Lifesaving For Beginners by Josie Lloyd: Audiobook Review

Lifesaving for Beginners is a lovely story of friendship and the resilience of women. Five women with individual stories come together to swim the sea regardless of time of year. The women dub themselves the “Sea-Gals”.

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From The Publisher:

Together they can turn the tide…

When Maddy receives a call on Christmas Day from her estranged son Jamie who has been missing for the past few years on a Brighton phone number, she decides to go there in attempt to track him down and repair their relationship. As she strolls on the beach one morning mulling over her next steps, she meets the Sea-Gals – a group of feisty women who are sea swimmers.

Seventy-year-old Helga is determined not to slow down because of her age, while twenty-something Tor is still figuring out who she is. Recently widowed Dominica swims to help deal with her grief, while busy mum of two Claire has started swimming to put herself first for a change.

And with the Sea-Gals by her side, Maddy has a group of trusty and supportive friends to help her rebuild her life. After all, it’s never too late to turn the tide but sometimes we just need our friends to help us through the stormy waters…

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book. Josie Lloyd has written another lovely story where a group of women called the Sea-Gals come together to support one another daily and especially during difficult times. The individual storylines of each of these women are compelling and relatable. It is the compassion and care for each other that culminates into one dramatic moment that made the book for me.

Maddie is the newest addition to the group after finding out on Christmas Day that her husband had been having an affair for the past two years. The same day, she received a brief call from her son Jamie who had been missing for several years. She tracks the call to Brighton and travels there to try and find Jamie. She discovers and is fascinated by the Sea-Gals as she walks along the beach one day.

The group is made up of diverse women whose common interest is swimming in the sea. The physical and therapeutic benefits of swimming year-round in the sea were highlighted and each woman had their reason for participating. The women are at different points in their lives which created a significant bond in the group.

I listened to the audiobook version of Lifesaving For Beginners which was narrated by Lucy Scott. I enjoyed the diversity in her voice as she became each of the women in the group and the clarity in her voice. She made the book easy to listen to and would not hesitate to recommend the audiobook version to those that enjoy this format.

I recommend this book to those that enjoyed the author’s book The Bright Side Running Club (aka The Cancer Ladies’ Running Club) or to those that enjoy Women’s Fiction. It is a book that celebrates friendships between women and the idea that we are stronger together.

What I Liked:

• The message of the importance of friendship
• The way the women come together during a dramatic moment
• The diversity of the group

Acknowledgments:

Thank you to HarperCollins UK Audio for the ARC of this audiobook in exchange for this honest review.

Similar Books I’ve Reviewed:

The Bright Side Running Club by Josie Lloyd

The Boardwalk Bookshop by Susan Mallery

The True Love Bookshop by Annie Rains