I'm a Maisey Yates Fangirl

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.

Heir to a Desert Legacy

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.

Heir to a Dark Inheritance.

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.

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.