I love reading survival stories and romance and this book mashes them up to perfection. The ocean adventure for Lexi and Zeke is packed with danger and so many unknowns and while survival is the ultimate goal, both Lexi and Zeke also develop a genuine deep friendship and open up to each other, showing the most vulnerable pieces of themselves. The respect and trust each has for the other was my favorite part and made me cheer for them to succeed even more--not getting back to their lives on land together was too heartbreaking for me to even consider.

There are lighter moments too, when Zeke and Lexi enjoyed being together despite the life-threatening situation. The plot twist put this novel on a whole other level for me, adding another challenge for all characters involved.

I already know I want to read more by this author; this is my first book I've read by this author thanks to Netgalley for providing an eARC for an honest review.

In this unique runaway boat survival story, a couple awakens after their one-night stand to discover the boat they dallied on was not properly tied up and they’ve been washed out to sea without a working radio, working engine, or more than a rudimentary knowledge of sailing. And, each thinks they own the vessel. Zack and Lexi now need to move past blame to find a way back home, or get rescued. Food and water becomes scarce, one of them gets injured, and they don’t always get along; conflict escalates with fear and trauma. There is also some beauty to be found in the journey and in getting to know one another.

O’Leary deftly balances dramatic plot elements and complex back stories (Lexi’s assitance with her best friend’s daughter, since the dad is a deadbeat; Zach’s complex relationship with his own father) with character growth, and Zach and Lexi bring their real flawed selves to their predicament. I appreciated the conclusion, which I had not anticipated; I’m a naive reader, and didn’t see it coming. There was a squicky element with Zack’s confession that his first sexual experience was as a teen with an adult woman, that is not categorized as rape or assualt, and IMHO should be.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #SweptAway via #NetGalley courtesy of #Berkley.

This is pretty sweet. There's an age-gap romance (or "reverse age-gap" but I'm going to believe a woman can do anything a man can, and that, in this case, includes dating a younger partner), a true one-bed scenario, and maximum forced-proximity. I've been a sucker for any shipwreck or desert-island story pretty much my whole life, so this plot is kind of custom made to reel my in.

Both characters are authentically flawed but self-aware enough to know their faults and weaknesses. They respond realistically to their crisis-- in a normal-people way, not always a perfect-hero way.

Suggest to readers of contemporary romance. eARC from NetGalley.

This one just wasn't for me.
I found that the pace was slow, and the writing just didn't resonate with me (maybe a bit too... informal?)
I'm sure many will enjoy the characters & the love story here, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Beth O'Leary's new book Swept Away is fantastic. After a one night stand, Zeke and Lexi find out that the houseboat they are on has drifted off to sea. Being forced into a scary situation (ie. being lost at sea) brings out the tough emotions and vulnerabilities. I thought the book was extremely well done and I loved the sweetness and suspense of it.

Beth O'Leary books have been a little hit or miss for me, so I'm thrilled to say that Swept Away placed itself firmly in the "winners" column for me. This was an occasionally comical and surprisingly emotional story of a one-night-stand gone awry. Lexi, in her early 30s, has just had her life turned upside down. After her best friend asks her to move out, she impulsively decides to look for just one night of uncommitted fun with 23-year-old Zeke, who approaches her at the bar. After several drinks and a night of fun, the pair wakes up on his houseboat the next morning, only to find that it's no longer moored and has been swept far out to sea. Thus begins a tale of survival, not just in surviving the elements, but also in navigating the minefields of their budding relationship and healing from wounds, both old and new.

There are some features of the book that will be just a little too convenient for some readers, but I was happy to look past them in favor of the overall vibe of the book. Oddly, I felt like I could never fully picture the characters — perhaps that's just me? — but these are characters you want to root for nontheless. Read if you like: instalove and books about identity and self discovery.

Content notifications: alcohol use, closed-door sex, male promiscuity. Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and Beth O'Leary for an advance copy for honest review.

Thank you Berkley Romance for my copy. As always, Beth O'Leary delivers a swoonworthy romance with a unique plot and a twist I didn't see coming. I felt so many emotions with this book! The survival aspects evoked a lot of emotion while the romance was tender and sweet. I enjoyed the age gap aspect as well as the humor.

Such high stakes for a romance novel! The action scenes of the storm and the oil rig were so heightened, which was a good complement to the groundedness of the relationship. The third-act breakup/twist was not one I saw coming, but was handled really well.

I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed how different it was from a lot of other romance books and really liked Zeke's character and growth.

I didn't love how often Zeke was referred to as young, a kid, etc. That felt a bit icky especially as both characters are adults.

The ending was not my favorite either but I did like the epilouge.

I was enjoying this until the miscommunication trope in the last act, which really ruined the whole book for me. I enjoyed Lexi and Zeke getting to know one another, and themselves, digging deep into their personal traumas, supporting and encouraging each other to grow. But the last act was like a bucket of cold water, returning to the flat, boring tropes of stereotypical romance.

This is an age gap romance and I felt uncomfortable with how much Lexi would ogle him while going "but he's basically a child!" And his first sexual experience / "relationship" was with an adult while he was 16? And Lexi just ignores that this is...abuse? and thinks he's just into older women? Like maybe we should unpack that trauma instead of thinking it funny. He feels too young and childlike in comparison to her, and power difference of age made me uncomfortable.

Beth O'Leary is one of my all-time favorite authors and Swept Away is her newest masterpiece!! Her stories are so human and so deeply romantic and I absolutely loved Zeke and Lexi's dynamic.

What a fun and entertaining story that was as stressful, and romantic, and so Beth O’Leary!!

When our two main characters on the high of their one night stand and too many pints, accidentally tie their house boat to itself, they find themselves drifting in the middle of the ocean. This book started slow but quickly became a story of two characters working together to survive, and fall in love in the mean time.

I loved both characters and the storyline was unique, the characters are full and round and lovable! Absolutely will recommend!

I'll be the first to admit that the more contrived the premise and setting of a romance are, the less likely I am to find myself engrossed in the story. Beth O'Leary has managed to take an improbable and totally contrived premise and setting and turn them into a truly fun adventure of a love story. With an exciting adventure aspect that takes up the space in the plot where you might find two characters so ill acquainted with one another lacking in meaningful interaction, Swept Away is equal parts funny, sweet, and compelling. Lexi and Zeke are memorable and believable characters. Beth O'Leary has knocked it out of the park again.

DNF at 12%. Hey so…what was that?? I am a fan of Beth O’Leary’s previous work and The Flatshare is a romance I often recommend to readers new to romance but this was unreadable to me. The opening chapter where they are fighting over who owns the boat was a little off putting because I didn’t think Lexi’s argument warranted how rude she was being but then I got to the flashback to the night before chapter and I felt like I was reading satire. The entire conversation about the self help book was some of the cringiest dialogue I’ve read in a long time. Just two people fighting for how hard they could “not be like other girls” Zeke included! Unfortunately, I found both characters unbearable very early on and I couldn’t continue. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Zeke and Lexi decided to have one fun filled one night stand in a houseboat which sets off a chain reaction. This was a blast and so unique! The book was full of life, adventures and lots of forced proximity.

Swept Away is recommendable! The novel houseboat setting, being stranded at sea, budding romance under adverse conditions and relatable characters all make for a very satisfying romantic adventure story. I’m moving on to other Beth O’Leary books.

Oh man, this book is intense. It’s more an adventure story than a traditional rom com. A rom-venture? Either way, it talked more of the day to day survival issues that go along with being stranded in the North Sea on a house boat. Scary stuff. But sigh, the romance. Beautiful. Thanks to Berkley for the ARC.

I didn’t like the writing style as much I liked the people. And I’m saying people specifically because these didn’t feel like characters they felt like real people who I was listening recount their time stranded at sea. And the parts they didn’t tell or couldn’t remember as they recounted the story now that they were back they let me read their journal they kept while out. I fell in love with Lexi and Zeke in a way I didn’t expect to. The ending did feel a little flat to me given everything else that happened. They’re were a few loose ends and things that I kept wondering “how” about. Overall I would still recommend this to my book friends who enjoy the people in the more more than the story itself.

When Zeke and Lexi have a fun filled one night stand in a houseboat, they have no idea it is only the start of an “adventure” together. By the time they realize no one tied the houseboat to the dock the night before, they are lost at sea.

As the opposite of an adventure girlie, romance books that feature this sub-genre are never my speed. That is until this one. I don’t know how Beth O’Leary pulled me in so completely, but by the time I realized it, I too was swept away. Her originality, humor and remarkably lovable characters always make for an incredible story.

I fell completely in love with Zeke and Lexi. While there is a fairly large age gap (8 years), these two never felt like anything less than equals in every way. Zeke is an original, full of passion, heart and charisma. Lexi is steadfast and loyal but afraid to trust.

Where Lexi fell short, Zeke shined and visa versa. The way these two challenged each other under such difficult circumstances, allowing each to have their own unique growth arc, made this romance a standout. All of the characters, including Eugene (iykyk), were unforgettable and I am so happy I got to experience their adventure. Will I be rereading this one when the audio is released, yes, yes I will.

Read if you like:
▪️romantic adventures
▪️reverse age gap
▪️complicated one night stands
▪️houseboat life
▪️forced proximity
▪️found family
▪️vibrant characters

Thank you Berkley Romance for the advanced copy.

📌 Pub: April 1, 2025

Swept Away is the sweetest romance, born out of a pretty intense situation! There was some aspect of suspense to this book that I really enjoyed. Well done! Five stars!