I fell completely in love with a previous book by this author, and she’s managed to pull it out of the bag with another easy, but important read surrounding female friendship.

Lifesaving for beginners swaps between the points of view of 5 friends, thrust together during difficult times. They are all so different from one another, but they are connected by their love for the sea.

Although I didn’t love this quite as much as the other book I’ve read by Josie, I still managed to be completely swept up in it. I’ve just taken up swimming myself (although I swim in a pool) and this book inspired me to go to the sea. I live very close to the sea but haven’t visited a beach in years because of my health. I sat on the beach, listening to the sea, smiling and thinking about this story. I can completely understand why the characters love it so much. My biggest takeaway from this book is that I will be making much more of an effort to spend time near the beautiful nature of the sea.

I am always astounded at how well Josie manages to balance such incredibly serious topics whilst keeping a light tone. So many important things were included in this: infidelity, menopause, grief, homelessness, covid, LGBTQ+ issues, mental health and chronic illness. Yet it didn’t feel overwhelming or depressing. A positive tone is used throughout, even when incredibly difficult things are discussed. I also love the focus on women supporting each other, having such strong and empowering friendships. I cannot wait to see what Josie does next!

I recommend this book to fans of easy reads with a focus on female friendships. I want to thank HQ Publishers and Josie Lloyd for allowing me to read this book and give my personal thoughts.