I received this book for free (hey, thanks!) in exchange for an honest review. I promise that this does NOT affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. For real.
Swept Away by Beth O'Leary Genres: Adult, Contemporary
Published by Berkley on April 1, 2025
Also by this author: The Flatshare, The Switch, The Road Trip, The No-Show
Format: Audio/eARC (384 pages) • Source: Publisher, Spotify Audiobooks
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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.
I’ve loved quite a few of O’Leary’s books but actually DNFed her last release – for whatever reason the story just wasn’t clicking for me and I haven’t felt pulled to start it again. I was really hoping to get back on track with her for this novel and I’m happy to report that happened!
The story follows Zeke and Lexi as they deal with the aftermath of a one-night stand. They realize when they wake up in the morning that the houseboat they were using has somehow gotten untied and was swept out to see. They don’t have power, they’re running out of food, and – to top it all off – they literally don’t know each other at all.
Obviously the premise alludes to a bit of a survival story but for some reason I didn’t realize how intense it would be! I kind of just assumed they’d get rescued in a few days but there was actually a lot of peril and accidents to deal with. Some early reviews had folks unprepared for this and it affected their enjoyment, but I still really enjoyed it. It’s just not a straightforward fluffy romance.
The ending had some twists that I didn’t see coming (which makes me feel like an idiot because maybe they were obvious?). It took a little while to get on board with those reveals but I was pretty pleased by the end of the book with how everything turned out. This was a super emotional kind of read with a heavy focus on family.
Overall, the plot was super unique and interesting to read. I kind of thought I’d get bored with the two of them being trapped on the boat, only able to talk to each other, but it was easy to keep reading.
Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz Series: Susan Ryeland #1
Genres: Adult, Historical Fiction, Mystery/Thriller
Published by HarperCollins on June 6, 2017
Format: Audiobook, eBook, Hardcover (512 pages) • Source: Everand, Libby, Library
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Don’t miss Magpie Murders on PBS's MASTERPIECE Mystery!
"A double puzzle for puzzle fans, who don’t often get the classicism they want from contemporary thrillers." —Janet Maslin, The New York Times
New York Times Bestseller | Winner of the Macavity Award for Best Novel | NPR Best Book of the Year | Washington Post Best Book of the Year | Esquire Best Book of the Year
From the New York Times bestselling author of Moriarty and Trigger Mortis, this fiendishly brilliant, riveting thriller weaves a classic whodunit worthy of Agatha Christie into a chilling, ingeniously original modern-day mystery.
When editor Susan Ryeland is given the manuscript of Alan Conway’s latest novel, she has no reason to think it will be much different from any of his others. After working with the bestselling crime writer for years, she’s intimately familiar with his detective, Atticus Pünd, who solves mysteries disturbing sleepy English villages. An homage to queens of classic British crime such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, Alan’s traditional formula has proved hugely successful. So successful that Susan must continue to put up with his troubling behavior if she wants to keep her job.
Conway’s latest tale has Atticus Pünd investigating a murder at Pye Hall, a local manor house. Yes, there are dead bodies and a host of intriguing suspects, but the more Susan reads, the more she’s convinced that there is another story hidden in the pages of the manuscript: one of real-life jealousy, greed, ruthless ambition, and murder.
Masterful, clever, and relentlessly suspenseful, Magpie Murders is a deviously dark take on vintage English crime fiction in which the reader becomes the detective.
I didn’t expect to fly through this one given my reading slump but apparently a deadline (book club on Monday) helped, along with the book itself. I don’t think this is really unputdownable in general but it was for me in this situation lol. My book club didn’t love it but the rating range was between 2 – 4 stars. I originally was thinking 4 stars but have gone down a half-star upon reflection.
It felt like a classic Agatha Christie kind of murder mystery and the “story within a story” was unique. I can’t decide if I liked how it was actually structured or if I wish it was broken up a little more? You get like 95% of the Conway mystery in one go and then it switches back to the actual story following Susan. It’s a mixed media mystery in SOME ways but the execution could have been better.
I would be curious to read more books in this series but there’s nothing compelling me to do so right now.
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