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Desert Rogues #2
The Sheik's Arranged Marriage
Man-shy American Heidi McKinley winces when the king himself insists she marry--and make heirs with--his sinfully sexy royal son!
For Prince Jamal was a legendary lover, an expert on erotic intrigue. Whatever would he see in serious-minded Heidi? Plenty! Up to his crown in gold-digging bubbleheads, Jamal is secretly enchanted with the sweet and studious virgin.
So why was homespun Heidi donning silken disguises and posing as siren "Honey Martin" to seduce him? And how could Jamal hope to choose between a bold, brazen "mistress" and a bashful, blushing bride?
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2000
About the author
Susan Mallery
878 books15.8k followers#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming and humorous novels about the relationships that define women's lives—family, friendship, romance. She's best known for putting nuanced characters into emotionally complex, real-life situations with twists that surprise readers to laughter. Because Susan is passionate about animal welfare, pets play a big role in her books. Beloved by millions of readers worldwide, her books have been translated into 28 languages.
Critics have dubbed Mallery "the new queen of romantic fiction." (Walmart) Booklist says, "Romance novels don't get much better than Mallery's expert blend of emotional nuance, humor, and superb storytelling," and RT Book Reviews puts her "in a class by herself!" It's no wonder that her books have spent more than 200 weeks on the USA Today bestsellers list.
Although Susan majored in Accounting, she never worked as an accountant because she was published straight out of college with two books the same month. Sixteen prolific years and seventy-four books later, she hit the New York Times bestsellers list for the first time with Accidentally Yours in 2008. She made many appearances in the Top 10 before (finally) hitting #1 in 2015 with Thrill Me, the twentieth book in her most popular series, the Fool's Gold romances, and the fourth of five books released that year.
Susan lives in Washington state with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Her heart for animals has led Susan to become an active supporter of the Seattle Humane Society. Visit Susan online at www.SusanMallery.com.
Critics have dubbed Mallery "the new queen of romantic fiction." (Walmart) Booklist says, "Romance novels don't get much better than Mallery's expert blend of emotional nuance, humor, and superb storytelling," and RT Book Reviews puts her "in a class by herself!" It's no wonder that her books have spent more than 200 weeks on the USA Today bestsellers list.
Although Susan majored in Accounting, she never worked as an accountant because she was published straight out of college with two books the same month. Sixteen prolific years and seventy-four books later, she hit the New York Times bestsellers list for the first time with Accidentally Yours in 2008. She made many appearances in the Top 10 before (finally) hitting #1 in 2015 with Thrill Me, the twentieth book in her most popular series, the Fool's Gold romances, and the fourth of five books released that year.
Susan lives in Washington state with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Her heart for animals has led Susan to become an active supporter of the Seattle Humane Society. Visit Susan online at www.SusanMallery.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
May 21, 2010
I'm sorry to say this, but not even SM's writing could save this book for me. Jamal was OK, but his decision to hold his silence when he clearly knew Heidi had misconceptions about him made him look stupid, not cool and distant. Heidi, oh Heidi... I didn't like her at all. She was unbelievably innocent, to the point of being totally ignorant about sex. I just couldn't buy the idea of a modern, 25-year-old woman who had had the best education possible being so clueless. And her scatterbrained plan to seduce Jamal was idiotic at its best.
So there you have it: I didn't care for either Jamal or Heidi, hence I didn't care for their story. 3 stars is the best I can give.
So there you have it: I didn't care for either Jamal or Heidi, hence I didn't care for their story. 3 stars is the best I can give.
December 8, 2008
The thing I didn't love about this book was the heroine pretended to be another woman and the hero slept with her as another women. This felt like adultery although it wasn't. Otherwise it was a really good book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2016
I loved this lighthearted romance. Heroine was adorable and so funny I adored her. I love how she seduced her husband and how vulnerable they both were. His first wife was a bitch so it was super romantic how he found love with Heidi. This author knows how to write steamy love scenes!
October 10, 2016
What started out as an excellent book quickly turned really.. stupid.
Heidi is plain, frumpy family friend of al Bahar royal family. She comes back to become a historian but is instead coerced to marry the second prince, widower Jamal because she wants stability and children and what better way than a arranged marriage *frown*
Jamal finds her plain and barely attractive but marries her for duty.
First half was good, filled with some funny scenes but by the middle my brain went wtf.
I mean she wants to be pretty for her husband. Gets a makeover, pretends to be Honey, and ends up becoming her husband's mistress.
The minute Jamal sees her changed, he knows it's Heidi but he plays along with her charade because he wants to let her build her confidence. I mean.. why?
And Jamal takes all the time in the world to correct her mis-assumptions about his dead ex.
Overall it turned out to be an average read.
3/5
Heidi is plain, frumpy family friend of al Bahar royal family. She comes back to become a historian but is instead coerced to marry the second prince, widower Jamal because she wants stability and children and what better way than a arranged marriage *frown*
Jamal finds her plain and barely attractive but marries her for duty.
First half was good, filled with some funny scenes but by the middle my brain went wtf.
I mean she wants to be pretty for her husband. Gets a makeover, pretends to be Honey, and ends up becoming her husband's mistress.
The minute Jamal sees her changed, he knows it's Heidi but he plays along with her charade because he wants to let her build her confidence. I mean.. why?
And Jamal takes all the time in the world to correct her mis-assumptions about his dead ex.
Overall it turned out to be an average read.
3/5
April 8, 2011
It was okay but the premise was silly. There's no way someone wouldn't recognize his own wife even with wig/contacts. And the fact that she thought he wouldn't realize it was her immediately was just silly. The ending was kind of sweet.
July 30, 2017
********Contains no spoilers**********
Okay, so first of all I love steamy romance books so my mini review might be a bit biased.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, it was fast paced and the main characters were interesting. I loved Jamal.
The only thing that I didn't like was the fact that the story was very predictable.
Overall, it was a descent book and I enjoyed it.
Okay, so first of all I love steamy romance books so my mini review might be a bit biased.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, it was fast paced and the main characters were interesting. I loved Jamal.
The only thing that I didn't like was the fact that the story was very predictable.
Overall, it was a descent book and I enjoyed it.
December 16, 2018
I liked this one. A shy, naive, bookish heroine and an alpha desert prince marry in an arranged marriage that suits everyone but themselves. Heidi decides to become "Honey", a mature woman-of-the-world to become more confident and to attract her husband without him recognizing her.
I loved Heidi and could empathize with her in her attempts to learn how to relate to her husband. I also liked her attempts at being "Honey" and learning to flirt. This isn't great literature, but it is a good read.
****************
12/12/18- Kindle version-
I loved Heidi and could empathize with her in her attempts to learn how to relate to her husband. I also liked her attempts at being "Honey" and learning to flirt. This isn't great literature, but it is a good read.
****************
12/12/18- Kindle version-
December 17, 2016
I had trouble reading this novel because it was so embarrassing. At least parts of it were. The heroine was way too young mentally for her physical age of twenty-five. I felt horrible that the hero had to marry her and deal with it. As the heroine grew, things got better but the whole 'Honey' persona wasn't very good.
August 4, 2010
It's a nice short read. It isn't a great book but definatly entertaining. Jamal was an interesting character, but Heidi was annoying. A lot of the plot was misunderstandings and lack of communication.
September 20, 2014
Nope. Couldn't do it. This rating is based on reading 20% of the book. Maybe the first and second chapter. I tired. I seriously tried to continue with this series but I can't. Here we meet Heidi, who dreams of translating the slowly disintegrating ancient texts at the palace. Unfortunately for her the King, and his mother Fatima, have decided she's perfect for the middle Prince Jamal. Heidi doesn't want to marry but apparently according to the King (and Fatima), Heidi has to be married in order to be happy. She needs kids. The King said so several times though there's never really any indication that Heidi, herself, wants kids. She's 25 and has just completed a degree and 2 years at a finishing school. She's begun to suspect that Fatima and the King may have been plotting to toss her with one of the Princes for a little longer than she thought. What with the whole grooming her for the guy by sending her away from the only place so loves and making her go to school and a finishing school before allowing her to finally come home and do what she's dreamed of doing.
Why can't I finish this book? It's simple: I don't want to waste my time on characters that are assholes or spineless.
We've got two people of power, the King and his mother Fatima, who know that they mean a lot to Heidi. She lost her parents and her grandfather, leaving her dependent on the King and Fatima for affection and roots. Her one and only dream is to translate the texts. She feels beholden to both of them for their love and support, and knows that the King can easily bar her from her dream job. She tells them several times she isn't interested in being married yet. She's not ready. But they know, and she knows, that she can't say a firm no because of obligation and guilt.
The Prince also knows she's not interested in marriage. He's a mixture of spineless and asshole (I'll get into the latter in a bit). He can't say no because he's a prince and he knows what his duty is blah blah blah. He, too, tells them no. He tells them she's not interested, he begs them to find someone else for him to marry, but no. It has to be Heidi. Then he brings up the point that these two idiot matchmakers have screwed up twice. Both he and his brother were married to women that these two were sure had to be great matches. Both failed miserably. What the hell makes them think they can pull this matching thing off? What the hell keeps Jamal from growing a pair and telling his father that he's already had one arranged marriage, if the man insists on creating another for him, he'll leave. Jamal has stock market skills. He's in charge of making the family rich. He could very easily do the same thing on his own and leave his home also putting the whole money making for the kingdom in jeopardy and maybe using that as leverage to get his father off his back. But, instead, he puts Heidi and himself into a place that neither of them truly want to be in. Neither can say no, so he is forced to ask her to marry him knowing the outcome will be that he and she are now trapped by family obligation and guilt into an arrangement that could potentially screw them both out of happiness.
Now, he's an asshole because he and his brother Malik have a few great conversations (and thoughts) about how horrible Heidi dresses...which interestingly enough they consider spinster like but I'd say it sounds pretty damn close to how Dora from the first book The Sheik's Kidnapped Bride had to dress in order to keep from being seen as slutty. Fatima is described several times as wearing form fitting suits by Channal. She sounds stylish. Dora never sounded stylish. She sounded like she was wearing clothing that covered her neck, her wrists and her ankles. She sounded like she was from some sort of religious sect. Which is amusing because Fatima is the one with the antiquated notions. Shouldn't she be covering her body in ill fitting clothing so no one lusts after her and then blames her for causing them to think dirty thoughts? Or has she earned the right to wear nice things because she's old? Anyway, Heidi is wearing the same sort of clothing as Dora did, but apparently she's a "spinster" and should be wearing clothing that is a little more form fitting. Sort of screws the whole first book over. Should I take this to mean that in their culture a woman who is married should dress conservatively so as not to reflect poorly on her husband, but a woman who is single should dress nicely so as to entice a man and not make him think she's a dried up spinster? Sort of like how women can't be happy unless they have a husband and family :P
Anyway the asshatedness continues as the brothers make a wager. After mocking the hell out of Heidi, the two place a bet that Jamal won't kiss her on the lips. There's really no reason for this bet other than being juvenile jerks. Jamal, of course, goes and kisses her. His thoughts reflect on how she wasn't that ugly, she could be prettied up a bit with the right clothes and makeup and while he didn't find her attractive, he found some of the things she did cute. Honestly, he basically toys with her emotions for a bit because he has a bet to win. Both he and his brother spend a great deal of time tearing her down because she isn't dressed stylishly or wearing makeup. Jamal assures his brother and the reader that she could be pretty! If only she pulled herself together.
I just can't. There's just too much stupid shit in this that makes me angry. I can't read the rest of the book and be happy. I just don't think there's an outcome that could make any of the stuff mentioned above alright. I worry this will be a big makeover sort of idea, where she's made "pretty" and therefore loveable and worthy of Jamal. That, after having been forced into marriage and manipulated by these people-- who openly admit that they recognize Heidi's deep-seated need for a home and paternal affection and who are willing to use her fear of losing those things from them if she denies their life changing demands--, she will ultimately come to the understanding that they were right to make these decisions for her because she could never ever ever have grown to love Jamal without their intervention. Isn't that a novel concept?! Let the two work in close quarters and fall in love naturally if you're so bloody sure they'll love each other. Why force their hands and marry them so quickly?
Anyway, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the story goes in another direction. I'm just not going to read it to find out.
Why can't I finish this book? It's simple: I don't want to waste my time on characters that are assholes or spineless.
We've got two people of power, the King and his mother Fatima, who know that they mean a lot to Heidi. She lost her parents and her grandfather, leaving her dependent on the King and Fatima for affection and roots. Her one and only dream is to translate the texts. She feels beholden to both of them for their love and support, and knows that the King can easily bar her from her dream job. She tells them several times she isn't interested in being married yet. She's not ready. But they know, and she knows, that she can't say a firm no because of obligation and guilt.
The Prince also knows she's not interested in marriage. He's a mixture of spineless and asshole (I'll get into the latter in a bit). He can't say no because he's a prince and he knows what his duty is blah blah blah. He, too, tells them no. He tells them she's not interested, he begs them to find someone else for him to marry, but no. It has to be Heidi. Then he brings up the point that these two idiot matchmakers have screwed up twice. Both he and his brother were married to women that these two were sure had to be great matches. Both failed miserably. What the hell makes them think they can pull this matching thing off? What the hell keeps Jamal from growing a pair and telling his father that he's already had one arranged marriage, if the man insists on creating another for him, he'll leave. Jamal has stock market skills. He's in charge of making the family rich. He could very easily do the same thing on his own and leave his home also putting the whole money making for the kingdom in jeopardy and maybe using that as leverage to get his father off his back. But, instead, he puts Heidi and himself into a place that neither of them truly want to be in. Neither can say no, so he is forced to ask her to marry him knowing the outcome will be that he and she are now trapped by family obligation and guilt into an arrangement that could potentially screw them both out of happiness.
Now, he's an asshole because he and his brother Malik have a few great conversations (and thoughts) about how horrible Heidi dresses...which interestingly enough they consider spinster like but I'd say it sounds pretty damn close to how Dora from the first book The Sheik's Kidnapped Bride had to dress in order to keep from being seen as slutty. Fatima is described several times as wearing form fitting suits by Channal. She sounds stylish. Dora never sounded stylish. She sounded like she was wearing clothing that covered her neck, her wrists and her ankles. She sounded like she was from some sort of religious sect. Which is amusing because Fatima is the one with the antiquated notions. Shouldn't she be covering her body in ill fitting clothing so no one lusts after her and then blames her for causing them to think dirty thoughts? Or has she earned the right to wear nice things because she's old? Anyway, Heidi is wearing the same sort of clothing as Dora did, but apparently she's a "spinster" and should be wearing clothing that is a little more form fitting. Sort of screws the whole first book over. Should I take this to mean that in their culture a woman who is married should dress conservatively so as not to reflect poorly on her husband, but a woman who is single should dress nicely so as to entice a man and not make him think she's a dried up spinster? Sort of like how women can't be happy unless they have a husband and family :P
Anyway the asshatedness continues as the brothers make a wager. After mocking the hell out of Heidi, the two place a bet that Jamal won't kiss her on the lips. There's really no reason for this bet other than being juvenile jerks. Jamal, of course, goes and kisses her. His thoughts reflect on how she wasn't that ugly, she could be prettied up a bit with the right clothes and makeup and while he didn't find her attractive, he found some of the things she did cute. Honestly, he basically toys with her emotions for a bit because he has a bet to win. Both he and his brother spend a great deal of time tearing her down because she isn't dressed stylishly or wearing makeup. Jamal assures his brother and the reader that she could be pretty! If only she pulled herself together.
I just can't. There's just too much stupid shit in this that makes me angry. I can't read the rest of the book and be happy. I just don't think there's an outcome that could make any of the stuff mentioned above alright. I worry this will be a big makeover sort of idea, where she's made "pretty" and therefore loveable and worthy of Jamal. That, after having been forced into marriage and manipulated by these people-- who openly admit that they recognize Heidi's deep-seated need for a home and paternal affection and who are willing to use her fear of losing those things from them if she denies their life changing demands--, she will ultimately come to the understanding that they were right to make these decisions for her because she could never ever ever have grown to love Jamal without their intervention. Isn't that a novel concept?! Let the two work in close quarters and fall in love naturally if you're so bloody sure they'll love each other. Why force their hands and marry them so quickly?
Anyway, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the story goes in another direction. I'm just not going to read it to find out.
April 13, 2024
The plot was a bit weird (the Honey persona), I'll admit. I feel like it would be something that would be attempted in a late 90s/early 2000s romcom? Only it wasn't cute and funny here. Jamal knows it's her the whole time, but Heidi doesn't know that and so from her POV, he's willing to cheat on her. 👀
I feel like a lot of the drama could have been avoided if they just talked about things, esp his ex-wife. He was vague with it and it lead her to assume he was still in love with his dead wife, which lead to the Honey persona, and all the other drama. Just talk to each other! Geez. 🤨
Her being that sheltered about sex didn't seem that weird to me in that she was raised by her grandpa, then went to an all girl's private school. Plus this book was written in 2001, where she was in her 30s. Which means she was born 1970s? And the internet wasn't a thing like it was now, where ppl could just Google sex info or ask Alexa😂Plus while El Bahar doesn't seem to be Muslim only, it is still conservative with sex/gender rolls, so she probably wouldn't get the education on sex there. And lastly, she never expected or thought to get married, so why before then would she care to learn about sex? 🤔 No, this was the lesser issue of the book....Honey persona was more of a problem for me.
I feel like a lot of the drama could have been avoided if they just talked about things, esp his ex-wife. He was vague with it and it lead her to assume he was still in love with his dead wife, which lead to the Honey persona, and all the other drama. Just talk to each other! Geez. 🤨
Her being that sheltered about sex didn't seem that weird to me in that she was raised by her grandpa, then went to an all girl's private school. Plus this book was written in 2001, where she was in her 30s. Which means she was born 1970s? And the internet wasn't a thing like it was now, where ppl could just Google sex info or ask Alexa😂Plus while El Bahar doesn't seem to be Muslim only, it is still conservative with sex/gender rolls, so she probably wouldn't get the education on sex there. And lastly, she never expected or thought to get married, so why before then would she care to learn about sex? 🤔 No, this was the lesser issue of the book....Honey persona was more of a problem for me.
November 2, 2017
Not my favorite by this author. Jamal and Heidi have an arranged marriage. He was married before and was disillusioned by that wife. Heidi had no real relationships with men. They both enter the marriage with baggage. Because of this, Heidi pretends to be someone else and becomes his mistress. He knows it is her all along, but I didn't like this plot point. She is not happy her husband is cheating even when it is technically with his wife.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2020
The Sheikh's Arranged Marriage
This book was about a young woman who was raised by her grandfather after her parents died. She would visit the royal family. After she graduated she is back. But the king has plans for her. Marriage to his second son. What happens next is the rest of the story line.
This book was about a young woman who was raised by her grandfather after her parents died. She would visit the royal family. After she graduated she is back. But the king has plans for her. Marriage to his second son. What happens next is the rest of the story line.
August 20, 2020
Este es divertido aunque la inocencia de la protagonista y su poca soltura para relacionarse con los demás y su marido en particular le hace pasar malos ratos, rayando a veces en lo absurdo...eso sí el dicho de que los hombres son de Marte y las mujeres de Venus se cumple a rajatabla, pues parece que ambos hablan idiomas distintos
January 5, 2018
The entire Desert Rogues series by Susan Mallery is a must read. Funny and heartwarming.
January 5, 2021
Me decepciono este libro, ella no es mas tonta porque no le da el tiempo
June 20, 2024
at least this heroine wasn't a doormat like Dora in the first in the series.
still the sex scenes are le terrible... damp womanly places and all 🤢
still the sex scenes are le terrible... damp womanly places and all 🤢
February 28, 2026
This was so odd in so many ways. Namely that Heidi tried to fool her husband into thinking that she was a worldly seductress named Honey Martin. Not Susan Mallery’s best work.
July 31, 2026
Cute story
November 28, 2023
Pls, I can't seem to read any of the novels I added to my library. I don't know what to do
December 28, 2015
So, right after finishing The Sheik's Kidnapped Bride, I picked up the send book, The Sheik's Arranged Marriage. I'm not even sure what made me finish this book because, like the first one, it read like a bad 80s romance novel. I can't say whether or not the author was trying to make it read like that If so, she definitely succeeded.
The premise of this one is so silly. Heidi returns home after years at college and finishing school. The only place she feels at home is El Bahar. The King was a close friend of her grandfather's and had taken care of her for years. When she gets home she is informed that she has been set up in an arranged marriage for his middle son Jamal. Feeling bad, she finally relents and marries him. That isn't even the silly part.
Seems like a lot of spoilers, I know, but you will thank me in the end that I saved you from a wasted afternoon of reading.! I may give the third book a try, but I'm not holding out hope it will be any better than this one. Thankfully, Ms. Mallery's writing has changed and grown since these books!
The premise of this one is so silly. Heidi returns home after years at college and finishing school. The only place she feels at home is El Bahar. The King was a close friend of her grandfather's and had taken care of her for years. When she gets home she is informed that she has been set up in an arranged marriage for his middle son Jamal. Feeling bad, she finally relents and marries him. That isn't even the silly part.
Seems like a lot of spoilers, I know, but you will thank me in the end that I saved you from a wasted afternoon of reading.! I may give the third book a try, but I'm not holding out hope it will be any better than this one. Thankfully, Ms. Mallery's writing has changed and grown since these books!
June 26, 2012
Prince Jamal Khan of El Bahar has been content with his work and casual romances ever since the death of his wife Yasmin. Heidi McKinley, in the meantime, has blithely immersed herself in her studies, unaware that the King and Queen of El Bahar were grooming her to marry Jamal. Since they took her in after the death of her grandfather, she has been unable to deny them anything, but she has no interest in marriage. This reticence charms Jamal, who is used to being pursued by women interested in his title and money. /
Under pressure from the King and Queen, Jamal and Heidi wed. Heidi is not only a virgin, but inexperienced with men in general. The combination of her innocence and the rejection he experienced in his previous marriage lead to Jamal waiting to consummate their marriage. Heidi's unrealistic views about men and sex cause tension, and she struggles to remedy the situation and build a loving marriage with Jamal, with the help of the Queen and her sister-in-law. /
This was my third reading, and while I don't remember how I felt the first time, Heidi gets on my nerves a lot at the beginning. Good explanations are given, but I felt a little protective of Jamal when she unintentionally hurt him. The sob scene at the beginning of Chapter 7 really annoyed me. I don't want the characters to cry if I'm not crying too. Her reaction in Chapter 14 bothered me too, because it was so irrational, but the way Jamal fixes everything in the end makes it all worthwhile.
Under pressure from the King and Queen, Jamal and Heidi wed. Heidi is not only a virgin, but inexperienced with men in general. The combination of her innocence and the rejection he experienced in his previous marriage lead to Jamal waiting to consummate their marriage. Heidi's unrealistic views about men and sex cause tension, and she struggles to remedy the situation and build a loving marriage with Jamal, with the help of the Queen and her sister-in-law. /
This was my third reading, and while I don't remember how I felt the first time, Heidi gets on my nerves a lot at the beginning. Good explanations are given, but I felt a little protective of Jamal when she unintentionally hurt him. The sob scene at the beginning of Chapter 7 really annoyed me. I don't want the characters to cry if I'm not crying too. Her reaction in Chapter 14 bothered me too, because it was so irrational, but the way Jamal fixes everything in the end makes it all worthwhile.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2013
I liked Heidi form the begin, but was a little strange to see her dress herself that bad, while she was raised to begin the next princess. She’s smart and funny, plus spent several years in college preparing herself to work on El Bahar old documents. She could dress better and know more about the King plans.
I agree that she’s the perfect match for Prince Jamal, even if they don’t exactly know each other, but an arranged marriage is very normal for this royalty and they accepted because the King said so.
Their honeymoon didn’t start very good and we see Heidi trying to really hard to actually live with her husband. Jamal was once married but his wife treated him really bad and only wanted the position she could have when marrying royalty, so a few sentences Heidi said made Jamal think she was just like his deceased ex.
But I loved when Heidi decided to work for her marriage and created a new person to seduce her husband into a relationship, my only problem were the lies. I would prefer if she had done that with her own name, without making him believe she was someone else.
But at the end I actually liked their relationship.
I agree that she’s the perfect match for Prince Jamal, even if they don’t exactly know each other, but an arranged marriage is very normal for this royalty and they accepted because the King said so.
Their honeymoon didn’t start very good and we see Heidi trying to really hard to actually live with her husband. Jamal was once married but his wife treated him really bad and only wanted the position she could have when marrying royalty, so a few sentences Heidi said made Jamal think she was just like his deceased ex.
But I loved when Heidi decided to work for her marriage and created a new person to seduce her husband into a relationship, my only problem were the lies. I would prefer if she had done that with her own name, without making him believe she was someone else.
But at the end I actually liked their relationship.
June 13, 2013
Man-shy American Heidi McKinley winces when the king himself insists she marry--and make heirs with--his sinfully sexy royal son! For Prince Jamal was a legendary lover, an expert on erotic intrigue. Whatever would he see in serious-minded Heidi?
Plenty! Up to his crown in gold-digging bubbleheads, Jamal is secretly enchanted with the sweet and studious virgin. So why was homespun Heidi donning silken disguises and posing as siren "Honey Martin" to seduce him? And how could Jamal hope to choose between a bold, brazen "mistress" and a bashful, blushing bride?
I thought Heidi was a bit of an introvert compared to Prince Jamal. Not only was she a 'studious virgin', but she went to an all girls school, hung out with studious girls in college, and finished up her studies at a finishing school. She only dated once, and got drunk on 'delicious coconut' drinks. The only reason she wasn't raped, was because she thru up on the guy. Now tell me, how would a girl like this co-habitat with a Prince. Not tack on the fact that he was married before, and his wife died in an auto accident. It was a cute story even in spite of her lack of. This one got a 4 star.
Plenty! Up to his crown in gold-digging bubbleheads, Jamal is secretly enchanted with the sweet and studious virgin. So why was homespun Heidi donning silken disguises and posing as siren "Honey Martin" to seduce him? And how could Jamal hope to choose between a bold, brazen "mistress" and a bashful, blushing bride?
I thought Heidi was a bit of an introvert compared to Prince Jamal. Not only was she a 'studious virgin', but she went to an all girls school, hung out with studious girls in college, and finished up her studies at a finishing school. She only dated once, and got drunk on 'delicious coconut' drinks. The only reason she wasn't raped, was because she thru up on the guy. Now tell me, how would a girl like this co-habitat with a Prince. Not tack on the fact that he was married before, and his wife died in an auto accident. It was a cute story even in spite of her lack of. This one got a 4 star.
August 11, 2016
Oh good lord, where do I begin? Maybe the extreme shallowness and emphasis on outward appearance by male protagonist Jamal's older brother, Malik? Heidi the female protagonist's unrealistic and utterly idiotic views on sex (tl;dr ideally none), and her comically unfashionable demeanor? An utterly stupid plot revolving around Heidi dressing up to woo Jamal as a prospective mistress instead of as herself?
That last point irks me the most. What the hell?? What kind of idiot thinks that's a good idea? Clearly it's a losing proposition. Either Jamal doesn't take the bait, in which case Heidi fails to feel sexy, or he does, in which case he's cheating. And the side female characters encourage this harebrained idea as well, negating the positive feelings I had about them from the previous novel.
Speaking of which, the only redeeming feature, I'd say, is the continuity. We had the same characters, the same kingdom, and I did think it was cute how Heidi viewed the prequel's female protagonist, who was previously not as confident, as cool, confident, and beautiful.
But overall, 2/5 would not recommend.
That last point irks me the most. What the hell?? What kind of idiot thinks that's a good idea? Clearly it's a losing proposition. Either Jamal doesn't take the bait, in which case Heidi fails to feel sexy, or he does, in which case he's cheating. And the side female characters encourage this harebrained idea as well, negating the positive feelings I had about them from the previous novel.
Speaking of which, the only redeeming feature, I'd say, is the continuity. We had the same characters, the same kingdom, and I did think it was cute how Heidi viewed the prequel's female protagonist, who was previously not as confident, as cool, confident, and beautiful.
But overall, 2/5 would not recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2014
I used to read Mills & Boon and Silhouette romances when I was in school and college. I have read quite a lot of "Sheik" romances. I had not read a single Susan Mallory novel till date. I find she is a very popular romance novel author. However after reading this, I am not going to pick anything by this author again.
Heidi McKinley marries Jamal Khan. Theirs is an arranged marriage as desired by the king. After a disastrous start on their wedding day, Jamal stays away from Heidi. She sets about seducing him, posing as a siren, Honey Martin.
I found it silly that she thought Jamal won't recognise her. He does but he does not let her know. Then she blames him for not telling her!! I found her childish. Jamal is not so bad!
I read it online for free. I must have been insane to do so!!
Heidi McKinley marries Jamal Khan. Theirs is an arranged marriage as desired by the king. After a disastrous start on their wedding day, Jamal stays away from Heidi. She sets about seducing him, posing as a siren, Honey Martin.
I found it silly that she thought Jamal won't recognise her. He does but he does not let her know. Then she blames him for not telling her!! I found her childish. Jamal is not so bad!
I read it online for free. I must have been insane to do so!!
May 16, 2020
I found Susan Mallery last month while vacationing and liked her current books so much that I went to half.com to get as many as I could find of her previous books. This one is from her "Sheik" series. Although not quite as good as her current books, since it lacks her wonderful humor, I found it worth reading if only to try to see how she got from her early writing to now. (Warning! It is a Silhouette book, which puts it squarely in the Romance only category.)
As I am re-reading Ms. Mallery, I thought to skip this series, but decided to try one. It took less than a day to read, and I enjoyed it. Not much of a fan of near Eastern settings, at least these men are not overbearing bullies as some of them seem to be, so I will re-read them after all.
As I am re-reading Ms. Mallery, I thought to skip this series, but decided to try one. It took less than a day to read, and I enjoyed it. Not much of a fan of near Eastern settings, at least these men are not overbearing bullies as some of them seem to be, so I will re-read them after all.
December 17, 2016
Awesome. This book really made me laugh. Can't wait read the next book
January 30, 2012
OMG, I wanted to punch the heroine in the face for the entire book. The hero....I liked. The heroine....a total dumbass. I find it hard to believe that she is supposed to be this brilliant college graduate, but she has NO CLUE about sex. I can buy her being a virgin, what I can't buy is her not really understanding how Tab A fits into Slot B.
I liked the book enough to keep reading and I will continue with the series, but I will punch kittens if there is another heroine that is this effing stupid.
I liked the book enough to keep reading and I will continue with the series, but I will punch kittens if there is another heroine that is this effing stupid.
August 3, 2013
A cute romance but Heidi's naïveté with respect to sexual arousal and intercourse, given her educational background, required a great deal of suspension of disbelief. I could accept her insecurities, as she was a virgin, but her incredible lack of knowledge about sex was just too much. Jamal was, for the most part, a sweetheart. Other than that one issue with Heidi, I enjoyed the writing, the pacing and the plot.
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