When you pick up a sheikh romance, you expect exquisite palaces, beautiful women dressed lavishly, handsome, powerful men and glamour. You don't expect normal family scenes yet these are scattered through this story.
Annie West has skilfully integrated English florist Arden and her three year old son Dawud into the exotic life of a royal palace. There is a lot of hurt between Arden and Idris, the sheikh she fell in love with when she thought he was just an everyday tourist. Their relationship is complex but nicely developed, and both these characters felt real to me, as did Dawud, their little boy.
The plot is well paced and a real page turner. This story centres on the family that suddenly finds itself melding into a unit yet there are enough things going on around them to maintain the setting and keep my interest throughout. I loved it!