The Baby Swap That Bound Them: A Black Romance Novel

by Hana Sheik

When a shocking proposition comes from a handsome billionaire, will this single mom say yes and unite their families forever? Find out in the latest Harlequin Romance by Hana Sheik.

A shocking revelation…
and proposal?

Struggling single mother Yusra is shocked when handsome billionaire Bashir turns up, claiming their children were swapped at birth! She’s fiercely protective of her son, AJ, and refuses to give him up. But when she meets little Zaire, she can’t deny the connection she feels. For their sons’ sakes Bashir makes a marry and move in together! They expected to fall in love with their sons, but falling for each other…?

From Harlequin Be swept away by glamorous and heartfelt love stories.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Marriage Of Convenience

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published June 27, 2023

About the author

Hana Sheik falls in love every day reading her favorite romances and writing her own happily ever afters. She's worked as a data entry operator, customer service rep, telemarketer, and ghostwriter—but being a romance author is hands-down the best job ever! She calls the Great White North (Canada) her heart and home and lives there with her family.

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

Romance with Black Muslim MCs, set mostly in Uganda. Extremely soft and fluffy: heroine is a struggling graphic designer single mum, hero is a billionaire single dad (who has clawed his way up after a traumatic childhood as a Somali refugee and has fairly reasonable issues based on that). Their kids were swapped in the hospital at birth, as they discover when the boys are 3. Events unfold fairly predictably but no less pleasantly for that. It's extremely low angst, with a lot of kindness and consideration going on on all sides, and the hero very ready to acknowledge when he's wrong.

[romancelibrary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

I don't always read Harlequin category romances, but Muslim romances are so rare and I was immediately drawn by the adorable cover. The title gives the plot away haha. Bashir's baby and Yusra's baby were swapped at birth. When they find out the truth a few years later, they decide to get married so they can parent both children.

Overall, this was a romantic and entertaining read. The story and the characterization are pretty much what you'd expect from a Harlequin category romance. The only difference here is that the main characters are Black Muslims originally from Somalia and the story is mostly set in Uganda. The writing is decent, but it could use a final round of editing. Honestly, I loved reading a romance novel with Black Muslims, especially a Black Muslim hijabi. The romance was very soft and sweet. I really hope we continue to get more and more diverse Muslim romances in the future!

[Page Passion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute story and my first time reading from this author!

This is a low angst romance but after all my stress lately, that's not always a bad thing. The plot of this book kind of reminds me of the TV show Sister, Sister where the parents agree to move in together so the kids can be close. This time, the parents get married.

What I enjoyed about this story was the setting for one. Never have I ever read a romance that took place in Uganda. I hate to write this but so much of Africa is depicted as desolate and poverty stricken but this book proves that Kampala is just like any other metropolis. HS did an excellent job depicting Muslim and African culture and made me want to visit even more!

There is a lot we don't see in romance featured in this book like the heroine having diabetes and a few times nearly passes out due to low blood sugar. Also, Hero is a refugee and went to Greece after flooding in his hometown and then became a self-made man. . There are some cute moments with the kids. Overall, extremely entertaining read.

[Aisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

FULL REVIEW IN Aisha's Book World

This is my first book from Ms. Sheik, and it gave me a good impression of her writing. The plot runs smoothly, with fantastic transitions. I have to admit that, although the pace and the reading was impecable, the cronological times pace was inconsistent in moments where the passing of the weeks is lengthened. That said, the author brought a beautiful love story, highlighting her fantastic work with the baby swap/marriage of convenience topics. And although I found Bashir and Yusra's romance a bit off and kinda deflated in specific moments of the plot, the epilogue was marvelous.

• ARC given by Ms. Sheik via Booksprout. Thanks for your trust.

[On the Same Page · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

CWs: past toxic relationship, anxiety, grief, loss of family
Tropes: baby swap, marriage of convenience, slow build
Steam level: none

I started reading romance books when I was a teenager, borrowing the ones my mom owned. Most of those were from Harlequin, but the characters never looked anything like me. It honestly blows my mind a little bit to find a Harlequin romance with a hijabi character featured prominently on the cover.

I really enjoyed this. Like most Harlequin romances, this had more telling than showing, but the romance was a sweet, slow build. The plot is pretty much exactly what you'd guess based on the title, so nothing that happened really surprised me. The story takes place in Uganda rather than somewhere in the US/Canada, which was also refreshing.

I liked the Muslim representation for the most part, and that both characters were Somali. I'm not sure how religious Bashir is, there were some off-hand mentions about dating, not going to the mosque often, and having experience with sex that made me wonder about that. Yusra prays frequently, is described as wearing modest clothes, and wears a hijab, so we get to see more of her practicing. I like this kind of portrayal, though, because it's the small details sprinkled throughout the book that made me truly feel that I was reading about Muslim characters.

[Joan Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a True Love Mills and Boon novel written by Hana Sheik. The storyline is set mostly in Uganda. Yusra is a divorced Ugandan Muslim who is struggling financially. Bashir is a single father, a billionaire of Somalian origin who has worked his way up to achieve financial success. They realise there babies AJ and Zaire have been swapped when they are nearly 3 years old. They both love the babies they think of as theirs. They agree upon a marriage of convenience so they don’t lose this. Slowly this marriage develops in to more but can they both overcome their pasts and their emotional baggage and achieve a HEA?
I found this an interesting book to read. I think this is the first M&B novel which has had Muslim characters and I hope this teen continues. I enjoyed reading about Yusra’s modest clothing and Uganda in general. Both there characters are complex and there is a lot of baggage. Yusra has escaped an emotionally abusive marriage and has been struggling to maintain a living as a graphic designer, Bashir is terrified of intimacy and love as he lost his family during a flood in Somalia as a child and he is afraid to love again. There is chemistry between the pair but it seem very muted and almost off.



I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted

[Andrea Wenger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Single mom Yusra is shocked when billionaire Bashir tells her that their sons were switched at birth. Neither wants to give up the child they've raised for almost three years, yet they also feel a bond to the child who shares their blood. Bashir suggests they raise the boys together. Can they make a marriage of convenience work for the sake of their sons?

This is a strongly character-driven book that delves into Bashir's fear of intimacy. Having lost his family as a child in a Somali flood, he's wary of giving his heart to Yusra. This is the primary conflict of the book—it doesn't spend much time on the drama and upheaval of the baby swap. This is a marriage of convenience book rather than a blended family book. I enjoyed the Muslim representation and the African setting.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was sweet and had great potential and fantastic rep, but ultimately didn't go much below the surface. It's a romance between Black African muslims, involving a marriage of convenience after the leads discover their babies were switched at birth.

I liked both characters, but I wanted to get to know them better, see them struggle through things TOGETHER and come out a strong couple. Instead they both lived in their heads most of the time, fell in love with little evidence on the page, and the wrong person did the grand gesture at the end. Oh well, it was still nice to read a romance this far outside of what is usually on offer.

[Contina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first time reading a romance featuring main characters who were Muslims set in Uganda. It was quite refreshing to see how Bashir and Yusra dealt with a highly emotional situation. Three years! It took three years for them to learn their sons were switched. I still can't believe that happened. Anyway, I loved how they fell in love with their "birth" sons and then with each other. The cover was definitely an indicator of this beautiful romance and how two people found love in an unconventional way.

[Shannan Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a pure and heartwarming marriage of convince story. I absolutely loved all of the characters, and how the story grew and flowed. It absolutely held on to my emotions. And I especially loved the Muslim representation in the story. With her writing style, she is definitely an author I love to support. It was so touching and emotional read

I received a copy of the book via booksprout and am voluntarily leaving an honest review of my own thoughts and opinions.

[Valeri Sullivan (vsulvn29) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly enjoyable, easy to read. Love the playfulness Bashir brings out in Yusra and his completely clueless reactions to it and find it a refreshing change to find a romance set in Africa and gives the reader a look at a different culture and religious practices. This may have been my first Hana Sheik read but it won’t be my last!

[Isha Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

An endearing glimpse into what makes a family. Sheik exposes the heart to the vulnerabilities of emotion. Bashir and Yusra tackle the binds of love with a beautiful rawness that speaks to the soul. The Baby Swap that Bound Them is heartache at it's most captivating.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Ellie (On a break, mostly rereading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Baby Swap that Bound Them Together is a standalone romance by Hana Sheik. Sheik is a new author to me, but I have to say, I totally judged this book by it's cover. Seeing an MC with wearing a hijab drew me in because, let's face, it's not very often we see Muslim faith or African (Uganda primarily) based romances. Also, the cover is just so stinking cute.

The story is about divorced single mother, Yusra, and single father and billionaire, Bashir. As indicated in the title, their sons were switched at birth nearly three years earlier.

First off, I was not disappointed by the fact that I was drawn in by the cover. I enjoyed reading a romance in a different culture to my own (I did find myself googling some of the food and dresses worn by Yusra). And just like the cover, Yusra and Bashir are so adorable together, they had such a sweet and understated chemistry.

Yusra and Bashir are wonderfully flawed in their own ways. In some ways they are two sides of the same coin - ying and yang - so it's easy to see how these two could possibly make a real marriage out of a marriage of convenience. They married so that neither had to give up the child they had raised individually, not knowing about the hospital mix up. And while both Yusra and Bashir are refreshing down to earth and come to the situation with the best of intentions, feelings have a pesky habit of getting in the way. The romance is sweet, wholesome and a slow burn.

On the other hand, I said say that they are both flawed. But that isn't a bad thing, because the character development as they learn to reconcile their new reality and face their respective past demons shows two strong and determined MC's. Yusra has one failed marriage to a husband that could perhaps be described as controlling and abusive, he had also left her when she was pregnant, not wanting anything to do with the baby. Bashir seems to lose all the family and people that he loves. It is a pattern that he has long since accepted and makes him keep a distance from anyone, except for his son. His demons are a lot more centre stage than Yusra's, but Bashir is a really fascinating character.

I adored this book. It wasn't about Bashir using his money to wow Yusra, this was about two adults wanting the best for their toddler sons, not expecting that they could also get their own HEA.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book in The Mills and Boon True Love series and it Yusra and Bashir’s story. Yusra is a single mother to her son AJ who is her life so you can imagine her shock when Bashir shows up and tells her that there children was swapped at birth and his son Zaire is in fact her son but neither want to give up the son’s that they have because they love them so much. When Bashir offers Yusra a solution of a marriage of convenience and she moves in with him so that they can be a family it seems the best option for them all as a family. Bashir and Yusra have chemistry but they both have baggage and a past that have changed there lives and it was really beautiful to watch them navigate and work through it all and get the happiness and future that they all deserved especially after everything that they had both gone through and they ended up making a beautiful family together. I really enjoyed reading this book and it just goes to show that life can throw a big curveball but if you communicate and work together a second chance is just around the corner waiting for you to take a chance on love again. I recommend you read this book and you will not be disappointed because it is so well written along with a great storyline that will keep your attention throughout.

[Joyce M. H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an entertaining read. This is the 2nd author that I have had the pleasure of reading that her books take place in Africa. It gives the readers a glimpse into Africa and their cultures and the continent in general. Yusra s a single mom and she receives news for sexy billionaire Bashir that their sons were switched at birth. Oh, wow how could that have happened. Not wanting to give up the son that he has raised for nearly three years; and not wanting to give up the son that he didn’t get the chance to raise Bashir comes up with a solution. He suggests that he and Yusra get married a marriage of convenience to raise the boys together. Bashir is having a hard time as to whether he is willing to give his heart to Yusra because he lost his family when he was a child.

Can Bashir and Yusra have a marriage of convenience and raise their sons together, will Bashir put his heart on the line for Yusra, is there an HEA in store for Bashir and Yursa?

I received an ARC via NetGalley and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Merry Jelks-Emmanuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This touching story kept me glued to the pages. When Bashir stormed her office and told her about a baby switch, he and Yusra's lives would never be the same. They were drawn to each other in spite of the predicament they found themselves in. When he suggested they marry, it solved the problem of keeping the children together because of their bonding but will Bashir and Yusra find happiness together. This is a well written intriguing story that had me connecting with the characters and cheering for them to make their relationship work.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book by Hana Sheik, It is the first time I have read a book by this author and it was engaging, the characters were likable, and you were wishing for their happy ending. It is very rare to see books where the main characters are Muslim. That made the book more interesting. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Turningcover · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this marriage of convenience love story. Yusra and Bashir had great hearts. They each loved the child they raised and didn’t want to depart from them. They also felt a connection to the child who they shared DNA.
It was nice to see how everything worked out for them.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Heather Gibbard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from Booksprout as an arc copy for a voluntary review. I’m new to this author and I really enjoyed this book, which was easy to read and the characters were believable. I highly recommend this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Debbie Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. A mistake coming to light has Yusra and Bashir marring to keep contact with their sons. It is a slow romance where they both overcome their pasts to embrace love with each other.