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Their Impossible Desert Match
Royal duty and forbidden passion collide in this sizzling desert romance from Harlequin Presents author Clare Connelly, inspired by Romeo and Juliet.
Two star-crossed lovers… One undeniable passion!
Princess Johara craves a last taste of freedom before assuming her royal duties. And she finds it in a scorchingly hot encounter at an opulent ball. Except her mystery lover turns out to be Sheikh Amir of Ishkana—her family’s bitter enemy!
Now Amir must invite Johara to his desert palace to cement a new peace treaty between their countries. He’d rather avoid her—and temptation—forever! Yet an attraction this consuming refuses to be ignored, no matter how risky the consequences…
Two star-crossed lovers… One undeniable passion!
Princess Johara craves a last taste of freedom before assuming her royal duties. And she finds it in a scorchingly hot encounter at an opulent ball. Except her mystery lover turns out to be Sheikh Amir of Ishkana—her family’s bitter enemy!
Now Amir must invite Johara to his desert palace to cement a new peace treaty between their countries. He’d rather avoid her—and temptation—forever! Yet an attraction this consuming refuses to be ignored, no matter how risky the consequences…
192 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 17, 2020
35 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Clare Connelly
517 books406 followersFor all things Clare Connelly, please see www.clareconnelly.co.uk, the official home of Clare Connelly on the web.
Clare Connelly grew up in a small country town in Australia. Surrounded by rainforests, and rickety old timber houses, magic was thick in the air, and stories and storytelling were a huge part of her childhood.
From early on in life, Clare realised her favourite books were romance stories, and read voraciously. Anything from Jane Austen to Georgette Heyer, to Mills & Boon and (more recently) 50 Shades, Clare is a romance devotee. She first turned her hand to penning a novel at fifteen (if memory serves, it was something about a glamorous fashion model who fell foul of a high-end designer. Sparks flew, clothes flew faster, and love was born.)
Clare has a small family and a bungalow near the sea. When she isn't chasing after energetic little toddlers, or wiping fingerprints off furniture, she's writing, thinking about writing, or wishing she were writing.
Clare Connelly grew up in a small country town in Australia. Surrounded by rainforests, and rickety old timber houses, magic was thick in the air, and stories and storytelling were a huge part of her childhood.
From early on in life, Clare realised her favourite books were romance stories, and read voraciously. Anything from Jane Austen to Georgette Heyer, to Mills & Boon and (more recently) 50 Shades, Clare is a romance devotee. She first turned her hand to penning a novel at fifteen (if memory serves, it was something about a glamorous fashion model who fell foul of a high-end designer. Sparks flew, clothes flew faster, and love was born.)
Clare has a small family and a bungalow near the sea. When she isn't chasing after energetic little toddlers, or wiping fingerprints off furniture, she's writing, thinking about writing, or wishing she were writing.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 9, 2020
At the beginning, I thought finally Ms. Connelly wrote a cruel jerk as H alas HP has definitely tamed her too. 2,5 stars.
May 7, 2023
Not bad 3.5 stars
September 12, 2020
Very enjoyable story of two royals from previously warring countries, that fall in love and eventually live happily ever after... after the usual HP drama filled seperation and angst.
September 13, 2020
Good and enjoyable read ,no Virgins here (to those who care ) the epilogue was nice.
August 2, 2023
Prima di accettare i propri doveri reali, la principessa Johara brama un ultimo assaggio di libertà e lo trova tra le braccia di un seducente sconosciuto durante una notte indimenticabile. Peccato che l'uomo del mistero non sia altri che lo sceicco Amir di Ishkana, il più acerrimo nemico della sua famiglia...
Quest'anno è così. Ho la fissa dei sceicchi, che ci posso fare? Dopo però la delusione del precedente, devo dire che questo mi ha sorpreso. Mi è davvero, davvero piaciuto. Infatti sono tentata di spingermi verso le 4.5 stelle.
Mi è piaciuto tantissimo Amir, sarà forse perchè il libro inizia con un lui dodicenne, a cui viene detto che i suoi genitori sono morti in un attentato rivendicato dal fratello del re di Taqull, regno confinante di Ishkana e con cui sono in guerra. Così il piccolo Amir diventa re e promette di vendicarsi.
Vent'anni dopo la nostra attenzione si sposta sulla principessa Johara di Taqull, che durante un ballo in maschera si concede ad uno sconosciuto. E lo sconosciuto indovinate chi è? Ma ovviamente Amir il bel tenersoso e vendicativo re di Ishkana, che è li per siglare un accordo di pace con il fratello di Johara. Entembi scoprono subito la verità e Amir si comporta davero villano, lasciando in lacrime la povera johara. In fondi lui si sente di aver tradito la promesas di vendetta fatta anni prima. Ma il destino trama contro o a loro favore (dipende dai puntidi vista) e Amir dovrà ospitare in segno di pace la principessa nel proprio castello per qualche tempo.
Non vi dico altro anche se sapete esattamente come finirà. A me è piaciuto molto, sia per personaggi, per nulla banali anche se il libro ha poche pagine. Anzi.
Ho poi adorato le gite nel deserto e le oasi verdeggianti. Il tormento dei due personaggi, e gli intrighi di palazzo, mi hanno tenuto incollata alle pagine.
Mi ha davvero fatto staccare la spina e mi sono ritrovata spesso a sognare ad occhi aperti.
Consiglio questo libro? ovviamente si, e ovviamente alle romantiche. In fondo stiamo parlando di un Harmony, che ha come obiettivo quello di intrattenere senza troppe pretese. Da leggere sotto l'ombrellone assolutamente. Secondo me è perfetto. Non potete perdervelo.
Quest'anno è così. Ho la fissa dei sceicchi, che ci posso fare? Dopo però la delusione del precedente, devo dire che questo mi ha sorpreso. Mi è davvero, davvero piaciuto. Infatti sono tentata di spingermi verso le 4.5 stelle.
Mi è piaciuto tantissimo Amir, sarà forse perchè il libro inizia con un lui dodicenne, a cui viene detto che i suoi genitori sono morti in un attentato rivendicato dal fratello del re di Taqull, regno confinante di Ishkana e con cui sono in guerra. Così il piccolo Amir diventa re e promette di vendicarsi.
Vent'anni dopo la nostra attenzione si sposta sulla principessa Johara di Taqull, che durante un ballo in maschera si concede ad uno sconosciuto. E lo sconosciuto indovinate chi è? Ma ovviamente Amir il bel tenersoso e vendicativo re di Ishkana, che è li per siglare un accordo di pace con il fratello di Johara. Entembi scoprono subito la verità e Amir si comporta davero villano, lasciando in lacrime la povera johara. In fondi lui si sente di aver tradito la promesas di vendetta fatta anni prima. Ma il destino trama contro o a loro favore (dipende dai puntidi vista) e Amir dovrà ospitare in segno di pace la principessa nel proprio castello per qualche tempo.
Non vi dico altro anche se sapete esattamente come finirà. A me è piaciuto molto, sia per personaggi, per nulla banali anche se il libro ha poche pagine. Anzi.
Ho poi adorato le gite nel deserto e le oasi verdeggianti. Il tormento dei due personaggi, e gli intrighi di palazzo, mi hanno tenuto incollata alle pagine.
Mi ha davvero fatto staccare la spina e mi sono ritrovata spesso a sognare ad occhi aperti.
Consiglio questo libro? ovviamente si, e ovviamente alle romantiche. In fondo stiamo parlando di un Harmony, che ha come obiettivo quello di intrattenere senza troppe pretese. Da leggere sotto l'ombrellone assolutamente. Secondo me è perfetto. Non potete perdervelo.
December 25, 2024
Not my genre. I think it is a 3 for romance novel. I found it a bit predictable and not exciting, but I believe that this is just personal taste.
January 25, 2021
At first I wasn't quite sure about this book. especially since one of the first scenes that you are introduced to, Johara and Amir meeting for the first time and in complete anonymity, just didn't seem that believable to me. I've never heard of anyone really sleeping together that quickly after saying hardly anything to each other. I know that it does actually happen with real ordinary people but I couldn't believe that people with the titles that these characters had would behave in that way. However as I started to read more I slowly got sucked into the plot and I found myself rather enjoying it. I started to get that feeling I love that I can't help but want to know what's going to happen next, which ends up with me picking the book back up within a minute of putting it down as I start to get all fidgety wanting to find out what happens next and me not being able to resist the urge to find out. I liked how it wasn't until right at the end that Amir finally admits to Johara that he loves her and that he wants them to be together, some books with fairytale type plots can be a bit too quick for the happy ending to come about but I liked how in this book Amir doesn't give the typical fairytale answer that you would expect and basically rejects Johara, instead having to have time to really realize his true feeling for her, which to me just seemed so much more realistic. I've never really thought of eastern arranged marriages (which is what this book seems to be similar to) as being possibly romantic but this book has definitely changed my opinion on that. Overall I enjoyed this book a lot more than I was expecting to, although I think I would only recommend it to someone that I knew was into romance type novels, I don't think anyone who was into say more action filled plots would particularly enjoy this tale.
December 23, 2020
Johara and Amir meet at a function to celebrate a peace treaty, in masks and anonymous. Within minutes, Johara takes him into a private maze and they fall into each others' arms. It's meant to be a moment in time, two strangers who don't exchange names, a break from the pressures and expectations of their real lives. See, Johara is actually a Princess, whose brother is pressuring her to marry his closest and most trusted friend, while Amir is a Sheik with all the weight and responsibilities of his country on his shoulders.
So imagine their surprise when shortly after their explosive sexual encounter, they are introduced and discover they are lifelong enemies. Johara and Amir's countries have been at war for a hundred years. Johara wants to move to the future and is optimistic about peace so she puts the past in the past, captured by the chemistry between her and Amir. But Amir is appalled. Her uncle ambushed and killed his parents 20 years ago and Amir has vowed to never forgive her family, even as he knows his country needs peace. Can Johara convince Amir that they can move into a future filled with love?
I quite enjoyed this story. The plot is a take on Romeo and Juliet (obviously) and it was filled with angsty internal conflict. The weakness was the actual 'romance' which read more like lust to me but the characters seem like they will be a good match going forward so I can buy the happy ending. The one plot point that seemed odd is the many months of separation--I would have expected it to be much shorter given how needy they are for each other.
So imagine their surprise when shortly after their explosive sexual encounter, they are introduced and discover they are lifelong enemies. Johara and Amir's countries have been at war for a hundred years. Johara wants to move to the future and is optimistic about peace so she puts the past in the past, captured by the chemistry between her and Amir. But Amir is appalled. Her uncle ambushed and killed his parents 20 years ago and Amir has vowed to never forgive her family, even as he knows his country needs peace. Can Johara convince Amir that they can move into a future filled with love?
I quite enjoyed this story. The plot is a take on Romeo and Juliet (obviously) and it was filled with angsty internal conflict. The weakness was the actual 'romance' which read more like lust to me but the characters seem like they will be a good match going forward so I can buy the happy ending. The one plot point that seemed odd is the many months of separation--I would have expected it to be much shorter given how needy they are for each other.
October 12, 2020
Excellent story
I couldn't put the book down until it was done. The two main characters were described well as being proud, independent abd determined. Loved their interaction with each other. Look forward ti reading more by this writer.
I couldn't put the book down until it was done. The two main characters were described well as being proud, independent abd determined. Loved their interaction with each other. Look forward ti reading more by this writer.
June 4, 2023
Lovely story
August 9, 2025
Nice little romance
October 29, 2025
Heroine in the first few minutes of meeting the hero at a masked ball leads him to secluded area and has sex with him… as well as the fact that she had previously a sexual relationship with another man, killed the romance for me.. scratching an itch for both of them on first encounter…
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews