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Enslaved by the Desert Trader
Passion hotter than the Egyptian sun…
In the Great Pyramid of King Khufu, resourceful Kiya works tirelessly, disguised as a boy. But then fearsome raiders arrive and, running for her life, she is captured by a hardened desert trader…
When he realizes what a beauty he has enslaved, Tahar knows he could—and should—sell her for a handsome price. But Kiya is not easily tamed. And when a wild heat explodes between them, shattering all thoughts of resistance, Tahar must find a way to keep her as his own!
In the Great Pyramid of King Khufu, resourceful Kiya works tirelessly, disguised as a boy. But then fearsome raiders arrive and, running for her life, she is captured by a hardened desert trader…
When he realizes what a beauty he has enslaved, Tahar knows he could—and should—sell her for a handsome price. But Kiya is not easily tamed. And when a wild heat explodes between them, shattering all thoughts of resistance, Tahar must find a way to keep her as his own!
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published July 19, 2016
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129 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 23, 2018
These Harlequin Historicals are rocking my world! ✨🔥🙌
Good gawd this was so much fun. What an underrated little jewel this is. I literally felt like I was swept up in a cinematic adventure all over the sand dunes of Egypt. This was my first read by Greta Gilbert and she did a stunning job capturing the rich vibrant world of Ancient Egypt. The details! Oh man. From the prophecies, the high Priests, the dark endless tunnels of the pyramids, the river banks, the lavish lifestyle of the royal palace, the nomadic life out in the desert. I have to say I was really impressed how far the author took it with the details. And the makeup, the wigs, the jewelry! ❤️ Oh my.
What also really worked here for me was that both hero and heroine toed that line of grey area in the beginning. Tahar and Kiya were so unique in the sense they both started off having ulterior motives. Tahara is pretty much an anti-hero in the beginning given his selfish motives and he used to be part of a tribe of thieves. Kiya's motives are more desperate and understandable. I'll be honest I was a little skeptical in the beginning but the character development really won me over quickly. I see most had issue with the heroine's lying but considering it was done out of pure survival mode and not on a whim and she didn't do it constantly (which was my fear) it didn't bother me. Plus the hero pretty much had her number from the beginning and knew the 2 or 3 times she was lying so it wasn't that big of an issue. *shrugs* The heroine in particular showed such strength and courage and I loved the women empowerment undertones, especially in a time and place where a woman's worth is little to none, especially a poor orphaned one.
The love story was so beautiful. Nicely built up. Tahar falling for the mysterious woman he captures was so great to see. The gender-bender introduction was cute and created some funny moments. The growth both of these characters go through made this a successful read. I loved how Tahar taught Kiya to open her mind and eyes to the bigger picture. For someone who was pretty much raised on the streets she had a very narrow view of the world and beliefs so it was great to see her grow and learn that there is more out there and more to see of the world. To see both come together and have such clashing differences in beliefs, one more realistic and worldly experienced and the other more spiritual and naive was great to see. I found both of them so refreshingly honest and pure in so many ways. Loved me some Tahar. 😍 Mmm mmm.
So going down the checklist:
Epic adventure all over the desert ✓
Angsty love story of captor falling for his captive ✓
Couple facing great odds and trials to reunite ✓
I clearly loved this. I felt like I was watching a movie with the hurdles the characters face and the twists and turns thrown their way until they finally reunite at the end. This covered all aspects of Ancient Egypt in pretty much 4 Acts. You get a nice taste of everything, from the drudgery of workers and slaves working for grain, to the endless miles of sand and scorching unforgiving heat of the desert sun, to the opulence of the King's boat and the cool palace walls. I feel like I've repeated myself enough so I'll stop here. lol This is the kind of book I enjoy. Definitely recommend this one!
Mother, what have I become?
Good gawd this was so much fun. What an underrated little jewel this is. I literally felt like I was swept up in a cinematic adventure all over the sand dunes of Egypt. This was my first read by Greta Gilbert and she did a stunning job capturing the rich vibrant world of Ancient Egypt. The details! Oh man. From the prophecies, the high Priests, the dark endless tunnels of the pyramids, the river banks, the lavish lifestyle of the royal palace, the nomadic life out in the desert. I have to say I was really impressed how far the author took it with the details. And the makeup, the wigs, the jewelry! ❤️ Oh my.
What also really worked here for me was that both hero and heroine toed that line of grey area in the beginning. Tahar and Kiya were so unique in the sense they both started off having ulterior motives. Tahara is pretty much an anti-hero in the beginning given his selfish motives and he used to be part of a tribe of thieves. Kiya's motives are more desperate and understandable. I'll be honest I was a little skeptical in the beginning but the character development really won me over quickly. I see most had issue with the heroine's lying but considering it was done out of pure survival mode and not on a whim and she didn't do it constantly (which was my fear) it didn't bother me. Plus the hero pretty much had her number from the beginning and knew the 2 or 3 times she was lying so it wasn't that big of an issue. *shrugs* The heroine in particular showed such strength and courage and I loved the women empowerment undertones, especially in a time and place where a woman's worth is little to none, especially a poor orphaned one.
‘I disguised myself as a man. I helped pull the carts up the tunnel,’ she explained. ‘I am not a goddess, Your Highness. I am not Hathor Incarnate. I am... I am just a woman.’
The love story was so beautiful. Nicely built up. Tahar falling for the mysterious woman he captures was so great to see. The gender-bender introduction was cute and created some funny moments. The growth both of these characters go through made this a successful read. I loved how Tahar taught Kiya to open her mind and eyes to the bigger picture. For someone who was pretty much raised on the streets she had a very narrow view of the world and beliefs so it was great to see her grow and learn that there is more out there and more to see of the world. To see both come together and have such clashing differences in beliefs, one more realistic and worldly experienced and the other more spiritual and naive was great to see. I found both of them so refreshingly honest and pure in so many ways. Loved me some Tahar. 😍 Mmm mmm.
So going down the checklist:
Epic adventure all over the desert ✓
Angsty love story of captor falling for his captive ✓
Couple facing great odds and trials to reunite ✓
I clearly loved this. I felt like I was watching a movie with the hurdles the characters face and the twists and turns thrown their way until they finally reunite at the end. This covered all aspects of Ancient Egypt in pretty much 4 Acts. You get a nice taste of everything, from the drudgery of workers and slaves working for grain, to the endless miles of sand and scorching unforgiving heat of the desert sun, to the opulence of the King's boat and the cool palace walls. I feel like I've repeated myself enough so I'll stop here. lol This is the kind of book I enjoy. Definitely recommend this one!
April 9, 2018
Kiya has been living on the streets of Memphis, in Egypt, for years and has been posing as a man and working on the Great Pyramid for the last 2. When a group of desert tribesman perform a raid on the work site, Kiya is captured by Tahar, who is determined to sell her in marriage to someone wealthy so he can afford to sail back to his homeland. But he doesn't expect to fall in love with her, and once it occurs to him what he's actually about to do, he becomes set on seeing Kiya happy, no matter what it takes. But setting her free doesn't give Kiya her freedom - instead, Kiya finds herself the obsession of the Pharaoh and engaged to be married to him. But she misses and loves Tahar, who she fears she'll never see again.
So this started out very promising. First of all, the setting is totally unique in the romance genre. Not many romances out there set in Ancient Egypt. And the establishment of their developing connection, their chemistry and the moral conflict as Tahar begins to understand his own intentions were excellent. I loved this book right up to the 50% mark. But then Tahar sets Kiya free and things kinda go down hill. I was disappointed that, when Kiya became the fiancee of the king, it was so easy for her to set Tahar aside. She claimed he was always in her mind, but she ACCEPTED her marriage to the king awfully quickly when it came to it...no resistance whatsoever. That bothered me a lot because I seriously began to question how much she loved him. Tahar's love I had no doubt of...until she saw him on her wedding day and we got nothing of any sort of reaction to him. I mean, here he is watching the woman he loves about to marry someone else and we never get to see his reaction - was he angry? devastated? happy for her? what? A man in love is going to have a reaction but he didn't really have one. Things ultimately work out, though there are enough questions left at the end...such as whether Tahar and Kiya would ever be allowed to return to Khemet, whether they ever saw Imhoter again and whether they ever found Tahar's mother. Some of that could have easily been summed up in a much needed epilogue.
So this started out very promising. First of all, the setting is totally unique in the romance genre. Not many romances out there set in Ancient Egypt. And the establishment of their developing connection, their chemistry and the moral conflict as Tahar begins to understand his own intentions were excellent. I loved this book right up to the 50% mark. But then Tahar sets Kiya free and things kinda go down hill. I was disappointed that, when Kiya became the fiancee of the king, it was so easy for her to set Tahar aside. She claimed he was always in her mind, but she ACCEPTED her marriage to the king awfully quickly when it came to it...no resistance whatsoever. That bothered me a lot because I seriously began to question how much she loved him. Tahar's love I had no doubt of...until she saw him on her wedding day and we got nothing of any sort of reaction to him. I mean, here he is watching the woman he loves about to marry someone else and we never get to see his reaction - was he angry? devastated? happy for her? what? A man in love is going to have a reaction but he didn't really have one. Things ultimately work out, though there are enough questions left at the end...such as whether Tahar and Kiya would ever be allowed to return to Khemet, whether they ever saw Imhoter again and whether they ever found Tahar's mother. Some of that could have easily been summed up in a much needed epilogue.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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February 24, 2019Good writing and setting BUT H wants to marry an independent woman even though he has been brought up in a society where a woman does not look at a man in the face and he is on a road trip to auction off a slave woman.
Where did the idea of marrying an independent woman come from?
Where did the idea of marrying an independent woman come from?
June 10, 2016
Kiya is an orphan who has lived on the streets for years. She disguised herself as a man and has been working on the building of the pyramid. When desert raiders attack the pyramid Kiya is captured by a raider with the intend to sell her. Tahar needs to buy a boat to return to his homeland and family. And he knows he can get quite a bit of money for a young maiden. But Kiya is not your typical maiden and defies him at every chance. Soon they are both on a wild journey that pits them against the king and the desert raiders, all who want them dead.
I'll be honest, this wasn't a book that I would normally read. But I was bored and love historical fiction. So I picked it without reading anything about it, including the title. It was set during the ancient Egyptian time when the pyramids were being built, not something I would normally gravitate towards. But surprisingly it was fascinating. The plot is pretty simple, but it is rich in details about the terrain, various tribes, pharaoh's culture, and the customs of the time period. The author did a great job with character development, adding some surprise elements to the plot, and creating interest in where the story would lead. I was very impressed considering I never would have touched the book had I read a bit more about it. So it was a pleasant surprise that I'm glad I read.
I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I'll be honest, this wasn't a book that I would normally read. But I was bored and love historical fiction. So I picked it without reading anything about it, including the title. It was set during the ancient Egyptian time when the pyramids were being built, not something I would normally gravitate towards. But surprisingly it was fascinating. The plot is pretty simple, but it is rich in details about the terrain, various tribes, pharaoh's culture, and the customs of the time period. The author did a great job with character development, adding some surprise elements to the plot, and creating interest in where the story would lead. I was very impressed considering I never would have touched the book had I read a bit more about it. So it was a pleasant surprise that I'm glad I read.
I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
November 9, 2020
3 stars. I think this book started off really strong but as it went on, it got less interesting and more convoluted. The characters of Tahar and Kiya were just alright, not my favorites. Kiya was a bit better than Tahar but she was still so underdeveloped and one dimensional, same as him. The romance didn’t do anything for me and I don’t think the chemistry was that strong. However, where this book gets three stars from is in the writing and the setting. It’s set in Egypt and the author does a fantastic job painting a picture. I had no problem imagining everything and the way she described things was so lush and beautiful. I will definitely read more of her work because of how strong her writing is but this book just wasn’t it for me.
November 2, 2019
Adventure/ Romance story of Tahar and Kiya that takes place in ancient Egypt 2000 BCE. It was nice to imagine this period in our history. However the reason for my lowered rating was due to simplistic vision ancient Egypt.
The love story was cute.
The love story was cute.
May 21, 2019
Il est plutôt rare de lire des historiques sur l'Égypte. Une histoire intéressante qui a eu quelques longueurs sur le début mais qui finalement trouve son rythme sur la seconde moitié.
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February 9, 2025Unforgivably boring
November 17, 2016
At the beginning of this book I was intrigued because there aren't many romance novels that include this time period and setting--ancient Egypt--and I give the author credit for re-imagining a story in this way. I like that she really includes the mythology of the time period.
But I became increasingly frustrated with all the characters. It should be subtitled, "Women who fall in love with bad men and who lie about themselves." First of all, Kiya lies about her truth self to EVERYONE. She disguises herself as a boy to become a pyramid building slave, and the reason why she does this is unclear. Then she doesn't tell the trader, Taher, or the Egyptian king who she really is. She allows them to believe that she's either a goddess or named after a goddess. And, again, the reasons why she does this are omitted from the story.
Secondly, Taher the trader is no hero; he's an absolute scumbag until the last chapter, and then the author decides to make quick amends to his character when he practically says, "Oops, I'm not really that person you thought I was." For me, it was too little, too late. I was pissed off with his character by the half-way point of the book, and the author lost me on feeling any kind of affection towards him. He takes Kiya hostage because he decides that she would make a great meal ticket by exchanging her to some rich man down the river so that he can buy a boat! She's not a human being in his eyes; she's chattel. As the story progresses, he does more damage to her than you can imagine, so his precious bargaining "property" doesn't escape. She is lanced in the arm with a spear by one of his allies while he holds her underwater. She is bitten by a poisonous snake from which she could have escaped had she not had her arms and legs tied together so that she wouldn't escape Taher's camp. He later ties her to a tree in the desert for an entire day and leaves her alone with no food, no way to relieve herself, and no way to drink water because he has her mouth gagged, and then he wanders off to find the nearest brothel so he can have sex with some other woman! What a complete jerk! And then she "falls in love with him"? Boy, the desert heat must have really affected her brain.
Later, she is sent off alone with Taher's horse and is discovered by the King of Egypt. The king desires her for her looks and decides he wants to claim her as his bride. But Kiya, at this point, wants the cruel Taher?? By this point, I've decided that the author must love female characters who love to be masochists.
But I became increasingly frustrated with all the characters. It should be subtitled, "Women who fall in love with bad men and who lie about themselves." First of all, Kiya lies about her truth self to EVERYONE. She disguises herself as a boy to become a pyramid building slave, and the reason why she does this is unclear. Then she doesn't tell the trader, Taher, or the Egyptian king who she really is. She allows them to believe that she's either a goddess or named after a goddess. And, again, the reasons why she does this are omitted from the story.
Secondly, Taher the trader is no hero; he's an absolute scumbag until the last chapter, and then the author decides to make quick amends to his character when he practically says, "Oops, I'm not really that person you thought I was." For me, it was too little, too late. I was pissed off with his character by the half-way point of the book, and the author lost me on feeling any kind of affection towards him. He takes Kiya hostage because he decides that she would make a great meal ticket by exchanging her to some rich man down the river so that he can buy a boat! She's not a human being in his eyes; she's chattel. As the story progresses, he does more damage to her than you can imagine, so his precious bargaining "property" doesn't escape. She is lanced in the arm with a spear by one of his allies while he holds her underwater. She is bitten by a poisonous snake from which she could have escaped had she not had her arms and legs tied together so that she wouldn't escape Taher's camp. He later ties her to a tree in the desert for an entire day and leaves her alone with no food, no way to relieve herself, and no way to drink water because he has her mouth gagged, and then he wanders off to find the nearest brothel so he can have sex with some other woman! What a complete jerk! And then she "falls in love with him"? Boy, the desert heat must have really affected her brain.
Later, she is sent off alone with Taher's horse and is discovered by the King of Egypt. The king desires her for her looks and decides he wants to claim her as his bride. But Kiya, at this point, wants the cruel Taher?? By this point, I've decided that the author must love female characters who love to be masochists.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2016
Orphaned and left on the streets of Cairo, Kiya disguises herself as a boy to work on the Great Pyramid of King Khufu. But then fearsome raiders arrive and, running for her life, she is captured by a desert trader.
Tahar is a desert trader, a member of the despised barbarian tribes bordering the Egyptian lands. However his tribe is an adopted one, and his real family lives far away, across the 'big blue.'
When his tribesmen raids the workers building the pyramid, Tahar captures Kiya. He immediately sees through her disguise, and realises his opportunity to sell her for a handsome price, and finally find his way back to his family.
This isn't a book I would normally read, but I saw it on netgally and thought I would give it a go. I'm glad I did! Kiya was wonderfully spirited and very capable, and Tahar was a fascinating character.
The plot was fairly straight forward, but the details about the settings, tribes, and Egyptian customs was wonderful. There were a few surprises throughout the book, and the character development really carried the story. I'm glad I read this story.
Tahar is a desert trader, a member of the despised barbarian tribes bordering the Egyptian lands. However his tribe is an adopted one, and his real family lives far away, across the 'big blue.'
When his tribesmen raids the workers building the pyramid, Tahar captures Kiya. He immediately sees through her disguise, and realises his opportunity to sell her for a handsome price, and finally find his way back to his family.
This isn't a book I would normally read, but I saw it on netgally and thought I would give it a go. I'm glad I did! Kiya was wonderfully spirited and very capable, and Tahar was a fascinating character.
The plot was fairly straight forward, but the details about the settings, tribes, and Egyptian customs was wonderful. There were a few surprises throughout the book, and the character development really carried the story. I'm glad I read this story.
September 4, 2016
Under the Egyptian Sun
Kiya survives two years of drought by disguising herself as a mute boy and hauling stone for the Great Pyramid of King Khufu. She remembers little of her mother except two warnings. Beware the three serpents. And, stay away from men…they mean to enslave you.
Tahar lives among the desert people as a trader but he is not one of them. When he captures Kiya during a brief alliance with raiders, his first thought is to sell her for a high price and return to his homeland across two seas. He travels with his captive, saving her, teaching her, and learning from her.
Ms Gilbert’s tale is set in an ancient world. Don’t let the setting fool you – the characters live and speak values and truths applicable to modern life.
Kiya survives two years of drought by disguising herself as a mute boy and hauling stone for the Great Pyramid of King Khufu. She remembers little of her mother except two warnings. Beware the three serpents. And, stay away from men…they mean to enslave you.
Tahar lives among the desert people as a trader but he is not one of them. When he captures Kiya during a brief alliance with raiders, his first thought is to sell her for a high price and return to his homeland across two seas. He travels with his captive, saving her, teaching her, and learning from her.
Ms Gilbert’s tale is set in an ancient world. Don’t let the setting fool you – the characters live and speak values and truths applicable to modern life.
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August 21, 2016"For those who can’t get enough of ancient Egyptian history and culture, Gilbert’s desert romance is a tale to prize. The backdrop is as intriguing as the characters, and though readers might wish they were more fleshed out, many will simply savor the fascinating historical details. Definitely a must for those hunting for the exotic" (RT Book Reviews).
June 7, 2016
Tahar could be a sneaky little devil and I liked that, ‘first I must take my rest,’he said, but his large hands were doing anything but resting. Soon he was atop her, slowly kissing her breasts. ‘This is the best rest I think I have ever had...' I really liked this book I loved Kiya's spirit.
August 7, 2016
UGH! Why did I bother. Why didnt I stop reading when I last updated? It would have saved me being really annoyed. Tripe. I think I would have rather done yard work, but I didn't think of it until I was finished.
August 14, 2016
A great read, I really enjoyed it.
December 19, 2017
The "Historical" imprint of Harlequin is my newest guilty pleasure.
Ancient Egypt is an amazing place to me and it's fascinating reading about it. the author clearly researched this material to incorporate into her novel.
Kiya is a damn liar and it got obnoxious after a while. I learned nothing about her character because she kept lying and changing who she was.
Taher isn't much better because he kidnapped her, held her hostage, and had plans to sell her off to the highest bidder as a wife in exchange for a boat.
Ancient Egypt is an amazing place to me and it's fascinating reading about it. the author clearly researched this material to incorporate into her novel.
Kiya is a damn liar and it got obnoxious after a while. I learned nothing about her character because she kept lying and changing who she was.
Taher isn't much better because he kidnapped her, held her hostage, and had plans to sell her off to the highest bidder as a wife in exchange for a boat.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews