The Desert King's Virgin Bride (Harlequin Presents) [Kindle Edition]

Sharon Kendrick (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

As Sheikh of Kharastan, Malik has no time for distractions. But when Sorrel, an Englishwoman in his care, wants to explore the pleasures of the West, Malik decides he will be the one to teach her the ways of seduction!

Malik wants Sorrel, but he will not dishonor her. Yet, as sheikh, he is expected to marry and his bride must be pure. Is the answer to make Sorrel his virgin queen?

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 151 KB
• Print Length: 192 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin Presents (May 1, 2007)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B000OVLKTA
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #182,861 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not bad, not great, July 18, 2007

By 

Dora (Memphis) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Desert King's Virgin Bride (Harlequin Presents) (Mass Market Paperback)

It's always fun to read about a girl that undergoes some sort of makeover in these stories; in this case, a young Englishwoman goes from a burka to a minidress and the king is not pleased.

Despite having known her since childhood, he is intent on making her into his lover. He doesn't want to take her completely, so the story is mostly 3rd base action until the very end when they're married. Not a great story because the male lead is so demanding of the woman, and once they come together he 'appears pleased' when she's pained (she was a virgin) by his body.

Not a bad read if you have an hour to kill at the airport, but the story is instantly forgettable.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Talk about steamy! Passion in a desert setting!, May 6, 2007

By 

Marilyn Shoemaker (Seattle, Washington) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Desert King's Virgin Bride (Harlequin Presents) (Mass Market Paperback)

I could actually kick myself that I didn't read the other two books in the series first. This is a wonderful "sheikh" book with all of the elements......powerful, stubborn, sexy as sin, doesn't know the meaning of love only how to rule his country and duty above all!

If you love sheikh books then you'll adore this one, I promise.

Book Description:

As Sheikh of Kharastan, Malik has no time for distractions. But when Sorrel, an Englishwoman in his care, wants to explore the pleasures of the West, Malik decides he will be the one to teach her the ways of seduction!

Malik wants Sorrel, but he will not dishonor her. Yet, as sheikh, he is expected to marry and his bride must be pure. Is the answer to make Sorrel his virgin queen?

2.0 out of 5 stars Cold...calculating, May 28, 2011

By 

Sara (United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Desert King's Virgin Bride (Harlequin Large Print Presents) (Mass Market Paperback)

I wanted to like this book, because the plot sounded so interesting. I've read a few books about a guardian falling in love with his ward and many authors can make the transition smooth from an almost familial love to a romantic one. Unfortunately, this author didn't do so well with that. For me, there was an ick factor throughout. Malik had taken Sorrel into his home at the age of 16, having known her even when she was a child, which he refers to frequently. The man is very commanding to the point where, it seemed to me, that he needed a doll to play with rather than a real woman. The author even references that Sorrel feels like she's a mannequin and, at another time, a puppet. I agree! The writing doesn't flow. Maybe this is an unfair comparison, but I had just read two absolutely steamy books by the author Jane Porter before reading this book, and Jane Porter's writing is 20 leagues beyond Sharon Kendrick's (at least based on this book.) See comparison passages below:

"She was about to lose her virginity in the most matter-of-fact way possible--to a man she had always loved, but who could never return that love."--quote from The Desert King's Virgin Bride by Sharon Kendrick

"Emotion rose, hot, stinging, hungry and her lips trembled beneath his. For a split second she let herself lean into him, let herself feel how hard he was, how strong, how confident. It was a hint of heaven, a taste of bliss. His mouth on hers, his arms around her, his strength supporting her."--quote from The Sheikh's Virgin by Jane Porter

The "lessons" that Malik gives to Sorrel seem just like that, totally lacking in sensuality. Plus, there is dialogue like "come over her and kiss me" that I felt would have been better left unstated aloud and would have been indicated through body language. Furthermore, some of the characters' history was repeated later in the book. (I guess you get a second chance, in case you slept through it the first time)! The characters, to me, lacked feeling. There wasn't enough build-up into who they were and what they wanted. Sorrel seemed to be very eager to throw herself at Malik, and he seemed to always be chastizing her. It was like she was this annoying, clingy female and (according to him) she could never do anything right. Another issue was that Sorrel was 25 and still a virgin; and in fact, she had not tried to assert her independence before this age. This seemed a bit far-fetched to me.

Also, Malik's assistant starts out as Faliq and then becomes Fariq. It was just another one of those quirky things that broke the "flow" of the book for me.