Everything about this book was so unbelievable and maybe even a little long but the ending started to pick up and it became more interesting. There were small bits and pieces that I thought were nice but I didn’t care much for the characters.
Overall, I just wasn’t able to feel their chemistry and I didn’t really connect with them as characters. There’s no way they could have fallen for one another in such a short time… if anything’s its situational attraction or a relationship of circumstance? Lust? They had no choice but to get to know one another because they were stuck together. They said I love you to each other insanely fast and I just couldn’t buy any of it. Also they both got hurt and I also thought that threw things off… because was this about surviving or a romance? Lastly, the plot twist was odd and I didn’t like Penny’s behaviour.

I really wanted to love this one, but it wasnt the one for me. I need to give it another chance when I am in the correct mood to read it. I have always enjoyed this author's reads in the past.

4.5 stars. Beth O'Leary can almost do no wrong! She has such an enticing writing style that draws you in and makes you feel for each character. I also love a good dual POV. I loved both characters and how they were equally strong for each other but also vulnerable. The added sense of mystery/despair/adventure of being lost at sea kept me coming back for more. The only thing that bumped this down a half star for me is the added conflict at the end. I don't think that was necessary and added too much drama and complication. I wish the conflict could have just been them dealing with being back in reality again together despite the culture shock. That would have been enough for me. They already went through so much, that it felt like a pile on to just add one more thing before the end of the story.
But all in all, beautiful writing, great story, intriguing plot, and likeable characters.
Highly recommend!

Beth O’Leary has my HEART. Was this a fluffy romance or a tense thriller? I could not decide because why was I SO STRESSED. But I loved this book. I will recommend Beth’s books until the end of time!

Zeke and Lexi meet at a bar and have a one-night stand on a houseboat, only to wake up the next morning and find it has drifted off to sea. They are stuck at sea for weeks and have to work together to survive and get through the issues they encounter.

In general, there were pacing issues with the book. The author did add some character depth to both Lexi and Zeke and a lot of the story centers around getting to know them both, but I just couldn't connect like I thought I would. I thought the author did a great job showcasing the obstacles they had to overcome, and I also enjoyed the ending.

Thank you NetGalley, Berkley Publishing, and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars (rounded up!)

I loved the forced proximity in this book (and the whole concept!)
However, I wasn't a big fan of the execution (and am not a big insta-lovey girl!). I found myself not loving either main character and just not really connecting with the story as a whole.

Beth's writing was phenomenal and I can tell that she has talent. I'm sure other people might love this book- the thriller-y x romance vibes ATE. I can't wait to give her other books a try!

Adventure romances add such a fun element to your standard romance book, and I enjoyed the suspenseful elements and rooting for these characters to make it back home.

Beth O’Leary’s books seem to be hit or miss for me (my favorites being The Switch & The Flatshare). But this one is more of a miss for me. While I liked a lot of this book, I also felt a little uninvested at times

Swept Away was more of a suspense romance than romance. I tandem read this with audio and it made me feel like I was trapped on the boat with Zeke & Lexi. It was an immersive experience and I’m not going to lie. It gave me some anxiety, but I couldn’t stop listening because I needed to know what happened. This was a very unique story and I thinks fans of Survivor or Lost would enjoy this.It’s a little high stakes, it’s got a shock factor, & forced proximity.

It also unlocked a new fear: lost at sea. 🛥️


Thank you to NetGalley & Berkeley Publishing Group for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

Was I swept away by this seagoing tale like Lexi and Zeke were by The Merry Dormouse?

Not so much. The narrative was off balance for me. Too much Lexi and Zeke alone at sea and not enough of their adjustments to being back on land.

Here are three things I liked:

🎧I checked out the audio book from Libby to pair with a digital ARC. Connor Swindells and Rebekah Hinds really brought the characters to life in alternating viewpoints.
🧒Little Mae made me laugh out loud more than once. Such a charming little girl and Lexi's motivation for getting back to land. I wanted more Mae!
🪽Eugene, the seagull, added some levity and lightness to the days at sea.

This is not my favorite titles from Beth O'Leary. The one-night stand concept was not a winner for me and would have passed if I had not been a fan of this author. For the record, my personal favorite title so far has been The No-Show.

Thank youj to Berkley and NetGalley for my digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read most of Beth O’Leary’s books, and have enjoyed them all, albeit some more than others.

Today I finished Swept Away, where a one night stand turns into many more when the houseboat Zeke and Lexi are on isn’t secured properly, and they drift out into sea.

What was a casual encounter obviously turns into something more, as they fight to survive and hope for a rescue. They both have deep issues to work through, but they find that they make each other better. But when they are finally rescued, something is revealed that Lexi can’t get over, and she ghosts Zeke.

While most of the book was good, this part - the dreaded third act breakup - was difficult to get past. The character who was at the root of this problem was so infuriating, and didn’t seem to own up to hurting so many people. The impact seemed to be glossed over at the end, a bit too tidy, and just made me really annoyed.

Overall, this wasn’t my favorite of hers, but it is a good read for a summer day, despite the frustrating ending, just maybe not if you’re on a boat…especially a houseboat.

I can always expect a Beth O'Leary book to have great characters, intriguing plots, and emotional depth. Swept Away was no exception, but it wasn't without a few rogue waves that almost tipped it overboard. I had some issues with the slow character growth and the believe-ability of the story, but I should have known that O'Leary would steer things in the right direction. By the end, I was fully invested in Lexi and Zeke's quest for survival and budding romance.

Even though they are stranded out at sea this was more of a feel good romance than a suspense romance. Both characters were likeable and easy to get to know. I appreciated how they also tried to get to know each other rather quickly as they were stuck together and decided to make the best of it. While I'm not usually big on third act breakups I did like the twist at the end. I honestly didn't see that one coming.

Swept Away drew me in with its gorgeous cover art. I’m a fan of Beth O’Leary’s writing and so I couldn’t resist giving it a try.

Beth O’Leary is a talented writer, I enjoy her writing style so she’s one I always want to pick up. I have found that while I enjoy her writing her books are a mix for me - some I’ve loved and some just haven’t been for me.

In the case of Swept Away, I found the premise intriguing but the story itself just didn’t work well for me personally. The story pacing felt slow and I didn’t really connect with either of the mains. When this happens, I tend to struggle to stay engaged in the book and don’t feel as compelled to keep going.

I think long time fans or those that are drawn in by a stranded vibe will definitely enjoy. Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy.

I liked this even though it's not the kind of romance I normally read. It was a little too dramatic for me, I normally prefer lighter funnier books. But if you like your romances more serious and intense then this might work for you.

As a fan of Beth O'Leary's previous work, I was excited to read her latest.

The lost-at-sea survival plot caught my attention too, reminding me of a middle-grade novel I had enjoyed a few year ago ("Deep Water" by Watt Key). I think the survival plot was handled well -- it was genuinely suspenseful, and I thought the characters' increasing desperation was written believably. The combination of romance and survival is well balanced, but I do think readers who are looking for a romance may be surprised by the intensity of the survival plot and readers who are looking for a survival story may not be expecting so much romance.

I also didn't particularly care for the plot twist that happened at the end of the story.

Overall, I would not necessarily recommend this one to Beth O'Leary fans looking for something similar to her other works, but I think it could appeal to fans of survival stories and romance suspense who would enjoy the romance-survival hybrid.

the start was a bit slow but it was a really sweet book and that plot twist at the end really reeled me in!!! Love beth o'learys writing! thank you for the eArc!

I've enjoyed every book I've read by this author, and while this wasn't my favorite story of hers, I enjoyed it a lot - more in the second half of the book than the first half.
Lexi and Zeke are enjoyable characters, and my favorite part of this rom-com was their character growth over the story. As with her other books, the author does a good job of bringing in the characters' backstory to give depth to their actions or inactions. I appreciate the research she did to make this a fairly believable situation. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my copy of this fun read!

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of Swept Away!

I love Beth O'Leary books in general, and while I haven't loved every book she's written...I'm a huge fan. This book just didn't do it for me, though. It was really part thriller, part romance, and I just wasn't into the characters. The majority of the book is just the two main characters stuck at sea, and I feel like for that plot to work, the characters have to be very developed and the romance has to be tangible off the page...and it just wasn't. The chemistry wasn't really there for me, and I just didn't really care if they ended up together or not. Overall, this one was a bit of a letdown!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

What starts as a casual one-night stand between two strangers quickly turns into the adventure of a lifetime—whether they like it or not. In Swept Away, Beth O’Leary brings her signature charm, wit, and heart to a romantic survival tale that’s as tender as it is unexpected.

Lexi, a fiercely loyal and slightly guarded woman juggling real-life responsibilities, meets Zeke, a free-spirited and charismatic traveler briefly back in town to reclaim his late father’s houseboat. Neither expects more than a night of fun… until they wake up adrift, alone at sea. A foggy misstep left the boat untied—and now, with nothing but canned goods and confusion, they’re forced into a crash course on trust, vulnerability, and connection.

What makes this book shine is how genuinely human it feels. Zeke and Lexi are opposites in many ways—different life stages, different wounds—but somehow they balance each other perfectly. O’Leary doesn’t rush their connection; instead, she lets it unfold slowly through quiet revelations, unexpected humor, and even some heated debates over how to use a can opener with no signal or GPS in sight.

The age gap (Lexi is older by eight years) feels refreshingly honest and thoughtfully explored, never gimmicky. There’s also a surprisingly moving found-family element, and a certain side character (Eugene—you’ll know when you meet him) steals scenes in the best way.

While the setting is unique—a houseboat lost at sea—it’s the emotional navigation that truly anchors the story. There’s vulnerability, healing, and a deep sense of two people helping each other grow, all wrapped up in sharp banter and moments of laugh-out-loud absurdity.

Beth O’Leary has a gift for creating characters you root for, and in Swept Away, she delivers a romance that feels both intimate and epic.

This was another adventure romance but this time with an age gape and a one night stand! This one is hard for me to rate because while I loved the writing in it, the continued mentioned of the age gap (her in her thirties and him 23) bothered me, and the romance aspect near the end felt more like trauma bonding than a genuine connection. The writing in this was excellent, but I did not enjoy the romance between these two.