The kindest word I could apply to the prose is “undemanding.” I’d hoped the charm of a story about a lonely twentysomething journalist and an octogenarian who band together to rescue their local swimming pool would outweigh the dull writing, but not so.

I wanted to love this but found it so sickly sweet that it gave me a toothache. It was overly long and I didn't find myself engaged or attached to the characters in any way. A disappointment.

At first I was unsure about this book from the blurb, how good could a book about the closing of a lido be? But after seeing some good reviews I decided to give it a go... and loved it. The focus on two characters mean you really get an insight into their lives and what the lido means to them without being overly sentimental. The sense of community is so heart warming. I definitely recommend this book, a great summer read.

For generations the Brockwell Park Lido has been part of the lives of those who live in Brixton.  It has survived war but now it is under threat from the local council who want to sell it off to a developer who will fill in the pool.  Rosemary has visited the Lido all her life, she is eighty-six now and still tries to swim every day.  The thought of losing the lido is devastating to her as all her memories of her late husband are linked to it.  For young journalist Kate the lido is a lifeline to save her from becoming overwhelmed by London life.  Along with the local community they fight to save something so special.

All the blurb surrounding this book made me think it was going to be a twee little tale that was all sunshine and cupcakes and at times The Lido is just that.  Underneath the surface though there is far more substance.  Kate has to battle with anxiety and the loneliness that comes from leaving home and moving to a big city where you are just an anonymous person, Rosemary is dealing with the loneliness of loss.  OK, so this is a sugar-coated Brixton that is just a little too clean and friendly to be believable but as a modern-day fairy tale this is a really lovely read.

Heart-warming although at times verging on saccharine. The descriptions of Brixton are really evocative and the plot of gentrification threatening to pull apart the threads of a community is all-too-familiar. Kate, a lonely 26 year-old journalist and 86 year-old Rosemary are at first unlikely friends but the threatened closure of the local lido causes them to unite behind a common cause and discover new friendships and experiences in the process.

A lovely uplifting and warming read! It's about friendships and being part of a community. Rosemary is 86 and has lived in Brixton all her life and has spent everyday swimming at the local Lido , it is in the process of being bought out by a housing company and turned into a tennis court. Kate is a 20 something journalist who is covering the story for the local paper - Here strikes a lovely friendship... Had me in tears in parts but leaves you feeling happy. Fabulous to read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this.

A great book about relationships family and the importance of community. Another great book which shows that feel good fiction is on the increase.

Well blow me down with a feather – it’s so rare nowadays to hear the words South London in relation to anything other than knife crime/drugs/violence and yet…what do we have here? A book about COMMUNITY and FRIENDSHIP and PEOPLE BEING NICE TO EACH OTHER and it is so lovely and touching and relevant that I want to weep.

The Lido is the story of Rosemary (86), who has lived in Brixton for all of her life. She’s been a regular user of Brockwell Lido since she was a child and still goes every morning for her daily swim. When the local council announce plans to sell the facility off to redevelopers, Kate (26) is asked to cover the story for the local paper. After meeting Rosemary, Kate realises that the lido is so much more than just somewhere to exercise and her and Rosemary’s battle to save it gives them both a new purpose as well as an unlikely friendship.

I really enjoyed the overall premise of the book. I liked the idea that one of the characters (Rosemary) had lived in the area all of her life, and the way that she talked about her home really gave you a sense of what it was like to live in Brixton, how it had changed but how there was still a thriving community, just like there always had been. I thought that the time slips back to Rosemary’s younger days (including her fond memories of her husband George) worked particularly well and I loved that, as an older character, she brought so much local knowledge that really grounded the story. I found her descriptions of the lido in the 1940’s and 50’s particularly evocative and her personal account gave me an emotional connection to the building and the campaign to save it.

I thought that the author did particularly well to write such a charming, quirky book that covered some big, weighty topics. Loneliness is a key theme (both in younger and older people) and I could definitely relate to the feeling of living in a city full of people but still being cut off and isolated from the world. I loved that Rosemary was able to help Kate to integrate into the local community and that helping her to do so also gave Rosemary a new friend *thinks for the five millionth time about volunteering locally*. I also thought that issues around grief and depression were handled sensitively – we definitely need to hear more about bereavement in older people.

I really enjoyed the depiction of exercise helping people with anxiety and low self esteem. I thought it was really interesting that the author chose an individual sport like swimming but still managed to show how just taking part gave the characters so much more than a workout. I know I immediately thought about making more use of my local council pool (then I remembered how much effort it takes to prepare to swim and how disgusting the sports centre is – it’s due to be demolished and rebuilt so maybe I’ll go to the new one*)

The only drawback I have for The Lido is that it does occasionally dip its toe into the saccharine waters of the overly sentimental (see what I did there?) and there’s a romance storyline that feels a bit unnecessary and slightly detracts from the overriding theme of strong female friendship (why does a character always have to pull to evidence their newfound happiness?) but overall the pacing is good and there was enough drama to keep me entertained.

Apart from those minor niggles, I think it goes without saying that I loved The Lido. It’s a completely feel-good read that still covered a whole bunch of difficult topics. I loved that the characters of Rosemary and Kate became friends despite the age gap and I especially liked how having an older character gave the novel a grounding and history that enhanced my emotional connection. I found the whole thing utterly charming – perfect as a gentle summery read.

Firstly although not my usual genre (psychological thrillers) I thoroughly enjoyed this heart warming story following 86 year old Rosemary who regularly visits her community Lido which has been a fixture of support throughout her life from growing up, marriage and the death of her husband George to almost every other event in her life. When a local developer intends to purchase the Lido to convert it into an apartment block young local reporter Kate is tasked with writing a story about the Lido and the effect it's loss would have within the community. It is not long before she crosses paths with Rosemary and a beautiful friendship begins to blossom between the 2.
An absolutely charming tale of friendship, community and love which I enjoyed immensely.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

This is a wonderful read which I would definitely recommend. I couldn't get this book out of my mind when I had to drag myself away from it. The tentative blossoming of the character of Kate is beautifully written and it is so easy to get wrapped up in Rosemary's memories as they work together to save The Lido and its community whilst finding so much more along the way. I found this an emotional read, but in the best sense in that I had got so attached to the characters and their stories I was bereft when I had to leave them. A brilliant debut and I can't wait for her next book.

The Lido will be one of those books that people either love or hate. It doesn't have a pacey plot and not much drama really happens. However, it should be read as a celebration of friendship and community, of the importance of shared values and places in our lives. Kate is a journalist who has moved to Brixton from her native Bristol. Her anxiety prevents her from settling in and appreciating her new surroundings, until she meets Rosemary, a widow who has lived there all her life. They are bound together by a campaign to save their local Lido from property developers. Libby Page evokes the area beautifully and shows how its recent gentrification is not all bad as long as it makes space for the old community. The ending is probably a bit too predicatable for me but is appropriate to the style of the writing and ties up the story.

This is a book that does exactly what it says on the tin. Everyone has a story and a lot of people are lonely - with a community project unlikely people come together and friendships are made and journeys taken. This is by no means a problem and I found this book to be a good escapist read that is just a little bit different from the other up-lit out there.

I have started swimming since reading this book. Not in a lido but at the local baths, the book inspired me and made feel like giving it a go.
I wish I had read this book on my sunbed while on holiday.
It is a feel good, light novel but containing some thought provoking parts about loneliness and friendship.
The book is a bit predictable and I felt the end was a bit unrealistic.
However I did enjoy it and would recommend to readers who like a nice read.

I did not find this as engaging as I was hoping despite having read several positive reviews, which was disappointing

I was really impressed with the vivid portrayal of Brixton which really came alive for me through the pages and the interweaving of Rosemary and George's history with the modern day story was a really effective way of engaging the reader in the fight to save the Lido. Given these qualities, I'm not really sure why I didn't love it ...nevertheless, I will certainly be recommending it and I can see it being a huge hit. I look forward to seeing what Libby Page writes next...

I loved this book and raced through it in a day. It's a beautiful tale of community, loneliness and belonging. Just brilliant and the perfect summer read! Plus it's made me want to visit my local lido more.

I really enjoyed The Lido and read it in a day, I could not put it down.
A great book on friendships and community involvement.
Have a read you will not be disappointed.

A great summer read, particularly if you live or have lived around south London. The description of the Lido and its surroundings transport you to the area and give you a sense of really being there. Slightly repetitive when talking about the past of the Lido and relationships, but enjoyable nonetheless

A beautifully written novel where the words ripple across the pages drawing the reader in to the story of Brixton, the lido and its water. This novel will excite any Londoner but especially if you are from Brixton. I also loved the mention of Devon as a Devonian.

I did feel that at times it was a bit schmaltzy and unrealistic but at the end I did have a lump in my throat at this lovely friendship of two women with one purpose in common.

The author’s descriptions of the community and friendships in Brixton made this an interesting novel. Well-developed characters and a good storyline made this an easy to read novel with the feel good factor. This novel would appeal to all ages. My thanks to Net Galley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.