Tour: Swept Away

Swept Away (Sixteenth Summer)
by Michelle Dalton
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: May 5th 2015
Rating: 3.5 stars
*Received for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Beachfront love blossoms in this refreshing summer romance, in the tradition of Sixteenth Summer and Seventeenth Summer.

Mandy Sullivan isn’t exactly looking forward to the summer months as tourists invade her seaside hometown on the coast of Maine. Her best friend, Cynthia, has abandoned her for camp and her older brother just announced he’ll be staying at college taking classes for the summer, leaving Mandy with nothing to do and no one to hang out with. Hoping to keep herself busy, Mandy takes a volunteer job at the Rocky Pointe Lighthouse. On her very first day, Oliver Farmingham asks for a private tour. A new—and incredibly cute—face in Rocky Pointe, Oliver seems more interested in Mandy than the lighthouse and its history.

Without her best friend at her side, Mandy is scrambling to act the right way and say the right things when Oliver is around. Cynthia—not Mandy—has always been the confident, flirtatious girl that everyone wanted to be around. As Mandy and Oliver spend more time together exploring the coast, biking through the woods, and attending the local summer festivals, their budding friendship becomes much more. But with Mandy’s insecurities creeping to the surface, can she open her heart to someone who will only be in town for three months?

Swept Away was a cute, fun read. I read it in one sitting and can imagine it to be a satisfactory beach read! Although I did feel like the novel was a bit juvenile, the young vibe is part of its charm and will appeal to a large crowd! 

Firstly, I liked how the book really focused on Maine, the famous lighthouse, and really delved into the traditions of Mandy's town. For example, sea food is very popular, to Mandy's distaste. And blueberries are a very important custom! I felt transported and Swept Away made me wish for summer even more! 

While I loved the characters, I wasn't too invested in the romance. I do like Mandy and Oliver.... They made a cute couple. However, I never was too interested in their developing relationship. The person I loved reading about most was a man dubbed "Freaky" by his fellow neighbors. He is a bit strange, but I loved learning about his quirks and watching him become closer to his family and Mandy was heartwarming.

Finally, I liked the best friend relationship between Mandy and Cynthia and the sibling relationship between Mandy and her brother. Oh, and there is definite improvements in the mother-daughter department. Speaking of growth, Mandy really developed and grew. 

Overall, while I will probably never reread Swept Away, it was a cute adventure! I would recommend picking this up for a day at the beach or read it cover-to-cover while swinging in a hammock! 

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Michelle Dalton is one of the many names Carla Jablonski uses when writing. Her two YAs written as Carla Jablonski (published by Razorbill/Penguin), Thicker than Water and Silent Echoes, were included on the NYPL Books for the Teen Age list, and her graphic novel trilogy Resistance (illustrated by Leland Purvis, published by :01 Books) has won several awards, including the Sydney Taylor Silver Medal. In addition to writing novels she is an actor, playwright, and former trapeze artist. A native New Yorker, she is eternally grateful to her friends who invite her to their beach houses.

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