Publication Day Push and Review: Temptation in Istanbul by Hana Sheik

Temptation in Istanbul by Hana Sheik

Escape to Istanbul, where a nanny may just tempt a bruised billionaire to give love a second chance in this heartwarming romance by Hana Sheik.

A single dad’s greatest temptation?

The nanny on his doorstep! 

Billionaire Faisal is anxiously awaiting custody of his little girl, who’s been living miles away with her mother. First he must win the approval of her nanny, Maryan, who has traveled with her to Istanbul. While he shows Maryan the delights of his city, the instant attraction between them is hard to ignore. But Maryan leaves in two weeks, so Faisal must decide how much of his bruised heart he is prepared to risk…

Maryan has been a nanny to seven-year-old, Zara for four years. However, she is taking the child halfway around the world to live with her father; Billionaire Faisal Umar. Once her charge is settled, Maryan is flying back to California to help out her aunt and uncle and hopefully find another job quickly. That’s her intention, but even the best-placed plans change?

As the owner of Umar Capital Group, Faisal is used to dealing with unexpected challenges, and now that he is to take full custody of his young daughter, he’s confident of his new role. However, when an important deal negotiation scuppers his plans to meet his daughter and nanny at the airport, he sends his assistant to greet them. Very quickly, he learns his new life may not be as adaptable as he thinks.

Maryan is committed to caring for Zara; a child who was moving to live with her father because her mother’s life is too busy. I felt sorry for the child, so I liked how compassionate and devoted Maryan is. She’s a woman determined to do the right thing for the little girl, and it’s an admirable trait. Faisal wants what’s best for his daughter, too, and hopes he can persuade Maryan to stay. However, there is a mutual attraction and with shared family values, he sees the nanny as someone special, but can he risk such a proposal?

I liked the Turkish backdrop of Istanbul and how Ms. Sheik brought the city to life by describing the sights and culture of the city as Faisal showed Maryan around the place he calls home. The inclusion of their shared Somali heritage between the protagonists was an unexpected delight, and I enjoyed reading about familial memories and traditions.

I’ve always enjoyed romance novels set in far-off lands so Temptation in Istanbul hit the spot for me. So, overall it’s a delightful novel, with likeable characters and a memorable narrative.

***arc generously received courtesy of the publisher, Mills and Boon/Harlequin Romance***

Harlequin | Amazon (UK) | Amazon (US)

Hana Sheik falls in love every day reading her favourite romances and writing her own happy-ever-afters. She's worked as a data entry operator, customer service rep, telemarketer, and ghostwriter—but being a romance author is without a doubt the best job ever! Born in Somalia, she moved to the beautiful capital of Canada as a toddler, and still lives there happily with her family. She loves to hear from readers. Reach out to her on the contact page at hanasheik.com

Twitter (@HanaSoChic), Facebook (@HanaSheikAuthor)

Giveaway to Win 3 x paperback copies of Temptation in Istanbul (Open to UK / Ireland / US & Canada)

*Terms and Conditions –UK / Ireland / US and Canada entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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New Publication Spotlight & Author Guest Post: Second Chance To Wear His Ring by Hana Sheik

A Fancast for My First Novel

Thank you for having me on Ellesea Loves Reading!

Today I’m talking the exciting pastime of fan-casting, sometimes called dream-casting.

I’m not a huge fan of fan-casting for my books while I’m writing the manuscripts. Even after I struggle to create mood/aesthetic boards that feature models (or actors) who I think represent my characters the best. However, I’m going to make an exception for this guest post because now that I’ve given it thought, I can’t see why this won’t be fun!

So before I start, I’ll introduce myself. Hi, my name is Hana Sheik, and my Harlequin Romance/Mills & Boon True Love, Second Chance to Wear His Ring is now out to the world! Yay!

I will be doing a fancast for my characters, starting with my heroine, Amal, and hero, Mansur “Manny”.

Amal

For my heroine, Amal, I would choose actress Anna Diop. Besides that she’s beautiful, I think Anna would portray the softer and tougher parts of Amal’s personality really well! In Second Chance to Wear His Ring, Amal is struggling to embrace her life after she’s been diagnosed with amnesia. A big question in the novel for her is whether she can learn to live with her amnesia if she can’t find a cure for it. Her memory-loss troubles aside, she’s warm-hearted, clever, and just the companion Mansur needs when the two of them travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from Hargeisa, Somaliland.

Mansur “Manny”

I might have gotten distracted looking for a perfect fancast for Mansur…teehee! :D

But huzzah, I found my man. Let me present to you, actor Jocko Sims. He’s tall, dark, handsome, bearded—checking all my boxes for my hero. I think he’d capture Mansur’s brooding wonderfully. Manny has a lot of shields up at the beginning of the book. He doesn’t want to let anyone get close, least of all Amal. It takes him a while to be more open emotionally, though when he does it’s a magical thing. What is it about grumpy characters letting down their guards that makes my heart race? Anyways, I loved writing him, and I hope readers love Manny too!

Other cast:

Mama Halima

Mansur’s mother is all about that tough love. She’s the reason Manny and Amal are heading off to Addis Ababa together. I picked Alfre Woodard to portray her:

Hakeem

Even though he’s a minor player, Hakeem is one of my favorite characters. He’s remained a constant support as Mansur’s friend throughout several revisions of the manuscript; I’m glad he made it to the end with everyone. That steadfast loyalty to his friend is why I had to dreamcast him as O’Shea Jackson Jr. (loved him in Den of Thieves!).

As I said, I don’t fancast often, mostly as I like having an image of my characters in my head looking one way. Although after this, I might start to play around with fancasts more. This has been a blast!

Thank you for having me on your blog, Lynn. It was lovely to be here. :)

* * *

A forgotten past…

Could pave the way to forever!

When millionaire Mansur Ali is called urgently home to Somaliland, he’s shocked to find that the woman who broke his heart needs his help. After an accident, Amal has lost many memories…including Manny’s marriage proposal and her rejection! Manny will help her seek treatment in Addis Ababa, but he’s resolved to keep his heart firmly off-limits. A promise that is tested when their journey brings them closer than ever before…

Amazon UK | Amazon (US) | Harlequin

Amazon (Canada)

Goodreads

Harlequin 

Mills & Boon

Hana Sheik falls in love every day reading her favourite romances and writing her own happy-ever-afters. She's worked as a data entry operator, customer service rep, telemarketer, and ghostwriter—but being a romance author is without a doubt the best job ever! Born in Somalia, she moved to the beautiful capital of Canada as a toddler, and still lives there happily with her family.

Twitter (@HanaSoChic), Facebook (@HanaSheikAuthor)

Giveaway to Win 2 x PB copies of Second Chance to Wear His Ring (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway