Monday, February 10, 2014

Seducing his Princess by Olivia Gates *ARC Review*

Mohab Aal Ghaanem once had Jala Aal Masood…and lost her. Now, as a new king, he can end the explosive feud between their kingdoms, and fulfill his parting pledge to the princess of Judar…that he would make her his wife.

Marry Mohab? Six years ago, the prince risked his life to save Jala, igniting her desires…only to betray her trust. Now the ruthless seducer is forcing her into a sham marriage. Will it mean a second chance with the man she still craves…or heartbreak when all their dark secrets are revealed?

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I have to admit that my feelings about this book are all over the place. The language and cultural references firmly place the story in the Middle East which I liked, but how the characters acted towards each other and the way the plot developed were not my favorite.  

Despite Jala's strong personality she spends most of the book unable to resist Mohab, which seemed far-fetched to me because of their past. Even though Gates makes the heat between them seem real and I can believe to some extent that they have feelings for each other, so much of the book is spent dealing with the lies that have taken place before (or are being told in the present) that I have trouble connecting to Jala. I would have needed more time with her feelings, and I think a deeper understanding of what she has gone through, before their relationship would have really worked for me. Show me that Mohab is not a stalker, and that what they feel for each other is enough to withstand all those years apart. 

It's a decent story with a lot of heat but I think the HEA would have been improved by more time spent on picking apart the emotional connection between the two (and without the sudden reveal at the end of why Jala was so opposed to staying married - I felt that whole thing was unnecessary).

Overall Feeling - C+

Series - 1) The Sheikh's Redemption 2) The Sheikh's Claim 3) The Sheikh's Destiny 4) Seducing His Princess (March 4, 2014)

*Title Requested from NetGalley*