This was a cheesy weird age gap romance but I just didn’t quite love. It could have been great but I just couldn’t get into it

I loved this book so much as I've loved every book written by this author. I think Swept Away might be my favorite though. Besides the undeniable chemistry between Zeke and Lexi and the beautiful development of their relationship from one-night stand to friends in a shared crisis, to true lovers, I was fully vested in their journey aboard the houseboat to the point that it was hard to put the book down. I loved all of the secondary characters and how both characters had their own fully developed back story. And, of course, the twist made me gasp out loud. Just another beautiful, tender, and unpredictable romance by Beth O'Leary.

I really enjoyed the way this book took romance and added adventure to it with the lost at sea storyline. I enjoyed the way the characters developed throughout the book and ramped up as their connection grew with one another. There was an air of suspense as they continued to fight for survival during their 12 day ordeal.

I also enjoyed the drama at the end and the way the story came together to a satisfying ending.

Romantic, tender, and sentimental!

Swept Away is a sweet, amusing tale featuring the loyal, dependable Lexi and the patient, contemplative Zeke as they discover over twelve days stranded at sea that there may be a lot more depth to their relationship than just instant attraction, miscommunication, forced proximity, and an unforgettable one-night stand.

The writing is passionate and light. The characters are endearing, awkward, and troubled. And the plot is a delightful mix of life, love, friendship, family, secrets, revelations, light drama, self-discovery, and romance.

Overall, Swept Away is another charming, addictive, compelling tale by O’Leary that was a real treat to read.

Swept Away by Beth O’Leary is a wonderful exciting, intense & romantic novel. Zeke and Lexi meet one night at the bar, and they end up at his house boat for a one-night stand. In the morning, when they wake up, they discover that the boat was not tied up and they have drifted out to sea. Thus, begins eight days lost at sea, with no phone signal, little food, storms & unable to handle the boat.

As the story continues, they have no power in steering the houseboat, hoping someone will come to their rescue. With each passing day (they end up with 8 days), they learned to limit the food, drinks; Zeke and Lexi faced so many life and death experiences at sea. Being alone leaves them exposed with angst; strengths, weaknesses, fears, issues, storms, accidents, that they end up discussing each day. Will they survive?

I really loved both Zeke and Lexi, as they were wonderful and amazing characters. The chemistry between escalates along the way, as they were very compelling and complex characters; whom we couldn’t help but root for them. After the 8th day, they were finally rescued, with family and friends waiting for their arrival.

The final twist close to the end, was a total surprise; with Lexi learning something from Penny, causing her to ignore Zeke. However, Penny will reveal the truths about the past, and all well be well. Zeke and Lexi will eventually have their happy ending.

Swept Away was an exciting, romantic, intense, adventurous, thrilling and addictive story. Both Zeke and Lexi made a wonderful endearing couple. Swept Away was so very well written by Beth O’Leary. It was also a great epilogue.

Swept Away by Beth O'Leary is a rom-com you won’t soon forget. What if you were lost at sea with your one night stand? That is exactly what happens to Zeke and Lexi when they drunkenly stumble onto their houseboat the night before only to find themselves in the middle of the ocean the next morning with no land in sight. After the initial panic, the two settle in for what they hope will be a short stay on the small boat. Surely someone is looking for them, right?

I really enjoyed this one. O’Leary writes in such a way that what her characters are going through feel believable. Her characters are fully fleshed out and beautifully flawed, and the romance develops naturally without any rush. She has quickly become a go-to, drop everything and read author, and this book is a testament as to why.

Lexi is having a rough night when she meets Zeke. Her best friend kicked her out of their shared suite where she has lived for the last five years helping to raise Penny’s daughter, Mae. Heartbroken doesn’t cover all the things she is feeling. Not typically one for drunken sex, Lexi wants to forget for just one night all that has happened. At 31, her prospects of having a family of her own are slim, and she’s convinced herself that Penny and Mae are enough. Then enters the hot young man who has eyes only for her into the bar.

Zeke is in town just for the weekend after having bought his father’s houseboat back after selling it when he was 18. Five years later, he still questions why his father left it to him in the first place. He hated it, he didn’t fit in with his family, and he sometimes wondered if his father was keeping a secret….like he wasn’t really Zeke’s father. Now having secured the old houseboat, he has one more night before the train takes him back to London. He plans to go through his dad’s old hidey-holes in the hopes that no one found them, and his dad’s secret might be stashed away. Then he sees Lexi.

After a heated one-night stand, Zeke and Lexi are trapped on the houseboat together. They quickly set a boundary for no physical touch beyond what might be needed for survival. Together, they cobble food together from the meager supply that was on the boat. The ration their food and water. And each day hope to be found. The panic gives way to determination which gives way to hope and eventually despair. The book is divided into days trapped on the boat with chapters alternating between Lexi and Zeke’s POV. It’s easy to understand how a relationship with real feelings could develop quickly under these circumstances.

Overall, I loved Swept Away. It’s part romantic comedy, part adventure and thrills. I loved watching Lexi and Zeke’s relationship blossom under terrible conditions. And then there’s Eugene who will also steal your heart. If you are of a fan of contemporary romance or looking for something new, I highly recommend this one.

Lexi works in her late mother’s bar and is currently staying on her best friend Marissa’s houseboat. When se meets the younger Zeke who has just rebought his father’s houseboat, they head off to spend the night together in the marina.
However, due to a miscommunication and a loose rope, they wake up the morning after what was intended to be a one-night stand to find the boat has drifted off to sea. Now they have to survive together in cramped quarters with dwindling supplies until they can be rescued.
The lost-at-sea part was refreshingly action and chemistry packed, as their predicament got worse and worse. But the story dragged towards the end and I really wasn’t a fan of the final shock reveal.

This was a wild ride of a book, in all the good ways. I was honestly not quite sure what to expect when I started reading, and it took me a bit to really get into the story, but once Lexi and Zach get out to sea I couldn’t put it down. I was invested. And invested on multiple levels – their survival, their romance, what would happen to Eugene (ifykyk). There was a lot at stake in this story, and how O’Leary pulls off a fantastic romance in the midst of it all I will never quite understand, but she sure does. I will be thinking about pieces of this story for quite a while. How precious life is, how important it is to be brave in both big and small ways, and most importantly, how large a role hope and love play in keeping us going even in the darkest of circumstances.

Beth O’Leary’s books always have twists, turns, and deeper meanings. I have loved each of her novels for different reasons. Swept Away, though, is by far my favorite since The Flatshare.

This was definitely a different premise for a book. A one night stand turned lost at sea. I appreciated that Zeke and Lexi gave each other space (emotionally, since a houseboat is very small) and time to earn each other’s trust and get to know one another. Both Zeke and Lexi learn things about themselves and grow as people. Because they’re mostly alone at sea, there’s not a lot of banter or communication with friends/family so the majority of moving the story forward is done by the two main characters and it is a little slow at times. When we do meet their family and friends again in the third act, it was a bit disappointing. Neither of them have the best people in their corner. I especially disliked the third act breakup. I won’t say more about it though. No spoilers.
3 stars.

3.5 - I had heard really good early reviews about Swept Away so I was excited to pick this one up!! I am always down for a contemporary romance. I enjoyed the concept of the plot being that this should've been a one night stand, but how the characters got swept out to sea. I really loved seeing this romance blossom during the 12 nights the characters were stuck out at sea.

Swept Away follows Zeke and Lexi who decide to have a fun one night stand together, but when they wake up the next morning, they realize their houseboat has drifted out to sea. Thus enters some good old forced proximity as Zeke and Lexi must work together to figure out how to survive and get back to shore, all while learning more about each other.

The concept of this book was really cute and I did enjoy the romance that blossomed. Parts of the book felt a bit off in terms of pacing, in a way that prevented me from fully buying into the romance and story. The parts I really did love was seeing Zeke and Lexi try to survive and the action - there was a lot of high intensity and high stakes throughout the book that I really enjoyed!! The survival parts of the book really captivated me.

All in all, a fun, unique romance!! Thanks to Berkley Romance for the free book!!

*Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review and to PRH Audio for the gifted ALC*

What a ride. Just moments into the story, we find ourselves quickly at sea with Lexi and Zeke. Between conflicts of the ownership of the houseboat, blaming each other for getting lost in the first place, and trying to fight off their mutual attraction, there's tension out the wazoo! The narration made me feel at home on the boat and in the pub in flashbacks. The Irish accents were sheer perfection. I honestly didn't mind that they were certainly dirty and gross after their time on the houseboat while they were boinking. And I liked the twists at the end, just to keep things interesting. (I'd like to formally disagree with those claiming that it's miscommunication.)

This was my first Beth O'Leary, but I don't think it'll be my last!

rating: 2/5

includes: one night stand, age gap, lost at sea

on first impression, this plot was so unique and I was really excited to read this. the cover honestly really got me too. the holds beautiful covers have on me are insane.

see if I was stuck out on sea I would be absolutely panicking and not worrying about trying to save a seagull. some of the their actions made no sense to me while they were stuck on that boat.

the plot twist? I have absolutely no words and I couldn’t believe it. the way I honestly wish I could unread it because I couldn’t believe I put myself through it.

really didn’t find myself attached to these characters. Would I recommend this book? eh…. I could see people who could fall in love with it but it wasn’t just my cup of tea!

I love this book! The unique premise, a one-night stand that turns into a harrowing, yet somehow romantic, 12-day adventure at sea, is riveting. However, it’s the love story between Lexi and Zeke that is really captivating. On the surface, they’re polar opposites: a 31-year-old plain Jane (only in her own eyes) trying to figure out her future while still dealing with the grief of losing her mother, and a handsome, edgy 23-year-old who works as a junior chef but feels like a failure. They are both dealing with family dysfunction baggage, but when fighting together for their lives, they form an unbreakable bond and help each other see that the low opinion they have of themselves is based on external influences, not reality.

The forced proximity trope is there, but not in the formulaic way it’s used in most romances. Yes, there is a strong attraction, but it takes a backseat to the struggle to survive against nearly insurmountable odds. There are many lighthearted moments, so it’s not all doom and gloom, but when O’Leary adds a twist you don’t see coming, the tension continues to grip you until the end. Highly recommended!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Berkley through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

The premise of this book was right up my alley, forced proximity on a houseboat at sea, two people who were strangers to each other. My problem was that I didn't like the FMC. She had a rather weird relationship with her sister and the sister's daughter. I kept thinking that she should get her own life and leave them to theirs. I thought the fact that the two protagonists were lost at sea should be reason for more anxiety especially after a few days. However, these two acted more like it was a holiday. I think this could be a good read if you are not as picky as I am. It was certainly an original plot.

Super strong start, middle was really long, third act really pissed me off

𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚 🎭: fiction + romance
𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙚: 🚫
𝙋𝙖𝙘𝙚 🏃🏼‍♀️: moderate
𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 🖤: high stakes/suspended reality

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝:
🌊 fun original storyline
🌊 audio & narrator accents
🌊strong start with one night stand, reverse age gap and accidental adventure
🌊realistic characters in an unrealistic situation

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞:
▪️the third act conflict + reveal
▪️dragged/slower in the middle


I think readers of women's fiction may really enjoy this book. I cannot get over the third act conflict/resolution. Nope. I can suspend reality a lot - as I frequently read fantasy - but the way the third act was thrown in was just beyond me.

I don't think this author likes 23 year old men. Going to therapy for too many one night stands feels a bit judgy.

I will note part of the third act that people were angry about was adjusted (from 16 to 18) but that doesn't change how I felt about it at all.

This book is the very definition of my reading taste! It’s adventurous, funny, heartwarming, unpredictable, and just the right amount of messy. From the very beginning, I was hooked. What starts as a one-night stand on a houseboat quickly turns into a fight for survival when Lexi and Zeke find themselves literally stranded in the middle of the ocean.

I loved the awkward tension of two strangers who already know each other intimately now being forced into a life-or-death situation. I won’t say how long they are stranded, but with nothing but endless hours together, it’s inevitable that they’d open up about their family, traumas, past regrets, and everything in between. Given the intense circumstances, confined space of the houseboat, and the very palpable chemistry between Lexi and Zeke, I thought the emotional progression felt incredibly real.

I was honestly content with just the survival aspect of this story, but of course, Beth O’Leary wasn’t finished yet. WHEW! The ending completely threw me for a loop, but if you know me, this full-circle conflict is exactly my kind of drama! I absolutely loved it.

Beth O’Leary is a master at the forced proximity romance. Swept Away is a bottle episode of an adventure - Zeke and Lexi, on a boat, alone, for about three-quarters of the book. There’s peril, heat, and humor, and though the premise is a bit ridiculous and I’m not totally convinced I buy these two as a couple, O’Leary is good enough to sweep me right along with her.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkeley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

DNF very shortly into book. I’m not interested in romance stories that start out with one night stands. I have enjoyed the other books I’ve read by Beth OLeary but I won’t be reading more of this one

Beth O'Leary has a way of writing about situations that are nontraditional but somehow feel genuine. There were several things I just loved about Swept Away... the houseboat situation, the older woman age gap romance, and the friends-to-sisters relationship between Lexi and Penny. I even loved Eugene the injured baby seagull. But, for me the one-night stand trope was unrelatable. I just don't get it on a personal level, and so in my likely prudish judgmental way, I never found myself connecting to the characters themselves. I am sure many will probably love them, but for me, I just wanted to sit them down and have a discussion about self-respect.

3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Beth O’Leary delivers another charming and heartfelt read with *Swept Away*, a story filled with romance, self-discovery, and emotional depth. The characters are wonderfully developed, and the dual timeline adds an engaging layer to the narrative. O’Leary’s signature wit and warmth shine through, making this an enjoyable and touching read. While some parts felt a bit predictable, the emotional payoff was absolutely worth it.

Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group, for the ARC!