I know I am in for a treat when I read a book by Marguerite
Kaye. Her historical quartet of Hot Arabian Nights, which
has already brought a Cornish lady botanist and a British
horsewoman to the vast desert, continues with CLAIMING HIS
DESERT PRINCESS. Tahira is taking a risk to go out at night
dressed in practical garb, exploring a mine site for
antiquities. But she's not expecting to find someone else
doing the same thing, Christopher, an antiquarian from
Britain.
If the new mine in Nesserah does hold turquoise, the
chances are good that people in antiquity found the semi-
precious stones too and traded them. This is 1815 and
Ancient Egypt is all the fashion in wealthy Europe. Tahira
just wants to uncover the remains of a village, if
possible. Christopher, a surveyor by trade, holds a
jewelled amulet which he wishes to return to its origin in
Arabia, believing it to be fated. Maybe they can work
together.
I love the original trades and occupations this dedicated
author gives to her characters. Someone had to do these
jobs, and it's far more interesting than yet another of the
landed gentry. Tahira is a princess who, at twenty-four, is
unmarried due to unfortunate circumstances, but whose life
is luxurious. She expects to marry soon, as rulers need
family allies, but personally she'd rather stay a chaperone
to younger women. Her sister does wish to marry well, for
then she will have status and control over her own life. By
exploring Tahira's status, duty and restricted life,
Marguerite Kaye explains a great deal about women of the
day.
For people so interested in uncovering secrets and history,
both Tahira and Christopher keep a lot of secrets of their
own. Under the wide starry sky, crossing the sand dunes,
they get a chance to be free from the ties of past,
heritage and society. No wonder this stolen time is so
alluring. Of course their developing respect and love can't
lead to anything... they are worlds apart. And the interests
of empires may decide their fates.
The detail about the jewelled palace and the bazaar is
fascinating; I love the playful sand cat kept as a pet.
CLAIMING HIS DESERT PRINCESS is suitable for adult readers
who can't get enough well-written historical romance. One
sip of this heady brew won't be enough.
Bound to marry for duty, Princess Tahira finds her only
freedom in forbidden escapes to the desert. Then one night
she encounters a stranger under the stars—adventurer
Christopher Fordyce. He's wildly attractive and thrillingly
dangerous…an illicit fantasy she can't resist!
Even unaware of Tahira's royal blood, Christopher knows his
shameful past makes any future with her impossible. But in
the sultry desert heat, desires are uncovered and secrets
unveiled, and soon Christopher will risk everything to claim
his desert princess!
© 2003-2024 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy