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A review by beate251
Swept Away by Beth O'Leary
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Lexi, 31, and Zeke, 23, have a one-night-stand on a house boat that Zeke just bought and Lexi mistakenly thinks still belongs to her friend Penny. When they wake up in the morning, they have accidentally drifted out of the harbour and are in the middle of the North Sea.
I thought we'd get a funny forced proximity, one bed only romance in a house boat, full of cute mishaps. What we get is a danger- and risk-filled fight for survival journey that is a lot darker than I thought it would be. The boat leaks all over the place, no one is around, they encounter a crumbling deserted oil rig and then the storm sets in. The rest of the time they are trauma dumping on each other, something about Zeke thinking he's not his father's son and Lexi being almost obsessed with Penny's 4 year old daughter Mae which she is helping to raise, giving her no real time for a life of her own.
We get all this in two alternating first person POVs. The chapters are short and immensely readable but the third-act break-up due to miscommunication really grated. Btw, yes, the eight year age-gap is addressed. I personally think it's not a big deal but I know not everyone will agree, especially when the woman is older. I didn't mind that this wasn't a cutesy story, in fact I liked it because it felt more authentic, although I still don't understand how they made good meals out of biscuits and canned goods, without electricity. I loved Eugene the seagull!
I thought we'd get a funny forced proximity, one bed only romance in a house boat, full of cute mishaps. What we get is a danger- and risk-filled fight for survival journey that is a lot darker than I thought it would be. The boat leaks all over the place, no one is around, they encounter a crumbling deserted oil rig and then the storm sets in. The rest of the time they are trauma dumping on each other, something about Zeke thinking he's not his father's son and Lexi being almost obsessed with Penny's 4 year old daughter Mae which she is helping to raise, giving her no real time for a life of her own.
We get all this in two alternating first person POVs. The chapters are short and immensely readable but the third-act break-up due to miscommunication really grated. Btw, yes, the eight year age-gap is addressed. I personally think it's not a big deal but I know not everyone will agree, especially when the woman is older. I didn't mind that this wasn't a cutesy story, in fact I liked it because it felt more authentic, although I still don't understand how they made good meals out of biscuits and canned goods, without electricity. I loved Eugene the seagull!