Lexi and Zeke, both dealing with the uncertainty of their own futures, agree to a one night stand on a houseboat but wake in the morning to find that they’ve gone adrift. They are in the middle of the ocean with no land in sight, no onboard method of signaling for help, and no way to know whether anyone is searching for them. They have been Swept Away.
Amy’s Review
I really enjoyed this one a lot! The characters were totally lovable and adorable. The situation was adventurous and held me in its grips. I usually love Beth O’Leary’s romances and this was no exception. Alternating between Lexi’s and Zeke’s points of view, I was completely absorbed by their situations and wanted to listen to the audiobook at every chance I got. Of course, it’s a romance novel so I knew these two imperfect people would wind up together but the story was so compelling and it was a fun ride. I probably should have seen the plot twist coming but did not!
I highly recommend this one! It was just the escape I needed.
The audiobook was narrated by Connor Swindells and Rebekah Hinds. Both did terrific jobs with their sections. Neither had the opportunity to show off a large vocal repertoire but they did well with the small cast of characters. I give them both an A.
Lynnie’s Review
Another fabulous book from Beth O'Leary. I've read several of her novels (The Flatshare, The Switch, The Road Trip, The No-Show, The Wake-Up Call) and... I'm just noticing they all start with THE except for her latest, Swept Away - things to ponder for another day.
Anyway, in Swept Away, Zeke and Lexi decide to step out of their ordinary lives for a night and agree to have a one night stand. When the houseboat they are on drifts away from the pier, they are stranded at sea together with no power, no phones, a few provisions that were on the boat and each other. As you can imagine, chaos, shenanigans, and of course love ensue.
I really liked Zeke and Lexi and enjoyed watching their relationship and trust grow. Alternating between their two points of view, their situation and the way each decided to cope with it was fascinating. I don't know how realistic any of it was, but most of it felt plausible enough to someone who is not a regular boater, and since I don't plan on ever being adrift at sea, I'm willing to take O'Leary's word on how these things may happen.
O'Leary's characters are always lovable and interesting and Zeke and Lexi were no different. They felt like real people with real concerns and she always does an excellent job of sharing their feelings without laying things on too thickly. I particularly liked Lexi's feisty attitude and how willing Lexi and Zeke were to accept one another, warts and all.
I read the Kindle version and listened to the audiobook. Interestingly, the audiobook uses O'Leary's Britishisms, while the Kindle version changes some words to their Americanized counterparts. I've seen this done in other books by British writers and always think it's odd - I'd rather read it the way it's written, honestly. I really enjoyed the audiobook narrators, Connor Swindells and Rebekah Hinds. Neither of them had a lot of accents or characters to manage - after all, for most of the book, it's just the two of them! But I enjoyed them immensely and felt like they really brought the characters and the action to life.
No comments:
Post a Comment