This was only ok for me. The story itself was an interesting one but the writing style and pacing just didn't work for me. I also found some of the actions the characters took to be illogical and too, there were characters introduced as antagonists that ultimately had no real tie to the story except to give Jilliand something to overcome within 3 pages.

I did finish this as I wanted to see how it ultimately ended but this one just wasn't what I was hoping for when I picked it up.

Jillian is a young woman whose mother died in childbirth and whose father hates her. He wanted a boy so trains her to fight, yet keeps her in a cell where she's tortured daily. She escapes with the help of the few people she can trust only to be captured by the Viking sea king, Rurik He soon learns Jilliand is much more than she seems. I enjoyed reading this book The characters, especially Jilliand and Rurick, were so engaging that I would have liked more detail . The story moved quickly but was somewhat superficial. This is a great book for young adults who enjoy historical fiction, but who shy away from more lengthy tales.

This was my first Viking story and I really enjoyed it. The author wove historical fiction, romance, and religion. I especially enjoyed reading about the Viking villages. I did get a little confused with some of the time shifts but all in all it was a great read. Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

*Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

What an adventure! I wasn’t expecting much when I picked up Jilliand: A Story of Love and Freedom by Clare Gutierrez. I have not heard of this author before, but the cover drew me in. I was so excited that this book was a historical romance about Vikings! I love reading about the Vikings! This story is about Jilliand, a young woman, raised as a boy. When the time came that she couldn’t disguise her figure, her father beat her relentlessly. On the eve of her marriage, she flees with the help of a few friends. As she goes through the English countryside on her own, she comes across a poor village. However, little does she know that the village would be subject to a Viking attack. Rurik, the leader of his settlement, raids the village and comes across the fiery redhead. He notices that she is not like any woman he has known before. They find themselves drawn to each other. The only problem is she is a Christian and he is a Pagan. Will she be accepted by his people?

I could not put this book down! The author really does a fantastic job of diving into the history and culture of the time period. I even loved the romance between Jilliand and Rurick. I was so emersed in the first 60% of the book. There comes a point when everything falls apart and I felt that it took too long to be resolved. (Sorry, I don’t want to spoil it.) I just wanted to know what happens and the last 40% dragged on a bit. The ending was also not satisfying. I was completely invested in the story and the ending resolution was too quick. The resolve is the just the last paragraph. I needed more of a conclusion than just a paragraph.

I must say this author is great at character development and building character relationships. I found myself rooting for Jilliand and Rurik. Their passion increases throughout the novel. Not only does the author build up the character but she also rips out the reader’s heart. There is a point where I almost put the book down because it is so heartbreaking. So I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars. I found this book unbelievably entertaining, I just wish the pacing was a little more even and the ending a bit more extended to give the reader closure. I will be looking to read this author’s other works as well!

I thought this book would be right up my alley, Vikings, England, historical fiction. While I enjoyed some parts like the historical accuracy, there were other parts that just had me wanting to give up. At times the books was very repetitive and we were told over and over how smart Jilliand was, yet she kept getting captured. While this wasn't my favorite book, I think if you like Vikings, England, historical fiction, you'll find something to like in this book.

I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I think I fell in love with a Viking! This novel was a breath of fresh air--which simultaneously produced anxiety-laden anticipation. I wholeheartedly relished this book! Viewing the Viking people from the inside made for a very interesting and (I believe) an even...almost emphathizing experience. Thank you to both Clare Gutierrez and NetGalley!

I received this ARC from Net Galley for an honest review. I really wanted to like this book and I did parts of it, but there were problems. First, I realize this was an ARC, but there was a terrible formatting problem. Do people not check their ARC's to make sure they are okay? The beginning of every chapter had this weird capitalization problem, where every other letter was upper, then lower case. Then the name of the book or the author's name would randomly appear in between paragraphs throughout the book. Okay, that rant is over. The story: Clare had a decent story in general, but it could have been so much better. There were so many random characters that just showed up for a period of time with no real explanation or backstory that it was obvious she was just sticking them in the story to continue it. it is like she had the hero and heroine and the rest of the characters were incidental depending on what the author needed in the story. A good deal of the time, it even felt like the hero was incidental. Spoiler: I really liked the idea of Rurik and Jilliand but was really ticked off when he took off to Rus with just a couple of months before the birth of his child (probably happened that way historically) along with numerous families and they didn't leave anyone behind to protect the village? Or even with that happening, Rurik just takes some guys word that everyone is dead in their village? As a leader, should he not of checked on his village upon hearing the news, never mind the fact that he left his very pregnant wife and mother in that village. Did he really think that any survivors would have just stood in the middle of that devastation hoping someone safe would find them? Did it not occur to him that he may have found his wife with that newly established village that was formed after those brothers destroyed most of it and Jilliand had helped them? Nope, he just moans about Jillian and thinks she can't be dead, but after a few YEARS of that gets married again and has a kid! SERIOUSLY? After his 2nd wife dies, he thinks well gee its only been eight years or so, I think I will look for Jilliand now because another visitor saw a woman with red hair. I can't even continue. I was glad after all of this, he did find her in the nick of time.

This well written novel is a love story set that follows the life of a young woman, the abused daughter of a nobleman who trained her in combat. Abused and neglected in the years since her mother died giving her birth, Jilliand realizes that she will be married for her father’s financial gain against her will to a man who will likely abuse her and kill her. Two servants who loved and served her mother help her escape. Her escape leads her to a village that is raided by Vikings, whose leader Rurik, takes Jilliand as a slave. They fall in love with each other, marry, and are torn apart.Though life takes them in different directions, theirs is an enduring love that leads them to seek each other over years and distance. The wonderful part of this book is its atypical and sympathetic portrayal of the Vikings and their cultural. Another excellent piece of Jilliand is the development of her character as she grows from a fearful, broken girl into a mature, formidable and admirable woman. This was an excellent read although it was long and had some underdeveloped minor themes. It might have been better to break it into two novels to better explore some of the many story lines that could have been developed. @jilliand @netgalley

This book had a great plot and story line. I enjoyed reading about the Viking history. I especially appreciated how the author wrote the story so that the reader realizes they are real people, trying to live life and care for families, just the same as anyone else. Their methods were just different. And with that, the story was not graphic in its descriptions, but it was gruesome. Just something to be aware of beforehand.

I enjoyed reading this book. The author does an excellent job of weaving the story with both historical accuracy and literary license. The story is easy to follow and makes sense. The author entices the reader with building suspense. The characters are well developed and believable given the time period. I would highly recommend this book to readers of medieval historical fiction.

Excellent. This reads a bit like a family saga, moving with deliberation through the life of Jilliand. I have to admit, this isn't my normal read, but now hooked on the History channel's "Vikings" series, I decided to try this. I'm glad I did. Though strictly fiction, one can tell the author did her research.

3.75 Stars
A historical saga-like romance set at the height of the Viking Age. Think TV show Vikings meets Christian romance, dark but hopeful.
Pros: absolutely gorgeous cover art, well-researched historical facts and cultural tidbits (especially for a romance novel), multiple POVs, and the settings.
Cons: some gaps in the storyline (especially those in the background) and a couple of unbelievable scenes.
Overall, a good choice for historical romance fans. You'll either love it or hate it. I loved it, flaws and all.

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This was a great story! You are instantly drawn into the web woven by Clare Gutierrez. I found this book hard to put down. I had to keep reading to find out what happened next. The setting and historical facts were interesting. If you love historical fiction this is a must read.

Jilliand, An abused girl, finds strength and freedom as she becomes a woman. Rurik has strength as a Viking sea king, yet finds love and gentleness when he falls in love with Jilliand. Gutierrez takes us on an adventure through 8th century England, Scandinavia and Russia through her intoxicating characters. Reminiscent of the ‘Vikings’ series, Jilliand is a historical love story that hooked me from the start.

This book was amazing. I loved every minute of it. The hardship & strength that Jilliand had to go through just to survive. Then what she thought was going to be the death of her turned out to be one of the greatest things even greater, to me in her opinion, of finding out who she truly was.

The characters & story line in this book was done wonderfully. The author gave you enough description that you knew what you were reading but at the same time you did not know enough that you could not imagine it. When I read books, I do not see the words, I see a running movie in my mind of what is happening in the story. The author knew what she was talking about and you could tell she did a through job of researching the era and the culture of the different cultures of the characters.

I highly recommend this book. It is am amazing love story with a wonderful, strong willed, sassy heroine. It is not a smooshy wooshy love story that story line is actually a small portion of the book. There is more action and mystery then a love story. Get the book, I promise you won't regret it.

This story pulled no punches on how violent this time period was. The Vikings came, conquered, took what they wanted and left villages decimated. This story also featured a strong heroine, fierce with a sword, her faith and kindness even though she ran from an abused past. This Engish girl and a mighty Viking made an odd pair. But coming to respect one another they fell in love. Many trials come and Jilliand is thought dead. She is Rurick's one true love. He tries to move on for many years until he hears rumors of a woman like his wife. It will be a very long journey before he finds his wife very much alive. Will it be too late? Very well written.

I wasn't sure what to expect when reading Jilliand as this is a new author for me and I have not read many Viking stories. I am glad I took a chance on it. It was a good read with characters I wanted to know more about. There were several side characters mentioned so hopefully another story is waiting in the wings.....

I am a sucker for a book with both a strong hero and heroine. This book gave me a Viking sea king and a young woman who was raised harshly....to later discover that she is really a princess. The story contained some historical facts, but the story itself was totally built in the imagination of the author, which I appreciated. When Jilliand is taken captive by the Vikings at the hands of Rurik, she is just finding a place for herself after escaping from a cruel father who had rather beaten her than accepted her as a daughter. The story brings together the two in a strong bond forged in the way of the times, when everyone needed to rely on each other to survive. I would have liked to see the ending of the story carried out a little further, but overall I enjoyed reading this book very much. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in return for my honest opinion.

I have read a great many novels about Vikings and the time period in this book. It is one of my favorite eras! The author has done a super job depicting day to day life as well as the more romanticized battles and pillaging activities. This is a super read, I would recommend it to anyone! The romance part is deftly handled and necessary to the story. The heroine’s journey is full of surprises and keeps the story moving along. I thank #netgalley for allowing me access to this great story. #jilliand

“Vikings, it seems, make their own way.” –Helen Russell, The Year of Living Danishly: My Twelve Months Unearthing the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country

I will admit that I let a review spook me into not starting this book as soon as I requested it. I almost passed on reading it. I’m glad I gathered up my courage and turned that first page. This was a fascinating story… dark, but fascinating.

We open with a prologue shrouded in mystery. We are not given names or places. We only have a woman biding farewell to her dying husband. As he took his last breath, the woman turned and asked a servant to tell the King that his son the Prince was dead. She then left the castle and the area never to return.

At the beginning of the next chapter, it took a while for me to figure out that it was several years after the prologue. We were presented with a horrible situation for a character that was not immediately identified. This shrouded secrecy was driving me crazy. Slowly the story unfolded that this badly beaten creature was the child of the ruling lord and was in disfavor with him… and had been since the mother died giving them life. We have this character’s POV and are privy to their thoughts and plans of escape. We also have two elderly servants that have cared for this child since they had promised the dying mother that they would take care of her child. It was becoming a harder task as it became apparent that the lord was determined to kill his child.

Vikings: Our story is in the early centuries of the history of England and costal Europe during what was known as the Dark Ages or the Middle Ages. At that time, England was made up of ruling kings, lords, and chieftains. Entering into that time period were the marauding Vikings that plagued the coastal villages and hamlets as they utilized the rivers to raid and trade their way up and down the coast. These Norse seafarers took anything of value, food, any articles that was useful to them and often left the village burned to the ground and the inhabitants left dead, dying or captured as slaves/servants. The mere mention of the word ‘Viking’ sent fear into the strongest of hearts. They were known for their expertise on the sea, their fighting strategies, sheer strength, size, their fierce fighting prowess and loyalty.

There have been documentaries on the Vikings and [according to Wikipedia] there is even a historical TV drama created by Michael Hirst for the History channel. I find their history fascinating and was soon pulled into the story as our heroine Jilliand met Rurik the Viking Sea King. I was especially moved by the military precision that these Viking warriors and sailors operated under. Their purpose was set… trade when they could, take when they couldn’t, kill if necessary… everything was shared, everyone worked because their very survival was dependent on their securing enough supplies for the winter… smoked fish, game and meats, grains, and goods for their families. It was amazing how they utilized every moment toward completing those goals.

Religious element: Surprisingly, there was a religious element woven throughout this story. Jilliand was Christian and Rurik observed the Norse beliefs. So… who was the pagan? Each was comfortable in their own ideologies and tried to respect the other in their beliefs. Each believed in a higher power, prayed and relied on help from on high and each walked that delicate balance between the two belief systems. I was amazed as I watched how the author handled this situation. Jilliand’s Christianity was not preachy as she prayed during those times of trouble, pain, loss, loneliness or despair.

“Love can give you such happiness, then can break the very heart it filled, leaving a hole that can never be fixed or protected by any armour.” –Kevin McLeod, The Viking’s Apprentice

This was an exciting, horrifying, shockingly vivid story that at times still hid information behind a vail and didn’t explain everything. Other times… I didn’t want that detail. OMG!! This was a brutal time period in the history of the world and I wonder at how anyone survived. This was simply fascinating. I enjoyed it. The love story between our main characters was an enduring love. Wow!! What she suffered was amazing.

Rating: PG-17: due to battle violence, some graphic in the description of what was seen by others, and mild sex scenes, nothing graphic.

I volunteered to read an advance reader copy via the publisher and NetGalley. The views expressed are my own. I absolutely loved the cover. [4.5-stars]