The Viking's Touch by Joanna Fulford

Absorbing romantic story
4 stars

Viking adventurer, Wulfgar Ragnarsson, lives life on the edge, cheating death and making his fortune as a mercenary all to escape the pain of his past. When his ship and crew need to make repairs he finds himself thrown into the company of the beguiling widow, Lady Anwyn.

Lady Anwyn is tasting freedom for the first time but there are many who would try and win her heart and her lands. To protect herself and her son, Anwyn will do anything – even if it means giving herself to a warrior who will never give her his heart.


Upon reading the inscription in this book I found that it appears to be the sequel to The Viking’s Defiant Bride however this book stands completely alone so you can still enjoy it even if you know nothing of the first story.

From the outset I was charmed by this book and the writing style. I’m not sure whether all the language was completely correct to the time period but it was still engaging and the interactions interesting.

Anwyn was a likeable character – strong and defiant but still true to her time period and never becoming a stereotype. Wulfgar is my favourite type of hero – someone who is strong and tough but with a sensitive core and that is crying out for the love of a good woman. The pair had great chemistry and as such I would have liked the love scenes to be a little more in depth.

The story itself kept me interested and I always wanted to carry on reading just a little bit more each time. The ending was wonderful and a good culmination of everything that had happened throughout the story.

Overall, if you like tales of Vikings and the women that tame their hearts and enjoy a good romance then I really think you will like this story so it’s one I would recommend to you. 4 stars.

Taken By The Viking by Michelle Styles

Rich and absorbing Viking romance
4 stars

When Vikings landed at Lindisfarne, one wrong move turned a peaceful trading mission into a deadly raid that saw the place ransacked and pillaged. Annis of Birdoswald knew she had to flee but she was no match for the fearsome Haakon Haroldson.

Taking Annis back to his lands, she must choose between life as a lowly slave or give in to the dark and dangerous passion she feels with Haakon. But there are plots and intrigues that may stand in the way of this couple finding happiness with each other.


This is the first of three novels all connected by the raid at Lindisfarne coming before Viking Warrior, Unwilling Wifeand The Viking's Captive Princess. While they share similar characters and back story, each are entirely stand alone.

Annis is a strong woman who knows her own mind but her insecurities and worry make her much more than a stereotype. Haakon is the strong Viking Jaarl who tries desperately to keep control of his headstrong captive and his own heart. The pair had chemistry and although the sex scenes weren’t scorching, they were still nicely sexy. If I could have changed one thing, I would have liked to have Haakon show just a little more emotion when it came to his feelings for Annis – even if that was in private. Despite that, the ending was lovely and had me sighing!

The story was very rich in detail and it was obvious that the author not only did a lot of research into the time period but also put her heart into ensuring historical accuracy. At the end of the book she explains some of the points of note and lists the books she found useful which is an interesting touch and good if you are interested in learning more about the history of the Vikings.

Overall, this was an enjoyable story to pass the time and one that I would recommend if you enjoy a Viking romantic adventure. 4 stars.

The Captive by Joanne Rock

Slow and subtle Viking romance
4 stars

When Vikings attack the hall where she is staying, rich Saxon widow Gwendolyn refuses to give up without a fight. But when her daring leads to her falling at the feet of Viking warrior Wulf, she realises she may be in deeper than she anticipated.

Wulf didn’t plan his raid to find captives but one look at the wilful Gwendolyn and he knows he has to take her. But as he soon finds out, taking Gwendolyn and keeping her are two very different things.


When I first started to read this book I assumed it would be all strong, brawny Vikings raiding English villages, stealing away innocent maidens and sailing on the high seas. So I was more than a little surprised when the story was actually a lot slower than the mad paced adventure I thought it would be.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing though as it gave you time to get to know the characters. Gwendolyn was a delight. She was a strong woman who knew her own mind but still had insecurities, faults and while being impulsive, was sensible with it. Wulf was the strong, silent type and while I knew he was a tough leader, he did tend to be a lot softer and calmer than you might expect a Viking warrior to be. Together the couple worked well and they had some good chemistry although not as hot as some I have read.

The story held me from beginning to end and I did enjoy the battle of wills between Wulf and Gwendolyn. The ending was wrapped up nicely and overall this was an enjoyable story that I very much enjoyed. If you enjoy a Viking romance without too much war or wickedness then I would recommend this book to you. 4 stars.

The Viking's Woman by Heather Graham

Enchanting and exciting Viking romance

5 stars

King Alfred’s cousin Rhiannon is lauded for her great beauty and wonderful spirit. But she has none of her warmth to share with any Viking, especially those who invade her lands and kill her kin.

So she is enraged when as a token of peace she is offered to the golden Viking Eric. Despite his strength and masculinity, Rhiannon vows to never submit to the man. But as the pair fight against each other, neither are prepared for what their destinies hold or for the danger that lurks just around the corner.

I wanted a change of scenery from my usual Regency historicals so decided to read a Viking adventure. And what an adventure. You are really drawn into the world of the Viking’s as the story of Eric and Rhiannon comes alive.

Rhiannon and Eric fight like cats and dogs but both are such rich, interesting and deep characters that you can’t help but fall for them and enjoy their tale as you read. The book isn’t overly sexy but rather nicely sensual and the characters have a great chemistry.

The plot is also well done and this is one of the few books I have read recently where I couldn’t bear to put it down and was thinking about the story and characters when I wasn’t able to read. It’s also a read you can really get your teeth into and comes out at nearly 470 pages long.

This is the middle of a trilogy of Viking stories from Heather Graham (after Golden Surrender and before Lord of the Wolves) and I am now very keen to read the other books in the series. If you’re looking for a rich story about love in the time of the Vikings then you really can’t go wrong with this book. 5 stars.

Viking Warrior, Unwilling Wife by Michelle Styles

Readable and enjoyable Viking romance

4 stars

AD 794

When Sela sees the Viking war ships full of warriors descend on her home, she doesn’t fear the threat of conquest, but rather the reappearance of the rugged warrior Vikar Hrutson – her ex-husband.

It has been four years since Sela walked out on their marriage, and Vikar has put it all behind him. Yet as the pair are forced to survive together they begin to realise that perhaps the past is not as far behind them as they might expect. But things have changed and secrets are being kept that might change every aspect of their lives.

I had not read the first book in this series, Taken By The Viking, and although I do think this particular book stands alone, I didn’t know some of the characters and situations that were referred to which I might have done had I read the first book.

This book was an enjoyable, romantic tale. Both Sela and Vikar are well-rounded, likeable characters who have deep emotions that are expressed well. I do enjoy a couple that spark off each other and these two certainly did that.

The story never let up and there was always another adventure or occurrence that kept the pages turning. There is no big evil and nothing mighty to overcome which makes the romance the main focus of the book despite the many things Sela and Vikar had to defeat together.

Overall, this is was an interesting and readable story filled with little tidbits of information that give you a greater understanding of the Vikings and their world. If you enjoy Viking romances then you really can’t go wrong with this one. 4 stars.