Swept Away by Beth O’Leary
Rating: 5 stars
Pub date: 4/1

Thank you so much for the free book Berkley Romance!

Say hello to one of my new favorites! This is the kind of book that grabs you from the start and doesn’t let go.

What begins as a simple one-night stand between Zeke and Lexi quickly turns into an unexpected adventure when they wake up stranded at sea on a runaway houseboat. With limited supplies and no way back, they’re forced to work together—not just to survive, but to navigate the connection growing between them.

I absolutely adored Zeke and Lexi! Even with their eight-year age gap, their chemistry was effortless, and they felt well matched. Zeke is full of charm and passion, while Lexi is more cautious and loyal to a fault. They balance each other perfectly, pushing each other out of their comfort zones in the best way. Their banter, their emotional growth, and the slow burn of their romance had me hooked.

O’Leary’s signature humor and heartfelt storytelling make this such a fun, unique read. It’s more than just a stranded-at-sea romance—it’s about finding yourself, facing your fears, and learning to trust. And let’s not forget Eugene who added an extra layer of charm to the whole adventure.
I love adventure romances, and this one totally won me over. If you love forced proximity, witty banter, and characters who feel real, Swept Away is an absolute must-read!

Read if you like:
*forced proximity
*age gap
*adventure
*one night stand that turns into more
*dual POV

Thanks to @berkleypub and @berkleyromance for the gifted e-ARC and to @prhaudio for the ALC!

I’m so glad I listed to this one. The accents really brought the book to life. Even though I had to slow down from my usual 2x speed to catch every word, it was worth it.

Lexi and Zeke had so much chemistry. Their black cat/golden retriever energy was endearing. Lexi’s prickly demeanor made getting to know her rewarding. And Zeke was the sweetest boy/man ever. Their banter was excellent and the spice, though not too explicit was well done.

All the peril and drama stepped up the standard forced proximity plot. They were, quite literally, forced to depend on each other as the only human for miles. I really felt the fear that any bad decision or misstep could be their last! I was very invested in seeing these two survive!

I loved The Flatshare by this author, but after that her books sort of dropped off my radar till now. I definitely want to go back and read her entire backlist now!

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group for this arc.

Probably the premise is a little on the preposterous side. Possibly even leaning strongly toward unbelievable. But (almost all) of me didn’t care. I just sat back and enjoyed the ride. For four fifths of the book I was deeply invested and fully engaged. I didn’t really love the last act conflict but I came to understand it. I liked the ending but was pining for just a little more detail.

The parts where Lexi and Zeke are on the boat were my favourite. The stakes were high and they had to fight and win together.

I’m not sure what I imagined the ending would be but it wasn’t quite what ended up happening. I didn’t quite buy that Lexi would believe Zeke would behave that way, given what they had been through together and what they had disclosed to one another. I did understand the conflict she faced but I didn’t quite buy her reaction to it.

I still had some questions at the end about Zeke and his dad. I guess there are some things that just are and you don’t necessarily know all the whys and hows of it.

The age gap between the couple didn’t bother me either. Zeke was an old soul kind of guy and Lexi had been kind of stuck, not really moving on because of her commitment to Mae and Penny, so they felt like they had similar maturity. Zeke didn’t come across as irresponsible or flighty. Probably before he had started therapy he would have but he’d been working on himself and was pretty self-aware. Still, he did struggle with the internalised belief he was stupid. Lexi was very good for him in pointing out all the ways he was extremely smart. They had to improvise and innovate on the ocean and they survived. They survived because they were at turns brave, clever, inventive and resilient. Both of them were forever changed by the experience but the raw materials were always there.

I loved this book. I think it might be even better than The Flatshare. Beth O’Leary has become an auto-read for me and Swept Away is an example of why. Grade: A-

Swept away was a book i was SO excited to resd being a previous fan of Beth O'Leary. However; I couldn't take their relationship seriously as they didn't seem bothered about being stranded. The book felt like it was dragging and I couldn't wait to hit the "end."

3.5/5 stars. Unique storyline, good dialogue, but the plot really dragged out and the FMC’s hyperdependence on her best friend and daughter started to annoy me by the end. Would LOVE to see this as a cute Netflix film though.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Once again, Beth O'Leary sweeps me away and into one of her emotional and immersive romances.

After an instant spark that led to a one-night stand, Lexi and Zeke wake up to find themselves lost at sea, quite literally. They realize their houseboat wasn’t tied to the docks during their night of passion, and it led them adrift into uninhabited territory and uncharted waters. Throughout their journey, they find an inevitable, fierce connection that may be their path to survival.

I was not expecting this to be a survival story with romance, but as a huge fan of the TV show Lost, I found myself anxiously flipping pages, gripped by this intense story.

At times, the narrative leaned towards action-packed with heart-pounding, shocking moments, then shifted to scenes showing tenderness, vulnerability, and strength. The impact overall was a WILD emotional ride. By the end, the journey these two went through left me tearing up and desperately rooting them on.

If you are looking for a thrill-seeking, angsty romance with all the feels, definitely check out this new romantic read!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Okay...let me first start off by saying that I had a new fear unlocked by this book. I personally have a healthy fear of the ocean and you will never catch me on a boat after reading this. I was so completely distracted by these two being LOST AT SEA and just chilling...falling in love, while being in an extremely dangerous situation. It required far too much suspending of reality, I could not put my deep fear and like anxiety around their situation aside to enjoy the romantic elements of the book. I think it's an interesting use of setting as a literary device to create tension and isolation between the characters. But unfortunately it just didn't hit for me. There's a lot of building up of secondary characters through the point of view of the FMC and MMC. Then eventually when you do meet those characters in "real" life...woof. They are VERY flawed people in a way that made me want to scream. The part of the book I really enjoyed was the last 20%, thats where I really think some interesting tension and conflict begins to occur, but it's far too rushed at that point in the book!

This book follows Lexi and Zeke after a one night stand leads to a mishap - the boat wasn’t tied to the dock!

I will say that I found some part sweet and funny but the cover doesn’t match the vibes of the story AT ALL.

There was tension and chemistry although I’m not sure all of the scenes were entirely realistic while on a boat out at sea just drifting, I still had generally a good time! There’s only so much one can do when you’re stuck out at sea with someone for two whole weeks on the verge of death. 😂

I don’t think that last wrench in the plot was necessary at the end but maybe someone will love it!

3.5 ⭐️

When Lexi’s boss Marissa, spots an intriguing young man in the bar, she encourages Lexi to go outside of her comfort zone, and enjoy a “no strings attached” night of fun. Thirty One year old, Lexi never dates, or does anything for herself, really, as she has committed to helping to take care of her best friend’s 4 year old daughter, Mae, since Penny is a single mom. In fact, I thought her attachment to Mae was a bit unhealthy.

Twenty Three year old Zeke is only in town for the weekend to buy back his late father’s houseboat. Because of something he experienced at the age of sixteen, he keeps people at a distance as a self preservation tactic. “One Night Stands” are just his thing. I have never met a 23 year old guy who was this self aware-but maybe his past and therapy has made him grow up quickly. He often seemed more mature than Lexi.

Each is upfront about what they expect from the night, and they head back to the houseboat. But, what they didn’t expect after their passionate night was to wake up to miles and miles of ocean-with no land in sight!

The boat was not provisioned with the things you would need at Sea, and Zeke and Lexi must figure out how to survive and get back home, something that will bond them-whether or not that was the original plan!

When I read this premise, I was hesitant to request this book. As a flight attendant, I am trained in water survival skills, and believe me, it would not be fun and games. So, I really had to suspend disbelief and just go with this. In reality, there would probably be a lot more tears, fear and doubt, but these two stay mostly optimistic despite the dire circumstances.

This is a Rom-Com after all!

But, I put aside my concerns because this is Beth O’Leary, and I have loved all but one of her books! She writes great characters and puts them in awkward situations, and I could not take a chance on missing out! Even though this one wasn’t a favorite for me, I did mostly enjoy it, and am glad I took a chance on it.

Expected publication date: April 1, 2025

Thank You to Berkley for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts!

This was a nice surprise, I enjoyed the book more than I thought i would. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this arc.

A stupid mistake after a one-night stand leaves Zeke and Lexi stranded at sea on a houseboat...that they both think they own. Talk about awkward! But having to depend on each other's skills and resilience for almost 2 weeks at sea builds a sparking fire into a bonfire of attachment. Once off the boat and back to their real lives, can they find their way back to each other?

I have learned that I am not a fan of “survival” romances. Stranded in a boat together? Triggered my commitment issues. I would’ve checked out so fast.

If you were to ask me if this couple is actually in love or trauma-bonded, I wouldn’t know.

The random conflict thrown in at the 90% mark?? I was not a fan 😀.

Honestly this book simply wasn’t my cup of tea, and that’s ok. Maybe others will enjoy this better than I did but personally it’s a pass

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the free e-arc in exchange for a review!

3.5 rounded up💫

“I get it, what it means. Welcome home.” She points to me. “It means you brought home back.”

Beth O’Leary books I either tend to LOVE or feel meh about…and this leans meh. NOT that that means I didn’t like it, because I DID! Just that I enjoyed it while I was reading it but will promptly forget it🤷🏻‍♀️🤭

Imagine waking up after a one-night stand on a houseboat only to find that no one tied it to the dock…and now you’re stuck in the middle of the ocean together😅😳nooo thank you!!!

The problem with this book was it could be repetitive given its set up - there’s no changing scenery, no side characters for the MCs to talk to, etc. Just Zeke and Lexi and the sea!!

HOWEVER the last ~40% was very good! The growing tension, the bold survival ideas, the rescue, the aftermath! so if you stick it out I think it’s worth it, just won’t be a new favorite for me!

Swept Away by Beth O'Leary

Beth O'Leary can write fun romance while including some very hard hitting emotional trauma and she's done it again with this story. On the surface, the whole "one night stand turns into an adventure at sea" fiasco is interesting in a disastrous way but I had to close my brain off to the very real trauma that one of the characters experienced when he was a teen. Still, that character, twenty three year old Zeke, has been taking steps to get past emotional hurts of the past, so we don't have to think he's just free floating (ha ha) through life without addressing his past.

When Zeke and thirty one year old Lexi meet and almost instantly decide to sleep together, they each think they know the boat where they are going to tryst. And they do know the boat, it's just that there has been a mix-up concerning the boat, one of about a zillion mix-ups to come. These two seem to be able to mess up a bad situation about as badly as a bad situation can be messed up. They are good at this, making a mess of things, but are still able to almost segue into a song and dance scene or something like that, at will.

They seem to be able to compartmentalize which allows them to be able to have a boatload (bad pun again) of fun doing all kinds of weird and wacky things during this very danger fraught adventure they accidently embark upon. While I'd be in a corner trying to brainstorm how to get help one hundred percent of the time, these two find time for fun, games, pretend adventures, good (ish...kinda) food, and very deep talks. This could almost be a therapy cruise of sorts, if only we could know there would be an ending where everyone survived.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC.

This was a great read! I knew I needed to read this after that premise. It sounded so interesting and unlike anything else I've read so far. I mean a one-night stand romance lost at sea together? That's has to be interesting.

I think fans of reverse age gap. forced proximity, he falls first and grumpy x sunshine tropes will fall head over heels for this. Lexi & Zeke have fantastic chemistry (hence one-night stand) but they also develop a great emotional connection too. I ended up really enjoying this couple.

The plot was what drew me to this book and it kept me intrigued the whole time. I was so invested in how they were going to make it home/to safety. The second half of the book really upped the suspense and drama. I thought O'Leary did a wonderful job crafting this plot.

Overall, a great & unique romance that will sweep readers away.

The perfect pool side read. Entertaining and full of fluff. Also can’t complain about the reverse age gap! Love that trope and it’s rare to find.

I absolutely loved this story!!! Soo romantic and beautifully paced. I loved the twist on the “one bed” trope with them being lost at sea and how they found each other through the struggle. I love that they also found themselves and realized the people they wanted to be. Soo much chemistry and love between Zeke and Lexi and I loved every moment of this!

3.25 stars

I wanted to love this one, because I do usually enjoy the author's books, but I tend not to like stories set on boats/out to sea. This is somewhat surprising given I don't really have a fear of the water, but there's something about being trapped in the middle of the ocean with no land in sight that is so anxiety inducing, which is not the feeling I want to have while reading a rom-com. This is exactly what happens, when in a moment of drunken miscommunication, Lexi and her supposed to be one night stand, Zeke, tie the ropes of the houseboat they both think is theirs to itself instead of the dock, and find themselves in the middle of the North Sea 10 hours later upon waking, with no cell service, emergency radios, or life vests on board. Never thinking they were going to see each other again, they now have to rely on each other to survive, which turns out to be just as big a nightmare as that sounds. This is forced proximity to the extreme, and opposites attract, with Lexi being hardened and gruff and Zeke being the most Harry Styles-esque dreamer Pisces on the cusp of Aquarius coded man I've ever read. If that wasn't enough to give me the ick, throw in reverse age gap, with Zeke being only 23 to Lexi's 31. Normally I'm a giant hypocrite and don't mind it when the woman is ✨ slightly ✨ older, but this gap felt a bit too large for me, especially with Zeke's wounded fckboi nature. With a third act breakup that really only served to showcase a few plot holes, this one left me with too many uncomfortable feelings instead of the lighthearted escapism one would expect from a rom-com.

Like the sea, the pacing of this novel is ever changing. There were many times where I considered DNFing, but I was given just enough suspense after lulls in the book to pull me to the finish line.

I’ve read three other Beth O’Leary books and this one did not give the same vibes/feeling as her others. It felt more scary, and more real considering our characters lives were at risk for the entirety of the novel.

I also honestly did not feel the romance was very believable between these characters. It felt more like a trauma bond than anything.

The plot twist at the end I DID not see coming AT ALL, and did boost my rating from a 2 star to a three star. So I do have to applaud the author for being able to completely take me by surprise.

I don’t think there is necessarily anything I personally would change about the book. It’s written well and has a cohesive story, but I personally just didn’t fall in love with it.

Beth O'Leary is an author I've read one other book from. I enjoyed The Wake-Up Call. So when I saw the cover of her new book Swept Away, I decided I had to check it out. I've been in such a romance phase lately. (I'm sorry thrillers and mysteries...I miss you guys) I decided I'd pick this up because obsessed with the cover. Plus I've never really read a survival romance. I'm sad to say that this took me longer to read then I excepted. I honestly almost dnfed it. The story is about Zeke and Lexi who have a one night stand and end up getting lost at sea together. Honestly, they made some really poor choices on that boat. I really couldn't wait for them to be rescued. I think majority of the book I was wondering about the nosy neighbor who was trying to help them in the beginning. I'm not sure what she could have done but clearly she would have noticed early on that the boat was missing? Anyway, that didn't happen so they're stuck on the boat for 12 days together. Honestly, I wish they didn't end up getting rescued because I think that was my least favorite part. All the information that we found out after just didn't sit right with me. I'm not sure if I'm the only one who didn't like it but it's a no from me. Plus the way it ended, I was like really?!? Overall didn't have a good experience with this one. I do have a couple of other books by Beth on my TBR that I still would like to give a shot. Hoping to enjoy them like I did The Wake-Up Call.