Synopsis

Loretta has her life under control. She’s chasing a big promotion, she’s marrying the “perfect man” and she has a flawless five-year plan.

This plan does not include children.

But when a complete stranger asks her to watch her six-year-old daughter in an airport and never returns, both their lives will be changed forever.

A little human in fairy wings and sparkly cowgirl boots will turn Loretta’s world upside down and maybe, just maybe, show her exactly what she’s missing.

Review

Love Actually eat your heart out. This book will melt your heart and make you want to hug everyone you know.

Swimming for Beginners is not a new story by any means, but it’s packed with joy and a journey of self-discovery. It’s an unconventional meet-cute; instead of a man in a checked shirt bumping into Loretta at a bus stop, she trips over a little girl’s suitcase at the airport and the rest is history.

Is it predictable? Yes of course. Does this matter? Not in the least.

Loretta is entirely relatable; we’ve all experienced office jargon, family issues and dull relationships. Is there anything worse than making small talk with people you don’t know? Yet Loretta thinks everything is fine, despite not understanding that most people quite enjoy socialising sometimes. A lot of her behaviour seems quite sensible to me – why wouldn’t you write down reminders to make sure you’re checking in with your team’s well-being?

Phoebe is a typical small child, cherubic one minute and a monster the other, but as we see Loretta try to navigate the ups and downs of looking after a grieving little girl, our heart goes out to her, even if – at first – she’s doing it for the wrong reasons.

Funny, sad and heartfelt, this is a gorgeous story that even had me blinking back tears.

Thanks to Bedford Square Publishing for my copy. Opinions my own.