I’m on a streak with charming reads these days, and I am feeling uplifted!
My Thoughts:
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
4 delightful stars to The Lido! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Kate is a cub reporter working for the local paper in Brixton, London. As a cub, she is responsible for the smallest assignments. She also has severe anxiety that affects her work and daily life.
Kate’s next assignment is writing about the closing of a lido (i.e., outdoor pool and recreation center), where she meets Rosemary, a widow in her eighties. Rosemary has been a fixture at the lido since she was a child, swimming in its pool daily. Not only that, but she met her husband there, and she has healed swimming in that pool since his death. So the pool is a fixture, a grounding, for Rosemary as well. The lido is closing due to development, leaving Rosemary feeling lost.
Kate is instantly charmed by Rosemary and the lido, and she makes this story much bigger than a small, forgettable one. She works with a photographer to piece it together through her interviews with Rosemary, and the community chips in, too, all in hopes of stopping the closure of the pool.
What I loved most about The Lido is the relationship that developed between Kate and Rosemary. Each needs to heal in her own way, and this was possible through their bond. I also adored the Brixton setting with its quaint shops and strong sense of community.
The Lido is an uplifting story of friendship, hope, healing, and a life well-lived at any age.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the ARC. The Lido will be published on July 10, 2018.
View all my reviews
Synopsis:
A tender, joyous debut novel about a cub reporter and her eighty-six-year-old subject—and the unlikely and life-changing friendship that develops between them.
Kate is a twenty-six-year-old riddled with anxiety and panic attacks who works for a local paper in Brixton, London, covering forgettably small stories. When she’s assigned to write about the closing of the local lido (an outdoor pool and recreation center), she meets Rosemary, an eighty-six-year-old widow who has swum at the lido daily since it opened its doors when she was a child. It was here Rosemary fell in love with her husband, George; here that she’s found communion during her marriage and since George’s death. The lido has been a cornerstone in nearly every part of Rosemary’s life.
But when a local developer attempts to buy the lido for a posh new apartment complex, Rosemary’s fond memories and sense of community are under threat.
As Kate dives deeper into the lido’s history—with the help of a charming photographer—she pieces together a portrait of the pool, and a portrait of a singular woman, Rosemary. What begins as a simple local interest story for Kate soon blossoms into a beautiful friendship that provides sustenance to both women as they galvanize the community to fight the lido’s closure. Meanwhile, Rosemary slowly, finally, begins to open up to Kate, transforming them both in ways they never knew possible.
In the tradition of Fredrik Backman, The Lido is a charming, feel-good novel that captures the heart and spirit of a community across generations—an irresistible tale of love, loss, aging, and friendship.
Have you read any uplifting books lately? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR
💣💣💣My TBR is no more! You have totally blown it up!💣💣💣 Awesome review as always Jennifer!😊💖
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😂 I love the bombs, Sus! You’ve done some damage to mine as well, and it was already a disaster! Have you seen how many books I have marked to-read on GR? Yikes! 😊 Thanks so much, Sus! I think you’d enjoy this one if you can squeeze it in. 💗
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Jen I have like 78 books on my currently reading shelf on Goodreads!! I have close to ten thousand books total on my shelves! 😂😂😂 We both need an address intervention! Hahahaha💖💖
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😆 78? I thought my currently reading was bad…and I don’t have super close to 10,000, but I am close to it. 😂 Did you look? I tried to count mine up and gave up! Yes, we need an intervention because I am worried that GR will no longer count my books once I reach a certain number! 😂 💕 💗
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One more thing- I think it was a read now at one point or another, so it may be now?
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Oh brother!!!!! Off I go to Netgalley!!!😊💖😂
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Was it still a read now? 😊 😂 ♥️ xo
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You know it is!!😂😂😂💖💖💖😱😱😱 Now it is sitting patiently on my to read shelf!😎😎😎
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Well, I wasn’t sure! I can’t tell once I’ve downloaded it. 😂 Ah, I love it! I hope you enjoy Kate and Rosemary’s story. 💕 💗
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Okay Missy, you aren’t too far behind me. I have 78 in currently reading you have 17…….I have 9658 total books shelved, you have 7516……I have 8264 on want to read, you have 5377…….
😂😂😂😂
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😂 I loved that you looked! I started to count and it overwhelmed me! We are two peas in a pod! 💗 (you didn’t see my “to read-owned books” shelf. Those are separate from the regular “to read.” Don’t look! And that’s not really all of them because I am not organized enough to know all of the books I have). 😆
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If you go to the homepage of Goodreads and click on my books the first category should say ALL……..you don’t have to add them up silly girl!😱😂😂 My books are all over the house plus most of my stuff is still sitting in a storage unit in Arizona…….I have like 17 boxes of books in there!😭😭😭
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😂 Well, now I know! No more counting! Yes, we are definitely two peas in a pod. All over everywhere here. My latest is having them on the stairs. I think they look pretty there in stacks. 💗
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And I hope you can get your books from AZ some time!
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Seems like a good setup! A person with anxiety in a job where they have to meet random people… sounds like a lot of opportunities for troble.
Great review! 😃
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Thanks, Norrie! Yes, definitely random people and random assignments to adjust to as well!
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Oh boy this sounds like one I’d love too!!💗
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I think so, too, Lana! ♥️ When I re-read the synopsis with Backman, I thought of you. I was telling Susan above that I saw this as a read now on NG at some point- if you are really interested, you can check? 💕
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Great review, Jennifer. I saw this one, but your review makes me put it on my TBR. Thanks for reviewing it!
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Thank you, Abby! It’s an uplifting read, perfect for a nice palate cleanser between heavier reads! Thanks so much for stopping by. 💕
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This does sound charming! I think I got a little teary-eyed just reading your summary!
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Aw, thanks, Krysta. It is a lovely, uplifting read!
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Charming reads are so needed after some of those heavier reads. Sounds great, Jennifer!
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Absolutely, Marialyce! It’s fun to mix it up! This was just a delight!
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Wonderful review, Jennifer!
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Thanks, Dee! ♥️
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This sounds beautiful!! How sad would it be to have your husband die and then to have someone try to take away the one place that helps you get through your grief! I can’t wait to see what happens!! 💖
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So true, Nicole! I hope you enjoy it if you are able to work it in! It is a lovely read! 💗
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Sounds like a sweet read Jennifer and one I’ve had my eye on! I also like the fact that it focuses on a character with anxiety, as always terrific review! 😊
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Thanks, Beth! It really was a sweet read, just lovely, and I loved the characters. 💕
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This sounds totally charming! Must get my hands on a copy.
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I hope you can, Lisa! You may have seen from the comments below that it’s still a read now on NG, if you are interested.
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Oh, great to know! Thanks!
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I’m always down for books that tackle mental health in an uplifting way, and this sounds lovely! It’s got such a cozy feel too! 💗
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Kathy, you have described it beautifully, and I feel the same way! I also like when mental health is handled in a sensitive way, this has that covered as well. The setting definitely adds to the cozy feel. 💕
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This is random but i ate at a restaurant called The Lido yesterday 😂
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You can’t tell me that without telling me if the food was good? 😂 I’m a foodie!
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I did enjoy it. I had prime rib, I highly recommend it
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Great review, Jennifer. The last uplifting book I read was This Could Change Everything by Jill Mansell.
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Thanks, Laurie! This Could Change Everything was such a great read. I’m so happy you enjoyed it too! ♥️
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