I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Guilty Pleasure
by
Lora Leigh
erotic romance, erotica in Paperback edition that was published by St. Martin's Griffin on January 5, 2010 and has 312 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Styx's Storm, Moving Violations, Cops and Cowboys, B.O.B.'s Fall, Manaconda, A Wish a Kiss a Dream, "Dragon Prime", Primal, Live Wire, Navarro's Promise, Forbidden Pleasure, Beyond the Dark, Black Jack, Tempting the Beast, Dangerous Pleasure, Maverick, Man Within, Midnight Sins, Wild Card, Tied with a Bow, Lawe's Justice, Legally Hot, Deadly Sins, Stygian's Honor, Surrender to Fire, Nauti Temptress, Submission & Seduction, Wicked Sacrifice, Secret Sins, Nautier and Wilder, Shameless Embraces, Wicked Pleasure, Only Pleasure, Wicked Lies, Twin Passions, Nauti Enchantress, Shattered Legacy, Intense Pleasure, Knight Stalker, Enthralled, Secret Pleasure, Rule Breaker, "The One", Nauti Angel, Nauti Seductress, Wake a Sleeping Tiger, Collision Point, Cross Breed, One Tough Cowboy, Hot for the Holidays, Dawn's Awakening, "Night Hawk"
Eleventh in the Bound Hearts erotica romance series. The couple focus is on Marty Mathews and Prince Khalid el Hamid-Mustafa.
My Take
It’s such a luscious sort of phrase, and on the opposite end of the spectrum from man-whore: “…one of the most sexually active men she had ever laid her eyes on.” And we finally learn why Khalid has been so busy being only a third.
This story took an unexpected direction with the object of Khalid’s desires the federal agent assigned to follow him. Useful too as it enables Khalid to indulge in his more dangerous activities for the FBI director.
Oh, brother, Deerfield has got some issues! Marty can’t find anything, and he continues to insist that something has to be there. Simply because he wants there to be? Isn’t anyone paying attention in the FBI?
Yup, I have to agree with Ally and Courtney. Marty is her own worst enemy, too content to wait while Khalid is too strong-willed to step up and endanger her.
As much as I enjoyed this story in general, I hate it when an author pulls the don’t tell her information that may keep her safe card. Arghh. There are other irritations: that Abram can’t get a recorder close enough to prove Ayid and Aman are involved — gimme a break. With all the technology available?? The sheikh being so one-sided about his terrorist sons and yet wanting his other two sons to be loyal to him, Khalid claiming he won’t hide his past from Marty and then doing just that, and what is it with men who are so sensitive when they’re thirds and suddenly become terrified idiots when they finally make a move!?
I do understand her fathers being so concerned with her safety, even if at least one of them is being an idiot. Even with warning Khalid away from her. That NIMBY-attitude. Admittedly they do know the issues in Khalid’s life and they are fathers…
Then the two terrorist half-brothers? WTF is wrong with…well, really, that’s a stupid question. Anyone who can justify terrorism is all sorts of wrong.
I’m torn on this story. Yes, it was an interesting read — and primarily because we finally get the scoop on Khalid! But I do hate it when the author falls into those “stupid” tropes (as mentioned above) and has so many supposedly intelligent people acting stupidly…ah well. I’m still giving it a 4 simply because I do adore Khalid.
I think my biggest regret about this story is that it takes Khalid out of play…he does have the most beautiful way with words.
The Story
Vince Deerfield has been pressuring Marty to find anything that could convict Khalid of terrorism, and he is so disappointed when he’s forced to cancel the operation.
It does, however, mean that Marty is free to pursue the man she has desired since she was fifteen, and she’ll need every bit of her iron will to succeed.
Yet Khalid does have his guilty reasons for staying away from her. And he has his own agenda where his half-brothers are concerned. One he has been pursuing diligently for years.
The Characters
Marty Mathews, an FBI agent, has been assigned to spy on Khalid Mustafa for the past two years. The director of the FBI is also Marty’s godfather, Zachary Jennings, and the third in her parents’ relationship. U.S. Senator Joe Mathews is Marty’s father; Virginia, a lawyer, is her mother. Her sneaky parents have all sorts of sources on how Deerfield treats their little girl.
Prince Khalid el Hamid-Mustafa is the half-Saudi, illegitimate, youngest son of a Saudi sheik, suspected of terrorism. And one of Zach Jennings’ deepest undercover agents. Abdul is Khalid’s driver and very well aware of Marty’s cheekiness. Abram el Hamid-Mustafa, Azir’s heir and the eldest, is like enough to Khalid to be his twin brother instead of simply his half-brother. The two are close and were once much closer. Lessa Mustafa was Abram’s young wife who was murdered. Khalid’s mother, Marilyn Kobrin, a French college student, was bought, raped, and held prisoner in Mustafa’s palace. Once she escaped with Khalid, she ended up marrying Pavlos Galbraith, a Greek multibillionaire.
Azir Mustafa, his father, is a religious hardliner with a blind eye about his middle sons: Aman and Ayid. Khalid and Abram’s half-brothers, they are deeply involved in terrorism and murder. Their father will lie, cheat, and steal for them, but not for his oldest and youngest sons. And he can’t figure out why Khalid wants nothing to do with him…
Alyssa Stanhope has been Marty’s friend since childhood; Courtney Sinclair, the wife of Ian Sinclair, who owns the Sinclair Club where men meet to relax, drink, and share their women. Tanya is one of those involuntary friends, someone Marty has known for years; her husband, Mike Collie, is an executive with Tanya’s father’s engineering firm and much more intelligent. Anger Thornton’s family has been a power since colonial days and throws a highly exclusive ball once a year.
Sebastian de Lorents has been Courtney’s friend forever, used to work for Interpol, and now he works as a manager of the Club for Ian. Shayne Connor is an undercover CIA agent who frequently works out of the Middle East. He and Sebastian have been friends for years. It seems he has some interest in a relationship similar to what Zach and Joe have with Virginia. Mac McCoy from Forbidden Pleasure, 8, shows up in the nick of time.
Vince Deerfield is the FBI division chief who is Marty’s boss. Braque Sawyers has a private security and investigation firm which has offered Marty a job.
The Cover and Title
The cover is split into three discreet horizontal bands: a sheer black at the bottom hints at their naked torsos, the sheer middle band of pink focuses on the author’s name, and the top is a photograph from their nude shoulders on up to her nose — Khalid is very involved in kissing her neck.
The title refers to Khalid’s feelings of Guilty Pleasure, an indulgence he feels he doesn’t deserve.
