The Sheik by E.M. Hull, 196 pages

I'd heard of this book and knew the movie starring Valentino was based on it, but had never read it. One of the books I'd read lately (The Pirate King) mentioned it, so I decided to give it a whirl. This was considered the 50 Shades of Grey for it's time, being incredibly racy for when it came out.
It features a young girl who has just come into her majority, so to celebrate, she decides to travel across the desert. Of course, she is taken by a sheik who has been attracted by her beauty and spirit, and also wants to revenge himself on the English. He ravages her repeatedly (polite way of putting what it nothing more than rape) and determines to break her spirit. Of course she falls in love with him, and finally he falls in love with her. Gaggg!!!! While I love a good historical bodice-ripper, I prefer mine rape-free. Not a book I really enjoyed at all, but I can cross it off my list of want-to-read books.