"The Island Swimmer" by Lorraine Kelly is a captivating novel that intertwines themes of self-discovery, resilience, and the healing power of nature. Set on a remote island, the story follows a protagonist who turns to open-water swimming as a means of coping with personal challenges and finding inner peace. The act of swimming, particularly in the wild and often tumultuous waters surrounding the island, becomes a metaphor for the protagonist’s journey through life’s difficulties and their pursuit of clarity and strength.

Kelly’s writing is likely evocative, with rich descriptions of the island’s landscapes and seascapes, creating an immersive reading experience. The novel might explore the protagonist’s relationships with the island’s inhabitants, who could range from quirky locals to fellow seekers of solace, each contributing to the central character’s growth and understanding.

"The Island Swimmer" is a reflective and moving story that appeals to readers who enjoy literary fiction with a strong sense of place and character development. It’s a book that not only delves into the protagonist’s emotional and psychological journey but also celebrates the transformative power of nature and the simple act of swimming as a source of renewal and self-discovery.

I read this intently whilst on holiday recently. It's so so good - the story draws you in and keeps you guessing along the way. I got quite emotional towards the end. Loved it!

I liked the dual timeline of this novel, telling Evie's story and that of her parents Cara and Duncan. Having visited Orkney, I could picture the places mentioned in the book. The story has themes of family, friendship, and starting over.

Beautiful read and the ending was spine tingling. The compassion, love and emotion in this book we’re spellbinding
Such a glorious book, full of emotion, love, wonder and pure friendship. You will love this so dove in.
Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

The gorgeous Orkney setting steals the spotlight in this book. I learnt so much about the natural beauty, history and folklore of the place. The Island location also serves as the perfect backdrop to a close knit community who are there to support and encourage their neighbours and friends. With of course some inevitable exceptions to create a little drama.

20 years ago Evie fled home and her reasons for this are shrouded in secrecy, lies and manipulation. Now she’s finally home, and ready to face the past, and redesign her future. I enjoyed her journey, and discovering why she left home and her beloved father so abruptly.

The cold water swimming was another aspect I appreciated, it really added a lovely sensory element. And tied in well with Evie's story arc of facing your challenges with your friends firmly by your side.

For me personally, I found the pace a little slow. I think partially as this feels like it will be the first book in a series, and the author is setting the scene, and introducing us to the various Island characters. I will definite read on if there are more books, to see what is in store for them.

I'd recommend this to you if you like Island settings, cosy feel-good reads, and a supportive cast of characters.

Fantastic book, a wonderful heart felt tale that spans 20 years set in the wonderful location of Orkney.
The characters jump out from the pages and leave you wanting to hear more. I do hope this is the first book of many

This was my first time reading a book from the author but I am delighted to say I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I look forward to reading more books from the writer in the future

A charming debut novel, revolving around Evie and the friendship she finds with a group of sea swimmers on Orkney, they help her face up to her past mistakes.
Evie has left Orkney when she was young and has returned to sort out her father’s house following his death.
She has to contend with her broken relationship with her sister, Liv following a childhood trauma, but also has an excellent friend in Freya who is always there for her.
It has a gripping plot and lots of laugh out loud moments, as well as darker elements such as coercive control and discrimination faced by trans people.
Told in three different timelines - 1970s when Evie’s parents met, 2004 when Evie leaves Orkney after the trauma, up to present day.
Loved how it was told from this perspective as all 3 storylines impacted on each other.
Loved getting to know Evie and all the associated characters.
Thanks @reallorraine, @orionbooks & @netgalley for the fabulous debut novel

The island swimmer by Lorraine Kelly

Thank you so much Lorraine Kelly for letting me dive into the world of ‘The island Swimmer’.

Escaping to the windswept shores of Orkney, where secrets simmer beneath the waves and family bonds are… well not exactly great, has been such a joy and I can’t believe that this is Lorraine Kelly’s first book as her words read so beautifully and perfectly crafted that Evie and her world came to life for me.
It's a feel-good, heartwarming story about facing your past, finding yourself, and the healing power of community and nature.

Estranged from her family and haunted by a mysterious past teenie completely stole my heart and was super easy to root for. I was heartbroken to see her kindness and her desperation to do the right thing be seen as a weakness to be exploited by her sister and the vile Jeremy.

The narrative jumps between different points in time, adding intrigue and gradually revealing the truth about the past. The undercurrent of pain ran through the whole book and even though we don’t know the cause of this pain until fairly late in the story we can feel Evie and her families deepest pain, confusion and emptiness.
The supporting characters were so perfectly formed and well developed you will come away from this book feeling that you know the entire family as though they are your friends. From the mother trying to forever match her own unrealistic image of what the perfect wife, mother and family should be to the father trying to be understand the ones he loves and the eldest daughter who feels misunderstood and angry at a world that she rages against. Not to mention the glorious Freya and the beautiful romance subplots (no spoilers here of who our happy couples will be)
Please note that the book deals with some sensitive topics like cancer, coercive control, and discrimination.

It was so inspiring to watch Evie’s journey as she confronts her past and embraces the woman she was always destined to be.

Overall, "The Island Swimmer" is a heartwarming and enjoyable read with well-developed characters, a beautiful setting, an intriguing plot and will be recomending to everyone I know!

The book follows three different time lines:

The 1970s when Evie’s parents are meeting for the first time and starting their relationship;
2004 when Evie leaves Orkney after an unknown trauma; and
the present day when Evie returns to her family home after finding out her father is seriously ill.

Each of the individual timelines has a storyline in its own right – and it was lovely seeing them unwind and how they impacted on each other.

Getting to know Evie and the supporting cast of characters was great – and the descriptions of Orkney and the different settings there was really evocative. It sounds stunning.

Whilst the book is primarily is a family drama – it does touch on other topics such as coercive control, discrimination faced by trans people, cancer and accidental death – so there is definite light and shade.

I have to say that there were some grammatical errors and words missing or repeated in sentences – but I suspect those will be dealt with before the book is actually published (and I am a total pedant!) as this was an advanced review copy.

Overall I would say the book is exactly what you’d expect from Lorraine Kelly – feel good, clever, warm, community spirited, but with enough spice and cheekiness to be interesting! A warm hug of a book.

Evie lebt schon lange in London, aber sie hat ihre alte Heimat, die Orkneyinseln, nie vergessen. Trotzdem wollte sie nie wieder zurückkehren, denn die Erinnerungen sind zu schmerzhaft. Aber dann erreicht sie ein Brief einer alten Freundin: ihr Vater liegt im Sterben. Evie macht sich sofort auf den Weg, aber sie kommt zu spät. eigentlich will sie nur noch die Testamentseröffnung abwarten und dann wieder nach Hause fliegen, aber das Erbe ihres Vaters gibt ihr die Möglichkeit, die Vergangenheit hinter sich zu lassen und auf die Inseln ihrer Kindheit zurückzukehren.

Die Autorin lässt ihre Geschichte weit in der Vergangenheit beginnen, an dem Tag von Evies Flucht von der Insel. Warum sie gehen musste, erfahre ich zu diesem Zeitpunkt nicht. Aber es muss etwas Schreckliches gewesen sein, was Evie alle Brücken hinter sich abbrechen lässt.

Lorraine Kelly erzählt Evies Geschichte in der Gegenwart und auch in der Vergangenheit, die in die Zeit vor ihrer Geburt zurückreicht. Vieles von dem, was sie erzählt, ist nicht neu: von einer Frau, die ihre eigenen hohen Erwartungen nicht erfüllen konnte, einer Tochter, die von ihren Eltern und von ihrem Leben enttäuscht wurde, Schwestern, die eigentlich Fremde sind und von einer toxischen Beziehung, aus der sich Evie nicht befreien kann. Dazu kommt noch das Leben auf den Orkneyinseln in der Gegenwart, auf das Evie mehr und mehr Einfluss nimmt.

So viele Fäden zu einer stimmigen Handlung zu verknüpfen, ist nicht einfach, Das hat die Autorin zwar geschafft, aber den vielen kleinen Geschichten, die sie erzählt, konnte sie für meinen Geschmack nicht genug in die Tiefe gehen. Das fand ich schade, denn so hatte ich das Gefühl, als ob viele dieser kleinen Geschichten nicht zuende erzählt waren.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

A beautifully written debut novel. One which keeps you reading to know what happens next.

The book was very well written with relatable characters and gorgeous scenery.

It’s a dual timeline story which has some hard issues covered.

I highly recommend this book.

What a gem of a book! It is a fantastic read and had me hooked from the very first page. I could even hear Lorraine reading this to me in my head! Thank you for this great read.

An engaging story set on the Orkney Islands. I was hooked from the start.
The main character Evie suddenly leaves her home on the Island and doesn't return for twenty years. Receiving a letter from her friend Freya, (who is the only person who knows where Evie is) she travels back to Orkney but it is too late to make amends.
Evie has been afraid to return as she is harbouring a secret that only her sister knows. Evie and her sister Liv have never got on, and Liv has been blackmailing Evie all these years.
The author has created some really believable characters - Evie herself is lovely, Freya can be counted on to help anybody and everybody, and Sophia is the type of best friend that we'd all like to have.
The story is told through various timelines. There is mystery, what is the big secret? There is plenty of drama and there is romance.
An enjoyable read with gorgeous descriptions of the Orkney Islands.

This book has my heart . Such a heartwarming book and set in the beautiful island Orkney ,reading this gave me a real beautiful escapism from life in such a beautiful heartwarming way. I really did not want to this book to end .I really do hope Lorraine goes on to write further book as she is an amazing author who really gets the reader to capture the story and characters.I have recommended this to all of my friends.

Firstly thank you Netgalley for this ARC

Wow what a brilliant book such a brilliant storyline can’t wait to read more

Honest opinion: Before I started this book I wasn't sure what to expect. What I got was an absolute delight, that I had to keep reading to find out what happened! The characters are well written (I loved Evie! and Freya!) and the story is so entrancing I had to keep going. The story is a dual timeline which whilst very cleverly written also makes each chapter a story of its own. The describing of the scenery is also wonderful, you could feel the wind in your face and the salt of the sea. The author isn't afraid to tackle hard hitting issues (depression) which was also refreshing to see. A fantastic debut that I thoroughly enjoyed and will be recommending to others.

Oh my. Parents and siblings can really mess your life up . This is a story you are thinking about when you are not reading it. I was gripped . Evie ran away from Orkney and it took her 20 years to come back. What a mess her life was . So many characters in the book were great. Freya was just one amazing person. You could not work out the secret . The story moved back and forward in time. A must must read. Loved it and a beautiful ending. Can not recommend it enough.

Who knew Lorraine Kelly wasn't just a pretty face, she also a very good author.

Well done Lorraine this lovely good was a great read, I wanted to read more and more.
I would look for another one of your books after reading this.

This was a good debut novel from TV presenter Lorraine Kelly. The story is split into 3 timelines gradually drawing all of the threads together. A nice, cosy read.