With the Sheikh in His Harem, Vol. 1

シーク様とハーレムで [Sheik-sama to Harem de] #1

by Rin Miasa

Sanagi loves nothing more than money—not even love. After all, it's what keeps her small family going. But when a chance encounter with a stranger leads her to push away his offer of riches, she wonders if she's gone crazy...and starts to believe she really has when he reveals that he's a Sheikh, and proposes to her! She rejects him, but soon finds out that a marriage with him might be the only way to keep her family safe...!

Genres: Manga, Romance, Contemporary, Young Adult, Ebooks, Comics Manga

160 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 4, 2021

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fairly generic shojou manga in which after helping a young man out, our lead discovers he is a sheikh and now wants to marry her. The lead is money obsessed (which is her main trait) except when it comes to other people being hurt by her antics (thus allowing the audience to still like her). The sheik is a pale pretty boy character with stalker tendencies.

Honestly, I don't have much else to say. It goes most of the directions one would expect it to go. There's nothing particularly wrong with it (I should note that it does have some nice artwork) but it just seems bland in comparison to so much of the other manga being released. Nothing sets it apart really in terms of style or content. I'm sure some manga fans will love it, but there's just nothing in here to make me think that I'll pick up the second volume. 2/5

My thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[⛅ Sunny (sunnysidereviews) ⛅ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Will Arab people ever get good representation in the media? With the Sheikh in His Harem exotifies Arab people, specifically Sheikhs. Why do people have this image that Sheikhs are these whimsical fellows? Furthermore, our main love interest (who is supposedly Arab), looks very eurocentric. (Disclaimer: There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with looking western or European.) However, it hurts when the only POC in manga look white. It's just so frustrating. Not to mention that the representation of Arab culture reminds me of a 1940s Hollywood film. Please. Do. Your. Research. Before. Publishing. A. Book.

[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from Netgalley/publisher in exchange of an honest review.

A cute and fun desert romance which at times had me reminded of Ouran High School Host Club. Yep, really. I mean, the sheikh is just 100% Tamaki. Impulsive, likes to spoil the girl he loves, is silly, but also serious at times if he needs to be that, protective. And oh yes, a typical thing I would see Tamaki do is make sure that someone stays with him. Sanagi has told him that she will stay with him until she has paid off her debt (sounds familiar, right), well our prince is making sure of that by adding some extra costs. Yes, it may sounds a bit much, but given how much he is like Tamaki he just hasn’t found another way. I do hope that he finds another way in the next volumes.
And Sanagi, with her money-savvy-ness and her strictness and her down to earthness is so Haruhi (plus also because of some other things).

There were some things I wasn’t sure off. I mean, the proposal was cute, but I found the prince a bit forceful (and also how he just bought the school). The fact that no one got the girl some normal clothes that weren’t too expensive. Throughout the volume Sanagi just wanders around in her school uniform and sleeps in a gym outfit. It just stood out and made things very weird. I also thought it was slightly rude of Sanagi to not even do one ounce of an effort to learn the language, instead fully relying on a translator system. I mean, if I was whisked off my feet to a Middle East desert place, I would definitely try to at least learn a handful of words and maybe even more. Because what if, and that does happen in this volume, your translator disappears? You need to make sense. You need to know what HELP is.

We also see that the Queen and the crown prince aren’t all that nice (or well, at least the Queen is a bitch). I am kind of curious about that and I am sure we will see more of it in the upcoming volumes. I hope that our prince can stand up and do something about the queen.

There were some cute moments, and I am happy that the prince respects Sanagi’s boundaries. Instead of having a wedding night as one often does, they play card games. He does hug her at times, but nothing too much. I do hope that the romance does spark between the two, as I do think they would make a good pair.

Oh, and I hope that Sanagi’s strictness will tame the prince a bit, at least in regards to how he throws around his money. I hope she learns him some responsibilities and get him to be a bit more mature and fitting for the prince role.

The art was really fun, though I was surprised when the prince turned out 17 (I thought at least 19) and Sanagi is in high school… but looks just a tad younger for some of the manga parts.

All in all, I definitely want more of this one.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Laura A. Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This was on the "edgier" side of manga compared to what I usually read, but this was a lot of fun! It's probably the first manga I've read where we have an exotic location and I'm here for it!

I was nervous at first with having an "in His Harem" title that we would have some wives/concubines, but I'm thankful that was NOT the case. Things probably would have gotten a lot steamier then an occasional "heated" scene here or there. (Definitely nothing above PG-13, and if that.)

I think one reason I found this to be such a compelling story is not only do we have the exotic location, but Sanagi is a very hard worker. I absolutely love how that even if her situation changes, she still seeks to be true to herself and work hard. I really thought that to be awesome!

Prince Lui is a fun character and enjoyed how he is discovering the beauty and joy in life with Sanagi. I liked how passionate he is and how he not only wants the best for Sanagi, but that he will also do whatever it takes to keep her around (and safe).

The mangaka included mini traveling guides and I LOVEDDDD that! It was a very fun feature to the manga and definitely "bumped up" my enjoyment of this story.

With the Sheikh in His Harem is one of the few digital manga titles I can say I would actually want to subscribe to and read the volumes as they release. I really enjoyed this story and think it's going to be a fun escape and enjoyable story.

Recommended to anyone who enjoys shojo, but is looking for something with a good romance and exotic location!

*(I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts expressed are my own.)*

[Alisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, the heroine's family is in a lot of debt. One day she saves a guy from suicide. Turnes out he is a sheikh prince of an Arabic country. He proposes, she rejects, but then agrees,again, due to a lot of debt.
Ummm, ok. This premise would work a lot better in an adult manga, dark romance style. But as it stands, these characters are 17. 17, Carl! Way too young, it made me uncomfortable. They legit have a wedding ceremony, she goes to live with him in his country, they live in the same room and share a bed. It made for such a weird reading experience. I really wish this was adult and the characters were older.
The heroine is cute and pure at heart. Her obsession with money wasn't because she is money hungry, but because she wanted to help out her family. Speaking of which, what kind of father would be ok with his daughter marrying some rich dude in order to pay his debt? That was just horrible.
The sheikh had pretty much no personality, so I didn't care for this romance one bit.
And the art style was ok. It's pretty to look at, but it's nothing memorable, just your generic shojou manga art.
Overall I won't be continuing with the series, it made me uncomfortable while I was reading and the romance didn't grab my attention.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Knigoqdec · Rating 3 out of 5]

Много ме забавлява това, че в мангите често изобразяват шейховете (или други представители на арабския свят) като много бели или много руси хора, или двете едновременно xD Това е толкова далеч от реалността, а е толкова широко застъпено, че чак не е за вярване. (Мисля, че най-нормалните араби, които съм виждала в аниме в най-скоро време, бяха братята Ибрахим от Great Pretender, обаче не се брои, понеже "Нетфликс" все пак ги съблюдават внимателно тези неща).
Тази манга е от заглавията, които изглеждат вдъхновени от класиките в стил Skip Beat! или пък Boys Over Flowers, обаче са стигнали само до вдъхновението. Героинята, която трябва да е борбена и смела (и, разбира се, само пред шейха да проявява женствената си слабост, понеже той е тооолкова красив), не е по моя вкус. Шейхът е малко по-пасивен герой, придържа си се изцяло към калъпа "мистериозен, богат мъж, влюбващ се в просякинята без някаква солидна причина". Виждам наченки на ривърс харем, не съм сигурна, че това е в помощ. Тайно се надявах действието да се развива в някакъв исторически период, но историята всъщност е за съвремието.
Опасявам се, че има доста по-добри заглавия в жанра. Да, шейхът е "тооолкова красив", че откъм арт спасява положението (момичето даже е прекалено чиби, такива не ги рисуват вече от години, струва ми се), но като цяло рисунъкът не е нещо "уау", просто е приятен и нищо повече.

[Shae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this story was everything I wanted it to be and more!

We have a young woman who comes from humble circumstances. Her mother has passed away, and her father has a mountain of debt, but can't seem to find work. She does everything she can for her family. One day at work, a beautiful young man needs to escape a crowd of people, so he offers her money to take him to the roof. When they get up there, she realized that he intended to jump. She throws the money back at him, making sure that he knew in no uncertain terms that his life was worth so much more than money.

What she didn't know, is that he is the second son in a kingdom where royalty are considered gods, and him in particular, as he looks like the first god. He proposes marriage to her, and in exchange, he was willing to help out her family and make sure that they are protected.

From here, I think you can sense where the story is going to go. I am truly excited to continue this one, and hope that we get a physical publish of it.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sanagi, bread winner for her family, saves the life of Lui, the prince of a fictitious Arabian country, who is so impressed he offers to marry her. Which is insane, but desperation might just force Sanagi’s hand. Whisked away, has her life ended before it began, or will it turn out that le sheik, c’est chic? (Don’t worry, I have a ton of sheik puns ready for subsequent volumes)

This is cute. And, in fact, is cute enough for a second look. I really like Sanagi’s character - she initially comes off as a money (and grade) grubber, but we soon realize that it’s very much a case of ‘needs must’. Her calculated effort is born of necessity rather than her inherent nature and she has a good heart (and amazing reaction shots).

Life is rough for the poor girl - to say nothing of the book’s suggestion that the only thing worse than a deadbeat dad who leaves is the one who stays around and makes things worse. There’s a legitimately crushing scene when Lui first shows up at school and I love how mad she gets and why.

So you have an interesting pairing with our lead, who values money beyond all else (well, almost), and Lui, who barely knows the value of anything at all, even his own life. I appreciate Lui being more respectful than he might be in a different book - he’s a little pushy, but comes down on the tolerable side.

There are books where you can tell the author is hyped for their story and this one certainly falls in that category. The amount of sidebars and panels about their love for this setting and, indeed, the tourist information about this locale are a little crazy, but I think that just shows the passion. Especially when they shoehorn a fennec fox into the story just for the heck of it.

I mean, if anything dings the story, it’s how incredibly ‘of its genre’ it is, even with the change of setting. While going abroad, the school comes back and Sanagi stays in her school uniform throughout (I feel like keeping her out of a harem outfit until the splash page for the 3rd chapter took incredible restraint).

And even with a fictional Arabian country, parts of it feel about as stereotyped as they possibly could. From the palace scheming to the clothing, you’re definitely not going to be shocked by the culture here. I mean, it’s shorthand, in a way, so your tolerance may vary. There’s a whole genre of stories like this, and at least Elvis doesn’t show up here, so you can’t say you don’t know what you’re in for.

3 stars. This is a fairly pedestrian story, outside of its setting, but I really like Sanagi and I don’t despise Lui, which counts for a lot. We’ll probably hear about the kingdom’s septic system next volume, but it’s a nice, solid tale in the traditional shojo mould.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

With the Sheikh in His Harem's relationship to the real Middle East is roughly equivalent to Fancy Feast's relationship to human food - there are recognizable bits, but you wouldn't want to eat it for dinner. That said, it's well within its rights as the progeny of Edith Maude Hull's 1919 romance novel The Sheikh, which jump-started the whole so-called "desert romance" subgenre, along with some of romance's less savory elements. So just remember - as problematic as you may find this, Hull's book is roughly 900 times worse.

And actually, both within the romance and shoujo groups, this isn't all that bad. Probably its biggest failing (apart from setting issues) is the use of the insta-love trope, wherein Lui, the eponymous sheikh, falls madly in love with heroine Sanagi minutes after she spurns his money and convinces him not to jump off a roof. (It turns out that that is what he was trying to do, and the late-volume return to that point is a good moment in terms of understanding Lui.) He then proposes to her, saves her family from drowning in debt, and whisks her away to his fictional country, where his (step?)mother decides that Sanagi must die for Reasons.

Honestly? It's kind of fun, and it definitely falls under the heading of "old-fashioned shoujo fluff," which is always a nice kind of book to read. It may strain your credulity, but it's aware of the fact, and somehow that cures a lot of ills, real or imagined, that this volume may have.

[Dani(elle) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Backstory time! Anyone who has even thought about romance novels in America has heard of Harlequin serial romances. They are cheap, pulpy, 60k word stories with loads of melodrama, and often feature cowboys, billionaires , and sometimes cowboy-billionaires. But did you know, dear reader, that some of those books get turned into manga? As in, they will get translated and adapted by a mangaka for a Japanese audience. And, did you know that some of those get translated back into English and sold in America? They read like a telenovela with Google translate subtitles**. Dear, beloved reader, these books have been my secret passion for years!

The reason I bring this up is this book reads like the natural child of those types of manga but better. Because this is an original story, we only have one layer of cultural appropriation to get through which lends itself to a more comprehensible story. There is still the problem of orientalism, which is a weird thing to say about a Japanese story, but it does play into problematic stereotypes of Eastern African and Middle Eastern Arabian countries that is normally seen in Harlequin serials as well as other media created for a "Western" audience. What saves it for me is that the made up country and culture is barely recognizable as being inspired by any real nation or people. The country is made up. The culture is made up. The loan words like "sheikh" and "harem" are used more as short-hand for the audience to indicate this place is supposed to be somewhere near the Red Sea because the people and places they are reflecting do not fall under the strict definition of those terms.

This series also benefits as an original story designed to be a manga off the bat by not having the pacing issues I often associate with adaptations. Instead of trying to fit a 60k story into a single volume of manga, we are given a series where the characters and story are allowed to breathe. Somethings move a little too fast for my taste still but nothing major.

My favorite part so far, besides the fox, is the main character yelling at the love interest. First, she yells at him to save his life, and second, she yells at him for frivolously spending taxpayers money. Brilliant both times.

**this is not a criticism of the translators employed but rather the natural side effect of, what amounts to, a game of translation telephone. It is hard work that I do not envy but also is hilarious.

[StrawberryShojo · Rating 2 out of 5]

With the Sheikh in His Harem, follows the story of a teenage girl, Sanagi who comes from an impoverished family. Her mother passed away and her father is drowning in crippling debt. Sanagi is fiercely independent and will support her family any way that she can. She happens to meet a prince who immediately falls in love with her courage and tenacity. He proposes marriage and in exchange, he will help her family financially. While she refuses at first, her father made a risky and unfortunate financial decision that had lasting and dire consequences. She is all but forced to marry the prince and is whisked away to his kingdom.

The tone of this story is always really light-hearted from moment to moment, even when discussing heavy topics like death, suicidal ideation, and poverty. It tends to strike the same tone as manga series like “Ouran High School Host Club”; there are serious moments sure, but they don’t really last. The narrative basks in silly hi-jinx.

I honestly can’t say that I personally enjoyed this story. While I think the protagonist is plucky, determined, and lovely to read about, I do take issue with her being depicted as a high school student. While it’s not expressly stated how old these characters are, the prince is continuously referred to as a “man,” thus I assume he is older than Sanagi and it’s inappropriate for her to be coerced into marriage. I also find its representation of Arabic culture baffling at best.

Honestly, I just found this underwhelming, even as some sort of wish fulfillment manga for young people who just want to read something silly. The art was nice, but I don't think there was anything particularly spectacular about it. In a future volume, I hope Sanagi ditches the prince and opens her own small business, or acquires some sort of success on her own. Unfortunately, we all know that won't be happening. While I like the main character, I won’t be continuing this series.

[Angelina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

With the Sheikh in His Harem Vol. 1 is an "edgier" manga but this was a lot of fun! It's the first manga I've read where we have an exotic location and I'm here for it!

The heroine, Sanagi, is a very hard worker. She was her family's breadwinner and I absolutely love how she supported her family. Even though her situation changed drastically, she still seeks to be true to herself and work hard. The hero, Prince Lui, is a fun character - passionate with some demons. I enjoyed how he discovers the beauty and joy in life with Sanagi.

Can't wait for the next volume.

Highly recommend!

[Curious Madra · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art was just gorgeous and cute but yeah the plot is just your “run of the mill” high school girl/royalty quickie romance. It shows a girl saving a prince from harm, prince then shows up unannounced to her school, forces her to marry him, marriage is interrupted, kidnaps her to his country, has a group of other “hot” guys who fall for her and undoubtedly marries the prince in the end .

Yeah not my cup of tea tbh but thanks Netgalley and Kodansha for giving me the first volume!

[Lissa Hawley · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

A little wacky, but with a couple deeper notes and some serious adorableness. Looking forward to the next one.

Recommended.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute but I don't think I will continue.

[Lorin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an e-copy for an honest review from NetGalley.

The art is lovely and easy to look at which is important for me when reading manga. The plot itself is an interesting concept but it played out like your typical shojo romance style manga. The rep for those in the middle east seemed a lot more of a fantasy and trope rather than real representation which feels like they are just playing it up for exoticism.

I like both of our main characters, they feel fleshed out, and the budding romance and how Lui treats Sanagi doesn't come across as boundary-pushing or creepy which could have easily happened given the premise of manga.

This is not a title that asks you to take it seriously and is more of a fun romp than anything else.
I do think I'll be continuing this series for at least another volume to see how I feel moving forward.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Disclaimer: I received a free copy of With the Sheikh in His Harem vol 1 by Rin Miasa through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for this opportunity.

With the Sheikh in His Harem by Rin Miasa is romance manga about a young girl who meets a prince by chance and ends up marrying him after she convinces him not to do something drastic.  It was published on May 5th, 2021.  I rated it 4 stars on Goodreads.


Here's the summary from Goodreads:

Sanagi loves nothing more than money—not even love. After all, it's what keeps her small family going. But when a chance encounter with a stranger leads her to push away his offer of riches, she wonders if she's gone crazy...and starts to believe she really has when he reveals that he's a Sheikh, and proposes to her! She rejects him, but soon finds out that a marriage with him might be the only way to keep her family safe...!

I will admit that I don't really have much experience with manga, so I can't tell you how this one would compare to others.  I did end up giving it 4 stars on Goodreads, but that was because I just had a lot of fun reading it.  It's light and simplistic, and fun.  I'd probably compare it to junk food.

The story line has a fairly simple premise.  A young girl, Sanagi, rescues an Arab prince from the press and then also convinces him to not kill himself.  In return, he asks her to marry him and offers to forgive all of her family's debts and ensure that they will be taken care of.  She agrees to keep her family safe, and moves back to his country where life is a little bit different.

Sanagi isn't the most well rounded character, and neither is Prince Lui.  They're both quite different but they're interesting nonetheless.  I enjoyed their interactions and appreciated where Lui was coming from when it came to Sanagi.  It's definitely not the most unique concept, but I enjoyed it.

I enjoyed the art style as well, and I loved the little fox character that was introduced.  Animal sidekicks are the best.

I will say that I kind of wished that it was longer, because I felt like it was just ramping up when it suddenly ended but I understand that when something's a series, that's just how it works.  I definitely think I'm going to try and continue on with the series.

I won't say that it has particularly great representation of that area of the world, but since the country seems to be fictional, I was willing to suspend my disbelief.

It's definitely worth checking out if you're at all interested.

[Veronica Villar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una historia fresca y divertida que me ha entretenido durante su lectura.

Sanagi es una chica que hace todo lo posible para poder ayudar a su familia, compuesta por su padre y su hermana pequeña, que están pasando dificultades económicas. Tal es así que estudia todo lo que puede ara conseguir becas y trabaja a media jornada para ayudar con un salario. Todo es así hasta que un día en el trabajo se topa con un chico al que ayuda y que más adelante se entera de que es Lui, el segundo príncipe de un país extranjero. Como en todos lo mangas con estas características, Lui se ofrecerá a pagar todas las deudas y ayudar a la familia de Sanagi a cambio de que ella acepte casarse con él.

La historia tiene momentos muy divertidos, y aunque todavía no hay un romance como tal, los sentimientos de Sanagi van cambiando a lo largo de este primer volumen. Y al final aparece otro personaje que puede entrometerse en la pareja de protagonistas.

-------------------------

A fresh and funny story that has entertained me while reading it.

Sanagi is a girl who does everything possible to help her family, made up of her father and her little sister, who are experiencing financial difficulties. So much so that she studies everything she can to get scholarships and works part-time to help with a salary. Everything is like that until one day at work she runs into a boy she helps and later she learns that he is Lui, the second prince of a foreign country. As in all manga with these characteristics, Lui will offer to pay all the debts and help Sanagi's family in exchange for her agreeing to marry him.

The story has some very funny moments, and although there is still no romance as such, Sanagi's feelings change throughout this first volume. And at the end, another character appears who can intrude on the leading couple.

[Leighton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

First off, I am a huge fan of the author/artist Rin Miasa. I really enjoyed one of her previous series, Liar Prince and Fake Girlfriend, which has unfortunately not been licensed in English yet. It was a seriously funny and dramatic romantic comedy, and it is still one of my favorite mangas. When I saw that this series was being published in English, I added it to my wish list right away. Thank you again to the publisher for the opportunity to review this book ahead of its release date!

With the Sheikh in His Harem, Volume 1 by Rin Miasa is about a regular Japanese girl named Sanagi who is proposed to a real-like Sheikh. After running into him at a busy airport and saving him from paparazzi, he shows up at her school and proposes to her. Since she needs money to support her family, she decides to agree to it for now and see what happens. They move to Armadia, a Middle Eastern country, and the Sheikh introduces her to the rich and lavish lifestyles of royalty. This book reminded me a cross between The Princess Diaries and Crazy Rich Asians. It's a bit unrealistic, considering the male love interest is supposed to be from the Middle East but has blond hair, but what romantic comedy isn't at least part-fantasy?

Overall, With the Sheikh in His Harem is an adorable love story that will appeal to fans of shojo manga like Fruits Basket and romantic comedies like The Princess Diaries. If you've ever dreamed of being proposed to by a prince, then this book is for you! If you're intrigued by the description above or if you're a fan of shojo manga in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book. It came out yesterday!

[Spira Virgo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

Trigger Warnings: Extortion, Money Loan, Suggestion of Prostitution, Attempt Suicide, Death of a parent.

received this book in exchange of an honest review, from the lovely people at Kodansha Comics and Netgalley.

Sanagi Yoshino knows how important money is. She is a dedicated worker during off time from school trying to support the financial turmoil her family has been left in ever since her father business collapse and her mother died. One day during work, she is offered to help a stranger to escape the hotel she works in only to reveal he was planning to take his own life. Sanagi rush in, prevents it and before we know it a day afterword this mysterious man appears again, proclaim to be a Sheikh from a prosper land and desires her to be his wife. I think you know this plot is pretty typical for a shojo manga. A 101 class routine if you will, girl/boy saves despairing love interest and in return they are infatuated with them and solves all their life problems. Which Lui, the love interest does. He seems all too perfect, but not without an edge to him and folly, and he is not the real king in line for the throne which was a nice change I appreciate but his brother is. Also you can tell Rin Miasa took immense inspiration from the Arabian culture for her fictional country which isn't far fetch considering that there our some Muslim originating in the South and East of Asia. It is pretty fast foreword guilty pleasure read and I don't mind continuing this series because I love reading something fluffy as this. I really am excited for the next volume!

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Rin Miasa, and Kodansha for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sanagi stops a stranger from attempting suicide. It turns out he is the second prince of a prominent Arab nation. The will to save his life and other aspects of Sanagi's personality bring Prince Lui to ask for her hand in marriage. Sanagi has always worked for what she needs, so having money thrown around carelessly or in her direction is not something that sits well with her. If she can ever manage to pay Prince Lui back, perhaps she will return to Japan, but the situation is against her. At least she is the only woman in Lui's harem! And of course there is his older brother, the crown prince, who might just be plotting against him in political and romantic regard. That is to be seen in Volume 2!

I am very sure I requested this book based off the cover alone without reading the description. For some reason I thought it would be a bit more fantasy based. Though I dove in not knowing what to expect, this was a phenomenal first volume. The only thing that truly bothered me was that Sanagi was always in her school outfit and never had a change of clothes or hair style. This was an enjoyable read perfect for fans of shoujo romance. I look forward to continuing this series!

[Siina · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was painful to read With the Sheikh in His Harem. I knew this wasn't my cup of tea, but I'm always eager to try, since you never know. Sanagi is in high school and thinks only about money, since her mom has died and her dad is in debt. Oddly enough Sanagi is working, but her dad cannot land a job and thus Sanagi brings the food to their table. She has a sibling too. At work she ends up saving this blond Arabian prince and the prince somehow falls madly in love with her and wants to marry her asap. Suddenly she's flown to his kingdom and the prince pays of her family's debts and Sanagi wants to repay the extremely rich dude everything back. Right. I just don't get the "money is everything" and why a kid should support a family. Also, the whole romance feels weird for the same reason, Sanagi is basically a kid still. The world and setting is grownup and like a bad Harlequin novel with a modified language translator fox.

The art is OK, pretty basic girly sparkly stuff. Someone could explain me why the prince is blond and Western looking if were in Arab countries though. With the Sheikh in His Harem is a mixture of everything, but it does nothing well enough. It plays all the cliches and I don't know how girls that respect themselves can read this. For Japanese reader this is a fairy tale somewhere far off, but for us it doesn't work the same way.

[nekoneko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sanagi, our MC, is a bit obsessed with her money! But we quickly discover why: her mother has died and her father has fallen into hard times and is unemployed. To keep her family afloat, Sanagi works. During one of her jobs, she is whisked to the rooftop by a mysterious figure who then says that he's going to jump. Sanagi gets upset for obvious reasons, but shocks the mysterious young man, who ends up being a sheikh! So taken is Prince Lui that he comes back and proposes to Sanagi (saying that he'll take care of her family's troubles). Feeling like she has to save her family, Sanagi agrees to marry him without really knowing what she's getting herself in to.

Of course, shenanigans occur after she's taken back to Prince Lui's country. Lots of potential threats face them, inside and outside of the castle. And it's shaping up to look like quite a scheme-filled story! This is definitely on the sweeter side of shojo--don't let the "harem" in the title fool you!

[Luna's Little Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley/Kodansha

Initially I thought this might be a bit like Nina the Starry Bride, which I picked up a few weeks ago but while “humble girl, rich guy” is the very broad overall premise I think ‘With the Sheikh in His Harem’ (note: I really not like the title) has more going for it.

Sanagi is the hero of the story. Her father is in debt and her family is struggling. Her mother died a while back and Sanagi is a main breadwinner. She “meets” a stranger at her place of work, after their encounter he returns and proposes.

The beginning coupled with the cute art, over the top moments lead you to think this will be quite silly but then then the first dark story elements get thrown in and it’s clear that Sanagi’s new life and husband isn’t going to be just palaces and presents. As a first volume I think this does a good job of capturing the reader, I would like to continue on to see how the story and characters develop.

[Sarah Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another shojo Cinderella romcom, this one with the imagined world of Arabian royalty. High schooler Sanagi Yoshino works hard to support her struggling dad and her younger sister. While working as a maid at a high-end hotel, a young, handsome guest begs for help escaping fans and the press. Ending up on the roof, Sanagi is furious when the young man moves to the ledge in preparation to jump, so she lectures him on the importance of never giving up in life. Stopped in his tracks, the guest is soon whipped away by body guards. Sanagi thinks that is the end of their encounters, until the young man shows up at her school to declare that he, a crown prince of a pseudo-Arabian country, will be marrying her and taking her home with him, in trade for rescuing her family financially. From here, the story unfolds much as expected, with romantic sentiments developing whilst court intrigue looms around every corner. While predictable, it is an enjoyable read for shojo fans.

[Anika · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a very fluffy story about a Japanese high school girl who meets an Arabian prince who proposes marriage after meeting her once and takes her to his country. Her dad is completely fine with child marriage and shipping his teenage daughter off to another continent with a stranger.

It wasn't really my cup of tea, the plot is uneventful, the conflict is all over the place, and the relationship dynamic of the main characters was annoying. The art wasn't bad though and the heroine is headstrong and determined and gets shit done. In the end I just couldn't get over how ridiculous it was that this was supposedly an Arabic country. Except for the architecture and the supposed "harem" (of one) there was nothing remotely "Arabic" about any of this. I suppose it was just a little juvenile for my taste.

[☽｡⋆ Shells (jlreads_) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGally for this letting me review this book.


Sanagi is japanese school girl who is working hard to support her family and just her luck and her kind heart might able to help her get through it and not just that, might also get a lovely, rich husband.

This manga is VERY FUNNY. The main heroine is absolutely adorable.

I was absolutely curious on how this manga would go especially the title, definitely nervous with the 'harem' thing BUT I WAS SO WRONG and SO SURPRISED.

So far it is really interesting, love the artwork, the premise and in just volume 1, we already did get 2 pretty boys.

Enjoyed it so much and can't wat to read the volume 2 because on that volume, real think will probably start.

[EyrisReadsTheWorld · Rating 3 out of 5]

A prince and a high school girl, funny and cute

Key words: romance, shojo, action

I thought there was going to be a harem but not at all. This is just a classic shojo between a prince and a normal high school girl who one day marries and go away with the prince in order to help her family financially. I know it sounds quite classic but Sanagi has quite a strong temper and she is very funny. Moreover, I liked the fact that there is a bit of adventure and mystery, especially at the end. I think this helped keep my attention.

I would recommend this manga to people who want a cute shojo with a beautiful prince.

3/5

Thank you Netgalley for this eArc in exchange of my honest opinion

[Nessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC! Ok so I had mixed feelings about this manga. It was an interesting story but I felt no attachment to the characters and I thought Sheikh Lui was low-key creepy. The Sheikh’s country also reminded me a bit of Dubai and the name “Armadia” just reminded me of Arabia. I can’t explain exactly why but the portrayal of Arabs in this book just seemed a little…wrong? Lui is also very wily with how he gets Sanagi to stay in Armadia. I did like how resilient Sanagi was though and how she’s such a great haggler. Also the fennec fox translator was hella cute! There’s lots of royal drama in this story so I’m a bit intrigued in how everything will work out but I don’t feel invested enough in the characters to continue reading future volumes.
2.75/5

[Kaitlynne]

I don't know what I was expecting this to be about, I mainly picked it up because the artwork for it was super pretty. But I'm amused nonetheless. It's a little bit silly and outrageous at times, but that's what makes it so entertaining. Lui reminds me of Tamaki Suoh. Except Lui has red eyes and Tamaki's are violet. I'm not sure how I feel about Adil, he's still a big question mark as far as his true intentions go.

Also, I was under the impression that there were only five books in this series, but according to Amazon, there are actually 8. I'm not mad about it or anything, though. I was a little ragey because I thought it was over and it ended on a cliffhanger. But it's fine because there are MORE.