I enjoyed this slightly different take on the classic Viking romance. Amée entered the nunnery believing that she would finally escape her father and gain some peace. After witnessing and experiencing her father's abuse of her mother and her, Amée swore she would never again put herself under a man's thumb. But as the book opens, a group of Vikings batter down the door of the nunnery, its leader there to claim Amée's hand in marriage. Amée is furious, frightened, and unwillingly fascinated.

Jorund was awarded the lands of Évreux by his friend and overlord Rollo, aka Count Robert, while the count's wife arranged the marriage to bridge the divide between conquered and conqueror. Jorund looks forward to settling down with a wife, children, and the prospect of peace.

I liked Amée and Jorund. She may be tiny, but she can be fierce when defending her people. She has a fighting spirit and refuses to give up hope of finding a purpose in her life. Jorund was a surprise. He is large and intimidating but has a kind and honorable heart. Rather than rule by fear, he leads with insight and perception.

I enjoyed watching the development of the relationship between Amée and Jorund. He is willing to give Amée time to get to know him and lets her know it is up to her when to move forward. Amée initially intends to find a way to return to the nunnery and keeps Jorund at a distance. But the more time they spend together, the more they like each other. But each has baggage from their pasts that make it difficult to open up completely to each other. Jorund's early life as a Viking warrior has left him feeling unworthy of her and unwilling to tell her why. Amée's experiences with her father make it challenging to trust Jorund, and her misinterpretation of his relationship with the female warrior Valda compounds the distrust.

I loved Jorund's patience and protectiveness as he kept a tight rein on his feelings. It is easy to see how much he wants Amée to be part of the life he dreams of. Amée's feelings for Jorund grew stronger despite her misperceptions, and I liked how she went after what she wanted. A visit by Count Robert and Gisela helps Amée along with that goal. Matters become complicated when Amée's father shows up for an unexpected visit. I ached for Amée as she endured her father's attitude and cheered when she realized she no longer had to accept it. Jorund's protectiveness and suspicions are aroused when Amée is attacked while they are riding. I loved the scene where he confronts the person behind it. The icing on the cake is when he discovers what haunts her and takes steps to end it. I also loved seeing him tell her about his past and how she showed him how it brings out the good in him. The epilogue was terrific.

One of the things I liked about this book was how skillfully the author wove in information about the cultural differences between the characters and the history of the conflict that brought them to that point. I loved the slow building of trust between the Vikings and the town's people. It felt realistic in tone and detail. The descriptions of the land and buildings were vivid enough for me to visualize them easily.

This was my first book by this author, but it won't be the last. ( )

Delightful and rich Viking romance
5 stars

This is Lucy Morris’s second novel, the second of hers that I’ve read and also the second of hers that I’ve enjoyed immensely. Much like her first novel (The Viking Chief's Marriage Alliance), we’re sticking with the Viking theme with this story set in Northmannia (present day Normandy) in 912 AD.

We get started right into the action with Amée finding her life’s course suddenly thrust from taking her vows into the last place she ever planned to be. Married. And to a huge, hulking blonde Viking who claims to be the lord of her childhood lands.

Amée is a delightful heroine and I liked her from the first. She tries so hard to be good, and to find her place in the world but she always feels like she’s falling short. It was hard not to feel a real connection with her and immediately want her to get her heart’s desire. She is rightly fearful over her changed circumstances but I admired the way she couldn’t quite reign in her real nature - fierce and willing to stand up for herself and others.

Jorund is my favourite kind of hero. He’s a huge, hard and powerful Viking warrior - but underneath he’s a little bit broken and unsure. The way he feels so unworthy and unloveable but can’t help but yearn for Amée’s love - it was so yearny and delicious. I loved it. It’s my always adored ‘the big, bad hero just needs a hug from a good woman’ thing.

Speaking of that, this book had a nice sizzle to it - descriptive but not overly explicit. But it still packed quite a punch as the build up of sexual tension between Amée and Jorund was magnificent. When you add in both their fears and how they danced around each other and their attraction, by the time they got down to it, it was satisfying to more than just our main couple. Happy sighs.

What I especially enjoyed about Ms Morris’s previous book, The Viking Chief's Marriage Alliance, was the richness of historical detail that was woven into the romance. This book was no different and painted an intricate picture of the landscape and life of medieval France and the people that lived there. I also love the way that the writing is so clever as to never feel that we’re being bogged down in history yet such a vivid impression was shown to us as readers. After the fact, I’ve realised that much of the information about events and wider secondary characters was all based in fact, cementing my prior belief that Ms Morris’s attention to historical accuracy and detail is second to none.

Overall, this was a rich, romantic and delightful Viking/medieval story with characters I was really rooting for and a satisfying and sigh-worthy love story. This book has really lived up to the promise of her first and I wish that I could have lived in the world of Amée and Jorund for longer. Recommended and very worthy of 5 stars. ( )