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Desire in the Desert
"No marriage--no sale!"She had to say yesSara was told by her father's girifriend that Prince Jabir Ibn Abdul al-Shakir had just purchased their debt-ridden hotel along with Sara's hand in marriage. And her father had given his blessing!Prince Jabir was a powerfully attractive man who would someday be king. He wanted a Western woman to act as his hostess and care for his two little girls. But to Jabir, love was a completely unnecessary preoccupation.Sara might share Jabir's Arabic kingdom, but she would never share her husband with the women of his world.
186 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1984
About the author
Mary Lyons
129 books21 followersMary-Jo Wormell, whose nom de plume is Mary Lyons, was a popular British writer of over 40 romance novels for Mills & Boon from 1983 to 2001. She was also a Conservative Party parlimentary candidate.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 15, 2020
In a regency novel, this heroine would be called a "watering pot" since she cries so much.
Why is she crying when her husband is so obviously smitten that he bought her father's hotel just so he could "force" her into marriage? Or that he bought an island so he could tie up his yacht when she got seasick on their honeymoon?
Why?
Because she's 20 and a ninny and the evil sister-in-law keeps dropping poison in her ear. The hero does't help by not telling her about his first wife or that he loves her.
It all works out - no worries. With lots of standard desert romance tropes that were probably fresh when it was first published.
Why is she crying when her husband is so obviously smitten that he bought her father's hotel just so he could "force" her into marriage? Or that he bought an island so he could tie up his yacht when she got seasick on their honeymoon?
Why?
Because she's 20 and a ninny and the evil sister-in-law keeps dropping poison in her ear. The hero does't help by not telling her about his first wife or that he loves her.
It all works out - no worries. With lots of standard desert romance tropes that were probably fresh when it was first published.
May 18, 2018
4.5 stars. ** Contains spoilers**
This delicious angsty read was released in the eighties, my first read by this author and I have to say I really enjoyed it. Jabir was absolutely a swoon-worthy hero. Those romantic gestures of his like lifting Sara's hand to his lips and kissing her fingers and calling her 'my darling wife,' made me go all dreamy-eyed. Usually, I am not too fond of smitten heroes and there was no doubt Jabir was smitten with Sara from the moment he saw her, however he managed to retain an aura of mystery about him throughout the book. Even though he had a bad marriage he wasn't a brooder, rather a mischievous and playful guy. Sara, on the other hand, was just about okay. Her frequent OTT angry reactions and jumping to wrong conclusions and on-the-tap tears irritated me.
She's twenty and is running the family hotel in place of her father who even though is the actual owner has no interest in it and prefers to indulge in a good laid-back life and excessive drinking. With the hotel neglected and in bad condition, Sara is constantly trying to soothe unhappy customers. When Prince Jabir, who is staying at the hotel, asks for her father to see him, Sara goes to check what was his complaint. She finds him disturbing and feels self-conscious in his presence. Since Jabir insists on meeting her father, she passes on the message to her father the next day and taking a day off goes out. When she returns in the evening she sees her drunk father, his girlfriend, Ann, and his cronies celebrating. Ann then tells her that her father has sold the hotel and she is marrying the Prince. Also, that if there was no marriage then no sale. A furious Sara goes to confront Jabir telling him she couldn't marry him because she doesn't know him well and she doesn't love him. He tells her love is an unnecessary preoccupation of the western mind and that their marriage would have a partnership contract. He needed a wife who could be a hostess to him wherever he travels and also be a mother to his two mother-less daughters aged seven and five. His wife died some four years back. Despite all her protests and arguments she ends up marrying Jabir but she hadn't taken into account the physical side of the marriage until they are on their Mediterranean cruise honeymoon and she finds Jabir wanting to take his husbandly rights.
'Don't tell me that it had never occurred to you?' There was a pause while he studied her intently, and then he laughed again.
'I can see that it didn't. Virginal in mind as well as body! My dear girl, it's a perfectly normal bodily function between consenting adults—especially when they are married. Making love is not something to be frightened of.'
That's the most—the most cold-blooded thing I've ever heard!' Sara railed. It's not... it's not my idea of m-m-making love!' and she turned to bury her face in the pillows. A moment later she raised her head, her eyes brimming with tears. 'And I'm not consenting either.
That wasn't ... it wasn't in the contract ... you've just said so!' She glared at him defiantly.
'Ah!' There was a long pause, before Jabir stood up. 'Well, I have never raped anyone, and I'm certainly not proposing to start now. I suggest that we leave this whole distressing subject alone for the time being.' He turned and opened a door which clearly connected
his room with hers.
Thereafter, Jabir is remarkably patient with her showering her with gifts, taking care of her when she's struck with sea-sickness, also bringing their sailing to an end. Soon, he gets summons from his father, the King, who is livid on having heard Jabir married some English girl and not the one he'd chosen for his son. Reaching his country, Assir, Sara gets to meet Jabir's bubbly step-sister Hassa, her mother, the Queen, Jabir's daughters and their nanny Scotty, who had been Jabir's nanny too having come along with his late British mother to Assir. All of them take an instant liking toward Sara. She however learns that the King wanted Jabir to marry Nurra, widow of the Jabir's older step-brother for the sake of political convenience. None of the family members liked Nurra, who also happened to be Jabir's first wife's sister. As it turns out the King also ends up charmed by Sara.
Meanwhile, seeing what a wonderful father Jabir was and also his playful mischievous side as he teased and bantered with his sister and Scotty and even with Sara --loved the scene where he pushes her into water fully clothed and she retaliates likewise-- it didn't take long for her to fall in love with him and hopes he falls in love with her too. But, when Nurra tells her that Jabir is still in love with her sister, she knew she couldn't compete with a ghost and gives up hope of him ever loving her. Then, one night she's shocked to see him leaving Nurra's house and wonders if the two are having an affair.
Jabir meanwhile continues wooing her. He takes her to the desert to the palace his mother loves and Sara feels a connection with the woman, whose name was Zahra. There were a few spooky feel on that aspect like Scotty turning pale when she sees Sara the first time because she supposedly looks like Jabir's mother. Jabir had never seen his mother because she died while giving birth to him and his heartbroken father had destroyed all pictures and belongings of hers. When Sara enters the house she instantly gets the feeling she's been there before, but finds it odd since she'd never been to Assir before. However, just like that this aspect of the story just fizzled out.
Nevertheless, at the desert palace, Sara ends up succumbing to Jabir's charms and they become intimate. The two of them also have a wonderful time just by themselves in the desert that when it's time to return to the main palace, Sara doesn't want to return knowing that with Nurra around her bubble of happiness was sure to burst. And, exactly that happens when at Hassa's wedding Nurra tells Sara, who had been watching Jabir chatting with the OW, that Jabir was telling her how much he missed Miriam, especially at night and Sara fell for the lie. Scotty, Hassa, the Queen, have all told her time and again that Jabir was totally into her, still she believed only that one woman whom nobody like and whom she herself didn't like.
Stewing in that lie and jealousy she ends up lashing out at a Jabir after the wedding telling him not to touch her again, that the thought of him making love to her makes her flesh creep. Stunned and angered by her insult he tells her he wouldn't touch her again and the next day when they reach US on a month long official tour, he puts her on a different floor from him and refuses to have any personal communication with her, even when she asks for an appointment to see him. He only meets her at the functions they were scheduled to attend. Their respective staff were not sure how to deal with a prince who is like a bear with a sore head and a sorrowful princess who was losing weight and on the verge of cracking up. Sara then decides to leave Jabir and go to her father, but before that she has a sort of breakdown and Jabir cuts short their US trip and takes her back to the desert palace where she had been the happiest. She was so ill that she's lost one week of her life while Jabir nurses her back to health. He even surprises her by flying down her father and Ann, who're married now. Her father's manner of speaking made me laugh. He tells Sara about Jabir confessing to him that he loved her and wanted his blessings to marry her. Even then, Sara doesn't believe him, thinks it's because he had too much drink and heard wrong. In the meanwhile she finds out she's pregnant and is more stressed about it. Only toward the end when Jabir opens up about his unpleasant past, about how bad things were with his wife and then tells her that he fell in love her from the first moment he saw her, did Sara believe he really loved her.
Nevertheless, even though, Sara did annoy me at times, I didn't dislike her. I also liked all the secondary characters except for Nurra. But, thanks to her we have the angst. The sex scenes were fade to but you could feel the passion between Jabir and Sara. I also liked Sara's rapport with Jabir's daughters and his sister and rest of the family and Scotty. There was a cute scene where Sara and the kids having a water-fight during bathing time and an amused Jabir walks in.
The book kept me pleasantly engaged right through. A must read for those who like angsty read and must read for Jabir.
This delicious angsty read was released in the eighties, my first read by this author and I have to say I really enjoyed it. Jabir was absolutely a swoon-worthy hero. Those romantic gestures of his like lifting Sara's hand to his lips and kissing her fingers and calling her 'my darling wife,' made me go all dreamy-eyed. Usually, I am not too fond of smitten heroes and there was no doubt Jabir was smitten with Sara from the moment he saw her, however he managed to retain an aura of mystery about him throughout the book. Even though he had a bad marriage he wasn't a brooder, rather a mischievous and playful guy. Sara, on the other hand, was just about okay. Her frequent OTT angry reactions and jumping to wrong conclusions and on-the-tap tears irritated me.
She's twenty and is running the family hotel in place of her father who even though is the actual owner has no interest in it and prefers to indulge in a good laid-back life and excessive drinking. With the hotel neglected and in bad condition, Sara is constantly trying to soothe unhappy customers. When Prince Jabir, who is staying at the hotel, asks for her father to see him, Sara goes to check what was his complaint. She finds him disturbing and feels self-conscious in his presence. Since Jabir insists on meeting her father, she passes on the message to her father the next day and taking a day off goes out. When she returns in the evening she sees her drunk father, his girlfriend, Ann, and his cronies celebrating. Ann then tells her that her father has sold the hotel and she is marrying the Prince. Also, that if there was no marriage then no sale. A furious Sara goes to confront Jabir telling him she couldn't marry him because she doesn't know him well and she doesn't love him. He tells her love is an unnecessary preoccupation of the western mind and that their marriage would have a partnership contract. He needed a wife who could be a hostess to him wherever he travels and also be a mother to his two mother-less daughters aged seven and five. His wife died some four years back. Despite all her protests and arguments she ends up marrying Jabir but she hadn't taken into account the physical side of the marriage until they are on their Mediterranean cruise honeymoon and she finds Jabir wanting to take his husbandly rights.
'Don't tell me that it had never occurred to you?' There was a pause while he studied her intently, and then he laughed again.
'I can see that it didn't. Virginal in mind as well as body! My dear girl, it's a perfectly normal bodily function between consenting adults—especially when they are married. Making love is not something to be frightened of.'
That's the most—the most cold-blooded thing I've ever heard!' Sara railed. It's not... it's not my idea of m-m-making love!' and she turned to bury her face in the pillows. A moment later she raised her head, her eyes brimming with tears. 'And I'm not consenting either.
That wasn't ... it wasn't in the contract ... you've just said so!' She glared at him defiantly.
'Ah!' There was a long pause, before Jabir stood up. 'Well, I have never raped anyone, and I'm certainly not proposing to start now. I suggest that we leave this whole distressing subject alone for the time being.' He turned and opened a door which clearly connected
his room with hers.
Thereafter, Jabir is remarkably patient with her showering her with gifts, taking care of her when she's struck with sea-sickness, also bringing their sailing to an end. Soon, he gets summons from his father, the King, who is livid on having heard Jabir married some English girl and not the one he'd chosen for his son. Reaching his country, Assir, Sara gets to meet Jabir's bubbly step-sister Hassa, her mother, the Queen, Jabir's daughters and their nanny Scotty, who had been Jabir's nanny too having come along with his late British mother to Assir. All of them take an instant liking toward Sara. She however learns that the King wanted Jabir to marry Nurra, widow of the Jabir's older step-brother for the sake of political convenience. None of the family members liked Nurra, who also happened to be Jabir's first wife's sister. As it turns out the King also ends up charmed by Sara.
Meanwhile, seeing what a wonderful father Jabir was and also his playful mischievous side as he teased and bantered with his sister and Scotty and even with Sara --loved the scene where he pushes her into water fully clothed and she retaliates likewise-- it didn't take long for her to fall in love with him and hopes he falls in love with her too. But, when Nurra tells her that Jabir is still in love with her sister, she knew she couldn't compete with a ghost and gives up hope of him ever loving her. Then, one night she's shocked to see him leaving Nurra's house and wonders if the two are having an affair.
Jabir meanwhile continues wooing her. He takes her to the desert to the palace his mother loves and Sara feels a connection with the woman, whose name was Zahra. There were a few spooky feel on that aspect like Scotty turning pale when she sees Sara the first time because she supposedly looks like Jabir's mother. Jabir had never seen his mother because she died while giving birth to him and his heartbroken father had destroyed all pictures and belongings of hers. When Sara enters the house she instantly gets the feeling she's been there before, but finds it odd since she'd never been to Assir before. However, just like that this aspect of the story just fizzled out.
Nevertheless, at the desert palace, Sara ends up succumbing to Jabir's charms and they become intimate. The two of them also have a wonderful time just by themselves in the desert that when it's time to return to the main palace, Sara doesn't want to return knowing that with Nurra around her bubble of happiness was sure to burst. And, exactly that happens when at Hassa's wedding Nurra tells Sara, who had been watching Jabir chatting with the OW, that Jabir was telling her how much he missed Miriam, especially at night and Sara fell for the lie. Scotty, Hassa, the Queen, have all told her time and again that Jabir was totally into her, still she believed only that one woman whom nobody like and whom she herself didn't like.
Stewing in that lie and jealousy she ends up lashing out at a Jabir after the wedding telling him not to touch her again, that the thought of him making love to her makes her flesh creep. Stunned and angered by her insult he tells her he wouldn't touch her again and the next day when they reach US on a month long official tour, he puts her on a different floor from him and refuses to have any personal communication with her, even when she asks for an appointment to see him. He only meets her at the functions they were scheduled to attend. Their respective staff were not sure how to deal with a prince who is like a bear with a sore head and a sorrowful princess who was losing weight and on the verge of cracking up. Sara then decides to leave Jabir and go to her father, but before that she has a sort of breakdown and Jabir cuts short their US trip and takes her back to the desert palace where she had been the happiest. She was so ill that she's lost one week of her life while Jabir nurses her back to health. He even surprises her by flying down her father and Ann, who're married now. Her father's manner of speaking made me laugh. He tells Sara about Jabir confessing to him that he loved her and wanted his blessings to marry her. Even then, Sara doesn't believe him, thinks it's because he had too much drink and heard wrong. In the meanwhile she finds out she's pregnant and is more stressed about it. Only toward the end when Jabir opens up about his unpleasant past, about how bad things were with his wife and then tells her that he fell in love her from the first moment he saw her, did Sara believe he really loved her.
Nevertheless, even though, Sara did annoy me at times, I didn't dislike her. I also liked all the secondary characters except for Nurra. But, thanks to her we have the angst. The sex scenes were fade to but you could feel the passion between Jabir and Sara. I also liked Sara's rapport with Jabir's daughters and his sister and rest of the family and Scotty. There was a cute scene where Sara and the kids having a water-fight during bathing time and an amused Jabir walks in.
The book kept me pleasantly engaged right through. A must read for those who like angsty read and must read for Jabir.
April 3, 2016
Slow burn with the hero, but the heroine is just too stupid to live. I know this is old school, but come one, girls back then would not be so gullible when it comes to the machinations of the other woman.
That and the fact that the hero is a little too buttoned down for me. He lightens up quite nicely though.
Still a three star.
Nice if you like tropey H's with heroes head over heels.
That and the fact that the hero is a little too buttoned down for me. He lightens up quite nicely though.
Still a three star.
Nice if you like tropey H's with heroes head over heels.
October 19, 2018
"Desire in the Desert" is the story of Sara and Jabir.
Sara is our young heroine, working hard to make her father's failing hotel work as he is mostly disinterested. They get Prince Jabir Ibn Abdul al-Shakir as a guest, and soon he purchases the hotel, at the price of taking Sara as his bride. Initially reluctant, she soon has to agree to save her father from poverty. Jabir demands a marriage of convenience- a wife who is a good hostess, as well as a mother to his two daughters.
Whisked away to a distant Arabic Kingdom, Sara is initially shocked but later comes to love the magical land. His father is surprising complicit, his kids are loving, and so is his sister. The only person mildly hostile is his widowed sister-in-law Nurra, who was supposed to be his intended bride.
As he whisks her away to deserts and palaces, Sara finds herself falling for her kind but distant husband, who eventually enchants her with his lovemaking. Eager to confess her newfound feelings, she encounters some hurdles.
Nurra has been coming and sowing seeds of doubt about his ex wife and her sister Miriam in Sara's mind. Also, everyone hints that Sara is almost a mirror image of Jabir's late mother Zarra. And where does he sneak off to at night, and only make love in the darkness?
All questions are delightfully answered in the book.
A sweet but angst filled love story between a kind hero, an innocent heroine, a delicate love, some misunderstandings and drama, and a sweet HEA. The h was a tad bit immature and impulsive, and if not for that, this would have been a 5 star read. Her response to everything was crying a lot, which was both annoying and endearing at the same time LOL.
Very nice ending.
Safe
4.5/5
Sara is our young heroine, working hard to make her father's failing hotel work as he is mostly disinterested. They get Prince Jabir Ibn Abdul al-Shakir as a guest, and soon he purchases the hotel, at the price of taking Sara as his bride. Initially reluctant, she soon has to agree to save her father from poverty. Jabir demands a marriage of convenience- a wife who is a good hostess, as well as a mother to his two daughters.
Whisked away to a distant Arabic Kingdom, Sara is initially shocked but later comes to love the magical land. His father is surprising complicit, his kids are loving, and so is his sister. The only person mildly hostile is his widowed sister-in-law Nurra, who was supposed to be his intended bride.
As he whisks her away to deserts and palaces, Sara finds herself falling for her kind but distant husband, who eventually enchants her with his lovemaking. Eager to confess her newfound feelings, she encounters some hurdles.
Nurra has been coming and sowing seeds of doubt about his ex wife and her sister Miriam in Sara's mind. Also, everyone hints that Sara is almost a mirror image of Jabir's late mother Zarra. And where does he sneak off to at night, and only make love in the darkness?
All questions are delightfully answered in the book.
A sweet but angst filled love story between a kind hero, an innocent heroine, a delicate love, some misunderstandings and drama, and a sweet HEA. The h was a tad bit immature and impulsive, and if not for that, this would have been a 5 star read. Her response to everything was crying a lot, which was both annoying and endearing at the same time LOL.
Very nice ending.
Safe
4.5/5
March 12, 2016
This was a great story of a guy who fall hard for a beautiful innocent girl running a hotel. He blackmails her into marriage. He has two little girls from another horrible marriage and wants to start over with the heroine. This book has it all the passion, the evil other woman, cute little girls, dessert nights, and overprotective hero. I just loved it and it has made it on my keeper list.
June 23, 2015
the book was really good at first and i felt a sizzling chemistry between jabir and sara. however, i did not witness dat supposed chemistry later on. i've read so many books wid dat trope dat this one left a lot to be desired. i also cud not believe jabir had fallen for sara so easily after the dreadful experience he had wid miriam. nuza was a venomous bitch and obviously very jealous of sara. sara did not know jabir well, so she did not know whom to trust.
June 25, 2024
I adored this. Minus the 1980s stereotypes this was a perfect Mills&Boon romance. Passion, love and the exotic heat of the desert. Perfect for the summer and totally predictable, but that didn’t stop me from loving it.
May 20, 2018
This is one angst filled book.
The H blackmails the h into marriage. He takes her to live in his Arabian paradise where there’s big ole snake in the garden.
The h has lived her entire life in a hotel but is still unrealistically innocent. I have worked in hospitality for most of my life and believe me, with the things you see, anyone’s innocence would be long gone! The h’s father was also really eager and happy to sell his daughter to a man he knew NOTHING about! What was that all about?!?
There is a massive amount of miscommunication and no communication at all. The H and h spend most of the book in angry silences. And then there’s the issue of the H marrying a woman who looked exactly like his mother who died in childbirth. The resemblance was never explained. I wanted to know what that was all about.
For the most part, this was still a great read. I enjoyed the intrigue and drama. And the h cried more than any other h in the history of Harlequin/Mills and Boon. That girl can weep!
The H blackmails the h into marriage. He takes her to live in his Arabian paradise where there’s big ole snake in the garden.
The h has lived her entire life in a hotel but is still unrealistically innocent. I have worked in hospitality for most of my life and believe me, with the things you see, anyone’s innocence would be long gone! The h’s father was also really eager and happy to sell his daughter to a man he knew NOTHING about! What was that all about?!?
There is a massive amount of miscommunication and no communication at all. The H and h spend most of the book in angry silences. And then there’s the issue of the H marrying a woman who looked exactly like his mother who died in childbirth. The resemblance was never explained. I wanted to know what that was all about.
For the most part, this was still a great read. I enjoyed the intrigue and drama. And the h cried more than any other h in the history of Harlequin/Mills and Boon. That girl can weep!
March 18, 2019
3.5 stars
May 13, 2024
The ditzy, tremulous, incessantly crying MFC was too TSTL for me to enjoy this book.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews