The Sheikh's Christmas Present

The second Shadid brother finds his love in the most unexpected place. Jarik is trying to get to Lebanon to deal with his friend Kivi and the trial that can keep his former friend behind bars. Maria is on a mission to get her plane filled with toys and such to Syria and the refugee camp for her charity Christmas Crates. When Jarik uses his money to get a spot on Maria's plane neither thought they would fall for the other. Their story isn't without its hardships; a charity missing money, the weather that grounds them and neither being totally honest but that kind of love is worth every struggle they may face if they have the strength to admit how they feel. The Shadids are finding their Christmas spirit with a little help from the women they love. This is another great read from Leslie North. I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

The Sheikh's Christmas Present (Shadid Sheikhs Series Book 2) Who needs mistletoe when a snowstorm can prove just as rewarding? Jarik is easy on the eyes, with a bank account big enough to draw anyone's attention. Maria leads with her heart. This firecracker wants to make a difference in the world and her charity work helps her do just that. When Mr. Ego and Ms. Chip on Her Shoulder meet the chill in the air quickly becomes a raging inferno. The Sheikh's Christmas Present brought heated exchanges and magical moments as it lit up my heart with this dynamite duo.

<strong>Great love story </strong><br /><br />So so romantic-full of a sassy determined woman who runs a charity to provide much needed medicines, food and toys to proverbs he's families around the world. Enter a stubborn, hot sheik, mix the two and you get fireworks.

This book gripped you from the start. The story followed the usual romance genre, but I read it all in one sitting as I couldn't put it down. It was a sweet romance with some difficult times for the couple, following a large donation to a Christmas charity. I look forward to reading the first book in the series although the story doesn't require it.<br /><br />I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Maria is a pilot who runs a Christmas charity. She is closed off to the idea of any sort of long-term romantic relationship. Jarik needs to get to Lebanon to complete an incredibly important task. He's not thinking about a long-term romantic relationship. When the two of them meet they are immediately drawn to each other. They both are great at not sharing important information with one another and that hinders any sort of future. Or does it?<br /><br />Maria is committed to her career as a pilot and her charity, Christmas Crates. She's not a very complex character. She is standoffish about relationships because of her mother's infidelities. She is very self-reliant. Jarik is the second son so he knows it's unlikely he'll take over his father's role as Sheik. He lives a good life with access to lots of money. He has a solid sense of right and wrong. He's not a very complex character. Like his brother, Samir, he has been hurting since his mother dies years ago. He is very self-reliant. The one thing that I will say is that I really appreciated the epilogue but I won't say why except that it gives the characters a little more depth.<br /><br />This one didn't give me all of the feels but it was still enjoyable. I would prefer to give it 3.5 stars but that wasn't an option so I gave it 4. I will read more from this author and certainly the final book in this series because I want to know how it is all tied up in the end.<br /><br />I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

If you are looking for realism, you might want to consider reading another book. Actually, if you are looking for realism in romance novels in general, you are reading the wrong genre. To me, romance novels are about escape, fantasy in a somewhat relatable setting and entertainment.<br /><br />The Sheik's Christmas present is that exactly. An entertaining ride, that features charming characters who are trying to make the best out of situations they have been put in. Yes, I was a little bit put off by how much the female main character, Maria Walken, disliked wealth and money, almost a little too much, but I have actually met a few people who think of being wealthy equals being a bad person, no matter if there is evidence to the contrary. <br /><br />My dislike of Maria was counterbalanced by the charming, somewhat overbearing male lead, Jarik, who had his own agenda, and would stop nothing from getting him there. <br /><br />I did, however, find the whole "Christmas setting" at the end overbearing. The subject matter centered around Syrian refugees and the Middle East, not exactly the place where anyone would be to eager to celebrate a Christian holiday.<br /><br />This little unrealistic romance made for an entertaining read, perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon.<br /><br />I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

You never know what these young Sheikh's are up to but you can bet that the women don't make it easy on them. This was a great little holiday treat. I love to see how the men that seem so strong are the ones that fall the hardest!!

I would like to thank netgalley and Relay Publishing for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. <br /><br />I really didn't get into this book. I felt that she should already be charging him with sexual harassment.

Beach Christmas.<br />Awesome book. Maria runs a charity that distributes Christmas presents to children in refugee camps. As a pilot she makes sure they get there along with her friend, Tessa. When Jarik offers her a large donation to take him with her at first she declines but, he’s willing to double it and she can’t say no. After an emergency landing and another detour they end up being together for a few days. During this time Jarik falls in love with Maria but, she won’t allow herself to fall for him. She sent Tessa ahead to make sure everything was ready for the celebration they had planned. Her brother, Sebastian, should have been there already but wasn’t and he wasn’t returning her calls. He finally calls and he’ll be there in a couple hours and Maria says they will be there that night. So, when Jarik and Maria arrive she is surprised when Tessa says Sebastian still hasn’t shown up yet. Jarik tries to get her to calm down but when he hits too close to home about his money Maria lashes out and tells him to go. The next morning she is exhausted from sorting out the gifts when Sebastian finally makes an appearance with the press in tow. When he takes credit for her work she is furious and wants to know where the rest of the money is. Maria yells at him until it dawns on her. When the scandal hits Sebastian could single-handedly destroy her charity’s reputation. Maria looks at her bank account and is shocked to see that Jarik kept his word and deposited his donation and at the same time she gets an email from him requesting a meeting. In light of her brother’s deception she can’t refuse him. Jarik has no plans to interfere with the funds, he just needs an excuse to talk to Maria again. She has walls up around her but, he’s determined to turn them to rubble at his feet. Who will win?.<br /><br />I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Sheikh Jarik was determined to fix what happened. He left his security detail at home and was traveling to the court case. His father told him to let it go. Jarik wanted to make sure Kivi got what was coming to him. While riding a bus to get to the airport he noticed a woman trying to catch up to the bus. He asked the driver to stop for her. She was flustered and looking for her wallet. He paid her fair and the bus started moving. The woman fell right into him. She was able to feel all of him. Maria was the pilot trying to make her way to Syria to deliver the Christmas gifts and supplies. While talking to Tessa a man appeared by the cockpit. Jarik offered Maria money for a ride. He didn’t want to be noticed. During the flight something happened to the plane where they had to land. Maria was told the plane was grounded and it will be awhile. Jarik was determined not to leave Maria alone. Maria wanted to go separate ways and was almost attacked. Jarik saved her and refused to leave her side. Maria was fighting her feelings for Jarik. The come from separate worlds. They want different things in life but she just can’t stay away. Things are heating up between them. Maria has not heard from her brother. She is worried about her charity. Maria learned people are not what they seem. This is a good story. I can’t wait to read about the oldest brother