Category: Tracy’s Reviews

The Warrior’s Forbidden Viking Bride by Sarah Rodi

On By TracyIn Ancient Britain, Check Content Warning/Triggers, Medieval - Early (410 - 1066), Middle Ages / Medieval (476-1454), Standalone Title, Tracy's Reviews, VikingLeave a comment

The Warrior's Forbidden Viking Bride (Harlequin Historical)The Warrior’s Forbidden Viking Bride by Sarah Rodi

Tracy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Release Date: July 17, 2025

After Christians raided her village in Denmark and killed her husband and infant son, Alivia has seethed with hatred for them and when she has the opportunity to raid an English monastery, she jumps at the chance for revenge. But things don’t go as planned and she accidently starts a fire in the church – endangering her life as well as her twin brother and a young boy. When they are trapped in the burning building, it is a Christian priest that saves them. The priest agrees to go with them as long as they promise not to hurt the boy or sell them into slavery. Alivia is not happy about this turn of events and can’t understand why her brother Jurgen would bring them along. She takes every opportunity to vent her rage at the priest and is even more upset that she finds him attractive – something that hasn’t happened since the death of her husband. Can she let go of her hatred and allow love to fill her heart again or will her grief win?

Ryce wasn’t always a priest, he was once married to King Eardwulf’s sister and served the king as a warrior. But when his wife and child die during childbirth, he is consumed by grief and takes it out by slaying the king’s enemies. But when he is injured and sent to the monastery to recover, he turns to his faith to find peace. Later he agrees to care for Aldfrith, the king’s illegitimate son and vows to never touch another woman. An easy vow to keep in a monastery – but when pagans attack and he and Aldfrith are taken captive by a Viking Shield Maiden and her brother – he finds himself tempted for the first time in years. Alivia is not like any woman he has ever known and despite his vows and her hatred, he finds himself drawn to her. Like Alivia, Ryce is holding tight to his grief and his faith, making him believe that there is no chance for a future with her.

This was a very emotional, enemies to lovers romance that had wonderful characters who have been crippled by grief and given a second chance at love – if they have the courage to take it. I loved Ryce and Alivia, they have both known indescribable loss but have each coped with that loss in a different way; Ryce through his faith and Alivia through vengeance. Neither is eager to open themselves up to pain again and will have to be willing to let go of the past in order to have a future. This book is filled with heartache, loss, second chances, steamyish love scenes, battles, and a hard-won HEA. This book does have things that might be triggers for some readers, so I would suggest checking the content warning before reading, but I do think the author handled these sensitive subjects with empathy and respect.

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

Demon With Benefits by Aurora Ascher

On By TracyIn Check Content Warning/Triggers, Paranormal / Fantasy, Part of a Series, Romantasy, Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Demon with Benefits (Hell Bent, #3)Demon with Benefits by Aurora Ascher

Tracy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Hell Bent, #3

Release Date: July 29, 2025

Blood witch Iris Donovan has known loss at the hand of a demon, but when her twin sister Lily falls in love with a demon, Iris must accept him and his demon friends in order to have a relationship with her sister, even if it means lying to her witch friends. The more time she spends with them, the more she realizes that she might have been wrong to judge them so harshly – well most of them. The demon Meth, who in his human form is a pierced and tattooed bad boy and doesn’t seem to take anything seriously. And to her complete mortification – Iris is turned on by him. But she reminds herself that she has sworn off bad boys, too bad she doesn’t listen to herself. Things get hot and heavy between the, but when feelings get in the way and a mutual enemy threatens them – Iris will have to find her own power to save the demon she has come to love.

For hundreds of years Meth was basically a slave to demon master, but when he was finally freed by his brothers, he made sure that he could never be used that way again. He has deep scars that he hides behind his carefree, party boy attitude, but the pain is there and of late has made physical contact virtually impossible, so he secretly uses his art as a way to escape the pain – until he meets Iris. What starts as a no strings attached booty call, turns into something deeper, something that Iris isn’t ready to accept. But when they part and Meth is taken by their mutual enemy – will she figure out what happened in time, or will he be lost again?

OMG – I LOVED THIS BOOK! The narrator was wonderful, and her voices and cadence were spot on! As to the story, I absolutely adored Iris and Meth as a couple – she is snarky, and he is a smart-mouth and together they set the pages on fire! This book has enemies to lovers, old friends, a hellhound puppy, scorching hot love scenes, secrets, a common enemy, surprises and finally a heartwarming HEA. If you like the enemies to lovers trope with a healthy helping of smoking hot love scenes – this is the book for you! This is the third book in the series, and this book picks up shortly after the end of the previous book, and I think it could be read as a standalone title with no problems – but, if you have time, I highly recommend reading all the books in the series – you won’t regret it.

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