*minor spoilers ahead*
Swept Away is about being lost at sea with your one-night stand. We meet Lexi, who is looking for a no-strings-attached night of fun and Zeke, who is searching for love but is prepared to break the rules for one night with Lexi. As the two go back to the marina together, the next morning, hungover and confused and expecting to part ways, they realise the houseboat they stayed on has been swept out to sea. As supplies and patience run low but the waves pick up, the two hope that Rescue find them soon so they can figure out their next steps.
I’m a huge fan of O’Leary’s books, with The FlatShare and The Wake-Up Call being my favourites. I loved the dual perspectives and the timeline around the story, and how easy the story was to read. This was a fun adventure story as well as a love story due to the setting. This book also had some deeper discussions around women’s safety, grief and family relationships, which made the characters feel more realistic as I could resonate a lot with what they shared.
This book has the tropes of strangers to lovers and forced proximity, as most of the book is about them being lost at sea. A lot of the book is focused on just Lexi and Zeke, as it was only them who were lost at sea, and so I was eager for the next stage in their relationship, as I knew plot-wise not much could happen until the setting changed. I wish we had more time focused on Zeke and Lexi after getting rescued and deeper conversations about what they learned from each other.
I think one of the reasons this is not one of my favourite O’Leary books is not a reflection of O’Leary’s writing, but is because I’m not a fan of water, especially being in the sea, and so the setting in general made me feel a bit nervous! Whilst I knew this was a rom-com, and that the pair would be rescued eventually, when I got immersed in the book, I didn’t love picturing the scenes where they were lost at sea. This shows how great O’Leary is at describing settings as it felt (too!) realistic to me.
On the 12th February, I was able to go and meet O’Leary in person at an event to celebrate the paperback version of Swept Away. It was so lovely being able to hear more about the book, the writing process and the behind-the-scenes on this book and publishing in general. I was also able to get some of my books signed, which was the best! In the paperback version of the book, there is also an exclusive chapter from Zeke’s POV from when he first meets Lexi, which was really nice to read, as I originally finished this story a few months ago on my Kindle, so it was lovely to revisit the characters.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, especially when it picked up after the characters had been rescued. I’m glad I gave this book a go, and I’m looking forward to reading the few books I haven’t read of O’Leary’s yet to see how they compare. I’m especially looking forward to The Name Game, which is coming out later this year.
4/5 stars
Soph's Library 
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