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There are many fictional desert kingdoms in Sheik romance. In these desert romances the handsome and enigmatic sheik or prince finds love with the white woman for her sass and zeal of life. She is usually American or English. Powerful and very masculine he domineers her despite her Western background.

Did you know the term bodice-ripper comes from Sheik romance?

The very first Sheik romance/s contained a rape scene. In an article published in 2006 by the Chicago Tribune, staff writer Patrick T. Reardon, writes, “this pattern of kidnap-rape-love, rooted in a pre-1980s cultural belief that unmarried women shouldn’t go looking for sex, involved ‘forcing pleasure on women.’ For their own good, apparently.” Of course in these rape fantasies the heroine never truly suffers or afterwards is traumatized. The experience is a passionate one on both ends and eventually ends in love.

Interesting Fact: The Biblical Dinah was raped – or not – and when Shechem asked for her hand in marriage, he was told only if he and all his compatriots were circumcised. While they were recovering, Dinah’s brothers, Simeon and Levi, killed them all. To take a woman, then ask for her hand, was one way to ensure you could marry her, especially if the two of you were interested in each other, and the match might not otherwise be received. (Gen: 30-34).

The Sheik:

In desert romances, the male lead is darkly exotic with dark eyes, handsome features, and tawny sun-kissed bronze skin. He’s been educated at Harvard or Oxford and has learned to tolerate or prefer Western culture, ingenuity, and technology. Almost always, he is forward thinking and Westernized to some degree.

Possible Plots:

Some themes in Sheik romance include marriages of convenience, kidnapping, and rescues, similar to Highlander romance.

The Lure Behind the Desert/Harem Fantasy:

Sheik romance like Paranormal romance has risen in the last few years. In an age where chivalrous princes are nearly nonexistent, Sheik romance offers a modern prince to romance readers. He’s a little bit wild, more than a little dangerous, but very much in love with his heroine. Combine this irresistible masculine force with the exotic and (most times fantastical and fictional) lands of Africa, the Middle East, and the East and it’s magic in the making.

Difference between a Sheik and a Sultan:

Abstractly, the word sultan means strength and authority. A sultan is like a king. Some basic research shows that lands under or previously held under sultan rule could be found anywhere in the East or Middle East.

Lands held by a sheikdom are usually solely Arabic. A sheik in Arabic means “elder” and refers to the elder in a tribe or lord of a tribe. Also it can be in reference to Islamic study and is a title earned upon completion of studies. But in desert romances the title is used as the official title of the Bedouin tribe leader and for nobility.

*You can also spell Sheik with an ‘h’ as in Sheikh romance or sheikhdom.

Originally posted 2008-07-30 05:26:23. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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Points go to Sandra Marton for using a fairly unique way to go about the common pregnant bride plot. A screw up in courier running between two doctors’ offices and a sperm bank results in Madison Whitney receiving the Crown Prince of Dubaac’s safeguard for the future of his country.

Now one month later, Madison finds Turiq on her doorstep, literally barging his way into her apartment and demanding rights to the child – his heir. But Madison wasn’t taking his highhanded attitude or his bribe money to give up the baby a year after birth.

How much of a barbarian was he? Madison was about to find out – because Turiq was going to kidnap her and force her to be his bride. Was there no end to the madness?

I liked the story; it was nicely executed, but was lacking the emotional pull. There was passion and heat but everything was over too fast. I didn’t see or read it develop into the good stuff. There were hints and I’m sure if it was drawn out a little bit more everything would have fell into place with ease.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

This was a pretty decent read. One of those books you read once and don’t plan to revisit. There were some obvious contrite plot mechanisms and I felt the hero wasn’t really a flesh and blood character, but one pulled out from a standard issue mold. I did enjoy the heroine for the most part. I solved the so-called mysterious aspect to the story the moment the ‘bad guy’ character was introduced so I didn’t really have anything to pull me through the story.

Prince Vereham al a’Karim bin Hakar is a mouthful, but that is the hero’s name. Vere (as it is mercifully reduced to) lost his mother and father very young, not at the same time, but fairly soon after one another. The death that caused his young teenage psyche the most harm was the lost of his mother. He saw how his father behaved and knew how he personally felt and swore never to love or open his heart again because it hurt too much.

A chance encounter with a beautiful brunette (not Vere’s preferred type) and passion sparks. Vere keeps putting barriers up and as many as possible. Most can’t withstand a single drafty breeze before toppling over. The one that sticks the longest is his desire to see Samantha McLellan as the ‘bad guy’ in league with a nearby ruler to try to discredit the validity of his country’s claim on a water source. He blackmail’s Sam to be his public mistress in order to undermine any claims she could possibly make. Will Sam hold with such nonsense or will she allow passion to burn out all her qualms?

Rating: 3

How can I put this lightly? The novel was crap. How terrible? Really terrible. I could break down the awful for you (warning this is the whole plot and is full of spoilers):

Heroine to self: My brother is in prison and only the Sheik can help.

Hero to self: Next time my baby half-brother is getting his own wife.

Heroine and Hero lock eyes – every sane thought drops from head.

Heroine to self: I’m so hot and bothered.
Heroine aloud: You can’t do this to Andy!

Hero to self: I’m so hot and bothered. That apron is hot. She must be maid and lover to Andrew – so jealous.
Hero aloud: I can do what I want!

Insert massive make-out scene that gets interrupted by father.

Hero aloud: Meet me at my hotel at eight.

Later at hotel Hero and Heroine getting it on and right before anything good happens…

Heroine aloud: More!

Hero aloud: We have all night!

Heroine aloud: And for the rest of our married lives.

Hero freezes. All action stops.

Hero aloud: WTF?

Heroine aloud: But- but you told my father you wanted to marry me – that by marrying you, my brother would go free.
Heroine to self: Marrying you would be no hardship… meow.

Hero aloud: No I didn’t. My stupid moronic half-brother who’s going to be dumb enough to fly his helicopter into the sea in three chapters is going to marry you. I am the Sheik of the neighboring country and you’re a gold digging witch.

Which boils down to the Hero kidnapping Heroine upon arrival into his brother’s country for her ‘protection’ that then leads to the half-brother is dead news and of course this leads to the Hero saying, ‘Same deal. Marry me instead.’ Poor Heroine is confused but the sex clears her head and they decide to get married until she can’t go through with it unless he loves her (I totally thought it was going to be the whole I can’t have babies, because another neighboring sheik/wife couple showed up and the wife was pregnant). Hero tells Heroine he loves her. Heroine is happy, repeats the same sentiments. The end.

Honestly? Why are stories with Harlequin such a crap-shoot? Most times they’re just meh… average. Sometimes you get lucky and they’re great. However you’ll stumble upon one of these and are like WTF? Why am I still reading this BS? How did this get published?

Rating: 1 Star

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This book was made out of 3 parts awesome.

Maggie’s mother ran off with her younger sister when Maggie was eight leaving Maggie in the care of her father. He was pretty awful and basically treated Maggie like the son he wished he had forcing Maggie to put all of her time and savings into his farm which basically was throwing it away. Now her father’s dead, but her upbringing has left her with some emotional scars. It doesn’t help to find out the man she thought she loved was screwing with the curvier and more feminine wife of another man.

She meets the hero in the midst of a rainstorm where he rescues her from her sad and sorry state. Concerned, Khalid watches as shock and possibly hypothermia takes over her system. He’s also furious thinking that her tragic state is due to a man hurting her sexually/physically. She denies that she was hurt – which is true at least in the ways that Khalid was mentally coming to a boil over. Her scars are far more mental. Now more than ever before Maggie is feeling inadequate. She’s not nearly feminine enough or enticing enough to attract a man, let alone capable of stirring love in the breast of anyone.

That night she seeks comfort in Khalid’s arms. He hesitates, mentally castrating himself over his undeniable need for this fragile female, because he doesn’t want to take advantage of the situation. Maggie notices the hesitation and it confirms her current muddled thoughts about all the ways in which she is lacking. She presses on and Khalid gives in making love to her.

He wakes to find her gone and his half-brother dead, making him Sheik. Unable to track down the elusive Maggie he heads back home to his country. When he finagles things so that Maggie comes to his country, an incident with a terrified horse almost immediately occurs. This of course leads to some medical tests and surprise, surprise, despite preventative measures Maggie is pregnant. Khalid reveals his identity and proposes marriage.

Will Maggie accept and if she does can she handle being a royal wife with a man who wants her body but not her heart? Will Khalid’s frozen heart melt in the heat of their shared passion? Can a marriage last when it was made purely for the convenience of raising a child?

Rating: 4.5 Stars

My only complaint is that this novel isn’t longer! I feel like this was a good start and now the author should flush it out with more details, more scenes, more, more, more. The ending was much too rushed to wrap everything up to my satisfaction. I felt like I read half a book only to get about four paragraphs of the ending. I feel very deprived. Pout.

This story is very chaste, no sex and only a few passionate kisses. The build up was there and could have developed further. I did enjoy the line about her response to him making a mockery of her modesty.

Pollyanna (Polly) has devoted her energies into Shelton, the historic seat and castle of the ducal Missenden family. Polly’s mother, had been the family’s housekeeper for years and married into the Missendens, but Richard’s offspring do not approve. Anthony the heir puts up the most fight and subsequently Polly has never felt she belonged. She does not have any rights on the castle that has always been her home and Anthony would just as soon be rid of her and the castle. (He gambles and the money would help him pay his debts.)

It’s time for a change. Joining her friend Minty’s documentary production crew Polly is off to Amrah, the Arbian kingdom her great-grandmother fell in love with (at a price.) Polly is also instantly drawn to Amrah’s playboy sheik, Rashid.

For his part, Rashid wants to keep a close eye on Polly. He’s determined to find out if she knew and was behind her stepbrother’s plot to swindle him on a thoroughbred horse. Of course his intentions and attentions get muddled as his motivation changes from revenge to lust.

Rating: 3 Stars

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Sheikh Zageo bin Sultan Al Farrahn is an honest man. He knows it’s time to leave behind his fascination with other cultures and their women; especially as he is disenchanted with his latest mistress, Veronique, the very unique supermodel. He wants to be with someone who wants to be with him and not what he can provide. As an honest man, he despises criminals, crooks, and trespassers, which is why he’s sneering down at the spineless Frenchman offering up a woman on his boat to be his sex slave in exchange for freedom. Zageo bets that there isn’t a girl at all, but much to his surprise there is and she’s every bit as beautiful as the Frenchman said.

Emily Ross was making her escape. She was going to get away from Jacques and his dirty drug-running business. She had no idea what she was signing up for when she traded her skills as a sailor for free passage to Zanzibar. Just as she escapes the mango swamp she is caught by some burly guards and dragged in front of a dangerous and powerful looking man. Is he a Sheikh or a Sultan? His title claims both, but Emily has more pressing worries. How will she get out of this mess so she can meet up with her sister Hannah? Truth is, she can’t, not unless Zageo says she can.

When she finds out that her sister didn’t make the destination point, Emily goes a little crazy. The only help she can think of is Zageo, but how to get him to agree? Emily decides she must play the part he thought she was and proposes a trade. She will be his lover if he will help get her sister and nieces to safety. Zageo is tremendously annoyed and offended by the proposal she offers him and decides to punish her by accepting it. What Emily doesn’t know was that Zageo had made arrangements to help her sister and her sister’s family the moment they came back from the meeting place. Her trade was for naught and by accepting Zageo has found out to his bitterness that he would have rather won her than have a bed slave.

My favorite part in the novel is at the end so be prepared for a spoiler if you keep reading.

Zageo takes Emily to Cape Point which offers a view of Cape Hope which is where two oceans meet. Emily makes a point of how there’s no sign of the meeting, no crashing of waves, no turbulence. Zageo affirms this and tells her they are like two oceans that meld together, their cultures may be different but harmony is natural and finishes with “Are you brave enough to merge your life with mine, Emily?”

Sigh… so sweet. Perfect ending!

Rating: 4.5 I wish it had been longer.

Cara Lynn writes to us her first romance novel review in response to the $10 gift card contest! LRP is very happy to have her with us today! If you would like to win a copy of a book by the author of this novel please see the end of the post for more information.

It’s pretty unfair for me to review this book, as this genre isn’t my particular favorite. However, they do get published!

When Tally finds herself kidnapped by Sheikh Tair, a fierce desert warrior, she comes up against the proverbial immovable mountain. I am not surprised. Tally is a photographer, and she has taken some compromising photos, or they could be. And not only that, her translators are more than they appeared, as they are enemies of the Sheikh. He isn’t at all convinced that she is innocent. However, he is more than willing to put her into his harem and to test her loyalties more than once.

She is determined to escape, but not knowing the land, finds herself in dangerous situations, where she needs to be rescued. And you guessed it, by Tair.

Ultimately, the Sheikh marries her (as you can tell by the title) and they fall in love – or do they. Perhaps they fall in lust. As in many Harlequin books, there are banter and arguments, but underneath it is respect for the man who is always wealthy and rich. Let’s face it, who would put up with these attitudes if he weren’t! The woman is always denigrated to an extent, which grates on me after a while – or from the beginning. It seems like an intelligent woman would use that intelligence to discern what kind of man the man is and not waste her breath on verbally fighting him. Of course, part of that is supposed to be sexual tension. How to rate the sex in this book? I didn’t feel like they had any chemistry. But that’s just me. Perhaps you did. I appreciate the fact that the sex is not crude. On the other hand, she doesn’t think she’s in love with him. And on the other hand, she is not a virgin, so she knows the ropes. And they both think the sex is great.

If you want a mindless read, or if this is your genre, you will enjoy this book. I’d have preferred it, if she had determined how he governed, what his daily life was like, what the issues of survival were, how she could contribute if she were his consort. (I can’t see her ruling.) Because she is less than prepared along these lines, she finds herself kidnapped by the men who had been her translators. She is rescued in about a page. I think this could have been extended too, over some of the other things in the book. But it fits the genre. After all, the Sheikh’s mother is from the West and married his father in similar circumstances. Perhaps one of the earlier Sheikh books by another author tells the generic story of their meeting.

Rating: 1.5 Stars

Thanks Cara Lynn for the review! RRN would be most happy to hear from you again!

If you’ve just finished reading a romance novel and want to write review but weren’t sure how check out LRP’s submission guidelines for tips and advice to get started.

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