A really lovely read! I loved the characters or Cordelia and Desi. The concept was brilliant too. Highly recommended.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Cordelia is engaging, refreshing, and inspiring. Others have commented on her life choices, but they did not bother me as I found them to be very realistic.
I’m not sure that we needed chapters from other viewpoints; Cordelia carries the story perfectly well on her own. The pacing felt a bit slow, and the novel could have been tightened during the editing process. This is my primary complaint. For example, some of the discussion about Cordelia’s disordered eating could have been trimmed.
The structure of this novel and the way we continually dip back into Cordelia’s past almost as if her life flickers across an imaginary screen, works beautifully. The stream of consciousness style is a perfect fit for this type of story.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

Cordelia's life is complicated and she needs a challenge/needs to see something through to completion. So why not swim across the English Channel?
I loved this book. I was cheering for Cordelia and also felt like I could feel the cold water, the jellyfish, and all the drama that would go with trying to swim across the Channel.
The book delves into her childhood, her parents divorce, the pressure her mother put on her, her cousin who is a life-line for her, and her true love David. I loved the alternating chapters of present day and flashing back to various times in Cordelia's childhood, adolescence, post-high school, and her adult life. The ending was heartwarming and I was so happy that Cordelia was happy and that, after all of the challenges she'd gone through, that she found happiness.
I will definitely read more books by Janet Hoggarth.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

I resonated a lot with Cordelia while reading THE SWIM. There were so many things I loved about this story:
* the 80s and movie references
* the fact that the main character, Cordelia, was middle-aged and nearly 50 was ... so refreshing
* her hitting rock bottom and urging herself to do something positive for herself even though she's failed many times before

The things I did not love as much:
* her two life-changing decisions - IYKYK - seems she has regrets and I wish at least the second time she would have taken a chance
* the length of the story
* the chapters that were from other characters' points-of-view
* the focus on her eating disorder (too lengthy)

I also would have liked to have read more about Cordelia's training obstacles before the actual swim.

I think a lot of us middle-aged folks look back and have regrets and there are those of us like Cordy, who have a hard time completing goals. Your late 40s and early 50s are a time of unwanted reflection. Seriously, nobody really wants to become that age and look back on mistakes, regrets and unfulfilled wishes. So I appreciated that she tried something extreme and completely out-of-the-box for her. I just thought that was a concept that many of us would like to do, but just don't have the motivation to do it.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an e-copy of THE SWIM to read.

I rate THE SWIM four out of five stars.

so how can you tell a story when a woman is swimming the channel? well this is how. because along this woman's swim we DO learn her story. as she goes through her life that has been far from easy we are being told about all her years. and in reflecting on them all as she swims there is a flow and motion to them. she cant escape them and she can only swim through them and with them.
her life has not been easy. infact id say give this poor girl then woman a break please someone! but the way she thinks and processes them i thought were really real. and all the things she has been through perfectly explained the woman she is now or the woman people deem her to be. this isnt a woman who never finishes, who isnt committed or is lazy. this is probably a frightened young girl in pain who grow into a woman of such. who has been through things in life that led her to here. and i was rooting for her all the way. i wanted her so much to achieve her goal but also rooting for her to swim through what she needed to in order to literally come out the other side.
a good book. its didnt feel rushed but it didnt need to. the pace is of a gentle current. as it guides you along you are taken in by all the characters and i appreciated how some of the subject matters were handled.

I’m often drawn to novels related to swimming, and I picked this up because I enjoyed the storyline of a woman nearing fifty, who has never confronted a challenge in life she hasn’t shrunk away from, who takes on swimming the English Channel.

This was an interesting stream of consciousness novel following Cordelia’s life and her present struggles in swimming the Channel. The details of the rigors of the swim appear well researched, and I enjoyed following along on the mental stamina required for such a challenge.

Throughout the novel, she is determined to “replay” films in her mind, but is instead drawn into the films of her own life, and the swim allows her to reflect on her childhood, adolescence and adulthood. This worked well, and I enjoyed the writing. The main issue is that I did not care for Cordelia and her life choices, so I wasn’t as invested as I could have been. But the flow of this well-written story still kept me involved through the end. 3.5 rounded up to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy - all thoughts are my own.

3.7 Stars
One Liner: Introspective but too slow and long

Forty-eight-year-old Cordelia has never completed anything in her life and has nothing to mark as her achievement. With support from her cousin, she swims the English Channel, hoping to finish it and prove herself.
During the hours of swimming, Cordelia thinks about her life from her childhood, the insecurities, taunts, failures, self-sabotages, and everything she quits when it gets hard. As she swims toward the other end, Cordelia knows she can grasp her future with both hands and spend it with someone who believes in her.
The story comes in Cordelia’s first-person POV with a few random chapters from others’ third-person POVs.

My Thoughts:
I was tempted by the premise of a woman with past trauma taking up such a challenge to prove her worth to herself first. Naturally, her past wouldn’t be easy, and as expected, it wasn’t.
The first-person POV does a good job of taking the readers into the MC’s mind and the mess inside it. The narrative style is a bit chaotic initially, but you’ll get used to the pattern. Though I haven’t watched the movies she mentions, I could understand their significance in her life.
The pacing is super slow, which works in the first half. However, the second half feels stretched beyond its limit. Many times, I caught myself looking at the % and wondering when we’ll get to the endpoint. The book could have been 30-40 pages shorter. This would have made the whole concept more effective, too.
There are many hard themes here – fat shaming, dysfunctional families, selfish mothers, toxic relationships, bulimia, body dysmorphia, self-destruction, mental illness, racism, homophobia, AIDS, bullying, generational trauma, and many more.
This is a heavy read, and as more details are revealed, it gets heavier. That’s okay to an extent. It is good to wind the key and keep the reader in a state of suspended tension for the MC. However, over-tightening the key and repeating the pattern after it has been established works in reverse. That’s what happened in the second half. I first thought this would be a 4.5-star read, easily.
The MC is not exactly likable. She is flawed and has a truckload of trauma to process, which she refuses to do. While the swimming does bring some growth in her arc, there isn’t a lot of progress. In a way, this is realistic. People don’t change so quickly after all. But as a reader, it doesn’t feel frustrating. Of course, there were so many instances when I wanted to hug her younger version.
The side characters are decent. Derek/ Desi, the cousin, stands out for being the one person who stood for the MC despite everything. I really liked that guy. David was okay. He tried his best.
We get random third-person POVs from around 45%. While Desi’s POVs were useful and David’s POV was necessary, I can’t say the same for the others. These felt more like a way to provide the missing detail. But we already have too much information!
The book ends on a hopeful note, and we can only hope the MC won’t revert to her self-destructive ways. At least, we won’t know if she does!

To summarize, The Swim is a slow-paced, introspective, and heavy read about coming to terms with one’s past trauma. It is a good book.
Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

So, I picked up The Swim because the idea of someone deciding to swim the English Channel on a whim sounded kinda wild and inspiring. Cordelia, the main character, is like that friend who always starts a new hobby but never sticks with it—until now (it’s me, I’m the friend). Props to her for actually going through with something for once.

The story dives deep (pun intended) into her past, and while it's cool to see her growth, some parts felt a bit slow. Like, I get it, she's reflecting on her life, but I found myself zoning out here and there.

Also, there are quite a few characters introduced, and I had a hard time keeping track of who's who. Maybe it's just me, but I was like, "Wait, who's this again?" more times than I'd like to admit.

That said, the themes of self-discovery and pushing oneself are solid. If you're into stories about personal growth with a side of swimming, this might be your jam. Just be prepared for a slower pace and a bit of character confusion.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This is a reflective, slow-burn novel that uses the backdrop of a Channel crossing to explore one woman’s life in deeply personal detail. As Cordelia Franks swims for over eight hours, her thoughts drift through childhood trauma, controlling family dynamics, school struggles, illness, and recovery. The narrative structure—anchored in a physically grueling present while unraveling an emotionally complex past—makes for a thoughtful and layered read.

Janet Hoggarth does a commendable job weaving in vivid detail about the Channel swim, from jellyfish stings to dodging shipping lanes, grounding Cordelia’s internal journey in physical reality. While the book may take a bit to gain momentum, its emotional payoff is worth the investment.

Side characters like Desi and David bring warmth and heart, balancing heavier themes such as eating disorders and bullying. This isn’t a light read, but it’s ultimately an insightful one—about endurance, both in water and in life.

I read The Swim while visiting the Channel Islands, which felt like the perfect setting for a story about swimming the English Channel. Janet Hoggarth clearly did her homework—the details about the swim felt real and intense, adding a strong sense of authenticity to the story.

What I really enjoyed was the structure: chapters alternating between Cordelia’s attempt to cross the Channel and reflections on her life through the movies that shaped her. It’s such a clever and emotional way to tell a story. It did take me a little while to get into it, though, and some abrupt shifts in perspective pulled me out of the flow at times. I liked the side characters, but not all of them needed their own chapter—some felt a bit info-dumpy or awkwardly timed.

There are a lot of references to current pop culture (TikTok, A Little Life, etc.), which I’m usually hesitant about, but here it really worked. It made Cordelia feel so human—flawed, but also extraordinary in her own messy way.

Overall, a thoughtful and enjoyable read, made even better by the backdrop of sea and sky around me.

Janet Hoggarth’s new novel, The Swim, is a beautiful story of one woman’s attempt at accomplishing something truly extraordinary and unforgettable….swimming across the English Channel. It is truly a great story of a heroic effort by an ordinary woman who is expecting her life to change after this endeavor. The beauty unfolds when she realizes the perseverance and fortitude needed to accomplish this goal have been within her always, she merely needed to believe in herself.

As someone who wants to swim the English Channel one day I was really excited to read this book and genuinely enjoyed that aspect of the story. It was also clear that the author researched what that swim is like and what goes into achieving it. The book was about Cordelia swimming the English Channel, but really it was about a woman reflecting on her life and finding the bravery to create the life she wants. I had a bit of trouble getting into the almost stream of consciousness narrative, but found it a delightful, emotional read overall.

“The Swim” is by Janet Hoggarth. This book follows Cordelia Franks as she swims across the English Channel. As Cordelia has over eight hours of swimming, her mind is free to “wander” as her body goes through the mechanical motions of swimming. Cordelia reflects upon her life - from her upbringing with her controlling mother, to controlling grandparents, a father who tried, her extended family’s secrets (see grandparents), school issues, trying to find herself, becoming ill and getting better - and basically everything in between. I don’t know much about long distance swimming, though I’ve read a few books about swimming the Channel, but I liked the research Ms. Hoggarth did regarding specifics in the crossing (large garbage piles … jellyfish … shipping lanes). I really liked some of the side characters - Desi had my heart from the beginning, as did David. Others have noted trigger warnings for eating disorders and bullying. This book took me a while to get into, but once things started rolling, it was an interesting ride.

I loved this book. The story was so relatable in so many ways.
Cordy was a really likeable character and from the start I just wished something would work out for her. But after failing at most things and not finishing them, she sets off to swim the channel. Her cousin Desi by her side every step of the way. He was a brilliant character who I loved immediately, other members of her family not so much!
I really enjoyed the swim part of the story but the reflections and looking back at the her life brought this book together and really told her story.
This is a book I could easily go back and revisit.

Cordelia has done her best to avoid challenges for most of her life - and now she attempting to swim the English Channel!

I know nothing about long distance and/or open water swimming, but I loved following Cordelia’s progress and her reflections on her life. I was rooting for her the whole way through. Getting to know the other characters in her life was also a treat.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Having watched last year's movie about Diana Nyad's long distance ocean swim, I was familiar with the challenge such an undertaking posed and was curious to see how the novel would proceed.

The Swim uses the many hours that a Channel swim takes as an opportunity for Cordelia to go back over her life and her many failures/traumas. Raised by a very strict, cold, difficult woman, who in turn was raised by unforgiving, withholding parents, Cordelia's life was not an easy one, and she struggled to find her place. The arrival of an exotic cousin from America, finally gives Cordelia her "person". No matter what happens, Desi and Cordy are there for each other, from early gifts of Chocolate Buttons and makeovers, to movie nights, to his swimming besides her on several legs of her Channel swim.

While swimming, Cordelia replays various movies in her head, in order to remain alert but also distracted from the pain and fatigue. These movies are each special to her and often tied to moments in her life, where she felt less than. We ultimately learn that she was bullied at school, and having an exercise guru mother, this led to bouts of bulimia which at different points in her life were very serious. We also learn that a kindness she did for a fellow outcast student would be the beginning of a decades long on and off love story, that has us hoping for Cordelia to heal herself so she can finally accept David's enduring love.

The Swim asks, what happens when someone who never finished anything, attempts to finish something astounding. Can you ever heal yourself? Is it ever too late to start over and accomplish the things that you never knew you really wanted?
The book has some flaws, abrupt changes in viewpoint that are jarring and oddly timed. And the copy I read had a few paragraphs that repeated in their entirety. But overall, I did enjoy this book.

*trigger warning- eating disorder
Cordelia is undertaking a channel swim. Something she has wanted to do for a while but always having in her head her mother saying she never finishes anything. Whilst spending thirteen hours trying to keep warm and avoiding seaweed and trying not to think about sharks, she reminisces about her life. Her thoughts go from films she has watched and what was associated with them at the time and her upbringing, which had more than a little drama.

It's funny, it's tragic, it's uplifting and thought provoking. A real “life” mix of emotions we all experience. I liked Cordelia and her fighting spirit and could see some of myself in her. Derek is a dream of a character, what a guy! Loved him. The friend we all need being there by our side, cheering us on whatever. A story of determination and being you, not someone else’s perception. A brilliant read.
For more reviews please follow me on X (formerly Twitter) @nickisbookblog
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An irresistible slice of escapism and a joy to read. Compelling, absorbing and highly entertaining. Fast-moving and fun! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Swim by Janet Hoggarth is an inspiring and heartfelt novel that follows Cordelia Franks, a woman determined to swim the English Channel despite her history of unfinished endeavors. As she takes on this monumental challenge, Cordelia reflects on her past failures and relationships, finding strength and purpose with every stroke. The story beautifully captures themes of resilience, self-discovery, and transformation, making it a compelling read for fans of women's fiction. If you're drawn to tales of personal growth and triumph, this book is worth exploring!