Златният варварин

Sedikhan #1

by Iris Johansen

Тереза, прекрасната и своенравна принцеса на кралство Тамровия, опитва всичко, за да се измъкне от тиранията на баща си. В една страна, където жените не ги смятат за хора, на нея й остава само един изход — да се предаде във властта на Гален бен Рашид — млад и приказно богат принц. Тя става негова жена, но при едно условие — след три години да бъде свободна. Но гордият принц има други планове — иска да я направи робиня на своите желания. Късно обаче осъзнава, че самият той вече е роб на своенравната си годеница.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Marriage Of Convenience, Historical Fiction, Medieval, Royalty

Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Iris Johansen is a New York Times bestselling author. She began her writing after her children left home for college. She first achieved success in the early 1980s writing category romances. In 1991, Johansen began writing suspense historical romance novels, starting with the publication of The Wind Dancer. In 1996 Johansen switched genres, turning to crime fiction, with which she has had great success.

She lives in Georgia and is married. Her son, Roy Johansen, is an Edgar Award-winning screenwriter and novelist. Her daughter, Tamara, serves as her research assistant.

IRIS JOHANSEN is The New York Times bestselling author of Night and Day, Hide Away, Shadow Play, Your Next Breath, The Perfect Witness, Live to See Tomorrow, Silencing Eve, Hunting Eve, Taking Eve, Sleep No More, What Doesn't Kill You, Bonnie, Quinn, Eve, Chasing The Night, Eight Days to Live, Blood Game, Deadlock, Dark Summer, Pandora's Daughter, Quicksand, Killer Dreams, On The Run, and more. And with her son, Roy Johansen, she has coauthored Night Watch, The Naked Eye, Sight Unseen, Close Your Eyes, Shadow Zone, Storm Cycle, and Silent Thunder.

http://www.irisjohansen.com

Reviews

[Alex is The Romance Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have kind of gone off sheikh romances and not exactly mad about historical romance
…..so why I decided to read this book ?????….I have no idea!!!
Perhaps it’s that the author, Iris Johansen, is one of my favorite romantic suspense writers. I think I have read most of her books but somehow missed this series. But right now, I am so happy with this find…in fact I am ….kinda feeling like this

Why I found this story so fascinating was the fact that it’s not your usual cheesy sheikh meets virginal heroine, bends her to his rules making her a total simpering idiot!!!!

No, this is a timeless love story between an honorable desert sheik and a feisty and independent princess. Fabled kingdoms, desert tribes, fearless women, love, politics, passion and inspiration.

Galen ben Rashid, sheikh of the exotic kingdom of Sedikhan

Offers Princess Theresa Christina Rubinoff a chance to gain her independence.

Agreeing to a marriage of convenience which will benefit both of them, Tess, her independence and Galen being able to join both their kingdoms to enable him to unite his people…..they are thrown into a journey filled with danger, excitement, adventure, love and discovering what means the most in their lives. Seeing them fall in love with each other….feeling their sexual tension!!!!!! Fab Fab Fab!!

There were such a lot of things I enjoyed about this book.
Galen for me was the ultimate hero. Instead of being overbearing and over-alpha and bending Tess to his way – instead he gave her the freedom to be herself!! I adored the love for his people, his patience, his understanding and how he dealt with the obstacles that he had to face.

He was really an endearing character.

Tess was a woman before her time!!!! A pioneer of women’s liberation!!!!!! Unafraid to face the challenges in her life. Clever, adventurous, honest, straight-forward, caring and totally lovable. I could not help but fall in love with her!!!

Great dialogue. Some fabulous secondary characters….my favorite…Tess’s cousin Sacha!!!! I can’t wait for his story!!!! As I was so happy to discover….this is the 1st book in the Sedikhan Series…yes, I am going to read the entire series!!!

Wonderful love story. Wonderful story line. Wonderful characters. Wonderful settings.
And of course……..Tess & Galen……..

What more can I say????

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this was mindless escapism for me with two characters who seemed pretty progressive for their times in this 18th century marriage-of-convenience but ultimately fall in love romance novel. Galen, a sheikh of a desert tribe convinces Tess, a princess of a fictional Balkan country to marry him. He promises her escape from a domineering father & freedoms that she wouldn't have in her current circumstances, and he hopes to forge an alliance with a powerful country as he seeks to unite the tribes against a warring and cruel foe. Written in 1991, Johansen mines the tropes of this genre to the fullest as she weaves her story of this strong hero and his feisty, independent counterpart. I found the description of the culture of those living in the desert the most interesting and how they react to this western princess who now lives among them as a leader's wife. Now if I try to pull back to reality, I do think how did they communicate? Surely, they don't speak the language of the other?

Readers who enjoy this style of romance are sure to love this one as beside the sexual tension, there is adventure, humor, danger, & spectacle.

[AgentScully · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most intelligent and non-cheesy Sheik romance that you're ever likely to find. Set around 1800, it's the story of Princess Tess of a fictional Balkan country who marries Galen Sheik of a desert tribe. The marriage takes place pretty early in the book, so this may count as a marriage-of-convenience plot if that's your thing (or not). Tess is no unwilling victim - she's given the chance to exert some control over her life and future and she goes for it. Galen has his own schemes but finds himself falling for his wife.

The wonderful hero and heroine set this romance apart from many others. Galen is hot-tempered and just plain hot. He feels his "barbaric" blood keenly and controls himself rigidly. You get the impression of a volcano trying to keep itself from exploding. Alpha and sexy, he's also very protective towards Tess. He finds he desires her a lot more than he thought he would. He waits though until she's ready for the marital bed and (great hero!) doesn't even look at another woman in the meantime.

Tess is a strong and vibrant young woman, overflowing with vitality and enthusiasm but never dumb. A virgin but thankfully no prude or shrinking violet in the bedchamber. She shows her bravery and quick wits when the villain abducts Galen's sister. She actually has a sound plan and her playacting is delicious. Of course the hero still saves her in the nick of time. This is a romance after all :-)

The sexual tension is very strong leading up to the consummation. Actual sex scenes are rather few and not particularly graphic after the first. The story was so engrossing though, I really didn't miss them much. What I liked best was that the hero and heroine were actually heroic. They both rise above their times, and in the hero's case his inner "barbarian". Galen has a purpose - to unite the warring tribes into 1 law-abiding country. Tess aims to improve the lot of women in the new country. Galen refuses to whip her when she goes too far and he's expected to punish her. He finds another way to make her scream ;-) Ah we should all be "punished" so!

[☀︎El In Oz☀︎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75/5

What a way to start off 2025! This romance had a relatively solid plot that I enjoyed but the chemistry between the two leads was bland as cardboard. Not a single emotion of note existed between them. The two leads themselves were also boring as hell and Tess, the heroine, was really irritating at times. That being said this was very fast paced, and the writing style was very simple and easy to read!

[Mojca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Princess Theresa "Tess" Rubinoff and Sheikh Galen Ben Raschid first met when she was twelve and trying to save her dog from the smelly bog...He ended up saving her and the dog.

That night, his last night in the kingdom of Tamrovia, Tess came into his chambers begging him to save her two dogs from being snuffed by her tyrannical father, promising him anything in return.

Six years later the time came for her to keep her promise. Galen needs a wife to secure an alliance between Tamrovia and his homeland, Sedikhan, and no one is better suited then Tess.

And he knows just how to tempt her. He offers her freedom after three years of marriage to secure the unity of his country, and a child.

Tess promptly accepts, but little do both of them know, that such bargains rarely work. Especially if there's the heart involved...



This was, I think, the first historical romance I've read back in time when I could still find my library card.

I'll admit, this book has many faults, slow-moving plot (until the last forty-or-so pages, acute lack of romance - blink and you've missed it (you really have to read between the lines, squint your eyes, and have a good imagination to spot it!), and a storyline that has to be desired, but still it's an amazing and titillating read.

Tess is quite a character, strong, smart (a boon, really), fiercely independent, stubborn to a fault, yet lovable to a fault. Hey, she managed to make a barbarian sheikh fall in love with her! And she kicked some serious barbarian booty in the end, you go girl!

Galen is a bit more of a mystery, he certainly isn't drawn as well as Tess is, but that's the charm of these bad boys. Just as you know what makes him tick, he veers left and completely surprises you.
I loved his inner turmoil, though. The way he was struggling with keeping the balance between a savage barbarian (that he thought he was) and a civilized man (as civilized as it got in a desert country ravaged by war and disputes between clans).

The love was there, even more for him than for Tess, if you ask me. Maybe because the author showed more his adversity toward the end of their "agreement" than Tess' - the man went caveman whenever she mentioned leaving, for crying out loud. And despite the fact he needed a woman "frequently", he didn't want anyone but his wife. If that ain't love, I don't know what is.

What was really the best part of this book was the seduction. Despite the title and the "inner Galen", this was seduction plain and simple. And he was not only seducing Tess, he was seducing the reader as well. The heat and intensity slowly and leisurely rises and the tension is so thick you can chew on it, until you want to grit your teeth and shake the two idiots to just get it over with...But let me tell you, they certainly don't need you to tell them that.


Yeah, it wasn't perfect, but it is definitely a keeper.

[Lover of Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

This timeless love story starts out with the willful and independent Princess Theresa Christina Rubinoff has been in a convent for quite some time now. When her cousin Sacha gets her out, she is relieved to say the least. However she doesn't want to have to go back to court and face her father once again. Tess and her father have always rubbed the wrong way to say the least, since Tess is a free spirit, her father has always been a bit harsh with her. However when Galen Ben Raschid convinces Tess to marry him and bear him a son to help him unite with the other tribe leaders, and then she will be free to go anywhere she wants after her three years are up, she agrees. Having ached for being able to be free to choose her own path in life, much more desirable than the plan her father would have set for her. However, she never realized how much her life would change once being married to a barbarian chieftain whose way of life is very different from what she is accustomed to. But despite all the dangers surrounding them, there is a profound love that will blossom beneath the desert sun.

I truly enjoyed reading The Golden Barbarian, and it flew by so quickly, and by the end I was disappointed that the story was over, I was wanting more and more, but a book can only last so long right? Its been quite some time since I have read anything from Iris Johansen, and after reading this one I am eager for more of her books. I love her historicals, she has such a talent to portray the historic events and scenery surround the story, and it comes alive for the reader. Its very exhilirating for me, to read this one, because I felt so enraptured like I was actually in the story and seeing it all come to reality. The characters and the plot are so vividly written it really astounded me about how much I was drawn into it.

[Regan Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 and 1/2 Stars!! 1st in the Sedikhan Series is a Keeper!

This is the first in Johansen's Sedikhan series and it's a good one. If you like strong, resourceful heroines, handsome desert Sheikhs and stories set in exotic places, you'll love this one. As with all Johansen's historical romances I've read, she takes pains to weave a complex tale with wonderful characters and believable sexual tension.

Tess Rubinoff, Princess of Tamrovia (somewhere in the Balkans) first meets Galen Ben Raschid Sheikh of Zalandan (think desert sands) when she is 12 and he pulls her and her dog out of quicksand. Even then, he has designs on her as he wants to link their two countries in order to gain sufficient power to unify the desert tribes of Sedikhan. Since she is only 12, he will wait; he is a patient man. She spends the next 6 years in a convent at her cousin's suggestion (prompted by Galen) to protect her from an abusive father. When her father rejects Galen's suit, Galen arranges to steal Tess away by making her a proposition she cannot refuse--and she doesn't.

Once in Sedikhan, the adventure begins.

In case you want to read more of them, here is the entire Sedikhan Series (not all are historical; some are contemporary; but all have a link to Sedikhan):

The Golden Barbarian
The Golden Valkyrie
The Trustworthy Redhead
Capture the Rainbow
Touch the Horizon
A Summer Smile
And the Desert Blooms
Always
Everlasting
Till the End of Time
The Last Bridge Home
Across the River of Yesterday
Star Light, Star Bright
Man From Half Moon Bay
Blue Blue Skies and Shining Promises
Magnificent Folly
Notorious
A Tough Man to Tame

[*CJ* · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Golden Barbarian" is the story of Tess and Galen.
The couple meets when the h is merely 12 and the H saves her and her dog from drowning. She then gives him her pets to save them, and time moves on..
Many years later, while she's returning from her convent, she is approached by Galen- who wants to marry her to unite her kingdom Tamrovia with the Sedikhan- something her father opposes to.
She agrees, in exchange of contract marriage and freedom.
But love and fate have other plans..
Absolutely wonderful read. The hero is described as a barbarian, but is actually a kind and tortured leader who wants the best for his kingdom. He is alpha and possessive, but not mean or hurtful.
The h herself is kind, understanding and brave, and passions soar high when fire meets fire.
Well written in terms of describing the landscape and customs of people in the era. The couple is well suited, and the secondary story of Viane/Kalim/Sacha keeps you hooked too. Loads of evil men try to invade their happiness and kingdom, but the couple fights them together.
A wonderful start to this series!
Safe with minor exceptions the couple meets when she is 12 and he an adult. First night she finds him with two ow and then he leaves. When they meet and marry as adults, 100% safe
4/5

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Theresa and Galen: I haven't read this in about ten years but I just picked it up again and reread it and I remember everything I love about it. If it still holds true 10 years later it is a must read!!! This sweet couple meet while she is a child and a plan forms for Galen. In an effort to offer theresa a way out of her life of being beaten by a husband that might not love her and a means to an end of war for him and his people he makes her an offer. With a fantastic cousin and her knack for trouble an adventure unfolds that is funny, charismatic, sad, and touching on every page@! You can't put it down as you are swept away on a timeless adventure that never gets old!!!

[Aggis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really surprised me. From the cover and the title I thought it was going to be really campy and just kinda fluff with some smut thrown in. However I really enjoyed both the story and the characters and although it does kinda loose the story and the intrigue towards the middle it defiantly doesn't disappoint.

[romancebookjunkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love old school romances however I’m also the first to admit a lot of them to do not stand the test of time. This one though? Absolutely fantastic (although just ignore one stray thought the hero has on page 255). So if you want a Sheik old school romance then look no further.

Our heroine is a princess of Tamrovia and she agrees to marriage of convenience with a Sheik from the neighbouring country who’s hope is to unify his country with her and her uncle’s backing. They make the bargain, in exchange for an heir the heroine after the country’s unification can have her freedom in life- the one thing that due to her sex and station has been withheld from her.

Not only is this book steeped in a lush desert setting but the main characters were deep and well thought out. The heroine is stubborn, headstrong and also completely plain speaking. She knows what she wants and she is driven to find it, everything she does is on her terms and she lets the hero know it. The hero wants to be nothing like his barbarian father, however, he is still 100% an alpha male and used to being in charge so together they both have to find balance and they find connection and heat along the way.

[Janett · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 stars

He had been waiting all his life. Waiting for affection that never came, waiting for the wars to end, waiting for his task to be done.

This story was my first Sheik romance and first read by Iris Johansen. I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would.

Galen Ben Raschid has one goal— to unite the Sedikhan tribes under one rule.



To achieve this goal however, he knows that only a strong marriage alliance with the opposition will give him the power he needs to rule uncontested.

Seeing the opportunity, he collects on a promise made to him by Princess Tess Rubinoff over six years ago. Tess is now of marriageable age and Galen pulls the strings to get her cooperation with the assistance of her cousin, Sacha to travel to Galen’s home, Zalandan and secure the alliance he’s desperate for unbeknownst to her father.

However, Tess is not so keen on becoming anyone’s wife.

“You’re no different from other men. You said it yourself. You like to own things.”



To reassure Tess that he’s not the brutish barbarian the Tamrovians believe his people are, Galen makes Tess his own promise— he will set her free after three years of marriage and if she gives him an heir.

Tess is tempted by the offer as she's always wanted a life of freedom; where she can control her own path.

“I know I’m only a pawn to your friend, but when have I ever been anything else? At least I’ll have a chance at independence, if I agree to his terms. No one else will offer me even that possibility. You were right, he was right; It’s not a bad bargain.”

This story kept my interest from start to finish mainly because Galen and Tess made an awesome team despite their rocky start.

I thought the push and pull between the two very strong-minded characters gave this story the fuel it needed to keep it interesting and relative. I was genuinely surprised at the year this story was written because it reads as if it had been penned within this decade… truly a timeless work of storytelling!

Loved Galen’s character! He was definitely the gem in this romance! I admired his love for his people and the way his people held him in such high regards spoke to the measure of the type of leader he was.

I also appreciated that he was willing to work alongside Tess in order to meet their individual goals. But even so, his own admiration for her grew as she honestly spoke her mind, shared her opinions and displayed her own brand of strength in a society where women had zero rights and no voice of their own.

What a rare blend of strength and fire lay beneath that delicate exterior.

Johansen keeps the setting real, not watering the imbalance between the genders but highlights the power of the individual and most importantly how love can blossom and grow despite cultural or traditional rules.

“It’s the struggle to be better that counts, and we’ll go through life doing that together.”

I was extremely excited that this series had so many books however, when I read the synopsis of the books that follow in the series, I was sorely disappointed that Johansen had vaulted from historical romance into a more contemporary vibe and to be honest, I think I fell in love with how brilliantly she handled this Sheik story and wanted something along the same lines. Reading the reviews for the books that followed did little to dissuade me from my decision. So, I will not be continuing with the rest and will hold on to this one as a wonderful memory.

RECOMMENDED

[Zoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a huge conflict of values while reading this book. And I found the heroine stupid, especially in the second half of the book. A reviewer said there is little romance in this book. I have to agree. It is a lustful book with few tender feelings.

It was an interesting idea to have a sheikh as the hero, that is to say, I have never read a book with a sheikh. I have to say the tribal life doesn't agree with me. The story takes place somewhere in a dessert with characters from fictional (I think) countries. I am not certain this is my cup of tea. Maybe if it's just one of them, then I could have dealt with that.

Iris Johansen seems to have a pattern in her historicals: a very very obsessive and possessive hero, a very young heroine, an explosive sexual relationship and danger in exotic lands. This book has got all that. Galen is a typical Johansen hero, but he is on the more reserved and polite side, which makes his character a lot easier to stomach. His age was never revealed or I have missed it. But I am guessing that he would be around the same age as Tess's (the heroine) male cousin Sacha, which is 12-13 years older than Tess. Now this is not unusual in a historical setting so it doesn't bother me, as long as the heroine is of age, which she was when the romance began.

Long story short: Galen saved Tess's dogs when she was 12. They met for the first time and both left an impression on each other. Galen needed something from Tess's father, so he hatched a plan right after they met in secret, planning to marry Tess when she grew up. 6 years later he returned to make the proposal, Tess agreed and they traveled together to Galen's home in the desert.

Now I really liked the beginning of the story. Iris Johansen's books always start strong, with a pull that I cannot resist. But this book has flimsy plots and loose ends. Don't be too picky and it is not a bad read.

What troubles me a little, is that Tess behaved like the spoiled princess that she was. Galen's world is a conservative one. Women have a role to play and I am not saying that is right or wrong. I think for Tess to want to "show the men that women can do better" or "that women are equals of men", this is all great. But to run around alone, without escort, without protection, as a sheikh'S wife, now that is stupid. I am not saying that she had to be a prisoner. But a certain level of caution would not have been a bad idea. It just shows that she was an impulsive character, who did what she wanted to do, thinking that people would go alone and no one would harm her. I understand it must be a suffocating environment, but this is no reason to put oneself in danger.

Galen and Tess's first intimate scene was a little disturbing to me. Galen seemed to calm and collected to have done what he did without verifying the facts. And for the life of me I could not understand Tess's silence (when things started) and her enthusiasm (when they were getting it on). Her actions were not relatable to me and therefore I found it hard to believe. And if you are expecting the same sizzling heat of the usual Iris Johansen in this book, you would be disappointed.

The plots are a bit too convenient. I don't know what to say about this book. It kept me on the edge of the chair and I didn't want to stop but I didn't love it. But it kept me interested. Most books can't even do that. So I have to give the book credit for that.

[Jewel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was really unique. Imagine if the male lead from E.M. Hull's novel The Sheik had a sudden attack of conscience about what a terrible person he was and vowed to be a better man and that's pretty much what you can expect from the male lead in the The Golden Barbarian. I mean look, nobody is saying this guy is a feminist. But he's trying to fight his old nature and be a different man for his new wife and I found that interesting, especially considering all the men surrounding him don't share his views on women.

Would I have preferred to read a hardcore bodice ripper? Yes.

But for what this book was trying to accomplish, I really enjoyed it. Plus, it helps that the hero and heroine were just so adorable together. Their dialogue was so natural and full of chemistry. Even though this story wasn't what I was expecting, I was rooting for their happy ending.

This novel was more about Galen than anyone else. Tess enters the story fully developed. She knows what she wants (freedom) and the only thing that's stopping her from getting it is her realization that she's in love with Galen and is bound to him whether or not he forces her to stay with him or not. She doesn't have to become something better, she just has to accept the love that is being offered to her.

Galen, on the other hand, is warring with his darker nature for most of the book. His fear of what he could become given proper provocation doesn't abate until the last chapter when he finally accepts every part of himself because Tess does too. His acceptance of himself is what drives this story, and while I wish there had been a bit more to it than that, as I was never truly frightened of him for even one moment, I still found his character arc very interesting.

I recommend this book if you enjoy un-pc alpha heroes but aren't a fan of full on bodice rippers. While I love bodice rippers, Iris Johansen is one of the only historical romance authors that I read that doesn't write stories that are too dark, but still remains true to the time period she's writing in.

TW: dubious consent? I don't know. The hero thinks the heroine is cheating at one point and is determined to have is way with her, but what he doesn't know is that the heroine is pretty enthusiastic about sleeping with him regardless of his ill opinion of her lol. So his intent was definitely not innocent but the heroine is completely willing.

[Jules2016 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. While at the beginning of the book I was sympathetic to the heroine, who was very pragmatic and intelligent beyond her 12 years of age, when the story picks up — 6 years later she has morphed into an ignorant, annoying, immature, reckless, shrew.

As for our desert hero, while he remained valiant and protective, he took on a more crude, pussy-whipped persona. Made all the more gross in the end when he confesses to the heroine that he fell in love with her when she was 12 years old and he was a grown ass 20/30 something-year-old man.

But what really ruffled my feathers was the total disregard for appropriate behavior in Muslim culture at that time in history.

The sassy, flippant irreverent way that the heroine acted and spoke to people “men” would not have been tolerated at that time and you don’t need to be in Oxford scholar to figure that out. By gosh, a 13year-old concubine was whipped in the middle of camp for breaking a pottery jar in the book, while the heroine flounces about without a male chaperone, refusing to wear a veil, doing and saying whatever she wants without consequence.

And when her outlandish actions demanded that she be whipped according to custom, Our golden barbarian hero whips her with his dick instead. Can you see my eyes are rolling in the back of my head?!

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

What drew me in at first was the prologue. I thought that both the heroine Tess and the hero Galen seemed really interesting and while there is a pretty big age difference of 15 or so years (I think) at hand, I thought that they might prove to be just the people for one another. It's just that their relationship didn't really play out in the way I imagined at first...

My thoughts on this book continue in my book blog The Book Challengers HERE.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An oldie but goodie. A princess and a desert sheik join in a marriage of convenience that turns into a hotbed of passion.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love Iris Johansen~ This one is no exception. Another 5 stars!

[Sasha (bahareads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a fan, tbh. The plot was interesting and the setting and characters had the potential to be spectacular. Tess was TOO liberal minded, a 21 century woman in period where such thoughts aren’t possible and of course Galen has those thoughts as well towards women. The ‘darkness’ in Galen isn’t as dark as it seemed, it is childhood trauma not dealt with until Tess came alone. Characters were a flop and the plot arch was lacking.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a re-read. I loved it as much as the first time.

[Angela]

Tess, a strong-willed young girl of French nobility marries Galen, a "barbarian" who is trying to unite the waring tribes of his homeland. This marriage of "business" turns real as both Tess and Galen become committed to uniting the tribes and to each other.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Princess Theresa Christina Rubinoff aka Tess is first seen as a 12 year old girl hugging her dog in quicksand. She is rescued by The Golden Barbarian, Galen, and her couisn Sacha. She is bold, loyal and strives for adventure.

Then it jumps 6 years and Tess has been in a convent awaiting her father's orders that he has arranged a husband for her. Galen has Sacha lure Tess to him for a proposition. She is to marry his, unity his kingdoms, bear him a child and then he will grant her what she wants most...her freedom. Three years of marriage to Galen the barbarian to gain her freedom, Tess agrees to the marriage and they head to his home.

Then the fun begins: Galen doesn't want to force Tess to bed but lure her there as a very williing wife. So plenty of lust until about half-way throught the book when the marriage is finally consummated about a month after the wedding. Tess starts a friendship with Galen's sister Viane and starts attempting to train her pidgeon to be a message carring pidgeon to alevaite some boredom.

Then we get Tamar who is an old friend of Galen but a true barbarian who is attacking, piliaging, raping, killing, and basically wreaking havic among the kingdoms. At one point Tamar takes Tess hostage.

In a nutshell it is a good read. Nice historical romantic story with drama, romance and adventure. It kept my interest. Tess was fun to read. Galen was really tame for a "barbarian" and Sacha gets an unseen surprise.

[Yona Racheva · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an amazing story, since i heart that there is desert and sheik and a kingdom so far away I just fall in love with the storyline. But the end disappointed me a lot, because it was a nice end and the things are supposed to be this way, but with Sasha leaving I felt and still feel sad and until the last 3 pages a was smiling and couldn't stop reading, so the end of the book just broke the whole magic of the book and the whole book I don't know how Iris Johansen always do that, she writes amazing books, but writes awful ends which make me sad, Sasha is only 5 days away, but it feels like they are not going to see him never again and it seems like their adventures are going to end, although they just know begin. And now I'm not going to remember this book with the best of it and there was only that but I'm going to remember it with this end, which isn't sad or anything but it fells this way and I really hate this feeling in the end of a great book. Sasha deserves to have his own adventure, he is such a free spirit and i always smiled when i read when he tells Tess my devil or а minx it was just so sweet and now i don't know why i feel like this.

This was one amazing book and only the last 2 pages are the reason for the 3 stars. The storyline the personages the county the desert everything was amazing and beautifully written.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this book! It was so neat! I love the old days in England where they were the long dresses and the guys wore those clothes. It was a really decent book to me! The only thing that I honestly didn't like was the age difference between Tess and what ever his name was! I like how spunky Tess is, it made the whole book flow! I recommend this book to teenage girls who like romances!

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good romance book.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

HOw does she just keep writing these???

[Maura Finkelstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book ever written.

[~Megan~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read of an oldie....enjoyed it so much this time I upped the rating!

[Chelsea Ramdeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK IS TRULY EXCELLENT. ONE OF THE BETTER BOOKS I HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE OF READING.

[Shanna Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was really cute.