Book Review-Viking Heat

Viking Heat
Viking II Series
Sandra Hill
Berkley,
276 Pages
Published Sep 2009
Viking/Time Travel
ISBN 9780425230671

Synopsis:
Psychologist Joy Nelson thinks things are bad when she finds herself training in the modern-day female Navy SEALs program. But then her life takes a turn for the worse. Somehow she's been thrust back in time to the cold Norselands, being auctioned off as a thrall, or slave-a gift for a Viking warlord, who would be a perfect candidate for Male Chauvinist Viking of the Centuries.


Brandr isn't thrilled with the slave his brothers have purchased for him. Holy Thor! The woman wants to teach him anger management skills! And help him find his feminine side, whatever that is. She may be beautiful, but the saucy wench defies him at every turn. So Brandr makes her an offer. She can earn her freedom -- as his bed thrall. But when Joy dares to decline his offer, he must decide what to do with the woman enslaved to him -- and the out-of-control heat between them...

MY REVIEW
 
Summary:
Psychologist Joy Nelson, has always been the one suffer the taunts of her older brothers, and any time they dare her to do something whatever it may be she does it, even though she is a full grown adult by now. So when they double dare her to become a WEAL-a female version program of the Navy SEALS. But then when she goes on her first mission with a SEAL team, she finds herself taken back through time where she is then auctioned off as a thrall to a Viking Warlord. At first Joy has no idea that she has been taken back through time, but then things start to click and Brandr, the Viking who owns her, starts to make compromise after compromise with the saucy woman, thinking he must be as demented as she is, but is really in love with a thousand year old woman that has stirred up his passions like none other ever has, and has claimed his heart.
The Hero 
Brandr is a Viking warrior and leader of his people, after most of his family was slaughtered apart from his young sister who was taken, raped and became preganant. So he brings her home, and when he is in rage becomes a 'beserker', but when Joy,  a thrall given to him as a gift, by his closest friend, he knows that he is definitely in for the adventure of a lifetime, and knows that she is far from different from anyone he has ever known, and yet the passion that she stirs in him, becomes a love that he can't deny and will fight to keep her to his side.
The Heroine 
Joy Nelson, a psychologist and has the talent in helping those in pain and grief. But having grown up with her older brothers, she can never turn down a dare, and so when they double dare her to join a female Navy SEAL program, she of course has to join, and finds that she fully regrets it to some degree, not knowing why she always succumbs to their taunts. So when she is taken back through time and become the slave to a Viking Warrior, of course she finds it barbaric and unheard of. But then she realizes what time she has been taken back to, and despite her protests, Brandr stirs up deep passions within her, that makes her earn for his touch and much more....

My Thoughts
I would have to say that Viking Heat is by far one of my favorites that has been written by this author so far. I found that I was intrigued by the first page and I found myself finding it hard to put this one down. I found the plot so intriguing and with such a vitality to the characters, and definitely a laugh out loud read! One of the greatest aspects that I love about Sandra Hills Books is the wit that is in each and every one of her plots, especially when it involves time travel, with two characters that are from two times, and they have to learn to adapt to each others differences, and the way they learn to muddle through it is fabulous, and definitely worth reading, especially in Viking Heat.

My Grade For This Book 
5 Blossoms

Other Books In The Series 
The Last Viking
Truly, Madly Viking
The Very Virile Viking
Hot N' Wild
Hot N' Heavy
Rough N' Ready 
Down N'Dirty
Viking Unchained
Viking In Love

Book Review-Truly, Madly Viking

Truly, Madly Viking(Viking II Series)
Sandra Hill
Love Spell, 389 Pages, Published July 2000
Time Travel Romance
ISBN: 0-505-52387-6

Synopsis:
MAD ABOUT YOU


His boat off-course, distracted by a randy she-whale whose infatuation had somehow thrust him into the twenty-first century, Jorund Ericsson had cause to question his surroundings. And though the befuddled Viking thought hed found heaven when he caught sight of the comely wench with the man-hair and the kiss-some lips, the lovely doctor simply thought him crazy. And Jorund realized the only thing that had driven him to the edge was her enticing figure.


He skyrocketed from the water and into Maggie's life: all sinewy muscles in a flawlessly proportioned body, a swath of long blond hair swept back from his brow. His claim to be a Viking from the tenth century made her smile. But it wasnt laughter that caused her stomach to flutter when the Hercules look-alike claimed her lips. And soon he had her believing his story, though questioning her own sanity. Then the psychologist realized there was another possibility: Neither of them was truly mad of them were truly, madly in love.

My Review:
998 A.D. Jorund Ericsson, is traveling on his longship with his brother, when they find they are off course. Then before he knows it he is in the mouth of a whale, who takes him to the twenty first century. At first Jorund insists that he must return home, but then the orca throws him on the beach in Texas, where a orca show is showing with women and children. There who see a tall, virile naked viking with women and children gaping at him. He is then arrested and put in a mental hospital. His doctor, is Maggie McBride. Maggie has two twin daughters, whom she loves dearly. Abandoned by their father who didn't want responsibilities, but then later died in one of his risk taking risks. She takes her daughters to a orca show, which they love to see. When a naked man comes out of the water, and her heart skips a beat. For she has never seen such a beautiful specimen in her life. Her daughters however, believe he is to be their father. Maggie ends up being his psychiatrist. Maggie believes that he just needs time to come to terms with the fact that he isn't a viking who has traveled through time. Since she knows it is impossible, isnt it? Her resolve weakens however at their first kiss. Her senses go on alert, for she knows she has never felt anything like what she feels with Jorund. Jorund knows he just has to abide his time in this crazy mad house until he can be released so he can find that crazy orca that brought him to this time. He knows he needs to return to his brother and father. Then out of the blue Jorund disappears for three weeks, and Maggie despite herself is worried sick. After searching upon searching for three weeks he comes to Maggie's home. Maggie at first is shocked to see him, but joyous as well. As they celebrate both Thanksgiving and Christmas together, both Maggie and Jorund's bond  to one another strengthens, as well as Jorund's relationship with her twin daughter, who have similiar resemblance to his twin daughter that were killed. Jorund knows he has to return to his own time, despite the fact that he knows how much he has fallen in love with Maggie and her daughters. He has a responsibility and duty to his family, although he desperately wishes that he doesn't. He aches to stay here in the twenty first century with the love of his life. But what will he decide to do stay with his love? Or travel back in time for his duty?

I have had such a adventure reading another well written one by Sandra Hill. I love reading Time Travel romance, especially with Hill at the helm. Especially at first, I laughed so much and so hard, it sure had its moments. I love how this strong warrior Viking has been taken forward in time, to end up in a mental hospital. It will definitely make you laugh, but there is also a great story line, with intense passion that builds between both Jorund and Maggie. A passion that neither one of them has ever felt before and can't deny, not even to themselves. I also loved how a father-daughter relationship was put in with Maggie's daughters. Whom I am sure you will fall in love with as much as I have. They have such sweet personalities that will pull strings on your heart. I definitely loved reading this one, it was truly a genuine time travel romance that I could re read!! Another win for Sandra Hill!!!

My Grade For This Book:
5 Blossoms

Other Books In The Series:
The Last Viking
The Very Virile Viking
Wet And Wild
Hot And Heavy
Rough And Ready
Down And Dirty
Viking Unchained
Viking Heat

Book Review- Viking Unchained

Viking Unchained
(Viking II Series)
Sandra Hill
Berkley
(Paperback) ,
325 Pages,
Published July 2008
Viking/ Time Travel Romance

Synopsis:
ONCE A VIKING....

He swore he'd travel the earth to ind his little boy. But Viking warrior Thorfinn Haraldsson never counted on traveling through time -- and he's more than a little surprised to find himself in modern day Baghdad in the midst of a Navy SEAL operation. Luckily, the SEALs include his cousin, who takes him Stateside. And there, at a bar, he stumbles on a woman with an eerie resemblance to his cheating wife...

... ALWAYS A HERO
For almost five years, single mom Lydia Denton has mourned the loss of her Navy SEAL husband. Then she meets a man who looks a lot like her lost love. Despite Thorfinn's ridiculous accusations that she's taken his son, Lydia finds it impossible to ignore the steamy chemistry between them. And as she gets to know this handsome Viking, she can't help but wonder whether two souls, separated by time, have found their way back to each other...

My Review:

As this is a time travel story, it starts out with two seperate story lines, one with Thorfinn Haraldsson in the eleventh century, and the other with Lydia Denton in the present day. Thorfinn once married a woman and had a young son, she leaves him along with his son. Even though he suspects that they have been killed in a storm on the sea, he continues searching for his son Miklof. He ends up in Baghdad fighting and killing as fast as he can, surrounded by a group of men. Then suddenly he is drawn by some force into another time, in the middle of a SEAL operation, one of the SEALs happens to be his cousin, who takes him on a plane and to the states. There he is learning how to treat others, especially women where he is about hopeless (a viking in the twenty first century is so hilarious, I was laughing the whole way through this section of the book) Finn is eager to be a fighting man once again, so the SEAL team that discovers him starts training him to be read for prep for being a SEAL.
Lydia Denton, lost her husband Dave who was a Navy SEAL and died in combat four years ago. She has been raising her son Mike all on her own. Lydia is a dancer and teaches other women how to do aerobic dancing. She sends her son Mike on the farm with her parents in Minnesota. She goes to a bar with a friend, and meets a man with Dave's eyes; which were silver and very rare. Even though he looks different from her husband, she assumes he is back from the dead. One kiss turns into a endless night a steamy passion that gets the blood pumping.  Lydia is utterly confused, despite the passionate nights they share, she wonders who this strange man is. She assumed its either Dave reincarnated or Dave sent this man to her. She aches for love again, and she knows that she is falling for Finn, despite his chauvenistic ways.
This is definitely an loveable read, that every romance reader will thoroughly enjoy. I have always loved reading Time Travel, and I have equally fallen in love with this one. Especially since I love reading from Sandra Hill and does amazing Viking stories. Here is a adventure you never want to miss out on. With a man who is a fighting Viking from the 11th century, who is taken to the future and has to learn to cope with modern women, that would most likely cut him to pieces if he calls them "wench" too many times. However with Lydia, he treats her differently then all the other women that he has met through the SEAL team. He treats her with more respect and tenderness than he does with anyone else. Lydia see's a side of him, that is hidden beneath his rough exterior. Lydia falls in love with Finn, and when she finds out that he wants to join the SEAL team, she is broken inside, not knowing if she can live with another military man once more especially one that she has fallen in love with. Finn is insisting that all they have is sensual passion, that he could never love a woman and Lydia goes about to prove him wrong and make him fall in love with her. I truly was captivated by this story and the characters within it. This is the first of the Viking II series that I have read, which is her time travel viking series. I really loved everything about this book, I was laughing throughout the whole of the book, due to the circumstances of which Finn and Lydia are put in. There is a heated passion that develops between the two that really sets the room ablaze. And a love that expands through time and space. Definitely a keeper!

My Grade For This Book
5 Blossoms