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!

I absolutely adored this book until *spoiler* kind of ruined the story for me! Truly, I can’t say anymore because I went in totally blind and even though I personally didn’t love the direction things went, I want other readers to be able to go into it with fresh eyes and and open mind!

Stranded at sea with your one-night stand—now that is a plot twist I didn’t see coming! This book took me by surprise. I went in expecting a lighthearted romcom but ended up loving the mix of action, raw emotion, and the intense chemistry between Zeke and Lexi. This book struck the perfect balance between lightheartedness and depth. It explored unique themes and wrapped up with a heartwarming, happy ending. I highly recommend it to anyone searching for their next romance read! What initially caught my attention, was the beautiful cover, but what kept me hooked was the captivating storyline and well-crafted characters. It’s the kind of story that leaves your heart feeling genuinely full.

Thank you Berkeley and netgalley of the e-arc! All thoughts are my own. I enjoyed the story, the characters, And the plot twists had me glued until the last page.

I absolutely loved this! Zeke and Lexi set out to have a one night stand, which happens to take place on a houseboat. Said houseboat accidentally detaches from the dock and floats off, leaving them lost at sea for days. The adventure aspect of the book was really fresh and fun. It was a page turner which I don't experience in most romance books. The MCs were cute and I enjoyed the "slow burn" trope. I think this will be one of the best romance books of 2025.

posted on goodreads

Vivid characters, a unique and at times intense plot, and sizzling chemistry--this book has it all. Highly recommend for fans of Emily Henry.

I love, love, love author Beth O'Leary's unconventional premises for novels which started with Post-It sharing flatmates that have never met in The Flatshare or the dual narrators of The Switch, ladies in their 20s and 70s who switch homes (and lives). This book doesn't disappoint in the premise department -- a one-night stand on a houseboat turns into a nightmare when the couple wakes up the next morning to discover they're in the middle of the ocean.

Lexi is a bit of a mess. She just moved out of her best friend's house, but it's more complicated than that. She was co-parenting her BFF's daughter but was tossed out when the BFF's boyfriend moved in. Zeke is about 10 years Lexi's junior and is still processing his father's death -- and that his father might not be his biological father. They're an unlikely pair. Both are dealing with complicated emotions that don't bode well for a new relationship, but their struggles seem to bring them together.

What seems like a funny story turns serious when food and water become scarce. The practicalities of survival turn what might have been a romantic getaway into something more serious. And when (if?) they make it back to land, they could be tested even more than they were at sea.

Great for fans of the forced-proximity trope and women's fiction or romance readers who are looking for a story that feels fresh and new.

Oooh nothing I love more than a funny romantic comedy with so much tension and build up. Add a fun location and it's everyrhing

This wasn't a bad book by any means but it has a lot of pacing issues. The characters have layers to them and I can see some people identifying with them because these are complex characters but for some reason I couldn't connect with them personally. By the 30% mark, I was ready for the story to be over.

A one night stand goes awry when the house boat Zeke and Lexi are staying on comes untied and they are swept out to see.

This was such a great read! I'm not gonna lie, I thought I was in for a forced proximity slow burn type romance (and I was ok with that,) but this was so much better than that! This was a tale of survival, overcoming demons, forgiveness, and more! I loved how Lexi and Zeke learn so much about themselves while taking the time to get to know each other. For two flawed characters, they were both incredibly likeable. There were a couple of intense scenes and quite a sense of impending doom which kept me hooked. I wasn't expecting the ending at all, but it was superb. I definitely recommend this!