What do you think?
Rate this book
Falcon's Prey
Englishwoman Felicia Gordon should be floating on air. After all, she's engaged to a man who is kind, charming, considerate.... But he doesn't inspire the least amount of passion in her blood.
It isn't until Felicia flies to Kuwait to meet her fiancé's family that she finds the electricity she's been missing—in her fiancé's uncle, Sheikh Raschid al Hamid al Sabah! Raschid is hardly the "uncle" she imagined—tall, powerful, unnervingly masculine and shockingly arrogant. But beneath Raschid's contempt lies a passion that burns hotter than the desert sun, a fire Felicia never knew she craved...until now.
It isn't until Felicia flies to Kuwait to meet her fiancé's family that she finds the electricity she's been missing—in her fiancé's uncle, Sheikh Raschid al Hamid al Sabah! Raschid is hardly the "uncle" she imagined—tall, powerful, unnervingly masculine and shockingly arrogant. But beneath Raschid's contempt lies a passion that burns hotter than the desert sun, a fire Felicia never knew she craved...until now.
217 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1981
20 people are currently reading
252 people want to read
About the author
Penny Jordan
1,125 books668 followersPenelope Jones Halsall
aka Caroline Courtney, Annie Groves, Lydia Hitchcock, Melinda Wright
Penelope "Penny" Jones was born on November 24, 1946 at about seven pounds in a nursing home in Preston, Lancashire, England. She was the first child of Anthony Winn Jones, an engineer, who died at 85, and his wife Margaret Louise Groves Jones. She has a brother, Anthony, and a sister, Prudence "Pru".
She had been a keen reader from the childhood - her mother used to leave her in the children's section of their local library whilst she changed her father's library books. She was a storyteller long before she began to write romantic fiction. At the age of eight, she was creating serialized bedtime stories, featuring make-believe adventures, for her younger sister Prue, who was always the heroine. At eleven, she fell in love with Mills & Boon, and with their heroes. In those days the books could only be obtained via private lending libraries, and she quickly became a devoted fan; she was thrilled to bits when the books went on full sale in shops and she could have them for keeps.
Penny left grammar school in Rochdale with O-Levels in English Language, English Literature and Geography. She first discovered Mills & Boon books, via a girl she worked with. She married Steve Halsall, an accountant and a "lovely man", who smoked and drank too heavily, and suffered oral cancer with bravery and dignity. Her husband bought her the small electric typewriter on which she typed her first novels, at a time when he could ill afford it. He died at the beginning of 21st century.
She earned a living as a writer since the 1970s when, as a shorthand typist, she entered a competition run by the Romantic Novelists' Association. Although she didn't win, Penny found an agent who was looking for a new Georgette Heyer. She published four regency novels as Caroline Courtney, before changing her nom de plume to Melinda Wright for three air-hostess romps and then she wrote two thrillers as Lydia Hitchcock. Soon after that, Mills and Boon accepted her first novel for them, Falcon's Prey as Penny Jordan. However, for her more historical romance novels, she adopted her mother's maiden-name to become Annie Groves. Almost 70 of her 167 Mills and Boon novels have been sold worldwide.
Penny Halsall lived in a neo-Georgian house in Nantwich, Cheshire, with her Alsatian Sheba and cat Posh. She worked from home, in her kitchen, surrounded by her pets, and welcomed interruptions from her friends and family.
aka Caroline Courtney, Annie Groves, Lydia Hitchcock, Melinda Wright
Penelope "Penny" Jones was born on November 24, 1946 at about seven pounds in a nursing home in Preston, Lancashire, England. She was the first child of Anthony Winn Jones, an engineer, who died at 85, and his wife Margaret Louise Groves Jones. She has a brother, Anthony, and a sister, Prudence "Pru".
She had been a keen reader from the childhood - her mother used to leave her in the children's section of their local library whilst she changed her father's library books. She was a storyteller long before she began to write romantic fiction. At the age of eight, she was creating serialized bedtime stories, featuring make-believe adventures, for her younger sister Prue, who was always the heroine. At eleven, she fell in love with Mills & Boon, and with their heroes. In those days the books could only be obtained via private lending libraries, and she quickly became a devoted fan; she was thrilled to bits when the books went on full sale in shops and she could have them for keeps.
Penny left grammar school in Rochdale with O-Levels in English Language, English Literature and Geography. She first discovered Mills & Boon books, via a girl she worked with. She married Steve Halsall, an accountant and a "lovely man", who smoked and drank too heavily, and suffered oral cancer with bravery and dignity. Her husband bought her the small electric typewriter on which she typed her first novels, at a time when he could ill afford it. He died at the beginning of 21st century.
She earned a living as a writer since the 1970s when, as a shorthand typist, she entered a competition run by the Romantic Novelists' Association. Although she didn't win, Penny found an agent who was looking for a new Georgette Heyer. She published four regency novels as Caroline Courtney, before changing her nom de plume to Melinda Wright for three air-hostess romps and then she wrote two thrillers as Lydia Hitchcock. Soon after that, Mills and Boon accepted her first novel for them, Falcon's Prey as Penny Jordan. However, for her more historical romance novels, she adopted her mother's maiden-name to become Annie Groves. Almost 70 of her 167 Mills and Boon novels have been sold worldwide.
Penny Halsall lived in a neo-Georgian house in Nantwich, Cheshire, with her Alsatian Sheba and cat Posh. She worked from home, in her kitchen, surrounded by her pets, and welcomed interruptions from her friends and family.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
April 23, 2019
Only in Romancelandia can the hero be a douche to the heroine for 96.808511% of the time, call it love, and get away with it. So while I enjoyed the well-written prose and the magic sponging* scene, I just didn't feel the love the hero supposedly felt for the heroine.
If Raschid wasn't slinging insults at Felicia, then he was subjecting her to punishing kisses or figuratively grabbing her by the pussy**. All because poor wittle Raschid couldn't handle unrequited wuv and the agony of loving a gold-digging harlot (supposed) who belonged to his nephew.
However, I didn't see ANY evidence indicating Raschid possessed feelings more tender than contempt. There's only so much reading between the lines one can do because, until the HEA, virtually every interaction between them manifested into a verbal or physical battle. Even Felicia questioned how it was possible she fell in love with Raschid:
How it had happened she did not know. Nor why her senses should be enslaved to the one man who had no use or desire for her, but now the truth was inescapable. p. 131
Penny Jordan's first ever Harlequin Presents didn't knock my socks off in the romance department, but her talent for crafting emotional and evocative stories already appeared evident at this early stage in her career. I'm glad I read it but once was enough.
*Jordan fans and followers of Boogenhagen's reviews know that sponging in a Jordan romance is that panacea capable of healing all wounds, figurative and literal, between the hero and heroine.
**Props go to bookjunkie for reminding me of this phrase!
If Raschid wasn't slinging insults at Felicia, then he was subjecting her to punishing kisses or figuratively grabbing her by the pussy**. All because poor wittle Raschid couldn't handle unrequited wuv and the agony of loving a gold-digging harlot (supposed) who belonged to his nephew.
However, I didn't see ANY evidence indicating Raschid possessed feelings more tender than contempt. There's only so much reading between the lines one can do because, until the HEA, virtually every interaction between them manifested into a verbal or physical battle. Even Felicia questioned how it was possible she fell in love with Raschid:
How it had happened she did not know. Nor why her senses should be enslaved to the one man who had no use or desire for her, but now the truth was inescapable. p. 131
Penny Jordan's first ever Harlequin Presents didn't knock my socks off in the romance department, but her talent for crafting emotional and evocative stories already appeared evident at this early stage in her career. I'm glad I read it but once was enough.
*Jordan fans and followers of Boogenhagen's reviews know that sponging in a Jordan romance is that panacea capable of healing all wounds, figurative and literal, between the hero and heroine.
**Props go to bookjunkie for reminding me of this phrase!
June 10, 2018
Holy Slut Shaming, Batman! The hero in this story takes one looks at his half-nephew's "fiance" the English rose heroine and decides she is a wanton Jezebel and never lets up until the bitter end. Heroine is in Kuwait (a real country - yay!) to meet the family of her boyfriend who has been sent to NYC by the head of the family bank (hero) in order to crush their romance. It obvious the H/h will end up together, but Penny Jordan takes us on Kuwaiti travelogue with side scenes of punishing kisses and philosophical differences about a woman's place.
This is her debut novel with Harlequin and already her style is being established. Heroine is full of emotion, she faints, she ends up with sunburn that has to be cooled with cream slathered on by the hero (early sponging?) she easily falls for the hero even though he is horrible to her, she has no family, she wears "toning separates."
PJ did learn to tighten up her inner monologues - the heroine takes a page of thinking before she answers a question in places. Later on PJ didn't let her stories get diverted from the main H/h. (There are lots of scenes without the hero in this one.) But there are plenty of trademark PJ elements to keep any fan happy.
But be warned - slut shaming - big time.
This is her debut novel with Harlequin and already her style is being established. Heroine is full of emotion, she faints, she ends up with sunburn that has to be cooled with cream slathered on by the hero (early sponging?) she easily falls for the hero even though he is horrible to her, she has no family, she wears "toning separates."
PJ did learn to tighten up her inner monologues - the heroine takes a page of thinking before she answers a question in places. Later on PJ didn't let her stories get diverted from the main H/h. (There are lots of scenes without the hero in this one.) But there are plenty of trademark PJ elements to keep any fan happy.
But be warned - slut shaming - big time.
September 17, 2016
This this is Penny Jordan's first book. It's awesome.
SPOILERS AHEAD
It's about a girl going to meet her fiancé's family in the Middle East.
She was treated horribly by the uncle whom she starts developing feelings for. He calls her Miss Gordon through the whole thing which was a little creepy.
He only uses her first name Felicia at the end when they are married and he declares his love for her.
Also, he seems to have some kind of misconception about her that she's somehow sleeping around which is false. She is a virgin and when he discovers this he asked her to marry him.
To give him credit he wanted her even when he thought she was a slut so it was all good.
I loved this story and I have read it several times.
SPOILERS AHEAD
It's about a girl going to meet her fiancé's family in the Middle East.
She was treated horribly by the uncle whom she starts developing feelings for. He calls her Miss Gordon through the whole thing which was a little creepy.
He only uses her first name Felicia at the end when they are married and he declares his love for her.
Also, he seems to have some kind of misconception about her that she's somehow sleeping around which is false. She is a virgin and when he discovers this he asked her to marry him.
To give him credit he wanted her even when he thought she was a slut so it was all good.
I loved this story and I have read it several times.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2015
Aww this was Penny Jordan's first book and it was so well written. The heroine is an English girl who falls in love with hero's nephew and makes a trip to Kuwait so as to win him over. Hero thinks she is not good enough for his nephew being a Western woman and a woman of loose morals. Felicia tries to make him see she is not the gold digger he thinks she is but she falls in love with the country and with Raschid even though he treats her with contempt!
This book is passionate, angsty and intense. Hero is alpha, sexy and heroine is loving, vulnerable and a sweetheart. I miss Penny Jordan and her amazing books!
This book is passionate, angsty and intense. Hero is alpha, sexy and heroine is loving, vulnerable and a sweetheart. I miss Penny Jordan and her amazing books!
August 28, 2021
Eulogy of male chauvinism.
The equation: the more the hero abuses the heroine the more she loves him is her at its maximum level.
This man slut shamed the h from the first page to almost the last, and in two pages tells her he only did it because he loved her all along and was jealous of his nephew, that was the heroine’s fiancée.
Of course the h is a virgin while he goes manwhoring around without any care.
Really, double standard here.
And the continuous self pitying thoughts of h that, even abused repeatedly by the awful H, thinks how she will be able to live without him. But very well indeed I may say!
Too much craps for me.
Maleness is not abuse, luckily.
No thanks.
The equation: the more the hero abuses the heroine the more she loves him is her at its maximum level.
This man slut shamed the h from the first page to almost the last, and in two pages tells her he only did it because he loved her all along and was jealous of his nephew, that was the heroine’s fiancée.
Of course the h is a virgin while he goes manwhoring around without any care.
Really, double standard here.
And the continuous self pitying thoughts of h that, even abused repeatedly by the awful H, thinks how she will be able to live without him. But very well indeed I may say!
Too much craps for me.
Maleness is not abuse, luckily.
No thanks.
January 6, 2012
The heroine Felicia has been seeing Faisal for a while and they both hope to marry, however Faisal comes from a traditional Arab family and fears that they will not approve. Felicia travels to Kuwait to meet Faisal's family and hopefully gain their approval for marriage, especially the approval from Faisal's uncle Raschid, the hero, whom is the head of the family. However when she meets Raschid it is clear that he has a very poor opinion of her. As time passes, Felicia struggles to deal with the almost constant scorn from Raschid, the restrictions on her actions as a woman in the East, as well as her worry that her relationship with Faisal isn't at all what it should be. But she falls in love with the country and it's beauty, and soon realises that beneath her hostility to the way Raschid treats her is a fierce desire for him. As her love grows Felicia knows that he will never love her back and that her time in the country that has touched her heart will soon be over.
This is an intense, almost suspenseful, book and one that is exactly what Penny Jordan does best. Considering this book was written in 1981, it is quite a forward book. It also deals with the differences between east and west cultures really well. Raschid is the perfect 'classic' Mills & Boon hero; he treads the line between cruel and kind, and is so very smouldering that he really makes the sexual tension in this book thick. The heroine did have a propensity for self-pity, but I found her quite endearing. Throughout the book, I really couldn't see how these two would ever find a way to be together, and that is what makes this a brilliant book, it keeps you guessing.
It is hard to believe that this was Penny Jordan's first book, it is so accomplished! She will be missed.
RIP Penny.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
This is an intense, almost suspenseful, book and one that is exactly what Penny Jordan does best. Considering this book was written in 1981, it is quite a forward book. It also deals with the differences between east and west cultures really well. Raschid is the perfect 'classic' Mills & Boon hero; he treads the line between cruel and kind, and is so very smouldering that he really makes the sexual tension in this book thick. The heroine did have a propensity for self-pity, but I found her quite endearing. Throughout the book, I really couldn't see how these two would ever find a way to be together, and that is what makes this a brilliant book, it keeps you guessing.
It is hard to believe that this was Penny Jordan's first book, it is so accomplished! She will be missed.
RIP Penny.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
October 24, 2013
I dont get what is so attractive about having an asshole for a hero. it can make for a good story if the heroine is outspoken but this is not the case in this book. hero is cruel, he mocks her, belittles her but she is too much of a simpering wuss to do anything. save ur time, do not read.
June 30, 2021
CRAZY!!! sexy Sheikh yes he was and an English sweetheart meets in Kuwait and sparks fly , I enjoyed reading these 2 very much I found them adorable ;)
May 27, 2018
"Because you don't want to see it," Felicia said quietly.
"You see in me only what you want to see."
"I wish to God that were possible," Raschid said harshly, his eyes suddenly intent.
"Now you are angry," he told her softly, 'and your eyes glint green fire as though they would consume me in their depths. " His own glittered like jet between the fringe of his lashes.
"And yet when I kissed you the other day, they were pools of mysterious jade."
I just love the poetic dialogues in this book..a sensual heart-fluttering romance between the beautiful and spirited Felicia Gordon,and the Lion-hearted sheikh Racshid al Hamid al Sabah.
Their natural flowing love and the sizzling chemistry between them was too much for me,and i knew that Racshid was deliberately cruel to Felicia because he was jealous.
He reminded me of an wild lion everytime i pictured him in my head and every scene with Felicia and him gave me such a pleasure.I also love the heroine,Felicia was so wonderful and passionate..and i wanted to be her friend so much.
One of earlier work by Jordan really well-written.This book was far from AWESOME but 100-times AMAZING!!!Love this book so much!
"You see in me only what you want to see."
"I wish to God that were possible," Raschid said harshly, his eyes suddenly intent.
"Now you are angry," he told her softly, 'and your eyes glint green fire as though they would consume me in their depths. " His own glittered like jet between the fringe of his lashes.
"And yet when I kissed you the other day, they were pools of mysterious jade."
I just love the poetic dialogues in this book..a sensual heart-fluttering romance between the beautiful and spirited Felicia Gordon,and the Lion-hearted sheikh Racshid al Hamid al Sabah.
Their natural flowing love and the sizzling chemistry between them was too much for me,and i knew that Racshid was deliberately cruel to Felicia because he was jealous.
He reminded me of an wild lion everytime i pictured him in my head and every scene with Felicia and him gave me such a pleasure.I also love the heroine,Felicia was so wonderful and passionate..and i wanted to be her friend so much.
One of earlier work by Jordan really well-written.This book was far from AWESOME but 100-times AMAZING!!!Love this book so much!
September 3, 2021
4.5 swoon worthy stars. Despite the harried slut shaming, I was willing to forgive the H. Something about his beautiful promising man hands maybe... sigh. Curling in my toes.
This was pure beautiful angst that you can only hunt for today in a book. The h was nice and unassuming. She was almost betrothed to a guy she met at school who came from a stately middle eastern family. The fiancé’s guardian, his uncle, a sheikh of the realm has to approve of the h as a suitable match. The fiancé guy is also young and carries his heart on his sleeve, lending it out as he wills. The h is too naive to recognize that the fiancé is loosely interested.
The h is sent off to meet her fiancé’s family to clear their misconceptions about her. She meets the real H, the fiancé’s guardian. He’s half English, brooding and extremely vile in expressing his sexist world views. If you’re not okay with that kind of gender roles, you will hate the book.
Personally I loved the H’s aggression. He was totally blind in his jealousy and could only resort to verbal abuse. How could he possibly make a grab at his ward’s to-be betrothed.
Their constant banter was sweet and possessive. Given this was PJ’s earlier work, she draws some boundaries and this book isn’t indulgent on that level that their chemistry was screaming out for... :D
I also liked the side characters, aka, the original fiancé’s siblings and mother (the H’s sister). The ending was rushed and the epilogue was sadly missing. I loved it!
This was pure beautiful angst that you can only hunt for today in a book. The h was nice and unassuming. She was almost betrothed to a guy she met at school who came from a stately middle eastern family. The fiancé’s guardian, his uncle, a sheikh of the realm has to approve of the h as a suitable match. The fiancé guy is also young and carries his heart on his sleeve, lending it out as he wills. The h is too naive to recognize that the fiancé is loosely interested.
The h is sent off to meet her fiancé’s family to clear their misconceptions about her. She meets the real H, the fiancé’s guardian. He’s half English, brooding and extremely vile in expressing his sexist world views. If you’re not okay with that kind of gender roles, you will hate the book.
Personally I loved the H’s aggression. He was totally blind in his jealousy and could only resort to verbal abuse. How could he possibly make a grab at his ward’s to-be betrothed.
Their constant banter was sweet and possessive. Given this was PJ’s earlier work, she draws some boundaries and this book isn’t indulgent on that level that their chemistry was screaming out for... :D
I also liked the side characters, aka, the original fiancé’s siblings and mother (the H’s sister). The ending was rushed and the epilogue was sadly missing. I loved it!
February 10, 2019
"Falcon's Prey" is the story of Felicia and Raschid.
Our h Felicia is an orphan who wants to find love and a home, and when Faisal proposes to her, she eagerly accepts. However, Faisal is the nephew to Sheikh Raschid al Hamid al Sabah, who opposes to their engagement, making Felicia travel to Kuwait to convince him when Faisal remains in New York.
But on meeting the example of male masculinity, Felicia notices her heart beating faster; however Raschid's distaste for her could not have been more obvious. Furthermore, he thinks of her as a gold diggers, and does not leave any opportunity to remind her of the same. Will Felicia be able to acknowledge her changing feelings, and convince Raschid of the same?
This is author Penny Jordan's first book, and you see the potential in so many places. The story is stretched, and the heroine has monologues *cough* self pity *cough* and crying sessions that last pages upon pages. The hero is mean until the very end, when a sudden burst of emotions makes him confess the truth. There is so much sexual tension, that is barely explored- instead most of the book is the H chiding the h, and her wallowing in melancholy or defying him.
I did like that the Kuwait setup, the whole Islamic customs described, as well as the Falcon-Prey esque plot comparisons. Predictable yet interesting- enjoyed in parts.
Safe
3/5
Our h Felicia is an orphan who wants to find love and a home, and when Faisal proposes to her, she eagerly accepts. However, Faisal is the nephew to Sheikh Raschid al Hamid al Sabah, who opposes to their engagement, making Felicia travel to Kuwait to convince him when Faisal remains in New York.
But on meeting the example of male masculinity, Felicia notices her heart beating faster; however Raschid's distaste for her could not have been more obvious. Furthermore, he thinks of her as a gold diggers, and does not leave any opportunity to remind her of the same. Will Felicia be able to acknowledge her changing feelings, and convince Raschid of the same?
This is author Penny Jordan's first book, and you see the potential in so many places. The story is stretched, and the heroine has monologues *cough* self pity *cough* and crying sessions that last pages upon pages. The hero is mean until the very end, when a sudden burst of emotions makes him confess the truth. There is so much sexual tension, that is barely explored- instead most of the book is the H chiding the h, and her wallowing in melancholy or defying him.
I did like that the Kuwait setup, the whole Islamic customs described, as well as the Falcon-Prey esque plot comparisons. Predictable yet interesting- enjoyed in parts.
Safe
3/5
February 17, 2018
This author is hit or miss for me but I liked this one. First off not a made up country yeah! Second there was actual thought given to the cultural differences between east and west and whether a marriage would work. Plenty of scenes between the hero and heroine. Lots of OTT punishing kisses. Satisfying HP.
April 21, 2017
A wonderfully intense Penny Jordan classic.
Felicia thought she was in love with Faisal, a Kuwaiti man that she met in London, and that he loved her. When he proposed, she was willing to marry him but not without his family's blessing. She traveled to Kuwait to meet his uncle Raschid, whose approval they needed and who was completely against their engagement.
The man she assumed was elderly and stern turned out to be tall, dark, handsome and cruel!
Raschid refused to approve the marriage between a woman he considered nothing but a gold digging whore and his nephew. He went out of his way to be nothing but nasty and cruel to her.
How Felicia managed to stay in Kuwait as long as she did and put up with his demeaning comments and his constant hostility towards her, I will never know. She allowed herself to be trapped there when she spent all her damn savings on clothes and gifts for people she didn't know. This left her broke and with no way home! My momma always told me no matter where I go, always make sure I have cab fare home, or in Felicia's case, plane fare home. Life lesson Felicia.
Anyhoo, after a entire book of being tormented and belittled, Felicia realized that she did not love Faisal but she fell in love with Raschid. Fickle, fickle Felicia. Luckily for her, it all worked out and she is marrying a misogynistic throwback to the age of Neanderthal. But she got her guy!
In spite of my snark, I really enjoyed this book. Penny Jordan knew how to write a riveting tale and this was a zinger! Definitely worth the read. All I have left to say is "bye Felicia!" ;D
Felicia thought she was in love with Faisal, a Kuwaiti man that she met in London, and that he loved her. When he proposed, she was willing to marry him but not without his family's blessing. She traveled to Kuwait to meet his uncle Raschid, whose approval they needed and who was completely against their engagement.
The man she assumed was elderly and stern turned out to be tall, dark, handsome and cruel!
Raschid refused to approve the marriage between a woman he considered nothing but a gold digging whore and his nephew. He went out of his way to be nothing but nasty and cruel to her.
How Felicia managed to stay in Kuwait as long as she did and put up with his demeaning comments and his constant hostility towards her, I will never know. She allowed herself to be trapped there when she spent all her damn savings on clothes and gifts for people she didn't know. This left her broke and with no way home! My momma always told me no matter where I go, always make sure I have cab fare home, or in Felicia's case, plane fare home. Life lesson Felicia.
Anyhoo, after a entire book of being tormented and belittled, Felicia realized that she did not love Faisal but she fell in love with Raschid. Fickle, fickle Felicia. Luckily for her, it all worked out and she is marrying a misogynistic throwback to the age of Neanderthal. But she got her guy!
In spite of my snark, I really enjoyed this book. Penny Jordan knew how to write a riveting tale and this was a zinger! Definitely worth the read. All I have left to say is "bye Felicia!" ;D
January 2, 2011
Just blah. I cannot get into these 80s heros. They are NOT sexy. They are just JERKS!!
August 5, 2014
The heroine spends the past year falling in love the the nephew not realizing that is the way her treats her, charms her, & respects her that she loves...& that the is no passion on her side. Love all the details & research that went into making her trip to Kuwait as real as possible. She finds passion with the uncle(who really is a jerk) but he believes her to be a "money grubbing whore" not seeing her goodness & innocent which leads to a lot of misunderstandings & hurt feelings. Once she almost dies they finally get it together.
September 23, 2020
Wow. The hero of this book makes Hull's sheik look like a man of honor. Two big mysteries here: one, why the heroine would fall in love with such a jackass (because she really digs the way he sexually assaults her?!) and two, why did I keep reading? Maybe to see just how far off the rails it would go. Pretty freaking far as it turns out.
July 6, 2020
Penny Jordan’s first Harley outing shows off the author’s emerging talent as a tour de force romance novelist and introduces certain elements that would later become a staple of her stories (including, YES!, sponging!). Lots of good reviews for this one, so just some highlights from me. If you like unrelenting asshat heroes in your Harleys, this one's for you! Some classic PJ elements already emerging in this early work of hers.
June 24, 2021
3.5 stars may be more accurate. I usually eat up these older HP’s and will seek out a Penny J. At times I had difficulty with the book, for example I got to about page 145 and I was in a rush for the ending. I was ready for the resolution. Was it the cruel hero?(no I usually like them) All the slut shaming? Hmm, again I don’t think so. Was it the toning outfits?(I always liked Garanimals as a kid) Maybe it was the Hi-Fi Systems playing the “haunting” sounds of the Carpenters. You know the brother/sister duo that sang Close to you, and We’ve only Just begun. (I think my OLDER sister had the album) I can imagine PJ writing this book with the melodious sounds playing in the background. So I will refer to Carpenters throughout my review.
Heroine(Felicia): 21 year old virgin from an unloving background. She meets Faisal the om in the story and the nephew of the H. They fall in love quickly. Unlike her other counterparts, she is chaste. Faisal attempts to seduce her, but once he realizes that the h is standing by her convictions he decides to respect that and give her a ginormous emerald engagement ring. Our heroine, (to quote the Carpenters) is all “white lace and promises”. She is so in love with the idea of being loved that she ignores her lack of passion for the om. Maybe that will “take some time this time” for that to fall into place.
OM- He is 22 and immature to some extent. Despite his current Western lifestyle, his ideas of woman are very traditional middle eastern. This is not the first girl he has “loved” however, it may be the first one not to give up the milk so to speak. Yet, his Uncle, a sheikh in Kuwait is against the marriage. So, it is decided that the h will go to Kuwait to endear herself to the Uncle. He buys a one way ticket for her to go to Kuwait, while he is sent to NYC by the Uncle to work.
Heroine quits her job, spends what little money she has on clothing and boards a plane to Kuwait. (She has some guts!)
HERO-Raschid, early 30’s- Picks up the h at the airport. He is tall dark and handsome, and very broody. The h doesn’t realize at first that he is the Uncle, because she expected someone older. Now our hero, has decided that the h is a gold digging woman who HAS given up the milk. He has reports from a (sleazy) friend that she was dancing very provocatively in London with the OM. And here the slut shaming begins. While our heroine is dreamily humming the Carpenter’s “Why do birds suddenly appear whenever you are near” throughout most of the book, Our hero is more prone to the lyrics from Berlin’s Sex
I'm a man - I'm a teaser
I'm a man - Well I'm a virgin
I'm a man - I'm a one night stand
I'm a man - I'm a drug
I'm a man - Well I'm your slave
I'm a man - I'm a dream divine
And we make love together
I'm a man - I'm a goddess
I'm a man - I'm a hooker
I'm a man - I'm a blue movie
I'm a man - I'm a slut
I'm a man - I'm a geisha
I'm a man - I'm YOUR babe
I'm a man - I'm a dream divine
Anyhoo throughout the story our Hero delivers punishing kisses, and somewhere along the line the h falls out of love with the om and into love with the H. She actually gets the feels for the H and never had those for the om. Yet she doesn’t have any indication from the H that he would ever welcome her affection. So she decides to write the om to break up and maybe he can send money her way so she can run away back home. Now she is humming a new tune by the Carpenters:
I'll say goodbye to love
No one ever cared if I should live or die
Time and time again the chance for love has passed me by
And all I know of love
Is how to live without it
I just can't seem to find it
So I've made my mind up
I must live my life alone
And though it's not the easy way
I guess I've always known
I'd say goodbye to love
Unfortunately, before she writes the om, he writes her saying that he knows she is cavorting around town with the H and he is disgusted by her wayward behavior.(walking unescorted in the street, hero grabbing her arm and berating her in public etc) She thinks that the Hero has sold her out to the om and purposely planned it. The H still doesn’t know her engagement is off. The om is sending him a letter soon.
The story continues with the h and H while this song plays in the background:
All my life I could love only you
All your life you could love only me
Tell me why, then?
Oh why should it be that
We go on hurting each other
We go on hurting each other
Making each other cry
Hurting each other
Without ever knowing why
Now the h and H have a moment after she wanders into the desert and disappears. Thank goodness for the Falcons. He brings her back and lathers her up with after sun lotion. She is burnt and some how they end up rolling around in the bed. Ok, either this was a mild sunburn, or the lotion had some sort of numbing drug in it. Or the Hero touched only the non sunburnt parts? She is super close to giving up the milk then something is said that makes her think this is just another scheme on the H’s part to break her and the om up. Oh, and he finally can see that she is a virgin. He leaves her agitated and aroused.
The next morning she wakes up and asks his sister to help her leave without telling him. The sister agrees. (Her husband tells the H instead) While the h is soaking in the communal tub, the H walks in and locks them in together. Now is the moment of truth and the declarations. However, he wants to wait to sleep with her, because he plans on marrying her…quickly.
3 weeks later they are married and now we are singing a different song by the Carpenters:
Hope was all I had until you came
Maybe you can't see how much you mean to me
You were the dawn breaking the night
The promise of mornin' light
Filling the world surroundin' me
When I hold you
Baby, baby, feels like maybe
Things will be all right
Baby, baby, your love's made me
Free as a song, singin' forever
Only yesterday when I was sad and I was lonely
You showed me the way to leave the past and all its tears behind me
Tomorrow maybe even brighter than today
Since I threw my sadness away
Only yesterday
I have found my home here in your arms
Nowhere else on earth I'd really rather be
Life…
They are definitely “On Top of The World”
I wish I would have read this book in 81. I chose the white lace dress for my wedding, but the 101 buttons sounds very sexy.
The H’s family (mom, 2 sisters) were very lovely people. I guess only the boys in the family inherited the asshole gene.
The H for the most part was much more progressive than the om. We also see that he is a man of honor by helping his niece out with her wedding, taking over as leader of the household at a very young age, and basically saving the h from a marriage where she would have been very disappointed.
Heroine(Felicia): 21 year old virgin from an unloving background. She meets Faisal the om in the story and the nephew of the H. They fall in love quickly. Unlike her other counterparts, she is chaste. Faisal attempts to seduce her, but once he realizes that the h is standing by her convictions he decides to respect that and give her a ginormous emerald engagement ring. Our heroine, (to quote the Carpenters) is all “white lace and promises”. She is so in love with the idea of being loved that she ignores her lack of passion for the om. Maybe that will “take some time this time” for that to fall into place.
OM- He is 22 and immature to some extent. Despite his current Western lifestyle, his ideas of woman are very traditional middle eastern. This is not the first girl he has “loved” however, it may be the first one not to give up the milk so to speak. Yet, his Uncle, a sheikh in Kuwait is against the marriage. So, it is decided that the h will go to Kuwait to endear herself to the Uncle. He buys a one way ticket for her to go to Kuwait, while he is sent to NYC by the Uncle to work.
Heroine quits her job, spends what little money she has on clothing and boards a plane to Kuwait. (She has some guts!)
HERO-Raschid, early 30’s- Picks up the h at the airport. He is tall dark and handsome, and very broody. The h doesn’t realize at first that he is the Uncle, because she expected someone older. Now our hero, has decided that the h is a gold digging woman who HAS given up the milk. He has reports from a (sleazy) friend that she was dancing very provocatively in London with the OM. And here the slut shaming begins. While our heroine is dreamily humming the Carpenter’s “Why do birds suddenly appear whenever you are near” throughout most of the book, Our hero is more prone to the lyrics from Berlin’s Sex
I'm a man - I'm a teaser
I'm a man - Well I'm a virgin
I'm a man - I'm a one night stand
I'm a man - I'm a drug
I'm a man - Well I'm your slave
I'm a man - I'm a dream divine
And we make love together
I'm a man - I'm a goddess
I'm a man - I'm a hooker
I'm a man - I'm a blue movie
I'm a man - I'm a slut
I'm a man - I'm a geisha
I'm a man - I'm YOUR babe
I'm a man - I'm a dream divine
Anyhoo throughout the story our Hero delivers punishing kisses, and somewhere along the line the h falls out of love with the om and into love with the H. She actually gets the feels for the H and never had those for the om. Yet she doesn’t have any indication from the H that he would ever welcome her affection. So she decides to write the om to break up and maybe he can send money her way so she can run away back home. Now she is humming a new tune by the Carpenters:
I'll say goodbye to love
No one ever cared if I should live or die
Time and time again the chance for love has passed me by
And all I know of love
Is how to live without it
I just can't seem to find it
So I've made my mind up
I must live my life alone
And though it's not the easy way
I guess I've always known
I'd say goodbye to love
Unfortunately, before she writes the om, he writes her saying that he knows she is cavorting around town with the H and he is disgusted by her wayward behavior.(walking unescorted in the street, hero grabbing her arm and berating her in public etc) She thinks that the Hero has sold her out to the om and purposely planned it. The H still doesn’t know her engagement is off. The om is sending him a letter soon.
The story continues with the h and H while this song plays in the background:
All my life I could love only you
All your life you could love only me
Tell me why, then?
Oh why should it be that
We go on hurting each other
We go on hurting each other
Making each other cry
Hurting each other
Without ever knowing why
Now the h and H have a moment after she wanders into the desert and disappears. Thank goodness for the Falcons. He brings her back and lathers her up with after sun lotion. She is burnt and some how they end up rolling around in the bed. Ok, either this was a mild sunburn, or the lotion had some sort of numbing drug in it. Or the Hero touched only the non sunburnt parts? She is super close to giving up the milk then something is said that makes her think this is just another scheme on the H’s part to break her and the om up. Oh, and he finally can see that she is a virgin. He leaves her agitated and aroused.
The next morning she wakes up and asks his sister to help her leave without telling him. The sister agrees. (Her husband tells the H instead) While the h is soaking in the communal tub, the H walks in and locks them in together. Now is the moment of truth and the declarations. However, he wants to wait to sleep with her, because he plans on marrying her…quickly.
3 weeks later they are married and now we are singing a different song by the Carpenters:
Hope was all I had until you came
Maybe you can't see how much you mean to me
You were the dawn breaking the night
The promise of mornin' light
Filling the world surroundin' me
When I hold you
Baby, baby, feels like maybe
Things will be all right
Baby, baby, your love's made me
Free as a song, singin' forever
Only yesterday when I was sad and I was lonely
You showed me the way to leave the past and all its tears behind me
Tomorrow maybe even brighter than today
Since I threw my sadness away
Only yesterday
I have found my home here in your arms
Nowhere else on earth I'd really rather be
Life…
They are definitely “On Top of The World”
I wish I would have read this book in 81. I chose the white lace dress for my wedding, but the 101 buttons sounds very sexy.
The H’s family (mom, 2 sisters) were very lovely people. I guess only the boys in the family inherited the asshole gene.
The H for the most part was much more progressive than the om. We also see that he is a man of honor by helping his niece out with her wedding, taking over as leader of the household at a very young age, and basically saving the h from a marriage where she would have been very disappointed.
August 3, 2021
Could East and west love side by side?
They were in love--why shouldn't they be married? But both Felicia and Faisal knew there would be problems. Ordinary English girls just didn't marry wealthy Arabs.
On a cloud of love and optimism, Felicia flew to Kuwait to meet Faisal's family, to gain their trust, love and approval....
But Faisal's dictatorial uncle, Raschid, had no intention of allowing Felicia to marry his nephew, and his methods of driving her away were dishonorable and grossly unfair. Though Felicia resented his prejudiced attitude, she had to admit the man himself fascinated her.
Desert Bride.
Felicia accepted there would be hurdles to overcome when she agreed to accompany her fiance, Faisal, to his homeland: she was ordinary English girl, and he was an Arab from a immensely wealthy family.
But there was one particular problem she hadn't bargained for- Faisal's uncle, Sheikh Raschid al Hamid al Sabah.
It wasn't just Raschid's mistaken conviction that Felicia was an unprincipled gold digger that was causing her alarm. It was the slowly awakening realization that she might have become engaged to the wrong man..
They were in love--why shouldn't they be married? But both Felicia and Faisal knew there would be problems. Ordinary English girls just didn't marry wealthy Arabs.
On a cloud of love and optimism, Felicia flew to Kuwait to meet Faisal's family, to gain their trust, love and approval....
But Faisal's dictatorial uncle, Raschid, had no intention of allowing Felicia to marry his nephew, and his methods of driving her away were dishonorable and grossly unfair. Though Felicia resented his prejudiced attitude, she had to admit the man himself fascinated her.
Desert Bride.
Felicia accepted there would be hurdles to overcome when she agreed to accompany her fiance, Faisal, to his homeland: she was ordinary English girl, and he was an Arab from a immensely wealthy family.
But there was one particular problem she hadn't bargained for- Faisal's uncle, Sheikh Raschid al Hamid al Sabah.
It wasn't just Raschid's mistaken conviction that Felicia was an unprincipled gold digger that was causing her alarm. It was the slowly awakening realization that she might have become engaged to the wrong man..
April 16, 2017
Reread: Apr. 15,2017
Reread: Nov. 26,2013
This is a re-read of a book I remember reading for the first time when I was about 14 or so. It's a lot different reading this again now I'm 30-something, that's for sure!
The hero is a jerk, plain and simple. Nothing says I love you like "Hey, I think you're a money-grubbing whore!" The heroine gets very defensive and they spend most of the book goading each other and willfully misunderstanding each other. The bit toward the end where she finally surrenders to him was a bit much for me because all I could think about was that she'd just been out in the desert and was covered in sand and some kind of lotion for severe sunburn - the girl was suffering from exposure for crying out loud - and these two are making out. I was not thinking, yay. I was thinking ouch! I am red-headed and fair skinned and severe sunburn is not conducive to sexy times! Nor is sand in your nooks and crannies. Took me right out of the scene there. Yuck.
Reread: Nov. 26,2013
This is a re-read of a book I remember reading for the first time when I was about 14 or so. It's a lot different reading this again now I'm 30-something, that's for sure!
The hero is a jerk, plain and simple. Nothing says I love you like "Hey, I think you're a money-grubbing whore!" The heroine gets very defensive and they spend most of the book goading each other and willfully misunderstanding each other. The bit toward the end where she finally surrenders to him was a bit much for me because all I could think about was that she'd just been out in the desert and was covered in sand and some kind of lotion for severe sunburn - the girl was suffering from exposure for crying out loud - and these two are making out. I was not thinking, yay. I was thinking ouch! I am red-headed and fair skinned and severe sunburn is not conducive to sexy times! Nor is sand in your nooks and crannies. Took me right out of the scene there. Yuck.
January 6, 2012
Really ticked off right now. Wrote a huge long review about why this book works for the time it was written in, and how it needs to be read in that context, etc, and when I hit save, it did NOT save. I lost it all and I'm so mad. Should have copied it before saving, but Goodreads has never done this to me before.
Will try to recreate it later, maybe, as I'm on deadline right now and can't spend another hour writing it!
Will try to recreate it later, maybe, as I'm on deadline right now and can't spend another hour writing it!
April 28, 2013
I was disappointed with the research done for this book.....For a person like me who been to three Muslim Gulf countries, description of such a rich heritage in this book was sadly lacking and plain wrong at some places... could have made it better....
May 25, 2009
Romance set in Kuwait in the early 1980's. Obviously written before there was any thought of Desert I.
September 5, 2012
Heroine was engaged to the heroes nephew. The hero wasn't going allow the heroine to marry the nephew, so he took her for himself.
Great read.
Great read.
June 20, 2022
He was horrible to her and she falls in love with him I say b.s.
October 12, 2020
Good story women getting stuck in a foreign land and falling for her host.
It was alright but the end was rushed... Oh I love you lets get married. It wasn't too bad as they had technically been sort of living together for a few weeks so could easily have grown to each other but didn't really show in the book so the end just wasn't for me.
It was alright but the end was rushed... Oh I love you lets get married. It wasn't too bad as they had technically been sort of living together for a few weeks so could easily have grown to each other but didn't really show in the book so the end just wasn't for me.
August 27, 2017
Never realized baiting, mocking, saying cruel and mean things was what you do when you fall in love. lol... part and parcel of the whole Hero shtick. lol This is an old book, you can tell by the lack of sex in it. lol
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2018
Kuwait published 1981. Good descriptions of Kuwait. Readable vintage romance with loopholes at the end between the three main characters. I liked the falcons. There were some good descriptions and then some that fell short. There needs to be more resolution with the family since the characters walk multiple worlds. The male characters needed more concreteness. The female character was well described in her stereotypes. Penny Jordan is someone I have read later books on, and I wasn't sure if I read this so I tried it. It is on my mind even after I left it. It is kind of good. It could be more if the tensions between the main characters were flushed out better.
April 22, 2025
MMC was a slut-shaming, abusive asshole to the virginal, quivering, doormat FMC for 99% of the book. At no point did he treat her with any respect, even after the point where he claims he fell in love with her. His grovel was pathetic and the ILY not believable.
June 10, 2019
Lectura: 2012 ***
Relectura: 2019 ** Realmente en esta segunda leída fue agotador calarse sus discusiones. Tuve que descalificarlo.
Relectura: 2019 ** Realmente en esta segunda leída fue agotador calarse sus discusiones. Tuve que descalificarlo.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews