Author: Tracy

Avid reader (and reviewer) of historical romance.

Blog Tour for The Viking She Loves to Hate by Lucy Morris

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The Viking She Loves To Hate

The Viking NORTH AMERICAN_COVER_Loves2Hate

The Viking She Loves To Hate

Her rival

Is her most dangerous temptation!

Astrid Viggosdottir’s father has ordered a competition between her and new arrival Viking Ulrik to prove who is the better boat-builder! If she loses, Princess Astrid will be duty-bound to marry a Jarl. If Ulrik loses, he will be banished, leaving his motherless daughter homeless. With the stakes so high, Astrid should hate this man―but during the long hot summer their rivalry turns to a heated passion that neither can ignore!

Purchase Links: 

Mills & Boon (UK) ~ UK ~ US

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.

Social Media Links :

Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Website

 

Tracy’s Review:

The Viking She Loves to HateThe Viking She Loves to Hate by Lucy Morris

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone Title

Releases: July 25, 2023

Ulrik of Aalborg was once a warrior, but now he is a widower with a young daughter and a shipbuilder, with dreams of becoming a master shipbuilder, but his options in Aalborg are limited, so when King Viggo, a man he saved in battle years ago, offers him a position of the master shipbuilder in his kingdom, Ulrik jumps at the chance. But when he and his daughter Frida arrive, King Viggo is a bit vague about the position and Ulrik notices that the king’s ships are well-built and wonders why the king offered him a position, when he clearly has a good shipbuilder. It isn’t until later that he learns the truth – the king’s daughter Astrid is the current shipbuilder and she also wants the position of master shipbuilder. The king orders a contest, they will each build a ship and the winner will be the new master shipbuilder, and if Astrid loses, she will marry a man of her father’s choosing and if Ulrik loses, he and Frida will be banished. It is a competition that neither can afford to lose, but is there a way they can both win?

This story is well-written and definitely well-researched featuring a classic enemies-to-lovers trope combined with a second chance at love for Ulrik. Astrid and Ulrik start out as rivals and enemies, but over time, Astrid will mature from the spoiled princess she starts out as and Ulrik will find that he can open his heart to love again, and as they make these changes, they find they have much in common and forge a true connection. But their story is not without difficulties, there will be many things keeping them apart and hurdles to overcome, leading to a bit of heartache and angst before they find their HEA. Overall, it was an interesting book with very likable characters and one I would be happy to recommend.

*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.*

How to Tame a Wild Rogue by Julie Anne Long

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Part of a Series, Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

How to Tame a Wild Rogue (The Palace of Rogues, #6)How to Tame a Wild Rogue by Julie Anne Long

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Palace of Rogues, #6

Release Date: July 25, 23

Daphne Worth is the daughter of a bankrupt viscount, and approaching 30. She should be married by now, but the love of her youth jilted her and Daphne just doesn’t want to risk her heart again. Instead, she has devoted herself to managing her family’s financial misfortune and had recently taken a job as a travel companion to a distant relative to add funds to their coffers, but when her employer’s husband decides that Daphne should be doing more to earn her wages, she decides enough is enough and makes a break for it – right into the arms of a pirate! She shuns his help until she is almost robbed in the street, then she accepts his escort to the boardinghouse and even plays along when Lorcan announces they are wed. But when she learns that the owner of the boardinghouse known as The Grand Palace on the Thames, is none other than Delilah, the former Lady Derring, and a friend from years ago, she is mortified by her current circumstances, but with nowhere else to go, she continues the charade and soon finds herself falling for the last man that she should ever want, her faux husband!

When Privateer Lorcan St. Leger left his ship in search of shelter as a wicked storm rolled into London, the last thing was expecting to do was to catch a young woman climbing out of a window, but that is exactly what happened and how he met Miss Daphne Worth. He offers to help her, but she refuses, so he lets her go but follows her. He once again saves her and this time, she accepts his offer to escort her to The Grand Palace on the Thames, as he too is going there. But when they arrive, they learn there is only a suite left and the patronesses will not allow an unmarried couple to share it. Luckily for them, Lorcan has no problem lying and says he and Daphne are married. It is supposed to be a ruse, but the longer they are together, it becomes clear that they belong together, but will Lorcan be able to overcome the reasons he claims are keeping them apart?

This was a great read, that was well-written and perfectly paced. The story is filled with witty banter, wonderful characters, old friends, secrets, lies, missing ships, a slow-burning romance, couples that are already in love, a hero to sigh for, a heroine to root for, great secondary characters, steamyish love scenes and finally an ending that is just perfect, followed by an epilogue that was even more perfect!! I loved this book, but it wasn’t flawless since most of the titles are wrong, which is my biggest HR peeve – but I almost didn’t even care because the story was that amazing! I have not read the previous books, but I had no problem following the story and will definitely be reading them! I highly recommend this story and will be looking forward to the next installment!

*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.*