Thank you, NetGalley and Atria for the opportunity to read this book.
Swimming for Sunlight is a book about Katie and her dog "bark". Katie is a recent divorcee and moved to Florida to live with her grandmother.
I gave this book 3 stars, It is just a middle of the road read for me, but I know that a lot of other people will really like it. it is a hopeful story that has a lot of positive aspects to it. I just found the characters to be a little bit on the annoying side.
Book drops April 23rd!

I am very excited to share Swimming for Sunlight by Allie Larkin. This author writes great stories and this one is getting rave reviews, well deserved! It takes a special talent to write a novel that flows well, stirs up just the right amount of emotion, has a main character the reader cares about AND features dogs. This is the perfect novel to bring on vacation and read while you are relaxing!

When recently divorced Katie Ellis and her rescue dog Bark move back in with Katie’s grandmother in Florida, she becomes swept up in a reunion of her grandmother’s troupe of underwater performers—finding hope and renewal in unexpected places, in this sweet novel perfect for fans of Kristan Higgins and Claire Cook.

Aspiring costume designer Katie gave up everything in her divorce to gain custody of her fearful, faithful rescue dog, Barkimedes. While she figures out what to do next, she heads back to Florida to live with her grandmother, Nan.

But Katie quickly learns there’s a lot she doesn’t know about Nan—like the fact that in her youth Nan was a mermaid performer in a roadside attraction show, swimming and dancing underwater with a close-knit cast of talented women. Although most of the mermaids have since lost touch, Katie helps Nan search for her old friends on Facebook, sparking hopes for a reunion show. Katie is up for making some fabulous costumes, but first, she has to contend with her crippling fear of water.

As Katie’s college love Luca, a documentary filmmaker, enters the fray, Katie struggles to balance her hopes with her anxiety, and begins to realize just how much Bark’s fears are connected to her own, in this thoughtful, charming novel about hope after loss and friendships that span generations.

You can read this on April 23!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced read in exchange for this review.

Katie and her rescue dog, Bark, move into her grandmother's house following a divorce.  She's trying to figure out what to do next with her life.  She learns a lot about her Nan, which leads her on a path of self discovery.

Great read by Allie Larkin.  A mix of witty characters, touching moments, and love from family, friends, and hopeful lovers tie everything together.  An enjoyable read.

Lovely feel good novel about a woman and her dog overcoming their anxiety and fears. Katie and Bark head to Florida after her divorce. She's young but that doesn't make her any less wounded- she's also still mourning her father. Luckily she's got Nan and boy is Nan a dynamo! Nan and her friends are mermaids. Yep. Mermaids. Katie finds herself making costumes and then helping with a documentary by Luca. You might think this is a second chance romance (these two met in college) but that's not the most important thing. This is a love story about family (including Bark the dog) and friends (especially the mermaids!) and then there's Luca too. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. You won't find any bug surprises here but Larkin's a great storyteller and it's a good read.

So "Swimming for Sunlight." I went back and forth on this one. The main character is Katie Ellis who divorces her husband and takes her rescue dog Bark back to Florida to stay with her maternal grandmother, Nan. Katie gives up everything that she is entitled to so her husband doesn't get joint custody of the dog. So she arrives with paper bags filled with clothes and I kid you not when your grandmother quizzes her about not getting cardboard boxes she explains her dog, Bark, doesn't like them. I should have known what I was getting into from that point.

Katie was a freaking martyr and didn't even see it. She was also causing her dog severe anxiety due to her actions. I did feel sorry for her. She was there when her father died and she pulled him from the lake they were swimming at. Cue her mother dumping her to live with her grandmother while she followed men all over the world and stopped communicating with her. So there is sympathy for Katie, but I got annoyed at how she dealt with everything. She tells her grandmother Nan that Bark can't be walked since he is so scared so they dance around the living room for exercise. Yeah my face is your face right now. Katie also can't handle going to funerals since it reminds her of her father so she's been largely absent with her childhood best friend who lost two grandparents and her grandmother's best friend who also lost a spouse. Everyone just excuses it and it drives me up the wall. And then we finally get into the one who got away and once again it was 100 percent her fault and I just hard sighed when we finally read about what tore them apart.

That said, Katie didn't deserve the break up of her marriage due to her husband's cheating and though she seems to have found a sense of closure in the end I just rolled my eyes.

Larkin doesn't spend much time developing secondary characters past a few people such as Nan, Bunny, Mo, Mr. Issac and Luca. Other characters drop in and drop out with Katie getting "insight" into them. Not enough to stop being a drama queen though. I get she has abandonment issues but good grief. Luca was the most patient person in the world. I really wish there had been more discussion between them when it finally comes out what caused them to end back in college. It felt like such a flimsy BS excuse that if I were Luca I would have been done at that moment. For me, how can you trust that you won't do something else the person won't like and they won't push you away for years.

That said though I couldn't put this book down. I loved reading about how Katie came to love sewing and show she got into costume work. Her working at Mr. Issac's shop was highlight and her doing research on how to create her grandmother and the other "mermaids" outfits was interesting. I got so curious about underwater costume work and makeup after reading this book.

The writing starts off slow at first and the flow was a bit off at the beginning. I think that's because as readers we are reading Katie tell her story in her own way and for the most part she is trying to hide things from herself and has to lie to herself that her dog is fully dependent on her so she has reasons to say no to doing anything.

The setting of Florida didn't feel like a proper setting though. I think because most of the book takes place at Katie's grandmother's home, Mo's house and Mr. Issac's shop. We read about it, but I can't recall if Larkin described the smell of the ocean being nearby, the humidity, etc. This could have taken place anywhere.

The ending ends on a hopeful note and you do root for Katie in the end. Being held hostage to all of the bad things that can happen all the time sounds exhausting.

3 stars
Swimming for Sunlight. I know a lot of people will really enjoy this book. I, unfortunately, did not. I am giving it 3 stars only because for the first 40% of the book, it was beautifully written. However, the author lost her way and the book became whiny and started to drone on and on. Larkin threw in unnecessary cursing and random details had no point throughout the book. Why do I need to know Katie needed to change her tampon? That detail has absolutely no bearing on the book or the story nor does the cursing. I guess I just do not understand why it was included.
I will say for a good portion of the book, it is real, raw and emotionally powerful. I know the book is meant to be thoughtful and profound but the author just pushes the boundaries too much. I just cannot recommend this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. The views given are my own. #SwimmingForSunlight #NetGalley

A very enjoyable book and a welcome change from the usual genres that i usually read. A well written book with great characters. I am not going to write what the story is about as i prefer one to read the book for themselves, but i do recommend. It's the first book that i have read by Allie Larkin and am sure it will not be the last.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review.

I wish I could give this book 100 stars! I loved it!!! Katie and her husband are getting divorced. All she wants from her marriage is her dog Bark. Katie and Bark move to Florida with Nan-Katie's grandmother who raised her. Here Katie has a full family of all of Nan's friends. I LOVED the characters in this book! I felt the love they feel for each other, everyone in their own way helping Katie get back on her feet again, and all the love and caring for Katie as she deals with her anxiety. Between the mermaids, the friendships, the pain of learning to live with the past, this book is a must read! I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

When I saw this book, I fell in love with the cover  -- Swimming for Sunlight by Allie Larkin -- and I especially thought the pup was cute, so I requested (and was approved) to read and review this book on NetGalley.  Here's the story -

Katie is in her late 20s and newly divorced.  She heads to Florida and moves back in with her grandmother ("Nan") along with her furry rescue pup named Bark in tow.  Katie has a lot of baggage as a result of her father's death and then her mother's subsequent abandonment.  As a result, Katie's grandmother and her group of friends served at Katie's anchor when she was a child, and then again after her divorce.  The grandmother and her friends were awesome in this story too -- they really kept the book moving.

Katie, and Bark help each other with anxiety issues, while Katie helps Nan reunite with her friends from the past.  Katie actually begins to heal through sewing costumes for Nan and her friends so they can relive their glory days as mermaids.  In Swimming for Sunlight, the author allows readers to explore love and friendship and overcoming fear and anxiety.  Swimming for Sunlight ends on a positive note that will leave readers feeling good.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.

This was a really good book! Troubled main character, characters of many different ages and a very open, accepting and loving story. I hadn't read a book like this previously and I really enjoyed it. I will be adding other books by this author to my "to be read" list!

Oh my goodness...this book....so good! Allie Larkin’s storytelling swept me away with its beautiful words; its colorful, lovable, and complex characters; a story swirling with emotions that had me laughing and crying, often at the same time. When Katie heads to her grandmother’s house after her divorce, she brings along her somewhat neurotic dog, Barkimedes, along with deep-rooted anxiety, fears, and years of hurt. What unfolds after she arrives in Florida is a poignant, thought-provoking, and endearing story that includes mermaids, dancing dogs, old friends, old loves, and painful memories. I had so much love in my heart for Katie, Bark, Luca, Nan and all of the charming characters who lit up the pages of this book; I felt their sorrows, their joys, their love, and their hopes; this story and the people who reside in it will live in my heart for a very long time.

Allie Larkin is a new to me author, and after reading this book I am eager to read everything she has written! She will be an auto read author in the future as well! Swimming for Sunlight warmed my heart. I related to Katie in so many ways--her love of animals, losing a parent, her issues with anxiety. Nan and her friends reminded me so much of my grandma's group of friends. I absolutely ADORED Barkimedes (Bark), her sweet rescue pup. I loved how Katie and Bark worked through their anxiety together. The mermaid parts of the book were so fun.

This book had so much humor in it, despite dealing with some serious situations. I was laughing out loud in parts! It reminded me a lot of Cathy Lamb's writing. This is definitely a book not to miss--a perfect vacation or weekend getaway read!

Katie Ellis finds herself back in her hometown of Port St Lucie, Florida, after a messy breakup with her husband. She brings along the one possession she kept in the divorce, Bark, her shelter mutt that she cannot be without. Bark and Katie both suffer from fear and anxiety, and being home with her grandmother Nan is exactly what Katie needs to begin picking up the pieces of her life.

In Port St Lucie, Katie picks up right where she left off before leaving for college years before. Hanging out with her best friend Mo, working for Isaac altering bridal gowns, and living with Nan who suddenly has gone vegan and healthy. Nan’s best friend Bitsie is Katie’s safe haven, where Katie can sew in the late Bunny’s sewing room, and hide out from those things that she’s not willing to confront. Bitsie wants to resurrect the life she and Nan had prior to marriage - they were in a seaside mermaid show. Bitsie thinks this is just the fundraiser they need for a local charity. Nan thinks this is a great project to get Katie’s mind off her woes. Katie dives in with the passion she has for costume making, and in doing so, is able to move forward.

Allie Larkin has a gift for taking real human issues and crafting a story around them. Katie’s and Bark’s anxiety issues are so intricately interwoven. As the novel unfolds, Larkin shares more and more of Katie’s past, what led to her PTSD and the fears she’s carried forward in her life. Larkin also brings in a little bit of every woman - the disciplinary one, the wild and crazy one, the brash and irritating one - into each of the characters surrounding Katie. These are the women who help Katie heal from her past.

I loved this book. Stories that bring out the best and worst in women appeal to me, and Swimming for Sunlight completely delivers on that. This is “chick lit” at its finest. Giving us a story of redemption and love, friendship, and every little bit of life that makes it worth living. Tough to put down, don’t plan on getting much sleep when you read this one before bed. But do read it. It’s a treasure.

This review will be posted at BookwormishMe.com close to publication date.

I loved this book so much! Larkin writes her characters with such distinct and lovable personalities and I couldn’t help but love them. I thought that this was going to be a light read, and it did have some laugh-out-loud funny moments, but it also had serious depth. I have a soft spot for books that center around friendships, and this book hit all of the right notes for me. I could not recommend it enough.

Fun, springy tale of a woman rebounding from her divorce. Entertaining, slightly neurotic, feel good, happy ending book with some real laughs along the way.

3.5 stars

Decent, light, feel sad then feel good type of read. This worked well as a quick vacation read. Katie is in her late 20s and just divorced, when she moves back in with her grandmother with her dog Bark in tow. Katie has a lot of baggage stemming from her father's death and her mother's subsequent abandonment. Katie's grandmother and her group of friends were her anchor as a child and serve the same purpose after Katie's divorce. The story is a quite predictable and Katie is a bit melodramatic for my tastes, but the grandmother and her friends we lovely -- they really carried the book for me. These are not sweet older women -- no, they are hip and savvy. A decent light novel if that's what you're craving. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

It took me a long time to read this book. I kept putting it aside and then coming back to it, determined to finish it. Bottom line: I did not like the characters, especially Katie and Bark.

Swimming for Sunlight was my first time reading Allie Larkin’s work. It is a lovely story about love, friendship and second chances.

I adored all the characters. Grandmother Nan and her friends are fabulous! I fell for the anxiety-ridden heroine who struggles to cope daily; I wanted to hug her, hold her hand, and also give her a little shake for projecting her fears onto her dog. Katie’s backstory is tragic, and it is probably a little bit more so than needed. However, it does set up the reason she ends up being raised by her grandmother, Nanette, as well as why she returns to her home.

Layed-back Luca is a dream. Handsome, creative, giving, and totally chill, he is the absolute opposite of Katie, and exactly what she needs. I didn’t care for Luca’s backstory, and I felt it was an unnecessary addition of the author’s political opinion that detracted from the story.

By far, the best characters are the secondary characters. Katie’s childhood friend, Maureen, is perfection. She is a devoted friend who sees Katie, and not only accepts every bit of her, but treasures all her “perfects and imperfections”. Nanette (Nan) and her friends are spry seniors who love every minute of life! From “martooni” parties to “mermaid” aqua-aerobics classes, they’re delightful. This senior community, was essentially, the village of caring people who helped raise Katie. Their current living situation and friendships are what most people hope for in their golden years.

The plot is well paced, and the story is creative. I thought there would be a little more focus on the mermaid story with Luca and Katie creating a historic documentary, but this tale was about Katie--and her dog—finding her way after yet another calamity in her life.

In addition to the currently popular politics being inserted into the story, there were a few other things in the story that didn’t work for me. The divorce scene is a bit unrealistic; I doubt a lawyer would have precisely proceeded with Katie’s final decision (and shame on Katie for allowing her anxiety to push her to fall for her soon-to-be-ex-husband’s game). However, it sets the scene and creates a need for Katie to return home.

Author Larkin respectfully presents Katie and her anxiety disorder. She realistically portrays the lack of understanding and response most people would have to someone with an anxiety disorder. I also appreciated the presentation of the marvels of social media helping people reconnect as well as the downside of comparing your circumstances with the seemingly-perfect lives presented on sites like Instagram and Facebook. A fine example was Katie’s “stalking” of the new woman in her ex-husband’s life, and all the unnecessary turmoil it brought. It’s something you know isn’t going to be good for you, but the pain will eventually help you move on.

Ms. Larkin gives her readers a charming story about the friendship of women and how the support from your family and your tribe allows you to be the best you possible.

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a beautiful book. It took me awhile to read because Katie’s anxiety and Bark’s anxiety just made me hurt for them both. Katie’s pain was so real and I worried about her working through her issues. I loved the support of her grandmother and all the mermaids. The whole backstory and power of women through the ages brought tears to my eyes several times. A well written story; a must read.

This book made me re-experience how a simple story can warm your heart and soul when written by the right author in the right way and the best part is that I was not expecting it at all. At first, you get the sense that this is purely another "chick lit" novel but this is so much more than that. Instead of a hyper focused romance storyline, the author weaves a tale of family and friendship, with the main character moving past a history that has held her hostage for years. It never gets to the point of getting depressing and sordid, always keeping an optimistic outlook for the main character, Katie, and allowing the reader to connect with her and her makeshift "family", including her Grandmother Nan and all her dependable, goodhearted friends but, even more importantly, her rescue dog, Barkimedes.

Many books out there try to intertwine a dog into the cast of characters to tug at the heartstrings of the reader. This one allowed the dog to become a character unto himself and deepen the characterization of Katie even further. It was a hugely realistic portrayal of a rescue dog and all the positives and negative attributes that come to them. Even more so, it showed how unconditional love and support are what truly matter when it comes to owning a dog, not unlike the main (human) character of the novel.

The author did an exquisite job at writing a complete, fulfilling, and most of all heartfelt, novel without depending on a storyline that weighed heavily on a romantic interest. Instead, she showed mature women, loving life, offering unadulterated support to a young woman who was in need of it. She exhibited a sense of family that is unique and makes this novel surely stand out. I would recommend this book to absolutely anyone in need of a feel good novel that is not only realistic but captivating as well.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Simon & Schuster for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. I can't wait to read more from Allie Larkin!