Wild Swimming: An escapist romantic comedy set in the Scottish Highlands

by Kate Galloway

When the wrong destination with the right person leads to an adventure of a lifetime.

Fliss is turning 35, and the last thing she wants is a big celebration. Desperate to avoid the usual fuss, she books a secret escape holiday—only to discover the destination isn’t the tropical island she imagined but the rugged Highlands of Scotland.

Swapping cocktails for camping and sunshine for rain, Fliss faces a crash course in tent-building, wild swimming, and foraging. Determined not to quit, she surprises herself by finding a sense of freedom in the wilderness. Even more unexpected is Oliver—one of her fellow campers—with his easy smile, quiet strength, and knack for showing Fliss the beauty in the untamed world around her.

But as Fliss’s birthday looms closer, so do the memories she’s tried to leave behind.

In the heart of the Scottish wilds, will Fliss be ready to face her past in order to take a chance on her future?

A gorgeous romantic comedy set in the wilderness of the Scottish Highlands. Perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Carley Fortune, Beth O'Leary, and Annabel Monaghan.

Genres: Romance, Audiobook, Scotland

372 pages, Paperback

Published January 26, 2025

About the author

Kate is the best-selling author of uplifting, romantic fiction. Short-listed for the Romantic Novelists’ Association award for New Writers, Kate started writing as a child and never stopped.

With a degree and master’s in psychology and therapy, it’s the humanity of the characters that drive Kate’s plots.

Kate lives in the beautiful county of Norfolk and loves Irn-Bru and macarons. She can often be found with both, as she ferries her daughter back and forth to the local stables.

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

wtf did I just listen to

[Joanna Dixon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just found it a bit "meh" to be honest. I enjoyed the premise, but by the end I was irritated and frustrated and ready to finish it. As the reader, you're aware from the beginning that FMC has had a huge trauma that is impacting them massively and causing them to hold back and act a certain way. For me, the fact this was alluded to throughout the entire book constantly, but we don't find out what the trauma is until near the end was frustrating and honestly meant that by the time I found out what the trauma was, 1. I'd already mostly guessed it but 2. I found I was detached and didn't care as much. However, I did really enjoy the setting and focus on nature, wild swimming, camping and hiking and how healing these things can be.

[Bells Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a lovely light romance with a trekking/swimming adventure in the Scottish highlands - just what I was looking for. Loved the setting and the interactions between the trekkers. It isn’t as great as the novel Wild but I’d call it Wild lite. The thought of swimming in the lochs though chilled me - one day soon I think I’ll have to do it!

[Susanne Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great idea for a story, I loved the mystery aspect of where they were going. It had my attention instantly.
Fliss was an interesting character, lots of unknown things about her past too, I liked how we got to hear about things gradually, building up the intrigue.
The setting was fantastic, and seeing Fliss settle into the trip was really uplifting, you could see her trying to grasp the moment and make the best of her time there. Oliver really helped her and it was lovely to see them connect.
The group was a great collection of characters and it was fascinating to see their interactions and the friendly community that they eventually became.
Some spectacular twists made this an incredibly engaging and entertaining read.
I found myself wanting to join them, and I usually avoid camping!

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

The title of this book could be changed to "Wild Eye Rolling" based off the number of times I was exasperated with this story. None of the characters are likeable and the writing is poor. The number of times the lead character complained "but Scotland!? Waaaah!" could honestly be turned into a drinking game. I get that our lead, Felicity is dealing with some trauma and I'm not making light of it but Christ on a bike she was annoying. If I had been on this holiday, and at every turn she was causing drama or almost dying I would ask for a ride back to the hotel and a full refund. I'd like a refund of my time spent on this book actually.

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it...easy read.. escapisem.

[Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had a totally different cover on Spotify as an audiobook, which I think is important to note, but it gave me “Bridget Jones goes hiking in the wilderness” vibes

[Chad Alexander Guarino da Verona]

Foos yer Doos ah dinnae ken!

[Emily Westberry · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a decent read; I just didn’t really feel like much actually happened 🤷🏻‍♀️ kind of slow.

[Becky’s Booknook · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a wholesome story! Loved the different stages of the characters and it had me thinking about my own personal experiences along the way.

[Jenny Wooldridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book so much!

[Katie Dieteman · Rating 1 out of 5]

um. no. no offense but this is not worth the time or energy to read. it got to the only sort of good part in the literal last chapter. i only finished it bc im behind on my book goals and didn’t completely hate the narrators voice in the audiobook

[Claudia · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was really not for me, I blame the artsy Spotify audio book cover which made it look like a romantic literary fiction novel.

I genuinely didn’t know who I was supposed to want her to end up with until the last hundred pages and the main character was insufferable. Also, the trauma plot twist was so predictable it actively annoyed me.

[Vee · Rating 2 out of 5]

***Contains Spoilers ***
MFC was so annoyingly afraid of every tiny thing it seemed impossible that someone would end up saying “you’ve totally taken my breath away” because why had he thought that? What was compelling about her to single her out that way after such a short time? I understand she had trauma in her teens but the constant allusion to it without revealing to readers what it was, was frustrating since we knew she “had secrets”. She’s 35, did no one suggest therapy to her before this? I know she finally does in end, but nearly 20 years to this point. And Oliver and Maya’s secret was obvious fairly early on, I’d think one of the other characters would’ve caught on.

It got 2 stars because the characters aren’t all awful (loved Brianna) and the romance does develop as one would hope.

Yes, there is growth and she is less of a fraidy cat, but did she need to nearly die so many times along the way? It’s unlikely one person would get in the situation more than once and actually want to go off alone swimming in freezing water again.

I love a HEA but the setting and writing of the last scene was so bizarre. It’s stormy and they’re being rained upon yet author kept on about the stars in the sky.

I found the most interesting thing in the book was on the beauty of the Highlands. This book makes me want to go seek out some of the locations.

Cover art for what I had was so different to this one on goodreads. .

[Evie Butler-Donaldson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Every single person in this book is a wet blanket. FMC needs to go to therapy and not try and kill herself by walking in the water fully clothed every two seconds and then wondering why the guys have to keep rescuing her.

Everyone’s meant to be adults right? They’re all acting like jealous 12 year olds.

I would be frustrated if I had paid all that money for a naff experience that the guys seemed to be making up on the spot.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely way to spend a Sunday morning, read in one sitting. Looking at other opinions here it seems it’s a marmite book, either LOVE or HATE it! I would say I loved it! It was everything I wanted from an easy to read, romantic story with a hidden theme of finding your true self. Lovely scenery set in the Scottish highlands

I enjoyed the book :) was it groundbreaking or life changing? No

But I enjoyed the story and rooted for the romance at the end

[James Acey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would recommend for an easy read/listen. Well paced with themes covering mental health benefits from being outdoors and in community, personal grief, social anxiety, and more. Maya being Oliver's ex was a nice, unexpected twist. The romance/sexualness is there but more lighthearted and buildup than explicit.

[Luce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh, idk, I was bored 😴 I also can’t get behind romance books where it’s not till the last chapter they actually get together lol

I don’t know if it’s just me but romance doesn’t translate well to audiobooks lol because the funniest moment was when felicity says she had sex with Oliver and I audibly said WHEN?!

[Rachael Hockridge · Rating 2 out of 5]

So the cover of this book on Spotify is beautiful- which is how it sucked me in. On Good Reads it looks like THIS which is very reflective of how shit the book is. Rolled my eyes so much. Terrible dialogue and one-dimensional characters. Listened because I thought it would go a bit deeper into human connection to nature. But drippy women who are scared to wee in the bush rile me.

[Susan in Perthshire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written and emotional but it’s not a comedy. Perhaps I’m the only one who thought the serious issues that were dealt with - guilt, self hatred, disloyalty, infidelity, dishonesty, cruelty - were not in the least funny? I found this a very thought provoking piece of dramatic fiction.

[Grace Power · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, it was a fun read with wonderful characters who bonded over spending time together.
Set in Scotland the descriptions were so beautiful and there were a few twists to the story which made it an entertaining and enjoyable read.

[Matty Lin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story resonated with me a lot. Thirty something, reclusive, but went on a journey that changed me.
Zero spice but one fade to black scene. Regardless, it's a slow burn with our love interests. Plus, we're in the Scottish Highlands! Dreamy.

[Heather Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun easy escape of a rom com story, where predictability is welcomed and cozy. while it's not literature or perfection, it definitely has a space in my reading list for those days you need to just read and not think.

[Hannah Bush · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Liesl Artherton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story

[Allie Satterthwaite · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 ⭐️ cute read. Maya can suck a big one.
Didn’t like the end “party” it was a little weird.
Loved that the romance wasn’t insta-love but could have been more descriptive.

[Erinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Caity · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Charlotte Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book because it was more about self love and finding yourself with a subplot of romance and some plot twists. It was super super cute

[Alli Kenck · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It was lighthearted with a dash of anguish.. very much like a Katherine Center book. Would read again!