TO TAME A SHEIKH (Pride of Zohayd) – Olivia Gates

Author: Olivia Gates
Line: Silhouette Desire
Release month: November 2010
The S-Factor: Sensual

Back Blurb:

He would possess her!

He’d noticed her across a crowded room, and in that instant Sheikh Shaheen Aal Shalaan wanted her. With just a few words, Shaheen had his mystery woman in his bed, where she awakened passions he’d long denied.

Then the sheikh discovered his lover’s true identity. She was Johara, his childhood friend, now fully blossomed into a vision he could not do without. But his lineage demanded he take a wife of the throne’s choosing. Anything else would have catastrophic results. Yet how could he turn away from the woman who carried his baby?

To Tame A Sheikh—Book One PRIDE OF ZOHAYD trilogy—Nov 2010
To Tempt A Sheikh—Book Two PRIDE OF ZOHAYD trilogy—Feb 2011
To Touch A Sheikh—Book Three PRIDE OF ZOHAYD trilogy—Aug 2011

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Recently, author Olivia Gates was quoted in an interview saying she wanted to write this triology, Pride of Zohayd for years. To Tame a Sheikh was everything Gates desired it to be and more for this reader as her desert prince and his once childhood friend Joharea were truly magnificent characters and lovers. Their love story was “most intense, romantic, and a devoted love story.” It was magical to read!

As a child, Zohara Nazaryan and her family resided in the palace in the kingdom of Zohayd as her father was the royal jeweler. Her brother had been best friends with the King’s youngest son, Prince Shaheen. From the moment Zohara had set eyes on this older young man, she loved and adored him. And then as he grew older his distanced himself from she and her family and she never understood why.

Shaheen had advised his father he would accept an arranged bride but he also promised a friend before leaving, he would attend a party. Johara knew the man she had always loved was going to attend a party in his honor and she wanted to see him as it had been twelve long years. Then their eyes locked, he sought her out but for some reason he didn’t recognize her but he wanted her with such intensity, it sizzled off of the pages. He took her to his room, took her virginity and made love taking both of their breath away. In the morning she left and Shaheen had no idea of her last name or how to contact her.

Eight weeks earlier, Johara’s dreams came true when she laid in the arms of the man she had adored and loved. Now she was back in Zohayd to help her father as he was going to retire. And then they saw each other and Shaheen realized he absolutely couldn’t marry another woman, that this woman of his heart, the woman he had always loved even as a young girl but never admitted it was the woman he wanted permanently in his life. And then things changed for them both as well as the royal family. They found out that the royal jewels were fakes and of course suspicion was placed on Johara and her father. Even his older brother believed she was involved and his middle brother, well in the end believed she and her father had no involvement.

Reading about all three desert sheikhs makes me NOT want to wait for their stories if they are going to be anything like To Tame a Sheikh. It’s obvious that each brother is going to be strong, handsome, unusual and when he finally finds that special woman to love, he’ll fall hard.  Personally, I can't wait!

Johara’s and Shaheen’s journey was not an easy one because not only were facing the jewelry scandal that could take down their country, Johara was pregnant the family eventually learned plus the fact that the entire Zohayd tribal council were counting on Shaheen marrying one of their own. If he didn’t, it would cause a major war but he wouldn’t hear of it as he worshiped, adored and loved Johara and was determined to marry her and keep his child.

Would they get their second chance? Would the mystery behind the fake crown jewels be unraveled? If you believe in miracles, then believe in this love story, because with the support of family, they get their second chance along with the last few chapters setting the scene for the upcoming books in the series. To Tame A Sheikh was an incredible and extremely moving royal love story.

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Reviewed by: Marilyn

Behind the book:

“I’ve been dreaming of it for a very long time. I’ve been wanting to write this trilogy ever since I was writing my first sheikh trilogy for Desire, THRONE OF JUDAR.

This trilogy takes place in the neighboring allied kingdom of Zohayd, and the heroes are the half-brothers of Aliyah, the heroine of the final chapter in JUDAR’s trilogy, THE DESERT KING.

But I had to write five books in between to get here, so I was very anxious to start this book. Then when I did, the characters came alive, and defied my plans for them. My original plot was filled with conflict and doubt. But even though it was reasonable to doubt each other with all the evidence, the characters laughed at my logic. THEY knew each other, would never doubt one another, and I should butt out.

The result was the most intense, romantic, devoted love stories I’ve ever written. So far, I’ve gotten amazing reviews for it, and I’m thankful for and thrilled with each word of praise for those two exceptional lovers. I hope everyone else who reads their story will think the same.” O. Gates

IN TOO DEEP – A Summer for Scandal (Brenda Jackson and Olivia Gates

Author: Brenda Jackson and Olivia Gates
Line: Silhouette Desire
Release month: UK/ North America: July 2010
The S-Factor: Sizzling and Sensual

Back Blurb:

Husband Material by Brenda Jackson

Beware the jilted husband: Matthew Birmingham never played fair…especially when it came to his ex-wife. When she moved across the country, he moved back to their estate—back to their bedroom—determined to win back her love…by any means necessary.

The Sheikh's Bargained Bride by Olivia Gates

Meet the shocked groom: Sheikh Adham saw marriage as a business venture, his wife a mere convenience…until they portrayed the loving couple in public. Would finally seeing his bride in a new light shatter all his rules?

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Book 1 in A Summer Scandal miniseries it’s described “spend the season in the Hamptons, where the wealthy play hard and their passions run hot!”

Husband Material by author Brenda Jackson was a very sensual read about a second chance at happiness and love. A Hollywood Producer and Actress that were adored by the press and fans as they were to have shared a perfect marriage. However, Matthew Birmingham was a work alcoholic and he only wanted to provide the best for his wife; he wanted her to have everything. However Carmen his wife didn’t care about that she only wanted her husband and when he didn’t show up in Spain as promised and she lost her baby she was going to tell him about upon his arrival, that was it…..she filed for divorce.

Now a year later and part of her divorce settlement, she’s staying at their Hampton estate and going to attend the polo matches and have a little R&R. What she doesn’t count on is Matthew showing up and telling her he’s determined to stay at the estate and they could share! Gossips, the press, everyone speculated about a reconciliation. However, they both were determined to seek revenge for each of them hurting each other and it was a very dangerous game, a very sensual game which literally sizzled off the pages.

Husband material was a very enjoyable read, emotional because of the emotional loss they both felt, the misconceptions, the hurt and in the end, the happy ending. It, along with the Sheikh’s Bargained Bride set the stage for this series and I’m looking forward to reading about the other characters introduced at the polo matches.

The Sheikh’s Bargained Bride by the fantastic author Olivia Gates was book with all sorts of surprises because one is immediately given the insight that he cherished and adored his wife, but that was only for the press. Let’s just say I was shocked at the reason he married Sabrina Grant because it was obvious they had made love and that she adored her new husband. She was also confused why he stayed away from her until she found out her about the bargain he made with her father. A ridiculous one at that!

Again, set in the Hamptons and around the polo matches of course this rich sheikh would be involved as he was a top notch player and bred Arabians. He adored his animals but he mistrusted his wife because he believed she knew about the agreement he had with her father. However, he wanted her!

As a new bride Sabina Grant could not understand why her new husband had put a distance between them. They had been intimate when they were dating and she adored him and missed him fiercely. Why during the day in front of his friends and the press did he pay attention to her, touch her, act as if she was the most special woman in the world? Then nothing, no sharing a bedroom…..nothing!

Well it had to stop and then the most horrible thing happened she overheard a conversation one that explained that what he thought of her and why he married her and it broke her heart! However, in the end he lusted after her, he couldn’t help himself and she saw “red” and left him. Well, I loved a dark man, a mysterious one and in the end this particular royal was brought to he knees, I promise. Again, Olivia Gates has written a sensual dance between two extremely charismatic characters in The Sheikh’s Bargained Bride.

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Reviewed by: Marilyn

BILLIONAIRE M.D. - Olivia Gates

Author: Olivia Gates
Line: Silhouette Desire
Release month: North America/UK: April 2010
The S-Factor: Sensual

Back Blurb:

Mr. April: Rodrigo Valderrama, billionaire Spanish surgeon.

His Patient: The woman he's always wanted.

His Problem: An explosive pregnancy secret.

He'd rushed to her side the moment he'd learned of her accident. Whisking the recovering Cybele away to his palatial seafront estate, the wealthy doctor vowed to care for and protect the pregnant young widow…and never let her know his true feelings. But he feared that even with all his brilliant skills, he might not be able to keep Cybele if she learned the truth about his role in her pregnancy

Review:♥♥♥♥

Sincerely, Billionaire M.D. was certainly one of the most intense romances I’ve read with so many twists and turns plus the emotions running wild between the very sexy Spanish Dr. Rodrigo Valderrama and the very lovely surgeon and patient Cybele Wilkinson. Author Olivia Gates knowledge of the medical field was quite evident during this entire story and will certainly appeal to fans of medical romance. As she said in “Dear Reader”, Ms. Gates wanted to “demonstrate in full measure, why a surgeon can be such an irresistibly romantic hero” and Rodrigo was certainly that and more as he was a self made billionaire, soft hearted, loyal to his family and Cybele’s protector.

Conflicting emotions leap off of the pages because of the emotions Rodrigo Valderramna feels for the woman who has survived an airplane crash and is now in a comma. Those feelings are revealed towards the end of the book, shocking revelations which will have the reader shaking their heads in disbelief. Cybele survives the airplane crash and her husband dies. When she awakes she’s sure knows the attending physician, and then parts of her memory return and she realizes he was her husband’s best friend, or so she thinks. On top of that, she learns she’s pregnant.

And then the day of his funeral she insists on going along with Rodrigo because her in-laws will be claiming her husband’s body. What she doesn’t count on if finding out from her mother-in-law, that her husband Mel and Rodrigo were brothers not best friends. Mel and Rodrigo’s story was quite fascinating, more than fascinating is all that can be revealed or it would ruin this story.

Trust me, that’s not the end of the secrets and when Rodrigo insists she stay with him at his Spanish villa to recuperate and rest she agrees because she cannot fight the feelings she has for him. Several times she tries to show him but he makes it clear by ignoring her and she’s confused because she can see in his eyes that he desires her. However, they finally fall into each others arms and in the end marry.

Family, love and the sense of belonging have always been important to Cybele because she didn’t have it when she was a child. When her mother remarried and had children, she felt left out and felt she was a reminder of her mother’s first marriage. So now that she and Rodrigo have declared their love and he has told her he wants to marry her and love her child she is beyond happy. And then the secrets just keep on coming along with Cybele’s memories returning and everything blogs up.

In the end, Olivia Gates ties this romance into a perfect package even though they both had to suffer misfortune and unhappiness, they’re able to work everything out and get their perfect happy ending. Some of the very last chapters had me wishing for more as the passion was so incredibly intense and deeply emotional as Rodrigo’s love is so pure,sincere and has always been since he first set eyes on Cybele.

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Reviewed by: Marilyn

Olivia Gates website

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