Interesting Twist

This short story largely takes place on a chartered cruise ship. Interesting premise, interesting characters, interesting moral dilemma, and interesting twist. ( )

I enjoyed this short story. It wasn't completely unpredictable but it stayed interesting regardless. ( )

The writing was great, the characters were described vividly, and I enjoyed the general idea for the story. But I just can't wrap my head around the actions both Mac and Ella decided on taking, as it goes against my personal values. Still, 3 stars for its original idea and good writing style! ( )

Ella takes her yearly “wellness cruise” on board the yacht “Lady Emerald,” but this year she has to go without her husband Mac (who has to stay home to tend to some business). While on board, she meets lovely Chloe who is sweet, pretty, and friendly and who seems to know some personal things about Ella’s husband…

I didn’t really enjoy this story. I was sort of expecting a thriller-mystery-suspense. And there were some plot developments I didn’t care for. A short, boring, and disappointing read. ( )

A traditional love triangle occurs when one party forms an amorous relationship with two other people. However, it’s a relatively unexplored (i.e., “uncharted”) topic when those two other people fall for each other. Strict gender roles have historically prevented authors from going there, but in this short story, Hepworth pushes the envelope to explore a new facet of a love triangle.

Ella and Chloe are both passengers on a cruise ship off the coast of Australia. The cruise attempts to help passengers with their emotional well-being. They both discover that they have been with the same man, but do not address the issue explicitly. Ella has been married ten years to him while Chloe had a quick fling with him, which now has ended. Yet they also fall for each other. They share their life histories together, as people in love do, with the exception of talking about their knowledge of Chloe’s affair with Ella’s husband.

Readers who are unwilling to suspend any “moral” judgments, whether about homosexuality or cheating, won’t find this short story appealing. However, Hepworth deftly deals with this potential audience by inserting another character Meera. Meera transitions her my right-and-wrong viewpoint throughout the cruise. Nonetheless, the question looms, what will happen to Ella, Chloe, and their mutual lover at the end of the weeklong cruise? What happens when the third edge of a love triangle connects? Hepworth leaves the reader to ponder as the story concludes. ( )