Destined for the Desert King by Kate Walker

Reviewed by TashNz

Destined by the Desert King
by Kate Walker

Kate has written a fantastic story called A Question of Honor.  It was released in 2014.  The moving story of Clemmie and Karim.  Clemmie has run away.  She is promised to Nabil, the Sheikh of Rhastaan.  Destined for the Desert King opens 10 years later, to Nabil toasting his best and closest friends Clemmie and Karim a happy tenth anniversary.  

Now of course, if you're reading Destined for the Desert King you'll be wondering whaaat? They are friends? How did that happen?  And of course you'll be expecting Nabil  to be happily married to Sharmila, the girl he married in A Question of Honor but we learn very quickly she was assassinated, while pregnant with Nabil's heir.

Feeling suffocated Nabil wanders out onto the palace balcony and encounters the beautiful Zia who introduces herself as a prospective wife's maid.  For the first time since the death of his wife Nabil is woken.  He feels an instant connection and fights against tooth and nail to act on it.  Deciding it's time he marries he choses his prospective wife's little sister and is shocked to the core Zia turns out to be she!

What follows is a beautiful story of two people who have been bought into the world unloved and treated unloved and unwanted by those who should matter the most.  They have their base connection which Nabil finally acts upon but Aziza feels like she's living in the shadow of a ghost and will never earn the love and respect of Nabil.   However, not all is as it seems and while Aziza feels at her lowest when she's having trouble conceiving, Nabil takes a risks and bares heart and soul!

Strong and powerful descriptive writing had me sitting in the afternoon sun, sipping  on a cider, and enjoying every single word written.  If you have read Kate Walker in the past you will know exactly what I mean!   Not a word is wasted, not a page goes by without beautiful words and emotional moments with hearts on the line.

I absolutely adored Clemmie and Karims story and Aziza and Nabil's story helped answer many questions, I do note however my book says this is "Rhastaan Royals Book 1", so I'm very curious as to who is in Book 2 :)

5 Stars

Harlequin Presents Published December 2015

Rhastaan Royals Book 1

Reviewed by Nas

DESTINED FOR THE DESERT KING by author Kate Walker is a December 2015 release by Harlequin Presents series. This is Book 2 of the mini-series Rhastaan Royals. Book 1 is A Question of Honor. 

Aziza El Afarim had a childhood crush on her new husband Sheikh Nabil Al Sharifa. But she knew the tragedy which had befallen Nabil’s life. How could she expect him to be the same boy as he was? But she realized she had lost her heart to him many years ago and he still had it in his possession. Could she ever hope Nabil would return her feelings?

Nabil had been betrayed in the worst possible way. Could he ever trust another woman now? Everything was political maneuvering for him. And getting married to Aziza was a strategical move. And she was a good person to be a mother to his future heirs. Would there ever be anything more for him? Did he want more?

DESTINED FOR THE DESERT KING is a romance full of emotional intensity and shimmering with sexual chemistry and sensuality. Author Kate Walker has her own unique way to captivate and fascinate her readers. This story would enthrall a reader and keep her hooked until the very last page. I finished this story in one sitting, as I was eager to discover what happened next.

Highly recommended for all readers of romance. 

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Destined for the Desert King

Kate Walker




Reviewed by Helen

MS Walker writes stories that are magical you will fall for the heroes and cheer on the heroines as they journey a path that can have its ups downs to such wonderful HEA's and this one has it all.

This starts of as a marriage of convenience Aziza El Afarim is chosen to be the King's bride for a number of reasons but Sheikh Nabil Al Sharifa has seen tragedy and knows that he must marry and produce an heir for the good of the country but there is such a spark between these two and many memories from their childhood can he overcome the emotions he has that convince him he cannot love can Aziza help him see that love is there or will it be a loveless marriage.

I fell into this book from page one and didn't want to put it down I loved the sensuality and passion they had and the heartache and honesty that had to be overcome so they could be loved and feel loved I loved the setting truly this is a story not to be missed I highly recommend it thank you MS Walker for hours of reading pleasure I have been looking forward to Nabil's story and I was not disappointed.

5/5 stars for an awesome story

Published November 17th 2015 by Harlequin

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Reviewed by Amanda

Steamy, intense and engrossing… Kate Walker delivers a drama packed story in her latest book Destined for the Desert King. The story is captivating so much it would have you turning the pages in need to know what will happen next between the characters. You'd be surprised how quickly you reach the end. Sheikh Nabil is the king of Rhastaan and so he needs a queen. Years ago, when he was young, he lost his wife, Sharmila, to a bullet meant for him. Ever since then he has become a changed man. It is during a function held at the palace that his life would change forever. On the palace balcony he meets a woman, Zia. She introduces herself as a maid. But the way Zia makes his body awaken under her quiet gaze, her soft lips…Nabil swoops down and claims Zia's mouth. The powerful reaction he experiences makes him want her but he is swift to walk away so sure he would never have to cross the maid's path ever again. But the shock of his life comes when Nabil chooses a queen. On his wedding night when he removes the veil from his new wife, his outburst is funny… (You'll have to find out for yourself)

Aziza has always been the spare wheel, the other daughter, the ugly one… She was more of a burden to her parents than a daughter. In her parents' eyes, her father especially, she could never reach the standards of her beautiful sister Jamalia. This makes her hold herself in low-esteem. It is during chaperoning her sister at an event held by Sheikh Nabil that Aziza crosses path with the dark, imposing king…someone she once knew as a boy. The little boy has grown up to become dark and irresistible… Aziza introduces herself to Nabil as Jamalia's maid. But seeing her childhood crush as a grown man awakens her body in a way it has never been awakened before. And when Nabil kisses her on the dark palace balcony the physical intensity has been instantaneous! Now you might think the story has been predictable so far, but what happens from here on is unpredictable. Ms. Walker shocked me good and well with Nabil's story. But I am disappointed there was no epilogue to tie up two unanswered questions at the end. You'll need to read the book to know what I am talking about. But overall the story captures your attention. You'll be hooked even though there were minor flaws in the storyline.

Recommended
4 Stars

Olivero's Outrageous Proposal by Kate Walker

Olivero's Outrageous Proposal
by Kate Walker

Olivero's Outrageous Proposal is a gorgeous April 2015 Harlequin and Mills and Boon release by the incredibly talented Kate Walker.

Lady Alyse is caught between two waring half-brothers, Marcus, the one she's trying her best to avoid and Dario Olivero, the one who Alyse is 100% attracted to, regardless of the fact she's a pawn in Dario's revenge party.  An exciting and heart racing start full of drama sets the rapid pace through out the story.  A delicious tale full of twists and turns, revenge and blackmail, love and heartbreak, Olivero's Outrageous Proposal ticked every box for me.

Alyse is being thrown from pillar to post by all her loved ones and with Marcus on her back about accepting his marriage proposal, she's so desperate to get him to leave her alone she decides to go against everything she knows and in an attempt to make Marcus go away she dances with a handsome and perfectly dashing, drop dead gorgeous Italian.  What she doesn't expect is for him to completely turn her feelings upside down and awaken in such a way she didn't know was possible.  In the taxi on the way back to his place she turns to see Marcus.  Dario doesn't miss the hint of a smile.  Perhaps the hint of the smile helps Dario feel less guilty when Alyse finds it wasn't an accident they meet.

In between the waring brothers, Alyse's family is slowly falling into ruins.  There's two hands offering help, Alyse chose the hand Dario offers.  Marriage of convenience.  What's not convenient is the feelings both Alyse and Dario feels and fights.  Dario has risen from the gutter, he has revenge on his mind and a marriage of convenience will get him what he thinks he wants.  Alyse needs to help her family and get away from Marcus. Dario is the short term answer.  That's not all tho, there's still more secrets to spill.

Kate has an such incredible way with words, they flow right off the page into my imagination, they set the scene, they build in a rising crescendo, they tug at your heart strings, they send you away to beautiful locations, they make you absolutely love the hero and feel for the heroine.  There's a depth and intensity that make Dario and Alyse's story 3D in my mind.

Thank you Kate, I'm so honored to receive an ARC for my honest opinion, I really appreciate it and absolutely adore your work.


5 Stars
Review by TashNz

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Review by Nas
5 Stars

OLIVERO’S OUTRAGEOUS PROPOSAL by author Kate Walker is an April 2015 release by Harlequin Presents.

Alyse Gregory wanted to get away from one persistent suitor so she planned on being seen with another man. But meeting Dario Olivero put the plan put of her mind as she was scorched by desire so hot that there was nothing else on her mind. 

Yet was Dario also hit by desire or had she played in his hands? Then he proposed marriage to her as a way of getting out of her problems, would she accept it? Now that she knew why he came after her in the first place?
What would happen to their super-charged chemistry? Would they give in to their passion? But Dario doesn’t do family, what would he do when Alyse drops the bombshell on him?

OLIVERO’S OUTRAGEOUS PROPOSAL is a sizzling romance. Author Kate Walker once again brought a tale of romance shimmering with emotions and sensuality. A reader would stay hooked to the book till the very last page.

Highly recommended for all readers of romance.

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Reviewed by Maria

When it comes to romance authors, I have some favourites to whom I go every time, knowing that they give exactly what it says on the tin when it comes to romance.  An escape from the everyday monotony, a flight of fantasy and plenty of passion, along with a story firmly grounded in reality.

No one does passion better than Kate Walker.  And her romances always have a touch of the storyteller about them.  Behind this romance is a story of two brothers.  A ‘good’ brother and a ‘bad’ brother.  One born to wealth and entitlement, the other, born on the wrong side of the blanket and therefore, out in the cold.  There is a struggle.  Who will be the winner?

When Dario Olivero proposes to Lady Alyse Gregory,  he’s doing it in the full knowledge that he’s taking the woman his brother wants to marry.  When Alyse accepts, it’s because she wants to avoid Dario’s brother, who’s not her type at all.  But the real reason why both of them marry is because of the instantaneous conflagration of passion which rages between them.

At the end of the day, a woman needs to know she’s being loved because of who she is and what she is, not because she stands for something or brings something to the marriage table like prestige, property or even money.  There has to be real love and desire too.  Kate Walker gets to this conundrum in a way that voices the inner longings of a woman’s heart.  That’s why I loved reading this.

Put simply, I love me a good Kate Walker romance read.  This one checks all the boxes.  Get a  copy.

5*


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Reviewed by Desere


Kate Walker is back and this time it's a real humdinger of a journey ! We have Dario Olivero, he sees Alyse Gregory as a way to reap revenge against his estranged half brother, he 'll use her to get the family acceptance he has always craved and then walk away. But then he discovers Alyse's family debts and realizes he cannot simply walk away.

There is only one solution and it's in true Harlequin Presents fashion.... a marriage proposal ! Of course this is not what Alyse was expecting yet she does see the logic therein and besides her body might be saying yes and her head no, but she can always find her head and steer it in the right direction, right ?

But whilst basking in the Tuscan sun their mutual attraction escalates out of hand and soon they have a whole other inconvenient dilemma to deal with! Oh and did I forget to mention there's also Marcus who wants Alyse all to himself! It's the perfect heart-racing rush to the end of feelings, overpowering emotions, heartache, blackmail and a whole lot of secrets !

This was  the type of book that is so fast paced and emotionally packed that it is impossible to put it down once you start, do not I repeat do not start reading this book when you have to get to bed early for an early start, trust me your thoughts will be whirling around and no sleep will come! Oh and as myself you will end up grabbing it and reading it till the very end and at  am realize you have to get up in an hour! Talk about a long day, but with these characters and the remarkable journey created by a very talented author it was all worth it!

I loved the characters, both strong and passionate and both with that delicious ' Back off, don't mess with me" vs " I am all yours as long as ..." attitude , it gave the read the perfect dark meets light element that I love so much when it comes to romance books.

For those that read my reviews , you will know that this is where  I start digging into the characters and breaking them down bit by bit, but today that is something that will cause a huge injustice to this book. Why? Because this is the number one Kate Walker book! You have to read it for youself Passion. amazing flair, an incredible journey of love, self discover and just so much more that I am finding it really hard to place the exact words

After completing this read I was in a daze for days, and not just because of the lack of sleep no, it was the a state of complete awe, as to just how amazing this author's work is. She took a simple found in so many other romance books plot and changed it into one of the most magical journeys of romance I have ever come across.

I highly recommend this read for all fans of romance. It had the danger vs anger vs passion and betrayal , the this is not over till I say it is and the roller coaster of emotions that completely overwhelmed me! Just perfect!!

5/5 star review
" One problem leads to one solution but then a whole other problem arises"


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Reviewed by Janie




"Olivero's Outrageous Proposal" by Kate Walker was a wonderful, quick read. The more I read from this author I have to put her up into my top 10 list for authors. 

We meet Alyse Gregory who is being pursued by one man that she doesn't care for so she decides to go after another man Dario Olivero. Dario doesn't mind because he is just as taken with her as she is with him. The desire between these two is HOT. There is just one problem...the man that Alyse wants nothing to do with is Dario's brother and Dario knows that his brother wants this woman. Is everything all happy and roses? Well, not quite. Dario wants her but Alyse is looking for love. 

Much more to this book than I wrote about but definitely worth the read.
5 * 

A Question of Honor by Kate Walker

Reviewed by Desere

The setup in this read is a simple yet very intriguing one. We have Princess Clementina who takes off to England to help a friend, but this little bit of information she keeps as a secret.

So naturally we have her 'loving' father worried that she might be running from the arranged marriage he so nicely and with all intentions of love arranged for her.

Enter crown Prince Karim al Khalifa, his mission is simple, retrieve the Princess and bring her home so she can marry the man her father chose. Karim is a man of honor and no matter how much he wants to strip Clementina naked and shower her with kisses he resists and complete's the task at hand bringing the runaway princess home.

Once home things take a sudden turn and Clementina is free. Karim tracks her down, and this time it's all about having the woman he wants and craves so badly and his honor seems a distant memory, but once in his arms will Clementina be able to forget about the honor-excuse he used to resist her the first time around or did he just come after her for sex?

The heroine in this book was remarkable, one of those woman you know is strong and no matter what comes her way she will face it, because let's be honest no woman really wants to marry some man she has been "engaged" to since the age of 13. We all deserve to meet and fall in love with someone we chose and not whom our parents think we do, but unfortunately this practice does happen in some countries and I have always felt so sad for these woman that is breaks my heart, but thankfully the author took it to the next level and let's fate intervene, giving us a heroine that stands up for what her heart believes in.

The hero in this book was superb! I loved him from start to finish, his upholding honor personality was terrific especially because he has been through so much and here comes the woman of his dreams and tempts him into very sexy thoughts and he has to sit there and force himself to remember she belongs to another, that shows some serious levels of willpower.

Through both characters the author showed that there is a will and a way to find what you seek, but you have to be willing to go with the flow so to speak, because fate can always have a different plan lurking in the background ready to unfold when you least expect it. Don't give up hope, keep believing that it will all work out and never ever keep your feelings in your heart, stand up and shout it out to the world you never know by making your feelings known you might just save yourself from heartache.

I recommend this read for all Kate Walker fans, the author has taken a unique 'give us a story with a bang combined with emotional and heartwarming passion' trait and created a stunning romance of love finally found when no one was looking.

4 star review
" He questions his honor, she makes him forget it ever existed" 
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Review by Janie 

A Question of Honor by Kate Walker 4 out of 5 stars. This is a quick and easy read if you're looking for something to take with you on Summer vacation. 

Clemmentine was promised into marriage by her father. She knows that she must do her duty for the family honor but runs away to have one last chance for freedom and to spend time with someone who is very close to her heart. She knows that once she is bound by her marriage that she may never see this person again. Karim has promised to bring Clemmentine "Clemmie" to her fiance. It is a sense of honor to his family that he is doing this for her betrothed Nabil. She would be Queen but she doesn't want the title. 

A freak storm strands them together overnight before they are able to make their way to her new home. The sexual tension between Clemmie and Karim becomes apparent to them both. Bound by honor Karim doesn't allow himself but a brief moment and vows to take her safely to Nabil. When Nabil finds out that she spent time alone with Karim he doesn't believe that nothing happened between them and he sends her away.

Karim follows her back home and knows that he can now, and with a clear conscience pursue her. Does their story have a happy ending? You'll need to find out for yourself. You'll also find out why she ran away in the first place and just who this person is that is close to her heart.

4/5 star review 
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Reviewed by Nas

A QUESTION OF HONOR by author Kate Walker is a June release from M&B Modern and Harlequin Presents series.

Karim al Khalifa went to bring back Clementina Saveneski to her betrothed to be the Queen of her nation. Yet, meeting her had such an impact on him that his honor is brought in question.

Clemmie wanted freedom before being tied down in marriage as she was sold in exchange for peace treaties for her country when she was small. But meeting Karim when he comes to take her back, she wants just one more night. And with him, will he agree?

A QUESTION OF HONOR is a spellbinding romance. It is a story that will stay with a reader long time after she closes the book. It has that momentous impact by all the emotion depicted in this romance. Another shimmering and mesmerizing romance full of breathtaking sensuality from author Kate Walker.

Highly recommended for all readers of romance.

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Review by TashNz

We readers are so lucky to have Kate Walker write stories for us such as A Question of Honor.  Kate has an incredible talent of plaiting together emotive, captivating and intense stories and Karim and Clemmies is no different.

I was engaged from page one when Prince Karim arrives unannounced at Clemmies door... "You know why I'm here" and indeed Clemmie does.  She's about to turn 23 in 9 days which means it's time for her to return home and marry the husband her father has chosen for her which in turn will unite two kingdoms and lil Princess Clemintina will become Queen.

The attraction is instant, two magnets instant, but Prince Karim is only here to pick up the package and deliver her safely into the hands of another man so he must dig deep and honor Clemmie and honor his duty. Prince Karim is there to do a job.  He wants it done asap and isn't prepared for Clemmie and the instant attraction he feels. It's a battle to think straight and get the job done. I thought he was well described and felt for him regarding his past. I liked Clemmie's heart on her sleeve attitude and thought she was a great light to Karim's dark. 

Kate packs so much emotion and intenseness into A Question of Honor her talents as a writer shine through because Karim and Clemmies passion is instant, and written the way it was, quite believable.  The story more focused more on the turmoil they have to go through to get to their happy ever after. I did wonder how they would get to their seemingly impossible happy ever after and am happy the way it played out.  I also loved how there was truck loads of interaction between Karim and Clemmie.  And I must mention the snowstorm/snakes and ladders scene - I thought it was incredible that such a normal sounding scene could be written with such flair and as a reader I was mesmerised.

This was a thoroughly lovely and enjoyable quick read which I enjoyed on a beautiful Saturday morning here in NZ. I am honored (no pun intended) to receive an ARC from Kate, and will definitely be reading A Question of Honor again. 
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A Throne For The Taking by Kate Walker

Reviewed by Desere


We have all heard and seen the royal families of the world, the high standards set by their parents, the pure perfection of the images they need to uphold.

And I have often thought how awful it must be to know that your every move is controlled, you do not have the honour to make any of your own decisions without thinking about the implications or scandal it can bring to the royal household.

And that is just one of the( and most likely the only one for now) reasons I can think of that I would not want to be royalty , nope I am more than happy to be a average everyday normal woman!

In the case of Honoria ( btw Kate I love that name it is so royally perfect) she has the chance to save her father and her country Mecjoria.

And the one to help her do it is I am-a-broken-man-but-I am-all-yours-if you-want-me-and-I-know-you-want-me Alexei.

He has been betrayed, cast aside, heartbroken and has loved and lost, the perfect tormented hero ladies. You will instantly fall in love with him and all his ruthless ways!

The characters of Ria and Alexei were both very well written. I could see in vivid detail the manner in which Ria is always making sure to fall back on her upbringing in order to stay in control and not let her emotions show. I totally adored the manner in which of course Alexei takes that control and shatters it into a million royal diamond pieces!

Alexei, was as I said the tormented hero, I felt sorry for him that he needed to face so much heartache and be the victim of so many secrets before his life starts to fall into place. But at the same time I loved the idea of the secrets, it gave the book that perfect royal scandal feeling, and made for some very interesting reading.

The backdrop settings were exquisite it was all very posh and the whole time it felt as if I could see the grandeur of royal life. Very vivid descriptions and attention to little details that yes does not make a book, as characters and the actual plot brings it all together, but for me as reader I like to know 'where I am and what am I seeing".

The dialogue was just perfect, the author made sure to use words that a person of high stature would use, if your thinking that you might not understand what the characters are saying you would be wrong, as the intensity and clarity of this read will blow away any words you think you might not be understanding.

The author lets her characters truly speak , as reader I was very glad to see that the author let me in on just what each one of the characters were thinking, as I often find that I want to know what she or he is thinking and not knowing drives me insane, and in the case of Ria and Alexei it would have infuriated me, so thank you Kate!

I particularly liked the message this read gave me, not all secrets are as deadly as one may think, sometimes revealing the truth can save you, opening up the road to recovery.

I highly recommend this read for lovers of royal romances with intense secrets and all Kate Walker fans!

5/5 star review
" Shattering her royal composure is a challenge he plans on winning" 


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Reviewed by Nas

A THRONE FOR THE TAKING by author Kate Walker is a June 2013 release by Harlequin Presents.

Honoria Escalona went to seek help from Alexei Sarova, a man no longer interested in the kingdom of Mecjoria. Ria wanted Alexei to come back and take the throne of the kingdom. But will Alexei come back? After all he was thrown out from there with his mother after the death of his father. Could her forgive and forget?

Ria had faith in her friend. But this man she confronted now was no longer her friend. Could she persuade him to come back and be the King of Mecjoria? But she was also hiding information from him and Alexei was determined to get to the bottom of it. Would he be able to unearth what Ria was hiding from him?

A THRONE FOR THE TAKING is a very different, intriguing and thrilling story. It is full of conspiracy, scheming and plotting against the kingdom amidst the mesmerizing romance between Ria and Alexei. Author Kate Walker has yet again stunned her readers with a unique twist to her romance. She skillfully penned another gripping and compelling tale that would hook a reader in until the very last page.

Return to Romance Book Haven

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Review by TashNz - 5 Royal Stars!

I've read Kate Walker’s A Throne for the Taking twice since I've owned it.

I was asked by a good friend how it was going when I started reading it and my answer was “It’s a cracker of an opening”.  Upon finishing it I have to say, I can’t think of a better description for this book than “It’s a cracker of a story!!!”

I absolutely love it when I’m thrown straight into the drama and that certainly happens when we meet Honoria;  long lost childhood friend of Alexei Sarova; she's sitting, heart pounding, waiting nervously for him to come through the door so she can give him important documents.  Important documents that prove he is the rightful King of Mecjoria.  They haven’t seen each other for 10 years. Alexei was exiled from his country along with his mother, with nothing more than a shirt on their backs.  And the second he recognises her??? 

‘You!’ he said the single word thick and dark with hostility… 

And so begins a wonderfully thrilling crafted tale which was full of scandalous secrets, gripping scenes and fabulous dialogue between 'Ria and Alexei , not to mention the rich descriptions of far away lands that sparked my imagination.  I sat in the park reading this and the world melted away, I didn't want to come back.  What a fabulous journey I was taken on.

Ria has been raised by royalty and feels her country and people's fate as well as her own rests on her shoulders.  It's nice that for once it's not the Hero that feels like this.  So Ria goes in search of the only person that can save her country and her. 

Past wrongs have helped shape Alexei into the hard man he is today.  His walls are built so far up you'd need a rocket ship to go over them.  The journey Ria and Alexei took me on clearly showed me that the author is a master at her craft.   A tale was weaved that held me from the first chapter right through to the suspenseful and heart-melting conclusion.  

A Throne for the Taking is exactly why Kate Walker is in my top 5 list of fave authors. 

Read an excerpt here.

It can be yours at Amazon or UK Amazon



Reviewed by Maria

There's nothing quite like a royal romance for fairtytale quality, is there?  The recent royal wedding proved that.  Royal romances tend to capture our imagination and lift us out of the everyday grind.  Of course we all know deep down that the reality is often totally opposite to glamour and happiness, but it doesn't seem to deter our eagerness to learn more about them.

For Ria, her romance with Alexei, the future king of Mecjoria, was all about duty and what was best for their country. Never mind the fact that she'd been in love with him forever.  But deep down, Ria needs so much more than just the assurance that she's saving her country from possible turmoil.  She's a real woman and not just a duchess and she yearns for love, passion, romance.  Just like any other woman.  So will Alexei be able to give her what she's yearning for?  Or will theirs be just another cold, loveless union?

Kate Walker has been missing from the romance novel scene for over a year and she has been missed.  Her thoughtful, deep romantic stories strike a chord with women worldwide, with her vulnerable yet strong heroines and alpha male heroes.  When you pick up one of her stories, you get a couple of hours of sheer escape from the everyday grind and get swept off into another reality.  For a while at least.

Kate Walker's many fans are going to love this.  This is a great introduction for new readers too, to the author who writes 'emotionally rich and passionately intense' romance.

The Devil and Miss Jones by Kate Walker

Reviewed by Desere :

Imagine driving around trying to escape a life of demons and suddenly out pops a bride in full wedding attire! Whoa right ! That is the opening scene of the brilliant read from Kate Walker. And you know when a book has such a awesome opening scene your definitely in for a fantastic book all the way.

And what a book this was indeed. The author took me on a journey of love,self discovery,passion and romance. I loved how the author created such a almost magical world for the characters to unfold in for me the reader. We see the sexy and somewhat mysterious Carlos Diablo (I know what your thinking and yes Diablo means devil but trust me on this you will be more than pleasantly surprised when you learn this man's true nature,no devil at all )learn a valuable lesson in life and at the same time he leans to escape his demons that he has been running from.  I simply loved how the author unveiled his develish clock !

Then there is Martha the run-a-way bride ,she was such a fabulous character ! Feisty in her own right but at the same time scared half to death of being a single mother. I loved how the author showed me that Martha was not who she really seemed ,sounds intriguing ,you bet ,very nice twist Mrs. Walker !

 I have always loved Kate Walker books and I have never been disappointed by her work and this time I was even more amazed than before for she completely took my breath away with this fabulous book ! Well done !

5/5




Reviewed by Maria

She meets him on the road, as she flees in full bridal regalia, from the sham of her wedding that never was.  He's lost in a private hell, trying to forget the family and the home to which he never really belonged.  They're two of a kind.  He sweeps her off her feet and takes her to heaven and back.  Then he walks out to think it over.  When he returns, she's gone.  He didn't even know her first name, and he'd only told her his first name and nickname, Carlos Diablo.

But their passion which burned for such a short time has consequences.  Oh, what consequences!  When they meet up four months later, there is a lot of heart and soul searching to be done.

Can they make a couple?  A family?  Should they?  Is it possible?  Is it necessary?   Love always finds a way.  Get this book and find out if they do it and how.

This book is, in my opinion, a potential romance classic.


Review by Nas

 THE DEVIL AND MISS JONES is multi published author, Kate Walker’s sixtieth title! It is released by Mills & Boon Modern as well as Harlequin Presents line in April 2012.

Just as Martha Jones get in her wedding finery, she walks into her fiancé’s bedroom to find him with her chief bridesmaid. She walks away from the wedding and runs into Carlos Ortega.

Carlos was also running away from everything. The attraction is instant and the chemistry between them crackles and sizzles.

This runaway bride has one passionate night with gorgeous Carlos. With no intention of being a clinging virgin, she walks away from him. But the consequences of that one night bring her back to face him a few months later. Will Carlos let Martha just walk back in his life? For he was devastated when he’d found her gone.

What will happen when Carlos finds out just why Martha is back? But they find to their surprise that attraction between them still sizzles!

Kate Walker has written a fun, engrossing and fast paced story in THE DEVIL AND MISS JONES. There are hidden depths to Martha and Carlos characters. The emotional and sensory details are exquisitely done. THE DEVIL AND MISS JONES has strong characters, snappy dialogue, and tender, sweet and exciting moments which will keep a reader riveted from the first page.

Buy Links:

Mills & Boon UK

Amazon

AmazonUK




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The Return Of The Stranger by Kate Walker

Reviewed by Maria

Imagine one of literature's greatest love stories, that of Cathy and Heathcliff, taking place in today's era of mobiles and computers? Yes, it's possible to read it, courtesy of the wonderful Kate Walker. THE RETURN OF THE STRANGER is a version of the eternal classic WUTHERING HEIGHTS as a contemporary romance novel. It's quite a thrilling read. For those of us who read WUTHERING HEIGHTS and even those of us who didn't.

This author wrote a very similar story to this about four years ago. It was published as BEDDED BY THE GREEK MILLIONAIRE. I didn't like the title, but I loved the story. The lady of the manor gets a big surprise when the former stable hand (who was unceremoniously turfed out a couple of years previously) returns - as the manor's new owner. Although THE RETURN OF THE STRANGER has a similar type of plot, the two stories are quite different. What makes a book with a similar plot different to another is the characterisation. Kat makes a warmer and more mature heroine than the GREEK MILLIONAIRE'S Jessica. And Heath Montanha is a Brazilian, not a Greek, although both males are undeniably alpha, with a keen sense of honour.

The bleak atmosphere of the windswept Yorkshire moors comes through even in this retake of a classic. But there are differences which might upset a WUTHERING HEIGHTS purist. Heath is not quite the embittered scoundrel that Heathcliff was - or rather became by the end of the story and a life without his beloved Cathy (Kat). Heathcliff, Emily Bronte's original character, took revenge on Hareton, the son of his late tormentor, Cathy's brother. Heath Montanha is quite unlike that, refusing to blame the son for the sins of the father. The character of Arthur Charlton, Kat's husband (Edgar Linton in the original book), is drastically different. Edgar Linton was a well meaning if rather foolish fellow who seriously thought that his late wife Catherine was waiting for him in Heaven's drawing room, when her soul was out on the moors crying out for her beloved Heathcliff. Modern Kat's late husband Arthur Charlton (who has already rather conveniently died before Heath's return) was a closet homosexual who was seriously into gambling. He had also mentally tortured his wife, blaming her for his failure to arouse him sexually, when he was in fact not programmed for a heterosexual relationship. Heath Montanha is shocked to learn that Kat is still a virgin when they finally make love. That wasn't so in WUTHERING HEIGHTS. When the stranger returned, Cathy was no widowed virgin, she was very much married and very much pregnant. I've absolutely no doubt that had the original Cathy's health not been so fragile in pregnancy, she'd have dumped Edgar without a second thought and run away with Heathcliff. I also feel that she'd have had no conscience about leaving her child either. The modern Kat is a softer, calmer woman who I could not envisage doing that.

As I earlier mentioned, what makes one book different from another in spite of having similar plots, is the characterisation. That's why I cannot quite take it that THE RETURN OF THE STRANGER is the twenty first century's answer to WUTHERING HEIGHTS. But as a tribute, it is excellent. And as contemporary romance novel, it fits the bill. It takes you out of your world, gives you an enjoyable emotional experience and satisfactory closure. And believe me (I've read a lot of novels), it doesn't really get much better than that.

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Reviewed by Nas

THE RETURN OF THE STRANGER is the latest enthralling presentation by author Kate Walker for Mills & Boon Modern and Harlequin Presents line.

Heath is back. But why? To take revenge on Kat’s brother who had thrown him out to live in the shed, and her husband who had always derided him? He is more powerful and wealthier than any of them now.

But coming back, he also comes face to face with his childhood friend and teenage love, Kat. Would he be able to walk away again?

Lady Katherine Charlton, now a widow, missed her childhood friend. But can she welcome back this dark, brooding stranger he has turned into?



Austtralia/NZ cover



His very nearness entrances as well as terrifies Kat. Is she frightened of him or of herself and her own feelings?

Author Kate Walker’s own unique take on the classic story of Wuthering Heights makes this into a happily ever after love story. It is a gripping tale of past secrets, scandal, and is full of sizzle and mesmerizing emotion.

A wonderfully written and richly layered love story from one of Harlequin Presents’ most popular authors, THE RETURN OF THE STRANGER is another keeper from the always fabulous Kate Walker!

Buy Links

Amazon UK                        Mills & Boon

Ebook at Harlequin              Amazon         M&B Australia