To Catch A Sheik (Desert Brides)

Rating:
Summary: A Cinderella story with substance!
Review: Fairy tales just don't happen in modern-day times, or at least practical Penny Doyle didn't think so. Penny's only concern was to earn enough money to build a pre-school in her mother's honor, a pre-school that would have been built already if she hadn't been charmed out of the money by a good-looking swindler. After being given an opportunity to work in El Zafir for a great wage, Penny is determined to follow her dreams - and not let any man stop her again, good-looking or not.

Prince Rafiq Hassan was more than surprised when he noticed that his new assistant was plain Penny Doyle. Despite her shapeless clothes, thick black glasses, and severe hairstyles, Rafiq finds himself intrigued by the innocent American woman in his employ. The prince, known as the family charmer and a bit of a rake, is determined to get to know his assistant better - but is he willing to learn how to love?

I loved Penny and Rafiq! Penny was witty and intelligent, and the teasing matches between Penny and Rafiq had me laughing so hard I almost had to put the book down! Rafiq is quite the charmer, but has a sensitive, romantic side as well, and he is everything one could hope for in a dashing sheik hero role. The whole book had a Cinderella feel to it, and some of the trademarks of the fairy tale were also used in this romance. "Cinderella" in this case, however, had much more pluck and backbone, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

What I loved best about this book is the development of the relationship and romance between Rafiq and Penny was examined. In some romance books, there is a lot of lust but no substance to a romance, and I always leave such books wondering how such a relationship would survive for decades. In this book, however, I saw how each character fell in love with the other, from Penny's first days in El Zafir to the ultimate conclusion of the book. Although there was some lingering looks and passionate kisses, much more of the book focused on their relationship - which I enjoyed. I never understood why this book was entitled "To Catch a Sheik;" when I think of "catching" someone in a romantic sense, I think more about entrapping someone, and yet that was never Penny's objective.

This book is the first in the Desert Brides trilogy. The other two books are also by Teresa Southwick and are called "To Kiss a Sheik" and "To Wed a Sheik." I haven't read "To Kiss a Sheik" yet, but "To Wed a Sheik" is also a great book!