Sheikh's Desert Duty

The Chatsfield #9

by Maisey Yates

A Chatsfield Scandal!

Journalist Sophie Parsons needs a scoop to stop the sale of her friend's hotel chain. And she's found it! But being abducted by a sheikh goes way beyond the call of duty…

Sheikh Zayn Al-Ahmar has a wedding to arrange, a sister to protect and a country to rule. He's not going to let one woman bring it all down with a headline! Kidnapping Sophie seemed like a good idea, but soon her delectable company puts everything he values at risk.

Only one mistress can rule Zayn's heart—will it be Sophie, or his duty?

Welcome to The Chatsfield, New York!

Genres: Harlequin, Harlequin Presents, Romance, Contemporary Romance, Royalty, Fiction

192 pages, ebook

First published December 16, 2014

About the author

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Maisey Yates lives in rural Oregon with her three children and her husband, whose chiseled jaw and arresting features continue to make her swoon. She feels the epic trek she takes several times a day from her office to her coffee maker is a true example of her pioneer spirit. In 2009, at the age of twenty-three Maisey sold her first book.

Since then it’s been a whirlwind of sexy alpha males and happily ever afters, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Maisey divides her writing time between dark, passionate category romances set just about everywhere on earth and light sexy contemporary romances set practically in her back yard.

She believes that she clearly has the best job in the world.

Reviews

[Aayesha · Rating 4 out of 5]

OMG. I loved the hero so much! I LOVED HIM!



He was amazing!



Tortured, brooding, self-hating. And he was such an amazing man, he cared so much about his family, about everyone else but himself. He has to be on my list of all-time favourite heroes.

The heroine was splendid too, gritty and driven. I loved what she did in the end, sacrificing herself for him. I liked her from the beginning (even though I prefer my heroines less forward than her), and after what she did, I loved her.



The plot was well thought out and beautifully executed. I knew from the beginning that these two would be tough nuts to break, any good writer would have a hard time making them admit their feelings for one another. Yates did a wonderful job.



As for the writing, I can now officially say that I'm a fan of this author. She wrote incredibly well, her descriptions were rich and conversations full of wit. I never lost interest even for a second. I will definitely look into reading more of her books.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing love story so deep and so intense I was literally in tears! Heroine was so innocent, so vulnerable, so giving I adored her. She knew hero was engaged to another woman but she couldn't help falling in love with him.

Hero is your typical dark tortured alpha Sheikh but he was a very complex man and my heart broke for him. He carries so much guilt and his story is so tragic. Sophie's love healed him and made him a better man. All this great book neeeded was an epilogue filled with cute babies! lol

I have a soft spot for sweet virginal heroines and alpha dark heroes and this book totally delivered!

[*CJ* · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Sheikh's Desert Duty" is the story of Sophie and Zayn.

The heroine overhears a conversation that gives her a scoop for a story she is covering. She is caught, and kidnapped by a royal Sheikh, and taken to his country! What starts with misunderstandings blooms into a deep meaningful romance as they open upto each other, and after brief drama find their HEA.

Enjoyable!

Safe
3.5/5

[Kace | The Booknerd · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was okay. The plot is good. The writing is good too. But I didn’t connect to any of it, and even with the hero and heroine.

[Susan in Perthshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this one in the Chatsfield Series 2 anthology and was delighted to see Maisey Yates had written one of the stories. I was not disappointed.
I accept Sheik stories for what they are - totally romanticized, and unreal fiction but I still enjoy ones that are well written and credible because they provide true romantic escapism. This story was one of those.

Zayn's sense of duty and responsibility made him a fabulous hero. We had a desert kingdom that was well imagined by the author, and a sweet, determined and loyal heroine who definitely deserved her happy ending.

[Jasmyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got to the show a little late with this series, so I thought I'd try to pick it up now. It is possible to read the romance as a stand-alone, but there are some references that I didn't quite understand to other people involved with the hotel.

The beginning of the story is almost right out of a fairy tale. The handsome prince (or sheikh in this case) kidnaps the beautiful princess and whisks her away to his palace. Only this time the princess is a journalist, and she objects to being taken anywhere against her will. Not the best start to a new romance. But Sophie is trying to prove she's worth something - anything - so she will go along with the plan and try to get the biggest story of her life out of it.

Sheikh Zayn will do anything to protect the honor of his family - it is his duty. There is a lot at stake for him right now and I loved how strong his protective instinct was towards his sister. What I didn't like was how he thought it was his business to try and take care of everything all the time. It would really get on my nerves. He's also engaged already.

While you don't get the vibe of "he's technically cheating" too much from the story, it was still something I picked up on and wasn't fond of. My favorite parts of the story was the time Zayn and Sophie spent in the desert - they seemed so natural and in tune with each other there. Outside of this part of the story, they both seemed so very emotionally hard and cold. I wish they had opened up - even to themselves and the reader - just a bit more.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

[Hsiau Wei · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sophie did not expect to be caught and kidnapped but it happened and to be whisks away by the prince who wanted to protect the honor of the family. Sheikh Zayn doesn’t want Sophie to spill the dirt on the Chatfield family to the press and the only way he can do is by offering the opportunity of an exclusive interview of his upcoming wedding in exchange of her willingness to follow him to Surhaadi. But as they spend time together, it becomes clear that they are meant to be together but could they when responsibility dictates especially for Sheikh Zayn.

This is a story of two main characters who are in love with each other but could not be together due to duty to the family and past that they are still holding onto. There is a great chemistry between Sheikh Zayn and Sophie as the story progress which makes the story to be interesting as Sheikh Zayn is engaged and due for marriage in a matter of weeks hence, I am curious with how the author going to tackle the issue and allow both of them to find the happiness that they deserve. Overall, it is an enjoyable read for me with well written story plot.

[Reads by Starburst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sheikh’s Desert Duty by Maisey Yates is a well written romance on the abduction trope with two very likable characters who go really well together. Sophie is a journalist who is seeking to help her friend and revive her career by getting the scoop of the century on the Chatsfields. She was innocent in some areas but really smart in the other areas. She was adorable from the start and I completely loved her. Zayn like all sheikhs values his duty and family above everything else. He was extremely disciplined and fiercely guards his control. It was fun seeing Sophie completely undo him and change him to something else entirely in the end. The romance was enjoyable because of the chemistry between the main characters. The pace could have been a little more consistent but it was enjoyable overall.
Overall, Sheikh’s Desert Duty by Maisey Yate is an enjoyable romance which definitely does not disappoint.
Read More

[Rgreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sheikh's Desert Duty was a pleasant read about a hero discovering he doesn't have to be tied to duty due to his past and a heroine discovering the past doesn't have to hinder her desire for love.

While the prose was amusing and fast paced the chemistry between the hero and heroine was bland. They spent so much time interviewing each other it left the romance lukewarm.
I wished the hero was more alpha. He was so perfect even though he did kidknap the heroine in the beginning.

A decent read but forgettable.

[RomLibrary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Make over. Journalist Sophie Parsons needs a scoop to stop the sale of her friend's hotel chain. And she's found it! But being abducted by a sheikh goes way beyond the call of duty…
Sheikh Zayn Al-Ahmar has a wedding to arrange, a sister to protect and a country to rule. He's not going to let one woman bring it all down with a headline! Kidnapping Sophie seemed like a good idea, but soon her delectable company puts everything he values at risk. Only one mistress can rule Zayn's heart�will it be Sophie, or his duty?

[Cheyenne · Rating 1 out of 5]

The characters and their chemistry was lacking until the last 60 pages, the kidnapping and interviewing all felt very lacklustre and for characters supposedly controlled and wise beyond their years they make (especially the heroine) many stupid decisions.

This itself wouldn't normally get a 1 star from me, but I would also class much of the romance in this book as the Hero actively cheating on his betrothed who he is due to marry in under 3 weeks, with a near stranger multiple times.

I have read literally hundreds of these and know the trope of a long distant engagement, a business arrangement thrown off by a romance etc. works - I have liked many of them, but the way all the romance in this up to and including a love confession was undertaken with the belief Zayn was to be married in under 3 weeks time (wedding prep well underway) felt unpleasant.

[Susan in Perthshire]

Sheikh's Desert Duty (Chatsfield series) by Maisey Yates.

I came across this one in the Chatsfield Series 2 anthology and was delighted to see Maisey Yates had written one of the stories. I was not disappointed.
I accept Sheik stories for what they are - totally romanticized, and unreal fiction but I still enjoy ones that are well written and credible because they provide true romantic escapism. This story was one of those.

Zayn's sense of duty and responsibility made him a fabulous hero. We had a desert kingdom that was well imagined by the author, and a sweet, determined and loyal heroine who definitely deserved her happy ending.

[Amie Doughty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a good addition to the Chatsfield series, which had been quite strong to this point (unusual for a continuity series in my experience). The story was fine, the writing terrible. In addition to the problematic sentence structure, the dialogue was hackneyed (especially Zayn's, though Sophie's wasn't much better). My rating is really more a 1 1/2 stars than 2. I didn't hate the book, but I didn't enjoy it.

[Kaiyah George · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me quite a while to finish this book since I was a bit distracted by life in general, however, I must state that I loved it minus the fact that I still want to know the name of Sophie's rich father. It's a must read and no one will regret reading it.

[Amee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
I kinda get the feeling that they've taken some ideas from the original series, put them in a hat and pulled a couple out to recycle for this book...
Barely any connection to the Chatsfield family. Story was relatively well written.

[Shanelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was rather disappointing after I read the the previous books in the Chatsfield series. There was no spark between the characters. Rather dull. I struggled to finish it.

[Janine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Yanira · Rating 3 out of 5]

una historia envolvente que te sumerje en el desierto y te hace sentir el calor de esas tierras....el jeque y la periodista me encanto el final

[Book Binge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d heard good things about Maisey Yates, so I wanted to give one of her books a try. While it doesn’t break any new ground, this book is a just-slightly-better-than-average Harlequin Presents.

Sophie Parsons is a columnist at a local newspaper. She needs to dig up some dirt on the wealthy Chatsfield family to help a friend, but while snooping she gets caught eavesdropping on an altercation between James Chatsfield and Sheikh Zayn Al-Ahmar, the ruler of the nation of Surhaadi. Zayn is angry because James slept with his virgin sister, Leila, though no one but Zayn and Leila know she’s also pregnant. Zayn is desperate to protect his family, and he doesn’t want Sophie running off to tell his secrets to the press. There’s only one logical move to make when a stranger has heard some very vague information about your family: kidnap her. (Not how you’d handle it? Well, you’re clearly not a Sheikh.) Zayn coerces Sophie into his limo and half strong arms/half blackmails her into coming back to Surhaadi with him. He promises her she can report on his upcoming wedding, and he also promises to give her a scandal that would damage the Chatsfields. Naturally, the two have to spend time together, and they each realize the other is more than they first thought.

Zayn is pretty much like every other Sheikh hero from the HP line. He’s bossy, he’s concerned about virginity, he is burdened by his “duty”, etc. Nothing new to see here. Sophie is slightly more interesting. She is smart, ambitious, and self-sufficient. Aside from her reaction to her kidnapping (more on that later), she acts fairly believably. I really didn’t see how she thought she could be a hard-hitting journalist since she clearly does not have any aptitude for investigation or interviewing, but she does have an amazing amount of drive and has worked hard for everything she has in life. I also liked that she’s mostly upfront and honest. She does keep some of her motivations secret from Zayn, but only because she’s protecting her friend. When it comes to her feelings and her relationship with Zayn, she’s admirably open.

I think this is why the ridiculous kidnapping thing bothered me so much. Sophie isn’t stupid, but she completely acts that way at first. She shows very little fear when a strange, intimidating man basically forces her to get into his limo. She has no idea what he might do to her, but she’s already fantasizing about how hot he is. I’d describe her as unsettled, not completely fucking terrified, which would be the appropriate reaction. Either commit to the kidnapping and make Sophie have a normal reaction (fear) but make Zayn redeem himself, or find another way to get Sophie to Surhaadi. Moreover, the kidnapping makes no sense whatsoever. What does Zayn hope to accomplish by taking her away? You don’t think she’s going publish the story about her kidnapping eventually, if she really was out for a scoop? And inviting a woman looking for dirt into your home seems much more dangerous than simply letting her go with the vague details she’s already collected. But Sheikhs don’t care for your logic, Commoner!

I also didn’t appreciate the fact that Zayn is engaged. In fact, he’s getting married in a matter of weeks. It’s true he doesn’t love his fiance and they’ve barely met (she doesn’t even appear in the book), but it still seems pretty lousy to start something with Sophie. His fiance is just a plot device, not a real woman with her own feelings and needs. (Ditto for Zayn’s sister, Leila, though at least she does appear in the next book in the series. Maybe the fiance will eventually make an appearance as well?) I wanted Zayn to grovel some more, too. He didn’t do much to make up for stringing Sophie along or for the things he said to her near the end.

If you don’t enjoy the HP line, you’ll find nothing unique in this book. But if you’re in the mood for one, you could certainly do worse than Sheikh’s Desert Duty. That sounds like faint praise, but for a line as homogeneous as the Harlequin Presents can be, slightly-above-average is not too shabby.

Grade: 3.5 out of 5

This review was originally posted on Book Binge by Jen.

[Beyond the Pages with Eva K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Cover: 3+/5
Story: 3-/5

Sophie: Strong, fiercely loyal, naive, compassionate toward Zayn, seeking
Zayn: Burdened, haunted, honor-bound, hard and yet easily broken of sorts by Sophie, seeking

This book's plot seemed so interesting when I read the cover. I was immediately intrigued by it. The story itself started out wonderfully, with great pacing, excellent drama, and good character exposure. As the story progressed, however, the pacing changed and the content lacked consistency regarding the characters.

I would love to say that Sophie was both selfless and wise beyond her years, but I cannot. While her motives for seeking out a scandal were to aid a friend, I could not help but feel that her overall intent was to better position herself career wise. Sophie had a tough, street smart wisdom, but she had no clue when it came to men. It was painful to see how innocent she was. Also, it was quite hard for me to truly understand how such a savvy, tough woman was so easily caught by Zayn.

Zayn was a man who was all about control. He ruled himself with an iron fist, holding himself in check in all things. Until Sophie, he pursued only those things meant to protect his family and to fortify his kingdom. Because of his past and the pain of loss, he allowed himself no sense of joy and certainly no love. I liked that he tried to do the right thing and that he seemed to be a man of integrity. I guess that I somehow expected him, because of his strong sense of honor, to break his vow to the princess before he indulged himself with Sophie.

Overall, I wanted this couple to get together. I wanted these two people to find happiness together. I am glad they did.

Rating: 3/5
Recommend: +/-
Audience: Adult
Book Cover: 3/5
Other: I would have liked the author to open up the world a bit more. This couple was so isolated, and it just did not come across as natural.

An ARC of this title was made available for review via NetGalley in exchange for an honest critique.

[Claudia Blanton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes I read just for a quick escape. I am not looking for literary prose or a complex story line, but I just want to be entertained for a short while, to take me away from the pressures of running one business and starting another. Sheikh’s Desert Duty did exactly that for me. I was emerged into a tale, that could never happen, but was mesmerized by the characters anyway. This short read (185 pages), had everything an escapist romance should have – two main characters that are likable, steamy romance, an exotic locale and a tale that is as far away from our regular life than possible, all while not portraying the woman as a simple plaything, and the man not as a simple alpha male.

Like I mentioned above, this is not a book for those who are looking for a more complex story line, but it was entertaining non-less, and did not leave the characters flat. A worthy read.

[Tanya Mayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been awhile since I read any of Maisey books. I really enjoyed this story. Sheikh Zayn went above and beyond duty to protect his family when he kidnaps Sophie. Sophie was only in that alley to help her friend and is whisked away lone Zayn knows she is a journalist. I also see this as love at first sight. He has denied himself for so long but Sophie made him feel again. Zayn is suppose to marry another but his feeling for her is out of duty. Zayn takes Sophie to the desert, after one day their feelings is raging out of control. They get caught in a down pour and their is no more hiding it. But a misunderstandings tears them apart but Zayn knows the truth now and makes a decision that will change his life.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typical of the HP romance, this premise is outlandish: with the heroine, Sophie, kidnapped by the hero, Zayn, because her snooping ways threaten the family honour back in Zayn's mythical sheikhdom. But the initial banter and humour of the novel were most enjoyable. Once Zayn and Sophie settle into their desert stand-off, however, their convos take on the quality of back-story and the novel fizzles. If you'd like to read a more extensive review, please follow the link:

http://missbatesreadsromance.com/2015...

I received an e-ARC from Harlequin, via Netgalley.

[Yas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually make my book choice based on my author and the storyline.
I have been reading the Chatsfield series and I find that there are gems and misses in this series.
This is a fairly middle story for me. I have yet to read a story from the author that really enthralls me. But this was an okay read for me.
It's the classic , sheik, over bearing hero , with issues with his family, kidnap the journalist to prevent a scandal and in the process get to know the girl kind of story. In the midst of it they have attraction, love and all that.

[Tory Michaels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sniffle. Dang it, Maisey does it to me again. I love this woman and her writing. I read this a while back so a lot of the plot is missing from my memory, but Zayn. What he's willing to do to protect his sister is wonderful. I like how Sophie was a journalist at heart, but wasn't willing to ruin someone to get ahead despite wanting to rise higher in the field of journalism.

Wonderful couple, great installment from the Chatsfield series.

[Michelle Sneed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this one, and I loved it. The Sheikh is beyond sexy and definitely in control, well at least until he falls for the woman he kidnapped. Passion, love, and a bit of romance seems to be inevitable...definitely a good read.

[Harlequin Books]

"Yates’ romance has all the bells and whistles: beautifully opulent sand-scapes and deadly desert dangers, and a haunted, penitent royal hero and determined, wrong-side-of-the-tracks heroine who may seem ill-fated but are a perfect fit" (RT Book Reviews, 4 1/2 stars).

Miniseries: The Chatsfield

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it, all of it! The hero was awesome, loyal and selfless. Herione was strong and independent. Their love story was so touching. I am enjoying "The Chatsfiel" series. I have to definitely say Maisy Yates is becoming an all time favorite author.

[Emma Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

Duty & kidnapping

Written with an edge of suspense & control that is always at that edge. Until unforseen circumstances push just beyond the dutiful control....into almost madness. Hard to put down.

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars