CBR15 Bingo – Europe: This book is set in Saxon England, and additionally includes Norse characters who immigrated there from Greenland.
Teon hasn’t seen his wife Revna in years, when they were forced to wed to prevent a war. He hates Vikings, her father especially, and yet he can’t help but be drawn to her.
I picked up this book because I’m trying to read more historical romance from different settings, and I don’t recall having read a Viking romance before, especially one it is the heroine who is Norse. In some aspects really enjoyed this book, but it was deeply frustrating in other ways.
I really liked the character of Revna – she’s a very sympathetic lead, a compassionate and clever leader who hasn’t let her often difficult circumstances ruin her outlook on life. I appreciated that we got to see how she held onto her Norse heritage and connection with her family even as she immersed herself in her new life. I also enjoyed the external plot of the siege and the way the clash between the Saxons and the Norsemen was portrayed.
However, Teon really got on my nerves. He starts the story as a very close-minded person, and while his character arc does involve him coming to realize how wrong he is, it’s a bumpy and irritating path there. He sees Revna and the Vikings as savage and untrustworthy. While I realize it is a historically accurate reaction for a Saxon prince of the era, it did nag me because it’s uncomfortable to see him desire her even as he openly despises her culture – and it lasts entirely too long. I found myself wishing the author had confined his hatred of Revna to being about just the death of his mother.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
