Dark Viking (Viking II series #10)

Book: Dark Viking (Viking II series #10)

Author: Sandra Hill

Bookshelves: 2011, fantasy, fiction, historical romance, romance, Sandra Hill, time traveler, Vikings, Vikings II series

Begun: February 16, 2011

Finished: February 21, 2011

Media Type: book (paperback)

Setting: present day Coronado, California (USA) and 10th century Norstead (Norway)

Characters: Rita Sawyer, Steven of Norstead, Lady Thora, Sigge, and Oslac

Review: Rita Sawyer, experience and sought after stunt woman in Hollywood, is approached by two of the Navy SEALs’ finest and is encouraged to join the ranks of a newly formed class of WEALS (Women on Earth, Air, Land and Sea – the female equivalent of the SEALs. She readily accepts when she learns of the sign on bonus that will allow her to pay off her mother’s daunting medical bills (that piled up before her death).

Rita is on a training mission in California one day when her boat (and her world) is turned upside down with a knock on her head. She awakens to 10^th century Norstead and Steven and his friend Oslac calling her a mermaid. They bring her back to the keep and cage her (basically because they think she is a sea beastie and then accuse her of being a spy of one of the pirates in the area).

Steven leaves Norstead for some time and Rita breaks free of her cage. She meets up with Sigge who her aunts have sent to help Rita. Her aunts … the witches … who brought Rita back to Norstead to bring Steven out of his funk.

The usual happens. Rita brightens up Stevens’s day. Steven falls for her. They have sex. She gets pregnant and tries to go back to her time because she thinks Steven will leave her for his betrothed.

While I generally love Sandra Hill, I just didn’t find this book as exciting as others she’s written. Maybe it’s time to stop writing the Viking I and Viking II series for a while and come back to them later? Not a bad read. Just not her best.

Awards: none

Recommended by: personal find

Recommend to: Nora Roberts’ fans, romance fans, time travel fans, historical romance fans, history fans

This Year's Christmas Present (Anthology)

This Year's Christmas Present by Nina Bangs

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I think I would have given this book 4 1/2 stars (if it were possible) except for the fact that one (of the three) stories was a reprint that I'd already read in a different book that another Sandra Hill short romance story had appeared in (the book was called Here Comes Santa Claus ... I think).

The other two short stories were fantastic though. Heart felt with the right touch of sexuality. I would recommend this book as a library find but not a purchase.

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Frankly, My Dear ... (Creole Historical series #1)

Frankly, My Dear by Sandra Hill

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
One of Sandra Hill's better novels (not that any of them are terrible ... this one just stands out).

Selene is starving. Literally. She's a model. One of America's most beautiful people and she hates her life. Capivated by Gone With The Wind since she was little, she's spent her life looking for her Rhett. Then at one photo shoot, she passes out only to awaken in Louisiana ... in the 1830s.

Mistaken for a light skinned slave, Selena finds her hero in James and his unconventional life. Who needs who more? A former model who can't stop eating? Or the dour sugar plantation owner who would rather free his slaves than deal with his screwed up family?

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Book: Love Potion (Cajun series #1)

The Love Potion by Sandra Hill

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Not one of Sandra Hill's best, but The Love Potion was a decent read. I felt for the characters and want to empathize with them.

The Cajun bad boy and the Creole beauty have always been at odds with one another. Since the day that Luc asked the overly shy Sylvie to dance when they were twelve and she turned him down, he's been in love with her.

Now 33, Sylvie is a brillant chemist with a bright future. She's developing the next big drug, bigger than Viagra. A love potion in jelly bean form.

Luc is the "Swamp Solicitor" known for representing poorer people. One day, Luc comes to Sylvie looking for help. The local Oil company is polluting the bayou and killing shrimp and crawfish, the life blood of the local economy.

What happens when Luc mistakenly eats a Jelly Bean that he finds in Sylvie's work spac?

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Book: Hot & Heavy (Viking II series #5)

Hot & Heavy by Sandra Hill

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I've gotta say. I think that this book, so far, is my absolute favorite of Sandra Hill's books. It reads fast and beautifully. The emotion, the love, the sex, are all there and in the perfect quantity. The plot is believable and well executed.

Ian MacLean is as hardassed as they come. Leader of a SEAL team, Ian takes it in spades when something dangerous has to be done, like entering a cave in enemy territory. But what he finds there will knock his socks off.

Madrene Ogladottir is the last of her family alive. Alone he defended her homestead of Norsestead until Steinhold took her prisoner and threatened to kill off all of her holders. He sells her into the harems of the Arab lands when she refuses to wed him. One day, two years later, she finds herself in a horrible sandstorm one minute and a cave shelter the next.


Ian wanders upon a woman, smelling to high heaven and looking like Phyllis Dyller. What is she doing in the middle of the desert? And why does Ian feel like he knows her already?

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Book: Down & Dirty (Vikings II series #7)

Down and Dirty by Sandra Hill

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
WHOOO HOOO. Finally. My name.

You don't understand if you have a name like Susan or Katie or any other name that is common place. But my name is Britta.

I've never had magnets that I could buy or pencils with my name on it ... or key chains or cups ... my name isn't a "normal" name. Sure, I bought the Brittany magnet once and cut off the "ny" but that's not the same (althought this did make me happy at the time).

BRITTA Asadottir is a strong woman ... very very strong. And when she's pulled from her home in 1000 Norseland to 2000 California (on a Navy WEALS training course no less) she finds out what she's made of. Reaquiainting herself with Zack-hairy, the man who followed her around like a love sick puppy when the SEALs team was transported back to Norseland in Max's book, Britta wonders if all she will ever be is a warrior.

Holy hell. Could life get worse for Zachary "Pretty Boy" Floyd? His five year old son, who he stole from under a terrorist's nose in Afganistan, is running him ragged and now Britta ... BRITTA is here. And he's chasing her ... Zachary doesn't chase women ... they chase him. What is wrong with this picture?

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The Bewitched Viking (Viking I Series #4)

The Bewitched Viking by Sandra Hill

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another great book by Sandra Hill.

Tykir just wants people to leave him alone so he can harvest amber and return to his home of Dragonstead in the Norse country.

Alinor just wants her idiot brothers to leave her alone so she can continue to raise the sheep that make her the finest wool in all of Northumbria.

But there is always a hitch. When Alinor "curses" a certain king's "manroot" to fall off and then said king gets a kink in his ... "manroot" ... well said King thinks that Alinor is a witch. He sends a messenger out to get Tykir and asks him to find the witch and bring her back to him.

Tykir doesn't want to ... but then the messenger lets poor Tykir know that the king is holding Adam (his adopted nephew) as a friendly hostage. What's a good Viking to do?

Go out and kidnap the witch that is ... problem? Alinor is NOT a witch.

Hilarity ensues.

A great read. Not as good as some of Hill others but this was an early novel in her series (Viking I). They all seem to get better in time.

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