★★★★★ "Beautifully written, and leaves you craving more."

A forbidden love romance with royalty, redemption, and a celestial destiny written in the stars.

In a kingdom ruled by ancient stars and modern secrets, Awakened by the Sheikh is a sweeping romance of hidden identity, sovereign desire, and soul-deep recognition.

Celeste Valente, a brilliant Italian astrophysicist betrayed by her peers and exiled from the career she once loved, journeys to the desert kingdom of Qamar with one goal—to disappear. But destiny has other plans.

At the unveiling of the royal observatory, Crown Prince Zayad al-Rami glimpses her in a moment of wonder—one that sparks not only his curiosity, but an inexplicable, magnetic pull. She is not merely a scientist. She is a mirror of everything he has buried: awe, ache, and the longing to choose love over legacy.

But love in Qamar is never simple.

Tropes include:
Grumpy x Sunshine
Royalty & Commoner
Forced Proximity
Slow-Burn Emotional Intimacy
He Falls First—but She Won’t Trust Her Heart Easily

As tradition, power, and politics collide, Celeste and Zayad are drawn into a quiet revolution—one that begins with stargazing and ends with the possibility of reshaping an empire.

AWAKENED BY THE SHEIKH is part of Mollie Mathews’ Desert Royals series, featuring maverick sheikh billionaires and the extraordinary women who challenge their legacies. Each book can be read as a standalone, but readers often fall in love with the entire royal family.

Coming soon:
Liberated by the Sheikh
Handled by the Sheikh