The Sheikh's Virgin Princess by Sarah Morgan hit the US shelves as a Harlequin Presents Extra. It didn't say Extra what, but I’d say extra special, or extra sensual. Nearly all Sarah’s Mills and Boon Modern / Harlequin Presents are on my keeper shelves, but her sheikhs are extra gorgeous, and probably my favourite of her heroes. And I always empathise with her heroines–she does great characterisation and Alexandra is no exception. She's strong and feisty, vulnerable without being weak.
If I were compiling a Presents-topia list this would be on it.
I love the way the Rebel Princess shows Karim “it never pays to underestimate a woman.” And, as she's the only one who can break the marriage contract, I love how Karim sets out to show her she wouldn't want to be married to him, especially as the more he tries to make things hard for her, the more it backfires on him and he only succeeds in making things hard for himself.
Too fun.
Especially as, unbeknownst to him, Alexandra's very life's at stake if she doesn't marry him...
A fast-paced, action-packed read--adore the fencing scene--with lots of fantastic dialogue, emotion, characters with emotional-depth, a high level of sensuality and terrific love scenes. What more could a girl ask for? Desert car chase anyone? Yep, got one of those, too.
If I'm totally honest, there is one thing you have to suspend your disbelief a bit over--and that's that the heroine hasn't seen a picture of the man she's been betrothed to since the cradle and doesn't recognise that her "bodyguard" is in fact the Sultan to whom she's contracted to marry. Fun. It honestly didn't affect my reading pleasure so I wouldn't knock any stars off this book's five star plus rating.
There's some great banter between Karim and Alex, with laugh-out-loud humour and one-liners. And I've just talked myself into a re-read.
Ms Marinelli maintains the fast pace whilst delivering depth of characterisation, deeply emotional, and a unique plotline with an edge. One of those rare books that demands at least one re-read.
My goodreads review of Carol Marinelli's 'Playing the Dutiful Wife'
