Book Review: The Sheikh's Bought Wife

THE SHEIKH’S BOUGHT WIFE

By Sharon Kendrick

Publisher: Harlequin Presents

Publish Date: April 18, 2017

Buy: Amazon

Marry a sheikh in return for a hefty financial reward? Jane Smith, a shy researcher, normally would have laughed in Zayed Al Zawba’s handsome face. Except it’s only for six months and the money will rescue her sister, who’s caught up in debt.

Sheikh Zayed will do anything to inherit Kafalah’s neighboring oil-rich lands. Even if he has to wed plain Jane, though he’ll never long to consummate a marriage with her. But Zayed never imagined that Jane’s frumpy clothes were hiding such delicious curves, or that her quick mind and untouched beauty would tease and tempt him beyond his wildest imagination.

Review: I have a fondness for Sheikh's in the Presents line. I love the made up middle-eastern countries. However I had a hard time with this book, not because it was poorly written but because it was too unbelievable. It even crossed the line of fairy tales for me.  

Zayed was just a douche nozzle of the highest degree. I can't imagine any man talking the way he does to any woman without getting slapped. He was always going on about how every woman saw him and fall in love with him and he's a fabulous lover, yada yada yada. His ego really knows no bounds

Jane is a ...gasp "Plain Jane" ugly duckling who of course turns into a swan. Oh and she's a virgin...ARGH.  I liked her, just barely.

They both claim to dislike each other, but when the ugly duckling transforms, well Zayed's sex drive kicks into overdrive. 

Oh and Jane doesn't really hate Zayed...she's in denial.  And as Zayed gets to know Jane...well the plot becomes obvious.

I usually love Sharon Kendrick's books and I did like this one, but for me I wanted something more. There are some pluses to the book, because Sharon brings the surroundings to life. I loved her love for Kalafah.

I think if this could have been a longer novel, the plot could have worked. It just needed more development, especially with Jane and her sister.

Rating: 3 flowers

Book Review: The Sheikh's Christmas Conquest

Author: Sharon Kendrick
Title: The Sheikh's Christmas Conquest
Publisher: Harlequin Presents
Publish Date: Oct 20, 2015
Buy: Amazon

Book Blurb: 

Summoned by the sheikh!

Sheikh Saladin Al Mektala isn't used to being disobeyed. Incomprehensibly, the woman he summoned to help his favorite mare, the best horse whisperer in the world, turned his generous offer down! So he takes matters into his own hands.

The snow is falling, the fire is roaring and the mince pies are in the oven when innocent Olivia Miller finds a darkly handsome and physically compelling man on her doorstep. The sheikh she dared to refuse is here to whisk her off to his kingdom, and this time he won't take no for an answer!

Review: I had great hopes for this book when I started reading it. Livvy seemed like a very spunky girl that wasn't going to take crap even from a Sheikh. She was working hard at keeping up the historical home as a sort  of B & B rather than working with horses.

Saladin needs her horse whispering skills for his own horse. I liked Saladin to a point. He wasn't overly arrogant but he did go out of his way to get what he wants.

Then things started to go wrong for me. The power outage from a snow storm as well as Livvy being a virgin just didn't sit with me, that and how quickly these two fell into bed. I always like a little more "getting to know you" thing rather than a fling or a seduction.

The other thing that disappointed me was the lack of "Christmas" in the story. I read holiday stories, because I love that theme in the plot of the story. That element was pretty much nonexistent here, except that Livvy's guests were due for the holiday.

Everything else was pretty predictable from there on, including her healing his horse. I'm not
going to complain about that though, because even in fiction, I don't want to see an animal suffer.

This wasn't a bad read. It is pleasant enough for a quick weekend fix, but it just didn't fit the holiday bill for me.

Rating: 3 flowers

Sharon song playlist.

I imagine the story starting – and ending – with the stirring title song from the film Born Free. I can imagine Saladin the Sheikh galloping across the desert on his beloved horse, Burkaan, to the stirring sound of this triumphant music. Two other songs also capture Saladin’s character for me. The first is What Becomes Of The Broken-hearted by Jimmy Ruffin because I think the lyrics say everything which needs to be said, about the pain and desolation you feel when love dies. https://youtu.be/2vf3ZE7CLg0

Saladin’s other song is Robin Thicke’s You’re A Good Girl and I’m sure I don’t need to tell you why! The Sheikh is a very, very sexy man and he knows very well the effect he has on women...