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2015, 326p, Clean Contemporary Romance
My Rating=5 Stars
Source: Received a copy for an honest review
Shelby wants to break away from the mold of her small town and make a name for herself in the big-city journalism world. While skiing, she meets mysterious stranger Hakim who is actually the prince of the Middle Eastern kingdom of Khali-dar. When his enemies learn of Hakim’s connection to an American girl, they target Shelby. Fleeing to the safety of Khali-dar, Shelby falls deeper in love not only with the prince, but with his country. As she struggles to survive terrorist attacks, withstand the Sheik’s prejudice, and find her place in a world she doesn’t understand, she must choose which life she is willing to sacrifice—the comfortable one she has worked so hard to create, or the one with the man she loves.
Hakim is a prince and he meets Shelby on the ski slopes in Colorado. She has no idea who he is and treats him like a regular man, which he likes. His bodyguard, Nasir, is always close by and Hakim passes him off as a friend. Hakim and Shelby enjoy each other's company, knowing that it will end when he returns home. Hakim can't stay away from Shelby, though, and his true identity is revealed to her before he can tell her himself, which then causes some trust issues.
Terrorist attacks in Hakim's country send him home and when they start to target Shelby, she goes to him so he can keep her safe. That's also when the reality of who Hakim is sinks in. She struggles to fit in and figure out her purpose in being there. They love each other but there are external forces at work to keep them apart.
Shelby is from a small town but left because she wanted to do something great. She's independent and has a good life but meeting Hakim makes her realize that there might be more for her. When she visits him on his turf, though, there are complications and she's not sure that's the right fit for her, either. It wasn't difficult to understand the internal struggle she was dealing with.
I loved this book! I enjoyed how they met and got to know each other. Hakim fit in well with Shelby's family and got a good taste of American family life. I also enjoyed watching Shelby adjust to life in Khali-dar. Living in a gorgeous palace and being pampered seems like every girl's fantasy but the reality would have some drawbacks, too. I also loved that it's more than just a romance--there are some action and adventure scenes, too. I've loved every book I've read by Jennifer Moore and I'm looking forward to reading more from her in the future!
Excerpt
“Does your father know you’re asking me?”
Hakim gazed over her shoulder and took a deep breath. “He knows.”
“But he doesn’t want me to come, right?”
“I will bring a companion of my choice tomorrow.” He locked his gaze onto Shelby’s and leaned toward her. “You are my choice. Will you please come?”
The Sheik apparently doesn’t buy into the whole “guests are gifts from Allah” idea. “Of course, I would love to come.” She smiled, but knew it didn’t appear convincing. She hated feeling like she was the source of their discord.
“You are nervous. Please do not feel uncomfortable.”
“I’m worried I’ll say or do something stupid.” She winced. “I’m not exactly a refined debutante who knows how to act in formal situations. I don’t want to embarrass you, Hakim.”
“I do not want you to be a refined debutante. I have spent enough time with those people to know they are not what I want.” Hakim maneuvered his horse until he faced Shelby and their legs were nearly touching. He leaned closer, his gaze earnest. “What I want is you, Shelby Jo.” He cupped her cheek in his hand.
Shelby felt her heart flutter and her nerve endings tingle as she lost herself in the deep brown pools of his eyes.
His thumb stroked her skin, leaving a trail of heat in its wake. He slid his hand into her hair and drew her closer, his lips covering hers.
When she drew away, Shelby inhaled deeply and grinned. “Hearing you put it that way, how could I possibly refuse?”
Praise for Sheik’s Ruby
“What a fun read! THE SHEIK’S RUBY is a fabulous Cinderella story with both ancient and modern tones you don’t want to miss.”
~Josi Kilpack
~*~
“THE SHEIK’S RUBY is a perfect blend of romance and adventure, set in locales both familiar and exotic. When I finished, I wanted to start over and enjoy it again.
~Nancy Allen
Jennifer Moore is a passionate reader and writer of all things romance due to the need to balance the rest of her world that includes a perpetually traveling husband and four active sons, who create heaps of laundry that is anything but romantic. She suffers from an unhealthy addiction to 18th and 19th century military history and literature. Jennifer has a B.A. in Linguistics from the University of Utah and is a Guitar Hero champion. She lives in northern Utah with her family, but most of the time wishes she was on board a frigate during the Age of Sail.
Also by Jennifer Moore: Becoming Lady Lockwood (2014 Whitney Award Winner), Lady Emma’s Campaign & Miss Burton Unmasks a Prince.
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2 comments:
Thank you! What a lovely review.
You're welcome! I'm excited to read what you come up with next!
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