Book Review-The Norse King's Daughter

The Norse King's Daughter
 Viking I (10)
Sandra Hill
Avon
Mass Market Paperback
Published October 2011
349 Pages
Viking Historical Romance
ISBN: 978-0-06-167351-1
Author's Website

Hell Hath No Fury Like a Princess Scorned!

Princess Drifa can certainly see whySidroc Guntersson is a living legend--on battlefield and in bedchamber both.But the King of Stoneheim's willful daughter pitches a royal fit when she learns of the true reason for the virile Viking's passionate attentions.A third-born son with no hope of inheriting the family jarldom, scheming Sidroc must marry and is interested in Drifa only for her father's land and money. The barbarian is lucky she just crack shim on his fool head with a pottery pitcher!

Five years later, Drifa needs Sidroc's protection--in Byzantium, no less!--though revenge holds more appeal for this man she left for dead.'Tis a pity two such perfect enemies match each other so well, passion for passion.So much so that the bold Viking berserkeris soon thinking marriage again . . .only this time it will be on his terms!

My Review

I have always had such a fun time reading this author, especially when it involves her time travel books, so I was a bit surprised to find that this one didn't have one ounce of time travel. A historical set in the Dark Ages. I will warn you that the viking slang does take some getting used to, and is probably the reason I had a trying time getting into it at first, but once I fully adjusted I started to really enjoy it, and it was hard to put down at times. There was such a chemistry between Drifa and Sidroc, and even though they are almost at each others throats quite a bit, there is also much more to their relationship.

Sidroc Guntersson has recently lost his wife, and so his baby daughter needs him. Sidroc is very insistent that she survive. His father would like nothing better than to toss her out on the doorstep, but Sidroc knows that he will need to remarry in order to gain wealth he needs and a mother for his child. So when he hears that King of Stoneheim still has one daughter unmarried, he decides to try to court her and marry her. Princess Drifa at first is enamored with Sidroc, he is handsome and charming, and makes her warm all over, so she decides to accept his suit, until she learns that all he needs her for is for his daughter and for the money he would attain if he were to marry her. So she swings a pitcher across his head, and it ends up doing quite a bit of damage and he is unconscious for six weeks. He wakes to find Drifa gone with her sisters on a trip so he ends up leaving to go after his daughter only to find her gone so he leaves to build a new life for himself. Drifa is enraged when she hears of Sidroc's plot, but when she hears of his infant daughter, she decides to go after her and bring her back to Sidroc. When she returns she learns he is gone, and endeavors to find him. Now its been five years, and when she heads down to Byzantium, and is shocked to find him again. Now their mutual passion for each other has risen, and despite danger surrounding them at every turn, it will taking fully trust to defeat those that would tear them apart.

Sidroc is your typical viking, arrogant, confident, too good looking for his own good, and loves a beautiful woman in his bed. I found him to be very believable and fully authentic and so HOT you will need a fan to cool yourself down. Drifa I found to be a very endearing heroine, and I liked her immediately, and she has such courage and tenacity that is very admirable. She doesn't back down from Sidroc and I enjoyed seeing the chemistry build between the two characters.

I found this one to be a fun and adventurous tale that takes you back to the Viking Era, and shows a more sensual side to that time. I enjoyed the in depth characters, and the fun humor that keeps you laughing from beginning to end. I will warn you that the slang can be a bit much but if you give it time, you adjust to it, and it becomes a entertaining and enough intense conflict with the plot to keep you on edge at times. SATISFYINGLY ENJOYABLE!!!

First Line 
Toss the babe in the Fjord. Or leave it on the cliff. Either way, the whelp will be dead afore morn. "

Favorite Quote
"Sidroc, you are a beast in bed, and you make me do bad things and I like them, and insult me way too often, and your teasing tongue is not amusing by half, but you are a good man,"

My Grade 
4 Blossoms

Heat Rating 
Steamy

Other Books In Series 
The Reluctant Viking
The Outlaw Viking
The Tarnished Lady
The Bewitched Viking
The Blue Viking
My Fair Viking
Tale of Two Vikings
Viking In Love 
The Viking Takes A Knight 
 

Book Review-Tale Of Two Vikings

Tale Of Two Vikings
Viking I Series
Sandra Hill
Leisure Romance
360 Pages
Published May 2004
Medieval-Viking Romance

Synopsis
Has an eye for the ladies. Loves a good fight. Splits his sides over rude jokes. Won't ask directions no matter how lost he is. . . even in a longship, for the love of Odin!

Sound like anyone you know? Maybe every man you know?

Toste and Vagn Ivarsson are all that and more--a lot more. Identical Viking twins, they came squalling into this world together, rode their first horses at the age of seven, their first maids during their thirteenth summer, and rode off on longships as untried fourteen-year-old warriors. And now, having seen only thirty and one winters, they are about to face Valhalla together. Or maybe something even more tragic: being separated. For even the most virile Viking must eventually leave his best buddy behind and do battle with that most fearsome of all opponents the love of his life.

Summary:
A Tale of Two Vikings is exactly what the title claims, its a story of two twin brother Vikings. Toste and Vagn were born at the same time, twins, they have done everything in their lives together. When they go into battle together, they are both injured and separated having to assume the other is dead, despite the strong connection they have for each other. Toste is taken away by some Nuns, including a Lady Esme, the most beautiful and stunning nun he has ever seen, and has yet to say her complete vows to the church, so of course for him she is available, however Esme is only looking for sanctuary from those that want her killed, not a handsome viking that stirs up her senses. Vagn is taken back to familiar surroundings, and back to Helga -his brothers betrothed. But now they his brother Toste is dead, he notices that Helga the Homely as she once was called, is now Helga the beautiful. So Vagn starts considering the idea of marrying Helga, however she is very high spirited and resistant to marrying him. However these Viking Twins never expected that their greatest battle would be for....LOVE

The Heroes
We have two heroes, the Viking brothers, Toste and Vagn. These two have done everything together since they were born, linked by a unbreakable bond. So when they are separated they have to mourn for their twin who've been at their side. Now these two during the book while they are separated from one another start having hints that the other is alive, due to their link, which is neat. Also you will see that once they are reunited things just start to heat up with their love stories as well.

The Heroines
Our first heroine is Esme, who is the one that helps save Toste, who has to hide in the nunnery and yet to do her vows for the church, always having to go to confession (my kind of girl). Esme came to the nunnery, because her father and brothers who have always been demeaning toward her, have wanted her killed because of the land that she inherited from her mother. So she has almost been killed many times, but now Toste has entered her life and is all about protection and defending her.

Our second heroine is Helga, who when she was a little girl was claimed to be Helga the Homely, by Toste, and has felt the stigma of that statement ever since then. However now a adult woman she has changed. Her father is insistent on her marrying and having children, but when Vagn is rescued she is furious at her father for trying to get him to marry her, because she doesn't want marriage, she is just fine on her own, or so she tells herself, and things definitely start to heat between Helga and Vagn, that she starts having doubts about her convictions of not marrying.

My Thoughts:
I have to say that A Tale of Two Vikings is by far one of my favorites of Sandra Hill. I loved the whole aspect of twin Vikings, I mean who wouldn't right? It takes place back in 900 A.D., and it was definitely a witty yet sensual written story.  In this story each chapter each trades off to each twins love story, which is neat yet can be a bit frustrating when the chapter leaves you hanging. This is a wonderful story of two twins that have never thought that they would ever settle down, but once they are separated, they start thinking outside the box, and find women of their own, and such a sweet reunion when they find each other once again. Definitely a story you dont want to miss out on, one that will surprise and intrigue you senseless.

My Grade On This Book 
4 Blossoms

Other Books In The Series 
The Reluctant Viking
The Outlaw Viking
The Tarnished Lady
The Bewitched Viking
The Blue Viking
My Fair Viking
Tale of Two Vikings
 

Book Review-The Tarnished Lady

The Tarnished Lady
Viking I Series
Sandra Hill
Leisure Romance,
390 Pages,
Published June 2002
Medieval Historical Romance 

Synopsis:
SILVER FLAME
Banished from polite society for bearing a child out of wedlock, Lady Eadyth of Hawks' Lair spent her days hidden under a voluminous veil, tending her bees. But when her son's detested father threatened to reveal the boy's true paternity and seize her beloved lands, Lady Eadyth sought a husband who would claim the child as his own.


Notorious for loving -- and leaving -- the most beautiful damsels in the land, Eirik of Ravenshire was England's most virile bachelor. Yet when a mysterious beekeeper offered him a vow of chaste matrimony in exchange for revenge against his most hated enemy, Eirik couldn't refuse. But the lusty knight's plans went awry when he succumbed to the sweet sting of the tarnished lady's love.

My Review:
I was truly captivated by Eirik and Eadyth story, it drew me into the plot and the characters felt so real for me, that I could never put it down. Every read that I have read of Sandra Hill I fall in love with her just over and over again. I just started reading her books, and I am definitely purely satisfied with her books and the enthralling viking stories that she writes.
Eadyth fell in love and desired marriage with someone when she was young, and foolishly in love with a man names Steven. Steven tricked her just to get her into his bed then abandoned her. Eadyth finds herself giving birth and raising a son, John whom she would do almost anything for. Steven has been threatening to take John away from Eadyth so she comes up with a plan to make sure he isn't taken from her. She covers her hair with a ugly gray wimple, and dresses in clothes that are old and torn and truly downright ugly. She covers her face in gray soot, hoping to seem like a lady of forty years instead of in her early twenties so that Eirik doesn't pursue her with lustful advances. She comes to him with a proposal of marriage, where he would get her fortune, and it would be more of a business agreement than a true marriage. Eirik at first says 'no'  but there is something about Eadyth that captivates him so he agree's with a few terms of his. As time goes one, his brother and many others in the keep know what is beneath her facade but it takes much longer before Eirik figures out her deception. Eirik has always been untrustful of women since he had a bad experience previously, and never knows if he can truly trust Eadyth.
Sandra Hill draws in the reader with The Tarnished Lady and bewitches the reader into thinking what is going to happen next and having a hard time putting it down. You see a young independent woman, who is stubborn, and usually takes matters into her own hands. Eirik is resistant to to her independent ways, but finds himself falling in love with her despite all that happens. Eirik has never known such happiness has existed until he marries Eadyth and has a family with her, and realizes how much that means to him. The Tarnished Lady has a great plot with a fiery passion that builds between Eirik and Eadyth, there is a mystery that is afoot with intrigue from Eirik most hated enemy, and a tender love that sweetens the story. I have no complaints with this, I truly was endeared by The Tarnished Lady and am looking forward to reading more of her. 

My Grade For This Book
5 Blossoms