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agray210's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
moon_726's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.25
This is my first [and only as of now] historical romance. I didn't think I'd enjoy it but there's such a vibe to it. The reference of Vikings just makes it so much better. Also, the female protagonist is quite likeable. Not always but yeah, she's pretty solid.
snoh91's review against another edition
1.0
I was so relieved when I looked it up and saw this was written in the 80s. Thank God! It is so problematic and rapey I would have been appalled if it was written any time after the 2000s and was still recommended as a romance novel to read. When this author passed away not too long ago I felt an urge to read one of her books and I saw in a few places this one was suggested as her best... I truly hope it wasn't...
I have to believe that in her later stories she was writing stories about strong, interesting women like her character Kristen that actually made sense. Some of the motivations in this book are bonkers and I think we're suppose to be fall in love with this comically petulant, self centered, and not at all heroic dude because he loves her so much he feels entitled to manhandle and be possessive over her.
He literally does no heroic things and is at every turn just totally useless! The only thing he's good at is knocking around the woman he apparently loves and who insanely thinks that it's hot that he does so! What the hell? I did not even find anything in this to be romantic and was actually actively worried that he was going to be the bad guy because they describe him trying to rape her!!!! What world is this??? Once I got to the completely implausible ending I stopped reading. Not worth it, I was already disappointed in myself for wasting so much time on it. If you thought this book was romantic or sexy, I dont mean to yuck your yum but you might want to take a hard look at your relationships so far. If they were anything like the one in the book they were not healthy!!!
I have to believe that in her later stories she was writing stories about strong, interesting women like her character Kristen that actually made sense. Some of the motivations in this book are bonkers and I think we're suppose to be fall in love with this comically petulant, self centered, and not at all heroic dude because he loves her so much he feels entitled to manhandle and be possessive over her.
He literally does no heroic things and is at every turn just totally useless! The only thing he's good at is knocking around the woman he apparently loves and who insanely thinks that it's hot that he does so! What the hell? I did not even find anything in this to be romantic and was actually actively worried that he was going to be the bad guy because they describe him trying to rape her!!!! What world is this??? Once I got to the completely implausible ending I stopped reading. Not worth it, I was already disappointed in myself for wasting so much time on it. If you thought this book was romantic or sexy, I dont mean to yuck your yum but you might want to take a hard look at your relationships so far. If they were anything like the one in the book they were not healthy!!!
ivana_jenna's review against another edition
5.0
Not much of a romance novel, but entertaining, intriguing and filled with content through every single page!
tomesproject's review against another edition
4.0
4.5/5 - My first Johanna Lindsey book absolutely did not disappoint. This was so much fun and surprisingly easy to read; I absolutely flew through this. There were a few things about the story that I didn't love, and the pacing around the end was a little odd but overall I really loved this. Definitely reading more ASAP.
halffast's review against another edition
4.0
An outspoken Viking maiden and her clansmen are taken prisoner after a botched raid. She is drawn to the Saxon lord who has enslaved her, and makes no secret of wanting to marry him. He's adamant they'll never wed, but the more time they spend together, the more he's determined to never let her go.
Kristen was such a fun heroine. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind, found humor in situations that would make most people scream, and literally and figuratively kicked a bunch of ass throughout the story. I loved how she flummoxed Royce, the Saxon lord, from the instant they met. At first, Kristen and the Vikings try to hide her gender from the Saxons for her protection, but Royce completely misinterprets why they're protecting her. After figuring out her gender, he continues to be stumped by how to handle her, and it was entertaining to see him cycling through infatuation, frustration and humor. However, this pattern got a smidge repetitive by the end of the book. I also didn't like not having an obvious moment where he realized he was truly in love with her and decided to marry her. It either happened "off-screen" or was so gradual he didn't realize it had happened, which is realistic but somewhat anti-climactic.
This book is second in a series but works fine as a standalone.
CW:
Kristen was such a fun heroine. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind, found humor in situations that would make most people scream, and literally and figuratively kicked a bunch of ass throughout the story. I loved how she flummoxed Royce, the Saxon lord, from the instant they met. At first, Kristen and the Vikings try to hide her gender from the Saxons for her protection, but Royce completely misinterprets why they're protecting her. After figuring out her gender, he continues to be stumped by how to handle her, and it was entertaining to see him cycling through infatuation, frustration and humor. However, this pattern got a smidge repetitive by the end of the book. I also didn't like not having an obvious moment where he realized he was truly in love with her and decided to marry her. It either happened "off-screen" or was so gradual he didn't realize it had happened, which is realistic but somewhat anti-climactic.
This book is second in a series but works fine as a standalone.
CW:
Spoiler
slight dub-con, mild OW dramadanidoll91's review against another edition
2.0
The only thing saving this book from getting a one star is the heroine, Kristin. She is witty, strong willed, and brave. She's the kind of woman I would like to see in these novels more often. The story unfortunately was pretty boring, predictable, unbelievable and the other characters were underdeveloped and flat and added very little to the story. This story got quite boring after the vikings were captured and I feel like there were many opportunities where it could have been spiced up with a little action. I usually enjoy Lindsey's books so I was really disappointed with this one.
severelyhopefulcloud's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual violence, Trafficking, and Violence