The Viking’s Stolen Princess by Sarah Rodi #BlogTour

On By TracyIn Ancient Britain, Blog Tour, Medieval (1066-1540), Middle Ages / Medieval (476-1454), Tracy's Reviews, VikingLeave a comment

The Vikings Stolen Princess

The Vikings Cover

The Viking’s Stolen Princess

A kidnapped royal…
Could be the Viking’s undoing!
After Brand Ivarsson of Kald abducts Anne of Termarth on the eve of her wedding, the Vikings are consumed with only one thing: revenge against her loathsome betrothed. But confronted with the stunning princess, so foreign to his world, Brand’s captivated not only by her beauty but by her spirit and her kindness. Is Anne his prisoner…or is she the one who’s captured his scarred heart?

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Tracy’s Review:

The Viking's Stolen PrincessThe Viking’s Stolen Princess by Sarah Rodi

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: N/A

Release Date: November 30, 2021

When Saxon King Eallesborough of Termarth announced that his daughter Princess Anne would be marrying Ealdorman Lord Crowe of Calhourn in exchange for an army of men, Brand knew his chance for justice had finally come. For years, Northman Brand Ivarsson of Kald has waited for vengeance for himself and his sister for the heinous crimes committed by Lord Crowe. Brand’s plan is simple – he will steal Crowe’s bride, force him to fight, and then ransom Anne back to her father.

After living years as a virtual prisoner, Anne should be thrilled to be marrying Lord Crowe, but she feels like she will just be trading one prison for another. She seeks solace on the ramparts and is shocked when a man appears, not just any man, but Brand – one of her father’s deadliest enemies. She threatens to jump, but Brand convinces her that the only way to save her people is to go with him.

Over the next few days, Anne learns that Brand is not the monster she has been led to believe, and slowly she falls in love with him. But when her father sends Lord Crowe to rescue her, and the truth of her abduction is revealed, she feels betrayed and Brand feels unworthy. Will these two be able to overcome the pain of their pasts and forge a HEA or will they both forsake the love of a lifetime?

This was a good story, with likable characters and a complex backstory. I enjoyed the setting of ancient Britain (Mercia), was thrilled by the tie-in of their past and the steamy love scenes. What I found a bit annoying was the prolonged miscommunication, which lasted until practically the end of the book. Overall, it was a good read and I would be happy to recommend this book.

*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.*

Deadly Scandal by Kate Parker

On By BarbaraIn Audiobook, Barb's Reviews, Historical Mystery, Interwar Period (Nov 1918 - Sep 1939), Part of a SeriesLeave a comment

Deadly Scandal (Deadly, #1)Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Series: Deadly #1
Publication Date: 2/25/16
Period: 1937 – Interwar London
Number of Pages: 278 Print – I had the audiobook

Olivia Denis is in the morgue identifying her deceased husband. It just can’t be her Reggie lying there covered in blood! Sweet, sweet Reggie. Now, they are trying to tell her he committed suicide. Of course he didn’t! She knows he couldn’t have – wouldn’t have – just NO! Even though she takes all of their reasoning and turns it back on them to convince them it is murder, they won’t budge. Well, if they won’t investigate a murder, she will because Reggie definitely didn’t kill himself.

In the two years prior to the beginning of WWII, London was teeming with foreigners – those truly seeking refuge from the Nazi atrocities in Europe, and those seeking to garner information to pass back to Hitler to aid in his invasion of England. There were also Englanders whose sympathies lay with Hitler as well. There were spies everywhere – there was even a major leak coming from Reggie’s office and they had yet to discover his identity.

Was Reggie the mole who was funneling information to the Nazis? No, of course not. Olivia would never be convinced of that – even though she has just learned many, many, many shocking things about the Reggie she thought she knew. Does that mean that maybe Reggie discovered who the spy is? Could they have murdered Reggie to keep him quiet? Why has someone broken into Olivia’s apartment and ransacked it? What are they looking for?

When more deaths occur and Olivia is constantly being followed, she doesn’t know who to trust. Can the handsome Captain Adam Redmond, of Army Intelligence, be trusted? He certainly turned up at a time that would have allowed him to be part of the problem rather than the solution. Goodness help her – she’s learning to trust and lean on him – has she misjudged him?

You’ll love seeing Olivia come into her own during this time. She has a contentious relationship with her overbearing father and he is livid when she refuses to be a dutiful daughter and move back to his home after Reggie’s death. She compounds his anger when she actually goes to work in order to be able to afford to live in the flat she and Reggie had shared. There is more to her job than meets the eye, and she really begins to find her way – and her courage – as the investigation comes to completion.

I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook. Henrietta Meire, did a nice job with a smooth-flowing narration. While she did different voices for each character, they weren’t distinct enough that I would have recognized the character without having the author identify who was speaking. I think you’ll enjoy listening to the story should you choose the audiobook.

I can definitely recommend this book – and this series. I actually read the second book first because my library didn’t have this one available at the time. That means I can already tell you the second book is a good one as well – but I did like this one better.

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