Tag: Viking romance

Guest Review: Tempted by Her Viking Enemy by Terri Brisbin

Posted November 2, 2020 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: Tempted by Her Viking Enemy by Terri BrisbinReviewer: Tracy
Tempted by Her Viking Enemy by Terri Brisbin
Series: Sons of Sigurd #5
Publisher: Harlequin Historical
Publication Date: November 1, 2020
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Point-of-View: Third
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 288
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three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars


USA TODAY
 Bestselling Author
“What do I get if I help you?”

“Whatever I have to give…”

The only person who can help Katla flee a violent marriage is the Viking in her father’s dungeon, the strong and honorable Brandt Sigurdsson. Except Brandt is hungry to see justice done for his family’s destruction, the final vengeance on behalf of all the sons of Sigurd. Is there any persuasion she can offer that will free them both to live—and love—together?
From Harlequin Historical: Your romantic escape to the past.
Sons of Sigurd
Driven by revenge, redeemed by love
Book 1: Stolen by the Viking by Michelle Willingham
Book 2: Falling for Her Viking Captive by Harper St. George
Book 3: Conveniently Wed to the Viking by Michelle Styles
Book 4: Redeeming Her Viking Warrior by Jenni Fletcher
Book 5: Tempted by Her Viking Enemy by Terri Brisbin

Katla Thorfinnsdottir is the oldest daughter of a Pict woman and a Norse man.  Her father has promised her in marriage to a horrible man and Katla is devastated.  She is a widow from her first marriage and doesn’t want to marry another ogre.

Brandt shows up at the Pict stronghold to kill Katla’s father, Thorfinn Bjornsson.  He wants revenge as he believes that Thorfinn is responsible for the raid on his Norse village that ended up killing his father, Brandt’s pregnant wife, and the crown taking their titles and their land.  They fight, but eventually Brandt is wounded and taken prisoner.  Katla is the castle’s healer and is ordered by her father to save Brandt.  As he’s healing, Katla gets to know Brandt and stats to like him a great deal.  She asks him to help her and her younger sister escape from the castle and Brandt agrees, but not before he gets his revenge.  Brandt is leery of Katla at first but soon finds himself falling in love with her.

Brandt tells Katla the story of his village and Katla discusses some weird happenings that are taking place in the castle.  Between the two of them they solve the mystery of what’s going on, but that doesn’t help Brandt who is still a prisoner. They make a plan, but they’re not sure if they can execute it without, well, getting executed.

This was a decent read.  I liked Katla but felt bad for her for the life she’d had after her mother died and her father had gotten remarried. She came back home after her husband died with the intent of staying at the castle for the rest of her life.  In the Pict lands the right of inheritance is through the women.  For the Norse, the right of inheritance goes through the male line.  Her father marrying her off again was something she certainly didn’t want.  She’d been abused by her first husband and didn’t want to have to deal with that again.  Unfortunately, her father wasn’t listening, because of his new wife and her machinations.

Brandt was a good character, but he didn’t have much depth.  He was so focused on revenge that we didn’t get to know a whole lot about him or his background. I certainly liked him with Katla,and loved that he could love her despite his hate for her father.  Katla was kind and giving and I loved her determination in getting the heck out of Dodge.

The story did have a ton of introspection as the characters were trying to figure out their lives, and the mystery that entwined the two of them, and that slowed things down a bit for me.  Despite that I enjoyed the story and recommend it if you like a good Viking story. This is the 5th book in the Sons of Sigurd series – all the books are written by different authors.  I didn’t read any of the books in the series besides this one but didn’t feel that I needed to do so in order to figure out what was going on in this one.  I obviously can’t say if that applies for all the books in the series, but for this one, it worked.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 

three-half-stars

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Guest Review: In Bed with the Viking Warrior by Harper St. George

Posted December 19, 2016 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: In Bed with the Viking Warrior by Harper St. GeorgeReviewer: Tracy
In Bed with the Viking Warrior by Harper St. George
Series: Viking Warriors #3
Publisher: Harlequin
Publication Date: December 20th 2016
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

"I still don't know who I am. What if I'm an enemy?"

Injured in battle, Magnus awakens with no memory of who he is. Knowing he is in danger, he flees only to encounter a Saxon maiden in peril.

Aisly hates the Danes who invaded her land and killed her husband. Yet, when a mysterious wounded warrior saves her life, she cannot turn her back on him. As Aisly tends to Magnus's injuries, desire surges between them. But when Magnus's true identity is revealed, she's thrown into turmoil she has invited her enemy into her bed!

Aisly’s husband was recently killed by the Danes.  She knows she should feel bad about that fact but he wasn’t a very nice husband so while she grieves in her own way she’s not too terribly torn up about it. When she is almost attacked in the forest by her village by a Dane she is saved by a man who can’t remember who he is and is very injured.  She takes him to her house, despite the elders of the village and her former father-in-law having a mighty cow about the fact and nurses him back to health.

The man is Magnus, at least he thinks that’s his name.  He woke up in a pile of dead bodies that were being burned.  He escaped and then at one point while fleeing he was set upon by a man who called him Magnus.  It doesn’t sound right to him so he doesn’t share it with the saintly Aisly.  He finds himself wanting to protect and take care of Aisly but the elders, and Aisly’s brother, try to keep them away from each other.  When Magnus finds out that Aisly may be put out of her how by her father-in-law unless she’s found pregnant by her dead husband Magnus offers to get her pregnant.  Such a hardship, I’m sure! 🙂  They both go into bed telling each other that it’s strictly for procreation reasons but they both know that there’s something stronger between them and becoming lovers makes it even stronger.  Of course when Magnus starts to remember will Aisly want him anywhere near her?

I love a good Viking story and this was definitely a keeper.  Between the amnesia story, the Viking aspect, the man in the enemy camp (even though he didn’t know he was the enemy he strongly suspected) it was just really good.  The romance was rather quick but totally appropriate for the setting and time period.  I thought the author did a great job with it while taking into consideration the battles being fought and the lands being taken over and the obvious hatred between the Danes and Saxons.  I have to say that I really wasn’t sure how this one was going to end up and that doesn’t happen very often.

I loved Aisly and Magnus together.  She had been treated so badly by her previous husband and Magnus was a whole other type of man – loving and caring.  Yes, he was a warrior but it didn’t make him a brute to the woman he loved.  He didn’t have to prove himself to her with his fists.  I also love how Magnus finally stood up for himself at the end and went for what he wanted.  I had so much respect for him at that moment it was ridiculous.

So, overall a very good Viking romance that I definitely recommend.  I’ll have to go back and read the other books in this series as well and hope they’re just as good.

Rating: 4 out of 5

four-stars

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Guest Review: Lord of the Runes by Sabrina Jarema

Posted October 28, 2016 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: Lord of the Runes by Sabrina JaremaReviewer: Tracy
Lord of the Runes by Sabrina Jarema
Series: Viking Lords #1
Also in this series: Lord of the Seas
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Publication Date: October 11th 2016
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Following his father’s murder, Eirik Ivarson plunges into a maelstrom of brutal warfare. As outsiders threaten his homeland and all he holds dear, Eirik vows to maintain his focus and avenge the jarl’s death. In his quest for revenge, he will leave everything behind, all he knows, and all he loves.

Asa Sigrundsdottir, a spirited shieldmaiden with warm brown eyes, is wary of the golden-haired warrior discovered half-frozen in a storm. It is clear Eirik is a man of valor, bestowed with the gift of reading runes and destined for greatness. And despite the shadows in her past, he chooses her to help him on his journey. But when their bond is tested, it will take the strength of a hero to keep their love alive . . .

Eirik Ivarson is just back from the raiding season and has been celebrating.  Unfortunately he passes out and doesn’t hear the attack on his village right away.  A group of outcasts have attacked and are taking over the village.  Eirik sees his father die and Eirik almost dies as well when he’s pulled over a cliff.  He survives but knows he needs help.  He tries to go to his cousin’s place which is far away to get assistance but during a blizzard he almost freezes to death.  He is saved by people in a village and given shelter.  He doesn’t tell them who he is as he doesn’t trust them right away.  They don’t trust him either. He ends up having to stay the winter as the storms are too fierce to travel in.  He falls in love with Asa Sigrundsdottir who is a shieldmaiden but Asa has some issues in her past that cause her to shy from men.  Eirik is determined to free her from her fears so that they can be together but there are many more obstacles in their way then just fear and they must conquer all of them in order to be together.

I love a good Viking romance but haven’t read one in a while.  I also have a set of runes (somewhere) that I used to love to play with way back when so when I saw the title of the book I had to grab it.  I’m so happy I did as it was a good one.

Eirik is a good man who is trying to save his village.  His mother and sister are still in the village so he wants to make sure they are safe as well.  He’s frustrated that he can’t get to his cousin’s place but it ends up being a life changer when he falls for Asa.  He’s very calm and quiet with her and as big as he is she still learns to trust him and his touch.  She learns to grow and deal with her issues with Eirik’s help and realizes that she can be the true shieldmaiden she’s always dreamed of being.

Between the fighting, the love story, the rune casting and the magic in this book I couldn’t help but enjoy it.  It’s not a typical romance as Viking love stories never are, imho, but if you like them as much as I do then this one would be one that you shouldn’t miss.

Rating: 4 out of 5

four-stars

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