Between the CEO’s Sheets by Charlene Sands, SD, June 2007, 192 pages. This book made a brief appearance on the e-Harlequin bestseller lists.
Ms. Sands has penned a predictable and rather stereotypical romance of revenge between estranged lovers. The story opens with Gina Grady broke and in debt. She’s in a pitiful situation. Her ex-lover conned her and left her in financial straits. She interviews for a job as a personal assistant at the Triple B hoping to be interviewed by a familiar and friendly face but instead she comes face to face with first lover.
Wade Beaumont and Gina Grady share a history. Gina left El Paso nine years ago after giving Wade her virginity. Wade assumed the worst of her intentions and he remains bitter in the fact that his father managed to bribe Gina into leaving him. There’s also some other secret the author throws in for fun that helps split the two apart even further. So, in LA they meet again and Wade is a successful businessman who runs the Triple B. He sees this moment as his opportunity to find out the truth behind Gina’s departure while he gets laid in the process.
Like a lamb to slaughter, Gina is hired as Wade’s personal assistent. Together they sail on Wade’s boat, Total Command, to Catalina Island for important business. However, Gina has a fear of water stemming from her parent’s boating accident. Wade manages to make Gina trust him into overcoming her fear. I was rather appalled at his methods and the assumption that she would want him to be the one to help her overcome her fear. Wade does a lot of things that are quite annoying. Case in point is the sleeping arrangements once they get to the island. Wade has arranged for Gina to stay in a hotel room that he feels is his right to come and go as he pleases. How galling.
Reading this book was akin to listening to fingernails scraping chalkboard. It was painful. The author manages to paint a very unflattering picture of a young woman in desperate financial straits who would do almost anything in order to pay her bills. Wade is aggressive, a bully and very unappealing. I’d rather be picking up cans off the street than work for his sorry ass. Alas, this story was far from romantic and I really don’t have anything positive to say other than that the novel was thankfully short. F for this effort.
Technorati Tags: Charlene Sands, Revenge, Estranged Lovers
