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Title: The Sheikh’s Contract Bride

Original Story: Teresa Southwick &

Manga: Keiko Okamoto

Publisher: Harlequin

Available at eManga

There are some new Harlequin titles available at eManga, so I must once again check them out.  I become positively giddy when I realize that there are new Harlequins on the website, and I think it is because I am a sucker for a happy ending.  I know before I even start one how it will end, and that the journey to the conclusion won’t be too harrowing for either the protagonists or the reader.  These truths hold for The Sheikh’s Contract Bride, where love triumphs over unbelievable odds and even cultural expectations.  

Beth has always lived in the shadow of her twin sister, Adina.  She’s been ignored and neglected by their power hungry father, and she has been forced to watch helplessly as he’s pushed her sister around.  Using Addie for political gain, he has overseen every aspect of her education after securing her betrothal to the sheikh of a small Middle Eastern kingdom.  Beth and Addie have only had each other for support, and when Addie confesses she’s fallen in love with someone else, Beth agrees to go to Bha’Khar to break off the engagement.  Pretending to be Addie, Beth soon has a bigger problem than she ever imagined; she’s fallen in love with Malik!

Ah, doesn’t the thought of all of that blowing sand and the merciless heat from an unrelenting Middle Eastern sun give you delicious shivers?  I personally don’t find these settings very appealing because they are so beyond the realm of believability due to cultural differences, though the desert temperatures would be welcome, especially after a long, cold Michigan winter.  I must admit that I do find the thought of a wealthy, handsome sheikh attractive, but only because the characters that populate these romantic fantasies are richer than Midas.  Think of all of the manga and horses that you could buy!  Score! 

Beth arrives in Bha’Khar to end the engagement, but of course she quickly finds herself falling in love with Malik.  Both of them have been burned by love in the past,  so they are wary of opening themselves up to be hurt again.  It doesn’t help that Beth is pretending to be Addie in order to end the engagement and that everything he believes about her is pretty much a lie.  While I thought their conflicts were too easily resolved, I did enjoy the story and the characters.  I wish that the dialog had flowed more naturally, and that Malik and Beth didn’t sound so stilted as they were expressing their deepest feelings.  There was some wonderful tension, but much of it was ruined once someone started to speak.  The vocabulary and even the pacing of the dialog just didn’t seem natural.  The art was very attractive, with lavish backgrounds and lots of burning, moody stares.

The Sheikh’s Contract Bride offers up an engaging story, but there are times when it is hard to concentrate on it.  Translation weaknesses and a lack of understanding how word balloons should function (yes, the words should be contained inside the balloons!) mar an otherwise fun read.  I know, deep in my heart, that Harlequin will eventually get all of those floating words tamed and under control,  because that needs a happy ending, too!

Content Grade: B-

Presentation Grade: C-

Review copy provided by eManga.