Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

From the publisher:

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.

“Romance readers looking for deep emotions and relationship fiction aficionados who want a little heat with their stories will enjoy this unique tale.”—Library Journal

https://amzn.to/43ZKLi6

I had been listening to an audiobook, Crash Landing by Annie McQuaid, which was about a couple whose plane crashes but leaves them safe and sound on a remote island in the Caribbean. Then I started reading this book, Swept Away, about a houseboat that becomes unmoored during the night, stranding a couple at sea. The similarities are obvious, but the differences were just as stark. I stopped listening to the audiobook at about the halfway point; it had devolved into silliness, and I hated the whiny characters. I settled in with this unputdownable read instead and started a new audiobook. And here we are.

Zeke’s father owned a houseboat for many years, but Zeke had a difficult relationship with him. After his father passes away, he leaves Zeke the boat, which he promptly sells. Five years later he has seller’s remorse, and buys the boat back from the new owner. She is a single mom who lives with her best friend, Lexi, who is helping to raise her daughter.

Lexi meets Zeke in the bar where she works, and decides it is time for a one night stand. She is open about what she wants, just a night of fun, and Zeke surprises himself by agreeing. Zeke has spent years on one night stands, and several months earlier finally realized it wasn’t working for him anymore. He started therapy and hadn’t been with a woman in months. Why he decided to sleep with Lexi surprises even himself.

Lexi’s roommate owns the houseboat, but Lexi is unaware that she has just sold it. There is some confusion between Lexi and Zeke the next morning over who owns the boat and who needs to get off of it immediately. But when they go above board, they are at sea in a houseboat that may or may not be seaworthy. They are in the North Sea, which is one of the roughest oceans in the world, but luckily, for most of the time, the waters are calm. But they don’t see another boat for days.

As Lexi and Zeke rally together to try and live through this horrific experience, one thing leads to another, and they fall in love. They also adopt an injured seagull, Lexi accidentally knives Zeke, and they have all manner of trouble with the boat. All of these disasters tend to bring them closer together, and when eventually they are saved (no spoilers here, this is a romance, after all, so the happy ending is guaranteed), they run into a whole set of different problems, one of which seems insurmountable.

I loved this book, which is no surprise – I think I’ve loved all of Beth O’Leary’s books. They usually have a slow start, but not here – this book is completely engaging from the get-go. This is a very different take on the forced proximity romance, and it really worked here. I loved the unusual plot line, the characters, and their happy ever after. Don’t miss it!

4/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

SWEPT AWAY by Beth O’Leary. Berkley (April 1, 2025). ISBN: 978-0593640142. 384p.

Kindle

Audible

From the publisher:

The Perfect Summer Beach Read about Found Family, Secrets and Betrayal on the Sun-Kissed Beaches of Malibu

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery comes an unforgettable beach read about love, secrets, betrayal and the family we’re born into—and the one we choose for ourselves, perfect for fans of Emily Giffin and Mary Kay Andrews.

What would you do if you caught your brother cheating on your best friend?

While Beth is proud of her Malibu beach shop, Surf Sandwiches, she’s even prouder of her charismatic brother Rick, who rose from foster care through surgical residency. She makes subs, he saves lives. Life takes a turn for the happy after she finds out Rick is dating her new best friend, Jana. Then Jana’s handsome brother adds even more sparkle to Beth’s days…and nights.

But when she catches Rick with another woman—like, with-with—her visions of an idyllic family future disappear in one awful instant. Either she betrays her brother, or she keeps his secret and risks losing the man she loves and her best friend.

Love and loyalty collide with secrets and betrayal in this witty and emotional tale about the lengths we’ll go to for family, from Susan Mallery, New York Times bestselling author of The Boardwalk Bookshop.

https://amzn.to/3DRSx33

Beth is lonely. She has a successful business that she loves, a sandwich shop on the beach, but her only friends are her employees and her brother, Rick. Rick is a surgeon and doesn’t have a lot of time for Beth, but she always makes time for him. Beth and Rick have been through so much; they lost their parents and ended up separated in foster care until their mother’s estranged sister found them. Beth still lives with her aunt, and her aunt isn’t very close with Rick. Beth has spent her life taking care of her smart younger brother, and she loves feeling needed, but he isn’t always kind to her even though she makes excuses for him.

Beth decides to start volunteering one afternoon a week at the local food bank. There she meets Jana, another volunteer who helps train her, and they become friends. Beth brings leftover sandwiches from her shop for them to eat after their shift, and she learns that Jana is a single mom living with her brother, a widower with three young children. They help each other out while Jana works in medical billing and is going to community college with an eye on getting into a nursing program. Busy as she is, Jana doesn’t date much so when this gorgeous surgeon helps her out one morning, she can’t help but wonder what it would be like to date someone as kind as he appears to be. He has an office in the same medical building, and he stops by her desk every so often to chat. Finally she agrees to go out with him. and while she really enjoys his company, there is something in her gut that just feels wrong about him. She pushes that feeling aside and continues to date him.

Turns out her date is Beth’s brother, and when Beth runs into Rick kissing another woman, she is torn. He profusely apologizes and tells her that he broke up with the other woman and that he wants to make things work with Jana. Reluctantly, Beth agrees to keep his secret.

Meanwhile, Beth meets Jana’s brother Teddy and they have an instant connection. Teddy hasn’t dated at all since his wife died unexpectedly, so Jana is thrilled that he likes her friend. But when the truth about Rick comes out, it turns out he has way more problems than just cheating, and Beth is devastated. It costs her her friendship with Jana and her relationship with Teddy.

This was such an emotional rollercoaster of a read for me. I understand estrangement between a brother and sister as I have lived it for more than thirty years, so I also know that sometimes it is for the best. The ending happens probably a bit too quickly, but it ends as it should. Mallery delivers another enjoyable, heartfelt read about family and love. Don’t miss it.

3/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

BEACH VIBES by Susan Mallery. Canary Street Press; Original edition (March 18, 2025). ISBN: 978-1335402530. 384p.

Kindle

Audible

Paperback

From the publisher:

Rekindle your belief in the magic of first love and the charm of small towns with Annie England Noblin’s delightful friends-to-lovers romantic comedy, perfect for readers of Jill Shalvis and Sarah Adams.

Spring is in the air and Mylie has everything she could ever want: her tackle shop is thriving and employs a third of Clay Creek, Arkansas, and she lives with her beloved Granny and little sister Cassie, who both keep her on her toes. As tourists pour into town for the annual fishing tournament, Mylie is in her element and ready to bring her all-women team to victory.

After moving to Chicago, Ben never thought he would return to Clay Creek. But with both his grandfather and mother gone, he’s left to deal with their estate. His plan is simple: come in quietly, fix up his lakeside childhood home, sell it quickly, and get out. He underestimates how quickly his arrival will stir up the local gossip, and how intensely his unresolved feelings for Mylie, his childhood best friend, will resurface.

Amid the buzz of competition and the rhythm of small-town life, Mylie and Ben find themselves unable to ignore their shared history. They tentatively explore a future together, despite the impending sale of Ben’s house and Mylie’s insistence on staying put in Clay Creek. Flings are easier said than done, and Mylie and Ben will have to address their clashing lifestyles before their feelings get away from them.

Told with Annie England Noblin’s signature wit, cozy charm, and a dash of spice, Spring Fling is the perfect friends-to-lovers read.

https://amzn.to/4iVLkOv

This is a small-town, second-chance romance that follows Mylie and Ben. They grew up together and were good friends through high school, but after graduation, Ben and his mom moved to Chicago, where he attended college, and he and Mylie lost touch.

Mylie is a big deal in the small town of Clay Creek, Arkansas. She owns a company that creates fishing lures and is probably the town’s largest employer. Her company is also the largest sponsor of the town’s biggest event, a fishing tournament that brings in people from all over to compete for a cash prize.

When they meet, Ben and Mylie quickly find they have something in common; both their fathers have passed away and a friendship is formed. But at least Ben has his mom; Mylie’s mom is a flake and basically dumps her and her much younger sister on their grandmother, who everyone in town calls Granny. Mylie becomes a mother-substitute to her baby sister Cassie, and even though Cassie is in high school now, they all still live together and are very close.

It’s been ten years since Ben has been in Clay Creek. His grandfather had retired there, but instead of staying retired, he opened a small clinic and saw to the medical needs of the town. When he passed away, Ben’s mom moved them into his home. Before his mom passed away, she made him promise he would return to Clay Creek before he sells the family home there. Despite their prolonged separation, Mylie and Ben swiftly rekindle their friendship and seize the opportunity to explore their relationship in ways they previously hadn’t.

I found the narrative somewhat lacking and ultimately underwhelming. The plot itself is not fundamentally flawed, but beyond the engaging characters and the charming town setting, the romance feels rushed and underdeveloped. Although Mylie and Ben were endearing together, their relationship progressed too quickly. Where was the emotional connection, tension, and build-up typically associated with second-chance romances? Not here.

Overall, while the small-town charm was present, the romance was overshadowed by secondary characters and subplots, leaving me desiring more depth and development in the central relationship. It is still an enjoyable read, a testament to Noblin’s skills as an author, but I really wanted more.

3/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

SPRING FLING by Annie England Noblin. Avon (March 18, 2025). ISBN: 978-0063427587. 304p.

Kindle

Audible

Paperback