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A Family Affair
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Fern Michaels comes a captivating and heartfelt new novel, as a young dancer finds an unexpected partner--and gains the courage to live according to her heart. . .
In a city built on dreams, Trisha Holiday makes her living moving like one. But out of her dancer's costume, she's as down-to-earth as they come. That's why she ignores the admiring note--and the accompanying $1000 bill--that arrives backstage after one of her ethereal performances. Yet the sender, a wealthy foreign prince, isn't easily dissuaded. Seven years living and studying in the United States have made Malik long for the freedom to choose his own bride--and the woman he wants is Trisha.
After a breathtaking visit to Malik's kingdom culminates in a marriage proposal, Trish attempts to adjust to an opulent new lifestyle complete with servants, sumptuous surroundings, and vast wealth. None of that matters to Trish as much as Malik's love. With Malik's sister Soraya proving a trusted new friend, they plan a lavish wedding surpassing anything she could have imagined.
Yet Trish's new life will have challenges too--adjusting to a new and complex culture, to the myriad demands of Malik's royal position, and to the expectations she faces as his wife. In the midst of her own major changes, Trish vows to help her sister, Emma, whose marriage has ended in a bitter breakup. And through it all, Trish will strive to stay true to what matters most--love, true friendship, and the ties that hold family together across the miles and the years.
In a city built on dreams, Trisha Holiday makes her living moving like one. But out of her dancer's costume, she's as down-to-earth as they come. That's why she ignores the admiring note--and the accompanying $1000 bill--that arrives backstage after one of her ethereal performances. Yet the sender, a wealthy foreign prince, isn't easily dissuaded. Seven years living and studying in the United States have made Malik long for the freedom to choose his own bride--and the woman he wants is Trisha.
After a breathtaking visit to Malik's kingdom culminates in a marriage proposal, Trish attempts to adjust to an opulent new lifestyle complete with servants, sumptuous surroundings, and vast wealth. None of that matters to Trish as much as Malik's love. With Malik's sister Soraya proving a trusted new friend, they plan a lavish wedding surpassing anything she could have imagined.
Yet Trish's new life will have challenges too--adjusting to a new and complex culture, to the myriad demands of Malik's royal position, and to the expectations she faces as his wife. In the midst of her own major changes, Trish vows to help her sister, Emma, whose marriage has ended in a bitter breakup. And through it all, Trish will strive to stay true to what matters most--love, true friendship, and the ties that hold family together across the miles and the years.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
392 people are currently reading
1371 people want to read
About the author
Fern Michaels
431 books6,585 followersFern Michaels isn’t a person. I’m not sure she’s an entity either since an entity is something with separate existence. Fern Michaels® is what I DO. Me, Mary Ruth Kuczkir. Growing up in Hastings, Pennsylvania, I was called Ruth. I became Mary when I entered the business world where first names were the order of the day. To this day, family and friends call me Dink, a name my father gave me when I was born because according to him I was ‘a dinky little thing’ weighing in at four and a half pounds. However, I answer to Fern since people are more comfortable with a name they can pronounce.
As they say, the past is prologue. I grew up, got a job, got married, had five kids. When my youngest went off to Kindergarten, my husband told me to get off my ass and get a job. Those were his exact words. I didn’t know how to do anything except be a wife and mother. I was also a voracious reader having cut my teeth on The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames and the like. The library was a magical place for me. It still is to this day. Rather than face the outside world with no skills, I decided to write a book. For some reason that didn’t intimidate me. As my husband said at the time, stupid is as stupid does. Guess what, I don’t have that husband any more. Guess what else! I wrote 99 books, most of them New York Times Best Sellers.
Moving right along here . . . Several years ago I left Ballantine Books, parted company with my agent, sold my house in New Jersey that I had lived in all my married life and in 1993 moved to South Carolina. I figured if I was going to go through trauma let it be all at one time. It was a breeze. The kids were all on their own at that point. The dump was a 300 year old plantation house that is listed in the National Registry that I remodeled. Today it is beyond belief as are the gardens and the equally old Angel Oaks that drip Spanish moss. Unfortunately, I could not get my ghost to relocate. This ghost has been documented by previous owners. Mary Margaret as we call her, is “a friendly”. She is also mischievous. It took me two weeks to figure out that she didn’t like my coffee cups. They would slide off the table or counter or else they’d break in the dishwasher. I bought red checkered ones. All are intact as of this writing. She moves pillows from one room to the other and she stops all the clocks in the house at 9:10 in the a.m. at least once a week. When the Azaleas are in bloom, and only then, I find blooms on my night stand. I have this glorious front porch and during the warm months I see my swing moving early in the morning when the air is still and again late in the day. She doesn’t spook the dogs. I always know when she’s around because the five of them line up and look like they’re at a tennis match. As of this writing we’re co-habiting nicely.
Most writers love what they do and I’m no exception. I love it when I get a germ of an idea and get it down on paper. I love breathing life into my characters. I love writing about women who persevere and prevail because that’s what I had to do to get to this point in time. It’s another way of saying it doesn’t matter where you’ve been, what matters is where you’re going and how you get there. The day I finally prevailed was the day I was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame. For me it was an awesome day and there are no words to describe it.
I’ve been telling stories and scribbling for 37 years. I hope I can continue for another 37 years. It wasn’t easy during some of those years. As I said, I had to persevere. My old Polish grandmother said something to me when I was little that I never forgot. She said when God is good to you, you have to give back. For a while I didn’t know how to do that. When I finally figured it out I set up The Fern Michaels® Foundation.
READ FERN MICHAELS' FULL BIOGRAPHY HERE: http://www.fernmichaels.com/biography/
As they say, the past is prologue. I grew up, got a job, got married, had five kids. When my youngest went off to Kindergarten, my husband told me to get off my ass and get a job. Those were his exact words. I didn’t know how to do anything except be a wife and mother. I was also a voracious reader having cut my teeth on The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames and the like. The library was a magical place for me. It still is to this day. Rather than face the outside world with no skills, I decided to write a book. For some reason that didn’t intimidate me. As my husband said at the time, stupid is as stupid does. Guess what, I don’t have that husband any more. Guess what else! I wrote 99 books, most of them New York Times Best Sellers.
Moving right along here . . . Several years ago I left Ballantine Books, parted company with my agent, sold my house in New Jersey that I had lived in all my married life and in 1993 moved to South Carolina. I figured if I was going to go through trauma let it be all at one time. It was a breeze. The kids were all on their own at that point. The dump was a 300 year old plantation house that is listed in the National Registry that I remodeled. Today it is beyond belief as are the gardens and the equally old Angel Oaks that drip Spanish moss. Unfortunately, I could not get my ghost to relocate. This ghost has been documented by previous owners. Mary Margaret as we call her, is “a friendly”. She is also mischievous. It took me two weeks to figure out that she didn’t like my coffee cups. They would slide off the table or counter or else they’d break in the dishwasher. I bought red checkered ones. All are intact as of this writing. She moves pillows from one room to the other and she stops all the clocks in the house at 9:10 in the a.m. at least once a week. When the Azaleas are in bloom, and only then, I find blooms on my night stand. I have this glorious front porch and during the warm months I see my swing moving early in the morning when the air is still and again late in the day. She doesn’t spook the dogs. I always know when she’s around because the five of them line up and look like they’re at a tennis match. As of this writing we’re co-habiting nicely.
Most writers love what they do and I’m no exception. I love it when I get a germ of an idea and get it down on paper. I love breathing life into my characters. I love writing about women who persevere and prevail because that’s what I had to do to get to this point in time. It’s another way of saying it doesn’t matter where you’ve been, what matters is where you’re going and how you get there. The day I finally prevailed was the day I was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame. For me it was an awesome day and there are no words to describe it.
I’ve been telling stories and scribbling for 37 years. I hope I can continue for another 37 years. It wasn’t easy during some of those years. As I said, I had to persevere. My old Polish grandmother said something to me when I was little that I never forgot. She said when God is good to you, you have to give back. For a while I didn’t know how to do that. When I finally figured it out I set up The Fern Michaels® Foundation.
READ FERN MICHAELS' FULL BIOGRAPHY HERE: http://www.fernmichaels.com/biography/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
May 20, 2014
I have to say that I have been reading Fern Michaels books for years and years, everything she's ever written. However, this, by far, was not one of her better books.
Most of it takes place in Las Vegas; however, there are below freezing temperatures, snow falling, accumulations, etc. Checking the average temperature in Vegas, the average temperatures in December (when most of the events take place) are a high of 58 and a low of 34. But somehow, they have snow, build snowmen, have 7 and 22 degree temperatures, etc.
Then there is a discrepancy of money in the Trish's bank account. She gets $5 million on her wedding day and every anniversary, but on her 4th anniversary, she somehow has $100 million in the bank. Nobody earns that good of interest.
Then there is an episode of children being in the "little pool" and the children in question are all under 4 years of age. The Mom has had 3 kids in 4 years and pregnant with a fourth. Subsequently, Mom delivers the 4th child, and two weeks later, she performs a striptease ending up in bra and thong panties. Seriously, she would not be wearing a thong two weeks after the birth of a child.
I don't often write reviews, but felt I needed to share this.
Most of it takes place in Las Vegas; however, there are below freezing temperatures, snow falling, accumulations, etc. Checking the average temperature in Vegas, the average temperatures in December (when most of the events take place) are a high of 58 and a low of 34. But somehow, they have snow, build snowmen, have 7 and 22 degree temperatures, etc.
Then there is a discrepancy of money in the Trish's bank account. She gets $5 million on her wedding day and every anniversary, but on her 4th anniversary, she somehow has $100 million in the bank. Nobody earns that good of interest.
Then there is an episode of children being in the "little pool" and the children in question are all under 4 years of age. The Mom has had 3 kids in 4 years and pregnant with a fourth. Subsequently, Mom delivers the 4th child, and two weeks later, she performs a striptease ending up in bra and thong panties. Seriously, she would not be wearing a thong two weeks after the birth of a child.
I don't often write reviews, but felt I needed to share this.
April 30, 2016
A sweet story.
June 3, 2014
I've never read a Fern Michaels before, but she's so popular I figured I'd give it a try. I couldn't get past the first two chapters.
I found the characters flat and excessively formulaic. Poor location description--Puffy down jackets big enough to pad the main character's fall when she passes out from fever, arctic winds, praying her car's heater will work, coming back from a trip surprised to see how much snow had accumulated---in LAS VEGAS? The hero of the story, a billionaire prince she's known for four days (most of which she was sleeping fighting off a serious case of the flu) sends her a golden invitation to come visit him in Dubai. He'll arrange for her flight--alone, I might add-- on his private jet, leaving in three days. And her concern is that she won't have anything nice enough to wear, and the encouragement of all her friends and family is "oh, go! This is the chance of a lifetime!" Not one person said, "Are you NUTS, girl?!?"
Even the writing itself felt forced and amateurish. Not that I could do any better myself, but for someone with "75 million copies of her books in print" and a long line of library holds on every new release, I expected a lot better than what I found.
I found the characters flat and excessively formulaic. Poor location description--Puffy down jackets big enough to pad the main character's fall when she passes out from fever, arctic winds, praying her car's heater will work, coming back from a trip surprised to see how much snow had accumulated---in LAS VEGAS? The hero of the story, a billionaire prince she's known for four days (most of which she was sleeping fighting off a serious case of the flu) sends her a golden invitation to come visit him in Dubai. He'll arrange for her flight--alone, I might add-- on his private jet, leaving in three days. And her concern is that she won't have anything nice enough to wear, and the encouragement of all her friends and family is "oh, go! This is the chance of a lifetime!" Not one person said, "Are you NUTS, girl?!?"
Even the writing itself felt forced and amateurish. Not that I could do any better myself, but for someone with "75 million copies of her books in print" and a long line of library holds on every new release, I expected a lot better than what I found.
February 16, 2017
A Family Affair by Fern Michaels
Have read many of the authors other works and have enjoyed them. This is another great one!
Start out with Trish and she's a show dancer in Las Vegas. A man in the audience offers her a thousand dollars to have a drink with him. She declines and others have found she's sick with the flu and get her out the door to go home.
The story also follows Malik who has attended college along with his best friend and they meet so many good guys through the years. He takes care of Trish til she's better and gets a call that he must return home to Dubai at once.
Rather predictable for a bit then the twists and turns appear. Story also follows Malik's sister and her husband in Dubai and also follows Trish and her sister Claire who's recently divorced and living in poverty due to her ex husband.
Love how this story got it's name and didn't realize it til near the end. Sad to hear of the law and how the government worked in Dubai after five years of marriage...love the travel to different places and most especially to NJ where Claire is furnishing a house.
So many surprises and easy to follow as there are just a handful of characters.
I received this book from The Kensington Books in exchange for my honest review
Have read many of the authors other works and have enjoyed them. This is another great one!
Start out with Trish and she's a show dancer in Las Vegas. A man in the audience offers her a thousand dollars to have a drink with him. She declines and others have found she's sick with the flu and get her out the door to go home.
The story also follows Malik who has attended college along with his best friend and they meet so many good guys through the years. He takes care of Trish til she's better and gets a call that he must return home to Dubai at once.
Rather predictable for a bit then the twists and turns appear. Story also follows Malik's sister and her husband in Dubai and also follows Trish and her sister Claire who's recently divorced and living in poverty due to her ex husband.
Love how this story got it's name and didn't realize it til near the end. Sad to hear of the law and how the government worked in Dubai after five years of marriage...love the travel to different places and most especially to NJ where Claire is furnishing a house.
So many surprises and easy to follow as there are just a handful of characters.
I received this book from The Kensington Books in exchange for my honest review
February 1, 2015
Uninteresting. Short, simple sentences made me feel like I was reading a children's story. I always give books a few chapters to settle in but the beginning of chapter 3 just frustrated me so I shut the book and turned on tv.
December 30, 2016
A sweet fairy tale story with some twists and turns. This would be a great holiday/beach/pool read.
May 25, 2018
Loved the book. A love story with revenge added. Similar to her Sisterhood series.
August 25, 2017
I was bored and the storyline was pretty unbelievable- a sheik marrying a dancer? And his "people" are ok with this? Hmmm... not likely. I hoped it would get better and there would be an interesting twist, but it just seemed more unbelievable with each chapter. 😴
August 13, 2017
Interesting story, but too many errors to overcomet
The characters were interesting, but a little too good to feel like real people. The worst mistake is so glaring I can't believe the writer or editor or someone didn't notice it. Las Vegas is a desert! It does not snow there! Let alone have blizzards! They do not have fireplaces! I could not overcome this major flaw or many others. There was nothing about culture shock, how the other emirs felt about an american woman marrying such an important man. I figured out the end way before it came😬. I hate when that happens! Maybe I should have given it one star! If you are looking for a fairytale, this book is for you.
The characters were interesting, but a little too good to feel like real people. The worst mistake is so glaring I can't believe the writer or editor or someone didn't notice it. Las Vegas is a desert! It does not snow there! Let alone have blizzards! They do not have fireplaces! I could not overcome this major flaw or many others. There was nothing about culture shock, how the other emirs felt about an american woman marrying such an important man. I figured out the end way before it came😬. I hate when that happens! Maybe I should have given it one star! If you are looking for a fairytale, this book is for you.
August 7, 2014
It starts out as a romantic story involving an American dancer in Las Vegas and a Muslim Prince who is a student in the USA. In the 2nd half of the book. Michaels uses some of the same techniques to solve the problems of her characters which is reminiscent of her Sisterhood books. As usual, this book is easily read and is a good pastime. No depth keeps it out of good literature classification but it is entertaining.
September 1, 2014
One of the best Fern Michaels' stories I've read in some time!! If you enjoy a great romance, this is the book to read. Happy and sad tears were shed throughout this book. Fern Michaels sure knows how to dish out a good dose of revenge. Wonderful ending!! 9 out of 10 for me on this one!
April 13, 2014
Quite read, interesting story line.
April 13, 2014
Suspend critical thought and just enjoy this simple story. A Los Vegas dancer, an Arab Prince plus infinite wealth ... beach read material here.
November 17, 2024
This novel of romance was something that I didn't have high hopes in based off of reviews I looked at prior to reading. I was thoroughly surprised at the enjoyment that I had. Now that is to say it wasn't the greatest and to me was an okay story.
This book had a pet peeve that I hold with several romances which is the main characters admitting their love to one another after only knowing each other for a matter of days. And as I thought this book would be all sunshine and rainbows there was tragedy that I didn't foresee occurring.
A comment that I regularly saw in other reviews that I happen to agree with are the short almost repetitive sentences that made for harsh reading.
This wasn't my first Fern Micheals reading and it won't by my last, as I enjoy it as an easy, time-filler item.
This book had a pet peeve that I hold with several romances which is the main characters admitting their love to one another after only knowing each other for a matter of days. And as I thought this book would be all sunshine and rainbows there was tragedy that I didn't foresee occurring.
A comment that I regularly saw in other reviews that I happen to agree with are the short almost repetitive sentences that made for harsh reading.
This wasn't my first Fern Micheals reading and it won't by my last, as I enjoy it as an easy, time-filler item.
August 4, 2017
While this book was well written it was not my usual read. While it is about a great albeit short love story I did not connect well with the characters, I was not prepared for the subject matter so I cried through the mid to last part of the book, and I did not like the open ended and quick ending of the book. While this is a okay book there are better ones out there. While I try to keep an open mind on most books and recommend them along with a short analysis of a book. I would not recommend this book to my friends or book club friends. Thing is this book was well written so I will give her a few more chances to catch my attention and see if she is my type of author.
February 22, 2023
This is a modern day fairy tale. I cannot imagine this happening in this day and age.
Malik being so true to his culture that he would not kiss Trish till he asked her to marry him and she agreed. Agreeing to let her have her own money and not have to convert to Islam. The first is possible, not the second.
Even the ending seemed to be a bit strange. His body was rushed to be cremated and then Trish leaves for the US with the urn. But he is the Sheikh of the country - what about his citizens reaction and no state funeral. I cannot imagine he has only one advisor - his best friend Rashid.
I am glad Trish was able to return to the US and not stuck in Dubai as per the laws of the land
Malik being so true to his culture that he would not kiss Trish till he asked her to marry him and she agreed. Agreeing to let her have her own money and not have to convert to Islam. The first is possible, not the second.
Even the ending seemed to be a bit strange. His body was rushed to be cremated and then Trish leaves for the US with the urn. But he is the Sheikh of the country - what about his citizens reaction and no state funeral. I cannot imagine he has only one advisor - his best friend Rashid.
I am glad Trish was able to return to the US and not stuck in Dubai as per the laws of the land
May 7, 2024
First of all, so many things about this book are not believable. Every time the main character is in Vegas, it's below freezing and snowing. An Arab prince who is living in the States temporarily goes to a Vegas show and falls in love with a chorus line dancer, who in turn agrees to marry him and move to Dubai. The former Vegas dancer eventually helps bring down her sister's ex husband and his business partners. I guess it would all be ok if the love story part of this romance novel was even slightly compelling, but it's not and a complete afterthought. On top of it, the writing was very basic. Quick read, but not worth the time.
July 15, 2017
Excellent story. Not that I think this could actually ever happen. But stranger things have happened. Trish, the main character has a very eventful life and I enjoyed the book up till the last 2 discs when the story became so surprisingly and unexpectedly sad....However, Fern does redeem herself in the very end.
Very heartwarming characters, and not at all what I expected when I began the book. I used the audio version and very much enjoyed the Narrator. Accents were very good. Good ending, I almost always cry when they are sad. I did with this one too.
Very heartwarming characters, and not at all what I expected when I began the book. I used the audio version and very much enjoyed the Narrator. Accents were very good. Good ending, I almost always cry when they are sad. I did with this one too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2018
Trisha Holiday is a dancer in Vegas but when Malik, a foreign exchange student celebrating his graduation from college and getting ready to return to his homeland sees her he is intrigued. He wants to meet her but Trisha ignores his request to meet her. Malik doesn't give up easily and when he and Trisha do meet and get to know each other better they are both smitten. However Trisha isn't sure she can give up her life in the States and marry him and live in his country. After visiting Malik she agrees and Trisha has to adjust to a new lifestyle. A fast OK read.
October 4, 2017
Far fetched, but a fun read
As others have mentioned, the author doesn't know beans about Las Vegas or the weather there. It would be a miracle of it snowed there as the coldest temperature ever was recorded in Dec. 2010 as 38° F. The second coldest temperature was 45° in 1975. I think it's also a little far fetched that a Sheik could marry an American infidel with no repercussions. Having said that, I enjoyed this clean, light read.
As others have mentioned, the author doesn't know beans about Las Vegas or the weather there. It would be a miracle of it snowed there as the coldest temperature ever was recorded in Dec. 2010 as 38° F. The second coldest temperature was 45° in 1975. I think it's also a little far fetched that a Sheik could marry an American infidel with no repercussions. Having said that, I enjoyed this clean, light read.
October 27, 2023
This book had the feeling of a young adult novel. The characters seemed flat and undeveloped. I'm not sure why the main character paid so much money for her sister and her friends and did not help out her friends in Las Vegas. Also, I'm not sure why she left so quickly after her husband died and moved to Las Vegas where she had no friends anymore instead of moving to where her sister lived. This book just seemed like it had unreal events happening one after another.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2019
Riveting
Once again, Fern Michaels has written a winner. I hate what happens to Malik but the Four Js (Jerks works perfectly here) storyline is PERFECT!!!!!The ending is(as always) perfect for this story and you know what the final outcome should be and probably will be. And thanks for telling about the adoption of her 2 furbabies. More people need to do just that.
Once again, Fern Michaels has written a winner. I hate what happens to Malik but the Four Js (Jerks works perfectly here) storyline is PERFECT!!!!!The ending is(as always) perfect for this story and you know what the final outcome should be and probably will be. And thanks for telling about the adoption of her 2 furbabies. More people need to do just that.
May 21, 2017
Frustrating
It really is annoying when the author gets one basic fact incorrect throughout the entire book. It does not snow in Vegas! The average winter temperature is 60 degrees Fahrenheit, not 7! Other than that the book was very good.
It really is annoying when the author gets one basic fact incorrect throughout the entire book. It does not snow in Vegas! The average winter temperature is 60 degrees Fahrenheit, not 7! Other than that the book was very good.
June 19, 2017
Really good read!!!!
I really enjoyed this book. It had everything! It was so different than a book I just finished by another famous author! I gotta tell ya'.........this book has substance, and depth! Strength in thee characters too! I was sorry to see it end!
I really enjoyed this book. It had everything! It was so different than a book I just finished by another famous author! I gotta tell ya'.........this book has substance, and depth! Strength in thee characters too! I was sorry to see it end!
August 4, 2017
Perfect
Joy, laughter, tears and then joy again. She always delivers perfectly. What a great trip I had. And there was everything in this journey. Thanks for delivering all the twists and keeping me hooked.
Joy, laughter, tears and then joy again. She always delivers perfectly. What a great trip I had. And there was everything in this journey. Thanks for delivering all the twists and keeping me hooked.
October 10, 2017
Cute story. I enjoyed reading this story about a Los Vegas show girl who finds that once in a lifetime love but must move to India and follow the laws of the country. There are twists in this story which is around money and getting revenge. Quick read.
December 20, 2017
Sweet love story, but I wish there'd been more backround/foundation explaining how Malik had been captivated by Trisha and vice-versa. Also, I wish there'd been some backround on her life as a dancer.
February 13, 2018
I really enjoyed this story. I normally don't read romance books, but this book was more of a family story than romance. I cried, laughed and really enjoyed the characters. The story was a little predictable, but I still enjoyed it greatly!
April 18, 2018
OMG, I read this book in two days. I couldn't put it down. I was happy then sad then happy then sad again. I never expected that kind of ending. I think I need to read it again in case I missed something in the story.
January 8, 2019
Quick read. A Vegas Showgirl meets a Sheik. Highly unlikely... but it was a good story for the most part. Got a little ridiculous when she tries to ruin her ex- brother-in-law. It annoyed me that she came to help her sister after 4 years.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews