Review: Turkish Delights Series by Liz Crowe

Title: The Diplomat’s Daughter
Author: Liz Crowe
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Series: Turkish Delights, #.5
Release Date: June 8, 2012
Rating:

e-Book Copy provided by the author in exchange for a review

[box style="rounded" border="full"]When Vivian Kincaid’s eyes meet those of a hunky local at the Turkish university her father forces her to attend, it only takes her a split second to recognize her childhood friend. Levent Deniz was the servant boy who taught her to run the streets of Istanbul years before, giving outlet to her wild streak even as a child.

Now face-to-face once again as adults, the only thing standing between them and happiness is her father. The newly appointed Consul General for the United States has other plans for his only daughter. Ones that do not include a former servant, now successful entrepreneur and businessman. He will do everything in his power to keep them apart.

The Diplomat’s Daughter is set in 1960s Istanbul and tells the story of pre-destiny, passion and the rebellious power of true love.[/box]

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Title: Turkish Delights
Author: Liz Crowe
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Series: Turkish Delights, #1
Release Date: November 2, 2011

e-Book Copy provided by the author in exchange for a review

[box]The fifteen year age difference between Elle Kensington, expatriate American executive and Emre Deniz, son of Istanbul’s most successful businessmen, has not kept them from becoming fast friends as they toured Istanbul together. But the time has come for him to return to the U.S. to finish his master’s degree, and she has just been named CEO of the pharmaceutical company that brought her to Turkey in the first place. Elle adores her adopted country, and is alarmed to find herself falling in love with the young man who’s been her impromptu guide for the last few months.

She knows they can never be. She will return home to California within a month, leaving behind all she loves about the ancient city. In a rare fit of spontaneity, Elle has contracted with Madame Eve’s 1Night Stand dating service, hoping to find a way to forget the dark, handsome young man who has captured her heart. Little does she know what awaits her in the ancient recesses of the Ottoman palace turned luxury hotel under the hands of her one-night stand masseur.[/box]

This is such a sexy story and my wonderful introduction to the series, Turkish Delights.

Elle is a super confident, smart, witty & attractive woman – who just happens to run a world renowned Pharmaceutical company.  Her work brings her to Istanbul where she immerses herself into her job and learning more about the amazing city & culture she has come to love.  The guide, in her journey to learn more, is Emre.  She finds herself developing feelings for him but lets their age difference get in the way.  When her friends suggest Madame Evangeline’s 1Night Stand dating service – she is hesitant at first, but ultimately decides to give it a shot

I loved this story and it is one of my favorite from the series.  Emre is determined to prove to Elle that he is more than his age & Elle is convinced that age is all that matters.   When she finally lets go and allows herself to see the man, not the age, she realizes what an idiot she’s been.  I love that she has the strength & courage to admit when she’s wrong and to also throw caution to the wind and take what she wants.

Great secondary character development & introduction.  It allowed me, the reader, to become invested in not just Emre & Elle’s story, but the entire cast as a whole.  Blue Cruise is a must read after Turkish Delights.

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Title: Blue Cruise
Author: Liz Crowe
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Series: Turkish Delights, #2
Release Date: November 13, 2011
e-Book Copy provided by the author in exchange for a review

[box]Caleb and Tarkan were an odd couple—men from two different cultures—so in love, they were determined to overcome any obstacles. But fate had different plans for Tarkan. Shattered and unable to function a full two years after tragedy strikes, Caleb faces the hollow shell that is his life.

Adem Broussard is happy enough, as owner and chef of his restaurant on the Turkish southern coast. But a tall, American Adonis he saw once, years ago on a Turkish Blue Cruise haunts his most erotic dreams, and he hopes contracting Madame Eve’s 1NightStand service for an unconventional date will help him forget.

When Caleb caves in to his friend Elle’s insistence that he return to Turkey and exorcise some of the demons that haunt him, he reluctantly climbs on board a private yacht for a special 1Night Stand Blue Cruise. There he comes face to face with the man who remembers him well…and helps him heal.[/box]

Caleb and Tarkan are introduced to us in Turkish Delights and during the short amount of time we have with them, we are shown the beauty of their love. They have found true happiness, acceptance & love with each other and want to spend the rest of their lives together. The characters were so well written – their love radiated off of the page and you knew they were meant to be together. They were made for each other. Then tragedy strikes…

Tarkan, who was in the Military, is presumed dead after a bomb blast. Caleb is completely & utterly devastated. Liz Crowe is the master at writing emotions and making the reader feel the characters every emotion. I experienced all his grief, anger, blame, despair and finally, resolve right along with him. For two years Caleb was a shell of man, completely broken by the loss of Tarkan. Finally, Elle, his boss, friend & Tarkan’s sister-in-law, intervenes. She encourages him to go back to Turkey to help gain closure. However, she knows what he needs is someone to love again and sets up a date for him through the 1 Night Stand dating service. There he meets Adem and finally begins to heal and yes, love again.

Blue Cruise, by far, is my favorite story of the series. It was so heart-wrenching to read Caleb’s struggle with Tarkan’s death. I have to admit I wasn’t sure that I wanted to see him with anyone else. Once Liz introduced Adem’s character and, I began to see the transformation in Caleb, I was convinced. When you lose someone that you love with all your heart, that love never goes away even though you feel as if your heart is broken. That love keeps your heart safe so that you’ll have the ability to love again. Caleb deserves to love again ♥

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Title: Tulip Princess
Author: Liz Crowe
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Series: Turkish Delights, #3
Release Date: November 15, 2011

e-Book Copy provided by the author in exchange for a review

[box]Lale Deniz was always prone to wildness. But when her family is ripped apart at the seams, she becomes more reckless than ever. Desperate to stop her self-destructive slide, her parents step in and send her to America to live with her brother, Emre. Just the chance, she thinks, to escape the tragedy suffusing her Istanbul home.

Andreas Michos, Greek former NFL star, the recently divorced athletic director at UNLV, floats through life seeking fulfillment. He has reason to doubt his own abilities as a natural Dom and has given up finding his perfect mate. Until he agrees to a 1Night Stand.

Set against a backdrop of ancient cultural clashes and Mediterranean family dynamics, Lale and Andreas meet in Las Vegas at the Castillo resort for their date. But it seems Madame Eve and destiny will both fail this time, unless Lale and Andreas are willing to relinquish enough control to discover what happiness can be found inside the soul of the other. Will stubbornness keep them from connecting, or can they let go long enough to heal?[/box]

Lale Deniz is grieving – she has lost the one person in her life that she was closest to and that understood her the most, her brother Tarkan.  She begins acting out and becomes self-destructive.  At a loss with how to help her, Lale’s parents send her to spend time with Emre (Tarkan’s twin) & Elle to help with the new baby.  Instead of helping, Emre makes it worse because it only continues to remind Lale how much she misses Tarkan – because even though Emre may look exactly like him, they are completely different.  Elle once again steps in and sends Lale to Vegas on a getaway, secretly setting her up with the 1 Night Stand dating service.

I really enjoyed getting to know Lale and her date/love interest Andreas Michos, who is a former NFL star.  They clash from the start because she’s Turkish and he’s Greek.  When you add in that he is a Dom and she clearly doesn’t see herself as a submissive – the sparks fly.  What he shows her is how to let go, turn her mind off and for a few minutes & give control to someone else.  I liked Lale & Andreas together, but I didn’t connect with him like I thought I would.  I think that was simply due to the fact that this was a short story and I wanted more time to explore their dynamic together.  They did get their HEA which they deserved given what they’d each been through.  Great sweet & short read!

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Title: Flower Passage: Tarkan’s Return
Author: Liz Crowe
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Series: Turkish Delights, #4
Release Date: June 23, 2011
e-Book Copy provided by the author in exchange for a review

[box]What would you do if the lover, brother, son and friend you thought you’d lost forever was returned to you?

Brutally battered emotionally and physically for the past two years, Tarkan Deniz has escaped his captors. When the Deniz family discovers the shocking truth they rally and do everything
in their power to bring him back safely. But all have been affected by the tragedy of his loss, and must come to terms with the new reality, each in their own way.

When Happily Ever After seems like a nightmare…one man can bring healing to all, but will he ever be the same man again?

Flower Passage teaches the lesson that love once lost, can be regained, even if it takes a slightly different form than before.[/box]
I have to admit, when I first heard about this book and Tarkan’s return – I wasn’t sure how I would feel about it. I had grieved for him, right along with Caleb, in Blue Cruise. I had also found love again, right along with Caleb, in Adem. See the conundrum?

Will Tarkan & Caleb be together again? What about Adem? Is Tarkan the same man after two years of being brutally beaten? How does the family deal with his return? You do get all the answers to your burning questions but this review is going to be spoiler free. This book needs to be experienced & read, without spoilers, in order to get the full impact & importance his return has I will say that after reading, it was my absolute favorite of the series!

Don’t let the title of this book fool you, even though it is about Tarkan’s return, you get much more. Throughout the series you come to know and love the Deniz family – Vivian & Levent, Emre & Elle, Tarkan & Caleb, Caleb & Adem, Lale & Andreas. Liz does a fantastic job of bringing this series, as well as, each of the couples storylines to a close. The closeness, love, respect & support that they all have for one another is heart warming and the BEST part of the book. Through their many tragedies, they are still standing strong – together ♥