I love a forced proximity story so I was excited to read this one and I wasn’t disappointed. Fresh and original, this brilliant, heartfelt love story is perfect for fans of Emily Henry.

I love Beth O'Leary's books, particularly The Flatshare and The Switch - and was delighted to have the chance to read Swept Away. The concept is great, the characters are extremely warm and likeable - however, I did find that after about a third of the novel had passed that the story started to lose direction. It was, perhaps, a little lost at sea. The chemistry between the two MCs is there, their love story feels plausible, but somehow the actual 'stuck on a boat' piece just lost momentum for me, and I found myself pulled out of the story a few time. The end twist felt a little hard to swallow, too. All in all, O'Leary always delivers a great romance with chemistry, but I found this setting didn't quite deliver as I'd hoped. Thank you for the opportunity to read!

I love Beth O’leary, and this book didn’t disappoint me. Zeke and Lexi just had what was supposed to be a one night stand, but they ended up in the middle of sea on a boat, just two of them. Zeke is younger and hopes to find real love. Lexi, a few years older than him, is dealing a loss and shut out herself from romantic possibilities.

I loved the contrast of these two and how slowly and gradually they started to open up to one another and fell in love. I kept rooting for Zeke, hoping his warmth and kindness would heal Lexi and help her open up more.

I know the author’s books have turned into TV shows previously. This book is probably better as a book than a movie as it’s really just two characters. Their dialogue and inner monologue. So I suggest not wait for TV adaptation and read the book!

This book has smash hit all over it! I loved the charcaters, how it made me feel, the angst. the tension, the unexpectec love. The writing was impeccable. Beth is a triumph!

I’m really sorry to have disliked it as much as I did. I really don’t know if it’s just the genre of slightly kooky adventure romance or the book itself. I always spot books by this author being read on public transport so I had high expectations but it really wasn’t for me. Too silly, the characters had names like those a teenage girl might choose when writing a book, and both the scenario they found themselves in and the outcome were just too much to fathom.

I requested this book because I good friend of mine was raving about it, but whilst I can absolutely see why (great writing, unique premise, intriguing characters) ultimately this book wasn’t for me and I gave up at 40%.

This one is on me entirely. I had no idea how much anxiety the premise would inspire! It’s like a nightmare scenario for me, so therefore was really hard to buy into any sort of fantasy for the romance aspect. I had no idea I would feel this way when I started this book, but the stabbing situation really made me so nervous I struggled to continue beyond it.

I am so sorry! I love Beth’s work and I was so ready to dive into this one. It’s 100% a me problem and I wish this book all the success in the world.

I loved this story. The forced proximity was amazing and the stakes were about as high as they could be.
The plot and pace was great and I found it a refreshing read - very original.
I can see this being a great film.

I have always loved Beth O’Learys writing so I was so excited to receive and advanced copy! Swept Away is not your typical one night stand, but a one night stand at sea. It is different from anything I have read before, I enjoyed it but it took me a while to get into the story. I really enjoyed the adventurous elements and the twists between Zeke and Lexi. Overall I would recommend this, like all of Beth’s books it is definitely enjoyable.

Honestly, this is my least favourite Beth O’Leary book. Considering how much I’ve enjoyed the previous books, this disappointed me.

The main problem that I had was the age gap - a 23M and a 30F was just too much for me that I couldn’t take it seriously. Because of that, I just felt like some things that happened whilst they were ‘swept away’ were too unrealistic that it took away from my enjoyment of the book.

It’s unfortunate since I have loved all of Beth’s previous books but I just didn’t vibe with this one.

Imagine seeing a hot guy, having a bunch of drinks, and then waking up with an awful hangover, and only to find out that you're stranded at sea in a houseboat.
-reverse she gap
- forced proximity
-grumpy x sunshine
-man falls first
- total romance book


The premise sounded amazing. I wasn’t expecting the against all odds and survival story. I was hooked on this book. I loved The Flatshare and this one, too.. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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.