The Sheikh's Ransomed Bride (Harlequin Presents) [Kindle Edition]

Annie West (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Kidnapped by rebels, Belle Winters discovers her rescuer is Rafiq al Akhtar, Sovereign Prince of the desert kingdom of Q'roum. Whisked away to his exotic palace, Rafiq expects her to show her gratitude--by marrying him!

Rafiq demands Belle perform all her royal duties--both in public and in private. Soon she succumbs to the sultry heat of the desert and to Rafiq's seduction. Belle is no longer an unwilling wife, now she is the sheikh's very willing lover....

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 171 KB
• Print Length: 192 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin Presents (June 1, 2007)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B001CDA3F6
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #34,826 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #30 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Genre Fiction > Romance > Series > Harlequin Presents

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A protective, caring hero & a feisty independent heroine with Great chemistry., July 16, 2007

By 

Dream Emporium Dot-Com "ZenCyn" (Charlottesville, Virginia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Sheikh's Ransomed Bride (Harlequin Presents) (Mass Market Paperback)

I absolutely loved this book. It is one where you find yourself giving a wistful sigh as you finish it.

Hero: the exotic "buccanner" described Prince Rafiq. Heroine: Belle, a fiercely independent & feisty career-oriented woman with an archaeological group, doing work in Prince Rafiq's arab kingdom.

Storyline: Belle is kidnapped along with a male co-worker, as part of a political up-rising attempt. They are brutalized and left for dead on a spit of an island. Rafiq rescues her, but not until after she shows her fighting spirit, and he greatly respects & admires her from the beginning. Wait until you read the sexual chemistry these two have for each other---ooh, la-la! Unique situations really make the story sizzle. I don't think I'll be forgetting the beach storyline anytime soon.

Both Belle & Rafiq respect each other highly throughout the entire story, and this was so refreshing & wonderful to read. Rafiq is not only described as a sexy dreamboat, he acts like one, too. *swoon* lol; he is definitely on my Top-10 Best Harlequin Heroes list.

Another reviewer mentioned the peacock jewelry, and it is part of the story to understand that this little arab country is a new democracy with the country's people still believing many years of traditions & firm cultural beliefs; so they would have considered it a sign of political weakness for their prince to give in to the terrorists and relinquish the sacred jewels unless it was to save his beloved, so after experiencing the kind of terror Prince Rafiq's enemy creates first-hand, Belle makes a conscious choice to help the people in this nation by going along with their traditional beliefs until the terrorists are caught; otherwise they would continue their bombing raids. Essentially, Belle is helping Rafiq buy time for finding the terrorists.

Belle is never, ever wimpy. She is a heroine that makes women cheer for her bravery. If you ever yelled at a tv or movie screen whenever a wimpy woman stood back & let her guy almost get killed instead of joining in the fight--this book is for you, because Annie West created a wonderful heroine for us.

Annie West writes so beautifully, with rich descriptions of events, people, places & things--to the point where one can easily imagine themselves transported to this beautiful place. I could tell you more of the story but that would ruin it for you...and I hate to do that. Ms. West writes almost poetically, her descriptions of things are often so evocatively beautiful.

So, bottom line: the hero & heroine both talk to & treat each other with great respect & caring, even when they don't say the "L" word yet. The chemistry between these two are sizzling, and anticipation makes the yearning these 2 characters have for each other all the sweeter. I hope no one passes up this book.

I'm definitely reading more Annie West books!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Emotional Powerhouse, July 2, 2007

By 

Margie - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sheikh's Ransomed Bride (Harlequin Presents) (Mass Market Paperback)

Annie West proves once again just what an exciting talent she is. The very first page of THE SHEIKH'S RANSOMED BRIDE is explosive, reminiscent of a Harlequin Intrigue. Kidnapped Belle Winters is dealing with not only an incoming cyclone but an injured colleague, Duncan, whose life is in her manacled hands. As their shelter collapses around them, a fearsome, powerful-looking man snatches Belle and Duncan from certain death. But is he a captor or a rescuer?

He's actually Prince Rafiq of Q'aroum, a desert kingdom, and he's paid a ransom to protect Belle and his tiny, otherwise peaceful, nation. If the ransom were paid in cash, Belle would no doubt be on her way home, shaken but grateful to be alive. However, Rafiq sacrificed the precious Peacock's Eye, a bejewelled heirloom normally bestowed by the royal sheikh to his bride. And so, Belle is now expected to show her gratitude by marrying the sheikh.

I fell in love with West's rich, layered characters and exotic location. Until I read this book, I never imagined picnicking in a desert could be so desirable. (It helps to have an advance party set up the royal marquee set up before you arrive...) All the way through, West sustains the emotional intensity between Belle and Rafiq, pitching this book into the "unputdownable" category for me. A very satisfying read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Sheikh Story to Swoon Over!, July 19, 2007

By 

romancelover (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sheikh's Ransomed Bride (Harlequin Presents) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is fantastic, Annie West's best so far. The characters have such reality and emotional depth and the love story is just breathtaking. Even if you're not into sheikhs, give this one a go. It's a great story and I bet you won't be able to put it down. I sure couldn't! Sexy, passionate, compelling, vivid. What a winner! Thank you, Ms West. Can't wait for the next one!