Review: Swept Away by Beth O’Leary

I received this book via the publisher Berkley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Swept Away by Beth O'Leary
Published by Berkley on 2025-04-01
Length: 378 pages
Reviewing eARC from the publisher Berkley
Rating:
Reading Challenges: #NGEW2025, 2025 New Release Challenge

Two strangers find themselves stranded at sea together in this epic new love story by bestselling author Beth O’Leary.

What if you were lost at sea…with your one-night stand?

Zeke and Lexi thought it would just be a night of fun. They had no intentions of seeing each other again. Zeke is only in town for the weekend to buy back his late father’s houseboat. Lexi has no time for dating when she needs to help take care of her best friend's daughter.

Going back home with a stranger seems like a perfect escape from their problems. But a miscommunication in the dark, foggy night means no one tied the houseboat to the dock. The next morning, Zeke and Lexi realize all they can see is miles and miles of water.

With just a few provisions on the idle boat, Zeke and Lexi must figure out how to get back home. But aside from their survival, they’re facing another challenge. Because when you’re stuck together for days on end, it gives you a lot of time to get to know someone—and to fall in love with them.

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.

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