Blog Tour + Review: How to Breathe Underwater by Vicky Skinner

How to Breathe Underwater
Vicky Skinner
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: August 14th 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
My rating: 4 hearts

Kate’s father has been pressuring her to be perfect for her whole life, pushing her to be the best swimmer she can be. But when Kate finds her dad cheating on her mom, Kate’s perfect world comes crashing down, and Kate is forced to leave home and the swim team she’s been a part of her whole life.
Now in a new home, new school, and faced with the prospect of starting over, Kate isn’t so sure that swimming is what she wants anymore. But when she decides to quit, her whole world seems to fall apart. But when Kate gets to know Michael, the cute boy that lives across the hall, she starts to think that starting over might not be so bad. There’s only one problem: Michael has a girlfriend.
As the pressures of love, family, and success press down on her, can Kate keep her head above water?

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How to Breathe Underwater was a really sweet story. The characters were all okay, the main character was relatable, the plot was interesting and the romance was sweet. But I felt like there was something missing, that something that makes a book imppssible to put down, that something that literally makes you feel everything the characters are feeling. It might've been because I was a bit annoyed with the main character at times. But it was an enjoyable read.

I have mixed feelings about Kate. She was relatable, and my heart really ached for her and what she was going through with her parents' divorce and her dad. But she did a lot of things that annoyed me a lot. She made a lot of mistakes that could've been easily avoided, and at times, I felt she wasn't all that nice to her friends. But mostly, I liked her well enough.

I loved Michael, though. I think boys next door are way underrated. He's just really nice and sweet, and he's a great friend. And he can dance! As a dancer, I have to admit I can't resist a guy who can dance. If things don't work out between Kate and Michael, I can totally take him.

The romance was really sweet. I love friends-to-lovers romance, and  I loved seeing the romance grow between Kate and Michael. And I loved how Michael was always there for Kate, no matter what was going on with her, and he really wanted to help. And she was there for him, too. I just think they're really sweet together.

The plot was good. It was very well-paced, and while at times it felt like there was a lot going on, almost too much, it all added to the plot in the end and was important for the story.

How to Breathe Underwater is a really sweet, but heartbreaking story about healing. I loved how Kate wasn't the only one who was struggling with healing, but every single character had their own problems they were struggling with, their own scars they were healing from. In my experience, that's rare in books, because most of the focus is on the main character, and I really loved that about this book. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, and I would definitely recommend it.

Author Bio:
Born and raised in Texas, I don’t act like much of a Texan. I like cold weather and hate country music. I have a gorgeous husband, two dogs, and a Literature degree from the University of Texas at Dallas. If I’m not at home reading a book or doing laundry, I’m probably at the bookstore, nannying three rambunctious boys, or stuck on the side of the road with car trouble. I’m a reader, a writer, and a bit of a crazy person.

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