Review: The Wednesday Morning Wild Swimr

The Wednesday Morning Wild Swimr by Jules Wake
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ettie was desperate to escape the inevitability of factory work, minimal pay, and single-motherhood that she grew up with. Unfortunately, her mother's ill-health forced Ettie to give up her ideas of university and a degree and concentrate on getting a job to support her, her mother, and her sister. But she finally escaped Yorkshire for London, since which time she's had a series of short-lived minimum wage jobs, when her latest job explodes (literally) she's forced to return home to Yorkshire and throw herself on the mercy of her family.

Then a chance job advert for a general dogsbody at the local 'big house' which is being renovated and turned into a hotel gives her a chance to shine. The co-owners of the house are a meek, elderly widow called Gracie and an injured ex-Navy heart-throb called Dominic. The original plan was for Dominic and Gracie's husband to turn the house into a outwards bound-style retreat but Gracie's husband's death and Dominic's injury have put paid to that. Ever since Dominic and Gracie have lost momentum and, as a consequence, the house is still not renovated and decorated.

Ettie gets involved with a group of odd-bods (including her grandfather) who like to swim in the lake in the hotel's grounds. Unfortunately, Dominic is paranoid about people drowning in the lake and has expressly forbid it, even putting up large signs saying swimming is prohibited. But Ettie thinks what Dominic doesn't know won't hurt him.

As Ettie makes herself indispensable at the hotel and uses her natural charm, multiple previous job experiences, and local knowledge to drive the redecoration forward, with great ideas about how best to utilise Dominic and Gracie's strengths, she and Dominic become closer - but can he ever forgive her when he discovers what she has organised behind his back?

Featuring some of the characters from the The Saturday Morning Park Run, this is a cosy, fell-good romantic comedy. Loved it.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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