When Dubai Sheik Amir Abu al Bari arrives in Dallas to meet with an architectural firm, his goal is to contract them to design the world’s largest skyscraper in his home country. He never counted on meeting Jamie, a junior architect who captivates him from the moment he laid eyes on her. He must have her for his own. Recruiting her for his project becomes his objective, as Amir believes that as soon as the lovely woman sees his vast wealth, she’ll consent to becoming his wife.

Jamie doesn’t want to go to Dubai, much less with this arrogantly wealthy sheik, regardless of what this project will do for her career. But bargains are struck and Jamie travels to Dubai in the sheik’s private jet. Aloof from the very beginning, Jamie refuses to allow his charms to work on her. He won’t be swayed in his desire for her, but Jamie quickly shows the sheik that he has a lot to learn in matters of the heart.

The Sheik’s Design is a tale of one man’s single-minded quest to lure a woman to his country to make her his wife. After love at first sight, unbeknownst to Jamie, Amir pays her boss handsomely to send her with him to work on his skyscraper. However, once Jamie is within his palace it becomes clear that he never had any intention of letting her work on the project. As a romance, one would think the hero should be attractive, but his complete arrogance and assumption that Jamie would be his, no matter what, did nothing but repel this reader.

A great deal of the story is spent on Jamie’s insistence that she is only here for her expertise in architectural design not for any of the sheik’s incessant wooing, and the sheik’s arguing that he loves her (after only one day) and his arrogant assertions that Jamie will be his wife. While this non-stop arguing might be good for conflict within a story, very little time is spent on the actual development of these two characters as a couple.

It also seems rather unrealistic of Jamie, who has little trust for anyone, and who has not only spent the entire time trying to deflect the advances of the rich Arab prince, but has also been vociferously denying there could be anything in common between them, all of a sudden capitulates and declares she loves him too.

Although Ms. Leonard’s writing was technically good, the premise was too short for the story length. It really seemed that had she given this couple a little more time to get to know each other, and make the tension between the arguing couple gradually phase to one of acceptance and affection, the story would be much more realistic and palatable. The Sheik’s Design just didn’t do it for me, but I refuse to give up on this author.

Reviewed by: Bella