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Not Here to Make Friends

by Casey Swain

Swimming toward change

Regular price $14.62 USD
Regular price $24.37 USD Sale price $14.62 USD
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AlbakiReads Editorial

Swimming toward change

An intensive summer swim camp brings Ruby Hopkins and team captain Eliana Marsh together at a moment when both are under pressure. Ruby is seeking a return to competitive swimming after a difficult year and a Type 1 diabetes diagnosis; Eliana is trying to keep the camp open while navigating questions about their gender identity and swimming career. Their one-on-one training connects personal ambitions to the team’s championship hopes, while Ruby’s resolve to avoid attachments meets Eliana’s need for cooperation. The story brings LGBTQ+ identity, health, competition, and the risks of vulnerability into a young adult sports-romance premise.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Teens and young adults interested in LGBTQ+ romance and identity stories.
  • Readers who enjoy fiction centered on competitive swimming and team goals.
  • Readers interested in stories that include Type 1 diabetes and questions of belonging.

Themes

LGBTQ+ identityCompetitive swimmingType 1 diabetesVulnerability and connectionTeam and personal ambition

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

Two swimmers under pressure. One trying not to get close to anyone, the other trying to save their beloved camp. And a growing connection between them that makes everything messier.

Ruby Hopkins has had the worst year of her life. Dropped from her high school's swim team, nearly kicked out of school, and now newly diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, she is waiting for an opportunity to show the world that she can still have a future in the water. When a comeback comes in the form of an intensive summer training camp, she takes it with no hesitation. She just has one rule: no friends, no attachments, no chances to get hurt again.

Eliana Marsh, team captain and rising social media star, is used to the pressure to perform. But behind their bubbly personality, Eliana is wrestling with their gender identity and what it could mean for their career in swimming. When Eliana learns the camp could close if the team does not place at the upcoming championship, they know it's now or never to help coach the team to a win.

For Eliana's plan to succeed, they know training one-on-one with Ruby will help both of their times improve. And despite Ruby's irritability, she agrees, slowly opening herself up to vulnerability that she never expected.

With the championship fast approaching and recruitment season starting, Ruby and Eliana must decide what they are willing to risk, both in and out of the pool.

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