And The Desert Blooms

Beau Lantry #3

by Iris Johansen

#1 New York Times bestseller Iris Johansen pairs an exotic locale with an irresistible man in this classic love story that proves anything is possible when a woman knows in her heart that it’s right….

Don’t look for me. I’ll come back when I’m ready. Pandora Madchen wrote those words when she ran off six years ago. In that time she’d become a sensation with the rock group Nemesis, toured the world, and grown up, but she never forgot the promise she made herself. Now Pandora was ready to return to the desert state of Sedikhan and the man she’d loved too soon and too much. Sheik Philip El Kabbar was a businessman whose power and influence extended throughout the world—but for six long years he’d been unable to find the woman he still considered it his duty to protect. She’d come back on her own terms and to take the kind of erotic gamble that Philip always won. Only this time he wasn’t sure that in winning they wouldn’t both lose what matters most. Or that in loving her, he wouldn’t be hurting them both.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Loveswept, Fiction, Contemporary, Audiobook, Mystery

192 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Iris Johansen is a New York Times bestselling author. She began her writing after her children left home for college. She first achieved success in the early 1980s writing category romances. In 1991, Johansen began writing suspense historical romance novels, starting with the publication of The Wind Dancer. In 1996 Johansen switched genres, turning to crime fiction, with which she has had great success.

She lives in Georgia and is married. Her son, Roy Johansen, is an Edgar Award-winning screenwriter and novelist. Her daughter, Tamara, serves as her research assistant.

IRIS JOHANSEN is The New York Times bestselling author of Night and Day, Hide Away, Shadow Play, Your Next Breath, The Perfect Witness, Live to See Tomorrow, Silencing Eve, Hunting Eve, Taking Eve, Sleep No More, What Doesn't Kill You, Bonnie, Quinn, Eve, Chasing The Night, Eight Days to Live, Blood Game, Deadlock, Dark Summer, Pandora's Daughter, Quicksand, Killer Dreams, On The Run, and more. And with her son, Roy Johansen, she has coauthored Night Watch, The Naked Eye, Sight Unseen, Close Your Eyes, Shadow Zone, Storm Cycle, and Silent Thunder.

http://www.irisjohansen.com

Reviews

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book very romantic. I liked how the heroine Pandora was a rock star, and the hero Philip was a sheik. This book had nice settings and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

[Aou · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was sooo silly that if I’d write down the list of inconsistencies it would have been longer than the book itself. Lol. But of course I knew it before I started reading, it’s an HP after all. 😉
I gave it 4 stars because I loved the H’s cruelty. It made me cry. (Yes, I can shut down logical part of my brain while reading a HP 😎)

[*CJ* · Rating 4 out of 5]

"And the Desert Blooms" is the story of Pandora and Phillip.
Now one thing which blantantly stood out in the previous book is the engaging banter and heartbreak between Pandora and Phillip, who played an important role, and finally they got their book.
Sheikh Phillip of Sedikhan takes in Pandora, his physician's daughter as a protector only when she is a teen. While he views her as a nuisance, she has loved him from afar, even he parades his Khadims (lovers) infront of her. When he gets confused by his feelings and decides to send her away to England, she runs away asking him not to find her.
Six years hence, she is the lead singer of the band Nemesis, and contacts him again, returning his medallion/ symbol of protection- knowing he would not be able to give up on her.
What follows is a heroine insanely in love with crazy plans to make the hero fall for her, a hero who is confused/infuriated/horny/hurtful/passionate/jealous all at once, some crazy boob loving and an incidence which is so painful, it causes role reversal between the characters.
Hot lovemaking, good dose of angst and a sociopath father made this a thoroughly engaging read.
Unsafe? when they meet, h is a teen and H an adult. He has many mistresses and sleeps with them. Later when they meet, he brings in a woman to taunt the h, otherwise he's faithful
4.5/5

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet and romantic.

[Marilyn Schoon · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a disappointment! I've read several Iris Johansen books (the Eve Duncan series) and really enjoyed them. So when I found this audio book, I checked it out. This is one of her early books and is a schlocky romance that requires far more suspension of disbelief than I was willing to give. I don't mind the occasional light, fluffy ear candy, but I'd like it to be at least Ghiradelli quality. This was a Tootsie Roll.

[Dorothea]

I love a book that's not predictable. Read this book in its entirety about ten years ago, and today I keep "And The Desert Blooms" near my bed to read a few pages nightly. As complicated, challenging, and difficult as the sheik and Pandora's relationship was, I loved their journey of friendship, life and love. Exceptionally written story.

[Sally Lindsay-briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never read Iris Johansen's books before. This was a quick read but a very satisfying experience. The two main characters were both unique and exciting. I loved the interaction between them and the wonderful passionate love they had for each other. I will look for more of this author's books because they will surely be entertaining.

[Paulla]

I don't like romance novels. They are too predictable -- and that holds true in this one. There were NO surprises. I only read it becuase I usually like Iris Johansen - but even she cannot bring interest to a typical romance novel.

[Nadine in NY Jones · Rating 1 out of 5]

Huh. For some reason GR keeps losing the reviews I type for this book. This time I'll keep it short and sweet: this book sucked.

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh,,., I did not know it was a romance. Finished it but did not enjoy it. Not my style of book

[StMargarets · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unabashed romance novel of the old skool. We're talking a heroine who ran away at 15 and became a rock star as part of her long-term plan to woo the hero. (Her father's employer in his desert kingdom)

Heroine is 23 and hero is 38 when she sends back the pendant she has been wearing for 8 years. Hero gets the message. Heroine is ready to see him again. He flies to the final concert of her tour. In her dressing room he carresses her breasts while setting terms for their sexual liason that will only last 3 months.

Heroine pretends to be experienced and sophisticated because she knows the hero is damaged from a messed up childhood and can't handle intimacy.

Of course, heroine is a virgin - a very sex positive virgin who is having a very good time in bed - and hero is furious that she tricked him. He might catch feelings . . . oh no.

But heroine has made sure their first sexual encounter is at the right time in her cycle and maybe she can spring the baby trap.

LOL - they discuss these thwarted plans like this is normal behavior for any courting couple.

But jokes on the modern day reader, this is normal behavior for a bodice ripper novel of this era. It's part of the "All's fair in love" philosophy.

Also normal for this era - suspensioin of disbelief is needed and necessary. The crazier the plans the better.

The upside of reading a category with these tropes is that you get to the good parts quickly (no need to skim all that historical research and lush descriptions the author included). The downsides are that the world building is nonexistent and the characterization is inconsistent.

So this a long-winded way to say that this story is not for everyone. But it was for me. Hero is cruel at times - he introduced heroine to his next mistress and then kicked her out - but it's only because his heart was breaking. The sex scenes are hot, but not protracted. Heroine is
silly and spirited, and hero is her hearts desire. Just a fun read.

[Sara Zanetto · Rating 1 out of 5]

Per Pandora non c’è mai stato nessun uomo al mondo a parte lo sceicco Phillip El Kabbar.
A 16 anni è stata mandata a studiare a Londra ma è fuggita ed è diventata una rockstar famosa.
È decisa a penetrare la muraglia e ad entrare nella vita e nel cuore dell’affascinante sceicco.

Questo libro è agghiacciante.
Comportamenti moralmente disgustosi spacciati per romantici.
Pandora premedita il momento esatto per andare a letto con Phillip e ricattarlo con una gravidanza.
È ripugnante. Un abuso in piena regola.
Non ho nulla altro da dire se non che schifezza.

[Barbara Williford · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have always loved Iris Johansen so I was thrilled when this audible became available. Yeah, it was bad. I couldn’t even get through track 2. This book is nothing but erotica. No plot, no character depth, I have no idea what the point is except they have sex. Where do I get my money back? So disappointed.

[Karen L48 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not finish. Did not like the story.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know. Maybe it would have been better if I hadn't jumped into the middle of the series. I felt like I didn't have time to get to know the characters.

[Mike · Rating 1 out of 5]

I listened to this on audiobook. I'm seeing the cover for the first time and it explains a lot. I'm not a romance fan so, no offense but I did not enjoy this book whatsoever.

[David Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

good

[Lorrie Moar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read an Iris Johansen in a few years and her short, fast-paced romances are wonderful. We get Pandora, who leaves the Sheik when she is still young but old enough to understand the passions that run through her, and we have Sheik Phillip, who is the ultimate alpha male, very possessive, very protective and very powerful. Put these two together and we have an explosion of sparks and flames.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick, intense romance, that was fun, interesting, and sexy. I finished it in about 2 hours last night and was glad to use it as a 'palette cleanser' between big, heavy (literally and figuratively), emotional books. Even though its short, I enjoyed the characters and the idea and was excited to get through it.

The only problem with the book was my confusion because I thought this was a book that involved the characters from Pandora's Daughter but once I realized that this was written in 1986 and had nothing to do with it I was able to relax and enjoy.

[Dawn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh my gosh! This book is not very good. I don't want to be mean and say it was horrible, but..... There was no real storyline.....the dumb girl went back to this guy with the intention of getting pregnant to keep him, then got mad when her dumb father told her that was the only reason he (the sheik or whatever he was) wanted her was to keep the baby. No backstory on the girl, the sheik, the father. If only I could read a book and put it down if it was bad. I always want to read to the end to see if the ending is good. This one...nothing redeeming. A waste of time. Sorry Iris.

[Lisa]

I enjoyed this book about a young girl name Pandora who was sent to live with a business man name Sheik Phillip El Kabarr. At that that time she was a teenager and had a crush on him. They had some type of agreement that she belong to him. With her being a teenager nothing ever occurred between the two so she runs away, while gone she becomes a rock star, tour the work and grows up. Then she return home to claim the man of her dreams, there are trial and tribulations...

[Carol · Rating 1 out of 5]

Having read some of her other mysteries, I thought this would be on a similar vein, but it was total romance, no suspense. I kept waiting for the story to pick up, and only continued with it because it was the only CD book I had and I was doing menial tasks and wanted something to listen to. I might have been better with my thoughts.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book. It was a short read, so not a lot of commitment was necessary. The story line bordered on the ridiculous, but Iris Johansen has a way of writing a compelling story that catches me on some level nearly every time. This was no exception.

[Nada Abdelhalim · Rating 1 out of 5]

one of the worst books i ever read ! really what is the point from the story , it doesn't want a smart person to know that she was totally refering to UAE and KSA in that story. will never read a book that author again

[Mudpie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very 80s style roman...the heroine Pandora was spunky and very young: 21 to the hero Philip's 38...he's definitely a male chauvinist but in the end he came through and was quite sweet. An easy read but not memorable.

[Tressa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not care for the story in And the Desert Blooms. I understand why Pandora made her decisions and chose that specific path, but it seemed overly byzantine. I did not finish reading the book.

[Anna McFadden · Rating 4 out of 5]

6 years ago Pandora left and with a note saying "don't look for her she be back when she's ready" bur Sheik Phillip El Kabber has the resources and power all over the world to look for her but with no luck in finding her. Now that shes back demanding something he cannot give her.....his love

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[Wendy Morden · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another quick fluff romance. Very predictable characters and plot.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was alright, although there wasn't much of a back story to go on.