What I’m Reading–Spring Splash

Patricia Bradley What I'm Reading 43 Comments

Ps 36:5; Spring Splash

What I’m Reading–Spring Splash by Denise Weimer is a book we’re discussing in the American Christian Fiction Writers Bookclub (more about this later.) I enjoyed it so much I wanted to tell you about it. But first, the photo. Again, it’s from my friend Deb Smith who takes awesome photos. she has an eye for what will make a great shot.

Now for Spring Splash. Here’s the cover and blub:

The heart of a champion may surprise you.

When an injury sidelines college swimmer Anna Callaway, her dreams are crushed. She pours herself into her sports marketing practicum, helping a local special needs organization promote their athletic event. What she doesn’t expect is a swim team ripe for the Special Olympics—and their handsome but stubborn coach.

Craig Holt has dealt with eager and ignorant volunteers before. No matter how determined or persuasive uptight Anna might be about coaching his team to the Special Olympics, he has no intention of allowing her to raise the hopes of his swimmers, his sister, or his guarded heart.

Then Anna herself gets a second chance at becoming a champion. Will she pursue her lifelong goals or make room for a new dream?

My Take:

I loved this story. As a teenager, I would have given anything to be on a swim team, but alas, no school in my city had one. So I get to live my dreams through books!

When Anna is injured just seconds from winning a spot on her college swim team, she thinks her world has ended. She believed if she could just get on that team, she might measure up to her sister and her father’s expectations. But she’s no quitter and starts rehabbing her shoulder. She also has certain requirements for her marketing class, and one is to market the Spring Games for the special needs organization.

That’s where she meets Craig and a host of interesting characters. I love the way Denise Weimer wrote about the special needs characters–not only did I come away from the book with a better understanding of them, but of their caretakers as well. And Denise had me right with Anna whenever she was in the water, whether working with the swim team or competing herself.

Craig’s sister, Margo, is special needs, and he is way too protective of her, but I could see why. During the course of the book, Anna helps him see that he has to release some of his control of his sister. And of course, the two fall in love, but can they overcome their obstacles? Anna wants to make swimming her life career. Craig feels he has too much baggage, plus Margo is part of the deal.

Spring Fling is a story that educates as well as entertains but the education never gets in the way of the story.

This is an uplifting story in a time of chaos and I think you’ll be glad if you read it! You can purchase it at Amazon.

Leave a comment, and I’ll enter you in a January drawing for a book from my library…that includes Obsession!  I might not have read Spring Splash if it hadn’t been a book club selection since it’s not a romantic suspense, my usual read. But I was very pleasantly surprised that I really enjoyed the story. Do you belong to a book club? Or have you ever read a book you didn’t expect to draw you in but it did?

What I'm Reading--Spring Splash by Denise Weimer is a fantastic read! Check out my review on my blog, and if you leave a comment, you might win a book! Share on X

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Comments 43

  1. Diana Hardt

    My brother was on a swim team when he was in high school. It sounds like a really interesting book. Thank you for sharing.

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  2. Tim Johnson

    When I was in middle school, a close friend gave me a book for my birthday (we both read a lot). It was called “The Forgotten Star” by Joseph Greene. It was the first science fiction book I’d read, and it was fantastic! That started me on a long period of devouring science fiction. Sometime you never know what will grab you until you read something different.

    That’s a great photo. Pat, do you know if your friend used a filter on her camera?

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      Patricia Bradley

      Tim, I think she did it after she took the photo. She takes her pictures on her phone and there’s an edit button…so glad you enjoyed it. She has a good eye for photography. Thanks for dropping by!

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      Patricia Bradley

      Me, too, Jackie! I don’t read many general fiction books, only sometimes for research if I trust the author has really researched her material. It’s a fun way to do research. lol Thanks for dropping in!

  3. Lelia (Lucy) Reynolds

    I appreciate the scripture and beautiful photo. Denise has some really good books. Thank you for sharing. Blessings

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  4. Lisa Harness

    My daughters & I, sometimes a friend have an impromptu club. And I have enjoyed some that they have chosen that I wouldn’t have read otherwise. Thank you for the Scripture.

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  5. Sandra Orchard

    This sounds like a great book. I’m going to share it with my friend at Walk Right In Ministries. It’s a ministry that offers peer support, consulting and encouragement to families with children with special needs and she always likes to hear about books that help people better understand their struggles.

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  6. Paula Shreckhise

    Yes, I belong to the same book club. I thought I had this book but it was her other one Fall Flip! I had so many other books to read for review this month that I skipped this one. I may look for it later.

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      1. Denise Weimer

        Yes, indeed! Don’t miss Fall Flip on sale. It was a Selah and RWA finalist and Amazon #1 bestseller in contemporary Christian fiction. Also a feel-good read.

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  7. Linda Reville

    I might not have looked at this book, as I also am more of a fan of romantic suspense. However, we have an adult special needs soon who competes with the Special Olympics. So after reading your take on this story, I have added it to my TBR list. It sounds like a really interest read.

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  8. Gloria A

    I am not in a book club nor have I ever been but have been pleasantly surprised by books that were better than expected.

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  9. Megan

    Sounds like a good read. I’m in a book club that reads classics and I’ve been pleasantly surprised at discovering how many of the classics I’ve actually enjoyed.

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  10. JOAN ARNING

    I belong to a book club but the ladies want me to pick the books! I try to rotate the genre so we get something everyone will enjoy.

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  11. Edward Arrington

    I love the picture and verse. When my wife and I are driving anywhere, we particularly enjoy viewing the large fluffy white clouds.

    I have never been in the kind of book club where the members all read the same book and discuss it in their regular meetings. However, I have been a member of Crossings Book Club on several different occasions which got me interested in certain authors. I think proofreading books has had more to do with me reading books in genres that were new to me and discovering that I enjoyed them. I still turn to my favorite genres as a rule but I will now read books in some of those others since I discovered that they, too, are interesting.

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      Patricia Bradley

      It’s worked that way for me, too, Edward–only I’m usually reading with an endorsement in mind. So far I haven’t read a book I didn’t like and endorse. 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by. Oh, and I love to look at clouds!

  12. MS Barb

    Thanks for the book review & an opportunity to win a book from you! I was an assistant special olympic coach for many years for my County Board of DD–worked w/ some amazing swimmers & individuals!

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  13. Suzanne Sellner

    Spring Splash sounds like a fascinating book. I read a book called Guiding Emily by Barbara Hinske that, in addition to the story line, gave information about applying for a seeing eye dog, the training of a seeing eye dog (from the perspective of the dog), and the pairing of humans to their seeing eye dogs. It was really interesting and informative. Thanks for the opportunity to win a book.

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  14. Trixi

    My high school had a pool so we had swim teams. I was never interested in sports but from what I remember, our teams were pretty good!

    I’ve never been a part of a book club before but if I found one that was reading books I would enjoy, I’d probably join. There have been many a book that I’ve read that pleasantly surprised me on how good it was! I don’t read much contemporary fiction, but the first book I read by Bethany Turner (The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck) really took me by surprise on how it really caught me up in the pages! Not only is she a funny writer, but she has a much deeper faith message that I connected with. Now I’m a forever fan of her! 🙂 Nicole Deese was the most recent author I discovered with her book “Before I Called You Mine”. It really pulled all the emotions out of me & knocked me for a loop (in a good way, of course). I’m sure there’s been many more like this, but those are two examples I could come up with.

    I see I can borrow Spring Splash from KU so I am putting it on my list! Sounds really good from your viewpoint! Thanks for the recommendation, Patricia!

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  15. Shelia Hall

    I am a member of a few book clubs and have read a few books that really surprised me that I enjoyed. Book sounds really interesting.

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