Review of Tarif by Marian Tee

Hey, Booksnakes! Today, I am going to be reviewing the third instalment of Marian Tee's Desert Sheikh Romance series, Tarif.

Before proceeding to the actual review, I'd like to point out some differences this book has compared to Malik, the second part in the series. Call it a disclaimer, if you will.

First, the steamy scenes are way hotter (and more frequent). Second, the story was more unpredictable and complex, Third, I cried my eyes out multiple times in a span of 200 pages.

Title: Tarif (A Desert Sheikh Romance)
Author: Marian Tee
Publication Date: October 27, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: ARC Given by Author
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36490942-tarif

SYNOPSIS:

“It’s a pleasure to finally have a chance to speak with you.”

“The honor and privilege is mine, Your Highness.”

“I wonder if you truly mean that, anisdi.”

Prim and proper Anisah Kahveci led a simple, orderly life with simple, ordinary goals.

One: Terrorize – err, discipline – her students into becoming law-abiding, socially mindful citizens of the kingdom.

Two: Work hard to secure a safe future for the brat – err, her younger sister.

Three: Eat all the sweets – err, indulge in a scoop of ice cream now and then.

But all her plans were for naught and her life turned upside down the moment Sheikh Tarif Al-Atassi decided he wanted her to be his woman.

Note: This is a full-length standalone (no cliffhanger) romance written to bring laughter and tears into the reader’s life. It is 100% escapist, contains explicit (but not gratuitous) sex scenes, with an alpha hero and an innocent but fiery heroine falling in love and enjoying a happy ever after in the end.

REVIEW:

Let me start off by saying that, by far, Tarif is my favourite novel in Marian Tee's Desert Sheikh Romance series. The rollercoaster ride my emotions was taken on was no joke. In most stories, there's like one scene that'll wreck you, and that's usually the climax. But since Marian Tee is super extra, she didn't want to make her readers cry just once. No, we have to bawl multiple times. And that's what I did.

I don't want to give much away about the story and the whiplashes that await future readers, but it might be somewhat unavoidable so please excuse me in advance.

The story's timeline may somewhat be confusing to some, especially if you have yet to read the books that precede it. Basically, at the first few pages, we are thrown back to events of My Arabian Billionaire, this time from the perspective of our female protagonist, Anisah. Immediately we see her strong and unyielding character. Her loyalty. The author is no stranger to creating stubborn heroines with soft hearts, but most of them are -- for lack of a better word -- meek. I didn't get that at all with Anisah. She has her hard-headed tendencies, yes, but she's also fierce with an unyielding conviction, she puts others' well-being above hers, and she refuses to show weakness in front of others.

Now let's talk about our hot-blooded, male protagonist, Tarif. He's really not what I expected him to be. Apparently, he's supposed to be the resident playboy of the kingdom, or at least that's what his image is. But there's not much in the book that indicates that kind of lifestyle. Well, there is that one -- oh, wait. I shall not speak of that because it might be a minor spoiler.

Anyway, Tarif is obviously the guy that no one outside his family takes too seriously. He's like that friend who you'd go to if you're looking for a good time, but in more serious matters, people easily dismiss him. And that's just crappy, especially since that kind of treatment led to an emotional and mental scar in our hero.

The chemistry between Anisah and Tarif is insane. Their steamy scenes are passionate and scorching, their banters are witty, and their emotional turmoil was heartbreaking. I couldn't help but put myself in their shoes while reading their moments of despair, and I thought to myself, "How does one go back from this?"

The sadistic part of me wanted to see their pain expounded and to have it come full circle, and the romantic side of me just wanted them to have their happy-ever-after. It was a tough battle, but Marian gave me the best of both sides so I'm satisfied.

SUMMARY:

Tarif made me feel a lot of different things in a span of two hours (time it took me to read the entire book), and I enjoyed every emotion. I felt contented when I flipped through the last page ... The last page ... THE. LAST. PAGE. Marian, wtf you have a lot of explaining to do.

So yeah, there's a teaser right there, folks. Marian Tee left us a little something to stir our imaginations and make us wonder what she has in store for us for the following instalment in her series.

RATING: