montrealaine 's review for:

Swept Away by Beth O'Leary
3.5

Very original premise - a huis clos romance, a survival romance (both feel almost like oxymorons).
I really like Beth O’Leary’s books for the ways she innovates and plays with the tropes of the romance genre.

It feels like there were a lot of good ideas in the book, but they didn’t quite fit together and the book ended up trying to do too much.

I agree with other reviewers’ rightful dislike of Penny
(such a toxic friend)
and the book problematic framing of Zeke’s first sexual experience
(groomed and abused as a 16 yo by a 28 yo woman). Turning this as a joke is a symptom of the double standard male sexual assault victims face and is at odds with the book’s otherwise progressive politics


Nevertheless would recommend for the originality of this story and looking forward to her next book!

Excellent audiobook narration!