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The Heart Of The Desert

by Carol Marinelli (Goodreads Author)

3.38 of 5 stars 3.38 · rating details · 32 ratings · 9 reviews

Sheikh Prince Ibrahim refuses to bow to the duty that has destroyed his family, by locking away his emotions and shunning his royal responsibility.

Georgie is just the kind of woman duty demands he should avoid—streetwise, troubled and not interested in being queen—exactly the challenge Ibrahim seeks.

Trapped among the swirling sands, in the burning heart of the desert, Geor...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, non-erotic

Originally posted at: http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...

If a reader is looking for a solid character driven romance filled with exotic locales and bittersweet emotions that tug the heart, then Heart of the Desert can deliver that and more.

What a complicated romance Ms. Marinelli wove. Not only is there miscommunication but cultural hurdles need to be navigated, old emotional hurts need to be addressed and the past needs to be hauled out into the light in order for the truth to be revealed...more Originally posted at: http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...

If a reader is looking for a solid character driven romance filled with exotic locales and bittersweet emotions that tug the heart, then Heart of the Desert can deliver that and more.

What a complicated romance Ms. Marinelli wove. Not only is there miscommunication but cultural hurdles need to be navigated, old emotional hurts need to be addressed and the past needs to be hauled out into the light in order for the truth to be revealed. The truth basically is about being so stuck in tradition and believed perceptions from others that characters can’t see any other way to be, to act or to live. It took the weakest member to show what it means to be strong – in heart, in forgiveness and in love.

Georgie is a woman growing. The author lets a reader know how far she’s come and in this tale, I was able to see the finishing touches, the final life experiences that hone the woman she’s always wanted to be and ends up becoming. It’s quite the emotional ride. I liked her spunk and her love of family. I liked watching how she learned to love herself as she was and how she refused to settle for second best. Because she demanded more for herself, she ended up bringing out the best and worst in the hero.

Ibrahim is a fighter. Sometimes I got the idea that even he didn’t know exactly what he was fighting for because he had so many demons tormenting him. At times I sensed his frustration, his yearning and his aggressive need to argue his point of view. He was bound by so many restrictions and demands, both culturally and personally. He too loved his family but it brought pain and sorrow, not joy. It wasn’t until Georgie came into his life that he had an inkling of what was missing, but even that was tainted from the demands of tradition. It was very frustrating for the hero and me alike. How in the world could he reconcile the impossible? How can he want to embrace tradition when it would cost him the very thing that would make it all worthwhile? It was a wonderful conflict and very poignant and I enjoyed how the author handled it.

Another aspect I liked in this book was the sensual build-up, the tension between two people who acknowledged the power of attraction but knew that they should not succumb to it. I enjoyed the hint that the power of the desert wasn’t just words but something more tangible and effective; something that worked with the heart and bypassed the brain. Georgie and Ibrahim were seduced by fate and ensnared by what was truly in their hearts but as yet unrecognized. It was like the desert chose what was best for its children because at times they were their own worst enemies. The author used nature to good effect.

I liked the dialogue-mostly. When Georgie’s sister acted so emotionally out of whack, I wanted to jump to Georgie’s defense. How dare she say what she did! Then again, it was another great example of people wearing blinders…only seeing the person from the past, not the person they became. It reminded me of parents and their kids – to them they’ll always be kids who need their guidance, even when they have kids and jobs and lives of their own. It’s like they never grow up in their eyes and their roles remain stagnant. Sometimes something has to happen to make them see, really see, who they are. I think that happens in this book between the sisters and even between Ibrahim and his dad.

Karim didn’t come across as being a supportive secondary character unless I attribute his constant intrusion as a means of stirring the plot. In that I guess he was successful, but I didn’t like his attitude. In fact both he and Felicity acted more as obstacles than loving family. I didn’t like them.

What I did like was the declaration of love. Now that was romantic! That was great drama, with the kind of ultimate grand gesture that would make a woman swoon and melt into a puddle of goo. That whole interaction between Ibrahim and his dad was powerful and well done. The outcome was a terrific happily ever after that made the whole journey worth it.

Heart of the Desert is complete entertainment. I really enjoyed it and was so happy with how Ibrahim and Georgie arrived at their happy ever after. It wasn’t easy because it was full of strong and heartfelt emotions that got bruised and battered along the way. What came out of the ashes was a relationship that will stand the test of time and the blast of desert winds. It was a fun read.

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Sep 06, 2011 Rhonda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Georgie had a troubled youth she ran away from home many times and they always sent her back. Her father was a drunk and emotionaly abused. So she could only change what she ate and had to get treatment for she got to thin and died.
Georgie went to Zaraq for her sister's wedding to a prince. She met Ibrahim who she thought was handsome they had a serious talk and they started to have an encounter but Georgie stopped. Harsh words were exchanged she did not tell him she was married and getting a d...more

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Jul 28, 2011 RLA rated it 2 of 5 stars

The heroine Georgie is about to go and visit her sister in the desert palace she now lives in, where she is married to a Sheikh Prince. When she gets there she discovers that the hero Ibrahim, the brother of her sister's husband, is also visiting. Georgie and Ibrahim met a year ago at her sisters wedding, where they almost became lovers until Georgie stopped things causing Ibrahim to be very cruel to her. Georgie has had a lot of troubles throughout her life, to cope with abuse from her father s...more

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Sep 25, 2011 Jane Litte rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked that this story was about two imperfect characters: a woman with a former eating disorder and the dissolute, irresponsible son. Neither of their families expected much out of them. I also enjoyed the role that the desert played for them. Even though the son had lived most of his adult life in London, he both loved and hated the desert. It had killed his older brother and driven his mother away. It wasn't the desert itself, but the rules of the desert that governed his country. No divorce...more

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Oct 24, 2011 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, harlequin-presents, read-in-2011, heat-level-r, location-england, location-fictitious-country, rating-3-stars, trope-childhood-trauma, trope-divorced-widowed-hero-heroine, trope-others-against-relationship, trope-royalty-nobility-aristocracy, trope-ruritanian-romance, trope-self-esteem_body-image-issues, series-zaraq-royal-family

I really wanted to like this book. I like the premise. I liked the characters' back stories. I liked the conflict of what kind of relationship can be had when the laws of one person's country means they can't be married. I liked the heroine's belief that she couldn't regret mistakes because they'd made her a better person than if she hadn't made them.

But there wasn't enough passion or depth or dimension to make it a great book. There were too many times that I felt a bit lost in the plot or felt...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Kat at Book Thingo rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who love a thrilling, angsty rollercoaster romance

Recommended to Kat at Book Thingo by: Skeptics

Shelves: keepers, romance-category, romance-contemporary, australian-authors

My full review of this book can be found at Book Thingo.

Heart Of The Desert is a beautifully written book, with a lyricism I don’t often find in category romance. Forget what you know or think of sheikh romances because this is nothing like that. Despite small misunderstandings and the occasional petulant outburst from each of the protagonists, the conflicts in this story are largely internal and deeply poignant.

This isn’t just about a sheikh and an ingénue from the West. Georgie and Ibrahim’s s...more My full review of this book can be found at Book Thingo.

Heart Of The Desert is a beautifully written book, with a lyricism I don’t often find in category romance. Forget what you know or think of sheikh romances because this is nothing like that. Despite small misunderstandings and the occasional petulant outburst from each of the protagonists, the conflicts in this story are largely internal and deeply poignant.

This isn’t just about a sheikh and an ingénue from the West. Georgie and Ibrahim’s story is really about two people who need each other desperately but whose relationship is forever at odds with their obligations to their families and to themselves—something almost every one of us can relate to. There’s an emotional honesty to the characters that just made me weep.

But perhaps what I love most about Heart Of The Desert is that Ibrahim was a continual surprise. When I thought he’d be a boor, he became tormented. When I expected aggression, he showed controlled passion. I was totally in love with him.

The story does have its weaknesses. The use of mysticism of massage to express Georgie and Ibrahim’s deepening connection doesn’t work well. Towards the end of the book, Ibrahim has a dummy spit and, in this case, Marinelli’s soft touch works against the story because it’s not always clear why Ibrahim is being so combative. Even by the end of the book, his emotional crisis has to be unpacked by the reader based on subtle cues.

The epilogue, while not unexpected, resolves external conflicts much too conveniently and serves to diminish some of the hard decisions that Ibraham and Georgie have had to make. It’s satisfying, but even if not everything had fallen into place I felt that Georgie and Ibrahim would not only make it, but that they’d have a wonderful life together.

Heart Of The Desert is a beautifully written story—the sheikh romance for readers who hate sheikh romances. This is one of the best books I’ve ever read in the Mills & Boon Sexy line.(less)

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Oct 04, 2011 Diane rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, hp, romance, sheikh-middle-east

the hero, and i use the term rather lightly, is a dick, who feels entitled to what he wants because he is a prince, and the heroine , after years of suffering from an abusive father and an eating disorder, is learning to live life on her own terms. not my favorite book by this author, as it just was not a feel-good read to me.

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Feb 19, 2013 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked the book it was a great short read where you see a lot of dynamics. Torn between family, the law of the land and their past they seem to make it work.

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Nov 07, 2011 Connie Cox added it

The opening pages grabbed me as I glanced at it in the bookstore and it followed me home--

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May 16, 2013 Aleksandra added it

May 03, 2013 Kellie Dennis marked it as to-read

Shelves: harlequin-my-books

Apr 24, 2013 Hena71 marked it as to-read

Apr 23, 2013 Nikky rated it 2 of 5 stars

Apr 18, 2013 Charybdis marked it as tried-but-not-for-me

Apr 04, 2013 Frances marked it as to-read

Apr 03, 2013 Shamsunisa Moolla marked it as to-read

Apr 01, 2013 Marina Andreou marked it as to-read

Apr 10, 2013 Athene Minirva .j rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: worthy-heroine, sexy-sheikh

Feb 24, 2013 Tina Collins rated it 4 of 5 stars

Feb 21, 2013 Anu marked it as to-read

Feb 11, 2013 Dizzyhead marked it as owned

Feb 08, 2013 Jennifer added it

Feb 02, 2013 Shiela Johnson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Feb 01, 2013 Mel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jan 14, 2013 Kay Reads Romance rated it 3 of 5 stars

Jan 11, 2013 Millie marked it as to-read

Shelves: sheikh-romance

Dec 22, 2012 Laura marked it as hp-sort-download · review of another edition

Dec 18, 2012 Raven rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nov 24, 2012 Gen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Nov 05, 2012 Paula rated it 2 of 5 stars

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About Carol Marinelli

Carol Marinelli was born in England to Scottish parents, then emigrated to Australia, where there are loads of Scottish and English people who did exactly the same, so she’s very at home there.

She lives in the outer suburbs of Melbourne—pretty much in her car, driving her three children to their various commitments.

Carol writes dark, compelling contemporary women's fiction that deal with modern da...more

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Innocent Secretary...Accidentally Pregnant

Wedlocked: Banished Sheikh, Untouched Queen

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