El Deharia, Present Day

King Mukhtar of El Deharia has three healthy sons. Sons who should have long since married and given him grandchildren. And even though the king is proud of all their hard work for the kingdom of El Deharia, he is quite upset that none is inclined to wed. Maybe he taught them that love is foolishness that does not befit a king, but he didn't mean to put them off the idea of marriage forever. They should be out chasing women. Instead, he now sees it as his duty to make sure that his sons provide him with grandchildren. King Mukhtar's sister, Princess Lina, knows firsthand of love, but she was widowed at a young age and has just recently found a man she hopes to fall in love with. And, having raised Mukhtar's sons since their mother died, Lina knows that she must first help her brother play matchmaker. Oh, such a role is beneath King Mukhtar, but he concedes to allow Lina, a mere woman, to interfere in his sons' lives in his stead...

Kayleen James, a teacher at the local orphanage, defies Prince As’ad by stopping one of his chieftains from splitting up three orphaned sisters and taking them away to live a life of servitude. Upon the advice of his Aunt Lina, Prince As'ad decides the solution to this problem is to adopt the three children, but only if Kayleen will come to the Palace as their nanny.

And thus a multitude of events is set in motion, just as Princess Lina has planned.

Prince As’ad has no need for women or their silly emotions. He believes that love makes a strong man weak. That is what his father has always taught him. As'ad is sure of his place and his destiny -- he is a prince, and as one of the future rulers of El Deharia, he expects his every command to be obeyed -- literally. But when the feisty, redheaded Kayleen stands up to him, arguing with him at every turn, Prince As'ad is intrigued that this mere female would dare question him. So he does the only thing he knows how to do -- he orders Kayleen to move into the palace as the children’s nanny. But As'ad has met his match. Kayleen has rules too. She expects Prince As'ad to actually become a real father to Dana, Nadine, and Pepper. Kayleen tells him he must not only interact with the girls on a daily basis, but must also provide them counsel and emotional support. As’ad is not sure just what this means for him. He is Prince. If he commands it, then it is done. If these girls need emotional support, why, that is Kayleen's job. He has declared this, and there will be no question, just compliance. But Kayleen has more in store for the prince than he realizes, and she begins to systematically turn his entire household upside down.

Welcome to El Deharia, the newest country in Susan Mallery's Desert Rogues Series. THE SHEIK AND THE CHRISTMAS BRIDE is the eleventh book in this series, but it stands by itself as an exceptionally fine story. I have not read the previous books, but I will definitely check out the backlist, and I'll be the first in line for the subsequent book, THE SHEIK AND THE PREGNANT BRIDE, coming in 2008.

But back to El Deharia, Prince As'ad and Kayleen. If ever there were sparks flying between two stubborn people, these soon-to-be-lovers are the ones. Kayleen was raised in a convent after being abandoned, first by her mother, and then by her grandmother. She refuses to see the same fate happen to Dana, Nadine and Pepper, and she constantly fights the prince to give the children what she feel is a proper home. Known for her impulsiveness, Kayleen is continuously in trouble. And it is just her fiery temper and spunk that draws Prince As'ad like a bee to a honeycomb. The Prince cannot help himself. He desires Kayleen, and even though he doesn't want to fall in love, he knows that Kayleen will settle for nothing less. It is only a matter of time before sparks ignite between them, turning into a fully engaged flame of passion.

The secondary characters are a pure delight! Princess Lina embarks upon her own search for new love with King Hassan, and in her spare time, she is busy setting Prince As'ad up to fall in love with Kayleen. King Mukhtar is along for the ride as he watches his sister orchestrate As'ad's downfall in anticipation of future grandchildren. I can't wait to read the stories about As'ad's brothers, Qadir and Kated, but until then, THE SHEIK AND THE CHRISTMAS BRIDE is a very special story of love and devotion in the romantic desert.

Diana Risso