When Lily's brother is suspected of stealing from a charity fund, Lily will do anything to prove his innocence, including breaking into Prince Khaled's royal rooms, but when she is caught she realises that Khaled is left holding all the power and once he takes her captive she finds herself feeling more and more drawn to him. I really liked the banter between the two main characters, they were easy to like and the budding romance cut through with memories of their teenage years was sweet. As someone else has said I also would have liked an epilogue to see what happened next.

I found this engaging and enjoyed the different threads

Yes, its a romance book but its interweaved with bits of humour and mystery - there's so much to enjoy here


I received a copy of this book from Mills and Boon via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This engaging contemporary romance has humour, mystery and passionate attraction. The physical attraction between Kahled and Lily has increasingly emotional commitment as they are drawn together in a fake engagement. The simple plot allows the romance to be the story's focus. The couple's interactions are often humorous and easy to imagine.

I received a copy of this book from Mills and Boon via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Desert Prince’s Defiant Bride is Julieanne Howell’s debut Mills & Boon Modern novel and it certainly doesn’t disappoint the reader!
The Crown Prince Kahled has earned the moniker the sad prince as he never appears to smile or look happy when out in public. Kahled, future King of Nabhan meets Lily Marchand when she sneaks into his rooms in his English countryside mansion order to steal Nate Marchant, her brother’s laptop to prove his innocence - £10 million has disappeared from a charity run jointly by Kahled and his best friend from childhood, her brother.

Kahled catches her in the act of stealing the laptip and whisks her off to his desert kingdom, in the process blackmailing her into becoming his temporary fiancée, or he will surrender her to the police. Kahled hopes to flush out her brother so the money can be recovered. Lily persuades Kahled that her brother may not have siphoned off the money and he starts investigating who may have done so if not Nate.

Slowly Lily and Kahled fall in love and he starts to wish they could be together forever. He needs to make an alliance with a neighbouring country and has already virtually agreed to an alliance there. The most he can offer Lily is an affair with house etc. A coup, led by the villain who stole the money happens whilst Lily us in the process of having her heart broken but will Nate be able to tell/ show Lily that it is her that he really wants to be with.

This is a solid, humorous read. The characters gel well together. Both Nate and Lily are complex characters due to their childhoods. Thee are no holes in the storyline which I found to enjoyable. A great first novel, setting a high bar for future books.



I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted

This is a debut author and I thought she did a good job! I liked her writing style and look forward to reading more from her.

Some of the plot was a little bit OTT (the baddie situation) and the book definitely needs an epilogue as there was one aspect that had posed a problem but then was sort of brushed over at the end, so I would have liked to have read how that was resolved.

Good chemistry between Khaled and Lily and good banter. I liked how Lily defied Khaled! However, she was a little bit too forgiving of some of the thing he put her through but I really did enjoy this story and it's not often nowadays I enjoy a book.

An interesting and original look at the desert fiancé. Some humorous dialogue and a feisty heroine that doesn't back down and that makes you want to cheer along with her as she deals with her arrogant fiancé and the press. Much of the book occurs in the palace and the world of the rulers and whilst this is anathema to me, it flowed well and drew me into the world. You cheer on Lily and Khaled all the way.

Great story, I love any romance with a Sheikh or the desert as its setting and the Prince's Defiant Bride ticked both of those boxes.

This was my first book by Julieanne, and I really liked her writing style, so it definitely won't be my last.