This book threw me for a loop. I love Beth O'Leary and her romances, and I knew there had to be some sort of deeper feelings situated in this but I wasn't prepared. Lexi and Zeke are stranded on a houseboat in the middle of the sea, with no land in sight. Their journey is harrowing and the things they learn about themselves as well as each other are eye opening. They were only meant to be a one night stand, but even without the trauma they endured, Zeke knows there is something about Lexi he can't forget.
If you are a BOL fan, this one is not going to disappoint. If you haven't read her before, buckle up and just jump in.
Thanks to Berkley, Netgalley and Beth O'Leary for an early copy.

If you like survivor stories, you have to read this! Lexi and Zeke are lost at sea on the defunct houseboat where they were having a one night stand. They get to know each other as their most vulnerable selves while trying to survive. Then they have to figure out how to survive back in the real world (this is a romance so of course they are rescued). An amazing, adventurous love story.

Zeke and Lexi find themselves in the middle of the ocean on a houseboat with no phone reception, a dead battery and no means of navigation. They’re essentially strangers but now must rely on each other to survive.

Swept Away was brilliant! There was something magical and magnetic between Zeke and Lexi from the start, but facing the trial together cemented their bond. Having nowhere to go, they shared their deepest feelings, insecurities, fears and dreams. I was on the edge of my seat with some of the things that happened, worried about their survival!

Beth O’Leary is famous for her surprise twists and there was one here that reshaped things. I did suspect long before it was revealed. It did make things messier and complicated but didn’t change my love for the story from beginning to end! I will say that I was more than a little miffed with Penny.

One night stand… followed by twelve days stranded at sea? Say less. This book had me from the premise alone, but it was the execution that really blew me away (pun intended).

Beth O’Leary delivers a hilarious, heartfelt, and surprisingly beautiful survival romance. The banter is chef’s kiss- witty, sharp, and genuinely funny. The chemistry between the characters is undeniable, and the close proximity situation? Peak tension. You can practically feel the salty air and hear the waves as they try to navigate the wild circumstances they’ve been swept into (literally).

The setting, a houseboat adrift in open water, somehow never gets stale. It’s described with such clarity and atmosphere that even though they’re stuck in the same spot, it always feels fresh and compelling. There’s trauma bonding, for sure, but also emotional growth, moments of vulnerability, and a slow-burn trust that builds under intense pressure.

There’s a major plot twist near the end that I did not see coming. I wasn’t totally in love with how it played out, but I respect the risk, and it added another layer to an already rich story.

This book has heart, heat, humor, and high stakes. If you’re into banter-filled survival stories with real emotional depth, you’re going to want to get swept away too.

The one night stand trope can be hit or miss for me, but I love what Beth O’Leary does with it in her new adventure romance, Swept Away, when Lexi and Zeke, the couple in question, wake up from their one night stand stranded at sea on an idle houseboat. With minimal provisions and no way back to land, this duo are forced to work together to find a way to survive until they can figure out how to get back home.

I really loved the survival aspect of this story. We already knew Lexi and Zeke had amazing chemistry from their one night stand, but they also just made such a great team and it was just really impressive watching them come together and do whatever needed to be done to survive. Both of them were so strong and resilient, and I felt like they also just both really balanced one another out in terms of strengths and weaknesses.

As dangerous and terrifying as some moments of their ordeal were, this is still a romance book so there were also some sweet, tender, and flirty moments as well. I’ve always loved the way O’Leary writes her character’s banter and it was just as wonderful as always here with Lexi and Zeke and had me chuckling to myself several times. Both characters also experience quite a bit of personal growth both as a result of their experience and as a result of opening up to one another.

4 1/2 stars

The pacing is a bit off in this book but I think people will find characters they can relate to! Complex characters, romance and adventure!

A miscommunication and one-night stand between strangers leads to Lexi and Zeke stranded at sea on a houseboat. Both thought they had tied up the boat, but upon waking the next morning, all they can see are miles of sea. Together, the two must figure out how to survive and return home.

This was a cute story, albeit not my favorite of the author’s. I went into the book blind, based on my love of some of the author’s previous novels {especially The No-Show!}, and I think this one just wasn’t the best fit for me. It’s an interesting premise, but I think with them being stuck on a boat for the majority of the novel the plot got a bit slow. I do think the pacing picked up towards the later chapters, and I really enjoyed this portion of the book. Overall, this could definitely be a fun beach read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for my gifted e-copy!

Forced proximity romance.

Our two main characters are "swept away" when the rigging of the house boat they are on gives way and they wake up to find themselves lost at sea. Armed with their wit and a bag of random groceries, they survive 12 days on a rickety vessel.

Since this is a romance and not an adventure/thriller, there is very little peril and we focus on love and found family. And, boy, do our characters get "swept away" once again, this time emotionally. Zeke and Lexi have that insta-love, expected from the forced proximity. I understand that they point of the book is showing how people can get carried away with their emotions, but Lexi's attachment to her friend's child was off-putting and maybe unhealthy. And I couldn't help but think if the genders were swapped on the relationship with a significant age difference that there would be some outrage. I mean, he was a boy.

So yes, characters get swept away with their emotions, the magical rickety boat provides, and we get a happy, blended family at the end. A fun, summer vacation romance of a book.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review. This book definitely put me in the spring mood as this story takes place of being stranded at sea and surrounded by water. This is a perfect spring break/beach read if you are wanting to get swept up or should I say swept away in a forced proximity romance where Zeke and Lexi are stranded in a houseboat at sea.

Ehhh, this was so far-fetched that it was difficult for me to truly enjoy. An older woman has a one night fling with a younger man, they go back to his boat, which due to a miscommunication is not tied properly, and they wake up swept out to sea. What follows honestly felt a little like nonsense to me. I did not find it realistic so I struggled to get invested in the characters' lives. I found that the age gap was too much of a focus, where normally I wouldn't be bothered by it, the thoughts felt inappropriate considering the actions. That being said, it was a quick read. I never considered putting it on the DNF list as it was entertaining, I just wish there was a little more substance and that their relationship seemed a little more realistic. 
Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

First off, I must give credit where it’s due—the author did an incredible job crafting a scenario where the boat drifts away. The FMC & MMC... These two are imperfectly perfect, especially when they’re forced into survival mode, stranded at sea for days. Imagine being stuck in close quarters with your supposed one-night stand? The chaotic and realistic vibe continues throughout the book with moments that felt raw and stressful—like not having access to Google when someone gets injured while adrift in open waters. It kept me on the edge of my seat, turning pages to find out what would happen next. Oh, and if you think their love story ends once they’re back on solid ground… lol, think again This book is packed with sarcasm, humor, the ever-relatable "wait, I’m stranded with my one-night stand??", and that irresistible forced proximity tension. It’s impossible not to root for these two, and I loved every moment of it!

Beth O'Leary definitely has her fans. Her earlier books include The Wake Up Call, The Road Trip, and The No Show. Here she again offers a novel that her fans may want to read. At close to 400 pages it will offer escape for a bit.

Take two people who meet and don't really expect to spend a lot of time together. They have their differences, starting with their ages as Zeke is almost ten years younger than Lexi. However, what is likely to have been one night together transforms when the houseboat they are on (readers will find out why) goes out to sea. Uh-oh. What will happen as they wait/hope for rescue? That's the premise here.

Follow Zeke and Lexi over the next twelve days. Imagine what it would be like to spend that amount of time in a confined space with a person that you don't really know. Will they be swept away both on the boat and by falling in love?

Readers will hope that everything works out for these two. Read the book to find out what happens.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.

I loved the new @betholearyauthor romance novel! 🩷 it’s Survivor but with your one night stand, and it’s wonderful and I love Zeke, he’s my new book boyfriend 🔥😍😏 I’ve read all of Beth’s books and just adore them all!

In general I loved this book. Imagine this: you have a one night stand on a houseboat. It is not properly tied and drifts out to sea.... good luck. Two seemingly meant to be characters defying odds and learning to work together as a team. Is it just me or did you want to slap Penny at the end there? Luckily it all worked out.
Thank you for this ARC.

unfortunately i decided to dnf this at 50%. i thought the concept was really fun but i couldn’t get into it. i didn’t connect with the characters and i was really pushing my way through this before i decided to stop reading. my favorite character was the seagull. some of it was funny but it didn’t feel like a romcom to me, there was so much going on with them getting hurt and i just felt like they weren’t being careful enough. i know it’s a book but i do like it to feel somewhat realistic and this just was way too far fetched for me. i also didn’t love how lexi kept referring to zeke as basically a child. i’m not super into the reverse age gap trope and that gave me the ick. i will definitely try reading another one of beth o’leary’s books though, i did like her writing style and could see how people would enjoy this one but it just wasn’t for me sadly.

I’m a little bummed this was a miss for me — there was a lot more “survival” than romance in my opinion but because of that I didn’t really feel a lot of their connection. I can see how some topics would be relatable/touching to some readers and Beth O’Leary is such a great writer full of wit and complex characters— maybe the plot just wasn’t for me? There is a bit of a twist at the end that I felt wrapped up way too quickly/easily. I’m still chasing the high that I got from the Flatshare but unfortunately this one is a miss. Thanks so much NetGalley for the ARC!

Swept Away is about Lexi and Zeke who, on their way to a houseboat for a one night stand, end up *not* tying their boat properly to the dock and are shocked to wake up the next morning to find themselves adrift at sea.

What follows are the adventures, both high and low, of the pair that is desperately seeking to be rescued. But there's no sign of anyone anywhere. Will they survive? Will they fall in love or end up hating each other?

When I first picked up this book (and based a little on the cover art) I assumed I was in for a cutesy chick lit rom com. And while it did deliver on those, it was so much more. The depth of the characters went beyond what I had set myself up for. The slow burn of the relationship between Lexi and Zeke made it both feel more real and truly authentic. I felt like I really got to know the characters while they were getting to know themselves and each other, too. And there was so much adventure that happened in the pages that I kept moving through the book dying to find out what happened next.

I would highly recommend Swept Away for lover of romance, women's fiction, or adventure. I will definitely be picking up more of O'Leary's novels in the future!

Tropes: forced proximity, age gap

Spice: 🌶️

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for sending this book for review. All opinions are my own.

I had so much fun reading Swept Away! The mix of adventure, romance, and heartfelt moments made for such an engaging story, and I enjoyed it from the start. Lexi and Zeke’s dynamic was fantastic, and they had so much chemistry! What starts as a one-night stand quickly turns into something more when they wake up to find themselves stranded at sea. As the panic, disbelief, and realization that they have no idea how to get back sets in, Lexi and Zeke must figure out how to work together and survive days stranded on a houseboat.

One of the things I loved most about this book was the romance. No surprise there. lol Lexi and Zeke's story starts as a one-night stand, and though they're attracted to each other from the beginning, being stuck on a houseboat together forces them to actually talk, open up, and lean on each other in ways they never planned or expected. Zeke’s patience and kindness are endearing, and he's such a cinnamon roll. And Lexi’s resilience and determination are the perfect complement. They challenged each other in all the right ways, and I loved watching their grumpy/sunshine relationship shift from strangers to partners in survival and friends to something much deeper.

The setting added a lot of tension and excitement to the story. There were some stressful moments as they faced food shortages and unpredictable weather, but the humor, banter, and budding romance between Lexi and Zeke kept it from feeling too heavy and balanced the story well. I haven't read many stranded-at-sea romances, and though this sounds like my worst nightmare, it made for a fun read.

Overall, Swept Away was an entertaining read. It was suspenseful and romantic, and the emotional depth is what I've come to love about O'Leary's books. Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Books for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

I loved the premise of this so much! Unfortunately it was ultimately just okay for me. I was expecting a forced proximity romance and we did get that but it didn’t feel like a romance for any other reason than the proximity. I was also kind of bored during a lot of it which is probably just a met problem but I never felt compelled to pick it up and find out what happened.

Also, the last 15% of the book is going to be controversial, and while I don’t mind the cause of the drama, I do care how poorly Lexi reacted to it which led me to believe there was zero character growth despite what they had been through.

I’m 100% sure some people will love this book, so I still encourage you to check it out if it sounds good to you.

Although I now fear getting lost at sea, I really liked this book. The concept was so interesting, and I have no idea how they were able to stay so calm and be so resourceful. I don't think I would survive as long as they did.

I was kind of shocked at the last 30% of the book. It was a plot twist I did not see coming at all. But it did make sense, so I wasn't totally mad about it. But I was flabbergasted because it wasn't even a twist I thought of. While there were a few little things that maybe could have hinted at it, it was not a twist that I could have guessed.

Overall, I really liked the concept and the execution of this book. It was very high stakes, I was on the edge of my seat to see if they would be rescued. I was so worried they would never be found (even though I knew they would be). It was like a good stress though. I was terrified but I enjoyed it!