I just could not get into this book. I think the narrators were the issue and may look into the ebook version to try again at some point.

I'm sorry, this was not for me. I DNF'd this book about a third of the way in. The characters were horrible people and took away from any enjoyment of the book. Cringy. The narrators did a good job though.

Closer to 2.5 stars for me. I struggled with the different narrators in this book. None of them worked for me (it pains me to say this as I usually love Scott Brick). It all had an impact on me getting into the vibe of the book. That being said, if you like domestic fiction/thrillers with suburban politics and moms behaving badly, this is right up your alley!

Well.
Not what I expected. I *thought* I was getting a juicy swim club mom drama - more in line with petty little differences and nitpicking - what I got was a much heavier version of that. I absolutely hated the character of Kristy. She pretty much sucked the entire book. My heart broke for Gillian because of all of her losses (her husband really isn't a loss because he was a jerk) and for how she came to craft a fakebook perfect persona :( Narrators were FABULOUS would def recomment. I was provided a digital copy of Swimming with Ghosts by Netgalley, Michelle Brafman and Dreamscape Media in exchange for an honest review.

The synopsis of this book gave me much hope for a delicious plot. However, the character development and storyline did not live up to the hype. This is just my opinion and I am really sorry. I kept going and going. The narrators of the audiobook did make it better.

**please note due to low rating I will not be leaving a public review for this book as I have not paid for it.**

Over the last 6 weeks I have tried to restart this book 3 times thinking it was everything going on around me for the reason I wasn't able to get into it, but sadly I've come to realise its this book.

This is my first time trying this author and while I didn't enjoy this book I would try this author again.

I am very sad to say that Swimming with Ghosts was not the book for me. I think the premise is great. You have 3 adults going through different things in their lives, I would say like a mid-life crisis almost. We see how these 3 adults go through their struggles. I say we have the view of the 3 adults but we also have an extra POV of the child of 2 characters and he is just there to fill in some holes.

We have 4 POVs in the story first is Gillian, Gillian is the daughter of a hometown hero who is a diver. From the outside her home life seemed perfect, but her dad was not so great. Due to her childhood she learned to deal with life by asserting control. She has to feel like she is in control to feel safe. When she starts loosing her control her life seems to spin and she flashes back to her difficult childhood. Then we have Gillian's husband, Charlie, who lost his job that he hated. He now has gotten fit and decided he would coach the swim team that his wife is in control of. He decides to do this instead of getting a job and paying off the increased amount of debt he is incurring. Not only is he opening secret credit cards, but he tells his wife. Oh you can just work extra to pay our bills....Our third is Gillian's best friend Kristy. Kristy has a love addiction which is where you seek out love or attention. Kristy basically was the outcast in her family her mom treated her like crap and after her sister was born she just sought out love in any way she can. She relapses in this addiction when some of her family secrets come out and triggers those old loveless feelings. Lastly we have Justin. Justin is Jillian and Charles' college age child. That's pretty much all we get for Justin. As I said earlier he is only here to fill in holes.

We have all of these characters and no real substanse. The characters are all very surface level and there isn't any real character development aside from each person involved in their own little bubbles. I don't know if I was supposed to feel anything for these characters but all I felt was annoyed and bored. I think there was a great idea here but it didn't come together all that well.

As for the narration, I love when we have different narrators for each POV, it helps break up the characters and gives them their own voice and seemingly different perspectives. There are a two narrators that I've listened to previously which are Scott Brick (Don't Go Down There, Pros and Cons, and The Heist) and Sophie Amoss (You Know Her). These two plus our other two narrators did a great job bringing a voice to each of their POVs. They really did help bring some life to the story.

Unfortunately I really struggled to get into this multiple POV domestic drama. Revolving around swimming and swim coaching, this story alternates between different members of a family, each of whom is struggling with different things.

From a sex addict mother, to an ambitious husband looking to win the swim championship and their teen son dealing with his own relationship drama. I didn't particularly like any of the characters and didn't feel like there was much of an actual plot, rather than kind of rambling anecdotes?

The narration was good with a full cast and the writing wasn't bad I just couldn't get into this one as much as I was looking forward to the swim club focus from the book's description. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to listen to an early ALC in exchange for my honest review.

The original premise promised on the outside of the book, isn't quite what you get with Swimming with Ghosts. Told from the viewpoints of Gillian Cloud, who runs the swim club in River Run; Kristy Weinstein, Gillian's best friend and right hand woman; Charlie Cloud, Gillian's husband who takes up position as head coach of the swim team (against Gil's wishes); and Justin, Gillian's son, who really didn't contribute much to the story other than to provide an outside perspective on the adults in his life. This work is definitely a character-driven story, with not too much going on in terms of plot. Unfortunately, I really didn't feel connected to the characters or care about them that much. I felt like there were a lot of sub plots that never got dove into adequately. It still felt pretty incomplete by the end or like there was something missing. Overall, this was kind of boring and forgettable, but thanks for the arc, NetGalley!

The story of two families tied with secrets from their past, addiction, betrayal, envy, friendship and so much more. The story is tell from three different point of view, Gillian, Kristy, Charly and Justin, and makes it more brilliant. The audiobooks, with four different narrators is amazing

This book is set in one hot sweltering summer, with just the epilogue set the next summer. It is a perfect seasonal read with a very authentic setting at a local suburban community pool (in the greater DC area). The swim team schedules, meets, fundraisers and antics brought back fun memories of all the time I spent around the pool in my teens teaching, swimming, and playing waterpolo.
But this summery setting is just the backdrop for adults coming to terms with all the messiness life has in store. This story is told from four POVs: Charlie Cloud (first unemployed and downcast, than up and coming beloved swim team coach), Gillian (Charlie’s wife and professional organizer extraordinaire but also extremely well at keeping up a perfect appearance), Christie (Gillian’s best friend #goKrillian but also so convinced she’s never enough to be loved by anyone/ Mom to one of the older swim team members), and Justin(the Cloud’s younger son and lifeguard at the pool). I enjoyed this format, focusing on a different character in each short chapter, ramping up the story and intensity bit by bit by taking on events from different angles.
Swimming with Ghosts emphasizes how childhood trauma affects life even decades out. All three adults Gillian, Kristy and Charlie (to a lesser but still recognizable degree) have suffered childhood trauma. They are also fully formed characters, relatable with traits that accurately reflect the potential adult outcome of the childhoods they endured. Generational alcoholism has it’s claws in Gillian’s family from father to brother to son . Kristy’s longing for love and adoration has her an addict as well she is excellent at self-sabotage, full of manic and dangerous passions. The book takes an unflinching assessment of generational transmission of addictions and mental illness – … lingering trauma. I loved that in the end this messy family ultimately sees, accepts and loves all its members. This book has not gotten enough love on Insta - I highly recommend it !

File this one under "privileged people behaving badly" - it's like going out to eat at a nice restaurant and overhearing the table over talking about their problems, amplified by a hundred. There is family drama, friend drama, relationship drama... all surrounding a swim club in Northern Virginia. This is such a great summer read if you like books with characters you love to hate. It was a really fun!

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

This book is character driven. Unfortunately, I did not like any of the characters. I was interested in what was happening but at the same time didn't really care. I listened to the audiobook and the narrators did a fantastic job.

3.5 stars--There is A LOT of drama and dysfunction in this book --as each POV presented has a "ghost" (and then some) in some way. The dysfunction may bother those looking for a cozy read but in reality, there are many people with issues and addictions that run deep--I just don't think the author needed to connect the women with the ultimate secret (avoiding spoiler)
It is the summer of 2012 and the story focuses around the River Run Swim Club and told form the perspectives of Gillian, Kristy, Charlie, and Justin.
Gillian grew up around this club and has now become the controlling swim mom. She has created a sanctuary here holding all her best memories of not just herself in her younger years (with her father who was a legend) but of her children. She is Facebook fanatic showcasing the best images, portraying not always the truth as she hashtags her life. Her BFF, Kristy, who has weathered much with her friend, so much that they are team "Krillian" ultimately becomes triggered, obsessed and jealous. She begins to act irrational, no longer wanting to be part of team Krillian and begins some self destructive behavior. She is a little over the top. Gillian's husband Charlie, with losing his job needs a confidence boost; he finds it by taking the open swim coach position. He now feels a new surge and begins to resent some of his wife's overbearingness as he eats up the new attention he is receiving from others. Finally, Justin decided to stay home this summer to be at the swim club for his mom--he did not go off with his now former girlfriend or even go to NY to work with his brother. As he tries to understand the changing dynamics, he reaches out to his brother and uncle to understand the true "legend" of his grandfather. As a storm hits the area, knocking out the power and acting as the catalyst for the dramatic explosion.
The ending of the story made sense. I was pleased with the closure that was provided. The story is fine but not a light rom-com that the cover may lead some to believe. 3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I didn’t enjoy this as much as I expected by the summary.
A bit confusing with multiple points of view. I had a hard time staying interested.
Good narration at least which helped me continue to listen.

4.5 stars: Great Book, Terrible Cover

Don’t let the cover fool you; this book is not a rom-com, beach read, cartoonish kinda story.

What it IS, is a deeply drawn character driven story on the impact of addiction on family. I was obsessed with this audio book, listening in just three days, talking out loud to the characters, sighing and yelling and cringing at their behavior. And yes, sometimes just wanting to hug them in close and say “there, there.”

We all know these people, and some of us have been these people: the woman addicted to love, to attention, to wanting the family she didn’t feel she got as a child; the woman who organizes everything and everyone, the swimming club, her family, other peoples’ closets, and yet can’t see her own family history in world of truth; the husband who leaves everything to his wife to do, and I mean everything (the man is hardly in the story!) and yet expects perfection; the husband who finds self-worth in his job, and yet no longer has that job, who resents his wife for his own shortcomings, who blames others for his terrible decisions; and the kids who have to see this generation make all the mistakes, and wonder when their turn is next.

At first, looking at that cover and reading the blurb, I wondered if it would be the trope-ish privileged white people and their summer at the swim club. On the surface it is, but this author dives in deeply to the messy family life underneath and wrote a book that I will think about for quite some time.

And do the audio - fabulous cast of narrators!

Swimming with Ghosts by Michelle Brafman is a book filled with familial trauma, drama, and secrets, which I usually love. I enjoyed listening to the journey of each character. I didn't realize how much would be taking place at the swimming pool, which did get to be a tad much, but I guess it's to be expected given the cover.

I did find a few interactions illogical, like Gillian's final reaction in the bra scene at the store. I disliked the way Charlie's story reads as incomplete. At first it seems like he is going to manipulate parents to somehow get their money or something equally deceitful, but nothing happens. Then, he keeps opening credit cards and piling up debt, but again, nothing happens or is resolved. I didn't see the point of Kristy being married as there are so few interactions with David.

Hillary Huber as Gillian is great as usual. Scott Brick as Charlie has a deep, soothing voice that I enjoy listening to. Sophie Amoss as Kristy is good but comes across as overly dramatic at times. Pete Cross as Justin sounds just as I imagine him to be.

Overall, I rate Swimming with Ghosts 3 stars.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for providing me with an ALC.

A family's world unravels in a combination of storms. The main characters, who the story is told through, are:
Gillian: a "swim mom" and control freak who has inflated her self worth based on her dad's (false) reputation in the community.
Charlie: Gillian's husband, and a recently booted exec scrambling for a new identity post-employment
Justin: Gillian & Charlie's son, who struggles to make heads or tails of the rotating situation both at home and the swim club
Kristy: A love addict who suffers from her own feelings of inadequacy, although she grew up in what appears in all accounts to be a very loving and caring home.

Let's start with the good:
- The cover of this book is BEAUTIFUL
- The synopsis is intriguing

The meh:
- I was interested in how the story played out, even though I couldn't really tell anyone apart in the book
- While I like a book with multiple perspectives, it was difficult to tell the characters apart (even with there being multiple narrators - the female voices were too similar to me). The narrator for Charlie was grating, though it did seem to fit with his character.
- The Justin's perspective really only served one purpose to the plot, otherwise it was in there as a reminder that Charlie & Gillian are kind of awful parents

The bad:
- The cover makes it seem like there will be a 3rd female friend included, as the 'ghost' swimming appears to have a feminine form, but that's not how things play out. Perhaps it's the ghost of who they wish they were?
- It was extremely hard to keep track of the characters, since there was very little character development for anyone, and there were quite a few peripheral characters involved here that were essentially cardboard figures of people.
- Everyone in the book was unlikeable

All in, this one wasn't awful, but it wasn't my cup of tea either. I think I'd have liked it much more if I felt connected to anyone at all in the story, and we had a bit more reasoning for how things ended up as they were.

The narrators were all fantastic, Hillary Huber is a personal favorite of mine. The storyline was full of messes- messy people with messy personal lives, secrets and lies. While this wasn’t one of my favorite books, I did enjoy it.

The River Run Swim Club, the heart of the town, becomes the heart of the neighborhood drama. The story follows two families and shares their ghosts of secrets, addiction, and betrayal. The dynamics change when Charlie takes over coaching the swim team and again when a Derecho comes through. The Derecho brings up more than expected. This drama was great. I loved the Jewish references throughout the story. This wasn’t the page turner as I expected it to be. I found my mind wondering and bored at some parts. The story line was easier to follow than I thought it would be. This was a good story, but not as memorable as I would have hoped.