Blog Tour: How to Breathe Underwater by Vickey Skinner (Review & Giveaway)

How to Breathe Underwater 

Vicky Skinner 

Published by: Swoon Reads

Publication date: August 14th 2018

Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

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?

Review: 

Prior to starting Vickey Skinner's How to Breathe Underwater, I hadn't heard too much about it. However, I can never resist a pretty cover and a synopsis that screams romance and contemporary goodness so I eagerly dove in. 

The result? How to Breathe Underwater was one heck of a treat! Romantic, emotional, and funny, How to Breathe Underwater managed to wow me the whole way through. 

How to Breathe Underwater introduces Kate, a high school junior, who isn't having the best year. She's dealing with family drama, friend drama, and starting all over at a new school. She's trying her best to be positive, but it's hard to do when everything seems to be going to wrong. I adored Kate from the get-go. She was sweet and kind, and I loved seeing her bloom in her new environment. I also appreciated how she always tried her best to do the right thing. Sometimes it all still blew up in her face, but you could tell she was always coming from a good place. 

Michael, the love interest in this, was SWOONY as heck! From the moment he was introduced I was praying he would be the one. He was the perfect mix of moody and light, and I loved the chemistry between him and Kate. It flowed well, and, more importantly, it made it easy to root for them! 

In addition to Michael and Kate, Vickey introduces a variety of other characters - Kate's friends, family, etc. Every single character brought something special to the book, and I loved pretty much every single one of them (well, besides Kate's dad...he was a bit of a jerk...scratch that a HUGE jerk). Vickey did a great job of developing everyone, and while I wish there had been more of them, I was 100% content with what I got. 

The plot in this mainly involves romance and creating a new life when everything gets turned upside down. I always love a starting fresh story line, and that rang true here. It was exciting to be there every step of the way with Kate. The romance in this had so much wonderful build up - there were so many times I was like "just kiss already!" but let me tell you, the wait was worth it in the end! 

Overall, summer may soon be coming to an end, but that doesn't mean there isn't time to fit some more summer reading in! How to Breathe Underwater should definitely be on your end of summer reading lists. It's sweet, heartwarming, and charming - I simply adored it and I think many others will as well! 

4 stars!!

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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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