Hana Sheik’s Temptation in Istanbul is a dreamy and escapist contemporary romance that tugs at the heartstrings and lifts the spirits.

Billionaire Faisal is close to getting custody of his little girl, who has been living far from him with her mother. Faisal wants everything to be absolutely perfect for when he is finally reunited with his beautiful child, but before his dream of having his little girl with him forever becomes a reality, he must impress her nanny, Maryan. Faisal plans to pull out all the stops for Maryan, little realizing that he is going to be the one who will end up getting bowled over!

Maryan was immediately blown away by the beautiful city of Istanbul. Faisal is a most attentive tour guide who delights in showing her the sights and introducing her to the majesty of the city. Maryan’s main priority is to ensure that Faisal will be a good father for her charge. She will not let anything or anyone get in the way of the task at hand – not even handsome Faisal who is making her feel things that are far from professional!

Faisal’s heart had been bruised once before and he is not willing to run the risk of going through that pain and anguish ever again. Yet, the more time he spends with Maryan, the more he finds himself drawn to her. With Maryan about to leave in two weeks, will Faisal find the courage to tell her that he’s fallen head over heels in love with her? Or will his fears and insecurities continue to hold him back?

Hana Sheik’s Temptation in Istanbul is an uplifting emotional romance about second chances, healing from the past and learning to love again that sweeps readers to a beautiful part of the world with wonderfully nuanced characters they will fall in love with.

Heartfelt, engaging and so enjoyable, romantics everywhere will be charmed by Hana Sheik’s second novel for Harlequin Mills and Boon, Temptation in Istanbul.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for access to this arc.

The yummy model on this cover plus the title (Istanbul!) caught my attention. I enjoyed the hero’s sweet daughter plus her relationship with both her dad and her nanny. The sights of Istanbul were interesting to read about but I got a touch impatient with Maryan and Faisel not talking. Well, yes they do talk but it’s more about Zara (which is, granted, a great thing) rather than discussing how they feel about each other.

Faisel and Maryan initially have solid reasons for not being interested in any kind of relationship other than as people who care about and want the best for Zara. Faisel and Zara’s mother never married (neither wanted to) but they both love their little girl. However Salma’s movie career is taking off and she wants Zara to be either her parents or Faisel. Not wanting to drag Zara through a custody dispute, Faisel had not fought when Salma announced she was moving to LA four years ago but now he wants his daughter with him. In the intervening years, he’s had plenty of dates and short relationships but in the back of his mind, he’s always been wondering if these women want him or the perks his billions can get for them.

Maryan was sent by her Somali parents to her aunt and uncle in the US when she was only twelve as money was tight in her household. Stung by not even being asked if she wanted to go, she’s lived through being uprooted, getting to know a new country, language, and making friends. So she’s determined to help Zara through this similar change in the girl’s life. Maryan also loved unwisely and was betrayed by a recent boyfriend. Faisel is good looking but initially he is late to pick them up at the airport and an important business deal keeps him busy neither of which impress Maryan. Yet he’s also wonderful with Zara and listens to Maryan’s suggestions and concerns.

As he takes them around Istanbul, each sees much more in the other than they did at first. But are Faisel and Maryan ready to risk themselves again?

To answer that last question would involve asking another one. Do they ever actually tell the other what they’re feeling once they start having deeper emotions? To that my answer is no, they don’t. Sure they have good reasons not to dive into anything but once they do begin feeling love, most of what they do is think and wonder why the other gives no indication about how they feel. There’s also some wishing that the other would give some indication about how they feel but beyond that, they stuff their feelings inside and appear ready to let already made plans (she to return to the US and he to stay in Istanbul) continue. I wanted to shake them.

As I mentioned, both love Zara and I liked the scenes with her and them. Zara isn’t a plot moppet and has some moments when she’s tired and a teensy bit cranky. She also misses her friends. I was a bit surprised that Faisel’s family wasn’t there to see her but later on plans were being made to visit them in Somalia. The tour guide of Istanbul was also enjoyable, being just enough information to pique my interest without turning into a bore. But Faisel and Maryan need to work on opening up just a bit more and being willing to actually say something rather than just wondering what the other is thinking. B-/C+

When his ex-wife's career makes it impossible for her to care for their daughter full-time, Faisal takes over primary custody. Nanny Maryan brings the girl to his home in Istanbul—but Maryan is only staying for a couple of weeks, until the girl is settled. When Maryan and Faisal fall for each other, it's supposed to be a fling. Can she trust him with her heart?

I admit it. I'm a sucker for single parent romances, and I loved this one. Faisal is a caring father, but his business keeps him busy. Maryan calls him on it, making him understand that his priorities need to change now. It was satisfying to see these two smart, ambitious, loving people find a way to fit into each other's very different lives.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review.
I really liked this one. I’m often wary of power imbalances, particularly when the hero is the one with more power. However, those are navigated with care. I also enjoyed getting this setup of billionaire single father and nanny from a multicultural lens, with the Istanbul setting and the characters reflecting that, as well as the modern immigrant experience. It’s a nice twist, adding some flair to the traditional parent/childcare provider dynamic, where the latter provides light in the lives of both parent and child.

The cover and description drew me in, but this book didn’t deliver for me. The book had too much superfluous detail and not enough character progression or story development. It was honestly hard for me to push through and finish this book.

When I think of romance, I think of books just like this one, that gives all the feels and satisfies every romance junkies' heart. This is a perfect books to snuggle up with on any day. This one took by surprise!