Sarah Rodi

Terrific story full of fast-paced action, political intrigue, betrayal, and most of all, love. The characters and situations felt realistic and enhanced my enjoyment of the book. The main characters are Wren, a slave, and Jarl Knud, a man looking for an alliance to save his people.

Wren was captured in a raid when she was five years old and given to the old Earl's daughter, Ingrid, as her servant and companion. Wren's life has been difficult, but she has retained her innate kindness and optimistic attitude. She is loyal to Ingrid, her owner, and ever hopeful of eventually winning her freedom. There is some mystery about Wren's past.

Knud is the leader of a neighboring tribe. He wants to form a marriage alliance with Ingrid, uniting their tribes against Earl Forsa, a mutual foe. Protecting his people is Knud's greatest need. He failed them once and never wants to go through that pain again. His happiness is of no importance. His backstory is heartbreaking and explains the man he has become.

Wren and Knud have an unusual first meeting. Neither knows who the other is, and assumptions are made. Wren makes no secret of her dislike of what she overheard, and Knud doesn't like being judged. But underneath the antagonism are sparks of attraction that neither wants to feel. Matters become complicated when Knud arrives at Ingrid's settlement the next day, and they discover the truth about each other. But shortly after his arrival, the fort comes under attack by Earl Forsa. Wren and Knud find themselves fleeing for their lives, taking a badly injured Ingrid with them.

As they make their way to Knud's settlement, Wren and Knud have the opportunity to get to know each other. I liked their growing mutual respect, especially its effect on Wren. His attitude opens her eyes to the possibilities of a life beyond slavery. Their arrival at his home shows Wren the vast difference between her life and his. Meanwhile, their attraction continues to grow despite its impossibility. Wren knows that anything between them is impossible because of the difference in their stations. Knud is still committed to forming an alliance with Ingrid to save his people, even though he knows he won't be able to forget Wren.

The twists and turns of this book kept me hooked from start to finish. Wren and Knud clearly belong together, but the obstacles seem insurmountable. Knud is caught between his feelings for Wren and his need to protect his people. I ached for Wren, and her hope for something that seemed so far out of her reach. An unexpected development felt like a betrayal and a miracle to Wren, leaving her wondering about her place in life. I loved watching her find her strength and purpose with a risky move that followed her heart. The ending was terrific, and I loved the epilogue.… (altro)

Terrific book. Teon and Revna were forced to marry to prevent a war. Revna was young and hopeful of a successful marriage. Teon is angry because he blames Revna's father for his mother's death. He then leaves to continue fighting other conflicts and stays away for eight years, returning only when he hears of his father's death.

I loved Revna. Instead of returning to her father's home, she stuck it out in her new life. As a Viking woman in a Saxon kingdom, she is looked at with suspicion and distrust. I liked hearing about how she earned the love and respect of the people around her by being the caring and compassionate woman she is. I also liked how she retained her Norse heritage and customs. That heritage is helpful during the siege as she uses her skills to help defend the castle. I also liked her independence, as shown by how she stood up to Teon when he tried to cut her out of things she'd been doing for years.

Teon was harder to like throughout most of the book. From the start, he takes out his prejudices against the Vikings on Revna, treating her with cruelty and contempt. After his return, he continues to do so, blaming her for anything wrong. He even refuses to consummate the marriage, not wanting to "taint" his pure Saxon blood with her heathen blood. He isn't happy about his growing desire for her.

I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Teon and Revna. Because of the siege, they are forced to work together, and their growing attraction becomes harder to resist. Teon's blind prejudice against Revna takes hit after hit as she shows her care and compassion for Teon's people. Despite his vow to avoid tainting his bloodline, he rationalizes taking Revna to bed to stop his distraction during the fighting. There are a few sweet scenes between them, but even then, Teon pulls away, recalling his reasons for his hatred. When he goes too far, Revna sneaks away, and Teon finally realizes the truth of his feelings.

Teon's hatred of the Vikings lies in events involving his parents and Revna's father. I enjoyed the slow revealing of those events and the truth behind them. Revna's determination and bravery in pursuing the truth also opened Teon's eyes to the things he didn't know. Teon's father's past comes back to bite Teon when his illegitimate half-brother lays siege to the castle, determined to take Teon's castle, crown, and wife. The details of the fight are vividly described, making it easy to feel part of the action. The resolution of the siege is intense, with several twists that kept me glued to the pages. I loved the ending and seeing Teon embrace his feelings for Revna.

#netgalley… (altro)

Terrific enemies-to-lovers story. Svea is Brand's sister (The Viking's Stolen Princess). She is shown as a fierce warrior equal to any of the men. She plays a large part in the resolution of that story's conflict. But a thread is left hanging when the Saxon king's right-hand man, Lord Ashford Stanton, prevents Svea from killing her enemy. This book picks up immediately after the previous one. Svea attends her brother's wedding and, afterward, makes her feelings about Ash's actions obvious during the feast. The next day, Svea accompanies Ash and the king's party as they leave for home, tasked with guiding them through the marshes. Neither of them expects their group to be ambushed and to be the only ones who escape capture. Now they must work together to effect a rescue.

I enjoyed seeing the development of the relationship between Ash and Svea. Svea is a fierce warrior, driven by her past traumas, and keeps everyone at a distance, especially men. She is not interested in romance or relationships and is surprised by her attraction to Ash. She sees him only as the enemy, a Saxon who got his position because of his birth and is disturbed by the feelings he stirs in her. At the same time, Ash keeps himself under iron control. He has a secret in his past that makes him fear what could happen if he allows the "monster" inside loose. Svea puzzles him with her warrior's bravado and feminine appearance. He's impressed with her skills but bothered by his attraction to her.

During their journey to his family's castle, Ash and Svea discover that they have misjudged each other. They have more in common than either expected, and I liked the tentative beginning of their friendship. Each realized that there are good and bad people on both Saxon and Dane sides. I loved their arrival at Braewood and seeing how they handled the chaos they found there. As their attraction toward each other grew, Svea had to decide if she trusted Ash enough to let down her guard, and Ash had to exercise great control not to rush her. Unfortunately, once they have given in to that attraction, Ash's protective streak overcomes his confidence in Svea's fighting abilities, and he makes a boneheaded move. I ached for Svea and her feelings of betrayal and anger.

The final confrontation at the king's stronghold was intense. Both Svea and Ash learn important lessons during that battle. I hurt for Ash, who finally comes to terms with who he is but thinks he is no good for Svea. Meanwhile, Svea is battling her pride and a broken heart. I loved how Brand set her straight and made it possible for her to go after her heart's desire. I loved seeing Ash's reaction to Svea's arrival and seeing their emotional reunion. All that is left is to find out Ash's fate regarding Braewood. The epilogue was fantastic. I can't wait to see what is next from this author.… (altro)

Very good enemies to lovers book. The story grabbed my attention from the first pages. Anne is the daughter of a Saxon king and has been kept a virtual prisoner in her home. She dreams of marrying for love and is horrified when her father bargains her hand for soldiers from a neighboring lord. The night before her wedding, she is walking alone on the castle walls when she is kidnapped by Brand the Barbarian.

Brand has sworn revenge against Anne's betrothed, Lord Crowe, and has spent years preparing for it. Learning of Crowe's betrothal gave him the perfect weapon. Kidnap Anne and wait for Crowe to attempt a rescue.

I was glued to the pages from start to finish. Anne is no pampered princess and stands up to Brand from the get-go. She only cooperates when he threatens the lives of her people. Brand has a fearsome reputation and uses it to get his way, but he is surprisingly protective of her. I loved their interactions on the journey from her home to his. Each quickly realizes that they have misjudged the other, and the more they get to know each other, the more they are drawn to each other.

However, Brand has put a lock on his heart. He has suffered so many losses that he refuses to allow himself to care for someone else, preferring to protect himself. Anne doesn't take long to get under his skin and find her way into his heart, but he resists the feeling. Brand also has deep-seated insecurities that make him feel he is no good for her.

Anne doesn't take long to see the good man behind the fearsome reputation. Brand stirs feelings in her that she's never felt before, and she isn't sure what to do about them at first. She soon feels more at home with him than she ever did at her own home. But she's a Saxon princess, and he's a Dane, so there's no way her father will allow her to marry him.

There are some terrific scenes of Brand and Anne together. The push and pull of their first meeting changes as they get to know each other. I enjoyed their exchanges of ideas and seeing their growing respect for each other. But when Lord Crowe shows up, Anne learns that not everything is as it seems. The fight between Brand and Crowe went pretty much as I expected, but other things were revealed in the aftermath. Brand's apparent betrayal breaks Anne's heart and makes her angry. Meanwhile, Brand must come to grips with his feelings for Anne and what it means for his people.

I loved seeing how Brand and Anne dealt with the fallout of Anne's kidnapping. Brand must face the unexpected results of his actions and what they mean for himself and his people. I wanted to shake him for his lack of belief in himself, but I also understood and appreciated his response to Anne's father, the king. Anne also has fears to face, and I enjoyed seeing her take her fate in hand and go after what she wanted. The ending was fantastic, and the epilogue was a stellar wrap-up.

I enjoyed the setting of the Dane/Northmen versus Saxon relationship. I especially liked seeing that not all Vikings were the raging barbarians that some portray. I liked seeing the everyday life of Brand's people and learning the background of how they came there. I also enjoyed the descriptions of the land's beauty and its importance to both sides. There were some internal conflicts on both sides, and I liked seeing how they were handled. Both "bad apples" got what was coming to them.

My favorite secondary character was Brand's sister, Svea. I ached for everything she'd been through and loved seeing her resilience. I can't wait to read her story and see her get a happy ever after for herself.… (altro)