What do you think?
Rate this book
Desperate in Dubai, #1
Oozing with men, money, and Maseratis, Dubai is the ultimate playground for the woman who knows her Louboutins from her Louis Vuittons.
But for some, there’s a lot more at stake than a Hermes Birkin. Leila has been in search of a wealthy husband for over a decade. Nadia moves to Dubai to support her husband’s career, only to have her sacrifices thrown in her face. Sugar escapes the UK in an attempt to escape her past. Lady Luxe, the rebellious Emirati heiress, scoffs at everything her culture holds sacred. Until the day her double life starts unravelling at the seams.
Set against a backdrop of luxury hotels and manmade islands, Desperate in Dubai tells the tale of four desperate women as they struggle to find truth, love, and themselves.
But for some, there’s a lot more at stake than a Hermes Birkin. Leila has been in search of a wealthy husband for over a decade. Nadia moves to Dubai to support her husband’s career, only to have her sacrifices thrown in her face. Sugar escapes the UK in an attempt to escape her past. Lady Luxe, the rebellious Emirati heiress, scoffs at everything her culture holds sacred. Until the day her double life starts unravelling at the seams.
Set against a backdrop of luxury hotels and manmade islands, Desperate in Dubai tells the tale of four desperate women as they struggle to find truth, love, and themselves.
554 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
104 people are currently reading
1262 people want to read
About the author
Ameera Al Hakawati
2 books49 followersAnonymous author of bestselling debut novel Desperate in Dubai.
Interview :
http://kyradubai.overblog.com/emirati...
www.desperateindubai.blogspot.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
July 18, 2012
Being a Muslim is not hard, but being an Arab is. The concept of this book is to show how the society works in UAE/Dubai. For example, it is ok for a guy to date a foreigner because she is not a "excuse my laguage" Bi***, but if dating an emirate girl, well to guys she's a disgrace to society. Guys don't know how to compromise, it's either they have everything or they'll get it in anyways possible. For instance they want to have fun before they reach appropriate marital age and expect to marry a decent lady. They don't know what they really want, but what they should know is that they can't have it all. They say girls are complicated. Why are we complicated when we know what we exactly want, but guys don't. What I love about this book is that it speaks the mind of local and non local girls living in a very open minded yet hypocritical city, society wise. However, sadly nothing can change the fact that men will always be dominant over woman. That's why there's a reason why God gave us the feminine gender a much higher tolerance of pain and patience than men, because no matter what in the end we still manage to survive, move on and start over.
October 4, 2012
Trashtabulous! I found this modern masterpiece highly offensive to Russians, Moroccans, Indians, Lebanese, but most of all to Emiraty community. Characters are two dimensional and writing tabloid - ish. Not worth the paper it's printed on. Should have stayed in blog format.
June 10, 2014
Desperate in Dubai Deconstructed:
It’s important to note that this book is reproduced from a blog; therefore the book is over long, needs extensive editing and feels repetitive at times. It also loses itself within its omniscient point of view - for example: the character Daniel (Nadia's husband) is given his own voice and then is randomly dropped. Furthermore, the characters behave erratically – almost to the point of schizophrenia.
Characters:
Lady Luxe - A rich repressed Emirati girl (and by repressed, I don’t understand what she’s so morose about not having except perhaps class, character and morals) – she has everything and is a self-proclaimed businesswoman whom her father loves, backs unconditionally, spoils and approves of over her bigger brother. Regardless, she feels very oppressed and rebels because she is not allowed to be as trashy as her bigger brother (albeit only in Dubai).
Her form of rebellion is not fighting the inequalities of her society but by doing exactly what her bigger brother does under the guise of a blonde wig and fake name – ‘’Jessica’’. Her alter-ego behaves,
Sugar – I don’t understand why the writer couldn’t just give her a fake Indian name but went with a porn-star sounding name. Nevertheless, Sugar is the Indian girl who came to Dubai to escape her self-made hell instead of sorting it out. She is easily the most offensive character because she continuously uses her ‘Religion’ and so-called ‘Spiritual awakening’ to justify her heartless, inhumane behaviour in order to achieve her selfish lust – and I quote: SPOILER
GoldenBoy, who posts pictures of his various jaunts with chicks at the club on his facebook,
Leila - The Lebanese bimbo who somehow thinks that she is a nun because she slept with "less" men than Lady Luxe. A weak character that can’t stand up for herself despite claiming to be independent and better than the Emirati men that she co-uses. She plays the poor, weak female martyr so well that she actually believes it herself – yet a honest 'I am cheap, you have money, buy me' would really help her in realizing that the men she wants for their money want her for her body and that makes them both sick.
Nadia – I can’t think of the point of her in the story other than being the switch. And perhaps an excuse to vent some Morrocan hate. Like all the other females in this book she is very reliant on men. She chooses to cry on the shoulder of her long-lost first love, then on the shoulders of a complete 'male' stranger whose lap she fell into on the tube - all this instead of the offered shoulder of her sister – who seems to be just about the only character in this book who actually cares for someone other than herself.
Ameerah writes in contradictions:
When Lady Luxe arrives in Dubai, she complains that she will not be able to be the town whore she was in London in her small,everybody-knows-me, gossip-spreads-like-thrush homeland; minutes later she has donned her blonde wig and is banging around town (no pun intended) in her very traceable car, in areas frequented by relatives.
Leila claims to be victim of a terrible relationship and is chaste and wronged; minutes later she brags about her ability to play the blushing virgin bride to all her conquests and services one of them in an alleyway.
The only running consistency in this book is the lengths these needy women will go for some male attention
The actions of the side, male characters are vile and unexplained; Daniel’s infidelity, Lady Luxe’s bigger brother's aggression and smaller brother's complacency are all there but left unexplained in the air. Almost all of them are a bunch of sparkles riding the twilight zone, shooting their very own Arabian Nights with the Expats in Dubai. I may never look at Emirati men the same way again or any person who lives in Dubai for that matter. Thank You for that Sugar.
In conclusion, I have never come across a book where so much immorality and betrayal has been committed by so many people for so little.
It’s important to note that this book is reproduced from a blog; therefore the book is over long, needs extensive editing and feels repetitive at times. It also loses itself within its omniscient point of view - for example: the character Daniel (Nadia's husband) is given his own voice and then is randomly dropped. Furthermore, the characters behave erratically – almost to the point of schizophrenia.
Characters:
Lady Luxe - A rich repressed Emirati girl (and by repressed, I don’t understand what she’s so morose about not having except perhaps class, character and morals) – she has everything and is a self-proclaimed businesswoman whom her father loves, backs unconditionally, spoils and approves of over her bigger brother. Regardless, she feels very oppressed and rebels because she is not allowed to be as trashy as her bigger brother (albeit only in Dubai).
Her form of rebellion is not fighting the inequalities of her society but by doing exactly what her bigger brother does under the guise of a blonde wig and fake name – ‘’Jessica’’. Her alter-ego behaves,
Quote: ‘like a Russian prostitute’and is downright skanky
Sugar – I don’t understand why the writer couldn’t just give her a fake Indian name but went with a porn-star sounding name. Nevertheless, Sugar is the Indian girl who came to Dubai to escape her self-made hell instead of sorting it out. She is easily the most offensive character because she continuously uses her ‘Religion’ and so-called ‘Spiritual awakening’ to justify her heartless, inhumane behaviour in order to achieve her selfish lust – and I quote: SPOILER
Quote: ‘...Instead of going to the Mosque I log into facebook and check out GoldenBoy’s facebook...’
GoldenBoy, who posts pictures of his various jaunts with chicks at the club on his facebook,
Leila - The Lebanese bimbo who somehow thinks that she is a nun because she slept with "less" men than Lady Luxe. A weak character that can’t stand up for herself despite claiming to be independent and better than the Emirati men that she co-uses. She plays the poor, weak female martyr so well that she actually believes it herself – yet a honest 'I am cheap, you have money, buy me' would really help her in realizing that the men she wants for their money want her for her body and that makes them both sick.
Quote:‘Leila knows exactly what to say and how to say it to ensure that Mr Maybe calls her the next day ... she tempts, seduces, solicits, flirts, snubs, implies and entices to within an inch of her life. And finally, numerous flowers, chocolates and occasionally jewellery and shopping expeditions later, she gives in shyly and accepts an invitation back to his home. In white lacy underwear, she trembles with an innocence so convincing that even the head sister at her old convent school would have believed that she had held onto her chastity as tightly as she help onto her purse strings.’
Nadia – I can’t think of the point of her in the story other than being the switch. And perhaps an excuse to vent some Morrocan hate. Like all the other females in this book she is very reliant on men. She chooses to cry on the shoulder of her long-lost first love, then on the shoulders of a complete 'male' stranger whose lap she fell into on the tube - all this instead of the offered shoulder of her sister – who seems to be just about the only character in this book who actually cares for someone other than herself.
Ameerah writes in contradictions:
When Lady Luxe arrives in Dubai, she complains that she will not be able to be the town whore she was in London in her small,everybody-knows-me, gossip-spreads-like-thrush homeland; minutes later she has donned her blonde wig and is banging around town (no pun intended) in her very traceable car, in areas frequented by relatives.
Leila claims to be victim of a terrible relationship and is chaste and wronged; minutes later she brags about her ability to play the blushing virgin bride to all her conquests and services one of them in an alleyway.
The only running consistency in this book is the lengths these needy women will go for some male attention
Quote: He...strokes the top of her head with a tenderness, which she absorbs as thirstly as a sponge in water.*vomits* This is all regardless of their individual religious and monetary backgrounds, from every single one of the characters.
The actions of the side, male characters are vile and unexplained; Daniel’s infidelity, Lady Luxe’s bigger brother's aggression and smaller brother's complacency are all there but left unexplained in the air. Almost all of them are a bunch of sparkles riding the twilight zone, shooting their very own Arabian Nights with the Expats in Dubai. I may never look at Emirati men the same way again or any person who lives in Dubai for that matter. Thank You for that Sugar.
In conclusion, I have never come across a book where so much immorality and betrayal has been committed by so many people for so little.
November 8, 2014
The reputation of this book has made it all the way to Kuwait. The books name has always been in the back of my mind for some reason, only when news of it being banned earlier this year did I really cement its title in my brain and I started to pay attention. A book, written about and banned in the UAE? Then re-banned? And sold out b3d? Say a book is banned and I have to read it. I just have to see for myself if my mind is able to take it or not.
Finally, I got my hands on the book this past weekend while in Dubai. The book is indeed in every corner you look, in every chart and shelf. Its in fact the first thing I did when I went into Dubai: Check into the hotel, head down to Virgin mega store, and buy the book. I spent my weekend in Dubai reading it and there is no better way to read it than being in Dubai for you can totally relate to your surroundings.
On the cover, Time Out Dubai states that the book is 'UAE's answer to Desperate Housewives.' but I beg to differ. Its more like UAE's answer to SATC! The writing is very good indeed masha2 Allah but I was surprised at the content: it is quite naughty! Not suitable for sensitive readers who would be for sure extra sensitive towards its content if they are Arabs or Khaleejis given that we all live in the bubble of 3aib and refuse to believe that there is anything happening outside that bubble.
I liked the story line, I liked the twists, I liked the quite unlikely coincidences, yet I literally couldn't put it down and finished it at 3 AM this morning. Its like sitting in a room with a girlfriend and listening to her describing scandalous affairs of the society. You want to know if Leila bags the man catch, if Lady Luxe adventures are uncovered, if Nadia can patch it up with her cheating husband, and what the hell is Sugar's secret? Writing the naughty details in this book and sounding out the frank perspective of society towards its different inhabitants must have taken a lot of guts indeed.
The best thing about the book? It originated from a series of posts on a blog, Desperate in Dubai! I love blogs that turn into books and very successful ones indeed! I have a soft spot in my heart for every book that originates from blog posts, I cannot help it being a blogger myself. Those kinds of books almost always are successes with a fan base of people already willing to re read its content all over again. Way to go, Ameera :)
The things I didn't like about the book? There were no footnotes for the Arabic and Indian dialog and that annoyed me. There weren't many of them though and thank god I speak Arabic. I want to know what the Indian ones meant though. Another thing, I hated the name Sugar. Really hated the name Sugar. It grated on my ears every time I read it especially when she was in the religious mood. Her name only makes me think of a stripper out of the club. I couldn't relate to her.
Writing that book was very brave, and again it is not suitable for sensitive readers. I don't expect to see it landing in Kuwait's libraries anytime soon though, its too explicit for our censorship. Plus, I can understand why many think of it as offensive given that the characters voice out their thoughts generally. In addition, for some reason in the gulf we always think that the stories written in books are an exact word to word re-tale of something that actually happened that is often scandalous, and nothing can be imagined at all. If you approach the book from that angle and expect that you are reading a 100% true tale, you may not like its content at all and be quite outraged.
However, it is definitely staying on my shelf and I'm looking forward to more books by the writer with the nom de plume, Ameera Al Hakawati. I wonder how fellow Emarati readers feel about it though?
P.S. Its nothing Like Banat Al-Riyadh.
Finally, I got my hands on the book this past weekend while in Dubai. The book is indeed in every corner you look, in every chart and shelf. Its in fact the first thing I did when I went into Dubai: Check into the hotel, head down to Virgin mega store, and buy the book. I spent my weekend in Dubai reading it and there is no better way to read it than being in Dubai for you can totally relate to your surroundings.
On the cover, Time Out Dubai states that the book is 'UAE's answer to Desperate Housewives.' but I beg to differ. Its more like UAE's answer to SATC! The writing is very good indeed masha2 Allah but I was surprised at the content: it is quite naughty! Not suitable for sensitive readers who would be for sure extra sensitive towards its content if they are Arabs or Khaleejis given that we all live in the bubble of 3aib and refuse to believe that there is anything happening outside that bubble.
I liked the story line, I liked the twists, I liked the quite unlikely coincidences, yet I literally couldn't put it down and finished it at 3 AM this morning. Its like sitting in a room with a girlfriend and listening to her describing scandalous affairs of the society. You want to know if Leila bags the man catch, if Lady Luxe adventures are uncovered, if Nadia can patch it up with her cheating husband, and what the hell is Sugar's secret? Writing the naughty details in this book and sounding out the frank perspective of society towards its different inhabitants must have taken a lot of guts indeed.
The best thing about the book? It originated from a series of posts on a blog, Desperate in Dubai! I love blogs that turn into books and very successful ones indeed! I have a soft spot in my heart for every book that originates from blog posts, I cannot help it being a blogger myself. Those kinds of books almost always are successes with a fan base of people already willing to re read its content all over again. Way to go, Ameera :)
The things I didn't like about the book? There were no footnotes for the Arabic and Indian dialog and that annoyed me. There weren't many of them though and thank god I speak Arabic. I want to know what the Indian ones meant though. Another thing, I hated the name Sugar. Really hated the name Sugar. It grated on my ears every time I read it especially when she was in the religious mood. Her name only makes me think of a stripper out of the club. I couldn't relate to her.
Writing that book was very brave, and again it is not suitable for sensitive readers. I don't expect to see it landing in Kuwait's libraries anytime soon though, its too explicit for our censorship. Plus, I can understand why many think of it as offensive given that the characters voice out their thoughts generally. In addition, for some reason in the gulf we always think that the stories written in books are an exact word to word re-tale of something that actually happened that is often scandalous, and nothing can be imagined at all. If you approach the book from that angle and expect that you are reading a 100% true tale, you may not like its content at all and be quite outraged.
However, it is definitely staying on my shelf and I'm looking forward to more books by the writer with the nom de plume, Ameera Al Hakawati. I wonder how fellow Emarati readers feel about it though?
P.S. Its nothing Like Banat Al-Riyadh.
Read
May 17, 2012I just finished reading “Desperate in Dubai” by Ameera Al Hakawati
Let me tell you, if you’re into Desperate Housewives, chick flick dramas or even if you’re just looking out to read a good book this is your choice of the moment.
It was a hectic week but I managed to finish the book. As soon as I started, I was eager to know what happens next and once you read it trust me you will not be able to put the book down. It is actually pretty interesting to say the least.
Not to be a spoiler I will tell you minimal details of the book: It focuses about four ladies living in Dubai, in my opinion it is like “Sex and the City” where they talk about four ladies and the hidden fifth character is the city of New York, but in this case it is Dubai.
I don’t want to compare but I just want to give an honest amateur review from a reader’s point of view.
Moving on… The ladies Characters are very interesting and if you are living in Dubai or in my case from Dubai you will truly relate with them in a certain level.
Lady Luxe is a half Emirati half British decent that studied fashion design in London and moved back to Dubai to stereotypically start her Abaya business. She comes from a well known and strong family but her secret is that; she has been living a double life, one as Lady Luxe the innocent Emiratiya that her father is fond of and the other is when she wears her blonde wig and turns into this party girl named “Jennifer” Sort of like Hanna Montana gone Middle Eastern. She is my favorite character from them all!
Leila is a Christian Lebanese that moved to Dubai a decade ago and trying to find “The One”, she works in the real estate industry and has tons of plastic surgeries, enough to go around and distribute her silicones to all in need. She is blonde, reckless, loves to party and she loves rich men. She is in fact Lady Luxe’s best friend when she’s disguised as“Jennifer”.
Nadia is a Moroccan decent that lived her whole life in England, she therefore moved to Dubai to support her husband’s career and with the huge transition she realizes that her husband is being shady, she is the only character in the book that is wearing the head scarf AKA mothajbah. She is the vicious character that plots revenge and recognition.
Sugar is Indian that lived her whole life in England as well, she is known for her copper shiny hair and her sweet attitude, she moves to Dubai to escape her past. I don’t want to burn her story but Sugar from all of the characters is the shocker, her unraveling story slowly gets more and more interesting and I grew to love her character.
The fifth Character is the city of Dubai as the book specifies hang out locations and describes them adequately that triggers and interest for people that might never been to those cites.
Overall the book is scandalous, honest and real. The characters were somehow I could make out in real life, what that indicates is that I might know someone with the likes of Lady Luxe, Leila, Nadia or Sugar and they all intertwine in the middle of the book.
Nevertheless it is a very interesting book with a real ending, I highly recommend anyone to read it.
Let me tell you, if you’re into Desperate Housewives, chick flick dramas or even if you’re just looking out to read a good book this is your choice of the moment.
It was a hectic week but I managed to finish the book. As soon as I started, I was eager to know what happens next and once you read it trust me you will not be able to put the book down. It is actually pretty interesting to say the least.
Not to be a spoiler I will tell you minimal details of the book: It focuses about four ladies living in Dubai, in my opinion it is like “Sex and the City” where they talk about four ladies and the hidden fifth character is the city of New York, but in this case it is Dubai.
I don’t want to compare but I just want to give an honest amateur review from a reader’s point of view.
Moving on… The ladies Characters are very interesting and if you are living in Dubai or in my case from Dubai you will truly relate with them in a certain level.
Lady Luxe is a half Emirati half British decent that studied fashion design in London and moved back to Dubai to stereotypically start her Abaya business. She comes from a well known and strong family but her secret is that; she has been living a double life, one as Lady Luxe the innocent Emiratiya that her father is fond of and the other is when she wears her blonde wig and turns into this party girl named “Jennifer” Sort of like Hanna Montana gone Middle Eastern. She is my favorite character from them all!
Leila is a Christian Lebanese that moved to Dubai a decade ago and trying to find “The One”, she works in the real estate industry and has tons of plastic surgeries, enough to go around and distribute her silicones to all in need. She is blonde, reckless, loves to party and she loves rich men. She is in fact Lady Luxe’s best friend when she’s disguised as“Jennifer”.
Nadia is a Moroccan decent that lived her whole life in England, she therefore moved to Dubai to support her husband’s career and with the huge transition she realizes that her husband is being shady, she is the only character in the book that is wearing the head scarf AKA mothajbah. She is the vicious character that plots revenge and recognition.
Sugar is Indian that lived her whole life in England as well, she is known for her copper shiny hair and her sweet attitude, she moves to Dubai to escape her past. I don’t want to burn her story but Sugar from all of the characters is the shocker, her unraveling story slowly gets more and more interesting and I grew to love her character.
The fifth Character is the city of Dubai as the book specifies hang out locations and describes them adequately that triggers and interest for people that might never been to those cites.
Overall the book is scandalous, honest and real. The characters were somehow I could make out in real life, what that indicates is that I might know someone with the likes of Lady Luxe, Leila, Nadia or Sugar and they all intertwine in the middle of the book.
Nevertheless it is a very interesting book with a real ending, I highly recommend anyone to read it.
March 20, 2015
(NO SPOILERS!)
Damn that was such a good book! The ultimate contemporary, if you ask me. I'd be lying if i said i didn't love it. It was so BEAUTIFULLY written. And i must say, i admired the writer's boldness and her style was just CAPTIVATING! So descriptive.. So honest. God, i freaking loved this story. Loved how all independent stories intertwined into one, i loved how the author magically created a tangled mess of it and then PERFECTED the ending. Admittedly, stereotyping was vivid in this book, but most of it was either the sad truth, or the CHARACTER'S genuine opinion. Because i hardly think the author believed any of this nonsense, and she even contradicted most of the stereotyping when writing from a different character's view. I also loved how it's set in Dubai and even though it doesn't send a very flattering message about Arabs, i enjoyed reading about places i recognized and relating to some things for a change!
Damn that was such a good book! The ultimate contemporary, if you ask me. I'd be lying if i said i didn't love it. It was so BEAUTIFULLY written. And i must say, i admired the writer's boldness and her style was just CAPTIVATING! So descriptive.. So honest. God, i freaking loved this story. Loved how all independent stories intertwined into one, i loved how the author magically created a tangled mess of it and then PERFECTED the ending. Admittedly, stereotyping was vivid in this book, but most of it was either the sad truth, or the CHARACTER'S genuine opinion. Because i hardly think the author believed any of this nonsense, and she even contradicted most of the stereotyping when writing from a different character's view. I also loved how it's set in Dubai and even though it doesn't send a very flattering message about Arabs, i enjoyed reading about places i recognized and relating to some things for a change!
Read
July 31, 2013Such a terribly written book! The author is so confused! Both 1st and 3rd person are plain abused! Terrible language, so repetitive... Not even fun trashy reading..! The editor should seriously consider a new job!
March 8, 2012
Nope. Badly written, completely skipped the editor and made it straight to the printing.
October 5, 2013
Somewhere between 3 and 3.5.
The book portrayed an extremely exaggerated view of Dubai. The characters were extremely shallow and most of them annoying. Sugar's character arc was extremely interesting and enjoyable though. Her story was rich, her attitude fascinating.
This book wasn't bad, it was way too popular. The hype around it is enormous and I don't understand why. In terms of writing, this book was okay. At many glances I found an abrupt change in the writing style, which was a bit distracting.
Despite all that, I admit, I was intrigued to know how the story will resolve. My hate towards the characters was a driving force for me to continue reading. I was sort of pleased with the way the book ended.
Overall, the book was enjoyable and entertaining, but had me rolling my eyes and cringing in lots of places.
The book portrayed an extremely exaggerated view of Dubai. The characters were extremely shallow and most of them annoying. Sugar's character arc was extremely interesting and enjoyable though. Her story was rich, her attitude fascinating.
This book wasn't bad, it was way too popular. The hype around it is enormous and I don't understand why. In terms of writing, this book was okay. At many glances I found an abrupt change in the writing style, which was a bit distracting.
Despite all that, I admit, I was intrigued to know how the story will resolve. My hate towards the characters was a driving force for me to continue reading. I was sort of pleased with the way the book ended.
Overall, the book was enjoyable and entertaining, but had me rolling my eyes and cringing in lots of places.
September 9, 2012
I read this book just because the setting is in Dubai. I've read so many similar books it's not that they're not good...it's that I don't connect with the characters and after I finish reading I don't feel different. And for me for a book to be really good...it has to make me feel something, be it happy or sad or pity...simply feel. This book fails to do that.
September 2, 2015
I've been reading this book for almost two months I know I aged a lot from reading this
I was busy with things I hadn't had time for some self time
.
.
.
Book : Desperate In Dubai
Author : Ameera Al Hakawati
Rate : 10/10
.
.
.
It is about four young women who lived their life time in Dubai .
.
.
Lady Luxe (Jennifer)
Lila
Nadia
Sugar
.
.
.
Lady Luxe is a Emirati woman Well-known businesses woman in Abaya designing
She is living two different lives
One she is innocent in front of her father and the other where she plays with her tail .
.
.
Lila is in her 30's Lebanese woman where she spend most of her money in plastic surgery for beauty. So mostly everything is fake in her.
She thinks about marrying a rich guy and have a good home plus she is a gold digger .
.
.
Nadia who fell in love with Danille and end up marrying him in 6 months from knowing him.
She is half Moroccan and half Nigerian.
Till she finds out her husband is a cheater and she will just get her revenge in her own way
.
.
.
Sugar is an Indian woman who fell in love with a black guy from London and end up getting married secretly and him converting to Islam
However, this end up tragically
.
.
.
The writer is born to write believe me when I say that. She is fantastically amazing and the story is. Freaking cool .
.
.
#read #reading #novel #desperate #Dubai #book #books #ساعه_لنقرأ
.
I was busy with things I hadn't had time for some self time
.
.
.
Book : Desperate In Dubai
Author : Ameera Al Hakawati
Rate : 10/10
.
.
.
It is about four young women who lived their life time in Dubai .
.
.
Lady Luxe (Jennifer)
Lila
Nadia
Sugar
.
.
.
Lady Luxe is a Emirati woman Well-known businesses woman in Abaya designing
She is living two different lives
One she is innocent in front of her father and the other where she plays with her tail .
.
.
Lila is in her 30's Lebanese woman where she spend most of her money in plastic surgery for beauty. So mostly everything is fake in her.
She thinks about marrying a rich guy and have a good home plus she is a gold digger .
.
.
Nadia who fell in love with Danille and end up marrying him in 6 months from knowing him.
She is half Moroccan and half Nigerian.
Till she finds out her husband is a cheater and she will just get her revenge in her own way
.
.
.
Sugar is an Indian woman who fell in love with a black guy from London and end up getting married secretly and him converting to Islam
However, this end up tragically
.
.
.
The writer is born to write believe me when I say that. She is fantastically amazing and the story is. Freaking cool .
.
.
#read #reading #novel #desperate #Dubai #book #books #ساعه_لنقرأ
.
June 19, 2012
dubai is the city we run to when life gets too hectic , thats what i always do and this book made me realize I'm not the only one, as arab/muslim girls the western world sees us as deprived or locked up, but we know that's not true because at the end of the day we will do what we want as lady luxe proves.
no book has ever touched me the way desperate in dubai has I'm not sure if its because i related with the stories i have been thru the same issues, or because it also opened up a new world to me that i only saw from the eyes of a tourist. no matter what it is this is the only book i have ever read twice and i wish to forget just to read again for the first time. i honestly feel no words i can say will give this book justice for it deserves much more then my praise. simply i think everyone should read it because if your arab you'll relate and if your not you'll understand us arab girls much more. we choose the life we lead even if we have to run away thousands of miles from our families
no book has ever touched me the way desperate in dubai has I'm not sure if its because i related with the stories i have been thru the same issues, or because it also opened up a new world to me that i only saw from the eyes of a tourist. no matter what it is this is the only book i have ever read twice and i wish to forget just to read again for the first time. i honestly feel no words i can say will give this book justice for it deserves much more then my praise. simply i think everyone should read it because if your arab you'll relate and if your not you'll understand us arab girls much more. we choose the life we lead even if we have to run away thousands of miles from our families
January 13, 2013
This is the story of four women and their somewhat interconnected lives. Lady Luxe, a Dubai heiress; Leila, an opportunistic social climber; Nadia, a betrayed wife, and Sugar, a victim of tragic circumstances.
Of these, the most interesting is definitely Lady Luxe, who leads a double life, one as burkha-clad traditional daughter of the family; and the other as a hedonist, no stranger to alcohol, men, and high jinks. Her voice is also the most powerful.
The slightly grey character of Leila is also well-sketched with the right amount of details:
Fully aware that a designer ensemble compared to an ordinary outfit is like the difference between Nobu and a filet-o-fish burger at McDonald’s, she unconsciously tugs at her Top-Shop leopard print boob tube dress and runs her fingers through her big blonde hair.
Though, imho, the writing could be better. Does the author mean ‘self-consciously’? Do we need that adverb at all? The author is already showing Leila’s state of mind through the action: ‘tugs at her Top-Shop leopard print boob tube dress and runs her fingers through her big blonde hair.’
In the very next para the author moves into Lady Luxe’s head, which leads to a series of head-hopping passages that could be avoided. Either stick to 3rd person, or omniscient point-of-view, can’t have both. It confuses readers and make them dizzy. (Hope it wasn’t just me.)
Sugar and Nadia, despite their tragic situations, failed to elicit any empathy, perhaps because of their tired story-lines (which the author has tried to enliven through interconnection). It could also be because I’m a major fan of ‘voice’ and both of these ladies lacked luster.
Why you could read it: It is an easy read, and if you’re fascinated by the Middle East and its culture, the nuances of contemporary life, and the status of women, this might be a fascinating read. This may not be representative of the entire Arab world, but it is a good glimpse.
Why you could give it a miss: I imagine women finding this book interesting, but most men I know steer clear of contemporary women’s writing. And Chick lit. Just saying.
My cribs:
1. The head-hopping annoyed me. The whole book could easily have been edited to avoid this.
2. I didn’t like the use of pseudonyms for Lady Luxe and Sugar, seemed like a deliberate ploy to maintain surprises/ twists. Unnecessary.
3. For a book with feminist undertones/ overtones — the ending disappointed me. Without giving any spoilers, all I can say is that the ending for each character’s story is where I found a conflict between a chick-lit and women’s contemporary writing. The genre-blending did not work at this point.
To sum it up, this book is good as an in-flight read, or if you’re in the mood for light reading. I enjoyed the glimpses into Dubai society, and duly hated all the men as I was meant to — excellent portrait of a patriarchal setup. The only truly sympathetic man in the whole book is Lady Luxe’s step-brother.
Overall, this is an auspicious debut, with excellent premise. I only hope the author finds herself a better editor for her next book.
Of these, the most interesting is definitely Lady Luxe, who leads a double life, one as burkha-clad traditional daughter of the family; and the other as a hedonist, no stranger to alcohol, men, and high jinks. Her voice is also the most powerful.
The slightly grey character of Leila is also well-sketched with the right amount of details:
Fully aware that a designer ensemble compared to an ordinary outfit is like the difference between Nobu and a filet-o-fish burger at McDonald’s, she unconsciously tugs at her Top-Shop leopard print boob tube dress and runs her fingers through her big blonde hair.
Though, imho, the writing could be better. Does the author mean ‘self-consciously’? Do we need that adverb at all? The author is already showing Leila’s state of mind through the action: ‘tugs at her Top-Shop leopard print boob tube dress and runs her fingers through her big blonde hair.’
In the very next para the author moves into Lady Luxe’s head, which leads to a series of head-hopping passages that could be avoided. Either stick to 3rd person, or omniscient point-of-view, can’t have both. It confuses readers and make them dizzy. (Hope it wasn’t just me.)
Sugar and Nadia, despite their tragic situations, failed to elicit any empathy, perhaps because of their tired story-lines (which the author has tried to enliven through interconnection). It could also be because I’m a major fan of ‘voice’ and both of these ladies lacked luster.
Why you could read it: It is an easy read, and if you’re fascinated by the Middle East and its culture, the nuances of contemporary life, and the status of women, this might be a fascinating read. This may not be representative of the entire Arab world, but it is a good glimpse.
Why you could give it a miss: I imagine women finding this book interesting, but most men I know steer clear of contemporary women’s writing. And Chick lit. Just saying.
My cribs:
1. The head-hopping annoyed me. The whole book could easily have been edited to avoid this.
2. I didn’t like the use of pseudonyms for Lady Luxe and Sugar, seemed like a deliberate ploy to maintain surprises/ twists. Unnecessary.
3. For a book with feminist undertones/ overtones — the ending disappointed me. Without giving any spoilers, all I can say is that the ending for each character’s story is where I found a conflict between a chick-lit and women’s contemporary writing. The genre-blending did not work at this point.
To sum it up, this book is good as an in-flight read, or if you’re in the mood for light reading. I enjoyed the glimpses into Dubai society, and duly hated all the men as I was meant to — excellent portrait of a patriarchal setup. The only truly sympathetic man in the whole book is Lady Luxe’s step-brother.
Overall, this is an auspicious debut, with excellent premise. I only hope the author finds herself a better editor for her next book.
September 25, 2020
Although it is an easy fun read, i found the ending to be weak. The author tried to tie all loose ends in the last few pages which resulted in a disappointing mess. The way she tied all characters together was also, in my opinion, unnecessary and did not really enrich the plot- quite the contrary. But in-spite of all that I did enjoy reading it.
October 16, 2012
Desperate to publish a shallow, poorly written and edited novel just because it's set in Dubai? Yep, they were.
September 7, 2013
Personally I found the female leads to be unlikable.
August 11, 2012
I finally finished reading! Turns out I'm more busy in summer than in school days, especially if you're in America.
This book is different than most books I read, especially to an emarati technically living in Dubai. It was weird in a nice way though. Since not everything in there is true about a normal emarati.
I have an urge to meet the author. Wanting to know more about herself, her family, her childhood, but mostly her crazy ideas.
Desperate In Dubai has really been entertaining. I didn't like the ending though. I don't like fairy tale endings that keep my mind working overtime. I hate the phrase ‘and they lived happily ever after.’ The ending of DID was a fairy tale ending in different words. I have questions that i want answered like: what happened to Ahmed? Did he try to help her? How did Lady Luxe meet Mr Delicious? Did Mohamed find out about Liela & Lady Luxe being friends?.. Etc
I hate Nadia so much. If it wasn't for her revenge plans all of this would've happened. Simultaneously, if it didn't happen it would've been a complete different story. She took revenge way too far. God, she has anger management issues. Hello Nadia? Have you heard of karma? I guess not.
The name Sugar annoyed me. Sugar wla ml7 :p In my head a guy at a bar would call the bartender Sugar. I survived through, didn't i? As I read further through the book my annoyance about her name decreased, which was good.
Despite all that, the book is scandalous. Makes you want to continue reading. It is very well written. I liked it! :D
This book is different than most books I read, especially to an emarati technically living in Dubai. It was weird in a nice way though. Since not everything in there is true about a normal emarati.
I have an urge to meet the author. Wanting to know more about herself, her family, her childhood, but mostly her crazy ideas.
Desperate In Dubai has really been entertaining. I didn't like the ending though. I don't like fairy tale endings that keep my mind working overtime. I hate the phrase ‘and they lived happily ever after.’ The ending of DID was a fairy tale ending in different words. I have questions that i want answered like: what happened to Ahmed? Did he try to help her? How did Lady Luxe meet Mr Delicious? Did Mohamed find out about Liela & Lady Luxe being friends?.. Etc
I hate Nadia so much. If it wasn't for her revenge plans all of this would've happened. Simultaneously, if it didn't happen it would've been a complete different story. She took revenge way too far. God, she has anger management issues. Hello Nadia? Have you heard of karma? I guess not.
The name Sugar annoyed me. Sugar wla ml7 :p In my head a guy at a bar would call the bartender Sugar. I survived through, didn't i? As I read further through the book my annoyance about her name decreased, which was good.
Despite all that, the book is scandalous. Makes you want to continue reading. It is very well written. I liked it! :D
March 14, 2012
I read (gobbled up) this book in one day and loved it! I don't know if it is because I grew up here and every story is a same-same-but-different variation of the stories I have heard growing up, every character is like someone I have met somewhere along the way, the places, the recurring themes are so much a part of this place I call home or if it was just a pretty good page-turner. I just *got* everything that was implied, said and lived through and loved the familiarity of it all. I kinda feel the author had to intertwine the Islamic theme throughout the novel so as to heighten the chances of permission to publish here in the UAE (I heard it was first refused and then granted when the author 'promised' it was all fiction). Would be interesting to know what an outsider would think of it. Great summer/airplane reading especially before your first trip to Dubai :)
June 10, 2014
This story have four different characters; Lady luxe, she's an Emarati heirs and she's trying to break free from the culture and religion and traditions, sugar is the British Indian girl also trying to get away from her past and forget, the other one is Laila; Lebanese who can't find a husband and Nadia is a women who get cheated by her husband. There are different dramas that happens in their life. The novel also talks about the life in Dubai and the religion and culture. I enjoyed reading this novel but at the same time it somehow talks about Women in Dubai in General that got issues with their personal life and that doesn't show respect and damages the reputation of Arabs.
December 27, 2012
First the english was not good
Second I didn't feel anything special about this book
Third the writer spoke about one class of Dubai (and she was not good at describing it either)
All in all the book doesnt describe the beauty of Dubai. The drama she mentioned can happen in any place in the world.
Second I didn't feel anything special about this book
Third the writer spoke about one class of Dubai (and she was not good at describing it either)
All in all the book doesnt describe the beauty of Dubai. The drama she mentioned can happen in any place in the world.
January 7, 2022
The book is overrated and doesn't sound realistic at all. I lost interest in a couple of characters and skipped the chapters about them and fixed my interests on Lady Lux because she was the only character that actually had something interesting in her life.
May 13, 2013
Unexplained story lines, numerous typos, and superficiality of all characters. Mildly entertaining.
August 26, 2014
sickly unrealistic but captivating enough to want to finish in one sitting. what I haven't enjoyed so far: I can tell the author is desperate to get non arabs to understand islamic way of life...like the real positive anti extremist peaceful feminist loving way of life. for a Muslim to read its kinda like ye ye we know! for example when sugar is narrating and talks about women not having to pray on their period. why on earth is she talking to the audience about that!? its not a normal internal monologue one would have with themselves and therefore seems unnatural. had it been in third person it would make much more sense. im still confused as to how word did not get around about sugar and jayden enough for yasmin and therefore nadia to know. I mean if sugar dropped everything and left to live in dubai wouldn't her friends speculate enough? I despised the whole "wanna know a secret, I converted" statement jayden announced. oh of course the perfect guy is a Muslim while u need to leave and get over your husband how gorgeously convenient. also waaay too much unnecessary description. show don't tell is the rule of thumb. I don't need to know that they used mac primer then concealer then foundation. had u said she caked her face with overpriced crap it would have translated just as well, been few words less and left more to the readers imagination. also enough with the brands. is the author being sponsored? if u are describing a rich women clad in expensive designer wear I don't require the details....French connection pajamas, louboutin shoes with this top and that skirt and bla bla bla. am I supposed to be impressed? give the reader the permission to dress their own characters how they imagine. and indeed these women are very lucky they seem to have amazing opportunities with the opposite sex just fall into their laps...which is far beyond the truth especially for Muslim women. Although the challenges are still presented and acknowledged its still unreal. and why oh why are these women so hormonally/sexually driven? is that another attempt to get the Western non Muslim reader convinced that arab Muslim women are sexy and flirty and arnt prudish and boring they way people tend to believe they are? well we arnt sexually uncontrollable monsters either I lose respect for nadia and sugar who continue to be distracted by their love interests looks. their experiences should suggest otherwise.
and to add further un realism how could anyone possibly arrange for such a scene to take place in a conservative environment without the backlash. had something actually happened like that when they confronted humaid the authorities would have intervened!
the story also ended abruptly and I think the ine person who deserved anything good was actually nadia and she ended up alone whereas all the others happened to be back with the men that longed for them. my favorite story was leilas. more realistic than any others and I was glad things were looking up.
and to add further un realism how could anyone possibly arrange for such a scene to take place in a conservative environment without the backlash. had something actually happened like that when they confronted humaid the authorities would have intervened!
the story also ended abruptly and I think the ine person who deserved anything good was actually nadia and she ended up alone whereas all the others happened to be back with the men that longed for them. my favorite story was leilas. more realistic than any others and I was glad things were looking up.
July 23, 2013
Holy estrogen! This book is infested with desperate girls with so many psychological issues, it’s sickening. However, having lived in Dubai all my life, I just loved being inside the scoop of these girls’ gossip! It’s as if I knew them. And in reality, I probably have met people like them!
I loved the familiarity of the settings, the way everybody in Dubai does the exact same things –mind you, I’m still convinced I’m the only one who goes to Elements, Wafi- but turns out Lady Luxe does too!
Let me go in detail why this book gets 4 stars. First of all, the ending sucked. Let me tell you what the author thought while writing the ending:
“Okay. So I’ve made it kind of exciting for my readers so far. Everyone wants to know what happened to my seriously deranged characters, and now I don’t know where I’m going with this so JKHDKJHGjkaghldiugdkljyheoiu because fuck it. Yes?”
And we’re all like….
It was also kind of boring that all the “accidental” events took place between Dubai and London. I get it if everything happened in Dubai. Because then, that’s logical, since all the characters are supposed to be Dubai based. But for ALL of the characters, to somehow coincide in King’s Cross, and Al Ghubaiba metro station at the same time…. That’s kinda unlikely. I just wished it was more confined to Dubai.
Second of all the characters. They were all bland, insecure and severely troubled. Lady Luxe was the only one amongst them that possessed all of the above flaws, but was somehow also pleasant. I loved her attitude but hated her stupidity –even though she was reflected as “smart”- but she wasn’t.
So all in all, I really loved the fast-paced mindless reading, and I will admit I couldn’t put it down for the last 200 pages, but I didn’t choose this book for its literary capacity anyway so I’m generally happy. :D
I loved the familiarity of the settings, the way everybody in Dubai does the exact same things –mind you, I’m still convinced I’m the only one who goes to Elements, Wafi- but turns out Lady Luxe does too!
Let me go in detail why this book gets 4 stars. First of all, the ending sucked. Let me tell you what the author thought while writing the ending:
“Okay. So I’ve made it kind of exciting for my readers so far. Everyone wants to know what happened to my seriously deranged characters, and now I don’t know where I’m going with this so JKHDKJHGjkaghldiugdkljyheoiu because fuck it. Yes?”
And we’re all like….
It was also kind of boring that all the “accidental” events took place between Dubai and London. I get it if everything happened in Dubai. Because then, that’s logical, since all the characters are supposed to be Dubai based. But for ALL of the characters, to somehow coincide in King’s Cross, and Al Ghubaiba metro station at the same time…. That’s kinda unlikely. I just wished it was more confined to Dubai.
Second of all the characters. They were all bland, insecure and severely troubled. Lady Luxe was the only one amongst them that possessed all of the above flaws, but was somehow also pleasant. I loved her attitude but hated her stupidity –even though she was reflected as “smart”- but she wasn’t.
So all in all, I really loved the fast-paced mindless reading, and I will admit I couldn’t put it down for the last 200 pages, but I didn’t choose this book for its literary capacity anyway so I’m generally happy. :D
February 9, 2014
I'm really on the fence about this one. The story was entertaining yet so annoying. It was entertaining because of all the scandalous events and unexpected coincidences; but it was annoying because it is packed with stereotypes. Now I’m all for writers who “say it like it is” and I’m not naïve to think that the things written in the book don’t really happen… but in many parts I felt that the labels given to the many nationalities and cultures were at some point spiteful rather than lighthearted as I’m assuming they were meant to be. There was really not one good thing written about any of the characters that’s why I disliked all of them. As an Emirati, I understand the cultural restrictions and can relate to some of the community characteristics; however, I wished she would have said at least one good thing about Emiratis other than them being “familiar with the oil smell” (or something along those lines from one of the chapters *rolls eyes*).
I wonder if the story was in a different setting whether I would have thought about it differently. As I said, aside from the stereotypes and the horrid labels, the story was enjoyable. I did not like the names “Lady Luxe”, “Goldenboy” or “Sugar”… I can’t understand why the writer didn’t just choose some normal names! And I don’t know why there weren’t any footnotes for translations of the Arabic and Indian dialogues either. If I wasn’t Arabic I wouldn’t know what was going on in some parts of the book just like I didn’t know what the heck was being said now in Indian during Sugar’s chapters.
There were also some unnecessary details like the “flower hair clip” *cringe* and the “Swarovski encrusted abaya” ughhh… these things are already dated.
Now I’m getting annoyed all over again, so I’ll stop. It’s a good beach read. A star for the beautiful Dubai.
I wonder if the story was in a different setting whether I would have thought about it differently. As I said, aside from the stereotypes and the horrid labels, the story was enjoyable. I did not like the names “Lady Luxe”, “Goldenboy” or “Sugar”… I can’t understand why the writer didn’t just choose some normal names! And I don’t know why there weren’t any footnotes for translations of the Arabic and Indian dialogues either. If I wasn’t Arabic I wouldn’t know what was going on in some parts of the book just like I didn’t know what the heck was being said now in Indian during Sugar’s chapters.
There were also some unnecessary details like the “flower hair clip” *cringe* and the “Swarovski encrusted abaya” ughhh… these things are already dated.
Now I’m getting annoyed all over again, so I’ll stop. It’s a good beach read. A star for the beautiful Dubai.
![Profile Image for St[♥]r Pr!nc:$$ N[♥]wsheen pictures, pictures, pictures ||| ♥ Zin Uru ♥ ||||.](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1378104145i%2F1253494._UY200_CR33%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
June 7, 2012
:D ok, I had been wanting to live and work in Dubai for very many years and maybe even find someone to get married to cos it's really important to get married if you are living with your boring old mom like I was then. She may pass into the netherworld soon but I think she got through to me, I just didn't want to marry her type of man for me. It's getting too complicated...wow
Ok so I was looking for new books for my Goodreads reading challenge 2012 and sort of quickly read through this book in the bookstore. I didn't buy it cos it doesn't have someone like me in it. It's about a bunch of possibly 'rich' single women, some arab, some british, who get to be friends with one another in the big bad city. It describes their lifestyle as they try not to get fat I think even if the cover shows someone skinny. O man I have been looking for those white border sunglasses forever. So, yeah I guess they meet like lot of rich men and don't get anywhere with them or something. Sorry her english seemed a bit forced and formal, like she watched Bridget Jones Diary just the other day. Maybe something like the proprietor of fstore in dubai, wow!! Personally, I don't like owning stores I think.
The one star is cos for a moment I was excited to find the book. Cos I really desperately wished that life for 7-8 long years every now and then. It gets really hot there. :( And I guess I don't go for arab men in a big way, so boo hoo!!!
Ok so I was looking for new books for my Goodreads reading challenge 2012 and sort of quickly read through this book in the bookstore. I didn't buy it cos it doesn't have someone like me in it. It's about a bunch of possibly 'rich' single women, some arab, some british, who get to be friends with one another in the big bad city. It describes their lifestyle as they try not to get fat I think even if the cover shows someone skinny. O man I have been looking for those white border sunglasses forever. So, yeah I guess they meet like lot of rich men and don't get anywhere with them or something. Sorry her english seemed a bit forced and formal, like she watched Bridget Jones Diary just the other day. Maybe something like the proprietor of fstore in dubai, wow!! Personally, I don't like owning stores I think.
The one star is cos for a moment I was excited to find the book. Cos I really desperately wished that life for 7-8 long years every now and then. It gets really hot there. :( And I guess I don't go for arab men in a big way, so boo hoo!!!
Read
April 28, 2014Desperate in Dubai is written by Amira Al Hakawati, this story is based on true story that is based in Dubai. It is a really interesting story; I really enjoyed reading this book. I think so far it is one of the best books I have read. The main characters in the story are four ladies who tell their issues and why they are living in Dubai. It is mainly about the hidden life of muslim region. Lady Luxe is an Emarati girl who's half british; she struggle to find a way in order to live in Dubai because of the cultural and traditions that doesn't matches her taste. Lady Luxe comes from a well known and wealthy family. The second character a lady called Sugar who is Indian British who escape from her past and open a new page from the time she starting living in Dubai. The third character is called Nadia she's from north Africa she moved to Dubai in order to support her husband with his jib in Dubai. The fourth character is called Laila she is a lebanese woman who search for a rich Emarati guy in order to get whatever she want. What I liked in this story is that it is based in. Dubai so it makes me feel that i'm living with the characters; beside that when I started reading it I couldn't stop I wanted to finish it really quickly in order to know what will hapoen at the end. The end wasn't expected but is was nice. I hope that everyone read this book because it is really interestibg and it tells what happens behind the veil in the Arabic regions. :D
May 2, 2013
Well I LOVED IT, till the last surprising sentence, I couldn't stop reading it even through my busy schedule. First of all, if you can’t dare the truth don’t read it, you will end up seeing it with a judging eye which may not be the eye you want to see this book with. It’s not quite the conventional dirty-secret-telling story, you always wonder if the writer is exaggerating or if it is really the ugly truth. Should I believe it? It makes you wonder if the characters were real life story people or the worse of what can be made by the society. Yet, it did give me an insight of what is going on beneath the surface and what kind of people make the City Of life alive. The language is flowing, young and salacious indeed. She spoke of confidence and with real words the way I would secretly think of it. Although the book presents a grey view of things but it does teach you some black or white lessons: that freedom is not worth its price (at least not in the UAE). Revenge gives you absolutely no empowering or wining feeling. Not only Dubai, but the world, is a small and connected place. What goes around comes around and things work out when you let life take its course and stop waiting and start living. It’s a goodread indeed.
July 7, 2012
well , the book is interesting it will currently make you think about the upcoming events every time you closed it. but as many people say they couldn't go through the 1st three chapters or even read the book because they thought it is shallow, i did too all the way through the book. i think the writer put too much thought and highlighted the brands and the shallow things in life also on the back of the book the 1st comment you'd read have nothing to do with the inside of the book just bring the shallow side of it, and this is a down side for this book.
if you have ever read "bnat al ryadh" you'll find a similarity in the way the writer narrowed it down to four characters, and the way she narrate the story as if you haven't gone far from "bnat al ryadh". also it reminded me of the Immature arabic local stories in the internet blogs "منتديات".
also i didn't like the way the writer used so many word in arabic and didn't even translate half of them to english so it's a book for arabs that's narrows down the audience of this book.
but i think the stories in this book are true, for i know some of them myself that happened to some people in my life.
if you have ever read "bnat al ryadh" you'll find a similarity in the way the writer narrowed it down to four characters, and the way she narrate the story as if you haven't gone far from "bnat al ryadh". also it reminded me of the Immature arabic local stories in the internet blogs "منتديات".
also i didn't like the way the writer used so many word in arabic and didn't even translate half of them to english so it's a book for arabs that's narrows down the audience of this book.
but i think the stories in this book are true, for i know some of them myself that happened to some people in my life.
March 22, 2014
I just finished reading the book! The books have lots of details that make it more fun to read and it's an easy book to read. The book talks about four desperate women that live in Dubai. Lady Luxe the half Emarati and half British that lives a double life. Leila is a Christian Lebanese who is desperate finding the perfect guy to get married. Nadia is a Moroccan that moved to Dubai and found out that her husband is cheating on her. Sugar is India born in England, she moves to Dubai to escape her past. I found this book different that other books I have read because it about things that happens in Dubai, and most people don't know. They are all lost and trying to find love, money, men, truth, themselves.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews