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In the gorgeous seaside town of Whitstable, brokenhearted Deb begins to swim each day and gathers a new group of friends around her. But can the magic of sea heal the hurt of the past? Or will family ties drag her underwater again?
A heart-warming, funny and poignant story of romance, friendship and second chances. It's also a song to the author's home town of Whitstable, where the sea is smooth, the shingle is painful on bare feet, and the air is full of possibilities.
A heart-warming, funny and poignant story of romance, friendship and second chances. It's also a song to the author's home town of Whitstable, where the sea is smooth, the shingle is painful on bare feet, and the air is full of possibilities.
- GenresFiction
99 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 31, 2017
12 people are currently reading
184 people want to read
About the author
Katie May
6 books21 followersSee also: Katherine May
There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.
There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 3, 2018
Very light read (nothing wrong with that from time to time).
Only part of the story.... not engaged enough by it to want to know how it continues/finishes... so I'll leave it there.
Only part of the story.... not engaged enough by it to want to know how it continues/finishes... so I'll leave it there.
September 5, 2017
I absolutely adored this story and so pleased it’s the start of a book series by Katie May. The Whitstable High Tide Swimming Club is Katie May’s debut novel and what a cracking start to her published career.
In Part One: Diving In we follow Deb’s new journey in her life after leaving her husband. For nearly 30 years Deb had felt down trodden in her marriage to Derek after having her three children she soon became a placater hoping to keep the peace in the family unit. Now after so long she’d had enough and was happy to be on her own living in a small bedsit in her beloved coastal town of Whitstable. The beach, especially the sea, is Deb’s escape and she loves nothing more than to immerse herself in the cold sea water to help forget her personal problems.
Deb isn’t the only one using the power of the sea and the beach to escape her past, Maisie recently divorced has relocated to Whitstable and is also drawn to this natural beauty. Swimming in and around the tides of Whitstable was soon becoming a routine for the two women and a friendship developed.
However, the beach is under threat of future new development and the swimming buddies have built up a following from others in the town and a strong community spirit is felt. The new swimming and beach loving community have a fight on their hands to save their beloved beach.
Such brilliant dialogue from Katie May with wonderful wit and humour. There are some great scenes that will literally have you laughing out loud. There is also a serious side to the characters we are learning to love, both Deb and Maisie have suffered heartbreak and are starting a fresh and have many painful memories from their past. Whilst reading this story I could easily picture the scenes in my head and I feel it would make a fabulous Sunday night drama. I’m eager to read the next instalments in this new book series and will start a campaign to get The Whitstable High Tide Swimming Club on our TV screens!
In Part One: Diving In we follow Deb’s new journey in her life after leaving her husband. For nearly 30 years Deb had felt down trodden in her marriage to Derek after having her three children she soon became a placater hoping to keep the peace in the family unit. Now after so long she’d had enough and was happy to be on her own living in a small bedsit in her beloved coastal town of Whitstable. The beach, especially the sea, is Deb’s escape and she loves nothing more than to immerse herself in the cold sea water to help forget her personal problems.
Deb isn’t the only one using the power of the sea and the beach to escape her past, Maisie recently divorced has relocated to Whitstable and is also drawn to this natural beauty. Swimming in and around the tides of Whitstable was soon becoming a routine for the two women and a friendship developed.
However, the beach is under threat of future new development and the swimming buddies have built up a following from others in the town and a strong community spirit is felt. The new swimming and beach loving community have a fight on their hands to save their beloved beach.
Such brilliant dialogue from Katie May with wonderful wit and humour. There are some great scenes that will literally have you laughing out loud. There is also a serious side to the characters we are learning to love, both Deb and Maisie have suffered heartbreak and are starting a fresh and have many painful memories from their past. Whilst reading this story I could easily picture the scenes in my head and I feel it would make a fabulous Sunday night drama. I’m eager to read the next instalments in this new book series and will start a campaign to get The Whitstable High Tide Swimming Club on our TV screens!
September 12, 2017
The Whitstable High Tide Swimming Club – Diving In is the first part of a trilogy that will be released over the next few months. I have only ever seen something like this once before and liked the idea then.
After reading this delightful novella I am eagerly looking forward to part two. I liked Debs very much, and had a lot of sympathy for her and the way she felt she was treated by her estranged husband and adult children. I can see some great friendships form between all the women, even though they don’t initially have much in common. Part one focused mainly on Debs and Marcie, I feel that each of the women will be focused on in the rest of the series. One of them I wasn’t keen on but if we do get to know more about her later my feeling may change.
It’s not an area I know but I could picture it clearly. A quieter area of a seaside town that has the usual beach huts and bars that the little club wanted to protect. They all get pleasure from the club and all use it for different reasons.
There is poignancy and loneliness, humour and loss. And an overwhelming unity to keep the club going. Bring on Part Two.
With thanks for the publisher for the copy received for review.
After reading this delightful novella I am eagerly looking forward to part two. I liked Debs very much, and had a lot of sympathy for her and the way she felt she was treated by her estranged husband and adult children. I can see some great friendships form between all the women, even though they don’t initially have much in common. Part one focused mainly on Debs and Marcie, I feel that each of the women will be focused on in the rest of the series. One of them I wasn’t keen on but if we do get to know more about her later my feeling may change.
It’s not an area I know but I could picture it clearly. A quieter area of a seaside town that has the usual beach huts and bars that the little club wanted to protect. They all get pleasure from the club and all use it for different reasons.
There is poignancy and loneliness, humour and loss. And an overwhelming unity to keep the club going. Bring on Part Two.
With thanks for the publisher for the copy received for review.
November 3, 2017
I loved this book; witty, easy to read, set in today's world proper, not a fantasy where everyone is ok. Here people have problems they can't sort easily, they like people and dislike others, put up with some and tell others to shove it... It's short, but like Dickens, only the first instalment. I have been waiting anxiously for the next part to see how the Club settles down, and whether the Evil Dastardly Developers will get their own way...
November 8, 2025
The Whitstable High Tide Swimmimg Club
Lovely enjoyable quick read book. Characters are very likable even grumpy bossy Ann. Looking forward to part 2 next book.
Lovely enjoyable quick read book. Characters are very likable even grumpy bossy Ann. Looking forward to part 2 next book.
September 17, 2017
Although I would never even consider dipping my toe in the freezing North Sea, it was lovely to take a trip to Whitstable courtesy of Katie May. Whitstable is a real place on the North coast of Kent and you can read more about places to see in Whitstable in the guest post that Katie May wrote for my stop on the blog tour on my blog.
Deb has just split up with her husband, Derek, after she stopped turning a blind eye to his drinking and affairs. Deb finds herself looking forward to the twice daily high tide so she can forget her troubles and go for a swim in the sea. For a while, she has the beach to herself then one day she notices that she has company in the form of ex-corporate lawyer and recent divorcee, Maisie. Due to their shared love of swimming, the pair strike up an unlikely friendship as they both come from different worlds: Deb is struggling to make ends meet living in a pokey bedsit and Maisie is affluent enough to be able to start again with a dozen new everything. When a few more people start visiting the beach at high tide, The Whitstable High Tide Swimming Club is born, but the new club has barely got off the ground when developers threaten to move in.
The town of Whitstable is almost a character in itself; it sounds so quaint and picturesque, and Katie May's love for her home town is very apparent. I loved the blossoming friendship between Deb and Maisie, both women are in their 50's and find themselves having to embrace single life again with Deb doing a bit more of the embracing (and good for her)! I also thought the storyline about the developers was excellent - developers always seem so cold and callous as they bulldoze their way in and change our beautiful landscape. Having something to fight for brought the members of the swimming club closer together and I actually felt as if I was an honorary member of the club by reading along as events were unfolding.
This is only part one, so I am delighted that Katie May has more visits to Whitstable planned for us readers. I think we have only scratched the surface of some of the characters and I'm really looking forward to reading more about them. With some laugh out loud moments and some serious issues, The Whitstable High Tide Swimming Club: Part One: Diving In is a super start to a series set in a beautiful location and filled with colourful characters we can all relate to.
I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
Deb has just split up with her husband, Derek, after she stopped turning a blind eye to his drinking and affairs. Deb finds herself looking forward to the twice daily high tide so she can forget her troubles and go for a swim in the sea. For a while, she has the beach to herself then one day she notices that she has company in the form of ex-corporate lawyer and recent divorcee, Maisie. Due to their shared love of swimming, the pair strike up an unlikely friendship as they both come from different worlds: Deb is struggling to make ends meet living in a pokey bedsit and Maisie is affluent enough to be able to start again with a dozen new everything. When a few more people start visiting the beach at high tide, The Whitstable High Tide Swimming Club is born, but the new club has barely got off the ground when developers threaten to move in.
The town of Whitstable is almost a character in itself; it sounds so quaint and picturesque, and Katie May's love for her home town is very apparent. I loved the blossoming friendship between Deb and Maisie, both women are in their 50's and find themselves having to embrace single life again with Deb doing a bit more of the embracing (and good for her)! I also thought the storyline about the developers was excellent - developers always seem so cold and callous as they bulldoze their way in and change our beautiful landscape. Having something to fight for brought the members of the swimming club closer together and I actually felt as if I was an honorary member of the club by reading along as events were unfolding.
This is only part one, so I am delighted that Katie May has more visits to Whitstable planned for us readers. I think we have only scratched the surface of some of the characters and I'm really looking forward to reading more about them. With some laugh out loud moments and some serious issues, The Whitstable High Tide Swimming Club: Part One: Diving In is a super start to a series set in a beautiful location and filled with colourful characters we can all relate to.
I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews