ABL Review At-A-Glance
Ø Title: In the Swim of Things
Ø My Rating: 4.5
Ø Genre: Romance, Women’s Fiction
Ø Author:
Tracie Banister
Tracie Banister
Ø Format:
ebook*
ebook*
Ø Publication Date: May 15, 2019
Compare To:
Goodreads Synopsis
A sexy, sun-soaked tale about a tail-wearing girl
who makes a lot of waves—perfect for fans of Lauren Layne, Meghan Quinn, and
Christina Lauren.
who makes a lot of waves—perfect for fans of Lauren Layne, Meghan Quinn, and
Christina Lauren.
Ocean-loving Kyra Goodwin
had to give up her dream of becoming the female Jacques Cousteau in order to
take care of her father and brother, but being a mermaid at the Cape Cod
Aquarium is pretty fintastic as far as alternative careers go.
had to give up her dream of becoming the female Jacques Cousteau in order to
take care of her father and brother, but being a mermaid at the Cape Cod
Aquarium is pretty fintastic as far as alternative careers go.
Of course, life as a
half-fish/half-woman isn’t all sunken treasure and Ariel twirls. Kyra has to
deal with perpetually pruney fingers, eyes irritated by saltwater, and bratty
kids on the daily, plus her glam alter ego can make dating really weird. (So
many men have pervy siren-of-the-sea fantasies!) When she meets hunky surfer
Cade, and he’s into her without knowing what she does for a living, Kyra thinks
she’s finally won the romance lottery.
half-fish/half-woman isn’t all sunken treasure and Ariel twirls. Kyra has to
deal with perpetually pruney fingers, eyes irritated by saltwater, and bratty
kids on the daily, plus her glam alter ego can make dating really weird. (So
many men have pervy siren-of-the-sea fantasies!) When she meets hunky surfer
Cade, and he’s into her without knowing what she does for a living, Kyra thinks
she’s finally won the romance lottery.
Unfortunately, Kyra’s
plans for a carefree summer of catching waves with her new boyfriend run
aground when Sea Star Beach, a place that holds great sentimental value for
her, is taken over by a big-city developer who wants to build an exclusive
resort. Kyra’s crusade to save her beloved beach threatens both her job and her
relationship with Cade as does her growing closeness with her irresistibly
broody merwrangler, Declan, whose precocious daughter is intent on playing
matchmaker.
plans for a carefree summer of catching waves with her new boyfriend run
aground when Sea Star Beach, a place that holds great sentimental value for
her, is taken over by a big-city developer who wants to build an exclusive
resort. Kyra’s crusade to save her beloved beach threatens both her job and her
relationship with Cade as does her growing closeness with her irresistibly
broody merwrangler, Declan, whose precocious daughter is intent on playing
matchmaker.
When a new family drama
arises just as Kyra receives an offer that would turn her greatest desire into
reality, she’s torn. Will she do what’s expected of her, or dive in and follow
her heart?
arises just as Kyra receives an offer that would turn her greatest desire into
reality, she’s torn. Will she do what’s expected of her, or dive in and follow
her heart?
My Thoughts…
This is one of those fun books you just like
reading. It’s light-hearted, humorous,
and never takes itself too seriously.
Not that there aren’t some very dramatic moments and difficult emotions
to deal with like loss, betrayal, etc. Damn
if it wasn’t done in a really funny way.
reading. It’s light-hearted, humorous,
and never takes itself too seriously.
Not that there aren’t some very dramatic moments and difficult emotions
to deal with like loss, betrayal, etc. Damn
if it wasn’t done in a really funny way.
I’ve mentioned in previous reviews how much I
love depictions of realistic characters having realistic sex. Not everyone experiences perfect sex with
multiple orgasms given by a towering, beautiful Scottish highlander with curly
red hair and…. Oh sorry. I got a little
distracted. Oh Jamie *sigh*. Anyway, when I’m not reading those types of
scenes, and loving them as well just so we’re clear, it’s very refreshing to
read about people who have had similar experiences to my own.
love depictions of realistic characters having realistic sex. Not everyone experiences perfect sex with
multiple orgasms given by a towering, beautiful Scottish highlander with curly
red hair and…. Oh sorry. I got a little
distracted. Oh Jamie *sigh*. Anyway, when I’m not reading those types of
scenes, and loving them as well just so we’re clear, it’s very refreshing to
read about people who have had similar experiences to my own.
In In the Swim of Things, Tracie Banister
uses intimate scenes as an integral part of the plot. She uses sex, how it happens, how people feel
about it, how good it is, to show how people can get so swept away in those
feelings that the rest of the relationship is influenced by them. When things are working well physically, it’s
hard to see how the relationship might not be fulfilling emotionally. Red flags tend to be ignored when one can get
caught up in the romance. It’s human
nature, and In the Swim of Things
depicts this perfectly.
uses intimate scenes as an integral part of the plot. She uses sex, how it happens, how people feel
about it, how good it is, to show how people can get so swept away in those
feelings that the rest of the relationship is influenced by them. When things are working well physically, it’s
hard to see how the relationship might not be fulfilling emotionally. Red flags tend to be ignored when one can get
caught up in the romance. It’s human
nature, and In the Swim of Things
depicts this perfectly.
One of my pet peeves when reading a book is
inconsistent characterization. When
suddenly a character acts entirely differently due to the of a plot point. Have you ever seen that before? Well it happens more frequently than it
should, and I loved the fact that these characters remained true to their
personalities from beginning to end, flaws and all. For instance, Kyra tends to react emotionally
and think later. This works for her and
gets her into trouble, but throughout the book, we see her dealing with this
trait and working on it.
inconsistent characterization. When
suddenly a character acts entirely differently due to the of a plot point. Have you ever seen that before? Well it happens more frequently than it
should, and I loved the fact that these characters remained true to their
personalities from beginning to end, flaws and all. For instance, Kyra tends to react emotionally
and think later. This works for her and
gets her into trouble, but throughout the book, we see her dealing with this
trait and working on it.
I think of books like this as riding a bike on a
perfectly sunny day. Easy, breezy, and
so much fun that I could relax and enjoy the ride.
perfectly sunny day. Easy, breezy, and
so much fun that I could relax and enjoy the ride.
* Special thanks to Tracie Banister for providing a copy of In the Swim of Things in exchange for an honest review.
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