Amanda Prowse has been a favorite author of mine for a while. A friend once had a book signed by the author for me, and it was such a wonderful connection. Over the years, Prowse tackles tons of emotional storylines, and this one is another example of how her writing can move you to tears. The Gunn family lost a father, and it's caused ripples in their bonds. Twenty years earlier, a man had an affair and split with his wife, leaving their two children confused. In the future the families come together in a surprising way, and one woman's diary brings back the memories of what life used to be like. Definitely needed to read this one, and I recommend it for others too.

I really liked this book. It was an emotional read but I loved it so much. I loved Tawries story. It was so good. One of the top books for summer! I enjoyed this book so much. This was such an amazing 5 star read!! A must read book!!
I just reviewed Swimming to Lundy by Amanda Prowse. #SwimmingtoLundy #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

Swimming to Lundy provides hope and inspiration - via the story of Tawrie, we learn that it is never too late to follow your dreams and find your way back to happiness.

Tawrie feels stuck in her seaside tourist paradise where she has worked in her cousin's cafe since finishing school. To get a fresh start in life, or at least to do something different, she challenges herself to take up swimming in the sea from March till September.

With new found energy she finds she opens herself up to new opportunities, and hope is brewing insider her that there is more to life and that she's ready to embrace it.

How do I convey my feelings about Swimming To Lundy to you? I can't. That's the honest answer. I will never be able to find the words to make you fully comprehend just how gorgeous this book is.

Amanda Prowse is one of those rare authors who can actually transport you to the setting of her books. It's like she had a portkey inside your brain, and you're instantly inside the pages. It's a gift, it truly is.

The characters we meet in this book are now best friends of mine. Seriously. I would beat someone up for any of them, but especially Taw. I genuinely feel like I know them. Discovering their stories and what has made then who they became was truly special. I laughed, swooned, cried, and swam with them. I felt desperately sad from Annalee, I wanted to cuddle Freda, Connie can fight in my corner any day, and Bear just made me melt a little.

Everything about Swimming To Lundy is perfection. I can't fault a single word, a single second that I spent in Ilfracombe.

A story about uniting generations, building bridges, and learning to embrace change, Swimming To Lundy should be a must-read for everyone this year! 6/5 or 11/10.

Another great book by Amanda. She always writes books that make you think and tug at your heart strings. This one is no exception. Another book about sadness and regret. Which is both inspiring and uplifting. It shows you that you are never to late to follow your dreams and that happiness can be right around the corner. If you just want to open yourself up to it.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

I've never read any books by Amanda Prowse and I am glad I was introduced into this author.
I enjoyed this story and the characters.
It a nice family story.

I just don’t know how Amanda Prowse seems to write such wonderful books . Her writing transports the reader into each story with her unique understanding of the characters she portrays and the situations they find themselves experiencing.

This story follows Tamriel and Harriet from 2004 to 2024. Each woman encounters many life issues which the reader may relate to. love, grief , infidelity and strong family bonds are beautiful explored ,Some of these issues I have experienced and how Amanda writes about them is so true to life it’s remarkable.

I always finish Amanda’s books with the story embedded in my mind and this was no exception! A really enjoyable book which I didn’t want to end .

This was another fabulous read from this author. This was a slow burning beautiful story about family set over the dual time lines of 2004 and 2024 which dealt with the issues of grief and loss in a very sensitive way and was easy to get immersed in the characters stories.

As always with this author you are guaranteed a cracking read that will stay with you for a while.

I can’t wait to read this authors next book.

Amanda's stories are all so different but all such great reads. This is a complex family story where nothing is as it seems. Face your fears and you can do anything you set your heart on. A beautiful story with a heart warming climax. I loved it . Well done Amanda. You have done it again !

I have not read and of Amanda Prowse’s book before. Although I know often see her titles in bookshops and libraries. So this was my first book by this Author. I enjoyed the first two thirds of this book but then got bored. I know Ilfracombe and have taken the boat over to Lundy so it was nice to read about places I knew and could picture clearly. The story line was good but I guess I like a bit more substance. Basically if you want an untaxing read before you turn off the light Amanda Prowse is a great read. Would I read another of her books. I don’t think so but that’s me. Although I can see her appeal.

Sorry but this book wasn't for me, I struggled to get into the storyline and I found it a toil to read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC.

Wow another fantastic read from Amanda Prowse. Totally gripped by the story and characters. Can’t wait for her next book

The description of the book seemed interesting, so I wanted to check the story out. Unfortunately, it is not working for me right now. It is nothing against the story or the author, but I couldn't get into the story/characters. I may try and find a physical copy to add the my library when it is released, though, because I think my readers could like it!

As always Amanda never disappoints, a heartwarming family read, with wonderful characters all wrapped up in a lovely story, really enjoyed it

A tale to remember! I hope this one turns into a movie - I thoroughly enjoyed the intriguing story line and writer's prose.

Yet another superb book by Amanda.
The book is set in Ilfracombe coast.
The main two characters Tawrie and Harriet. Tawrie lives with her widowed mum, nan and works in the local café. She decides to join a local swimming club that swims in the channel.
Harriet is a mum of two and has recently discovered her husband has had an affair.
Throughout the book we read about their loves, heartaches, secrets, dreams and major decisions.
This book kept me hook from start to finish and with her usual writing skills, their characters as well as the locations come alive.

Amanda Prowse is on my list of favorite authors and Swimming to Lundy did not disappoint me! The characters were all so enjoyable and the ending was absolutely perfect! The beginning starts off a smidge slow, but keep on going! This book is on my books to be recommended list.

Another lovely thought provoking book about love and infidelity and the real effect it has on the innocent party. I really liked the main character and hoped she would get her happy ending. I curled up with this book and a blanket on a Sunday afternoon and read it in one sitting. Can’t wait for the next book by this author. I 100% recommend this book and author as all of her books are so lovely and easy to read.

Tawrie Gunn, is lonely. Almost at the end of her 20's her entire life has been overshadowed by the mysterious loss of her father at sea when she was eight. Living with her alcoholic mother and doting grandmother she has started to chafe against the hum drum toil of working in a café in seaside Ilfracombe
A pledge to swim in the sea every day with the eclectic Peacock Swimmers, sets Tawrie on a new path with a stranger in a pink shirt.

A heartwarming if sometimes predictable tale of finding your true path and passion despite the many obstacles life throws at you.

Amanda Prowse, Swimming to Lundy, Lake Union Publishing, August 2024.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

Lundy is an island off the coast of Tawrie Gunn’s home. She views it through the lens of her father’s drowning twenty years before this part of her story begins. Despite her father’s death continuing to influence her life, she joins the swimming Peacocks, a rather misnamed group of two whose regular swim becomes Tawrie’s way of changing her life, while maintaining contact with her father through talking to him while she swims. Twenty years before, Harriet is also living in the coastal town in which Tawrie, her parents and grandmother live at Signal House. Harriet has no roots in the town, unlike Tawrie and her family for whom Signal House is a home passed down through the Gunns. Harriet is writing a diary which explains why she, her unfaithful husband Hugo, and ‘Bear’ and ‘Dilly’, their children, have moved from their comfortable family home in a village to the Corner Cottage on the Devon coast.

Most of the novel moves between Tawrie’s story in 2024, and Harriet’s in 2004. This is very well done, drawing the reader into both stories. Both have their comic moments despite their overwhelming sadness. When the stories come together this sadness is replaced with a vigour for life that Tawrie had only dreamed about. Harriet’s life also takes on another aspect, affecting Tawrie through her past observations and a meeting that eased the agony she voiced in her diary.

I found the beginning of the novel rather slow, and Tawrie’s contempt for her mother and glib response to her grandmother’s defence of her, difficult to warm to. Tawrie was eight when her father drowned and surely would have some memory of the relationships around her by that age? The ending was very detailed and seemed to me to crawl to the conclusion. There were also some repetitive phrases that grated, and language that, although now part of everyday speech sounded awkward in the older adults’ mouths. For example, Jago using ‘for’ instead of ‘about’ when he speaks of being excited about the future.

Those criticisms aside, Amanda Prowse has fulfilled her reputation for writing engrossing domestic drama. Tawrie’s ‘coming of age’ is satisfying, and the resolution of Harriet’s angst is comforting and edifying. The way in which ‘Bear’ and ‘Dilly’ have been impacted by their parents’ marriage problems and found their own solutions is thoughtful. Hugo is well realised, and later details of his story round out those of the more sympathetic characters of Harriet, ‘Bear’ and ‘Dilly’.

This is another excellent read for a lover of Amanda Prowse books, and a satisfying read for anyone who likes some fictional domestic drama.