Swimming for Sunlight by Allie Larkin, is my first book by this author. Katie gave up everything in her divorce to keep her dog Bark, and moved from New York to Florida to live with her grandmother, Nan. Both Katie and Bark have emotional problems, and Katie learns things she never knew about Nan. I absolutely loved it. It hooked me in from the first page. It was filled with drama and emotional roller coasters. I recommend this book.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you.

When I read fiction these days, it's mostly mystery/thriller. Occasionally though, something else catches my eye. Having read Larkin's first book and enjoyed it, I was happy to come across this one. I wasn't disappointed. The characters, from the dog to the awesome group of older ladies, are well-developed and likable. I especially loved that these older women are portrayed as vibrant women and not the more commonly seen oddball character thrown in. I enjoyed the interview with the author at the end as well - happy to hear the vegan jokes were her laughing at herself and generalizations.

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

What an amazing story! It definitely gave me lots of feelings but also made me laugh... a great combination!

Katie Ellis is a recent divorcee who struggles with very bad anxiety and fears relating to her past trauma. With nowhere to go, she packs up her dog Bark and hightails it back home to Florida to stay with her grandma who raised her. She feels lost and alone, but becomes involved in a reunion show for her grandmother and her fellow mermaid performers from many years ago. Katie also reconnects with several important people from her own past, including the one that got away.

I absolutely loved this book. Katie was a tough -- but lovable -- character. I have anxiety myself, but hers was to an extreme level (it kind of seemed like PTSD). She struggles throughout the book with fear, loss, loneliness, and feelings of unworthiness. She has a hard time seeing her own value, and takes her fears out on those who love her. Despite her shortcomings, she is loyal and someone you can really root for. She's the kind of character who you want to see win.

The rest of the characters provided an incredible supporting cast. Her grandma, Nan, easily stole the show with her spunk and liveliness, and Katie's best friend Mo provided perfect comic relief ("hysterical!"). Bitsie, Bunny, and all of the other older women became Katie's family, and I loved how all of their friendships and relationships intertwined.

This was just such a delightful and hopeful read about love, loss, friendship, and hope. You can fall, but you can always get back up... that's what I'm taking away from this book, and what all of Katie's loved ones seem to teach her along the way. The Florida setting reminded me of time spent at my own grandma's house, and I already miss all of the ladies. I just got ALL the good feelings from this book, and it'll definitely stay with me.

Can I go back and read it all over again now???

Available: now

Thank you to NetGalley.com and the publisher for an e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Its been too long in between Allie Larkin books, but this is worth the wait. Books that feature dogs as prominent characters are a weakness and I'm a sucker for her books.. Kaitlyn is a multi-layered character riddled with anxiety that was difficult for me to initially connect with but while reading I began to understand her whys - why she was so panicked all of the time, why she was so fearful of love.

We've all done the safe thing to protect our hearts. It takes amazing courage to take the leap of faith and I'm inspired by an imaginary character to do the same in my own life.

And I need a Bitsie in my life - can I adopt her?

Overall Grade - B+

I received an advanced copy of Swimming for Sunlight from Atria Books and NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

This is the first of Allie Larkin’s books which I have read - after Author Kerry Lonsdale suggested it to me. I’m so glad I listened!!

It took me a bit to get into the story, but once I did, I couldn’t put the book down. I absolutely loved Katie’s relationship with her Nan - it truly made me miss my grandmother. Every child/adult should be blessed with a relationship so close and so filled with love.

The story was as much about lifelong friendships as it was love and overcoming your worst fears. Allie Larkin’s storytelling was spot on, and the story as a whole was beautiful.

I have loved all of Allie Larkin's books but Swimming for Sunlight felt like so much more. The friendships, the wisdom, the growth, the mermaids, the dogs. This book definitely made me feel things.

From the very first line of the prologue, "My husband brought a date to our divorce," I knew I was hooked. Kay has been lost for a long time and moving back in with her grandmother is the only thing that will help her find herself again. The characters in this book, Bark included, were written to perfection. Sometimes it takes the wisdom and judgment from a group of old ladies to show you it's time to live your life differently, better.

But I have so much more to say about those "old ladies." Mainly, I want them in my life. They're full of life and warmth but they also have sass, pizzazz, and courage. Old ladies reliving their mermaids days and proving they still have so much to give to the world, basically I want them by my side but I also aspire to be them.

I have only good things to say about this heartwarming (and heartbreaking), funny, complex book. Basically what I'm trying to say here is: please please please read this book and welcome this fabulous author into your life!

Thank you so so much to Netgalley and Atria for my copy of this book.

I kind of want to be a mermaid in a fantastic costume made by Kay! The descriptions of the costumes were so vivid, I felt like I was in the room with her when she was sewing.

I could also feel Kay and Barky’s anxiety as I read the words used to describe her fears. Her fears of losing the people closest to her. You can lose what you push away, right?

The friendships that are threaded through this novel are special. I hope that when I’m an older lady, I have friends like that around me.

This is a very special novel and I can’t recommend it enough.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Allie Larkin for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book - I was just in the mood for a sweet, charming read. And any book with positive messages about the older generation definitely gets 5 stars!

Katie is recently divorced and moves from her home in New York to live with her grandmother in Florida. The only thing that Katie got from the divorce was their dog, Bark. When Katie moves in with Nan, she discovers a different side of Nan than the one she grew up with. Katie learns that Nan was once a mermaid in a traveling exhibition and is in a mermaid exercise class. Nan's friends envelop Katie with love and support, but Katie has crippling anxiety (as does Bark) and can't bring herself to love or be loved for fear of loss, which extends to Luca, an old boyfriend, who comes back into the picture.

I just adored these characters - especially Nan and her friends - but Luca and Mo are so supportive and loving. This is just a sweet book about love, friendship, fears and strength. Highly recommended!

Katie is an aspiring costume designer, and I knew she was my kind of gal when I read she gave up everything in her divorce settlement- everything- in order to keep her rescue dog. At a loss on what her next steps should be, Katie moves home to Florida to live with her grandmother. Her former underwater performer grandmother.

Nan was a mermaid performer in a roadside show, and she had a group of close friends who performed with her. Unfortunately, the women lost touch over the years, but Katie helps Nan find her friends via social media in hopes of reuniting them for one more show. Of course, if this happens, Katie will make the costumes!

Katie’s college boyfriend, Luca, re-enters the scene. Now a documentary filmmaker, Katie is feeling sparks between them. Katie has a real battle between all of her dreams and her anxiety holding her back from obtaining them. She makes a connection between her own fear and the anxiety her dog experiences. This aspect was SO sensitive and well-done, it melts my heart just thinking about it again.

Swimming for Sunlight is a charming and moving story. If you are a lover of dogs or any animal, you can’t miss it, and even if you aren’t, this is a beautiful story that is sure to capture your heart like it did mine. Will Katie and Bark find their happily ever after?

I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Don’t you just love when you pick up a book and you fall in love with every character? You love their quirkiness, their joy, their kindness, their camaraderie. You just love everything about them. Look no further because this is the book!

Katie moves back in with her grandmother Nan after her divorce. Katie is so full of anxieties, stemming from the death of her father, but she tries so hard. She was raised by Nan and a delightful group of older ladies in their neighborhood. They are her family. When she finds out that Nan and a couple others were part of a mermaid group back in the day, an idea comes up for them to make a mermaid calendar for charity. Katie gets to use her sewing talent to create costumes for the women. She also reconnects with her ex-boyfriend, a documentary filmmaker.

I am leaving out one of the best parts, Barkimedes. Her dog Bark was the only thing she wanted from her marriage. He seems to suffer from as much anxiety as Katie! They are a pair.

If you are not crying at the end of this book, or during it, I don’t know about you. The love is displayed so beautifully. So many passage just touched my soul. It is one of the best ensembles of characters I have read in a while. I didn’t want it to end. I always say we can learn so much from our elders and I think, even though Katie is the main character, that they are the heart and soul of this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for a copy of this wonderful book.

I received a free advanced e-copy of Swimming for Sunlight by Allie Larkin from NetGalley for my honest review.

Oh my, where to start. Such a beautiful, moving, emotional and memorable book. Katie and her dog, Bark go to Florida after her divorce. Katie, is young, depressed and is struggling with anxiety and fears as well. She is also still mourning the loss of her father. She ends up moving in with her Grandmother (Nan).

Katie learns that Nan was a mermaid performer back in the day. Katie decides to help Nan reunite with her Mermaid friends from the past. They contact all the Mermaids, wanting to do a reunion show. While all this is happening she also learns that her Ex husband is in another relationship and is happy but she is heart broken. Katie starts to find her own peach and healing process when she decides to make costumes for Nana and all her friends for the reunion show.

A beautiful and enchanting book filled with love, compassion, sorrow, happiness and above all friendship and healing. You will laugh with these characters, cry with these characters and fall in love with them as well.

SWIMMING FOR SUNLIGHT by Allie Larkin is such a perfect way to spend the day. Be prepared to ignore everything else until you are done. All I wanted to do when I finished reading was to reach out and give Katie and her grandmother Nan a big hug. Katie is recently divorced and basically, takes her rescue dog, Bark, a few bags of clothes, and runs to Nan’s. To say that Nan has an interesting bunch of friends, would be a huge under statement. When Nan and her friends were younger, they were underwater performers. Katie is a costume designer and as Katie helps her Nan reconnect with her old friends who also performed with her, she ofcourse, will be making their mermaid costumes.



Katie also decides to look up her old college boyfriend, Luca. There isn’t a whole lot of romance in this story, but you have to read SWIMMING FOR SUNLIGHT to find out what happens! You are going to love where this story takes you! All the while, Katie is trying to overcome her anxiety and the issues she has carried for years with the death of her father. She was with him when he died and the internal battles she continues to fight will just break your heart. Bark has his own anxiety issues, but I felt like Katie created most if not all of them.



I fell in love with all of Allie’s characters and SWIMMING FOR SUNLIGHT did not disappoint all I had been hearing about it. Reading this perfect and heart warming book was like visiting with old friends. I loved learning how Katie became interested in sewing . Even though everyone is in everyone else’s business just enough to drive them all crazy, it was still a fun as well as an emotional story for me. They all try to help Katie heal and find her happily ever after. I can’t wait to read more from Allie Larkin.

Swimming for Sunlight is an uplifting story full of love, friendship, growth and multi-generational comradery that will fill your heart with joy from beginning to end.

Katie Ellis suffered a double loss as a child; her father died of a heart attack as they were playing in the water and her mother abandoned her shortly thereafter. As a result, despite an abundance of love from her grandmother, Nan, and the caring of all of Nan’s friends, Katie suffers from debilitating anxiety disorder which now has cost Katie her marriage. The one thing she has fought for and won in the divorce settlement is her faithful-fearful dog, Bark. Now Katie is moving back in with Nan to be surrounded once more by a wonderful community of friends.

As someone who suffers from extreme social anxiety, I related to Katie and her faithful pooch very much. As she plunges herself into helping her Nan reconnect with Nan’s friends from the past, Katie slowly begins to heal and we, as readers, are able to see her growth – after a harrowing fall to the very bottom of an emotional fallout. It is through the help of the community, her own childhood friends and the love of her dear pet that we watch Katie learn to deal with her anxiety – and that of Bark’s as well.

There are a number of characters in Swimming for Sunlight in addition to the primary ones of Katie and her Nan and each play an integral part in the story. Larkin does a beautiful job of developing them to their fullest, slowly revealing their true nature so that we see their strengths and weaknesses as well, just as we would our own friends and neighbors. She then weaves their storylines in with Katie’s brilliantly. I loved Swimming for Sunlight. It came into my life at exactly the right time when I needed it most and filled it with warmth and happiness. I hope it will do the same for many other readers.

Many thanks to #Netgalley, #AllieLarkin and @AtriaBooks for my copy of #SwimmingForSunlight available today!

Kate is an aspiring costume designer who loses everything but her rescue pup in her divorce. She relocated and moved in with her grandmother who is full of secrets that Kate is now discovering.

She makes attempts to bring her grandmothers mermaid troop back together for a reunion show with the use of technology.

A beautiful story of family and love

I cannot say enough about Allie Larkin as a writer. For awhile after finishing Stay, I felt like I harassed her on Twitter, weekly, asking for her next book. I’m feeling very fortunate to have received an advance copy through Netgalley, though I’ll also be buying a copy because this book was pure magic.

The cast of characters make this an extremely heart warming, heart breaking, and heart repairing (just go with it, I know it’s weird) book. I absolutely loved Nan and Bitsie, plus the other mermaids. I felt for Katie and wanted so badly to pet Bark. I have my own Bark at home, so I was extra sensitive to those parts of the book.

Allie Larkin writes in such a way that you never want to come out of the world she’s created for you, yet you always want to read slow to make it last.

I love a good book about starting over and this one caught my eye with the mention of a close relationship between a grandmother and her granddaughter. I was incredibly close to my own grandma and valued our relationship so very much and I figured I would really enjoy reading about Katie and Nan’s special bond. I was mostly right, this was a light and sweet read that will make for good summer reading.

At the surface level there is plenty about Katie to like and I did admire her resolve when it came to starting over after her painful divorce. But once more about her character is revealed I’m afraid I never quite connected with her. She had a childlike quality about her and it grated on my nerves instead of bringing out my usual nurturing side for some reason. Thankfully I was totally obsessed with Nan and her mermaid friends, these ladies totally made the whole book for me and made me wish that I had a group of elderly women fussing over me! They were sassy, strong, brave and inspiring and made me laugh out loud several times.

Overall this was a solid read for me, despite my lack of connection with Katie I really did enjoy it. It was pretty predictable but the quirky supporting cast of characters including the mermaids and Katie’s best friend Mo more than made up for that aspect. There’s also a pretty sweet dog named Bark that features heavily in the story so if you’re an animal lover you would probably appreciate this one.

Swimming for Sunlight is a very well written book.. loved the plot, characters and setting. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC. This is my unbiased.

The words that ran through my head as I read Swimming for Sunlight were endearing, delightful and extraordinarily heartfelt. Allie Larkin has written a story about starting over when the odds have beaten you down time and time again and she has done so in a way that makes you want to reach out and hug our protagonist, Kay and of course, Kay's delightful rescue dog, Bark. More than that, Larkin has created a dream of a character in Kay's grandmother, Nan. Nan raised Kay for most of her life and embodies the type of person we all hope to have in our lives - whether as friend or family.

With tons of heart, humor, love and MERMAIDS (naturally, you'll need to grab a copy for more on this), Larkin surely has a hit on her hands with Swimming for Sunlight.

Thank you Atria for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

This is a lovely and nostalgic story that I found hard to put down. At first the dog was off-putting, but the characters were well drawn and believable. The background story of the underwater performers was amusing and interesting. The plot moved right along with a satisfactory conclusion. Overall, an emotional and heartfelt read.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria for the opportunity to read this book.
Swimming for Sunlight is a book about Katie and her dog "bark". Katie is a recent divorcee and moved to Florida to live with her grandmother.
I gave this book 3 stars, It is just a middle of the road read for me, but I know that a lot of other people will really like it. it is a hopeful story that has a lot of positive aspects to it. I just found the characters to be a little bit on the annoying side.
Book drops April 23rd!