We follow two women, Kate and Phoebe, alternately as they navigate life in a small Somerset town. Kate has a newborn baby and feels like she's the only one who's ever struggled with that, especially when she meets up with the local mums' group and finds they're all fine (apparently). Phoebe pours so much of herself into her job as a mental health nurse that her boyfriend says she has no time for him and she heads towards burnout.

Kate misses swimming in the London lido she campaigned to save, as well as her friends who are continuing without her; she sees an advert for a wild swimming group and wonders if she dares join. Phoebe comes across them at the same time and the group of disparate women bonds as life expands for both women, as does their honesty about what their lives are actually like.

Some of the material in this novel is really quite dark, although honest and authentic (and there's a great list of helpful resources in the back of the book which is a lovely touch), but there are moments of lightness and humour, too, and the ending, with a modern twist coming part-way through, is really nicely done.

Review to be published 5 May: https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2024/05/05/book-review-libby-page-the-lifeline/

The Lifeline is the follow up to the popular book The Lido. I found it difficult to get through this book. I didn’t really connect with any character and found the plot very slow.

Kate moved from London to start her family in the countryside but now, after a few months she's struggling. Phoebe is a mental health nurse who puts her patients above herself and now she's struggling. Both have a love of swimming and stumble across the local wild swimming club. Just as they find themselves and a new set of friendships everything is under threat, can they pull together and save what they have?
I love a new Libby Page book! There's a real sense of comfort in reading these novels, a new one is a warm treat for when the reader is low and this is no exception. The underlying theme here is loneliness and the impacts on mental health. This is not an easy topic to handle sensitively and Page does it wonderfully.

I read the Lido back when it first came out and really enjoyed it, so I was excited to go back and revisit that world - even if my memory was a bit fuzzy on the details of it all at a six-ish year distance. I found it really touching, although its themes were a bit heavier than I was expecting. Both of the main characters are suffering in different ways and I wanted them both to get some more help and sooner. But it does all work out in the end and in a really hopeful and uplifting way. I read this in less than 24 hours and that tells you a lot.

I enjoyed The Lido, the author’s debut novel so was looking forward to reading the follow up, The Lifeline.
Kate and her partner Jay have recently moved from London to Somerset and with a new baby, Kate is struggling and feeling increasingly isolated. Phoebe is a community mental health nurse, dedicated to her work but in danger of burning herself out. Wild swimming at the local river brings Phoebe,Kate and their community together and ultimately has a healing effect on both women.
The Lifeline is a gentle and easy read that tackles serious subjects such as mental health, post partum depression and the impact of sewage in our rivers. It’s an enjoyable follow up to The Lido with likeable characters and I easily became immersed in Phoebe and Kate’s world.
3.5 stars.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Firstly, it's only fair to disclose, I am a HUGE Libby Page fan. I love her work, her books have always scooped me up and sent me out the other side feeling a little bit changed in a way I can never describe.
I adored The Lido so obviously was overjoyed to receive an ARC of it's sequel and it definitely did not dissapoint. It's honest storytelling and compelling characters instantly had me hooked. Another corker of a book.

I really enjoyed The Lido so was looking forward to reading it’s sequel, The Lifeline. This is an enjoyable book, much more of a light read and a bit more sentimental than the stuff I usually read. But I enjoyed this book nevertheless. We can all do with being a bit warm and snuggly at times. The characters are well-written and really come to life. The book is a bit twee at times but there’s something very endearing about it. I’d recommend it.

Yet another great book by Libby. Beautifully written book with lovely, friendly characters and setting. This one ticks all the boxes for me and didn't disappoint.

After rereading The Lido this week I dived into my ARC of The Lifeline.

Great characters, more thought provoking and believable stories, and a much needed honesty about how difficult those early months of motherhood can be.

Loved the book.

Another cracker of a heartwarming and feel good and life affirming story from Libby Page.. Fabulous read and as usual with Libby's books you instantly warm to the characters and become immersed into their lives.

The Lifeline is a really charming follow up to The Lido. A gentle easy read with likeable characters full of heart.
A fun summer read. 3 stars.

A fantastic follow up to The Lido, I enjoyed this heart warming fiction which isn't afraid to tackle difficult issues. It made me smile and cry, I loved it.

Always enjoy this author and this book is no different,good characters that warmed to and was on their side (always helps) and a believable good storyline that had relevant subjects broached
it was a relaxing read,just right and really enjoyed everything about it

Libby Page revisits the main characters of her debut novel The Lido, Kate and Jay. Like the author, Kate has moved to Somerset and the couple have recently had a baby. Kate's feelings of initially struggling to find a bond with their child and thinking she is a bad mother echoes Page's own experiences as well.
Alongside this story is the engaging narrative of Phoebe, a mental health worker who manages a case load of patients that take up a lot of her life, leaving little time for her own. The individual characters help to highlight the effects that poor mental health can have on people's lives and those around them, prompting empathic thoughts and consideration when anyone could be invisibly going through a tough time.
At a time when mental health is the cause of much unemployment, anxious struggling teenagers and health services are overwhelmed, this is very topical.
The solutions in the book are support, friendship and spending time in nature.. there is a wild swimming club at the local river.
I am sure everyone will be aware of the scandalous pollution of our rivers and streams by water companies at the moment, so the late introduction of another campaign, a la Lido, to make the water suitable for bathing was welcome. The story skipped forward, however, focussing on the characters rather than the protest, and tied the ending up very idyllically.
As always, Libby's stories are a positive tonic and embraces the power of fiction to tell an 'if only' point of view.
If we could only all live in that world... but individual and group actions can make a huge difference and help combat feelings of inadequacy and helplessness.

Reading The Lifeline felt like catching up with old friends. It was nice to dive back into the lives of Kate and Jay with the addition of little Rosie. I also enjoyed the nods to The Lido as familiar characters were reintroduced.

The author taps into the loneliness and isolation that can come with being a new mum. As someone who was a relatively young mum and the first in my friend group to have a baby, I could really relate to Kate's feeling of being left behind and the nerve-wracking experience of attending baby groups. You can tell Libby Page drew from her own life as a new mum who left London and her friends, making the book feel personal and authentic.

The healing power of wild swimming takes centre stage, offering not just a physical escape but a sense of community and new friendships. The novel covers some heavy topics, especially related to mental health, but it maintains an overall positive and uplifting vibe.

While the storyline is reminiscent of The Lido with its theme of a community coming together and an attempt to save the swimming area, The Lifeline stands on its own. You don't need to have read the first book to enjoy this one.

Another uplifting read by Libby Page.

A lovely feel good novel that also tackles mental health issues, water pollution, strains of modern life and being a new mother. All done without saccharine, characters are ones you want to spend some time with.

I loved The Lido, so was super excited to read the follow up.
This is another fantastic feel good read that I devoured in almost one sitting. The characters will draw you in and stay with you. Libby Page has definitely done it again with another fabulous and heartwarming read.

I enjoyed this book which follows on from the Lido which I also enjoyed. A good, enjoyable read with great characters. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

This is the follow up book to The Lido which I read so many years ago that I can only really remember the bones. I guess what I am saying is that it's probably good to have read it, but this book also stands up well enough on its own.
So... we reconnect with Kate and Jay as they start their life with their new-born in rural Somerset. Initially Kate is struggling not just with the baby but also the change of scene, new life, have to make new friends and connections, her world has literally been thrown up in the air. But she wants it to work, and she also really wants to reconnect with the water, swimming being her sanctuary previously. So it is with excitement that she looks out a new swimming spot. This time wild-swimming in the river Avon. But will it be enough to give her the stability and haven she desires.
We also meet Phoebe, a community mental health nurse who connects with Kate over their joint interest in swimming.
There are a lot of topics contained in this book. Sewage dumping, council inactivity, water authorities, but it isn't overly political. All these things are included for the story, not for preaching reasons. That said, I found the rest of the book to be a little basic for me. I don't have children so I found it harder to reconnect to Kate and her challenges, I was able to sympathise but not empathise. I also missed Rosemary who I think was the lynch-pin in The Lido, Phoebe not really taking up that challenge in this book. Also I wanted it to be a bit grittier than it was. I found it was a little too soft for me. That said, it did keep me nicely occupied and away from real life for a nice few hours, and mostly entertained, that's the main reason I read so it definitely tickled that box.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

A lovely read and had a feel good quality to it. You care about the characters and want them all to have a happy ever after.