Entries Tagged 'Interracial' ↓
March 20th, 2010 — 0.5 Stars, Arabia/Middle East, Arranged/Forced Marriage, Book Review, Category, Contemporary, Estranged, Great Britain, Interracial, Kings, Princes, Sheiks, Chiefs, Mistaken Identity, S-U, Secret Baby, Sheik/Desert, The Arts, Travel
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I found this book to be an absolutely awful read. It’s one of those romances that if your non-romance reading friend were to pick it up they could use just about everything in it to prove their point on why romance is garbage. No—seriously it’s true…
Lucy Benson is in debt up to her eyeballs. The bank has pulled out it’s financial backing for her plan to renovate Westbury and now she has to deal with creditors and contractors she’d already hired and had start working on the castle. When Kahl (just call me Kahl) shows up she assumes he’s one of them. He doesn’t correct her.
She tells him her sob story and how she plans to pay everyone back, never knowing he was the reason why the bank pulled out of their deal. Then he proceeds to take advantage of Lucy in what amounts to a one night stand. The next day he leaves her before she wakes up and leaves her with no way to contact him. He also leaves her pregnant because he’s a dumbass and chose not to use protection.
When Lucy unexpectedly runs into Kahl again in Abadan she’s surprised and amazed that he’s Sheikh Kahlil and also insanely worried he’s somehow found out about Edward. Very quickly he puts two and two together and jumps to the most illogical conclusion – Lucy must be a gold digging whore who planned it from the beginning! (Okay so not in those exact words, but the meaning was just the same.)
He forces her into marriage and Lucy proves how idiotic she truly is by feeling guilty that Kahlil never saw Edward go through a lot of his firsts. WHAT? Why? The guy is an irredeemable asshole who even now is threatening her with legal action to take away Edward, won’t let her leave his country, and still thinks she’s an immoral woman who is completely unacceptable as the future queen of his country. Feeling guilty over his irresponsible misbegotten behavior? Puh-lease.
The 180 flip in the last ten pages didn’t do anything to redeem Kahl in my mind.
Rating: 0.5 Stars
Buy: The Sheikh's Captive Bride
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March 14th, 2010 — 3 Stars, ARC, Bodyguard, Contemporary, Cursed Lead, Demon, Enemies, Foster/Orphan, Interracial, J-L, Magic Users, Paranormal, Survival, United States of America, Warrior
My Forbidden Desire starts with Harsh (from the first novel) and Alexandrine reconnecting. They are brother and sister. Alexandrine has been certain of Harsh's death for years, she's resentful for his sudden presence and insistence she needs protection from an evil mage... who just happens to be her real father.
Xia, a secondary character in My Wicked Enemy, is a newly freed fiend and the one charged with protecting Alexandrine. When Carolyn said she had refashioned bad boy Xia into a hero I knew I had to read his story! His intense hate, eagerness to kill, and desire to give out pain would be hard to overcome for any writer. Even more so when you planned to pair him up with someone who Xia considers his enemy, no matter how harmless. In my opinion, Carolyn has done a phenomenal job revealing the witch hater’s inner good qualities. Xia is very easily worth the price of the book.
Alexandrine Marit as a heroine is very likeable... despite being a witch. She possesses a great amount of unselfishness, though she has to work for it. The talisman she has found is putting a number on her similar to Golem’s reaction around the one ring in The Lord of the Rings
. Her self-sacrifices pile up throughout the novel – if I were to list them it would seem ridiculous, but I assure it is not. Simply put it is quite the only way to prove her character to Xia.
It took me a while to get into this book. The first chapter or two was pretty rough. I started and stopped twice before finally overcoming the strangeness of the novel's set up. As with Carolyn’s other novels, once you are involved in the story you simply can’t put it down!
Rating: 3 Stars
Buy: My Forbidden Desire
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Originally posted 2009-06-25 03:31:24. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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February 20th, 2010 — 5 Stars, Comedy of Manners, Contemporary, Executive, India, Indian, Interracial, Movie Reviews, United States of America
I saw this movie 3 times within 3 days and enjoyed it every time.
Todd Anderson is the vice president of customer relations and order fulfillment for a company that sells over the phone patriotic kitsch. Within five minutes of the movie starting, Todd learns that despite his excellent record and that of his team they’re being outsourced. If he wants to keep his job he must head to India for the purpose of training his replacement and the new team. Part of the job description is to get the minutes per incident down to six, a nearly impossible feat due to the accent and cultural differences.
Culture shock hit the minute Todd lands in India and gets off the plane. Frustrated, irritated, and disappointed with everything Todd bungles his way through 24 hours. Some of the things he misses that seem common knowledge enough to me are worthy of a little eye rolling. If it’s a social gaffe to double dip in America why would you think it’s okay to lick your fingers before putting your hand back into a bowl of food?
In any case, the more Todd resists India the bleaker things seem. Will he ever be able to return home to America or will he be stuck in India forever? Luckily he learns quickly that the best way to get what he wants is to stop resisting India’s culture and charm. Within the month this movie takes place becomes a top notch manager and teacher.
As the story develops, Todd also finds a love interest. He learns the differences of courting and just how important appearances are for women. The romance is referred to by Asha, the girl, as a Holiday in Goa, which means the love affair before one has to enter an arranged marriage. She is accepting that it’s not a love match, but expects love to develop over time. When confronted by how crazy it was to agree to something so archaic, Asha tells Todd it’s crazier that Americans have a 50% divorce rate.
They fall in love and naturally must part ways, but wait!!!! Without giving too much away I will say this: the ending is positive and open ended with enough leeway to write any conclusion a viewer wishes.
Rating: 5 Stars
Buy: Outsourced
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Originally posted 2009-04-25 05:21:32. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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January 21st, 2010 — A-C, Alien, Another Planet/Dimension, Book Intro, Enemies, Guest Blogger, Interracial, Jewish, Kidnapping, Science Fiction, Space
by Julia Rachel Barrett, guest blogger and author of Captured.
I am a scrappy, fiery redhead and my heroines, poor things, generally end up redheads too. Mari Damon, in my new work of Science Fiction, Captured, gets kidnapped by an interstellar trapper because he notices her red hair shining in the sun. Like she says in the book – I’ll paraphrase – If I’d known you were coming by, I’d have worn a hat!
The story of Mari and Ekkatt flowed out of me – I had a blast writing it. Not only is the book an extremely sexy read, I touch on subjects like the Stockholm Syndrome, where victims begin to identify with their kidnappers, collective guilt and its repercussions, and religious intolerance and bigotry. Writing the book touched me in unexpected ways – like me, Mari is Jewish and her situation is fraught with guilt – she suffers from survivor guilt because she has managed to survive while the other women she arrived with were were auctioned off, and worse, she has fallen in love with her captor. She feels as if she’s betraying herself and her own people. Her captor, Ekkatt, on the other hand, is wracked with guilt over what he’s done. No, he’s never killed or even injured a human and his species is vegetarian, but in his job as a trapper, he’s sent many women like Mari to the meat market, having been taught by his own religious authorities that humans are nothing more than beasts, that they have no soul. From our perspective, it would be comparable to a tribe in the Amazon hunting and eating a monkey. When Mari inadvertently awakens from stasis during the voyage and Ekkatt has his first chance to actually speak with a human female, he experiences an epiphany…his entire life has been a lie and he is guilty of condoning murder. From that moment on, keeping Mari alive becomes his primary goal. Only her forgiveness can heal him.
Mari never expects to find herself caged in a cargo hold on a spaceship. She learns from her captors she's headed to the meat market. When they try to return her to stasis, she resists. The male in charge, Ekkatt, allows her to remain awake. Mari realizes her survival depends upon connecting with Ekkatt. She must make him see her as a sentient being or she will end up dinner.
Ekkatt has never spoken to any human. Humans are beasts. They are valued for one thing, the money they bring at auction. The Attun are vegetarians, but other species prize human flesh and Ekkatt makes good money trapping. Then the female with red hair awakens. She speaks to him and forces him to admit she has a name. Mari throws Ekkatt's entire life into question, the biggest question...can he watch her sold to the highest bidder?
Excerpt:
Mari heard him utter something in a guttural voice to his companion, right before he strode her way on his long, powerful legs. His strides ate up the distance between them. Unconsciously, Mari backed away from the door of her cage. In her current state, naked and vulnerable, if this thing wanted to rip her limb from limb, gut her, and eat her alive, he could.
He stopped in front of her and stared into her face. Legs shaking, Mari ordered herself to meet his eyes. She watched his nostrils flare, as if he could smell her fear. How could he not? She could smell it herself. Being naked made it worse. But, what was she supposed to do? Attempt to cover herself with her hands? That would be an exercise in futility. His eyes roamed over her perusing her from head to toe. He grunted something. Even though the language sounded alien to her it was impossible to miss the dismissive tone in his gravelly voice.
He stood in front of her with his arms crossed and his eyes challenging. He was obviously waiting for her to cower and cringe. Mari didn’t know where she was or what the hell was going on, but she remembered something she’d once read: the antidote to fear is courage. She realized she had no choice but to stare right back, step forward, cross her arms mocking his posture, and say loud enough for his companion to hear, “Fuck you, asshole.”
The fucker laughed. His laugh sounded human. Mari recognized it instantly. She didn’t know if he laughed at her words or at her chutzpah, but the fucker laughed.
“That is good,” he said in heavily accented English. The words sounded slow on his tongue. “You have courage, female.”
Mari watched him shift his weight. He seemed impatient. “You should not be awake,” he stated in his very thick accent.
Mari shrugged.
The man swept a sheathed hand toward all the other women lying on the floor of their cages. “You should not be awake,” he repeated.
Mari ignored his statement. Instead she pointed at his uniform. “I want my clothes.”
The man grimaced.
“You speak my language. You understand what I’m saying. I want my clothes.” One thing at a time.
“You have no need. You are a beast. An animal.” He enunciated clearly for her sake. “An animal has no need of clothing.”
“If I’m an animal, then why do you bother to speak with me? I want my clothes.”
He laughed again. “You are like a trained pet. Pets have no need of garments. Our buyers must be able to see the merchandise with imperfections and all.”
____________________
Thanks for hosting me! Enjoy! Julia
To buy Captured, click here.
To visit Julia’s Website...Facebook.
Giveaway: Julia is offering an e-book copy of CARA, her now out-of-print romantic suspense from Cerridwen Press, as a prize. Open to all blog readers and visitors with valid email addresses! 
Enter by leaving a comment or asking Julia a question. One entry per relevant comment; multiple entries allowed. Ends January 28, 2010.
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January 18th, 2010 — 3 Stars, Alien, Another Planet/Dimension, Book Review, Contemporary, Erotica, Interracial, J-L, Kidnapping, Magic Users, Mistaken Identity, Paranormal, Politician, Secret Agent, Space, United States of America, Virgin Heroine
Have you ever read your name in a romance book? How about with different spelling? I rarely do as my name is fairly unique. Listening to my name as a protagonist in Destiny's Jewel was definitely a bit of naughty fun.
Rebecca Rogers, who narrated Maestro's Butterfly, narrates Destiny's Jewel and does another amazing job! Five out of five for steamy!
I recently went on a road trip to meet with some friends and Destiny's Jewel was my trip companion. Who needs the radio? Seriously! Listen to some erotica instead - it's sure to keep you awake and get your blood pumping.
Kyra L'orrac has been entrusted to guard a royal treasure, a giant sapphire known as the Stone of Destiny. It is her first big assignment under the Royal Special Forces (RSF). She is protecting it from the incoming vizier and magician Ellard J'aron, who seeks it for personal gain and power.
For Ellard it is imperative that he retrieved the star sapphire and its two sister jewels, an emerald and ruby respectively. If he fails to bring the trio home to Dolnair he faces execution and his family the ultimate disgrace. As if Ellard's troubles aren't enough he is under a very strict time limit and the pretty girl who holds the first of the jewels inspires passions he should not-nay can not-indulge, even if he wants too... desperately.
Rating: 3 Stars
Buy the Audio Version Here!
Side note: I marked this book as interracial because of one partner being magical and one partner being non-magical.
Originally posted 2009-04-05 05:01:20. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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January 9th, 2010 — 4.5 Stars, Book Review, Bride Stealing, Cursed Lead, Dukes and Earls, Farming, Foster/Orphan, France, Great Britain, Gypsy, Interracial, Invalid, Lisa Kleypas, Spinster, Victorian, Virgin Heroine, Warrior
Seduce Me at Sunrise is darkly passionate, sensual, and utterly devastating. Kev is the type of hero that is pure indulgence. He'll make your hips grow just looking at him... or should I say reading him. In summation he is fierce, broody, and desperately in love. Half Romany, half Irish, Kev was raised by his abusive uncle. The man turned him into a cruel heartless Romany warrior, hurting him emotionally and physically until everything soft inside him died... or so Kev thought. Left for dead by his clan and taken in by the Hathaways provides Kev with another chance. It's unclear his exact age when this happens, I would say sometime between his teens and early twenties. While recovering under the Hathaways' roof Kev notices Winnifred, young, delicate, and fragile. She is everything good and kind and gentle. In her presence the vicious side of him quietens. He decides to stay and in doing so changes his whole life.
Tragedy strikes the Hathaway a few short years later leaving the older siblings in charge of the younger ones. Fate takes a hand again when scarlet fever strikes two members of the family. One is Win. Both survive, but Win is left weakened. Two years of being weak and helpless watching others live life while she stays in bed incite Win to get herself better at all costs. She makes plans to go to France to a unorthodox clinic (they make you exercise gasp!) which Kev tries to stop from taking place. Win offers him a choice - tell her he loves her or she goes. He can not bring himself to say it, because if he did he could never refrain from claiming her... which he doesn't want to do because he doesn't think he's good enough for her. Lots of circular logic, but there you go.
Win is at the age of spinsterhood upon her return from the clinic. She's twenty-five if I remember correctly and more than ready to begin her life. She refuses to take anything for granted and plans to marry (Kev) and have children (his).
The emotional drive of this novel is completely fulfilling and can get you high on endorphins. For example:
When Win leaves to go to France she says to Kev:
"I am running after you, and life, in desperate pursuit. My dream is that someday you will both turn and let me catch you. That dream carries me through every night I long to tell you so many things, but I am not free yet I hope to be well enough someday to shock you again, with far more pleasing results."
Or Kev when he finally declares himself:
"All the fires of hell could burn for a thousand years and it wouldn't equal what I feel for you in one minute of the day. I love you so much there is no pleasure in it. Nothing but torment. Because if I could dilute what I feel for you to the millionth part, it would still be enough to kill you. And even if it drives me mad, I would rather see you live in the arms of that cold, soulless bastard than die in mine."
Edward Cullen eat your heart out. Blissed out sigh.
And while some of the motivation is a little hard to grasp, it's so good, you can't help but be drawn in by the magic spell Kleypas weaves.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
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Originally posted 2009-03-23 05:39:37. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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December 29th, 2009 — 3.5 Stars, Alien, Another Planet/Dimension, Enemies, Interracial, Movie Reviews, Science, Science Fiction, Soldier, Survival
Avatar is very enjoyable and a visual feast. I highly recommend seeing it in 3D. I saw it in 3D by mistake. My friend and I thought we were going to the 2D showing. As a measuring stick, my friend hates 3D films and thought it was the best 3D film they ever saw. It's not hard on the eyes, and they don't over do it. (At least it doesn't look/feel that way.) It probably helped too that we saw it with good 3D glasses provided by the theater instead of cheapo ones.
The point behind the film is alien interaction. When the story starts we find out that the Na'vi are hostile. They seemingly attack for no reason and use deadly poisons. By the end of the film you’re rooting for the Na'vi, because the true hostile aliens are the humans.
It's an interesting SFR movie. Avatars are genetically engineered bodies that mix human and Na'vi DNA. These bodies are empty. No souls in them. Humans like Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), leave their human bodies behind and enter into the Avatar assuming control. Every time they’re unplugged or fall asleep they wake up back in their own body.
There’s definitely a feel of Fern Gully
to this movie. The Na'vi are trying to save their home from destruction. The ignorant humans are trying to cut down the forest and mine out the ore. The story follows Jake Sully as he learns to love the forest, the Na'vi, and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana).
One of the most rewarding moments to my little romantic heart was when Neytiri sees and holds Jake Sully in his human form while trying to keep him alive. I waited for it the entire movie and was exceedingly happy when it happened.
Avatar is visual eye candy. Everything is exceedingly beautiful. I loved the Na'vi and the phosphorescent plant and animal life. The floating mountains were never explained or if they were I missed it. If for nothing else you need to watch this film for the CGI.
3.5 Stars
Buy: Avatar [Theatrical Release]
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December 14th, 2009 — Black, Defining the Genre, Ethnicity, Interracial
While there can be trouble with any ethnic group pairing up outside of their background, people usually think of interracial in terms of black and white. Which begs the question can a white lead and a black lead fall in love?
It is said that love cannot be defined by the color of skin, but just because it is understood intellectually doesn’t mean it is accepted socially.
When I read in the news about interracial couples and the problems they face today it seems that prejudice is still running high on both sides of the line. The offended parties are the losers in love, and they spill poison and hate on those who have found love. The losers feel they’ve been deprived of their due when they see someone of their skin color happy and in love with someone of another skin color. In their jealousy, they don’t take into account what the two have in common with each other and immediately see only the differences… Superficial differences that is.
A man or woman dating someone of another color is seen to be driven by the urge to be that other skin color or a expression of a form of racial self-hatred. Skin color separates lovers today in the same way that society pressures rich men into seeking equally rich or highborn brides of the past (and present) in real life and in romance novels.
Interracial novels have to deal with the same issues and troubles that plague real interracial relationships today- prejudice and jealousy- to be authentic.
Photo Credits: 1, 2
Originally posted 2008-12-17 22:53:46. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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November 21st, 2009 — 1.5 Stars, Book Review, Business, Category, Contemporary, Gentry, Interracial, Love Triangle, Marriage of Convenience, Ranching, Rape/Abuse, S-U, South America, Virgin Heroine
MOC + second suitor + jealousy = win! Or… maybe not.
When a tour mixes up dates, Lian is stranded in Argentina with a minimum of Spanish. She takes a job as a hostess at a club only to find to her horror that a hostess is really just a polite word for prostitute. Help comes in the way of Ricardo who tells the owner and a client that Lian is his already for the night. He then proceeds to get her out of there and off to the nice hotel where he is staying.
His help come at a price. Lian must agree to a marriage of convenience or he’ll send her back to the club. Lian chooses marriage. Ricardo reveals he was bluffing. They marry and set off to his smallish plantation with a pit stop at the wedding of his half brother Carlos to prove he was wed first and retains all legal rights to the plantation.
Things progress semi-normally, at least for what one can expect from an older Harlequin. Then a acquaintance of Ricardo’s shows up. Lian is a little too friendly with Grant and earns a fierce rebuke from Ricardo. She defies him and maintains her overly friendly ways all the while attempting to figure out how to escape her MOC. When Grant suggests flight for the 8th time she agrees and off they go.
Ricardo tracks them down. Detains Grant and forces Lian back home where he proceeds to forcefully claim all his marital rights and tack on a required male heir stipulation before he’ll set her free. Martial rape… again. Why is this a consistent theme in older Harlequins/romances in general? Is this the only way a man is capable of sharing his “feelings” until the heroine cracks and says “I love you!”? Let me repeat this once again… rape is not romantic.
One of the better things in this novel was when the heroine rescued the hero at the end of the novel. The ending high is very nice.
Rating: 1.5 Stars
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October 28th, 2009 — 3.5 Stars, Book Review, Contemporary, Interracial, Mistaken Identity, Paranormal, Regency, Revenge, S-U, Survival, Suspense/Thriller, United States of America, Virgin Heroine, Werewolf, Widow or Widower
Terry Spear weaves paranormal, suspense, and romance together in one non-stop rollercoaster of passion and adventure. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself enjoying a protagonist werewolf plot (I’m more inclined to favor vampires) and a mystery thriller plotline (again not something I usually go for). I love this novel's front cover (hmm sexy). Don't you? This book reminds me a bit of Only With Your Love by Lisa Kleypas. Overall, there were many pieces that I enjoyed in this book and many pieces that I did not. Of course the story wouldn’t be the same story without the parts that I like least… and all the parts I’m not in favor of can be contributed to the dead sister Larissa.
Larissa is dead. How did she get there? Her living triplet Lelandi is in Silver Town to find out. Her discoveries show just how much of a royal mess Larissa made of her life. One of them (and this is what gets me) was to take Darien as her mate. Darien has a special gift to find his true soul mate through dreams. Larissa claims to be the one he dreams about while knowing the real woman of his dreams is her sister Lelandi. Talk about some sisterly backstabbing!
When Lelandi comes to town to find the truth, her very presence upsets and stirs Darien. He’s attracted to her as he never was for Larissa. He thought the dream mating must have reflected a truer connection than the physical one, which is why he always felt sort of bereft after making love to Larissa. After discovering who Lelandi is and what she really means to him, Darien vows to move heaven and earth to claim Lelandi as his mate.
Throughout the developing passion, Darien and Lelandi unravel the mystery surrounding Larissa’s last months in an effort to find her murderer. Lelandi soon becomes a target herself, but that doesn't deter her from seeking justice. The clues will reveal a most surprising culprit.
Rating: 3.5 Stars.
Book is categorized as interracial because of the pairing of two different breeds of werewolf... red and gray.
Originally posted 2009-03-02 05:23:03. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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October 27th, 2009 — 3.5 Stars, Arabia/Middle East, Book Review, Category, Contemporary, Executive, Interracial, Kidnapping, Kings, Princes, Sheiks, Chiefs, M-O, Pregnant, Sheik/Desert, United States of America
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
Buy on eHarlequin: The Sheikh's Defiant Bride
Originally posted 2009-02-11 13:59:52. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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October 24th, 2009 — 3 Stars, Book Review, D-F, Historic America, Interracial, Kings, Princes, Sheiks, Chiefs, Native American, Poor Eyesight, Runaway, Spectacles, United States of America, Virgin Heroine, Warrior, Widow or Widower
Forced by her father, Mariah has learned to live like a boy. She dresses like one and shoots like one, but it is not enough. Her father can tell she’s too pretty for her own good and too feminine as well. He cuts her hair to ruin her looks and demands her presence at an Indian raid. Helpless to defy the whims of her father, Mariah tags along an unwilling participant in the savage murder of the peaceful Indians. Horrified by what she sees, Mariah stoutly refuses to draw her weapon until an Indian brave threatens her father’s life. She shoots to wound, not kill, but her father follows up and bashes the young warrior over the head. The raiders leave to celebrate a glorious victory and Mariah runs away to seek help for the Indians.
Chief Echohawk, the young warrior Mariah shot and her father fell awakes on the battle field unable to see clearly. His vision is blurry and dark but he won’t let this weakness hurt him or his people. His pride won’t allow him to accept help and as he moves his people to the shelter of a neighboring tribe he succumbs to fever. In his heart stirs a dark thirst for revenge… on three white men, the one from the last raid on his people with yellow eyes, and the man and his son for the latest raid, and on White Wolf. He will ensure the sorrows of his people are avenged.
Meanwhile, Mariah manages to lose her horse and is brought to the Indian village where Echohawk sought sanctuary for himself and his people. First looked upon as an enemy, Mariah earns their respect and a new name for herself. She is now Nodin, woman of the wind. Following the lead of Neekah, Chief Silver Wing’s wife, Mariah learns the ways of the Chippewa and comes to tend and eventually love Chief Echohawk during his days of recovery. She fears the regaining of his eyesight for he will no doubt see her as the young boy he wants to kill and he fears letting go of his hatred for the white men to love a white woman.
Overall it’s not a bad read. Certainly Savage Wrongs is more engaging than the last Edwards novel that I read, but there’s a story telling quality that is lacking. I can’t put my finger on it, but the result is that I’m not drawn into the unfolding of the tale and am found skimming and skipping forward in hopes to find something that will make me stick to the page.
Rating: 3 Stars
Originally posted 2009-02-20 05:36:37. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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October 4th, 2009 — 3 Stars, Arabia/Middle East, Book Review, Category, Contemporary, Gambling, Interracial, Kings, Princes, Sheiks, Chiefs, M-O, Racing, Rogues and Rakehells, Sheik/Desert
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
Originally posted 2009-01-20 05:21:53. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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October 3rd, 2009 — 4.5 Stars, Arabia/Middle East, Australia/New Zealand, Book Review, Category, Contemporary, Foster/Orphan, Interracial, Kings, Princes, Sheiks, Chiefs, Mistaken Identity, Pregnant, Sheik/Desert, V-Z, Virgin Heroine, Widow or Widower
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
Buy on eHarlequin: The Desert King's Pregnant Bride
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Originally posted 2009-01-25 05:47:41. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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September 28th, 2009 — 1 Star, Arabia/Middle East, Book Review, Bride Stealing, Category, Comedy of Manners, Contemporary, Great Britain, Interracial, Kings, Princes, Sheiks, Chiefs, Mistaken Identity, Sheik/Desert, V-Z
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
Originally posted 2009-01-26 05:12:32. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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