Tempted by the Warrior

But she’ll never wed

Brynhild had once been close to Erik – until he’d betrayed her, and she’d hoped never to see him again. Now the fiercely independent shieldmaiden needs Erik’s skills to rescue her sister. Striking a truce with the tough, isolated loner they reach a mutually beneficial deal: in return, she’ll help him in his quest to find a wife – by teaching him how to please a woman in bed…!

Purchase Links:

US ~ UK

Author Bio:

Lucy Morris has always been obsessed with myths and legends. Her books blend sweeping romance with vivid worldbuilding to whisk you away to another time and place filled with adventure. Expect passion, drama, and vibrant characters.

Lucy lives in Essex, UK, with her husband, two children, and two cats. She has a massively sweet tooth and loves Terry’s chocolate oranges and Irn-Bru. In her spare time, she likes to explore castles with her family, or drink bubbly with her friends.

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Tracy’s Review:

Tempted by Her Outcast Viking by Lucy Morris

Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Shieldmaiden Sisters, #2

Release Date: September 27, 2022

This installment of the Shieldmaiden Sisters picks up where the previous book ends, with Valda and Halfdan marrying in defiance of his father, Jarl Ulf, and Halfdan’s betrothed, Lady Alswn, sister to the Welsh warlord Lord Rhys Draig ddu Gwynedd, running off with her bodyguard. It is after the wedding feast when Valda’s mother Porunn and her half-sisters Brynhild and Helga begin walking home that Erik, Halfdan’s half-brother and former thrall, asks to speak to Brynhild. Her mother leaves them to go hunt and Helga wants to purchase bread and honeycakes, leaving Brynhild with no reason to deny Erik an audience.

Years ago, while Erik was still enslaved, he and Brynhild formed a friendship, but for reasons unknown to Brynhild, Erik publically rejects and humiliates her and makes her hate him. He now wants to explain why he did it and beg her forgiveness because while she might not believe it, Erik lied about his feelings to protect her and he has never forgotten her kindness to him. But before can fully explain, she realizes Helga is missing. It doesn’t take long to figure out that she was taken hostage by Rhys, who believes Ulf betrayed him and is holding his sister for ransom. Erik offers to help find Rhys’ sister and return her to Wales to secure Helga’s release, he feels partly to blame for the kidnapping and promised his brother he would watch over the ladies while he and Valda were away. Brynhild is a shieldmaiden and doesn’t want Erik’s help, but soon realizes, she needs him. And to save her sister, she will have to put away the hurt he caused her and ignore the attraction she still feels for him because he will never want a warrior for a wife, not that she wants to marry. But what she doesn’t know is Erik has always loved her and will do whatever it takes to win his shieldmaiden’s heart.

I loved this book, it was a well-written, fast-paced, non-stop adventure with an intense second-chance love story. The book is filled with wonderful characters, insecurities, denied feelings, healing, steamy love scenes, abductions, surprises, and a well-deserved HEA, complete with an epilogue that will leave you hungry for the next installment. This is the second book in the series and while it could be read as a standalone title, I would suggest reading the series in order for the best reader experience.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*