Blog Tour Book Review: Tempted by Her Outcast Viking by Lucy Morris

About the Book:

Title: Tempted by Her Outcast Viking

Author: Lucy Morris

Series: Shieldmaiden Sisters #2

Page Length: 288

Publication Date: Sept. 27, 2022

Publisher: Harlequin Historical

Synopsis: A passionate Viking romance

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: help her and, in return, she’ll help him in his quest to find a wife—by teaching him how to please a woman in bed!

LINKS:

https://books2read.com/u/4jgVLX

Tempted By Her Outcast Viking (Shieldmaiden Sisters, Book 2)

My Review:

We all have our thread in the tapestry of life.

I’m so happy to be on the blog tour for Tempted by Her Outcast Viking by Lucy Morris. I’m loving the Shieldmaiden Sisters series. Morris has a talent for immersing the reader fully into the story with historically accurate and interesting settings and plots, compelling characters, and wonderful romances.

Brynhild is such a dynamic protagonist. Strong and capable, she feels she is the protector of her family. She is a person who thinks of her family’s needs before her own and resigned herself to being the one who will care for her sisters and her aging mother, and she feels very guilty for wanting more. Though she is often unflappable, Brynhild is very self-conscious about her looks. She isn’t small, dainty, and delicate. She is a warrior, and she is tall and broad. Teased and ridiculed for many years because of her looks, Brynhild feels unlovable and unattractive. I love how Erik completely proves her wrong and helps to build her confidence when it comes to her desirability.

Can I just talk about how much I love Erik? This poor man had a terrible childhood, and he withstood trauma, abuse, humiliation, prejudice, and more. Being half Persian, he never felt like he belonged or was accepted in either world, and he is often treated differently because of his heritage. Add to that the abuse he suffered at the hand of his father and the devastating loss of his mother, and Erik has many reasons to be angry and bitter. But he’s not. Recently freed from his father’s enslavement, he immediately volunteers to help Brynhild rescue her sister. He also wants to rectify some mistakes he made with Brynhild in the past, and I love him for that. He knows how deeply emotional wounds hurt, and he regrets his treatment of her even though he thought he did it with good intentions.

And the romance between Erik and Brynhild is amazing! I mean, the way Erik feels about Brynhild makes your heart squeeze and grow. I don’t know if it’s because they’re both warriors who put walls up, or if it’s because Erik had such a tough life, or if it’s because of their history together, but their love story is positively swoon-tastic! There’s so much tension and chemistry, and the fact that they are journeying together under stressful circumstances and in close proximity just adds to the sexual tension. I also like that Brynhild is the more experienced one, and Erik has none. After hiding his feelings for Brynhild for so long, it’s lovely to see him experience his first tender moments, kisses, and affection with her. I feel like it made their connection and tender moments even more poignant and romantic.

He thought of all the thousands of beautiful stars in the sky and how the moon shared the night with all of them. In contrast, the sun’s light was shared with no one else, so dazzling and powerful, nothing could ever compete with it. No one would dare. Brynhild was the sun.

The plot is as intriguing as the characters and romance. With rich and immersive descriptions of the setting and the varying landscapes Brynhild and Erik travel to the urgency of their quest, there’s a lot of excitement and intrigue. These warriors will stop at nothing to save Helga, but throughout their travels, they learn more than they ever expected about love, life, and they realize that their journey entails much more than they ever expected.

The next book in the series focuses on Helga, the youngest of the sisters, and I can’t wait to read her story. Her romance is hinted at in this one, and it has the making of a swoon-worthy enemies-to-lovers read. Thanks so much to Rachel’s Random Resources, the author, and Harlequin Historical for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Rating:

About the Author:

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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