She’s expecting a simple business deal, but he’s expecting much more… strong-minded American woman. She’s supposed to work closely with the son of the oil company’s CEO, but Annabelle’s not sure what to make of Imaad. He may be gorgeous, but she refuses to be cowed by his good looks or his old-fashioned ways.
Sheikh Imaad is ruthless in his business dealings for the family oil company, but standing up to his traditional father is not as simple. When he learns his father’s full intentions–that the business arrangements include an arranged marriage to the American executive, Imaad wants to refuse. His intended bride is both beautiful and brash, but Imaad has a plan. If he can convince Annabelle to go along with the fake marriage, they might both get what they truly want. Sounds simple, but Imaad soon realizes it won’t be easy to tame a western woman.
To please their families and prove their worth, just how far will Imaad and Annabelle be willing to go? And what will happen when the charade starts to get a little too real?
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4.5 stars Excellent and entertaining contemporary romance dealing with a business deal. Annabelle is in for a surprise when she meets Imaad and finds what the full contract requires of her. The chemistry is off the wall between the two of them. I enjoy the way Ms. North makes the characters able to relate to one another making them more realistic. I received a complementary copy of this book and chose to write a review. I look forward to reading future books by Ms. North.
Hot And Entertaining!
This is the first title in the Almasi Sheikhs Series.
HEA, no cliffhangers!
Being the first, it could be read as a standalone, but I always advise to read in order to get the most out of the experience.
Content Warning: SEX! Plus Annabelle has a BIG potty mouth! So if you do not like sex or cursing, then you should avoid.
Story
A bit of a new spin on the Sheikh’s arranged marriage plot. Usually it’s an arrangement made by their father to a woman from their country that they are trying to avoid. This time the deal is with an American father trying to sweeten a merger deal.
Sheikh Imaad Almasi is the youngest of the Almasi brothers. The merger is necessary to prevent massive dismissals, but he doesn’t like being cornered into marriage. He is the one to initially come up with the plan: to play along until the merger is complete.
Annabelle Thomas doesn’t have the best relationship with her father, but agrees to be his representative in Parsabad. She is to see to the finial details, sign the paperwork, and in exchange, her mother’s hospital bills will be paid in full. It is not until she arrives that the “Fine Print” is revealed to her. She agrees to go along with Imaad’s plan but not without a contract. Annabelle swears like a champ, and I love it! It’s not excessive, but sometimes in life you need a good curse word, or 4, .
Life doesn’t go according to their plans, and its oh so good! This story is HOT and entertaining. Although making love out in the desert worries me. Just like the beach, sand gets EVERYWHERE! It is refreshing for both the Hero and Heroine to be equally strong/dominate. Often there is a deficit in one direction or another. There are still 2 more brothers to go and I can’t wait!
Author
Leslie North is one of my go to authors for great romance. This title has had some publication issues that can be read about on her website. I find it totally unfair and a bit F*d up, but you can read for yourself.
Narrator
Craig Van Ness was great. Both genders as well as the general story narration was done superbly! Would listen to more titles performed by him.
Audio Production
Original speed seemed a bit fast to me. I listened @ 0.85 speed. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
Fave Book Quote
“Not all love fits inside the convenient boxes we make for it. It seeps out, one way or another, in ways we least expect it.”
–Sheikh Imaad Almasi
Ebook not currently available. See the Author website for more info.
Audiobook obtained at my request and I am voluntarily leaving this unbiased review
The Sheikh’s Contract Fiancee is the first book in the Almasi Sheikhs series. It was my first book by author Leslie North and my first listen with narrator Craig Van Ness.
The story is short and fairly predictable, but enjoyable as light entertaining reading.
Annabel is a bit of a brat and annoying although I did appreciate that she was put into a difficult situation and wanted to rebel against her controlling father.
Sheikh Imaad seemed to roll with the punches a bit better. He found ways to deal with each situation and adjusted. I could find myself swooning for this Sheikh!
When the story started I felt like the narration was just a bit too precise or staccato, but as I fell into the rhythm of the story, the pace seemed to fit the tale. Overall an entertaining experience and I’d definitely listen to more books with this narrator.
3.5 Stars