This means that I nag her constantly for new books, stalk her on Twitter and Facebook and anywhere else I can find her. I rejoice when I hear she's signed a 12 book contract because I will have more to read. When I remember how very young she is I am confident that I shall never run out of new books before I die like I did with Georgette Heyer, Agatha Christie and Ellis Peters.
Once again Maisey Yates puts together a tale full of angst and passion to keep you engaged. As the surrogate mother of her half sisters child, Chloe thought she would do her duty by her sister and then step back into the safe anonymity of her academic world. There she could avoid the danger of passion that made her childhood a nightmare.
Sayid, brother of the sheikh, was brought up to be an emotionless machine, designed to fight for his country at all costs. Unfortunately he couldn’t protect his brother and his wife from dying in a car accident on the way to collect their child from Chloe. When he discovers the existence of the child he will do anything to protect the future king.
Drawn into Sayid’s world because of baby Aden, Chloe finds her commitment to a passionless existence threatened by the close proximity of this dark and damaged man. When they marry, to secure Chloe’s place as Aden’s mother it becomes even harder.
I loved this story and the dance of denial the hero and heroine are involved in. They have both pushed any thought of emotional involvement from their lives but for Chloe, baby Aden has breached the barrier, leaving her vulnerable.
What happens when these two start to open up to each other is amazing. There is one wow moment that made me fall for Sayid so hard. I just loved the book and the stress on the importance of love and hope for the future.
Alik is a bad bad man. His only redeeming feature is his loyalty to his friend Sayid, from the companion book Heir to a Desert Legacy. He's not anyone's idea of good husband and father material. But he is, reluctantly, a father.
Widowed Jada has been caring for his child since the death of the mother. All she wants is to be Leena's mother. She's already been a wife and being Alik's wife would only be bearable because of baby Leena.
Watching these two make a convenient marriage is like watching gunpowder in a candle shop. It is a disaster waiting to happen. A disaster full of sizzle and sark.
Somehow Maisey makes it work through the darkest depths to a HEA that is believable at the last.
Being a Fangirl also means you do ridiculous things like find naked dolls in thrift shops and immediately realise that they look just like the hero and heroine in the latest release. Then you take photos and turn them into a gif simply because you can.
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| Alik makes the moves on Jada |
Finally you become so obsessed with the characters that you write fanfiction where your characters meet their characters.
Alik Fanfic
The nurse was giggling again. Ruslan quivered with anticipation. He knew what that meant. Squirming against the pillows, he craned his
neck to try and see the door of the pan room.
The other boys in the ward slept on, the drugs doled out at bedtime
doing their job.
Ruslan probed under his pillows for the tissue wrapped
parcel. Seven of the little blue
sleeping pills, fourteen of the white
ones they gave out for bad pain. Alik
would be pleased.
The noises were reaching a crescendo, the gasps and little
squeaks from the nurse followed by a masculine grunt and then silence. A whisper and a rustle.
The nurse shot back into the ward, smoothing down her
skirt. She always boasted about being engaged to the
other staff, but when Alik came around she tucked her engagement ring in the
pocket of her coat that hung at the nurse’s station. She settled at the desk, carefully not
looking towards Ruslan’s bed. He
wondered exactly what was so special about Alik that she would break hospital
rules to let him in after visiting hours.
Finally Alik sauntered into the room, his dark hair ruffled,
his thumbs hooked into the pockets of his fatigues. He looked older than sixteen, bulky in the
heavy jacket and taller than anyone.
Ruslan wriggled to try and straighten in the bed. One day.
When he’d had his operation. He
would be just like Alik.
‘Hey Ruslan.’
‘Hello Alik.’
‘What do you have for me?’
Carefully, Ruslan held out the tissue. ‘Seven and fourteen, this time. I’m getting good at it. That trick you showed me works every time.’
The older boy counted the pills and slipped them into his
pocket. ‘You did okay kid.’
The hand came out again with a paper bag. Grinning up at his idol, Ruslan took the
bag. ‘Chocolate?’
‘Da.’ Alik looked
across at the nurse. ‘Three this
time. You’ll need to make them last.’
Reaching across, Ruslan put the bag on the cupboard. ‘Are you going away again?’
‘ Maybe.’ That cool,
blue-grey gaze sparked with some emotion.
‘Can you keep a secret kid?’
‘Of course. You know
that.’ He winced as a sharp pain stabbed
at his spine. He shouldn’t have twisted
when he’d moved.
Straight away Alik bent over, studying his face with those
piercing eyes. ‘Are you sure you should
be giving me the painkillers?’
‘It’s alright. I just
moved wrong. I have my operation
soon. Then I can come and work with
you.’
‘That’s not going to happen.’
‘But they promised.’
Ruslan’s heart jumped into his throat.
‘They said I’d be able to walk after the operation.’
‘Sure you will. But
you won’t be working with me.’
‘Why not? You said I
was smart. Just as smart as you.’
‘I’m not going to be around after tonight.’
‘Are you in trouble?’
‘No. Not yet. But if I hang around…’
‘Where will you go?’
‘That’s a secret. I
don’t want you to have to lie. They
don’t like liars.’
Ruslan blinked hard.
Alik never cried so he wouldn’t cry.
Crying’s for babies. He was
nearly a man, like Alik.
‘Will I see you again?’
‘I’m leaving the country.
It won’t be safe for me to come back.’
‘Never?’
‘I don’t know. I’ll
be following the money. That could take
me anywhere.’
‘You could write to me.
I could write back and tell you what’s happening here.’ Alik’s face hardened. Sometimes it was easy to believe the rumours.
Ruslan didn’t want to believe them, but
somehow he just did.
‘Look kid, this was
business. It’s not like we’re
friends. What makes you think I’d be
interested in hearing your problems?’
‘Not friends?’
‘You’re eleven years old and stuck in a hospital. I’ve got better things to do than write
letters to some kid I’m never going to see again.’
It was a different pain this time. Ruslan preferred the other one. It
didn’t make it hard to breath.
‘I’m sorry. I didn’t
understand.’
Alik shrugged, avoiding his eyes. ‘I’m sorry too, kid. But it was just business.’
Ruslan watched him leave, not sauntering this time. Striding past the nurse with a brisk nod of
dismissal.
This was an amazing read. Four novella's centred around not the bride but the sister, the best friend, the wedding planner and the potential 'other woman'.
