I love Beth's books but I wasn't too sure about the storyline for this one...that was before I started reading, of course! Totally immersed into the story and loved the characters and really did not want to say goodbye to them or to their story. Fabulous.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I wish to preface this review with the following: I generally adore O'Leary's books, think she is a fantastic writer, and hate age gap romances.

With every book, O'Leary manages to try something completely different and "Swept Away" is no exception. To tell a romance with depth and emotion over the course of about two weeks, and in an incredibly unusual situation, is a tall order. And one that I think O'Leary delivers. Her characters are well developed, well rounded, and fairly realistic.
While perhaps not the most romantic story, it is certainly a story about love. Romantic love, familial love, self-love.
I was not a fan of the age gap between the main characters (I never am when the younger person if under 25). I don't care that it has reversed the usual younger female/older man trope. I am a 30 year old woman who cannot imagine falling for a 23 year old. And I work with a bunch of them. I am friends with them. But we are in such different stages of life. They feel like younger siblings not possible romantic options. It weirds me out.
Overall, I think if you have previously enjoyed O'Leary's books you will like this one. It's a bit of a wild ride, but a fairly well executed quirky premise. If you're easily annoyed by characters that are a bit messed up and imperfect, then perhaps give it a miss. If like me, you loathe an age-gap romance, I would still give it a go. It didn't ruin anything for me and is addressed as one of the main themes.

I love the concept of this book and the setting and writing of that setting more than held my attention. For me however the drawing of the characters failed to rise from 'good' to 'great' . Entertaining, but ultimately rather forgettable

I absolutely ate this book up! So fast paced and fun. Even in such stressful situations the book still felt very light. Which I appreciated. I loved both the characters so much. This is my first book by this author and I definitely want to pick up more!

Beth O’Leary consistently hits the ideal balance of witty banter, steamy qromance, and gripping plot. This story had Jack and Rose Titanic-level romance by the end, and it was impossible to put it down. Love both the capable chef Zeke and pub owner Lexi. Even though they have a decent age gap between them, Zeke is quite mature for his age and it is easy to forget the age gap. This story takes the forced proximity trope to the next level, and O’Leary created a seamless transition from one night stand to one true love. This story would be a perfect adaptation into a tv show or film.

This book is so unique in its concept, and executed so well. The story follows Lexi and Zeke, who after a one night stand on a houseboat, find themselves lost at sea.

Their story kept me reading. It was adventurous, tense, heartwarming and raw. It’s a story of survival, and love— and I loved it!

Definitely a one to pick up if you’re looking for a unique romance that will keep you reading. Cannot recommend enough.

It's a bonkers concept - a story about two people who had a one night stand and wake up the next morning, trapped on a boat together that has drifted miles out to sea - yet Beth O'Leary pulls it off with aplomb. I appreciate the amount of work it takes to make something so uplifting and joyous out of a concept that ought to be repetitive and frustrating and it highlights what a good character writer she is, as well as her ability to build suspense in such a gentle read.
It's clever in that the only characters we meet for the majority of the novel are Zeke and Lexi, but we learn to love the peripheral characters through their narratives and we become as invested in their outcomes as much as we do our intrepid lovers.
I read it quickly, in one sitting, and I was left feeling satisfied and quite relaxed by the end which is exactly what I wanted after a rather chaotic week. It's one to enjoy with tea and biscuits, with your feet up and tucked under a blanket whilst contemplating whether you could survive under such perilous and arduous conditions.

I think this is Beth O'Leary best book she's written. It was so good. The plot was brilliant and well written. The love story was perfect and realistic, nothing too sappy, just real feeling and emotions. The characters were likable, I wasn't too keen on FMC Lexi at first but I grew to like and understand her. The ending was just perfect. Thanks for the ARC

I finished reading Swept Away several weeks ago, and I have thought about most days since. A masterclass in tension and character, I adored every single page of it. Beth O'Leary is a genius.

Another hit! Thanks to a great author we have warmth, wisdom and emotional intelligence, this book was a huge pleasure to read! A fabulous, really enjoyable read.
I would highly recommend to family and friends. I love author’s that can describe a scene and you are immediately there, you close your eyes and you picture the scene. This author does that for me.

This is my first Beth O'Leary book but I'm convinced!
Loved the family dynamics (with a broad definition of family here) and how they grew to like each other. I want me a Zeke!

Thanks for this arc!!

Miss Beth O’Leary did it again. Thank you Netgalley for the digital ARC of Swept Away. I loved it.

This is so unlike any other romance I have ever read. It was new, a breath of fresh air in the romance genre. I loved the love these characters had for each other and they’ve truly made me crave for my own person. The chemistry, the love, the ending… phenomenal!

It starts off a bit slow, their boat gets swept away, but they (and we) don’t really understand the gravity of the situation until some light stabbing turns everything around. Everything that can go wrong, will go wrong. The dangers of the sea are becoming more clear the further you get into the story and it made me a bit… anxious. But these two people taking care of each other the entire time and falling in love, it made me hopeful. I cannot imagine not shaving, washing, putting on new clothes for more than a week and still being called beautiful. It must be nice.

Near the end there was this huge plottwist that had me scared, I’m not going to lie. I was scared with how O’Leary was going to “fix” that one, but I learned that you can always trust Beth O’Leary to give us the most loving and satisfying ending there is. I will never doubt you again.

In short, I loved this so much. April can’t come soon enough!

Beth O'Leary has done it again… she just had her way of pulling you into her compelling books.

The characters are very strong and able to connect with, I loved this fast paced novel.

Zeke and Lexi meet at a bar and really like each other. They spend the night on a boat. In the morning, they argue about who owns the boat and realize it's floating away! They're stuck at sea with no way to call for help.

The story is told from both Zeke and Lexi's point of view. They become close friends while they're stuck together.

I really liked this book because the characters are interesting and the story is exciting.

Beth O’Leary never disappoints! She was the author that got me into reading and I haven’t stopped reading her books since. Swept Away was definitely a bit of a different style for Beth. It felt more survivalist with romance on the side, but nonetheless I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Zeke and Lexi agree to one single night together… We all know how much I love a one night stand in a book, seeing the character’s chemistry from the very start always makes me feel more engrossed and that’s exactly what happened with this! Now they’re stuck together on a small boat with limited supplies, forced to work together in hopes of surviving until being rescued.

What a unique and fun concept!

This was one of the most swoon worthy and heartwarming romances I've read in a long time and I would highly recommend it. It had just the right amount of danger and excitement whilst also just being about two people thrown together on a boat in the middle of the sea. You would think that it would be tricky to create a story where the two characters are basically in one place for the entire book, but Beth did it so well!

Both Zeke and Lexi were both so incredibly likeable and I was rooting for them from the very first encounter. I absolutely loved the found family elements in the book were so sweet, and I thought that Lexi's relationship with her best friend's young daughter was such a good edition to the story. Would 100% recommend!

Thanks to Quercus Books and Netgalley for a review copy of this novel. I have read and enjoyed all of Beth O’Leary’s novels and I know that when I start one I am going to have an enjoyable experience. This novel is another to add to those enjoyable experiences, even though the premise may come off as a bit outrageous – but she pulls it off. Though you may look for tropes, O’Leary fills them out so successfully you forget you’re reading a trope and just go along with it.

Through a series of miscommunications and emotional upheavals Lexi and Zeke end up adrift on a boathouse on the North Sea after sleeping together there one night. It was supposed to be a one night stand but it turned out to be many nights in which they are tested to their limits where the struggles and the emotional turmoil of their lives are superseded by the need to survive. Well for the most part. The differences of not only age, but experiences rear up under the tension and force them to confront painful pasts and thoughts. The dialogue and pacing make the novel an absorbing read and O’Leary’s ability to make their struggles relatable contribute strongly to the depth and compelling nature of the novel.

Lost at sea with your one-night stand…now THAT is a story I haven’t read before. This book surprised me so much; I expected a romcom but ended up loving the action, raw emotion, and intense chemistry Zeke and Lexi have between them. I can’t imagine this book was easy to write, but Beth has done an incredible job. I knocked a star as I wasn’t fully gripped at the start, ready to get off the boat with them both. The 2nd half picks up the pace and is full of suspense and depth. It’s definitely one of my favourite Beth O’Leary books!

Thank you to NetGalley, Quercus Books and Beth O’Leary for this ARC.

I have read every Beth O'Leary book since The Flat Share was first released - I made all my coworkers read it because I loved it so much !! The premise of this book is very fun and forces the characters to get to know each other in a way that is refreshing but feels emotionally honest. I was impressed by how long they managed to survive on the boat, and how O'Leary kept it feeling fresh and not repetitive.

I really enjoyed Swept Away, moreso than any of the authors previous books I think. Some of this resonated with me (obviously not the being stranded on a boat bit!) in terms of emotions and feelings etc which is quite rare to come upon. Would definitely recommend this one, it was brilliant!

If you are a fan of Beth O’Leary like myself, you will utterly adore her latest romance, this time set at sea. Lost at sea with the man you just had a one-night stand with? Of course it was going to be amazing!

This had so many tropes which will have romance-readers hooked; forced proximity, grumpy meets sunshine, boy falls first, reverse age-gap. What I wasn’t expecting was a story of survival and hope against the odds- but I should know by now Beth’s books always have a unique twist to them!

Oh, and of course Eugene the seagull deserved 5 stars as star of the show!