Steamy Sessions with a Sheikh Surgeon

The Sheikh Surgeon’s Proposal

By: Olivia Gates      

The Setting: Fictional desert kingdom of Damhoor, an Arabic land

The Happy Couple:

Janaan Latimer – an emergency doctor, volunteering with a global aid organization 

Sheikh Malek Aal Hamdaan – Prince of Damhoor, Minister of Health and a playboy surgeon

The Set-Up: After her mother commits suicide, Janaan travels to the desert in the kingdom of Damhoor to volunteer her medical skills and find her family roots. On an emergency medical mission, Janaan falls for her boss, Malek, a superior surgeon and mega stud.

The Issue: Working under such close quarters on the mission, it’s hard for this pair to keep their hands off each other. But with Malek set to take the throne as King of Damhoor, he’s in no position to choose his own wife. He must marry, according to tradition, a suitable mate from a neighbouring kingdom. Janaan can’t bear the thought of Malek with another woman, and isn’t satisfied with his solution to be his mistress for life.

Happily Ever After: When Malek ascends the throne after his father’s death, Janaan is sure this is the end of their affair. Though she loves him, she knows they can never be together while he’s King. After six heartsick months apart, Malek takes a page out of King Edward VIII’s book and abdicates the throne, eager to start a family and the rest of his life with Janaan.

Scandalous Scale: Hot n’ Heavy +++     

The Verdict: In a bookstore, The Sheikh Surgeon’s Proposal would be in the curtained-off room labeled ‘adults only’. This is one steamy read. The medical angle adds interest, as do the well-developed backstories of the principle characters. This is the first fictional-setting romance reviewed on this blog, and it definitely did not disappoint!

Marrying the “Sex Magnet” Magnate

This British invasion is less racy than the last

An Offer She Can’t Refuse

By: Emma Darcy    

The Setting: Modern times, Dubai/Santorini/Sydney   

The Happy Couple:

Chris(tina) Savalas – an aspiring model turned mother with a guarded heart

Ari Zavros – a sexy Greek business magnate (who’s used to getting what he wants)

The Set-Up: Four years ago, Ari met Christina in Sydney while on business. She was an impressionable 18-year-old model wannabe; he was a suave older man who stole her heart (and her virginity)! The two lost touch, only to meet again years later at a hotel in Dubai. Ari thinks Christina looks beautiful as always, but is shocked to learn she has a five-year-old son who looks exactly like him.

The Issue: Tina never thought she’d see Ari again. When their eyes lock across the Dubai restaurant, she realizes she must finally come clean about the paternity of her son, Theo. Ever the traditional Greek man, Ari believes in upholding the traditional gender roles, believing they should marry to provide a stable family environment for Theo. But how can Tina marry the man that broke her heart?

Happily Ever After: Tina can’t deny she’s still physically attracted to Ari. The wedding, honeymoon, and first months of marriage pass by in a blur, as Tina all the while keeps her heart guided against a man she still doesn’t fully trust. When tragedy strikes, and Tina’s life hangs in the balance, she finally learns she means everything to Ari.

Scandalous Scale: Getting Steamy  

The Verdict: At first, this story kept reminding me of Bad Boys and Baby Drama, they both had bad boys and surprise kid drama. Ari and Jed seem to be cut from the same cloth, both used to getting their own way, no matter what their lady loves think about anything. If you’re looking for character development, good writing, or an interesting plot, look elsewhere. The settings are beautiful though, especially the description of Burj Al Arab, the seven star hotel in Dubai.

Naughty Times in Northumberland

Different cover, same great romance. 

Secretary by Day, Mistress by Night

By: Maggie Cox   

The Setting: Modern times, Northumberland, England  

The Happy Couple:

Maya Hayward – a quiet brunette bombshell with a dark and tragic past

Blaise Walker – a playboy playwright with a violent upbringing  

The Set-Up: When Blaise saves Maya from a handsy encounter with her horny boss, she feels like she can’t say no to his request that she come work for him instead. When the pair travels to Blaise’s stately home in Northumberland, he can’t wait to start work on his new play with the beautiful Maya researching by his side.

The Issue: To say Maya has daddy issues would be a severe understatement. Her father was a world-renowned yet incredibly unstable and depressed painter who committed suicide when she was just 17. She’s had some trouble fully trusting men ever since. Blaise is afraid to commit fully to a relationship after seeing the violent streak in his parent’s marriage.

Happily Ever After: The sexual chemistry between the pair is fierce, and just cannot be denied. What starts off as a casual, no strings attached affair, quickly turns to more. On an afternoon stroll along Hadrian’s Wall, troubled pasts are revealed and the two begin to fall in love.

Scandalous Scale: Getting Steamy  

The Verdict: This is not your typical Harlequin as…dare I say it? There’s CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT! Maya and Blaise (such stupid names) each have rich and storied pasts that explain their current temperaments. There’s also an interesting subplot about the play Blaise writes. It actually sounds like a play I’d want to see. Also the setting sounds super pretty. 

Bad Boys and Baby Drama

The Sabbides Secret Baby

By: Jacqueline Baird

The Setting: Modern times, Split between: Athens, Greece and Dorsetshire, England   

The Happy Couple:

Phoebe Brown – a naïve young girl in love, turned baby mama

Jed Sabbides – a multimillionaire hotel magnate with a bad boy appeal

The Set-Up: Phoebe meets Jed when she’s in her early twenties, working at one of his hotels to put her way through university. She immediately falls for his good looks and charm. She thinks its love. 

When she tells him she’s pregnant, she expects Jed to get down on one knee. He splits instead and she miscarries, and poor Phoebe is left with a broken heart.

The Issue: As Phoebe flees Athens to seek comfort back home in England, Jed is certain he’ll never see her again. And good riddance, right? Its not like he was ready to give up his playboy ways. As Phoebe settles back into life in Dorsetshire, she gets a surprise…of the baby kind. 

Turns out she was pregnant with twins and only one miscarried (a medical rarity and convenient plot point).

Happily Ever After: Phoebe can’t disguise her panic (or her arousal) when she runs into Jed five years later. He has no idea that Ben, their son, exists. When he comes to her house to rekindle the fire, he realizes the baby he thought miscarried is alive and well.  

A lot has changed for Jed, he’s no longer the bad boy philanderer he used to be. He’s ready to be a family man, but how can he make Phoebe see he’ll never break her heart again?

Scandalous Scale: Hot n’ Heavy

BONUS: Bad Boy Appeal

Jed Sabbides is a total classic when it comes to bad boys. He’s controlling, he likes to get his way, and he’ll stop at almost nothing to get what he wants. But we can’t exactly hate him. 

We should hate all bad boys on principle. But we rarely do. Why? Because bad boys are usually SO. DAMN. SEXY. Especially fictional ones.

My total swoonfest? Damon Salvatore in the Vampire Diaries.

Who’s your favourite fictional bad boy?

Wet, Wild and Knocked Up

Walk on the Wild Side

By: Natalie Anderson 

The Setting: Modern times, New Zealand 

The Happy Couple:

Kelsi Reid – violet-eyed petite redhead, web designer

Jack Greene – “sinfully hot champion snowboarder”

The Set-Up: Love at first sight, with a dangerous twist. When Kelsi runs into Jack with her car, he can’t help but notice the sexy siren behind the wheel. 

After a get-to-know-you coffee, the pair enjoys an afternoon of raunchy sexcapades in the surf at the beach. Their one-day affair turns into more when Kelsi realizes she’s pregnant.

The Issue: Jack is a snowboarding sex god who can’t be tied down. He’s forever chasing snowy mountains (and girls) and has never faced commitment. Kelsi thinks she’s ugly because she has pale skin, freckles and red hair she tries to hide with excessive amounts of bleach. 

She wants stability and a man to love her for her. With a baby thrown into the mix, how can the two ever get along?

Happily Ever After: After some tears (Kelsi) and explosive cursing (Jack), the pair reunites (in the bedroom at least…and on the kitchen floor…and in the foyer). But was their weekend-long sex fest a mistake? Jack seriously needs to get back to training if he is ever going to get an Olympic gold medal. 

After some soul searching (and a little bit more bedroom fun) Jack realizes Kelsi is all he ever wanted.

Scandalous Scale: Hot n’ Heavy

BONUS: Best Euphemism

Anatomical words just so aren’t the Harlequin way. This week’s best penile comparison? The Eiffel Tower.