Calla was simply the answer to everything Fatim needed. She fulfilled the role of his seamstress, nanny, and now in order to fulfill the requirements of a law he needs a wife. He swore never to fall in love again but quickly finds himself falling for the one woman who could mean everything to him. Great start to a new series.

The Sheikh's Wife Arrangement is the first book in the Safar Sheikhs series by Leslie North. Ancient law dictates that Sheikh Fatim Safar has to marry or be disinherited by his 30th birthday. Fatim isn’t worried—he married years earlier and had two children with his wife before she died. But there’s a catch: the law states he must be married at age 30. Two weeks from his 30th birthday, there’s no time to change it or fight it. Calla Clark is out to prove her parents wrong.Calla is in the Middle East to prove her design prowess., and what better way to do that then becoming seamstress for the royal family and getting to drape fabric over the sexy Sheikh’s rock-hard body. She can’t act on her temptations, of course. She’s got goals to crush. Still, when she watches the way the Sheikh commands his tribe, and cares for his kids, she can’t help but feel an undeniable attraction. Fatim has taken a liking to Calla, too. She’s smart, thoughtful, and good with his children. With his birthday right around the corner, Fatim offers her the position as his wife. It’s only temporary, and in return for marrying him and helping with his children, he’ll give her everything she needs for the upcoming Fashion Week. Calla agrees, so long as he helps keep her dream alive. With so many differences between them, Fatim and Calla’s powerful pairing could raise the tribe up to modern heights, or send it to the bin like last season’s cast-offs.

The Sheikh's Wife Arrangement is a romance that works because of the complex characters. Yes, a marriage of convenience turned to love is not a new trope, but it totally works here. Calla is a strong woman that wants to prove herself, to show her skill in clothes design. She cares about others, and her biggest issue is that she has trouble saying no outright and tends to over extend herself. Fatim shares the trait of often overtaxing himself, but in his case it is because he wants everything to be as good as it can for his people. Both are trying to do too much, and prove themselves to be worthy of the trust others place in them and their own skills. There is a good amount of heat, a solid emotional crisis and solution, and some funny moments as well. I like that both characters had their own growth and concerns outside the relationship- even though they did affect it. They did not lose their other goals as soon as they fell in love, instead it brought their own issues to light and forced them to face them on their own. Calla had to figure out how to relate to the other women in the country, Fatim had to figure out how to rule balancing tradition and modern ideas as well as love.

The Sheikh's Wife Arrangement is va good example of North's writing, and I think fans will want to start off this series right away. It has well written characters and emotional conflict. I liked it so much that I already downloaded the next title in the series.

I kind of wish this book had been longer, just because it would have been nice to get to see more of the development of Calla and Fatim’s relationship and how they were with the kids and each other. I also wish they would have already had some kind of a working relationship before the marriage proposal, just because it would have made more sense for how quickly they fell in love and got along.

I did like both their characters, with how passionate and hardworking Calla was and how loyal and steadfast Fatim was. I loved the two of them and how they fell for each other and how she was the partner he always needed and how great she was with the kids and how well they worked together on everything, how she gave him advice on ruling and how he walked in her fashion show. They were just so great together.

Calla has travelled to the Middle East to use her dress making talents to gain experience and start designing her own garments with a hope to having her own fashion house in the future. She is drawn to her client Sheikh Fatim Safar, but knows he hardly notices her. But maybe that isn’t true as he realises she may be just the person to help him out with a couple of problems that have arisen in his household. Colourful eastern story. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Another great read by Leslie North. I am a huge fan and can not get enough of her books. Her Sheikh books are some of my favorite.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

Fatim needs to be married by his 30th birthday and asks Calla to be his children's nanny then his temporary wife, thinking that he would not need love or her after a year. Unfortunately, for Calla she falls for Fatim and finds out that he won't love her.

There is a lot of emotion as they live together and need to keep up appearances, it is a rocky road as they try to get their HEA!

It is a 157-page sizzling, hot, erotic and romantic novella about the King of Amatbah, Sheikh Fatim and the royal seamstress-turned-nanny, Calla Clark. An ancient law of the land states that the king has to be married on his 30th birthday or he forfeits his right to the throne. There is no way around it, and it doesn’t matter that the king is a widower and has two children to take up the throne after him. So, in a hurried decision, more like a business agreement, where both parties decide what they would get out of it, they get married. It follows 18+ scenes that call for a dip in the holy water.
The good points in the novella were that the narration and the storytelling were perfect. I loved the complexity of the male figure and the change of decisions in his life that made him grow as a character. As for the female character, I would have loved if the author, Leslie North, would have driven deeper into her past as she did for her present. Also, I was head-over-heels in love with their romance.
The bad point was that it could have been anywhere in the world other than the Middle East and it would have been the same. The setting of the novella had no involvement in the narration, whatsoever. There were talks about the change in the way of living in Amatbah from traditional to modern but the author never mentioned what is modern in the sense of the book. Being western? Being different from the traditional? We don’t know.
Overall, the novella is a good, one-time read for someone who isn’t searching for anything serious to read. It is a beautiful love story, and I would have liked it better if it was expanded. It is only the first book in the Sheikh Safar series, and I’m looking forward to reading the following books. The book is surely recommended.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, Relay Publishing, for providing me with a free copy.

Firstly, this novella is really well written - no problem with grammar, writing style etc. For me though, I found the story very bland, boring and predictable and I wasn't transported to the middle east at all. In fact this book could have been set anywhere - especially somewhere in modern America, as the dialogue certainly has a laid back, US vibe. As for Fatim being a King of a country? - well I got none of that - mentioning the palace, the desert and tents, does not create a middle eastern setting. This book would be okay to read if you were on holiday and relaxing on a beach somewhere - pick it up if you have nothing else to do. There were a few steamy scenes and the romance was insta-lust/love and the characters were cookie cutter. It was a pleasant read, but I wouldn't deliberately seek out anything this author. Sorry. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Because of an ancient law Sheikh Fatim Safar has to marry or be disinherited by his 30th birthday. Fatim isn’t worried since he married years earlier and had two children with his wife before she died. But then he learns there’s a catch: the law states he must be married at age 30. Since he only has two weeks before his 30th birthday he needs to find a wife.,

Calla Clark is out to prove her parents wrong. Instead of marrying well like her mother wanted, she moves to the Middle East to pursue her designer dreams. She becomes the seamstress for the royal family with hopes of getting her designs shown in the upcoming Fashion Week.

Fatim has taken a liking to Calla and the way she interacts with his children. With his birthday right around the corner, Fatim offers her the position as his wife and in return for marrying him and helping with his children, he’ll give her everything she needs for the upcoming Fashion Week. This temporary arrangement turns into great benefits.

The Sheikh’s Wife Arrangement (The Safar Sheikhs Series # 1) by: Leslie North was a book I could't put down.

Calla is seamstress to the King, a job she is very happy with.until he offers her another job she can't turn down. But is she in over her head? Calla and King Fatim was an unlikely match,right from the beginning. Sheikh Fatim needs to remarry before his 30th birthday, and Calla seems to be the best choice. She agrees to be married for a year. It was nothing more than a business deal..or was it?.

I loved every second of this book. The plot was perfect, the flow of the story was perfect...seriously a perfect romance book! ,


ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cute fast paced and fun read, nice romance and likeable characters. Another fun Leslie North read as I’ve come to expect from her, something light and fun that leaves you satisfied.

This book is like a trip down memory lane and into a nostalgic world of romance. Safe and yet passionate the story ends too soon. It is straight up romantic without drama, doublecross or misunderstanding that provides a feel good after a quick read. Thanks to netgalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book and congrats to the author on a job well done

This was an advanced copy read for an honest review.
This is a story of marriage of convenience. He King must marry before 30 th birthday. Although the King has been married and has two children the law states he must be married on his 30th birthday. Will the king get married in time? Is love in the cards for him this time?

While the story was good he was expected.

Calla tipped her head back to look up at the King Of Amitabh. She was the royal seamstress for King Fatim. Calla was very tempted by King Fatim which threw her circle of professional experience right out the window with her attraction to the king. She hated correcting the king . Or anyone in his family. Really anyone. “Stand up straighter.” His chocolate eyes swept her away. And for a moment, their gazes locked. Electricity snapped through her. Nasser was the king's youngest brother, the youngest of three. Calla had only been working at the palace for a handful of weeks. But she had come to know the quirks of all three brothers very quickly. As the palace’s newest employee she wanted to gobble up everything. To establish herself as a royal seamstress, sure, but her path didn’t end there. The goal posts stood much farther away as Cala aimed for the esteemed position of royal designer, which would ultimately lead her to the ultimate goal within the next five years showing her designs at the world-famous Amitabh Fashion week for the first time in her life. She just had to keep her head down, work hard, and do an amazing job. And don’t let the king’s naughty area distract her. Near everything about King Fatim fascinated her. She wanted to see his angry side. Working on his wardrobe was one of the highlights of her job. Fatim fired the nanny for the way she manhandled his daughter. Calla offered to take care of his son and daughter-Rashad and Nara- so he could continue with his duties for the day. He told the king he could find them in the garden when he was ready. Yaret was King Fatim’s lawyer. He’d been king for nearly six years but he still struggled at times to keep his head from spinning right off his shoulders. Fatim had an interest in Calla he needed to squash and too many fantasies about tracing the curve of her bare butt with his hands. Yaret said there was an ancient decree that he must be married on his 30th birthday ceremony or step down from the throne. Fatim said” I was married I have an heir and a spare.” Yaret said but you aren’t married now. Yaret added they were lucky he caught it before the kings ceremony. Fatim’s birthday is only two weeks away. His kids wanted a mother badly. His wife had died of cancer. For Fatim marriage needed to be a business move. Calla had taken the royal seamstress job because it was part of her forward -moving plan, the carefully arranged steps that lead her toward being an internationally recognized designer. Fatim asked her first to become the royal nanny at a doubled salary than he came to her and asked her to marry him and why and she decided to say yes. He said he would help her in anyway he could to achieve her goal/dream.
I love this romantic book. I loved Calla and Fatim together and how they interacted. I loved how Fatim interacted with her Nara and Rashed. Ms. North you did it, yet another great book including Sheikhs. I read this in one setting as I didn’t want to put it down. I loved Calla held on to her dream and also worked to fit in with the tribal wives and listened to them and told Fatim what they had said. I also loved how Calla would do anything to help Fatim. I was happy when Fatim finally opened himself up to love someone besides his brothers and children. I loved the plot and pace. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I highly recommend this.

This quick novella was just what I needed to spice up my typical reads. The King of his tribe, Fatim, finds out there is an ancient law in place requiring him to be married when he turns thirty which is coming up in just two weeks. He's been married before and has two children but his previous wife passed away. Apparently that doesn't matter, the law requires he be "currently" married when he's thirty.

Calla was serving as the royal seamstress and is currently filling in as the nanny. As luck (or fate) would have it, she happens to be the lucky girl that Fatim asks to marry him in a strictly "business" arrangement. Of course, they are both secretly attracted to each other so there are sure to be some steamy moments ahead....

I enjoyed this quick read and look forward to reading more in this series.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

It’s always a wonder how small choices may have big outcomes. The after effects for both of the main characters turns out to be a conclusion neither saw or possibly imagined any better. But being willing to show the depths of your love brings untold joy. Going above the butterflies in your tummy feel to care more for another over your wants and needs is the ultimate sign of love. You will fall in love with Calla and Fatim and the kingdom of Amatbah.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

A sweet romance is what I'd call this, a tale that shows you can always expect the unexpected when it comes to love.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC, it sure made my afternoon.

The Sheikh’s Wife Arrangement
(The Safar Sheikhs Series Book 1)
by Leslie North 

Kindle Edition, 157 pages
Published August 12th 2019

Goodreads synopsis:
Ancient law dictates that Sheikh Fatim Safar has to marry or be disinherited by his 30th birthday. Fatim isn’t worried—he married years earlier and had two children with his wife before she died. But there’s a catch: the law states he must be married at age 30. Two weeks from his 30th birthday, there’s no time to change it or fight it...it’s more expedient to marry. 

Calla Clark is out to prove her parents wrong. Instead of marrying well like her mother wanted, Calla’s in the Middle East to prove her design prowess. And what better way to do that then becoming seamstress for the royal family and getting to drape fabric over the sexy Sheikh’s rock-hard body. She can’t act on her temptations, of course. She’s got goals to crush. Still, when she watches the way the Sheikh commands his tribe, and cares for his kids, she can’t help but feel an undeniable attraction. 

Fatim has taken a liking to Calla, too. She’s smart, thoughtful, and good with his children. With his birthday right around the corner, Fatim offers her the position as his wife. It’s only temporary, and in return for marrying him and helping with his children, he’ll give her everything she needs for the upcoming Fashion Week. Calla agrees...so long as he helps keep her dream alive. 

With so many differences between them, Fatim and Calla’s powerful pairing could raise the tribe up to modern heights, or send it to the bin like last season’s cast-offs. 


***

4.5 Stars

This is the first book in the Safar Sheikhs series by Leslie North.

I picked this ARC up because I had recently read THE RANCHER’S SECOND CHANCE and really liked it. North was a co-author on that book so I figured I’d give it a try. It didn’t disappoint.

Basic premise: The Sheikh Fatam Safar is in a bind. With his previous wife deceased, he now won’t be married on his 30th birthday. Ancient law says he must give up the throne if he is not married upon his 30th birthday. It is a technicality but one they can’t over look. Calla is the royal seamstress and the Sheikh asks her to take over the nanny duties for a short time. Then later he brings out the big guns and says he wants her to be his wife just on paper. Make it look good to the public but not be real in any other way. A babysitter with benefits, so to speak.

This book was pretty short but I thought it was a good romance. You get that international flavor with the bit of suspense and surprise that some romantic suspense has. You can feel Calla’s dread upon making the decision to be the Sheikh’s wife and wondering how it will effect her aspiration as a fashion designer appearing in Fashion Week.

I really liked the epilogue the best. What a hoot that would have been watching the Sheikh on the runway at Fashion Week!

This book gives you all the feels. If you love contemporary romance, definitely check this one out.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

This ARC was courtesy of netgalley - all thoughts and opinions are mine and unbiased

This is the first in a new series from Leslie North. I have read other series from this author so was thrilled to be able to read an advanced copy of this

I found this a fun, quick read and really enjoyed it. Great characters - really looking forward to reading more of the series

If you like your romances a little more exotic - you'll love this

a great summer read

A law required his marriage and a desire to prove her worth brought them together. First book in the Safar Sheikhs series.