While I enjoyed the book overall, I did feel that it was missing that high-stakes, life-or-death element that could have taken the story to the next level. Instead, the focus is on the characters and their emotional journeys, and I appreciated how the story stripped everything back to reveal who they really are at their core. This is a great book for anyone who loves lighthearted, character-driven romance with a bit of emotional depth. It’s a charming and fun read with great chemistry between the leads and a lot of heart.

I rated this novel four stars. I enjoyed it but I did think it really dragged on a bit longer than I would have liked. I found myself surprised on how much I had left in the book at times. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the ending or how Lexi reacted to the events near the conclusion but this didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the book.

2.5 rounded up. Let me just say, I am huge Beth O’Leary fan and have read all of her books. I think this would fall at or near the bottom of my rankings of her books though. Was this entreating? Absolutely. Is it impossible not to find her books charming? No doubt about it. But this was so wild and not necessarily in a good way. Both of these characters need therapy once you get into the heart of why they like each other. There’s some weird age gap stuff, and I also think it’s just hard to sustain a story about two characters lost at sea without it dragging at times. Not to mention the twist kind of jumped the shark for me. I still had fun with this at times, but at what cost?

This book wasn't my all time favorite, but it still gives me that cozy feeling whenever I read this author.

This was so different and engrossing! I was stressed in so many ways and seriously couldn’t put it didn’t— I needed to know how they got off that boat and fell in love. There were so many insightful moments that I want to bottle up.

Thanks to NetGalley, Berkley, and PRHAudio for the preview. All opinions are my own.

This is another enjoyable romance from O'Leary. The one-night-stand-turned lost-at-sea was a fresh take on the forced proximity trope and it worked well. I enjoyed the deeper conversations that Lexi and Zeke had as they shared their demons with each other. It's a quick and easy read with both laughs and tears (you really cannot have an O'Leary book without the tears). I also enjoyed the dual narration.

The only bit I didn't love was the twist/reveal near the end. I just hated the extra bit of drama and the separation it forced. But the final ending was lovely. If you have liked any of her previous books, you'll enjoy this too.

Swept Away took the stuck together romance trope and really ran with it! I loved the combination of humor and the high stakes survival on the ocean with the sweetness of the love story.

Book Review
Swept Away Beth O’Leary

What Its Got
✅ One night stand
✅ Houseboat Adrift at sea aka Forced Proximity
✅ 10+ days close quarters struggling to survive
✅ Deceased parents
✅ Cute kid and a dog
✅ Drama
✅ Age gap

Characters
Zeke- young Chef, reformed sex addict looking for closure after his fathers passing
Lexi- older woman, former pub owner, her life is literally adrift
Penny- Lexi’s chosen sister
Mae- Lexi’s chosen niece
Lyra- Zeke’s sister
Jeremy- Zeke’s brother

Thoughts
I found the beginning of the story convoluted I didnt connect a hangover to the MCs
Significant memory loss- it felt more like the characters had been drugged so my brain was a bit confused-once I got past that… I enjoyed the story for the most part ( not a huge fan of age gap trope) … until the end
SPOILER
The third act break up… Penny’s baby daddy- not a fan, not only was it predictable but I lost respect for all the characters
I wanted to scream at them all- communicate- a life altering experience and everyone is still hoarding secrets and lying to themselves and eachother
Grow up people!!!

Overall
A solid read but not my favourite from this author . My dislike of the ending overshadowed all the good parts

Publishes April 1 2025
Thanks to the author, @netgalley and the publisher ( @berkley) for my digital ARC in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.

Top romance novel of the year for me! Which is no surprise because this is by the lovely Beth O’Leary. This has all the makings for a perfect romance novel- a unique concept, a beautiful romance, and a beyond crazy adventure. I love Beth for her touching love stories filled with depth and emotion, and this one definitely delivered on that front. Lexi and Zeke had me in shambles by the end of this story. It was so intense and touching; their resilience, their vulnerability, their growth and development. Arguably one of the most emotional adventures I’ve ever read. And one that I highly encourage to read if you want a story to remind you why it’s important to keep going and hold on to those you care about.

I loved this. I absolutely loved this - Zeke and Lexi were so good together. Watching them fall in love trapped at sea was my favorite part of this novel. But then we got back on land and the third act happened with all the draaaaaama and ugh, sorry but I was not a fan.

I had a lot of thoughts throughout the course of this book. It started SO well! I loved the set-up and the way that we jumped from the present day to when they met. It felt new and exciting and not like any other romance novel that I had read before.

With that being said, it was somehow just what I expected & also nothing like I expected? I didn’t love some of the plot line & there were a few twists that felt veryyyyyy random & unnecessary. Like what is up with Zeke being Mae's dad? That seemed to come out of left field in the last 30 pages of the book. It felt weird, random and so unnecessary. In fact, it almost ruined the book for me. Additionally, the miscommunication trope is SOOOO overdone and needs to be gone.
Additionally, the female main character bugged a little bit but she grew on me as the book progressed. She seemed childish while simultaneously so concerned about a real child, which felt like a really weird disconnect.

Overall, however, it was cute and fun. It felt perilous but was still very easy & fluffy which I appreciated. It made me reflect on the "Adrift" movie from a few years ago which is always a captivating idea.

Thank you to the punishers & @netgalley for my ARC edition.

One thing about Beth O'Leary is she is going to DELIVER.

I went into this book almost completely blind, and oh my gosh I am so happy I did. Despite the fact that the premise of this book is my literal worst nightmare (there is nothing I find more terrifying than the open ocean), I could not put this down for a single second. Every emotion Lexi and Zeke felt, I felt right alongside them; my heart was literally pounding for most of this book. Watching them learn to trust and fight for each other was so beautiful and I cried at multiple points over how much love I felt between these two characters.

I have a feeling that once this comes out, there is going to be lots of discussion about the final 20% of this book, but personally I could not have asked for a better ending. These little twists at the end of her books are starting to become a Beth O'Leary signature and while I knew that going into this book (and probably should have seen this one coming, tbh), I was still caught off guard. Beth O'Leary has officially cemented herself as an auto-buy author for me and she cannot miss as far as I'm concerned.

Zeke and Lexi wake up lost at sea after their houseboat drifts away. As they work together to get home, their unexpected time together sparks a deeper connection that neither of them saw coming.

I’ve read all of Beth O’Leary’s books so I was really looking forward to Swept Away. I enjoyed it and ended up finishing it in a day because it had the perfect blend of romance, adventure, and a touch of mystery. I loved how the author built a genuine connection between Lexi and Zeke even though their relationship started as a one-night stand. While their physical attraction to each other is undeniable, it was great to see their deeper layers unfold as they worked together to survive. The forced proximity of being stranded at sea added tension and excitement which kept the story engaging. There’s a surprising twist at the end that completely caught me off guard and the author kept me on my toes the entire time. Overall, I highly recommend picking this one up!

This book is so much more than I expected.

It is easy to assume from the premise that it might be a romantic comedy full of worst-case scenarios that conveniently have little or no consequences while two hot co-eds fall inexorably in love. Or by the cover that it might be a sweeping women's fiction romance in which the protagonist goes on a journey of healing and gaining (or regaining) her power and self-confidence with a side of man candy thrown in. But what this book really does is turn a high-concept premise into an incredibly realistic portrayal of human survival and an exploration of the bonds we forge, whether or not we mean to, with those we trust.

Technically, yes, this is a love story. Zeke and Lexi, neither one a boatsman, get stranded at sea on a craft that has not been prepared for any type of voyage, let alone a multiple day excursion. Nothing is charged or refilled, there are no phone signals, and the only food they have are the few emotional provisions Lexi bought thinking she'd stay on the houseboat a few days until she found a new place to live. They don't know where they are, and they cannot move their damn boat.

For days.

Then longer.

When they met, Zeke and Lexi were supposed to share one night together - a one-night stand with clearly set boundaries. But now each other is all they have out on the open water, and physical safety is only part of the battle. Both of their emotional and psychological states are not in the best of places when they began, and adding a boatload of stress to that isn't exactly helpful.

This book is emotional, and tense, and beautiful. It's tangled, and scary, and hopeful. It's about compassion and resilience and doing what needs to be done, even when you're not sure you have the capacity to do it. Swept Away is a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat, and then staring into the abyss for awhile once you finish. It's a story that sticks with you long after you're done reading. I loved it, and I can't wait to read it again.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was so unique and lovely. The twists and turns kept coming with every page. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.

Zeke and Lexi have an encounter that was only supposed to be a one and done; however, as alcohol often does to decision making, their choices are not the best. Instead of properly tying off the aged houseboat they are using for their “date,” the boat ends up drifting to sea…the North Sea.
Lexi has sworn off men except for the casual hookup. At thirty, her life is mostly about working in her late mother’s pub while helping a best friend to care for her little girl, Mae, whom Lexi has known since her birth. Zeke has come to the small seaside town to buy back the houseboat which had belonged to his late, and estranged, father.

When they wake up the next morning, adrift and lost at sea in a less than seaworthy vessel, neither one can believe it. They have no power to steer the houseboat because of dead batteries, hoping and praying someone will come to their rescue. As the days progress, Lexi and Zeke learn to make do with limited resources, although once again, alcohol influences judgment in a bad way.

Told in dual POVS, this story is a bit like speed dating with a relationship compressed into a few weeks, since they are together in an intense way, struggling to survive against great odds. Lexi and Zeke both have a lot of emotional angst related to their respective families. As Lexi is about seven years older, this story is considered a reverse age gap which matters since she questions his maturity level. This story does drag in places and there are some very predictable elements, though I expect fans of Ms. O’Leary’s tales will like it. It certainly has some very strong emotional highs and lows as to be expected given the plot line.

This is a reverse age-gap romance where two characters have a one night stand on a houseboat and they accidentally end up at sea in the morning. I think you really have you suspend disbelief to enjoy this one. I have read all of Beth's books and this ranks on the lower end. There's a really weird mention of the mmc previous relationship which is another massive age gap relationship and it's barely acknowledged at all (16/28). There's also a scene with a knife and it's just so poorly executed and reads quite cringey. This is paced pretty slowly and I felt bored for most of it overall. Also - one of my least favorite tropes ever - the characters have not bathed in 10+ days, and one main character has an infected wound - I just cannot with physical/intimate scenes given these circumstances.

Recommend if you enjoy:
Reverse age gap
Forced proximity
Survival romance
Dual pov
One night stand
Being at sea

Zeke and Lexi have a drunken one night stand on a houseboat and wake up to find that they have drifted out to sea. I loved the idea of the book & it started off great. I got a little bored and didn’t connect with the characters. I felt like they could have had better chemistry.

Thank you for Berkley and NetGalley for an Early review copy.

Beth O'Leary returns with Zeke and Lexi, who after a one-night stand, discover that they are lost at sea, in a houseboat. This is a great romance drama that sees the two of them thrown into an impossible situation, and how they bond over a frightening experience. The writing and the dynamic between Zeke and Lexi are well-developed. However, the ending could have been drawn out longer.

Wow, I was fully on the edge of my seat for the entire time. There are so many twists. The one near the ending made me gasp and stare at the wall for a bit. It was a crazy ride starting with a one night stand that led into getting lost at sea. Zeke was such a beautiful soul. The inner work he was doing truly showed that even though he still had unresolved family trauma. I loved Zeke and Lexi together. Oh, Lexi, I feel like most women can relate to her. She was truly herself around him, and it just made me want them together so badly. I loved this book. The author truly made this remarkable and something that'll sit with me for a bit. I loved it! Easily 5 star!

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Berkley to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

Wow! Absolutely amazing! Beth O'Leary continues to delight and surprise readers with unique and heart-warming love stories. This one is my new favorite. It appears a bit unbelievable, but the characters are so life-like, with real issues, fears, hopes, and emotions that I was immediately drawn in and couldn't put it down. Beth took strangers-to-forced-proximity to an entirely new level and did it with care and sensitivity. Add a young mmc, a 30ish fmc at a crossroads, and a survival plot and this is a story I will not soon forget. Get ready for tears and an absolutely surprising twist that I did not see coming. Love! Love! Love! All the stars!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the earc to read and review. All opinions are my own.