Customer Reviews

The Sheik's Arranged Marriage (Desert Rogues, No. 2)

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The Sheik's Arranged Marriage is the second book in the Desert Rogue series by Susan Mallery and is Prince Jamal's and Heidi McKinley's story. Heidi is a long time friend of the family as her grandfather and King Givon were friends. Now the King and his mother feel that Prince Jamal needs to marry and of course, they have chosen Heidi, the virginal and studious plain Jane to be his bride.

Prince Jamal is the middle son, has a love of history, and his country and is extremely handsome, is a prince in more ways than one and known to be a ladies man like his brother Kahlil. He had a former disastrous marriage to Yasmine who was no longer alive and he did not believe in love. However, he is honor bound to his father and country to marry and produce heirs. So he agrees to marry Heidi.

After they wed, Heidi announces that she cannot be a wife in the true sense and that she is a virgin. However, as their relationship progresses Heidi decides she has deeper feelings for Jamal and so with the help of his family she becomes "Honey" and disguises her looks and becomes a "hot" sexual kitten. Jamal sees through her act but decides to go along with her plan and is intrigued by his new wife. When Heidi learns that Jamal has been wise to her little game, she is heart broken and ashamed. However, Heidi finally learns that she could have won her husband by just being herself and that he already loved her not his deceased ex-wife.

This is just another great story by Susan Mallery. The scenes where Heidi becomes Honey are fun and endearing. This is a wonderful addition to the Desert Rogue series.

Book Summary:

Man-shy American Heidi McKinley winces when the king himself insists she marry - and make heirs with - his sinfully sexy royal son! For Prince Jamal was a legendary lover, an expert on erotic intrigue. Whatever would he see in serious-minded Heidi?

Plenty! Up to his crown in gold-digging bubbleheads, Jamal is secretly enchanted with the sweet and studious virgin. So why was homespun Heidi donning silken disguises and posing as siren "Honey Martin" to seduce him? And how could Jamal hope to choose between a bold, brazen "mistress" and a bashful, blushing bride?

For what are supposed to be 3 very smart ladies they hatch the stupidest plan on the planet... Disguise yourself as someone else to try and entice your husband into bed... what can possibly go wrong?... It doesn't occour to any of them that somewhere down the track you're obviously going to get hurt because he turns out to be an adulterous prick (even though he hasn't cheated because it was you all along but he's not supposed to know that so therefore its cheating)... or if he turns out to be faithful then he's really not that into you and your confidence is shattered again anyway. Oh and by the way we all forgot to tell you that everyone hated his dead wife so you've been obsessing over nothing... oops! Understandable that the hero didn't tell her that but the rest of his 'caring family'?

I was cringing as soon as the stupid 'mistress' plan was hatched i then went into flick through the pages mode to avoid the on coming train wreck because this book was just really stupid.

Don't get me wrong - anything with Sheik in the title is not going to be an accurate description of real life or relationships but that doesn't mean i have to put up with rampant stupidity from characters that have been described as smart women.

I have to say that I really liked the tension that was created through this book. Although the Sheik "liked" his bride, he didn't realize how much he would grow to love her. Having come out of a passionless first marriage, he brought his own weaknesses to the relationship, which his virgin bride was incapable to deal with other than to see herself as the one that was disappointing him.

The story was quick to read, the characters felt developed enough for me to genuinely care about them, and it was a fun story to escape into.

I enjoyed this book, but I thought her first book of the series "The Sheiks Kidnapped Bride" was much better. I thought the premise of the arranged marriage and the heroine disgusing herself a little weak. However, I do love this family and the exotic setting. I laughed outloud at the family's antics.