Desdemona "Dizzy" Carlisle is an old-fashioned romantic who resides with her grandfather in Cairo, Egypt. She is constantly getting herself in scrapes, and is continually rescued by Harry Braxton, the man she has secretly been in love with since her arrival in Cairo. When she first arrived she offered herself to him only to be rejected, from that point on she pretended indifference and they became "friends".
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Harry, who secretly loves Dizzy, denies her love because he is ashamed of his dyslexia, and keeps his disability a secret. He is an properous trader/scholar of Egyptian artifacts and uses Dizzy's talents as translator to keep their friendship alive. The couple, who carry a large amount of sexual tension, deny their love and passion, pretending it does not exist until Harry's Cousin, Lord Ravenscroft, visits him in town. Ravenscroft is immediately attracted to Dizzy and Harry feels anger and jealousy towards their courtship.
Dizzy considers Ravenscroft as a potential husband, but cannot deny that she is still in love with Harry. When Dizzy is kidnapped by a villianous arab, Harry follows her trail to rescue one last time, hoping she will accept despite is disability.
The review of this Book prepared by Angel Manners
Set in Victorian Egypt, As You Desire is the story of Harry Braxton, an English entrepreneur-archeologist-adventurer and Desdemona Carlisle, a translator who is living with her archeologist grandfather.
Desdemona, or "Dizzy", as Harry calls her, was a child prodigy who knows twelve languages. Her parents took her around the world when she was a child, showing her off to scholars and basically isolating her, so now she has a tendency to spin romantic daydreams and get into scrapes. The only real friend she has is Harry, with whom she fell in love five years ago, when she first came to live with her grandfather in Egypt. However, she once foolishly offered herself to Harry and was turned away, and now she suppresses those feelings to remain friends with Harry, even if he's a rogue.
Harry is secretly crazy in love with Dizzy, and has been for years, but he has a devastating secret that prevents him from declaring his love to her. Instead, he settles for being her friend and all-around tormenter, always rescuing her from scrapes and never letting her forget his existence.
Then, Harry's aristocratic cousin arrives from England, and he is exactly what Dizzy thinks she wants: the perfect English gentleman, brooding, and dark and handsome. So maybe he's a bit dull and self-centered, but he's interested in her. Harry realizes that he has to fight to keep Dizzy, and Dizzy comes to see that perhaps the heroes of our dreams don't make such great heroes in real life.
But Harry and Dizzy have other obstacles to their happiness, such as an unscrupulous businessman, desert slave traders, misguided friends, and their own insecurities.
The review of this Book prepared by Casey