Book: Second Chance with His Viking Wife
Author: Sarah Rodi
Length: 238 Pages
Publisher: Harlequin
Overall Rating: 5/5 Stars
Blog Rating: 5/5 Saltire Flags

This book is about a marriage of convenience to stop a violent and deadly war. The marriage is between Prince Teon and Revna who is the Viking Chief’s daughter. As this is a noble marriage however the Prince must leave immediately after the nuptials to fight in another violent war.

Now Teon has returned to claim his crown and marriage, but is shocked to see the love and respect his people have for the wife he had only needed as an ally. That is until their wedding night that never had happened becomes a reality where sparks blew and he realizes what he has missed from this special Viking wife and so much more from this incredible woman. Will it be enough for a HEA? Read and find out.

A new Harlequin author for me that I absolutely love! This is a riveting, fast-paced, romantic adventure that readers will love weaving true history with a fictional romance that will make readers swoon! Another Harlequin romance diving into the past. A book I highly recommend!

Disclaimer: I received an advance readers copy from Harlequin publishers. I voluntarily agreed to do a fair review and blog through netgalley. All thoughts, ideas and words are my own.

I would like to thank Sarah Rodi and NetGalley for giving me an ARC for Taken by the Dragon Prince.

Initially, as I read the first chapter, I didn’t think I would enjoy. I was definitely proven wrong as I continued to read the book. It was easy to follow and a good book to enjoy.

Saxon Prince and Greenland maiden with this marriage of convenience. Revna is smart, powerful, kind, and just all around wonderful leading lady where Teon is out for revenge and fights the chemistry. There is a lot of miscommunication with this one but it works for the era and the plot very well. Loved the community and working through the danger. I really enjoyed this one by Rodi and enjoyed that we got not only Viking but also Saxon mix with this one.

Terrific book. Teon and Revna were forced to marry to prevent a war. Revna was young and hopeful of a successful marriage. Teon is angry because he blames Revna's father for his mother's death. He then leaves to continue fighting other conflicts and stays away for eight years, returning only when he hears of his father's death.

I loved Revna. Instead of returning to her father's home, she stuck it out in her new life. As a Viking woman in a Saxon kingdom, she is looked at with suspicion and distrust. I liked hearing about how she earned the love and respect of the people around her by being the caring and compassionate woman she is. I also liked how she retained her Norse heritage and customs. That heritage is helpful during the siege as she uses her skills to help defend the castle. I also liked her independence, as shown by how she stood up to Teon when he tried to cut her out of things she'd been doing for years.

Teon was harder to like throughout most of the book. From the start, he takes out his prejudices against the Vikings on Revna, treating her with cruelty and contempt. After his return, he continues to do so, blaming her for anything wrong. He even refuses to consummate the marriage, not wanting to "taint" his pure Saxon blood with her heathen blood. He isn't happy about his growing desire for her.

I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Teon and Revna. Because of the siege, they are forced to work together, and their growing attraction becomes harder to resist. Teon's blind prejudice against Revna takes hit after hit as she shows her care and compassion for Teon's people. Despite his vow to avoid tainting his bloodline, he rationalizes taking Revna to bed to stop his distraction during the fighting. There are a few sweet scenes between them, but even then, Teon pulls away, recalling his reasons for his hatred. When he goes too far, Revna sneaks away, and Teon finally realizes the truth of his feelings.

Teon's hatred of the Vikings lies in events involving his parents and Revna's father. I enjoyed the slow revealing of those events and the truth behind them. Revna's determination and bravery in pursuing the truth also opened Teon's eyes to the things he didn't know. Teon's father's past comes back to bite Teon when his illegitimate half-brother lays siege to the castle, determined to take Teon's castle, crown, and wife. The details of the fight are vividly described, making it easy to feel part of the action. The resolution of the siege is intense, with several twists that kept me glued to the pages. I loved the ending and seeing Teon embrace his feelings for Revna.

DNF at 25%

I requested this book as an ARC, because I'd wanted to read a Viking romance for a while and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. The premise sounded amazing and I was really excited to read it.

However, sadly, I am DNF'ing this book at 25% for the following reasons:

My main gripe is that I am not connecting with the author's writing style. I feel like the writing style is somehow detached from what's happening, like we're observing it behind a thick glass and I'm not feeling what either of the characters are going through. So, I have trouble getting into the book. I tried, but I put it down and have no interest in picking it back up, mainly because of this.

Furthermore, I feel like a prologue would've done wonders for the pacing of the book. With the way it's written now, the scenes are being dragged down with history, world-building and old feelings, and it didn't work for me.

Something in the internal conflict of both main characters doesn't feel right to me, I'm not entirely sold on it.

Overall, I think that if I kept reading, it wouldn't become more than a 3 star rating (at best), because the above will just keep bothering me even if I push through.

*Thank you to Harlequin Romance, historical, for providing an advanced reading copy of this book. This is my honest review; all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Revna of Greenland has known much loss in her life, first her mother and brother, then her home. She and her father arrived in Anglo-Saxon England with their clan and hopes for a new life. But soon after they arrive, battles break out and she is caught in the fight, but is saved by a handsome Saxon. A truce is called, but when the Queen is killed, Prince Teon launches another attack. This time to stop the fighting, Revna’s father Ravn, and King Edmund agree to have their children wed to to seal their alliance. Revna is happy to learn her betrothed is none other than the man who saved her, it gives her hope that she may have a happy marriage, but those hopes are crushed as soon as she is brought to his room after their wedding feast. Wounded but not broken, Revna refuses to return home to her father and soon finds her way to the hearts of the royal family and many of the castle’s residents. If only her husband would return and realize she is not his enemy.

Furious that he was forced to marry the daughter of the man he believes killed his mother to cement an alliance between King Edmund and Ravn of Greenland, Prince Teon verbally takes his rage out on his young bride and leaves her without a thought for eight long years. But upon learning that his father has passed, he returns to claim his throne and is shocked to see the young girl he left behind has grown into a lovely woman. He is angry at his attraction to her and that a heathen will Queen but he knows he cannot set her aside without causing a war. Instead, he vows to keep her at arm's length and will never taint his royal Saxon bloodlines by siring children with her. Time after time, he rails at her, blaming her for the sins of others, it isn’t until she she leaves that he realizes he has made the biggest mistake of his life, and wonders if it is too late for a second chance.

This is a fast-paced, action-packed story, with wonderful characters and lots of emotion. This story is filled with feuds, betrayal, lust, murder, battles, culture clashes, steamy love scenes, angry words, secrets, shocking revelations, and finally forgiveness leading to HEA. I enjoyed this story, even though I absolutely despised Prince Teon until almost the end of the book, but he managed to win me in the end. I also enjoyed the love scenes that were spicier than are normally found in these books. I would warn that if you are a “history purest”, you will probably take exception to the modern verbiage in this book, but I would recommend ignoring it and just enjoy the story.

*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.*

A forced marriage unites Saxon Prince Teon and a Viking maiden, Revna, in their youth. Teon, burdened by his prejudices against the Vikings, unjustly projects his resentment onto Revna, leaving a complicated relationship in his wake. His departure for eight years leaves Revna to forge her own path among strangers, a challenge she rises to.

Revna emerges as a compelling protagonist. Her strength, independence, and compassion are commendable, even as she exhibits a tendency to forgive too readily. Teon, despite his initial shortcomings in the form of prejudices and closed-mindedness towards Revna and her Viking heritage, undergoes a transformation by the book's conclusion.

The novel's medieval setting and Viking elements are engaging, contributing to the overall enjoyment of the story. The narrative thread involving their parents' histories is skillfully woven, adding depth to the characters and their motivations. Despite Teon's initial flaws, the book is well-crafted and enjoyable, enriched by its historical context and the compelling journey of its characters.

Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Historical Romance, and the author for the advance review copy!

This book was given to me by Harlequin and NetGalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity to try out my first Viking romance.

These are my own opinions below.

3 out of 5 stars

Teon hastily marries a very young Revna after their fathers agree to stop fighting and share the land. Teon blames Revna, his father, and her people for his mother's death and escapes for eight winters. During this, Revna is beloved by the King, and his sisters, and growing with the people. Revna is a Viking and Teon is a Saxon.

When Teon's father dies, he returns on the day of the funeral where he reunites with Revna. He came back to pay his respects and claim his right to be King. From there, it is an angsty, messy, and war-centered plotline where romance and sexual attraction arise between the estranged couple.

Revna deserved better than Teon. Teon was cruel to her for no good reason. I will go as far as to say that he was a xenophobe. He is older than Revna and he acts younger than her jumping from one mood to the next. Too much hot and cold. I don't know why she even liked him when the better romance would have been with Teon's most faithful knight and her. Revna was more helpful to his people than he was. She was overly nice to him more than what he deserved. The problem with enemies-to-lovers romance is sometimes the hatred goes on too long and this book does that. Lastly, I hated how he still called her heathen towards the end. Think of something new to say, would you, Teon?

On the positive side, I like the plotline of what happened between their parents and the war. Though I don't see how Teon was a good leader at all except the author said he was. I happen to find it very easy to read. I would be interested in reading more from her because I like the culture she added and her writing. Also liked her side characters, especially Bordon and EgesIic. Sex scenes were my kind of spice and highly enjoyable so I think the author can write a good scene and romance with the right characters.

Overall, it is a decent read if you want something where you like everyone else but the hero.

Second Chance with His Viking Wife by Sarah Rodi is a good romance. I recommend this romance to all readers who like to read romances.

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.

Love a good second chance romance even in a historical romance I'm in. And throw into Vikings I'm hooked.

Rating: 3.5/5
Heat Level: 3.5/5

Summary:

Prince Teon has returned to Kinborough to claim his throne, only to be confronted with his estranged wife Revna, whom he abandoned shortly after their wedding. abandoned eight years ago. Revna is the daughter of enemy Vikings, but he must set aside his distrust in order to work with her to save his people.

My review:

I personally enjoy this level of conflict between the hero and heroine when they're political enemies and come from cultures that historically have hella beef. Revna's Viking clan attempted to invade Teon's kingdom back in the day, and Teon believes her people had his mother killed. So... when his father betroths him to Revna, he's understandably not pleased (plus, Revna is very underaged). Teon chooses to leave his kingdom for several years right after the wedding, only returning at his father's funeral. Predictably, he is surprised and horrified by his immediate attraction to his now-grown wife (I LOVE when this happens, really, any belated wedding night situation is my jam).

From here, Teon and Revna have to navigate their growing attraction towards one another (well, Revna has always loved him) while their fortress is under siege from Teon's half-brother who's threatening to take away not only Teon's crown, but his wife (again, love when this happens). There's actually a lot of tenderness between them fairly early on, as well as some moments of levity, which surprised me, considering they're at war. You can chalk this up to the characters— Teon, for all his grudge-holding, is actually pretty lighthearted all things considered, and Revna is very earnest and eager to help any way she can. All that being said, there's still this quiet, underlying distrust on Teon's behalf that only really gets resolved by the end of the story.

The sex:

The sex was well-written and, on an emotional level, a lot more light-hearted than I would have expected for this setting and with this couple, considering their history. Teon quickly comes to the (not entirely misguided) conclusion that having sex with his wife will allow him to be less distracted during the siege, which I thought was pretty funny.

I will say, for a man who is hellbent upon not having PiV sex with Revna because he doesn't want to have kids who aren't of "pure Saxon blood" (a Choice, and one that would work in only certain historical settings for me), Teon cracks REALLY fast.

Overall:

If you'd like to explore different historical eras in your romances and don't want a lot of... grimness, I guess, that I personally associate with Viking romances, then I'd recommend this book for you! I think I was expecting a little more darkness considering the premise and the setting, but I overall liked this book.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.