Zeke is no longer a geek—he’s gorgeous. And Mandy doesn’t feel so magnificent since her marriage fell apart and left her up to her eyeballs in debt and despair. One look at Zeke, and she knows he’s exactly the kind of trouble she should avoid. One look at Mandy, and Zeke turns his relentless ability to get what he wants into a full-on seduction. But can Mandy face down the secrets of her past to find a fairy-tale future with Zeke?" (Goodreads)
Title: Secrets on the Sand (The Billionaires of Barefoot Bay #1)
Author: Roxanne St. Claire
Date Published: December 9th 2013
Publisher: South Street Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: ebook

Again, this is another free ebook procured from BookBub's wonderful curating skills. I finished this book in about a couple of hours before realising that it was a novella. It being a novella affects my review somewhat.

I'm surprised by how many readers on Goodreads and Amazon can stand this sort of almost-trashy material and give it four to five stars. I, for one, was almost vomiting rainbows by the time the book ended. Although, I have to admit that I was hooked from the beginning.

Review:

I started the book out rather optimistic about it. The premise seemed rather interesting with a high school queen bee falling down to status of maid and high school geek raised to the status of Greek God Adonis (my description). It's something rather undone in the realm of contemporary romance where it's usually the shy, pimpled and gangly girl who blooms into the English rose and the male lead is always an Adonis.

However, this book was extremely disappointing. Perhaps, I set the bar too high as I had originally read St. Claire's Bullet Catcher series and was blown away by how articulate and how well-written the characters and the books were.

As always, I have my pros and my cons although, sadly, the cons outweigh the pros. And because the cons outweigh the pros, the cons go first this time.

1. It was so extremely cheesy and can only be considered a time-filler. I would not pick up this book again for the sole purpose of delving into the written world again. It reminded me very much of the Mills and Boons archetype (although I have never read any M&B) Like I said, I was vomiting rainbows and sprinkling glitter dust wherever I went. It was just that cheesy and it left a bad taste in my mouth. (If it has yet to be obvious, I hate, hate, hate cheesy romances)
2. St. Claire tried very, very hard to maintain the uncommon role reversal and I give her credit for that but far too many times, she slipped and Zeke was your typical romance novel "hero". He was cocky and overly confident and then suddenly, he slips back to being shy and bashful and humble. It doesn't work that way. No, it doesn't. He is either shy and bashful around his childhood crush, even tentative. He isn't both. It's very annoying and it grates on my nerves that his personality was constantly changing. St. Claire, I love your writing but you've got to write a better "nerd".
3. The time span of the relationship was insanely unrealistic. Of course, when reading a romance novel, I hardly doubt that many demand realism but a week? To go from imaginary girlfriend to fiancee in a week is so unrealistic that I was yanking my hair out by the end of the book. (Figuratively, of course) I understand that it is a novella but she could at least have tried to go from imaginary girlfriend to girlfriend rather than straight to fiancee. 
4. The relationship development was unbelievable. Zeke's attraction to Mandy is understandable but on Mandy's part? There seemed nothing but her infatuation with his good looks and possibly, on an unconscious level, his fat wallet and bank account. Oh, that and Zeke is suddenly so sexually confident that she couldn't resist him. Not to mention, Zeke bought her clothes and gifted her with designer dresses and even helped her get a divorce. It seems very much to me that Mandy and Zeke would never work out. She's interested in his wallet but he's madly in love with her. Plus, she seems very, very much like a bought woman.
5. This ties in to point two. Perhaps it was my feminist red flags flaring up but Zeke's handling of getting into Mandy's pants doesn't help feminists around the world. I don't see any signs of consent. All he did was put his hands on her and coerce her into sleeping with him with sweet talk and a few caresses here and there. He was domineering and he didn't respect her boundaries nor her "NO"s. What does he not understand? No is no. And they even draw up a contract saying "No" but he decides to find loopholes in that. Perhaps some women find that enchanting and adorable but it made me so sick to my stomach. And Mandy said no so many times yet Zeke still presses. It reinforces the notion that when a girl says "No", she really means "Yes". Not once, not once did Mandy ever explicitly say "Yes". I was so extremely appalled.