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Sedikhan #5

Touch The Horizon

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#1 New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen combines romance and adventure in this exotic tale of finding the love of your life—in the last place you’d ever look. She was stranded in a deadly sandstorm when he rode to her rescue like a desert prince on his black stallion. On a lark Billie Callahan had come to the Middle East to play a minor film role in a desert epic. Suddenly she found herself starring in a real-life romantic adventure. Cowboy, hero, friend of sheikhs and princes, David Bradford spoke like a poet in the drawl of his native Texas. What was this mysterious, eccentric, and irresistibly seductive man doing in Sedikhan, and what did he want with an ordinary woman like Billie? Her curiosity piqued, Billie followed David to the lavish pleasure fortress he called home, with its armed guards and adoring staff. He warned her that the pleasure he offered her would last forever. What he didn’t know was that Billie only believed in now.

290 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1984

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About the author

Iris Johansen

227 books7,348 followers
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

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5 stars
198 (26%)
4 stars
226 (30%)
3 stars
218 (29%)
2 stars
78 (10%)
1 star
26 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
Profile Image for *CJ*.
5,106 reviews626 followers
September 22, 2021
“You’re not going to die windflower. Not for a long, long time, and when you do I’ll be there holding you just like this”.

What a beautiful book!
“Touch the Horizon” is the story of David and Billie.
We’ve met both the characters before. David is the friend of Sabrina from book 2, who was described as “abnormal” (I will refrain from using the word MR even though they repeatedly used it in this book. He was certainly not that and its impolite to call him that) and childlike behavior in that book due to the trauma from his drug use. We’ve seen him talking to plants and nature previously. Now he’s all grown up and taken in by Alex’s cousin Karim where he is adored by all people in Sedikhan, and spends his days admiring nature, women and writing books filled with hope.
Billie is the gypsy from the previous movie direction based book, who rescues Yusuf, the Arab from miscreants. The kind, independent and righteous heroine finally finds her home in David.
The couple meet when the heroine is stranded in a desert, and the H rescues her. Initially the palace is suspicious because of her sudden arrival and the threats on David’s life, but soon she wins everyone with her bravery.
The couple's moments together were lovely. The hero was beta, and had such childlike innocence that he was impossible to dislike him.
Both never had a home or found happiness, and realized their ability to provide the aforementioned to each other. It was endearing how he compared her and everything to flowers, but never seemed silly as the book had a whimsical quality to it.
The passion is strong, the couple cares for each other and the story was is well written.
No joke, I teared up a lot while reading it and it made me love it even more.
Glad the heroine finally found her roots, and that’s without the hero forcing them to grow and patiently nurturing them (I sound like a loon but if you read the book, you’ll get the references)
Safe
5/5
Profile Image for Julie (jjmachshev).
1,069 reviews292 followers
October 11, 2008
2 stars for Iris Johansen's publisher for having the cojones to reprint "Touch the Horizon", a 1984 Loveswept story. If you've read this one before, there's nothing new. If you haven't, be prepared for a story very much influenced by the times of its publication. I'm a big Johansen fan and bought this book on the basis of her name. Wish I'd just traded for the original.

Billie is an orphan who leads a gypsy lifestyle. David is an American by birth but lives in the palace in the mysterious desert city of Zalandan. David rescues Billie from a sandstorm and is immediately lovestruck. But he's very mystical and mysterious. Billie only believes in what she can see and has no intentions of staying still long enough to care for David.

VERY different. VERY sappy. VERY early in Johansen's career (I hope).
Profile Image for Kafamdaki Makine.
370 reviews20 followers
November 21, 2020
Konusu ilgi çekici gibi gelse de ortalarına varamadan bir an önce bitirmek istedim. Sanırım bunun sebebi de bu türün çok kirlenmesi. Bu tarz kitaplar sağdan soldan Wattpad’tem bakteri gibi ürüyorlar. Her işte olduğu gibi bu işi de iyi yapan mevcut. Bize kalan eleye eleye doğrusunu bulmak.
Profile Image for Laurel Bradshaw.
892 reviews78 followers
June 26, 2010
Book description from Amazon:
She was stranded in a deadly sandstorm when he rode to her rescue like a desert prince on his black stallion. On a lark Billie Callahan had come to the Middle East to play a minor film role in a desert epic. Suddenly she found herself starring in a real-life romantic adventure. Cowboy, hero, friend of sheikhs and princes, David Bradford spoke like a poet in the drawl of his native Texas. What was this mysterious, eccentric, and irresistibly seductive man doing in Sedikhan, and what did he want with an ordinary woman like Billie? Her curiosity piqued, Billie followed David to the lavish pleasure fortress he called home, with its armed guards and adoring staff. He warned her that the pleasure he offered her would last forever. What he didn’t know was that Billie only believed in now.

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I'd give this about a 1.5 rating. I am not a fan of the romance genre, but read this for my book club. On the positive side, it is a short, quick read. I found the setting improbable, the characters improbable, a woman afraid of commitment who jumps right into bed with a man she has just met, the dialogue is laughable, he loves her why?, the scene where there was finally some kind of danger/tension was solved within 5 minutes in a very improbable manner. I found myself hooting with laughter at this very formulaic love story, which I don't think was the author's intention. I gave it a 1.5 because I did manage not to throw the book at the wall....

Profile Image for Alyssa.
793 reviews30 followers
Read
September 9, 2020
i'm not going to give this book a star rating, because i feel like it is a little unfair to do since this book is totally not something i would ever choose to read, and i only read it because Pat's mom loaned it to me.

However, on top of it being a romance novel, this book has very little plot, and the plot that does exist is deeply racist. Possibly a victim of it's time (this book was written in 1984), it has not aged well. add to that a significant amount of misogyny and some scenes with questionable consent, and this book is just rough all around.
Profile Image for IncurableRomantic.
15 reviews1 follower
May 31, 2023
Picked up as a recommendation on the help finding books thread, very kindly recommended and much appreciated.

I am so conflicted about this book. There is much to love tempered with much that feels weird and groomy. I can see why people love it as it is gentle and heartwarming. Life affirming loveliness abounds, there is adventure and peril, a happy ending….. but the hero made me feel queasy.

He’s a fragile lad, survivor of a bad acid trip in the dorm, transplanted to the desert. An atypical, semi-mystical and vulnerable hero. That vulnerability can be incredibly sweet and appealing but also weirdly childlike. It stops being sweet when he dry humps the heroine and talks about achieving ‘the blossoming’ with her.

The botanical theme runs through, she was the windflower who he rescued, protected, cherished. There are many cute moments. She wasn’t a wimp. He seems like a sweetheart at times, he just can’t help being a bit weird and creepy at others.

Ch 1 sees him protect her from a sandstorm by lying on top of her, yeah that old excuse right ;) I’m all in with lines like

“Relax Windflowet, I know how strong and sturdy you are. You won’t lose any of that strength by letting me shelter you for a few minutes”. And “You’re not going to die Windflower, not for a long long time and when you do I’ll be holding you just like this”

So, no commitment issues for a change but so anti-hero and maybe a little too in tune with the rhythms of life.

Hiis prime sandstorm distraction technique turns out to be a dry hump frot-fest: “…. suppose you think of this instead of what’s going on round us” He slowly brought his loins down to rub intimately in the cradle of her hips before nestling comfortably as if he’d found a home….

Response? “For heaven’s same we’re practically at death’s door and I’m not even sexy” (reality check - does any young actress think she isn’t appealing? Points for a sensible reaction tho).

…. “That’s the idea, you just lie here and think about how much I want you and all the delicious things I’d like to do to you. I’ll even whisper a few of them to you from time to time.” I think I’d choose death in the sandstorm here. (It turns out he was whispering his way through the Karma Sutre, so we have a botanist who knows the KS by heart and speaks in a childlike and unguarded way - nothing weird there right).

It has its moments, I’m sure people love it. I can’t be doing with a hero who refers to breasts as tulips. Nor the time he plants anemones as a lead up to the big greenhouse seduction scene where he dry humps his way through to ‘the blossoming’…..

I can’t think about it any more. For anyone on a literary masochistic streak please head straight for chapter six and skim to mention of the greenhouse. If him declaring his need to make her tulips blossom isn’t enough then read on. Should the dry humping, knee-frotting, heavy breathing not soothe your soul then please enjoy the botany ”…..by the time she could feel the rhythm of their bodies merging with the silent throbbing tempo of everything about them. The rich earth. The flowering shrubbery…..”

Shrubberies and blossoming does strange things to a girl - as a proper nod to the 80s she starts chapter 7 giving a chap called Yusef a perm. I can’t go on, I just can’t. There’s more of the book, I’ll let you find it for yourself. In the meantime I’m sorry Iris, it’s not you it’s me. I raise a glass to the shrubbery and salute you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Jamoz23.
5,351 reviews46 followers
April 8, 2025
One of the sweetest books in this series. But you need to understand it is from a previous era and genre and is showing its age.
David, the man child we met in The Trustworthy Redhead, who altered his mind due to drug experimentation in college.
His childlike quality and gentle mentality left from the drugs he took, have been vastly improved due to Karim’s efforts in soliciting the best medical experts in the world.
The after effects of his past have left David one truly spectacular human being though. He is still of gentle character, has the soul of a poet and treats those around him with respect. His attitude, thoughts, beliefs and respectfulness are wonderful, but he is still very much a strong man in actions and deeds.
It’s a pity those character traits are not more common. They are much needed in the world today.
His mannerisms and gentleness towards Billie made my heart happy.
Billie is a real life exploring, trouble finding gypsy urchin. She has just stared in a movie being filmed in Sedikhan. We meet her in the previous book, Touch the Rainbow.
After filming Billie just takes off on her own to explore the desert. She saved Yusef from being beaten in the previous book and that plays through to this one too.
These two together made me smile but the interactions with Karim made me laugh.
Billie takes no rubbish from anyone, even a Sultan.
The action with Yusef made me laugh out loud. Billie must save him again but in such a hilarious way.
We get some action with a bad guy too.
Read and reviewed a few times before over the years as I have the paperback but my reviews keep disappearing.
This time read in eBook format though my library.
Profile Image for Jeanetta Johnson.
22 reviews
May 5, 2017
Oldie but goodie

I love the fact that David Bradford was given his own story after the previous book. It was good to see his healing. Having Billie Callahan as the heroine in this book was very creative. The two "lost" individuals were destined for each other. I loved it!!!
Profile Image for Castle.
518 reviews1 follower
July 17, 2019
I continue to enjoy every one of her books and look forward to attempting to read all in print.!!
380 reviews1 follower
February 14, 2021
Billie is an orphan and David lives in Zalandan. I had a hard time following the story. It was a hard book to read.
Profile Image for Mk Rath.
19 reviews1 follower
August 2, 2021
2.5⭐ Read for DQBTalkBooks Sedikhan Update.

Link to episode when available.
Profile Image for Katie.
282 reviews
August 13, 2023
What the?! I am so far removed from these types of books...all cheese.
205 reviews
December 18, 2023
Great

There is intrique and excitement throughout the book. The characters were interesting, some familiar and some new. Its a good romantic story
1,254 reviews1 follower
January 10, 2016
first let me say this book is definitely not for everyone. if ypu picked it up just because it has iris johansens name on it youll probably be disappointed. this is one of her older title before she did thrillers and this is mostly a romance. but you cant say the book sucks just because you dont like the genre. theyre unrealistic and mushy and i love them. while i do enjoy this book and will keep and reread my copy i wont say its a favorite. i like both the characters. david is very sensitive and poetic...not really my kind of man but a good one nontheless and perfect for billie. now billie is definitely someone i identified with covering up past hurts with toughness and running before anyone could hurt her-until david and a near death encounter makes her take a risk on love. overall i liked the plot and the chracter but there were a couple things i didnt like. one was how david acted when they first met...it was a very manlike thing to do but i felt it was completely out of character for him. my other thing was how everyone fawned over him. hes a pretty cool dude and all and he did some heroic things but you dont need to fall at his feet. pverall though a decent way to pass a couple hours
Profile Image for May.
35 reviews25 followers
September 13, 2007
Wow, was I too young when I first read this novel? If I remember it correctly, I was able to read it when I was in Sophomore high school...I don't even have a copy of it now...

Anyway, since GoodReads did not put more information about the book, here's a description by PaperBackSwap (http://www.paperbackswap.com/book/det... ):

"With a madcaps bravado and a gypsy's soul, Billie Callahan had escaped from wild situations before -- but when a sandstorm gathered around her in the Sedikhan desert, she felt like Pauline in silent-film peril.

Suddenly through the shifting sands rose a dashing prince on a black stallion, racing to rescue her from premature burial in a sandy tomb! Was what she saw merely a seductive mirage conjured up by a lively imagination? No, the mystery man in the white burnoose was real! And he sent her spinning off the edge of the world, toward a passionate destiny her heart had secretly dreamed...."

Anyway, I'm giving this book 3-stars 'coz it kinda makes me nostalgic, hehe ^_^
Profile Image for Kiera Beddes.
1,101 reviews21 followers
April 12, 2016
Johansen's protagonists seem to blend into one another. Nothing really stands out, character-wise. The men are bossy and arrogant. The women are gorgeous, and no matter how "stubborn" the author describes them, they are all submissive to the men. Annoying after awhile. Billie's character was so flighty, it was difficult to understand why she couldn't just be happy with David. I would have like to go more into her background and how that made her who she was. Also, David's wise man routine was confusing and a bit of a stretch. Everyone loooooooved him, but I didn't know why they all adored him so much.
Profile Image for Diann.
22 reviews
July 5, 2012
Oh, to be so-o-o disappointed in a book. I picked this one up solely on the strength of the author's name (have read a lot of her more recent works including the Eve/Quinn/Bonnie trilogy). The story line was like a poorly written Harlequin novel - characters were fairly 2-dimensional and the plot was unrealistic. Seems this was early in the author's writing career so I'll just leave it at that.
Profile Image for Elizabeth Gibbs.
Author 1 book5 followers
October 2, 2015
I was very grateful to find one of Iris Johansen's first books. I wanted to compare it to the more recent ones that I've read. However, my mouth dropped open during the first chapter. While I know it was intended to be a fantasy I was shocked by the way the main character seemed to like the man that rescued her. He was technically sexually harassing her. I definitely prefer her more recent books.
Profile Image for Tonya Warner.
1,214 reviews13 followers
November 11, 2011
Probably closer to 2.5 than 2 rating.

Overall, I thought the story was ok. Definately dated to the era it was written in. David was made out to more simple-minded than I liked. Billie, not sure about her. She was just ok. Not as much a gypsy as she was portrayed.
Profile Image for HÜLYA.
1,139 reviews47 followers
May 13, 2013
Tam bır Beyaz Dizi tadında bır romandı. Özellıkle kitabın erkek kahramanı gerçek olamayacak kadar mükemmel ötesi bir erkekti. Bu yazarın kitabını ilk defa okuyorum. Sanırım diger kitaplarını da okuyacagım.
Profile Image for Joni.
305 reviews2 followers
September 6, 2016
Sweet story about David and Billie David rescues her from a sandstorm and tries his best to keep her. David is not your typical hero, he is nice and honest and Billie does not know what to make of it. Older romance novel.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
231 reviews1 follower
October 23, 2011
Sweet short read. The character of David was interesting, very different from the typical male character. Poetic, honest, and sweet. Nice read for a rainy day.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews

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