Hi all!
Today I am discussing why Swept Away is Beth O’ Leary’s worst book to date. Last year, I read & ranked all of her works, which you can check out here. In that post, I stressed that even her lowest rated novel, was still a really solid one. It pains me to declare that Swept Away was not only objectively unpopular, it was also highly problematic. Please understand, I genuinely love Beth. One miss does not define her entire catalogue. Without further ado, let’s get into it!
Spoilers Ahead!
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. Going home with a stranger seems like a perfect escape from their problems. But a miscommunication in the dark means no one tied the houseboat to the dock. The next morning, Zeke and Lexi realise all they can see for miles is ocean. With just a few provisions on board, Zeke and Lexi must figure out how to get back on dry land. 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.
1.) The Reverse Age-Gap Ick!
This story falls under the reverse age-gap trope. Lexi is 31 and Zeke is 23. Normally, I am of the belief that as long as a relationship is between two consenting adults, what does it matter? However, the way Beth wrote this particular ‘romance’ gave me the ick and then some! Lexi continuously refers to her lover as a child, a teenager, a young boy etc. It was all kinds of wrong. I still don’t understand why she kept drawing so much attention to it. There is nothing sexy about feeling as though you’re dating a kid. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m turning 36 this month, but the thought of hooking up with a guy in his early 20’s, feels predatory to me. Not only that, Lexi repeatedly tells the readers and Zeke that she is old. As a middle-aged woman myself, I take offence! 31 is far from geriatric. When it comes to a romance novel, if I can’t buy into the fantasy, the whole thing falls apart. The minute he told her he was 23, it was all over for me. I was not interested and quite frankly…I was grossed out.
2.) The Missed Opportunity
Whilst the pair are lost at sea, Zeke opens up to Lexi about how he lost his virginity at 16 to an older woman. This was the perfect opportunity for Beth to dive deeper into Zeke’s psyche. She could’ve revealed a dark past, giving the reverse age-gap trope a little more substance. Instead, Lexi responds rather casually, saying he clearly has a type. She does not address that he was groomed. She does not show any sort of care toward his well-being. There is no acknowledgement that he was a child and this woman took advantage of him. Nothing! I was so surprised and disappointed this was how Beth chose to handle the situation. Imagine if it had been the other way around. We would’ve felt so bad for the teenage girl coaxed into sexual activity by the predatory male. The same sort of compassion should be extended to a young boy. There is a reason Zeke slept around so much before meeting Lexi. I wish Beth had explored that more.
3.) It’s Trauma, Not Love
Our two protagonists are lost at sea for less than two weeks. Remember, this event occurred immediately after their one-night stand. They did not know each other beforehand in the slightest. As they fight to survive, they face illness, injury and a whole lot of trauma. It is undeniable that two people would bond through such extenuating and distressing circumstances. However, Zeke declares pretty early on he has fallen in love with Lexi. Love? Surely not. It was already hard to buy the relationship due to the age-gap (see above), let alone believing they were in love after being stuck on a boat together for a short amount of time. Not only that, after they are saved, Zeke states he has nothing good in his life except for Lexi. His happiness is entirely dependent on a virtual stranger! He even says he would prefer to be back at sea, than on safe, dry land. I smell a form of Stockholm Syndrome – where captivity is much sweeter than freedom and trauma-bonding feels like genuine love. You can’t make this stuff up.
4.) The Twist That Made Me Sick
If all of that wasn’t bad enough, the twist ending was absolutely AWFUL. We learn early on that Lexi is virtually a second mother to her best friend’s child. She adores and values her ‘daughter’ more than anyone else on the planet. She was told by her best-friend that the father was a deadbeat, who wanted nothing to do with his kid. We learn at the end that Zeke is actually the father! He had no idea she had gotten pregnant and miraculously, had always wanted to be a dad – at 23! They decide to co-parent the best friend’s daughter and at that point, I was ready to throw my book clear across the room. No matter the situation, being with your best friend’s baby-daddy is weird. It is strange for every single person involved. I don’t understand how Beth managed to make me so uncomfortable with just one story.
5.) The Final Verdict
This is not a good book. It’s highly problematic and not worth your time. The one compliment I can give it, is it’s actually a decent thriller. I think Beth should lean into that genre a little more, because she does it well. Swept Away is full of tension, survival and despair. I appreciated her building on the gravity of the situation. I also liked how much Lexi valued her best-friend’s daughter. However, that’s where my praise ends. It’s such a shame because I genuinely adore Beth as an author. Her catalogue is very impressive. This was just a big miss – one I hope she never repeats.
I gave Swept Away 2/5 stars. If it weren’t for the thriller elements, it would’ve been a 1.
Thank you so much for reading! Have you read this book?
Peace & Love xoxo
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