A sexy, sun-soaked tale about a tail-wearing girl who makes a lot of waves—perfect for fans of Lauren Layne, Meghan Quinn, and Christina Lauren. Ocean-loving Kyra Goodwin had to give up her dream of becoming the female Jacques Cousteau in order to take care of her father and brother, but being a mermaid at the Cape Cod Aquarium is pretty fintastic as far as alternative careers go. Of course, life … careers go.
Of course, life as a half-fish/half-woman isn’t all sunken treasure and Ariel twirls. Kyra has to deal with perpetually pruney fingers, eyes irritated by saltwater, and bratty kids on the daily, plus her glam alter ego can make dating really weird. (So many men have pervy siren-of-the-sea fantasies!) When she meets hunky surfer Cade, and he’s into her without knowing what she does for a living, Kyra thinks she’s finally won the romance lottery.
Unfortunately, Kyra’s plans for a carefree summer of catching waves with her new boyfriend run aground when Sea Star Beach, a place that holds great sentimental value for her, is taken over by a big-city developer who wants to build an exclusive resort. Kyra’s crusade to save her beloved beach threatens both her job and her relationship with Cade as does her growing closeness with her irresistibly broody merwrangler, Declan, whose precocious daughter is intent on playing matchmaker.
When a new family drama arises just as Kyra receives an offer that would turn her greatest desire into reality, she’s torn. Will she do what’s expected of her, or dive in and follow her heart?
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I can often tell how much I’m enjoying a book by how much I think about getting back to it when I’m not reading. If I realize I’ve gone 2-3 days playing on my phone instead of reading, it’s possible the book in question doesn’t quite capture my attention. In contrast, for a week, every time I had to put my Kindle down, I was pissed because I was dying to get back to In the Swim of Things.
In fact, when my husband asked what I wanted to do for my first Mother’s Day, I said, “I want to finish this book.” Because I needed to know what happened, and I was getting very frustrated at only having 15-20 spare minutes a day to find out.
Kyra is delightful. I love chicklit where the main character has an interesting occupation, so you know I jumped all over this. (I didn’t even know you could be a mermaid, but now I wish I could swim. And hold my breath for long periods of time. And apply makeup.) The plot’s really interesting. I like that Kyra’s working to solve problems for other people and not just herself, and I like that she takes initiative. The scenes at the aquarium are detailed and fascinating. The scenes elsewhere are just as well written. Kyra felt like an old friend, so it was a delight to watch her fall in love.
Such a fun book. I absolutely loved it. I wish I could read it again for the first time.
Review based on an ARC.
I’ve read all of Tracie Banister’s books and her latest continues her trademark funny, sexy style. It’s got a sassy heroine to cheer for (who’s got a super-fun job as a mermaid!), hunky men, a great setting, well-developed characters, and a super-satisfying ending. So dive in; the water’s even better than fine in IN THE SWIM OF THINGS!
Tracie Banister’s books never disappoint. Her characters have charisma, her storylines are enticing, and she gives you just the right amount of steam. In the Swim of Things was no different—it was pure delight from start to finish.
Kyra loves her job as a mermaid at the Cape Cod Aquarium, from the glittery makeup and glamorous tail she dons to the rapt attention of her audience members. She truly relishes giving everyone who attends her shows a mer-tastic experience. (I couldn’t resist!) When smoldering surfer Cade comes on the scene, it feels like life couldn’t get any better. But when her personal interests clash with Cade’s professional life, Kyra’s happiness seems farther out of reach than ever. Add in floundering family members, a conniving fellow mermaid and Kyra’s deliciously brooding merwrangler and you have the storm of the century brewing!
Kyra’s passion, sassy retorts, and fabulous mermaid style will hook you from the very beginning. So head on over to the Cape Cod Aquarium for an exciting adventure filled with love, loss, laughter and triumph. I promise you’ll enjoy the trip!
IN THE SWIM OF THINGS has everything I’m looking for in a rom-com: It’s funny and sexy, the love interests are swoon-worthy, and the story had me hooked from the first page to the last.
And the ending? No spoilers here, but it gave me ALL the feels. (It also left me with quite the book hangover.)
I highly recommend this novel if you’re a fan of smart and sexy romantic comedies and I’m eagerly awaiting Tracie’s next book!
A well-written, entertaining, fun read. Full of interesting characters and a good plot. In the Swim of Things offers a bit of a love triangle and I found myself vested in these characters and rooting for certain ones. Tracie Banister delivers another fun read with a sassy, strong female lead. Well done!
Reviewed by Comfy Chair Books/Lisa Reigel May 13, 2019
I would start by saying this is a mermazingly good read, but I know all the mermaid puns will probably be used in a lot of reviews for this book. So, I will say it is just amazing and so much fun. And, just look at the cover. It’s gorgeous. This is a perfect book to read on your summer vacation, or even if you’re just dreaming of a vacation.
Kyra, a professional mermaid at the Cape Cod Aquarium, and her friends really took me on a journey as they protested against a luxury hotel developer who plans to build on their favorite beach and make it exclusive to hotel guests only. The people of Chaucer will no longer have access to the beach that holds so many of their memories. Along the way, Kyra discovers her true love.
I really can’t say enough good things about this book. All of the characters were fun and I would love to see more about them. I got so wrapped up in the story, I found myself staying up way later than I usually do and reading when I should have been cooking or cleaning (I shouldn’t say this, but I did burn one dinner). The way this book wrapped up caught me by surprise. It is definitely the sign of a very talented writing imagination. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for something fun to read this summer.
Kyra is a mermaid, not in the mythical sense, she works at the local aquarium. She is the head mermaid and takes her job very seriously. She is also very passionate about marine life and the beautiful cove town that she grew up in. Alongside the mermaids are merwranglers, these are the guys who assist the mermaids in and out of the tanks. Mermaid tails are tailor made to fit each girl so once those puppies are on they stick like a vacuum.
The merwranglers are all pretty buff looking guys, they have to be strong to carry the girls around and they do get quite up close and personal with each other. However, relationships between them are strictly forbidden. There was that one night that Kyran and Declan had an oopsie but that was under the haze of alcohol and neither of them ever speak about it now. Doesn’t mean Kyra doesn’t occasionally think about it.
When Kyra gets wind of a new resort being built in her town that will take away the rights of the locals to access her favourite beach, she decides to take on the developer. She is not alone, there is a committee of people who are determined to not just sit back and let money win over what is best for the people in her town. After stressing about it and trying to figure out how she is going to make enough noise for the right people to hear her, she decides that a sunset yoga class is just what she needs. This is where she meets Cade, the gorgeous once pro-surfer.
Cade has abs on top of abs, he is tanned, sexy and very charming. Kyra is completely smitten and she soon finds out that he tastes delicious too. She has lots of fun with Cade but there is not much depth to his character. She also begins to spend more time with Declan outside of work and she loves how easy their friendship is. Cade travels a lot for his job so she spends most weekends without him but she enjoys the time they have.
The more time she spends with Declan, she finds herself comparing the two men in her mind. Cade is probably less a relationship sort of guy and more of a right now person. Declan is a dedicated family man and very protective of Kyra. When things start to go tits up at work and with the resort development protests, she begins to see more clearly the character of each guy. She never could have prepared herself for what was to come next…
I’ve had this sitting on my kindle for far too long and finally got a chance to read this over the lockdown. It was the perfect story to read during this time as it was light, funny and romantic.
Finding out that Tracie Banister has a new book is always cause for celebration because her books are so darn good! Her latest book is a winner and I highly recommend you go pick up a copy if you enjoy entertaining (and slightly steamy) rom-coms.
In the Swim of Things was the perfect combination of romance and comedy and I couldn’t put it down until I was done! Filled with a fun cast of characters and interesting professions, we’ve got the perfect beachy summer read on our hands. The book had me laughing with surprise and delight and I don’t want to spoil anything by sharing too many details.
If you need to be persuaded to read this book, it’s as simple as this; ‘who wouldn’t want to be a sexy mermaid with strong gorgeous men falling at her feet?’
Tracie Banister
Kyra Goodwin loves the ocean and had always wanted to be a female Jacques Cousteau but she had to alter her plans to take care of her dad and her brother after her mom passes away. Now Kyra does the next best thing, she is a mermaid at the local aquarium in Boston. Kyra loves being a mermaid even if there are some downsides to it…..like guys who want to fulfill a fantasy by being with a mermaid! When Kyra meets Cade Price it looks like she has found a guy who likes her for her and she decides it will be fun to have a summer fling. Just as things with Cade are going well, all of a sudden Kyra’s merwrangler, Declan Burke is showing interest in her. Now Kyra is drawn to both of these men and isn’t sure what she should do.
At the same time Kyra’s favorite spot, Sea Star Beach has been sold by the city to a company that is going to build a high end resort on the property….and guess who will be working for this new company….Cade! As Kyra tries to accept the news about Cade she finds out she is in for a bigger surprise…one that will help her make her choice between Cade and Declan. In the end Kyra makes her choice and ends up with her happy ending.
Overall this was a fun, cute story. Some parts of it were silly but that is what made it so fun! I really enjoyed the characters and the way their triangle worked out.