His Desert Bride by Demand by Lela May Wight

Posted August 25, 2022 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance, Harlequin, Harlequin Presents, Owned or Purchased, Sexual Content, Standalone Single Title / 0 Comments

 

He asked for a night
Now he requires her hand!

Newly orphaned Charlotte Hegarty is ready to start living her life. She’s determined a reckless encounter with her first love, Prince Akeem, will free her from the past. Maybe then she’ll be able to forget him…

Akeem wants to show Charlotte what she gave up when she turned her back on him. So he sweeps her away to his desert kingdom, intent on seduction.

Yet when their secret tryst threatens to become a scandal, duty-bound Akeem makes an outrageous demand: Charlotte will be his queen!

This is an adult 18+ story that contains language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

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Title:  His Desert Bride by Demand
Series:
Author:  Lela May Wight
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Published:  July 26, 2022
Publisher:  Harlequin Presents
My Rating:  4.5 stars

If I had not known before I picked up this title I would never have imagined that His Desert Bride by Demand was this author’s debut novel for it reads, to me, like the work of a long-established author.  I’ve yet to read a perfect book (I don’t actually believe they exist) but Akeem and Charlotte’s story was smoothly delivered with passion and intensity that leaped off of the page and engaged me from the beginning through to the end.  I don’t think I can ask for much more from any author.

His Desert Bride by Demand is heartbreaking on so many levels.  This couple had been a haven for each other in their youth, they had each other’s back and even planned on marrying until it all went horribly wrong.  Lies destroyed them both.  And revenge would be Akeem’s answer… until that backfired on him as well.

Akeem is the kind of hero that I love seeing outrageous things happen to, of course, delivered by the heroine.  He has cut off all emotion, or so he thinks.  And when what actually happened that fateful day is finally revealed those emotions start fraying at the edges, becoming annoyingly more prominent each and every day.  I liked him even though I often thought him bullheaded and beyond stubborn, but it wasn’t until the last quarter of this story that I began to love the man he is finally becoming… thanks to the woman who loves him in spite of himself.

I adored Charlotte.  I don’t know how she managed to not smack Akeem upside the head at least twenty times a day, but she is an amazing woman.  Her outlook on life is probably the opposite of Akeem’s.  Yes, there were lies that damaged and changed lives.  But she can’t fix the past, only the present and the future.  She will bring her man to his knees before he admits that anything she’s said matters to him.  I liked her for her stubbornness, even when she was hurt by his actions she never stopped loving him and it showed.

Yes, I’ve been vague on many details of this story but I firmly believe that you need to experience this one firsthand.  It’s emotional, passionate, intense, and believable.  I loved His Desert Bride by Demand and would highly recommend it to any romance reader.  I cannot wait to see what this author brings us next.

I own a Kindle edition of this title.

Available in print or for your favorite e-reader

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