The Wednesday Morning Wild Swim

After a series of disastrous jobs, culminating in the shop where she worked being destroyed by a gas explosion, Ettie takes a temporary job helping Dominic and his business partner Gracie restore a hotel for opening. Ettie loves swimming and there is an ideal lake in the grounds for Wild Swimming, however Dominic doesn't want anyone swimming in there. Things are compounded when a group of varied individuals join her in there.
I loved this book, with a great cast of characters, an idyllic location, plenty of humour counterbalanced by some more serious subjects. It did make me think about ways that people use to escape from everyday worries, mine is through reading books such as this, but also how common interests can help people form friendships that you wouldn't normally expect across age, gender and background. Definitely a book to read to help you feel better in these troubled times.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Brilliant story about wild swimming and friendship well written relatable characters of all ages which really appeals to me. Enjoyable right to the end. Thank you netgalley for the advance copy

This is a truly delightful book with characters of many ages, which is something I always enjoy. There are several characters and all of them bring something especially needed to the story.

As the story progresses, the characters grow and change and it is wonderful to read about how this transformation happens. I especially love the bond between Ettie (30’s) and Gracie (60’s). I always have had a close friend that was older than me, so I adore stories with this type of bond.

Of course, I also enjoyed so much reading about Dominic and Ettie’s relationship. It might not be the normal path to a happily ever after, but it is perfect for the two of them.

The book was a great mix of humorous and serious situations and I totally enjoyed every moment I spent reading this book and recommend it!

I want to thank HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for giving me the pleasure of reading the advance reader copy, with no obligation to write a review. My review is written freely as a hobby, and is totally my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.

A wonderful story with a likeable group of characters. Engaging and entertaining. This was a delight to read.

There isn’t a Jules Wake book that I don’t rave about – I can’t help it; I genuinely love them all. Jules has such a great style of writing, realistic and combining humour and wit with a down to earth feel. This allows us to relate to the characters, love them and take them to our hearts.
The Wednesday Morning Wild Swim is quirky, jam packed with great characters and a heart felt story of acceptance. Accepting who you are, accepting the challenge of moving past your fears and accepting that you are enough.
If you are a fan of Jules’ books, you may remember (one of all time favourite old ladies) – Hilda. She was a force to be reckoned with in The Saturday Morning Park Run and here she is again, being her fabulous self.
Ettie, our dynamic main character, has stumbled from career to career, not fully settling. When her latest job blows up she returns home, back to her family. Finding work locally at a soon to open hotel, Ettie soon finds the pull of the lake calling her. Swimming helps her mentally and she soon discovers that others have that same desire too. Wild swimming is new to Ettie but soon becomes something she craves – and she isn’t the only one. Unfortunately, it’s banned and the owner is absolutely against anyone swimming in his lake.
As Ettie settles into her new role she finds herself getting closer to her new boss, she starts to understand why he doesn’t want anyone near the water. Will Ettie and her new friends be able to curb their desires or will Ettie make him change his mind. When Dominic discovers the biggest lies are the ones told by those close to him, he really sees no way back to trusting them again.
Ettie is a breath of fresh air; funny, random and really not afraid to put herself out there. She is a little economical with the truth, but not in a malicious way, in fact it’s usually to help others. She learns a lot about herself as the story progresses, but she is also instrumental in helping others do the same. She is kind, considerate and a little bit sassy.
Dominic sounds dishy, he’s been through a lot and doesn’t suffer fools. He isn’t overly impressed with Ettie but her confidence and charm win him round to giving her a chance. Ettie surprises him a lot, it’s clear he struggles to hide how entertaining he finds her but he is holding back some truths of his own. I loved seeing him start to open up and I always believed he would end up doing the right thing by everyone around him.
Reading this book has been the highlight of my week – its full of friendship, romance and humour. A feel good story that will leave you with a smile on your face. Great characters and superb writing, I highly recommend to all.

I loved the Saturday morning park run so was thrilled to be able to read The Wednesday morning wild swim and it totally exceeded all my expectations!
A great read full of kindness, acceptance, fighting for what matters and friendship!
A totally eclectic mix of characters that all have a common interest wild swimming, however they have no where to swim so have to trespass on private land much to the owners dismay and fury, however his employees have other ideas and plan and scheme how to swim on a regular basis in the out of bounds lake, not always with great success but gradually with time, crafty schemes and a bit of poetic license a mutual understanding is reached!
Add in a sprinkling of romance, delectable sounding food and great camaraderie and you have the most enchanting read that I would highly recommend!
Thank you netgalley for this early read.

This was a fabulously uplifting read with a very sassy main character in Ettie who gave up her own dreams to support her family when she was in her late teens but it left her adrift and bouncing from job to job. Her new job as a girl Friday to assist with a new hotel opening introduces her to some wild swimmers who are far from encouraged to use the lake on the hotel grounds by its new owner, Ettie’s boss Dominic, Ettie herself is a keen swimmer and soon finds herself stuck between Dominic and the swimmers. There’s such a lovely mix of characters in here and it really does show the positive impact of finding both friends and a way of clearing your mind has on you and your problems. I really loved Ettie herself and the way she stuck up for herself and spoke her mind, you can definitely see why she’d have been a problem for previous bosses but as a character she’s marvellous. I’m not sure this has got me any keener on the concept of wild swimming but it’s certainly a great read.

I loved this book and found it really uplifting. The characters are a real treat and it was a pure pleasure to read.

A delightful story that shows the value of kindness, acceptance and humour in creating bonds that truly matter among unlikely friends. This is an author to know. Just when you think you understand the motives behind the characters and the way their story lines are being presented I wanted to learn more. I was so invested in these unlikely friends.