As a colonel in the Saudi Arabian National Guard, Ziad al-Kazim has it all: a beautiful wife and four sons, a satisfying career, and a religion he loves. When his unit busts a drug ring in Jeddah, the drug runners murder his family in retribution and frame him for the crime. While his best friend, FBI Special Agent Ben Evans, helps to clear his name, his freedom comes at a price. He must go into exile.Flight nurse Claire Montgomery has seen her share of tragedy, including an honor killing she witnessed years before. When her sister marries Ben, she’s paired with Ziad for the wedding. Her prejudices battle against her budding friendship with him, and their clashes reignite issues she wants to deny.Though Ziad begins adapting to his new life in Charleston, South Carolina, he faces challenges from all sides. Starting over from the bottom. A loss of status. Prejudice from people. And the spread of the drug he thought he’d routed in Jeddah. Now, he must vanquish the demons of his past before they destroy his future and those he loves.
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Sexual Content - 1/5
1/5
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Violence - 3/5
3/5
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Language - 0/5
0/5
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Drugs and Alcohol - 1/5
1/5
Summary
Exiled Heart is my first book to read by Jennifer Haynie. I bought the book at a conference where I was able to meet her. Don’t judge this book by its cover. I was concerned that it would be too violent. It wasn’t at all. It was actually a very thought provoking read about different cultures and how can they mesh together in a romance.
Ziad was a colonel in the Saudi Arabian military. He goes against a Prince and loses everything; including his job and family and his freedom. This all happens within the first quarter of the book. The rest of the book is how he learns to adjust to living in the US and adapting to the culture or not.
Ben, is Ziad’s best friend and an American. I loved Ben. He was a great character. I am looking to see if he has his own book. Ben had been working in Saudi Arabia with Ziad. They both end up back in the US.
Claire is Ben’s future sister in law and a flight nurse. Claire had witnessed an honor killing which has left her with prejudices. It was fascinating to see how Claire and Ziad develop a friendship. Claire has her own past that she has to deal with. They both have prejudices and jump to conclusions about things. I enjoyed their relationship but felt they argued a little too much. I lost count regarding how many times they had to apologize to each other.
Sexual content – kissing
Violence – many killings, drug overdoses for teens,
Drinking – Claire has too much to drink one time