REVIEW: His Desert Bride by Demand by Lela May Wight

His Desert Bride by Demand is the thrilling debut by Lela May Wight, and what a debut it is! I a-dor-ed it!!!

The mother of all misunderstandings prevents Charlotte and Akeem from eloping together when they’re young and starry eyed teens. They’re each others first love and as Lela May Wight artistically illustrated with thrilling dialogue and courageous, emotional and gripping adventure, they are destined to become one.

With the death of his abusive father, Akeem is about to become the ruler of his kingdom but before he accepts the role he comes up with a stupid (cause you know, Presents Hero’s aren’t known for thinking through their revenge ideas thoughtfully hehe) plan to sneakily whisk Charlotte into his country and then once he has his one night to forget the love of his life, whisk her straight back out again. Of course scandal ensues and Charlotte’s life path is about to careen dramatically off course as Akeem demands she now becomes his Queen.

A strong opening had me literally from page 1! Akeem had the mannerisms, thoughts and speech that made him authentic in my imaginary world of how I think a person of his standing would think and communicate. Akeem was gritty and powerful but with a hint of self doubt. If he was perfect he wouldn’t be a Presents Hero and that’s what made Akeem perfect in many ways. Even as I write this, a week after I read His Desert Bride by Demand, I can still recall how Akeem’s character made me feel.

The attraction between Akeem and Charlotte was believable (and off the charts sizzle if that’s your cup of tea) and I loved how their backstory added layers to their characters and their love for each other. The author did a fantastic job of helping me understand how both became the adults they were and I had loads of empathy for both characters. Tension was captured and demonstrating depth I enjoy from seasoned authors; His Desert Bride by Demand was a very, very close to perfect for me.

A gritty debut that makes me sit on the edge of my seat waiting for the next adventure.

Book Info:

Publication: August 2022 | Harlequin Presents |

Newly orphaned Charlotte Hegarty is ready to start living her life. She’s determined a reckless encounter with her first love, Prince Akeem, will free her from the past. Maybe then she’ll be able to forget him…

Akeem wants to show Charlotte what she gave up when she turned her back on him. So he sweeps her away to his desert kingdom, intent on seduction. Yet when their secret tryst threatens to become a scandal, duty-bound Akeem makes an outrageous demand: Charlotte will be his queen!