characters from Heather Wardell's previous novel All At Sea and although there are some people that reappear in this second book they can both be enjoyed as stand-alone novels quite happily. But having read both I was really happy to see the "evolution of Austin". I was like a proud parent realizing that he was starting to open up to the possibility of being the person he thought he was rather than the person everyone was telling him he was.

I suppose that if you hadn't read All At Sea then Plan Overboard you would probably be about Corinne’s journey and not Austin's quite so much! Corinne’s character appealed to me and I was surprised by a number of things that came out of her exploration of the new relationship with Austin on board ship. She obviously also has a supportive brother and mother and Wardell made sure we knew about their close bonds and the reasons they were strong. Her career as a clarinetist also was quite intriguing in that we were given a good idea of the intensity of such a position and the struggle she obviously felt in giving it up. I also liked that the author explored Corinne’s relationship with her absent father, his abandonment of the family directed Corinne’s life completely and it was heartbreaking for her to realize that that bond she had treasured was perhaps the figment of a little girl’s longing.

On occasion I felt a bit of frustration about the ease in which she took to motherhood, especially on her own but it seems like she gave herself to the role and had chosen it purposefully so her intent was to go at it with as much positivity and gusto as she could.

All in all Plan Overboard will give you hope in “the one that will never wed” and it's a positive story with a plethora of likeable characters.


Thank you to the author for our review copy. All opinions are our own.

[Kelly Mccurdy · Rating 5 out of 5]

~~I received this in exchange for an honest review~~

This is kind of a continuation of All at Sea (or at least you meet the characters in that book). This is the second book that I have read by Heather, and this one didn't disappoint at all.

This is about a woman who plans everything out. She plans months in advance. She know how much, when, where, and how she is going to accomplish this goal. This woman also just found out that she didn't make it into the Toronto Philharmonic Orchestra. Corrine has spent the last 20 years planning on making it into the Philharmonic. When that doesn't pan out, she makes a new plan including becoming a single mom, and forgets her old plans. What she doesn't plan on is Austin. Austin, is a playboy, everybody who knows Austin, knows that he doesn't do relationships. And Corrine on the same cruise as Austin, is just wonderful for him. He'll spend the entire cruise with her, and when it is over, he will say goodbye and never see her again. Or so he thinks. What he doesn't plan on, is the feelings that he has for her. But, can those feelings hold true when Corrine tells Austin the secret that she has been carrying with her?

I love books like this. They make you laugh and they make you cry. This book did both. I was skeptical about this book. Knowing what Austin is like and how fragile Corrine is. But Heather balances the story well. There is enough give and take with the story, that it doesn't feel overpowered by one story or the other. She wraps it up with a nice ribbon and delivers a fantastic story!! You will love this book!!

[Bianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review posted first on my blog.

I don't think it's possible for me to read a Heather Wardell book and not love it. I have this crazy fear that I'll be all caught up on her books and won't have anything else of hers to read until the next book comes out, so I kept Plan Overboard hidden from myself until I felt like it was the right time.

I loved this book's prequel, All At Sea. I went on my first cruise a few years ago, and it was one of the best weeks of my life. I think that's part of the reason why I loved All At Sea so much - it reminded me of all the fun times I had on my trip. So when I found out Plan Overboard was going to be the sequel (followed by another that is coming out soon) I could not have been more excited.

Wardell creates characters that are so real and life-like. I understand their emotions, decisions, history and what truly motivates them. And somehow I always end up being able to apply something that I read to my life.

I loved hearing about Melissa and Nicholas and what they're up to now. That's always a fun perk of Wardell's stories - she always brings back a character or two from a previous book whose life you can continue to hear about.

I talk about Heather Wardell to my friends, boyfriend and book club so much that people always ask me what kind of stories she writes. Before I could think about my answer, the word "soul" popped out of my mouth, and now that I really think about it, that's exactly right. Her stories touch my soul in some way, and I am always left wanting more.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of author Heather Wardell, I was not surprised that I would love reading the Toronto Series novels, All At Sea and its sequel Plan Overboard! Heather weaves a fun tale that easily draws the reader into the characters' lives and relationships.

The storylines in this series flow smoothly from one book to the next, they feature past characters and new characters who are realistic, quirky, and easy to relate to; each has an enjoyable mixture of romance, humor, and relationship drama that keeps the reader engaged and thoroughly entertained; and if you haven't read them in sequence, don't worry they are just as good as a stand alone read.

In true Heather Wardell style, she creates stories that are so much more than your normal romance novel. She interweaves life's challenges and relationship quirks that are realistic; you can't help but make a connection with the down-to-earth characters; and she even makes you ponder the story's message that sometimes life won't always go as you have planned, but it's definitely worth the journey.

If you check out Author Heather Wardell's entire Toronto Series, don't pass up the chance to read these thoroughly entertaining romance stories, you can thank me later!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great fun summer read, one that is just perfect to enjoy laid back on a sun lounger, the story of Corinne and how her planned out life went totally wrong is a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Corrine has dreamed of being a clarinetist for the Toronto Philharmonic Orchestra, unfortunately during an audition she fails to land her dream job and with that her carefully laid down plans unravel.

As well as splitting up with her boyfriend, her life can't get any worse but she decides to make a huge decision, one that will change her life for the better forever, she falls pregnant with a little help from the wonders of the medical world and sets about changing her life.

Dragged on a cruise by her brother and his friends she resolves to put her feet up and finally watch Sex and The City not revealing she is pregnant, a spanner is thrown in the works in the shape of Austin, brother in law of Melissa from Heather's All at Sea story, he is gorgeous, sizzling hot and soon her group of friends and family and his join together.

Corrine and Austin has sparkling chemistry but he is a known playboy, how will he cope when he discovers that Corrine is pregnant, will he run a mile or will he finally get a grip and grow up?

Well as to what happens you will need to find out for yourself!!

This story is a lovely read and Heather has such an amazing back catalogue of books all waiting to be read too!!

[Tricia Drammeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

After Corrine fails to achieve her dream of earning a chair as a clarinetist in the Toronto Philharmonic Orchestra, she completely revamps her life. She gives up music, takes a new job, leaves her longterm boyfriend, and decides to become a mother all on her own. Her life is planned down to the last detail. She doesn't plan to meet someone like Austin. While on a cruise with her brother and his friends, she meets Austin, an incurable flirt who has never been in a committed relationship. Can Corrine throw caution to the wind and enjoy a week with Austin, no strings attached? Or will all her plans go awry?

Having read ALL AT SEA, I already suspected I would love PLAN OVERBOARD. What a fun story! In the previous book, Austin was a flirt, but he was likable and displayed a sensitive side. It was fantastic to see more of him in this book. The chemistry between Austin and Corrine was out of this world. She was truly able to come alive when he was with her. It's a classic case of him bringing out the best in her. And, she brought out the best in him as well. I loved the character development in this book. As Corrine learned to get past some of her issues and learned to give up control, Austin had to learn to trust himself.

I loved this book. I love what I've read of the series so far and absolutely plan to read more from Heather Wardell. I'm a fan!

[Kate’s Book Spot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly I’d like to thank the author for sending me this eBook to read and give my honest review. Heather Wardell is one of those authors who I feel so happy to have discovered, I don’t think my reading journey would be complete without her books in it!

Plan Overboard had a fast pace right from the very beginning, this meant that it held my interest easily. Having recently had my third baby I enjoyed the pregnancy/motherhood side of the storyline as it gave me something to relate to. I also enjoyed catching up with characters from All At Sea (review on my blog), although please don’t worry if you haven’t already read that book because this also works well as a standalone read.

The first part of the storyline had plenty of sexual tension which then morphed into a romantic fizz the further I read, this made the book exciting but touching all at the same time. The characters had lots of depth, the more I read about them and their lives the more I genuinely cared about them.

The musical side of this book was all a bit alien to me because I’ve never experienced that world but I found it fascinating and surprising – I couldn’t believe the level of dedication it took to be a great musician, I was in awe!

This was a fun read with interesting characters and a heartwarming result.

[Ishita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second installment to the shipboard romance started by Heather Wardell has been written beautifully. The first book was read by in the year 2015 when I first started off as a reviewer for Netgalley. The underlying theme of shipboard romance has been kept constant and the familiarity if the characters helped me going with the flow. The character development that was started in the first book has definitely contributed in making this book a delightful read. The romantic element has been kept sweet without the element of heat and lust which helps in focussing on the lead characters and makes them more humane to get involved with.

The narrative style has been maintained in first person like the original book and the simplicity contributes largely in making the book appealing for the audience. The cover image and the title also manages to underscores the simplicity of the storyline.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heather Wardell is one of my favorite authors. This is a sequel to All at Sea and it may be my favorite book so far. I love the characters and getting to see what the ones from All at Sea have been up to since their book ended. I enjoy that in the Toronto series you get snippets as to what the other character are up to. Corrine is a planner. She has her life planned out and has since she was 10 years old. Austin is a fun loving guy just playing day by day. Somehow they connect. Can they make it work?? I love how Heather's book make you reflect on yourself and see if you maybe make the same mistakes as the characters and if maybe you could benefit from the lessons they learn. I recommend Heather Wardell to all my friends.

[Samantha March · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heather Wardell is on tour now with CLP Blog Tours and Plan Overboard
I’ve been so excited to read Plan Overboard, since I adored All At Sea. I will also say that Heather Wardell has been a favorite author of mine for many years, and I’ve met her in person and consider her a friend. So of course I was excited for a new release, a follow up, and what I knew would be another great read. And I was right! This book was really fascinating to me, because in classic Wardell style, nothing is predictable. From Corinne getting pregnant to her relationship ups and downs to even the ending, I was engaged throughout the whole read. Don’t ask me to pick a favorite book from this author – not only does she have more than my 10 fingers can count, they are never a disappointment!

[Margaret Tidwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plan Overboard by Heather Wardell was a great book. I was a change for me because I haven't been reading books that are light & airy. I am not always a fan of these types of books but it was a great book. I didn't read the first book in the series and I didn't seem lost at all when it came to understanding what was going on. I wish I would have read the first book before this one but I just didn't have time. I think I will go back and read it now even though I will know what ends up happening because of this book. I loved the characters but I have say that Corinne is crazy. I don't understand how someone can plan their life like she did it just seems crazy to me. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves light romance novels.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heather Wardell is one of my very favorite authors. I always buy her books on the first day on my kindle so I can reread if I want. This is a sequel to All At Sea (which is one of my favorites), so I knew I wanted to read it as soon as possible. I love how she allowed her characters to grow - especially Austin and how we got to see how Melissa and Nicholas from All at Sea are doing. This is a great women's fiction book -- yes there is always romance in there, but Heather's books are so much more than just romance novels. I would recommend that you read All at Sea first, but you don't have to -- but I do recommend that you read it!

[Julie Shick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this author, Heather Wardell. Her Toronto Collection, a 15 book set, is not a series but an interwoven story of characters and settings that reappear across the stories. A restaurant that is the main setting for one book will appear in the background of another story. In this book, Plan Overboard, a minor character from All at Sea, gets center stage. The characters have to come to terms with adjusting goals, plans, and ideas while finding love. A positive story that entertains the reader.

[Kirsten Schlewitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Glad that Wardell did a book featuring Austin from All At Sea. And glad we got to see more of Melissa and Nicholas as well, as they're my favorite pairing that she's created.

Alas, the relationship between Corinne and Austin wasn't quite on their level, although it was very much appreciated that she got them together early in the book, rather than five pages before the end as is usual in this genre, and actually gave us a story about how they worked to create their relationship.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book! Although there were plenty of times that Corinne got on my nerves with her planning and how everything needed to be perfect as we got to understand her better and her relationships growing up, it made perfect sense. Then there was Austin and his own issues that was wonderful to see him grow and chance and never once see Corinne as a failure.

[Sheyann Wheelan-sword · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't write reviews without giving anything away, so I will just say that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book!! I think it might be my favorite book by Heather Wardell!! I LOVE Austin, and the way he struggles with his feelings for Corinne! I totally recommend ALL of Heather's books if you haven't read them yet!!

[Rainbolt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read all of Wardell's Toronto Series, and this was not one of my favorites -- part of it was it's a continuation of "At Sea" which was not one of my favorites. That being said, it was still an enjoyable read, I just didn't relate to the characters that well.

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 I keep reading this series, but this one was completely predictable. It also was exactly what I needed after a rough week a work - something that I could escape into and that overall was happy.