I wanted to love this book as much as everyone else. I loved the IDEA behind the book - the concept of the lido and its venture into a certain part of London that I knew little about. Sadly I couldn't hugely care about the characters. I didn't finish the book but, again, I can understand its popularity of you are looking for a gentle, almost old-fashioned story.

A sweet multi-generational story. The right mix of different characters to deliver profound results. Proof you're never too young, or old to make special friends.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Lido by Libby Page.

When Rosemary finds out that the Lido is being closed, she is devastated. Not only does she swim in that pool almost daily, but she has decades of memories with her late husband there. But hope is not lost when she meets Kate, a journalist who suffers from panic attacks. After Kate learns just how precious the Lido is to the local residents, her and Rosemary join forces to save the pool.

This review is going to make me sound like a heartless grump, so here we go...

I appreciate all of it. I understand nostalgia, and the dread of seeing things that meant so much to you change. But having said that, change is not only important, but it's inevitable. If the world doesn't evolve and change, we get nowhere. Not all change is for the better, and yes, money hungry corporations coming in to gobble up a town, yes yes, I understand. But sometimes the sweetness of past experiences is to savor the memory that you had. To feel grateful that you had those experiences at all. Because even if you could go back to that perfectly preserved space, it would still never be the same. That's not how life works, and it shouldn't!

However, if you love a heartwarming story of an unlikely friendship, and a handful of sweet side stories used to help preserve this local landmark, this is for you! And it is sweet, my personal hangups aside. I think the only issue I had with it was it's length. Just too long for what it was. But the writing, characters, plot, all lovely, all soft and written with love.

The Lido is about the friendship of 87 year old Rosemary and Kate, a young adult. I love unlikely friendships and friendships that are multi- generational. I thought the book did a great job in showing these friendships. Rosemary felt like an elderly woman looking back on her life and Kate felt like a young adult looking to her future. I am not a swimmer yet the great descriptions of what the swimming experience is like made we want to start swimming. Deals with anxiety, loneliness, community, hope and love.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for The Lido by Libby Page. This is a book about a community in Brixton, London who comes together to save the local Lido (community swimming pool). The story focuses on Kate a journalist working on her first real story about the Lido, Rosemary an eighty something year old women who has been going to the Lido her whole life, and the beautiful friendship that forms between them as they work to save the Lido. The story is very heartwarming and sweet, even though it is a little bit predictable. This is a feel good read that I would recommend to everyone.

Such a great book, in the same vein as A Man Called Ove. I loved the blossoming friendship between Rosemary and Kate and the reminder that a little kindness and interest in someone else can lead to extraordinary things. I enjoyed watching Kate come out of her shell and become a member of her community. Highly recommend!

The Lido deals with the fight against the closure of a local outdoor swimming pool and focuses in on a young woman who has moved to London and finds life to be lonely and difficult. In parallel, we hear about a lady in her eighties who has spent her whole life in and around the Lido - this is a particularly nice aspect of the story. Various other sub-plots are weaved into the novel and there is a good balance between the different strands that kept my interest.

At times, it was hard and uncomfortable to read about one of the protagonist's panic attacks because it is a topic that is close to home. This was very realistic and relatable, which is a testament to the author's writing skill. However, overall, this was a feel-good book that kept me turning the pages.

The beginning drew me in, but as the novel progresses the pace slows down. What makes it slower is all the flashbacks and reminiscence Rosemary has. It's too much at times and it adds up to slow and dull patches. The writing is very simplistic, although it tries to be... interesting, I guess, with turns of phrases. If the writer continues to write maybe she'll get better at it. It reminded me very little of Fredrik Backman, as the inner cover said.
Although I understand and empathise with Kate, I think her Panic and her insecurities are too easily dealt with. Yes, friends to push you more, something to challenge you profesionally, something to do outside work, and people you enjoy spending time with - all these are important. But for some, Panic doesn't get to be locked away and banished so easily. It was also pretty obvious that the lido will help Kate feel more at ease. A too simple solution.
The story was told alternatingly so as to present Kate's and Rosemary's lives. Rosemary and George's love story and marriage are nice to read about, but then it became boring; the same thing told with different words and snapshots of their lives. I wish we were told more about them other than their going to the pool and their marriage bliss. There are also a number of characters the author didn't focus a lot, but enough to make the reader see that the lido is the collection of all the people who use its facilities and it's at the centre of the community. I wish we learned more about some of them. Less about Rosemary and more about the others.
The story as a nice beach read. I admit, though, that at times I needed a break because of the repetititve tone. The community portrayed is that of a small town; actually, even smaller. A pocket community in a bustling city. It was a nice look back on all the traditional institutions of a small community: the lido, of course, the library, the cafe, the small newspaper, the park, the same familiar faces of the people you always bump into. But it's weird that everyone is so nice all the time, and when they are in the wrong they make up for their mistake without being prompt. And on the same note, there is hardly a conflict. The closing of the lido, which is "the conflict" is predictable. Rosemary's words towards the end "It's over." rose absolutely no emotion within me. That's not the expected response from a reader, I dare say. Even the proposition and the "presentation" Rosemary gives at the big, fancy advertising company is shallow. It must be a novel if they fall for her simple words. The author's observations take up more than all Rosemary had to say.
This is a slow paced novel, cute and sweet, good for when you want to read a bit, it's a nice one for a slow day by the pool, or any body of water, actually. I had higher expectations from it, though.

I had read two heavy books previously and wanted a light read so picked this. It wasn’t a light fluffy read, it had a good story with relevant subjects mainly mental health. Really good characters, well worth a read.

Many thanks to Netgalley.com for providing me an advanced digital copy of The Lido by Libby Page in return for my honest review.

I enjoyed The Lido. It had a nice message. I loved 87 year old Rosemary’s love story with her husband George, and their mutual adoration of the public lido, even though at times it was a little too repetitive. There is a quirky cast of characters, and they live in a charming locale. Each has connected with Rosemary, and they join forces to keep the lido from being sold and cemented over to make tennis courts for private, exclusive members. In working toward saving the local, outdoor pool, they forge friendships and become a family.

Parts of the novel were too long, and I would have liked to know more about Kate (what caused her anxiety and when did it start), Rosemary (her time working at the library), and George (and his fruit and vegetable shop). The reader knows the the lido is very special to them, but there must have been so much more. Rosemary’s memories were my favorite part; I wish there were more of their life together. 3 1/2 stars.

Sometimes you just need a feel good book, a book in which the "good guys" or in this case the "good strong women" take on the big bad corporations. You cheer for them, and you worry for them. You hope they win. If they do, wonderful. If they don't, the community they develop during the fight makes it all worthwhile. The Lido by Libby Page is such a book, and it leaves me smiling.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2019/03/the-lido.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.

I really, really enjoyed this book and found myself gradually becoming completely immersed in the story. The main characters are believable and I read with interest as Kate and Rosemary started to develop a bond, whilst starting their campaign.

Growing up in the 1970s and early 80s, my local swimming pool used to be a Lido. This story brought to mind those times and it's sad to say that the one I used to visit closed about 30 years ago.

A fab story and I will look out for more by this author.

Sweet and charming! I wanted to read The Lido because it was marketed as similar to another book I absolutely loved. It did not disappoint. Exactly what I needed!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with an electronic copy of The Lido and it should go without saying, my opinions are mine alone and not influenced by their generosity.

What a sweet, easy read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book about friendship, a special meeting place and memories of times gone by.

Was happy to read this enjoyable book and include it in a long essay I wrote on women and swimming, and about the latest reads that explore that synergy, for Zoomer magazine

Simon & Schuster and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Lido. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

The Lido is written in two perspectives, one of Rosemary Peterson, an elderly woman who has lost much in her life and does not want the lido (public open air swimming pool) to be the next thing gone; and Kate Matthews, a twenty-something writer charged with reporting about the proposed sale of the property to a private developer. As the two women become more involved in each other's lives, will the battle to keep the lido take on more meaning for Kate? Will the publicity gained by the articles be enough to keep the lido in public hands?

I understand the dual perspective format from the standpoint of telling both stories, but I did not like the many swings to Rosemary's past. I wanted to know the background, but I thought that the author could have been more successful in integrating the past and the present. Although The Lido was more about Rosemary and Kate than the periphery characters, the author does a good job of anchoring the two women into the town in which they live. The ending was much stronger than the beginning, as the author took a little too long to get to the point. Overall, The Lido was a good book, but not as memorable as I was expecting.

A beautiful, heartwarming story about an unlikely friendship. It's the type of story that would be at the last five minutes of a nightly news program, one of those stories that run at the end of the show to make you feel a little bit better about the world. A great, well-written debut by Libby Page.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a review.

I heard about this book from a friend and I am so glad I was able to get a copy of it! This was a wonderful story about fighting for what you treasure and gaining confidence in yourself.

I loved the story of Kate and Rosemary and especially the story of Rosemary and her George. I will warn you to have a tissue handy though because I can't imagine anyone could read this and not shed a tear.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orion for a copy of this story.

Such an amazing story of life, love and friendship! I loved the friendship between Kate and Rosemary and that the Lido had been a center of so many great memories. Definitely a warm easy read!

I liked this story ok but didn't love it. It is a sweet story that had elements of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. The friendship between Kate and Rosemary was very heartwarming. But this book didn't have the tension, the darker elements that, for me, adds to the impact of a read like this. Saving the actual Lido (swimming pool) wasn't something I cared about that deeply. For me, there wasn't enough to distinguish this story from many similar books.

I recommend this book for someone looking for a sweet feel-good story.

3 stars (good) for the genre.