Her Desert Prince

Desert Destiny Series Book 1

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Buy on BN.com Buy on Bookshop.org
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app

1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date Jun 18 2018 | Archive Date Jul 15 2018

Talking about this book? Use #HerDesertPrince #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!


Description

Catherine Taylor, no stranger to life’s school of hard knocks, at 18 leaves her dysfunctional family behind, striking out on her own to embrace her passion for art. Years of hard work has given her a degree of acclaim. When offered the opportunity to work in the middle eastern country of Bashir to create the defining mural for the new children's critical care ward, Catherine embraces the chance to meld her love of children and her love of art. What she doesn’t think she is ready for is the blatant and instant passion she feels the moment she meets the successful country’s crown prince, Malik.

Malik al-Hakim has been raised with the sole purpose of someday becoming the king of Bashir. Years of careful preparation by his loving family has him ready to take the yoke from his father one day, but nothing could prepare him for the instant lust he feels the moment he sees Catherine. Never one to let an opportunity slip by, Malik pursues Catherine, convincing her to explore their desire. But when political intrigue places Catherine in danger, Malik soon realizes lust has evolved to love and he’ll do whatever it takes to keep the woman of his dreams safely by his side, no matter how hard she tries to fight their fate.

Catherine Taylor, no stranger to life’s school of hard knocks, at 18 leaves her dysfunctional family behind, striking out on her own to embrace her passion for art. Years of hard work has given...


Available Editions

EDITION Ebook
ISBN 9781943407507
PRICE $2.99 (USD)

Links


Average rating from 22 members


Featured Reviews

I was pleasantly surprised by thus read. Although it's labeled erotica, there are only or two love scenes that come to mind. This is a fast-paced novel focused on the romance between Catherine and Malik. I thought they had great chemistry and I liked how Malik was protective of Catherine. Some reasons for my star deduction were that I felt some part of the plot were not fleshed out. Like why was Malik even at the airport in the beginning of the novel? Although there are some hints of what happened to Catherine's friend, nothing is stated conclusively, nor is it apparent why she blames herself for his death. Also, I felt the reason the villain tried to hurt Catherine was thin and I would have liked the reasoning to be pursued more. All in all, this would be a nice beach read and it was a read I overall enjoyed.

Was this review helpful?

Her Desert Prince is the first book in Marie Tuhart’s new Desert Destiny Series; this is the story of Catherine Taylor and Prince Malik al-Hakim. Ms Tuhart has a knack for writing exceptional romances packed with danger, intrigue and some explosive sexual content too!

I enjoyed the world building and the introduction to Malik and his royal family. There were moments of awkwardness, some expected angst, and well-developed romance that led to the mandatory HEA. I look forward to the next instalment in this wonderful new series.

Was this review helpful?

Her Desert Prince by Marie Tuhart is the First book in the Desert Destiny Series. This is the story of Catherine Taylor and Malik al-Hakim.
Catherine has come to the middle eastern country of Bashir to create the defining mural for the new children's critical care ward. While at the airport she happens to be kiss by a man who is trying to outrun the press...the kiss was mind blowing but he quickly set in into a 'taxi' to take her to where she needed to go. Catherine is staying at the Palace since the King & Queen are the ones setting up the commission of the art. Catherine has had a hard life of rich parents who used her to keep themselves out of the press then her best friend was killed. So Catherine is just trying to get away from her problems, do some good and avoid any relationships with the hot guy she meet at the airport...which will be hard since he is the oldest son of the Royal family. Malik know he shouldn't have used Catherine at the airport but thinking she was just a women he wouldn't see again didn't feel to bad. But then he found her at his home and the attraction he felt for her at the airport is strong than before.
Malik goes forward to convince Catherine to have a permanent relationship with him via hiding behind a temporary one.
Loved their story!!!

Was this review helpful?

I received this e-book via NetGalley and am leaving my honest opinion in this review.

Catherine left her family at 18 just wanting to study Art and have a somewhat normal life. She has worked hard and is successful as an artist. She is given an opportunity to paint a mural at a new children's hospital in the small Middle Eastern country of Bashir. As she loves children, she accepts the job.

Malik is heir to the kingdom and will one day rule. He is one of 4 sons and the family is very close. He is a hardworking man and has been meeting with the leaders of neighboring smaller countries in hopes of keeping peace and prosperity against the greed of others.

Catherine arrives in Bashir and meets Malik in a very strange way. At that point she has no idea who he really is. Trying to make up for his "inconvenience" he makes sure she gets to her destination, which happens to be his parents home.

The problem is...paparazzi took pictures of Catherine and Malik. Catherine has had issues with the 'pap' before and the last thing she wants is any attention. Later that night she finds out who Malik really is and is quite angry with him. Is there an attraction...oh yes. And of course as the oldest son, it is his job to make sure Catherine is safe while completing her mural.

Someone is not happy in Malik's interest in Catherine and some strange things are happening to her, possibly deadly.

Catherine loves the King and Queen, they are wonderful people who take care of all that live in their country. Heck, I loved the King and Queen! They were just really awesome people.

So what is really going on? Is Malik using her or does he care? Who would want to harm her? Catherine does come to truly care for Malik and would never want to jeopardize him becoming the next King. She realizes this when she is out with him and see the way the citizens relate to him and how he knows them and listens to them. Does their relationship end when the mural is done?

I really liked this story and loved the main characters. Malik of course is an Alpha and somewhat arrogant male. Very confident. Catherine seems to bond with almost everyone she spends any time with, especially the ill children at the hospital.

There is one word the author uses that took a bit of the joy away for me. She uses the word "bottoms" in reference to the bottom, behind, rear end. It just didn't "fit" and would than throw my attention off a bit. Other than that I really liked the story and look forward to reading the rest of the brother's stories!

Was this review helpful?

I received an arc from Netgalley. Malik and Catherine start off in a whirlwind of a romance. Malik soon finds out Catherine is his perfect match and perfect princess to be at his side. Convincing her of this is the problem. It doesn’t help that Someone threatens Catherine because of her past. They obviously don’t feel she is princess material.

Catherine has doubts but true love wins in the end. Great read.

Was this review helpful?

Catherine Taylor meets Malik al-Hakim, the Crown Price of Bashir under unexpectedly whilst visiting his country for work. They are thrown together which kindles their initial attraction. However, Catherine’s past is set to derail their fledgling relationship. I found this story to be a bit simplistic and predictable. Not sure I’d classify it as erotica, I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

This is a very enjoyable romance. With a storyline that is filled with fun, charm, sweetness and deep emotions; the book captures your attention and keeps it as the plot unfolds. The chemistry between Catherine and Malik is instant and steamy. With a few surprises, suspense and danger added for extra flavor. At its heart it is a wonderful romance that has strong elements of realism to it. Love is often surprising, often complicated, usually life altering and never easy. All of these things come into play as Catherine and Malik's relationship grows from an initial spark to a blaze of passion and romance. I really liked this book and look forward to future entries in this series.

Was this review helpful?

Romance sizzles in the desert amongst the gardens in this book by author Marie Tuhart. I not only fell in love with Catherine and Malik, but also with his entire family. The descriptions are so vivid, I felt the sand in my shoes! Oh to find love in the most bizarre circumstances... it’s kismet. I want more about this couple and more by this author.

Was this review helpful?

Catherine left her dysfunctional family behind and now she is a successful artist. She is in the Mideast to paint a mural for a children’s critical care ward. Malik is a prince and one day will become king, the chemistry between them is steamy but can Catherine accept a life in the lime light to be with him? Fast-paced read with plenty of drama. I liked the characters and the story held my interest throughout. A good read.

Was this review helpful?

The description of the country sounded beautiful but the romance between the Prince and the artist I felt some of the chemistry that should have been part of their story was left out. That being said it was an okay romance.

Was this review helpful?

I was grateful to receive Her Desert Prince in exchange for an honest review. Marie Tuhart did a great job creating a catchy plot.. This was a very quick and easy read. The chemistry between Cathleen and Malik at the beginning of the story was one of the best I've read. Maybe that's why I felt slightly let down as I continued to read. The plot changed with more focus placed on Malik's family, and Catherine's past involving her baron parents and friend Jamie. There was a lot of plot development leading up to Catherine's past, which never seemed liked it was enough to keep running away from Malik. I also felt a huge letdown with the introduction of Zain, who was a parent-less child in the hospital that Catherine was creating a mural in. Zain played a large role in the plot, but there was never a conclusion to his story. Even with these few letdowns this was still a great book, and I would highly recommend to friends and family.

Was this review helpful?

**I received a copy of Her Desert Prince from Net Galley in exchange for a honest and voluntary review**

Her Desert Prince by Marie Tuhart is the first book in her Desert Destiny Series and I really enjoyed the story. I haven't read this author before and hope that there will be more book for the remaining 3 brothers and perhaps Samir? I'd give this book a well deserved 4.8 stars it was that good.

Catherine Taylor grew up the pawn of her low ranking royalty parents and the paparazzi that they cultivated using their daughter to be seen by the British public. But when she won't continue being in the public eye she goes to college to study art. But when her musician best friend passes from cancer she leaves her parents and photographers behind becoming a sought after Mural artist leading to her current job creating a mural for the Royal family of Bashir Children's hospital. When the Crown Prince sees her at the airport and gives her a passionate kiss little does she know that he's the Prince but also that they will explore their feelings for each other very soon.

Crown Prince Malik al-Hakim knows his destiny is to become King of Bashir when his father decides to step down but when he sees Catherine at the airport and decides to use her to draw away the paparazzi away from him with a kiss that's explosive. But he's not aware she is the artist hired by his family paint the mural in the children's hospital. He soon realizes that Catherine could the woman he's been searching for as his future Queen. But first they need to find out who has been trying to kill Catherine before he loses the woman that he loves with all his heart.

I loved how the Royal Family showed Catherine what a family really is like and that she asked the children for input on what should be on the mural and how she bonded with Zain one of the patients at the hospital. I look forward to future books with Malik's brothers.

Was this review helpful?

This kind of novel is in my own language called "Kitchen maid's literature" and will always feature a powerful and handsome man and end in a happy ever after. Nothing wrong with that. Also when you are not a poor servant and have an education you can enjoy an escape to fairyland where all maidens are young and all men are handsome and nice and both are attracted to each other like magnets . Even husbands, brothers and fathers read them in secret.

However although I realise they are modern fairytales I like a bit of accuracy. Here we have a British woman going to an Arabic country because she is hired by the local king to paint a mural in a hospital. When she meets the queen she asks if she has to dress according to Islamic tradition and the queen (who is a British woman as well) explains that it is a Christian country with only a few Muslims and Catherine is glad about that. WHAT? I have been in quite a few Arabic countries and Jordan, Syria, Iraq to name a few had a large Christian minority but an Arabic country that is Christian and has only a few Muslims? Not in this world. And it also had my hackles up that she is relieved. Of what? Not having to cover up in the heath or relieved there are hardly Muslims?

Then it is mentioned that Catherine's parents are British aristocrats. So nobility. But in the novel it is stated that they are royalty. As far as I know royalty are only the kings and queens and their heirs. I wondered how a British writer could mess that up. On the last page I saw it was written by an American woman. Please madam change those things. There is not a drop of Arab in this desert story so if you want to write about a dark handsome Christian prince who does gala-balls put the story in a made up Southern European country.

In the novel there are hints about Catherine's past but somehow that never gets really dealt with. On Netgalley it was qualified as an erotic tale. Well at least there was desert there. I mean there were two bed scenes in the whole book and they were not erotic at all.

I really say I had trouble finishing the novel while I see other people writing very enthusiastic reviews. Maybe with my background knowledge the charm of the story was spoiled and it sounded too alien too often.

Was this review helpful?

Catherine Taylor left her dysfunctional family at age 18 to study art. After years of hard work, she is invited to work in the middle eastern country of Bashir to create a mural for a children's critical care ward. Catherine is thrilled to blend her love of art with her love of children.



Malik al-Hakim is the crown prince of Bashir. When he meets Catherine, he finds a woman who sees him as a man, not as his future as a king. Malik pursues Catherine but when she is placed in danger, he realizes that he loves her. Malik will do anything to keep her safe so he does not lose the woman he loves.



I liked this book and the characters. Malik was a great hero and Catherine was his perfect companion. I liked how his family treated Catherine as part of the family, not as an outsider. The ending was great.



I received a complimentary ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you!

Was this review helpful?

Catherine had just been on a long flight from London to Bashir. Catherine hated takeoffs and landings when flying. Now all Catherine had to do was collect her luggage and get a taxi. Catherine was an artist and couldn’t wait to start they mural at the local hospital for the children’s wing. As Catherine started toward the arrival area she saw a large group of men shouting questions at a man walking toward Catherine to pause. The man glanced up at Catherine and couldn’t explain it but the impact of his stare caused him to lose his breathe. Fire flared in his eyes and his entire concentration was on her now. Then Catherine realized most of the people around the man was reporters with cameras and recordings devices. The pain from Jamie’s death didn’t hurt as much but Catherine still blamed the paparazzi for hounding her after his death. A she moved closer she couldn’t resist looking at the man one more time, He was watching her and their gazes connected. Then he pushed through the crowd and strode toward Catherine. Then the man said “Darling” and his voice sent shivers up and down her spine. He closed is hands over her shoulders stopping her. He asked her to play along. Jamie had begged her while he was still alive and she had paid dearly for giving in. Then he told her he missed her and Catherine said the same as he went to kiss her. Catherine knew it was a mistake, Catherine hadn’t been so close to a man in more than two years. Malek- the man- needed a decoy as he had to privately meet with the Prime Minister of Shara which was a neighboring country and a country Malek wanted to keep as an ally.What Malek didn’t know was Catherine was going to and expected at the palace. Malek was the Crown Prince of Basher and was the future king. . On the way to the palace two of the paparazzi were trying to take her picture and Catherine despised the paparazzi. Her manager- Bill was always after Catherine to suck up to the press but Catherine refused. Bill had told Catherine the king and queen had seen her work in a magazine and wanted her to do the mural. She had only agreed to the high profile job when she was told the mural was for the critically ill children at the new hospital. Malek hadn’t reacted to a woman like he did Catherine in years and he couldn’t say why he reacted to her the way he had. Malek seen Catherine in the garden and realized she was the artist she was the artist to do the mural. Then he was giving Catherine a grand tour of the garden. Jamie had been Catherine’s best friend and she missed him every day.The press had thought Jamie and she were a couple but they really were just best friends. He had been the one person she could really talk to. Janie wouldn’t judge her or tell her she was a failure. Jamie had died after a long hard fought battle with cancer. Because of who her family was Catherine had spent her childhood in front of the press or she was with a nanny and she had been an only child. Catherine had severed all relations with her parents. Catherine hadn’t laughed in a long time and she didn’t have a lot of laughter in her life.
I loved this book. It was an easy romantic emotional read. I felt bad for what Catherine had went through with her family. I loved how Malek's's whole family came to accept and love Catherine. I didn’t want to put this down and read it in one setting. I loved the plot and pace. I loved Catherine and Malek together and how they interacted with each other. Happily I could find nothing to criticize in this book. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I highly recommend.

Was this review helpful?

4 Star Review of Her Desert Prince by Marie Tuhart

ARC received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am fairly new to this author's work ( 2nd book I've read c/o Netgalley) & I really love her writing style! She is a recent add to my TBR author list.

Catherine Taylor is a successful artist who travels to Bashir ( a small Middle Eastern country ) where she has been commissioned to create a mural at the local hospital for those children needing the most urgent / long term - terminal care. Upon her arrival at the airport she unknowingly runs into Malik ( Al-Hakim ) - who ends up being the Crown Prince 👑 of Bashir. An amazing - unplanned kiss - between the two leads to a fake fiancé storyline to help his royal highness escape the paparazzi. Is a royal engagement soon to follow ?

Who doesn't want to be swept off their feet by a handsome & sexy ( sheik) prince charming !!!

This book had everything I look for in a romance & a sheik story line is one of my guilty pleasures !

Great - fun - quick sexy read !!!

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed Her Desert Prince by Marie Tuhart. The book had the right combination of lust, angst and love. Catherine is an artist who was hired by a royal family to paint a mural at a children's hospital. She may have gotten more than she bargained for when she meets the royal heir, Malik.

Malik is a smokin' hot dominant alpha-male who knows what he wants - and what he wants is Catherine. He is very protective of Catherine and cooks up a pretend engagement between them to keep her safe. Of course, they both want the engagement to be reality, but both are hesitant to express their feelings.

Catherine has some trust issues from her past, awful family, and is frightened to put her heart at risk again. Malik is stunned by the level of feeling Catherine brings out in him.

These two really are perfect for each other. Lots of sexiness in this book - enjoy!

Was this review helpful?

After leaving her family behind when she was 18 Catherine worked hard and is now a successful artist. She excepts a job in Bashir painting a mural at the new children's hospital. When she see Malik as she is leaving the airport the attraction between them is immediate when he kisses her it is caught by the press. I liked these two and enjoyed reading this book it was a really good romance.

Was this review helpful?

This was a really good book with a great storyline. What I found so great is that it involved a children's ward in the hospital and the author adored moments with the children. She had made sure to include them in the story. Looking forward to reading more of this series.

Was this review helpful?

Catherine Taylor comes to Bashir to paint a mural and comes under the observation of Malik al-Hakim. Obstacles need to be overcome as these two find their love. Enjoyed the writing style of this author as she created a world and characters easy to get lost in.
Ebook from netgalley and publisher with thanks.Opinions are entirely my own.

Was this review helpful?

Readers who liked this book also liked: