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Edin's Embrace
WAR HUNGRY VIKING
The crash of a wooden club and the howl of a Norse cur forever shattered innocent Edin's dreams of marrying her childhood sweetheart. And when the svelte young beauty found herself in the grip of her betrothed's killer, Edin vowed one day she'd give the devilish invader his due. But as she hardened her heart against him, the gorgeous captive's body couldn't shut out his nearness. His broad chest heated her, his strong hands molded her...and Edin was soon longing for the ruthless raider from the North to show her his uncivilized kind of love!
HIGH-BORN SAXON
Ever since his father had been murdered by a British bedthrall, fierce Thoryn Kirkynson had sworn vengeance on all the English dogs. The accursed land was for pillaging, its men meant for hard labor, and its women for illicit pleasures. Yet even as the bearded Nordic chieftain swung his axe in slaughter, he could not staunch the rush of tender feelings that flooded him when he saw the enemy princess. Loathing himself for his father's weakness, Thoryn sought not only to dominate his captive...he yearned for her whispers of love and endless hours of ecstasy in Edin's Embrace.
The crash of a wooden club and the howl of a Norse cur forever shattered innocent Edin's dreams of marrying her childhood sweetheart. And when the svelte young beauty found herself in the grip of her betrothed's killer, Edin vowed one day she'd give the devilish invader his due. But as she hardened her heart against him, the gorgeous captive's body couldn't shut out his nearness. His broad chest heated her, his strong hands molded her...and Edin was soon longing for the ruthless raider from the North to show her his uncivilized kind of love!
HIGH-BORN SAXON
Ever since his father had been murdered by a British bedthrall, fierce Thoryn Kirkynson had sworn vengeance on all the English dogs. The accursed land was for pillaging, its men meant for hard labor, and its women for illicit pleasures. Yet even as the bearded Nordic chieftain swung his axe in slaughter, he could not staunch the rush of tender feelings that flooded him when he saw the enemy princess. Loathing himself for his father's weakness, Thoryn sought not only to dominate his captive...he yearned for her whispers of love and endless hours of ecstasy in Edin's Embrace.
480 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
December 27, 2020
I remember enjoying Heather Grahams Viking series, no other Viking stories could top these three. Those books don't hold the true viking-ness but I have a change of thought in case of this book. In some viking books where the viking hero captures the heroine and she tries to adjust in her new culture and after they fall in love the hero at the end stops his berserking because the heroine doesn't like it. I hate when this happens, the story has to be true to it's theme, nothing should blur. Edin's Embrace is a masterpiece. This story has quality and better romance. To the first and last page the story had me at it's grip. This book did not make me read it in one sitting but I went slow, savouring it so that it doesn't finish.
A wealthy and powerful Viking jarl and his captured slave.
Thoryn Kirkynsson is a barbarian, brutal and murderous. A viking to the core he is less forgiving and more merciful. It was another season of raiding when he and his viking brothers breaks in a wedding plundering and killing people like savages.
Edin is an orphan. Her life was already decided, she lived with her uncle and aunt (also dead) and was expected to marry her cousin. Even though she thought of him brotherly Edin was okay. On the day of her wedding Edin's perfect future was destroyed.
Taken as a captive Edin doesn't accept the viking culture but she tries to adjust, when she captures the Jarl's attention she in turn found herself captivated. Thoryn makes Edin his thrall but his actual plan was to sold her off but instead he couldn't push her away. Thoryn is kind and relentless to Edin's anger but he is quite a stud and strong-willed when he needs to get what he wants. Thoryn's affection is rarely shown, he is wary to have feelings for Edin mostly because of his fathers murder by his most favoured thrall.There is a strife among his people when Thoryn lets Erin get away with her breaking the rules.
This book has proper bit to bit detail and is truly and heavyly lies to viking-historical culture. Highly recommend this book to those who love viking romance.
A wealthy and powerful Viking jarl and his captured slave.
Thoryn Kirkynsson is a barbarian, brutal and murderous. A viking to the core he is less forgiving and more merciful. It was another season of raiding when he and his viking brothers breaks in a wedding plundering and killing people like savages.
Edin is an orphan. Her life was already decided, she lived with her uncle and aunt (also dead) and was expected to marry her cousin. Even though she thought of him brotherly Edin was okay. On the day of her wedding Edin's perfect future was destroyed.
Taken as a captive Edin doesn't accept the viking culture but she tries to adjust, when she captures the Jarl's attention she in turn found herself captivated. Thoryn makes Edin his thrall but his actual plan was to sold her off but instead he couldn't push her away. Thoryn is kind and relentless to Edin's anger but he is quite a stud and strong-willed when he needs to get what he wants. Thoryn's affection is rarely shown, he is wary to have feelings for Edin mostly because of his fathers murder by his most favoured thrall.There is a strife among his people when Thoryn lets Erin get away with her breaking the rules.
This book has proper bit to bit detail and is truly and heavyly lies to viking-historical culture. Highly recommend this book to those who love viking romance.
December 31, 2020
4.5 STARS!!
Plot in a nutshell: Edin's world is turned upside down when Vikings sack her village. She's taken prisoner to be sold as a bed thrall on the continent . . . until she attracts the attention of the Jarl himself.
Triggers:
GAH! The dark push and pull between Edin's pride and Thoryn's newly pricked conscience was thrilling.
I loved how the author slowly shifted their relationship from hatred to love, from disgust to grudging respect and then ultimately trust.
For those interested, I found this book as a PDF on Scribd.
"True love is a thing of the light. It is a home for the spirit, a shelter of strong arms from the wind, a fire in the heart when the world without is cold."Thank you, BIRJIS, for finding me another INCREDIBLE winner! If you love captive romances, this is a must read, you guys.
0-75% ==> 5+ STARSAlthough I thought the scenes toward the end of the book lost some of their focus/oomph, I cannot impress upon you enough just how good most of this story was.😍😍
75-100% => 4 STARS
Plot in a nutshell: Edin's world is turned upside down when Vikings sack her village. She's taken prisoner to be sold as a bed thrall on the continent . . . until she attracts the attention of the Jarl himself.
Triggers:
GAH! The dark push and pull between Edin's pride and Thoryn's newly pricked conscience was thrilling.
"Whether you acknowledge it or not, I have the right - and the strength - to do whatever I like with you."Their battles between her light . . .
"The habit of love cuts through confusion and somehow, somehow, contrives a way out of every difficulty.". . . and his dark . . .
True, he often felt like a man standing on the narrow ledge beside a precipice, but he was no coward.were epic.
I loved how the author slowly shifted their relationship from hatred to love, from disgust to grudging respect and then ultimately trust.
He'd never suspected that the moments in which he conquered her would be moments in which he was as much enthralled by her as she was enslaved by him.And best of all, there was no body betrayal syndrome on her part, or personality replacement disorder on his part. The author made both Thoryn and Edin WORK for their happiness.
Tenderness unfolded in him, a sensation that was still as foreign to him as the voice of his conscience.Overall, an incredible read!
For those interested, I found this book as a PDF on Scribd.
August 11, 2016
Wow, this was intense. I'll have to admit I've gone through a dry spell lately and have done quite a bit of skimming in many of the books I've read over the past month or so. Not so with this one. I read every page.
Warning: This is not for the faint of heart. This is a not a fluffy romance although this is definitely a love story. The author doesn't shirk from unpleasant realities as many do. For example, I think back to two of my favorite "conqueror invades and claims heroine" novels (Fires of Winter & Wolf And The Dove). In both of those, people close to the heroine were slaughtered, but the Hero didn't do it. In the case of Lindsey's novel, the hero wasn't even there. It was his father who destroyed the heroine's home and killed family/friends. In KEW's novel, the hero didn't arrive until after the slaughter. A buffer is placed between the heroine's anger/loss and the hero's part in it. In this one, the hero not only leads the raid, he kills Edin's fiance right in front of her, the night before her wedding. Edin's fiance was not conveniently a villain, either. He was a young man she was raised with and loved dearly, although she saw him more as a brother/friend than a future husband/lover.
However, for all his unapologetic brutality, Thoryn treats Edin better than Garrick from Fires of Winter treated Brenna IMHO. He very quickly becomes obsessed/besotted with her, but holds back from taking her because his father fell in love with a Saxon slave girl and was supposedly murdered by her. Of course, he can't hold out long and ends up claiming her as his "pleasure thrall". I feel the author made a much more in depth attempt to deal with the "traitorous body" trope involved in the captor/captive romances. Yes, Edin responded to Thoryn, but she was also deeply ashamed of that fact and I felt her pain at her loss of a sense of self and feeling that she no longer mattered as a person. She was afraid of Thoryn, he was a heathen in her eyes and she'd seen his brutality at its worst. He was also her only shelter and champion in this new world, but she couldn't forget that he'd put her in this position in the first place. She both loved and hated him.
Thoryn tried to make her happy, but he didn't understand her. He expected her to be grateful that she'd been elevated to the status of his bed thrall and was showered with jewels and fine clothes. He'd also vowed to never set her aside and he didn't physically punish her for running away (something he was expected to kill her for). He also makes an effort to be gentle with her and to learn how to please her in bed (something he'd never cared about with other women).
The book was definitely a study in a clash in cultures. He expects her to accept him as her master and is completely unapologetic about it. She just needs to accept that the world is a brutal place and men take what they want by force or it gets taken from them. He doesn't understand what else she wants from him. Edin, on the other hand, expects him to be sorry for his "sins" and give up raiding and killing.
There are consequences for both of them due to his efforts to appear as less of a barbarian and make her love and trust him. A compromise is eventually reached that both can live with and they get there HEA, but I got the sense that their very different backgrounds would always be a source of conflict. Although Edin did soften Thoryn somewhat and give him a sense of peace and happiness he hadn't had since childhood, he was also always going to be the dominant alpha-male viking. After events at the end of the book, I got the feeling he would no longer ignore his better judgement in order to spare Edin's sensibilities. He may hear her out, but if he felt something was his duty and the best for everyone involved, he'd do it and not apologize. I saw a very interesting and passionate voyage ahead for the two.
Warning: This is not for the faint of heart. This is a not a fluffy romance although this is definitely a love story. The author doesn't shirk from unpleasant realities as many do. For example, I think back to two of my favorite "conqueror invades and claims heroine" novels (Fires of Winter & Wolf And The Dove). In both of those, people close to the heroine were slaughtered, but the Hero didn't do it. In the case of Lindsey's novel, the hero wasn't even there. It was his father who destroyed the heroine's home and killed family/friends. In KEW's novel, the hero didn't arrive until after the slaughter. A buffer is placed between the heroine's anger/loss and the hero's part in it. In this one, the hero not only leads the raid, he kills Edin's fiance right in front of her, the night before her wedding. Edin's fiance was not conveniently a villain, either. He was a young man she was raised with and loved dearly, although she saw him more as a brother/friend than a future husband/lover.
However, for all his unapologetic brutality, Thoryn treats Edin better than Garrick from Fires of Winter treated Brenna IMHO. He very quickly becomes obsessed/besotted with her, but holds back from taking her because his father fell in love with a Saxon slave girl and was supposedly murdered by her. Of course, he can't hold out long and ends up claiming her as his "pleasure thrall". I feel the author made a much more in depth attempt to deal with the "traitorous body" trope involved in the captor/captive romances. Yes, Edin responded to Thoryn, but she was also deeply ashamed of that fact and I felt her pain at her loss of a sense of self and feeling that she no longer mattered as a person. She was afraid of Thoryn, he was a heathen in her eyes and she'd seen his brutality at its worst. He was also her only shelter and champion in this new world, but she couldn't forget that he'd put her in this position in the first place. She both loved and hated him.
Thoryn tried to make her happy, but he didn't understand her. He expected her to be grateful that she'd been elevated to the status of his bed thrall and was showered with jewels and fine clothes. He'd also vowed to never set her aside and he didn't physically punish her for running away (something he was expected to kill her for). He also makes an effort to be gentle with her and to learn how to please her in bed (something he'd never cared about with other women).
The book was definitely a study in a clash in cultures. He expects her to accept him as her master and is completely unapologetic about it. She just needs to accept that the world is a brutal place and men take what they want by force or it gets taken from them. He doesn't understand what else she wants from him. Edin, on the other hand, expects him to be sorry for his "sins" and give up raiding and killing.
There are consequences for both of them due to his efforts to appear as less of a barbarian and make her love and trust him. A compromise is eventually reached that both can live with and they get there HEA, but I got the sense that their very different backgrounds would always be a source of conflict. Although Edin did soften Thoryn somewhat and give him a sense of peace and happiness he hadn't had since childhood, he was also always going to be the dominant alpha-male viking. After events at the end of the book, I got the feeling he would no longer ignore his better judgement in order to spare Edin's sensibilities. He may hear her out, but if he felt something was his duty and the best for everyone involved, he'd do it and not apologize. I saw a very interesting and passionate voyage ahead for the two.
July 31, 2021
The juxtaposition of meticulously researched historical fiction about Vikings and hilarious purple prose definitely made for an interesting read. When the hero compared the heroine's...ahem...nether mane...to yellow parsley leaves, I thought I was going to die. There are other fantastic purple lines in there, like the hero wanting to drink from the warm goblet of heroine's body.
On one hand, we have vivid description of the Viking way of life to the point that I felt like I was literally sailing with them and living in their village. On the other hand, the characters do not act true to their historical counterparts but I guess that's what you get in Romance-landia. A fierce Viking who instantly cares about his thrall and treats her with kid gloves, and has some definite Mama's boy tendencies. And a slave captive who brazenly speaks and acts with her captors as if she has absolutely no fear of severe repercussions like, you know, being gang raped, maimed or sold to the slave market.
A ridiculous sub plot about a long ago murder that held absolutely no mystery for me from the outset made it difficult to get through the last 50 or so pages of this story.
Verdict: it was okay but not a favorite by far.
On one hand, we have vivid description of the Viking way of life to the point that I felt like I was literally sailing with them and living in their village. On the other hand, the characters do not act true to their historical counterparts but I guess that's what you get in Romance-landia. A fierce Viking who instantly cares about his thrall and treats her with kid gloves, and has some definite Mama's boy tendencies. And a slave captive who brazenly speaks and acts with her captors as if she has absolutely no fear of severe repercussions like, you know, being gang raped, maimed or sold to the slave market.
A ridiculous sub plot about a long ago murder that held absolutely no mystery for me from the outset made it difficult to get through the last 50 or so pages of this story.
Verdict: it was okay but not a favorite by far.
December 9, 2025
Harsh yet a tad messy
࿔*:･ The story, the plot and the pacing
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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The unexpected, swift, savage raid on Lindisfarne in the year 793 was as a bolt from the blue and marked the beginning of what was called the Norse Terror; it went on for 250 years.
࿔*:･ The story, the plot and the pacing
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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January 16, 2021
Wow…what an experience! “Edin’s Embrace” by Nadine Crenshaw is a Zebra Lovegram romance published way back in 1989. With a shimmering Pino Daeni cover featuring a muscled guy who looks a lot like Fabio, embracing a blonde on a Viking ship (spot the horse on the cover!) this could just have been another ho-hum romance.
But it’s not.
This is how the tale begins:
“The world was a colder, darker place then. It was an axe age, a wind age, a time when men didn’t dare give mercy, and a time when the powerful exacted what they could and the weak granted what they must.”
Ok, that definitely piqued my interest.
The ominous effect is spoiled a bit in the next paragraph with a glaring misspelling, thanks to the ever so diligent Zebra editors (who were so lackadaisical that even I could've easily found work there ;-) ): the word hardier is used instead of heartier. There are a lot of typos in this book, which is a shame, as such a good book deserved more cautious editing.
Crenshaw diligently tries to portray the authenticity of the Viking era and sticks to lots of historical facts. This book also borrows heavily from the Icelandic sagas... setting the stage for Vikings as pitiless warriors. The heroine is a lady, not the clichéd young girl trained by her father as a boy in the arts of war. I’ve never read a Viking book with such authenticity, making sure that it was noted which helmets were worn when, the importance of bathing, the treatment of slaves. Slaves are to have their hair shorn, and they are to be killed if they try to escape. When Thoryn has neither of these things done to Edin, it is a cause of strife amongst his peoples.
Despite its authentic, violent, stark Viking feel, I do have to admit that there were a few anachronisms. The mentions of potatoes and squash threw me out of the authenticity for a moment. When a Muslim trader mentions that Constantinople was founded in the year 300 AD (Anno Domino, In the Year of our Lord Jesus Christ), I wondered why he just didn’t say it was founded about 600 years ago, instead. And as I said, there were so many typos for a book printed and edited in 1988. These are minor gripes, and I fault the editor in this. Crenshaw did try her damned best to make this as accurate as possible.
While the genuine Viking atmosphere is a major plus here, the real draw is the love story. Edin is Thoryn's thrall, but he in turn is enslaved by her. What I really appreciate is that there is no other woman for Thoryn (except for a brief encounter with a prostitute), no other great love of his. He is a primal force of a man and love is not part of his mentality. "What is love?” is a phrase often queried here. Sometimes this book gets quite philosophical about the nature of man and woman and their bonds together. Women are a biological need for Thoryn, but before Edin came along, they offered little in terms of mental stimulation and affection. With her he becomes a better man and a better lover.
There is a scene where Thoryn approaches a Viking friend and asks him if women enjoy sex, and if they do, how can men go about pleasing them? Despite’s his friend’s poor advice, Thoryn learns how to please Edin and he she in turn pleases him. Their passion however soon turns into what could be a doomed love.
There’s a lot of introspection than action here, far more than I usually enjoy, but somehow in Edin’s Embrace, it works. Edin and Thoryn are two very deep individuals whose lives and souls are drawn together.
One thing I wasn’t crazy about was
As a reader of historical romance, I have always been searching for that great Viking romance. I still rate Johanna Lindsey’s “Fires of Winter” a 5 star read because, for that 13-year-old girl who read it, that was a 5 star read. I’m not the kind of reader who looks back at books she enjoyed and said well, I don’t like them now. However, 23 years later, I’ve changed as a person and a reader. I need something different. Something more hardcore. "Edin’s Embrace” comes close, but it’s not perfect. Nevertheless, I loved it.
This is the scene that won me over in this book, and made me realize I was not reading another tame, ho-hum Viking book:
There he held her. She felt the sword point keenly. She became aware of her ribs beneath it, how delicate the bones were how easily they could be pierced.
“I’m waiting thrall! What say you know?”
She whispered, “I-I am free, a nobleman’s daughter.”
Why was she doing this? He had no scruples against murder—he’d already murdered Cedric before her very eyes!
“You suffer from unnatural belief in your own immortality,” he answered softly...Quickly another sword appeared. She looked from Thoryn to the sword Rolf held out to her.
“Take it!” The jarl stepped back half a pace, removing his sword point from her breast, yet not removing it.…She took the sword from Rolf with both hands. Even so, as soon as he released it, its point fell almost to the floor. She struggled to bring it up again, but couldn’t raise it even to the height of her waist…
“Lift it!” he said. He waved his own weapon as if it were a twig. “All it takes is a good arm.” She saw the sinews in his forearm, the muscles rippling. “It’s Rolf’s own sword, a good killing blade…If you aren’t my thrall you’ll lift it and defend your claim. I say you're mine, my property to dispose of as I see fit. Prove to me I’m wrong!" She stood as she was, her arms and shoulders and back trembling in effort of keeping the heavy sword point from falling to the floor completely.
“Well?” He was like a dragon in his fury, rending and unreasonable. Those who resisted, he would always mercilessly overcome, if not with his muscles then with the tremendous strength of his mind and purpose.
“You know I can’t fight you.”
“Come,” the jarl said dryly, lowering his sword. “Take it; charge me with it. I know you can kill if you want to.”
“I can’t!”
“You killed Ragnarr.”
“I can’t!”
He made a sound of contempt. “You are a race of slaves, you Saxons.”
Her gaze dropped to somewhere near his feet. She wanted to cry, but somehow kept the sobs held in.
“I’m challenging you—fight me, my lady!”
“I can’t fight you, Viking, as well you know.”
“Aye,” he said slowly, lowering his weapon at last, “as well I know.”
Her gaze lifted again, all the way to his face. “But I will never be your slave,” she said stubbornly.
This time he reacted with immediate anger, the most parlous kind of anger, the kind born of frustration. The jerk of his head told her of his ire, and her breath froze at the cold flare of temper in his eyes. In an instant, he became fearsome, furious mad. His mighty sword swung again, and he closed in. There was an ice storm rampaging in his eyes. The flat of his sword lifted her chin, until she was looking at him down its long gilt and silver length. All he said now was, “Slave or sword point?”
The flames snapped in the fire pit behind her. The cold, steel point pricking her throat never moved the slightest. For an immeasurable extent of time she stood perfectly still, living in a state of strain. She searched for an answer. And impaled on his gaze, feeling all those wild and hungry eyes on her, something of her pride broke inside her. In the end she could only whisper: “Slave”
What a great Viking romance, a rarity for me!
4 1/2 stars rounded up to 5
But it’s not.
This is how the tale begins:
“The world was a colder, darker place then. It was an axe age, a wind age, a time when men didn’t dare give mercy, and a time when the powerful exacted what they could and the weak granted what they must.”
Ok, that definitely piqued my interest.
The ominous effect is spoiled a bit in the next paragraph with a glaring misspelling, thanks to the ever so diligent Zebra editors (who were so lackadaisical that even I could've easily found work there ;-) ): the word hardier is used instead of heartier. There are a lot of typos in this book, which is a shame, as such a good book deserved more cautious editing.
Crenshaw diligently tries to portray the authenticity of the Viking era and sticks to lots of historical facts. This book also borrows heavily from the Icelandic sagas... setting the stage for Vikings as pitiless warriors. The heroine is a lady, not the clichéd young girl trained by her father as a boy in the arts of war. I’ve never read a Viking book with such authenticity, making sure that it was noted which helmets were worn when, the importance of bathing, the treatment of slaves. Slaves are to have their hair shorn, and they are to be killed if they try to escape. When Thoryn has neither of these things done to Edin, it is a cause of strife amongst his peoples.
Despite its authentic, violent, stark Viking feel, I do have to admit that there were a few anachronisms. The mentions of potatoes and squash threw me out of the authenticity for a moment. When a Muslim trader mentions that Constantinople was founded in the year 300 AD (Anno Domino, In the Year of our Lord Jesus Christ), I wondered why he just didn’t say it was founded about 600 years ago, instead. And as I said, there were so many typos for a book printed and edited in 1988. These are minor gripes, and I fault the editor in this. Crenshaw did try her damned best to make this as accurate as possible.
While the genuine Viking atmosphere is a major plus here, the real draw is the love story. Edin is Thoryn's thrall, but he in turn is enslaved by her. What I really appreciate is that there is no other woman for Thoryn (except for a brief encounter with a prostitute), no other great love of his. He is a primal force of a man and love is not part of his mentality. "What is love?” is a phrase often queried here. Sometimes this book gets quite philosophical about the nature of man and woman and their bonds together. Women are a biological need for Thoryn, but before Edin came along, they offered little in terms of mental stimulation and affection. With her he becomes a better man and a better lover.
There is a scene where Thoryn approaches a Viking friend and asks him if women enjoy sex, and if they do, how can men go about pleasing them? Despite’s his friend’s poor advice, Thoryn learns how to please Edin and he she in turn pleases him. Their passion however soon turns into what could be a doomed love.
There’s a lot of introspection than action here, far more than I usually enjoy, but somehow in Edin’s Embrace, it works. Edin and Thoryn are two very deep individuals whose lives and souls are drawn together.
One thing I wasn’t crazy about was
As a reader of historical romance, I have always been searching for that great Viking romance. I still rate Johanna Lindsey’s “Fires of Winter” a 5 star read because, for that 13-year-old girl who read it, that was a 5 star read. I’m not the kind of reader who looks back at books she enjoyed and said well, I don’t like them now. However, 23 years later, I’ve changed as a person and a reader. I need something different. Something more hardcore. "Edin’s Embrace” comes close, but it’s not perfect. Nevertheless, I loved it.
This is the scene that won me over in this book, and made me realize I was not reading another tame, ho-hum Viking book:
There he held her. She felt the sword point keenly. She became aware of her ribs beneath it, how delicate the bones were how easily they could be pierced.
“I’m waiting thrall! What say you know?”
She whispered, “I-I am free, a nobleman’s daughter.”
Why was she doing this? He had no scruples against murder—he’d already murdered Cedric before her very eyes!
“You suffer from unnatural belief in your own immortality,” he answered softly...Quickly another sword appeared. She looked from Thoryn to the sword Rolf held out to her.
“Take it!” The jarl stepped back half a pace, removing his sword point from her breast, yet not removing it.…She took the sword from Rolf with both hands. Even so, as soon as he released it, its point fell almost to the floor. She struggled to bring it up again, but couldn’t raise it even to the height of her waist…
“Lift it!” he said. He waved his own weapon as if it were a twig. “All it takes is a good arm.” She saw the sinews in his forearm, the muscles rippling. “It’s Rolf’s own sword, a good killing blade…If you aren’t my thrall you’ll lift it and defend your claim. I say you're mine, my property to dispose of as I see fit. Prove to me I’m wrong!" She stood as she was, her arms and shoulders and back trembling in effort of keeping the heavy sword point from falling to the floor completely.
“Well?” He was like a dragon in his fury, rending and unreasonable. Those who resisted, he would always mercilessly overcome, if not with his muscles then with the tremendous strength of his mind and purpose.
“You know I can’t fight you.”
“Come,” the jarl said dryly, lowering his sword. “Take it; charge me with it. I know you can kill if you want to.”
“I can’t!”
“You killed Ragnarr.”
“I can’t!”
He made a sound of contempt. “You are a race of slaves, you Saxons.”
Her gaze dropped to somewhere near his feet. She wanted to cry, but somehow kept the sobs held in.
“I’m challenging you—fight me, my lady!”
“I can’t fight you, Viking, as well you know.”
“Aye,” he said slowly, lowering his weapon at last, “as well I know.”
Her gaze lifted again, all the way to his face. “But I will never be your slave,” she said stubbornly.
This time he reacted with immediate anger, the most parlous kind of anger, the kind born of frustration. The jerk of his head told her of his ire, and her breath froze at the cold flare of temper in his eyes. In an instant, he became fearsome, furious mad. His mighty sword swung again, and he closed in. There was an ice storm rampaging in his eyes. The flat of his sword lifted her chin, until she was looking at him down its long gilt and silver length. All he said now was, “Slave or sword point?”
The flames snapped in the fire pit behind her. The cold, steel point pricking her throat never moved the slightest. For an immeasurable extent of time she stood perfectly still, living in a state of strain. She searched for an answer. And impaled on his gaze, feeling all those wild and hungry eyes on her, something of her pride broke inside her. In the end she could only whisper: “Slave”
What a great Viking romance, a rarity for me!
4 1/2 stars rounded up to 5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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September 12, 2022
A few weeks ago I went through a bodice-ripper phase (as I do every so often) and badly wanted a good historical dubcon. Luckily, this book was waiting in my TBR pile, and IT DELIVERED.
The eponymous Edin (age uncertain, but not too old), a native Briton, is just about to get married to her childhood friend when their village is raided by Vikings. Thoryn, their leader, kills her fiancé and takes her away because she'll fetch a high price at the slave market.
Now, at this point, I was a bit surprised. I thought this would be a case of obsession-at-first-sight, so hearing Thoryn muse on how she'd go for eight marks of gold threw me for a loop. But honestly, it's soon made pretty clear that he's just fooling himself. From the beginning he never treats her like a normal slave (or 'thrall') and though their relationship progresses slowly for the first 30% of the book, he does eventually realise that he'd rather have her in his bed.
Second surprise: Thoryn, for a bodice ripper hero, is a NICE GUY. Yes, he kills Edin's fiancé, but only because he was defending himself. And though he does make it clear he's imposing his will on her, it's couched in a way that lets her retain the semblance of assent. Thoryn constantly thinks about Edin's happiness, and it's honestly adorable. Even though his father was murdered by his own English thrall, he never takes it out on Edin, which was unexpected and pleasant.
While there is some OW action (no sex, but Thoryn does do things with two women after leaving Edin for a trip) this actually didn't bother me too much, considering the time period.
Prose: occasionally mildly flowery, but generally good. Overall, Crenshaw is definitely someone whose other books I'd like to check out.
The eponymous Edin (age uncertain, but not too old), a native Briton, is just about to get married to her childhood friend when their village is raided by Vikings. Thoryn, their leader, kills her fiancé and takes her away because she'll fetch a high price at the slave market.
Now, at this point, I was a bit surprised. I thought this would be a case of obsession-at-first-sight, so hearing Thoryn muse on how she'd go for eight marks of gold threw me for a loop. But honestly, it's soon made pretty clear that he's just fooling himself. From the beginning he never treats her like a normal slave (or 'thrall') and though their relationship progresses slowly for the first 30% of the book, he does eventually realise that he'd rather have her in his bed.
Second surprise: Thoryn, for a bodice ripper hero, is a NICE GUY. Yes, he kills Edin's fiancé, but only because he was defending himself. And though he does make it clear he's imposing his will on her, it's couched in a way that lets her retain the semblance of assent. Thoryn constantly thinks about Edin's happiness, and it's honestly adorable. Even though his father was murdered by his own English thrall, he never takes it out on Edin, which was unexpected and pleasant.
While there is some OW action (no sex, but Thoryn does do things with two women after leaving Edin for a trip) this actually didn't bother me too much, considering the time period.
Prose: occasionally mildly flowery, but generally good. Overall, Crenshaw is definitely someone whose other books I'd like to check out.
April 28, 2022
I originally gave this 2 stars when I read it over 10 yrs ago…🤷🏻♀️
Rereading it in 2022, Im confused at my taste, because this book is actually quite good for when it was written. 😂
But then again, over 10 yrs ago, I was a dumb teenager giving cheating books 5 stars.😂.
Goodread seriously need to add the age range of the reviewer next to the stars…
Edit to add safety info spoilers.🚩
This is a bodice ripper and a Viking story at that, as such it’s not a pc book.
If you’re looking for a nice, politically correct book for the modern female, don’t read this book. However, if you want a book to sweep you away to another time, and you love angst, this book is safe enough.
There is force seduction, but not a cruel rape. He does force her to be his bed slave.
There is slavery, the h is physically abused- slapped around etc.
The H almost cheats, even tries to but he couldn’t get it up.
I consider him a cheater nonetheless. I didn’t when I was a dumb teenager because he didn’t stick his penis in another woman.
He couldn’t get it up for intercourse, but this doesn’t mean he didn’t find other women appealing or arousing.
Other women did arouse him and get him hard outside of bed, his body did react to ow, but when he took the ow to bed and got her naked, he couldn’t get it up. They were fully naked and he did everything to her, including giving her an orgasm, and she did everything to him sexually but he couldn’t get it up.🤷🏻♀️ the scene was descriptive.
Again this is a bodice ripper, and for a bodice ripper book, it’s safe enough,
But if you don’t want to see any scenes with ow, you should avoid this.
Separation - few weeks months. He went trading/doing Viking business. This is also when he was fooling around with ow.
Rereading it in 2022, Im confused at my taste, because this book is actually quite good for when it was written. 😂
But then again, over 10 yrs ago, I was a dumb teenager giving cheating books 5 stars.😂.
Goodread seriously need to add the age range of the reviewer next to the stars…
Edit to add safety info spoilers.🚩
This is a bodice ripper and a Viking story at that, as such it’s not a pc book.
If you’re looking for a nice, politically correct book for the modern female, don’t read this book. However, if you want a book to sweep you away to another time, and you love angst, this book is safe enough.
There is force seduction, but not a cruel rape. He does force her to be his bed slave.
There is slavery, the h is physically abused- slapped around etc.
The H almost cheats, even tries to but he couldn’t get it up.
I consider him a cheater nonetheless. I didn’t when I was a dumb teenager because he didn’t stick his penis in another woman.
He couldn’t get it up for intercourse, but this doesn’t mean he didn’t find other women appealing or arousing.
Other women did arouse him and get him hard outside of bed, his body did react to ow, but when he took the ow to bed and got her naked, he couldn’t get it up. They were fully naked and he did everything to her, including giving her an orgasm, and she did everything to him sexually but he couldn’t get it up.🤷🏻♀️ the scene was descriptive.
Again this is a bodice ripper, and for a bodice ripper book, it’s safe enough,
But if you don’t want to see any scenes with ow, you should avoid this.
Separation - few weeks months. He went trading/doing Viking business. This is also when he was fooling around with ow.
October 5, 2024
4-4.5 stars Loved it. He was suitably fierce and cold, but softened for the heroine. Lots of good damsel in distress moments. 😍
This felt like a softer, less angsty, The Conqueror (Brenda Joyce). It’s not TOO soft though. The characters still fit their brutal time period.
Highly recommend if you enjoy old school bodice rippers.
The ending was a little underwhelming for all the high drama and build up. I would have liked a more direct confrontation of the hero’s mistakes and the villain, and I kinda wish the big ending “solution” had been the hero’s idea and not something the heroine demanded. But it didn’t significant detract from my enjoyment.
I’d read more from the author, for sure.
This felt like a softer, less angsty, The Conqueror (Brenda Joyce). It’s not TOO soft though. The characters still fit their brutal time period.
Highly recommend if you enjoy old school bodice rippers.
The ending was a little underwhelming for all the high drama and build up. I would have liked a more direct confrontation of the hero’s mistakes and the villain, and I kinda wish the big ending “solution” had been the hero’s idea and not something the heroine demanded. But it didn’t significant detract from my enjoyment.
I’d read more from the author, for sure.
January 29, 2024
This was such a great historical romance. Definitely going to check out the rest of Nadine Crenshaw's backlist, even though something held me back from giving this book a full five stars. I wish I could have loved the story just a tiny bit more, but it was still very memorable.
TW: non-consent, slavery, abuse, ptsd, ableism, misogyny, graphic depictions of murder
TW: non-consent, slavery, abuse, ptsd, ableism, misogyny, graphic depictions of murder
September 26, 2023
My only real complaint about this book was that the ending kind of dragged for me. Other than that, I was completely hooked. The writing and story here, not to mention the emotions displayed by both leads (and side characters!), blow 1989 bodice-ripper standards out of the water. Heck, this was better than tons of modern romances. THIS is the kind of character/relationship development I'm looking for in everything I read, but especially romance. Edin was beautiful, but not in that insane way of many bodice-rippers. She earns respect from the other characters in a realistic way, and the hero is so realistic too in his demeanor and reactions to her. When you factor in the detailed descriptions of the Norse landscape and way of life (did Nadine Crenshaw travel back in time???), the end result is honestly stunning. I will definitely read more from this author.
April 18, 2021
I found it boring. The story wasn't bad but it wasn't good either. I just couldn't care about any of the characters.
March 19, 2024
Its worth the wait to search high and low for this book for many months. Hard to get a copy and let me tell you its worth searching for! (Thank you Birjis!) I savour every words and sometimes I reread the good part again before move on to next. I read lot of Viking/Medieval but this will definitely will be in 'my keeper bookshelves'
Will not go in detail about what this books about as other fellow readers did tons of wonderful review.
Will not go in detail about what this books about as other fellow readers did tons of wonderful review.
January 6, 2024
Read this for Regan Walker’s Jan. Viking month. Vikings and Westerns are probably my least favorite HR genre’, but I’ve read some really good ones. This book was among them 4.5 stars. I have read 2 other books by NC and loved them, one of which I gave 5 stars, and would read both again.
December 10, 2020
It's been a while since I've read a book written in the 1980's (a Vikings bodice ripper, if you want to call it). I enjoyed it, however, I felt the book should have ended at page 420ish, not 480.
November 14, 2023
4.5 stars
October 3, 2025
Ok. Soooo this is a little difficult to review.
I liked it and think it was written fairly well. HOWEVER, there were some things that just didn't suit me. Or maybe I wasn't in the right mood... I don't know.
There were a lot of times that this was incredibly longwinded. I know that the author did her research and was trying to create an accurate account of how life would be at the time, but, quite frankly, I didn't care! So much of it was completely unnecessary. I found myself skimming until the actual storyline started again.
I actually was REALLY enjoying the MMC and then he goes on a trip and not only does he try to screw a belly dancer in a tavern, but when he loses his erection, he decides that maybe if he gives her an orgasm and watches her climax, maybe he will be able to get aroused again so he can sleep with her and then gets incredibly upset when it doesn't work. He pays her, returns to his uncle's house, then proceeds to pull his 15 year old cousin into his room to fondle her (because he wants to see if he can be sexually attracted to her too, especially since so many people have suggested they wed). She gets upset and says she loves someone else, so he stops. He then uses the entire incident about fondling her and even alludes to r*ping her, so he can get a reaction out of one his uncle's men to see who it is that the cousin loves. He does orchestrate a challenge that he purposely loses because otherwise this guy and his cousin couldn't be together, but STILL. All of this bullshit pissed me off so much. Like, it physically hurt to see him casually betraying her without a care or second thought. It was never brought up again to play any other part in the storyline so I don't see why the author included it other than making sure the reader knew that the MMC thought it was perfectly acceptable and was ready and willing to bed another woman if the mood ever struck him. I LOATHED it.
The big twist in the plot was apparent right away. And the FMC became quite annoying towards the end of the book. I also did not particularly care for the way the story ended. The resolution to the MC's disagreement was not a good one in my opinion and, ultimately, did not leave me feeling satisfied. The BEST part of the story was the developmental character arc of Sweyn's, one of the fellow Vikings who originally tried to kill the FMC and was maimed as a result of it. To see him find purpose again and to see the relationship between him and the FMC heal when it was once so chaotic was really refreshing.
I'll end in saying that this book was quite puzzling. To have the author, who clearly is a talented writer, hit then miss so many marks was an attack on the senses. It's possible that maybe it's an affect of the time it was written in (because it was quite a long time ago considering lol) but generally I'm more tolerant of less PC content than most of the other reviewers I see on here-- so, yeah, I don't know... this may or may not work for you!
I liked it and think it was written fairly well. HOWEVER, there were some things that just didn't suit me. Or maybe I wasn't in the right mood... I don't know.
There were a lot of times that this was incredibly longwinded. I know that the author did her research and was trying to create an accurate account of how life would be at the time, but, quite frankly, I didn't care! So much of it was completely unnecessary. I found myself skimming until the actual storyline started again.
I actually was REALLY enjoying the MMC and then he goes on a trip and not only does he try to screw a belly dancer in a tavern, but when he loses his erection, he decides that maybe if he gives her an orgasm and watches her climax, maybe he will be able to get aroused again so he can sleep with her and then gets incredibly upset when it doesn't work. He pays her, returns to his uncle's house, then proceeds to pull his 15 year old cousin into his room to fondle her (because he wants to see if he can be sexually attracted to her too, especially since so many people have suggested they wed). She gets upset and says she loves someone else, so he stops. He then uses the entire incident about fondling her and even alludes to r*ping her, so he can get a reaction out of one his uncle's men to see who it is that the cousin loves. He does orchestrate a challenge that he purposely loses because otherwise this guy and his cousin couldn't be together, but STILL. All of this bullshit pissed me off so much. Like, it physically hurt to see him casually betraying her without a care or second thought. It was never brought up again to play any other part in the storyline so I don't see why the author included it other than making sure the reader knew that the MMC thought it was perfectly acceptable and was ready and willing to bed another woman if the mood ever struck him. I LOATHED it.
The big twist in the plot was apparent right away. And the FMC became quite annoying towards the end of the book. I also did not particularly care for the way the story ended. The resolution to the MC's disagreement was not a good one in my opinion and, ultimately, did not leave me feeling satisfied. The BEST part of the story was the developmental character arc of Sweyn's, one of the fellow Vikings who originally tried to kill the FMC and was maimed as a result of it. To see him find purpose again and to see the relationship between him and the FMC heal when it was once so chaotic was really refreshing.
I'll end in saying that this book was quite puzzling. To have the author, who clearly is a talented writer, hit then miss so many marks was an attack on the senses. It's possible that maybe it's an affect of the time it was written in (because it was quite a long time ago considering lol) but generally I'm more tolerant of less PC content than most of the other reviewers I see on here-- so, yeah, I don't know... this may or may not work for you!
October 2, 2022
2.6/5
Although this was a ‘good’ book, the romance was vvvvv flat. There was little ACTUAL romantic development. By the end of the novel, even after she’s given birth to their child, there’s still an element of fear in their relationship …. That’s not normal xx
For a Viking romance, the romance has to be the strongest aspect to the novel. It wasn’t. Their relationship was slightly flat, and lacked any real emotion.
Although this was a ‘good’ book, the romance was vvvvv flat. There was little ACTUAL romantic development. By the end of the novel, even after she’s given birth to their child, there’s still an element of fear in their relationship …. That’s not normal xx
For a Viking romance, the romance has to be the strongest aspect to the novel. It wasn’t. Their relationship was slightly flat, and lacked any real emotion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2024
Great historical romance, I just wish Hero stayed true to his Viking roots with all the savage glory of a true warrior. Heroine’s constant desire to gentle him and turn him towards Christianity made the ending slightly less satisfying.
October 5, 2016
This is the story about an English lady who was kidnapped by a Viking chieftain the day before her marriage to her childhood friend and local Lord. The Viking raiders burn the village to the ground, kill her fiancé and capture five other locals as slaves.
Initially the chieftain lets it be known that he will sell the heroine at a large slave market in the spring since she will bring a very good price as she is very beautiful and also a maiden.
When they return to Norway she is assigned as a house slave under the watchful eye of the chieftain's mother who is a complete lunatic. However, since the hero cannot contain his lust for the heroine he quickly makes her his bed slave (sex plaything ).
This is a gritty, harrowing read and not for the faint of heart. The sex is absolutely NOT consensual with the heroine crying big fat fearful tears, fighting the hero and begging him to stop. It goes on like this for most of the book and is hard to stomach.
It is not one of those fluffy Viking stories were the hero doesn't think he is worthy of the heroine or thinks she is his equal. The Hero here unequivocally considers the heroine his slave and property to do as he wishes.
I'm a huge history fan and I am giving this book 4 stars because of the intricately detailed accounting of life in a Viking village. It was marvelously done. As for the romance aspect I'm giving it three stars.
Most of the book is focused on the myriad of injustices that is heaped up on the heroine from everybody from the local slaves to the Viking aristocracy. And then there is the crazy mother of the hero who wants to kill her because she reminds the mother of the bed slave that her husband became obsessed with.
The heroine despises the hero and only tells him she loves him on the second to last page of the book.
Initially the chieftain lets it be known that he will sell the heroine at a large slave market in the spring since she will bring a very good price as she is very beautiful and also a maiden.
When they return to Norway she is assigned as a house slave under the watchful eye of the chieftain's mother who is a complete lunatic. However, since the hero cannot contain his lust for the heroine he quickly makes her his bed slave (sex plaything ).
This is a gritty, harrowing read and not for the faint of heart. The sex is absolutely NOT consensual with the heroine crying big fat fearful tears, fighting the hero and begging him to stop. It goes on like this for most of the book and is hard to stomach.
It is not one of those fluffy Viking stories were the hero doesn't think he is worthy of the heroine or thinks she is his equal. The Hero here unequivocally considers the heroine his slave and property to do as he wishes.
I'm a huge history fan and I am giving this book 4 stars because of the intricately detailed accounting of life in a Viking village. It was marvelously done. As for the romance aspect I'm giving it three stars.
Most of the book is focused on the myriad of injustices that is heaped up on the heroine from everybody from the local slaves to the Viking aristocracy. And then there is the crazy mother of the hero who wants to kill her because she reminds the mother of the bed slave that her husband became obsessed with.
The heroine despises the hero and only tells him she loves him on the second to last page of the book.
September 6, 2013
Ever since reading "Season of the Sun" by Catherine Coulter, I've sought out Viking era romances, but I've rarely found any that were any where near the quality of that first one. However, Edin's Embrace ranks right up there with "Season of the Sun" for me! This book has all the typical ups and downs, love and hate drama you expect to see from the better romance novels, but it was also rich in historical details...geography, language, culture, religion, and life in general for those living in Norway (and to a much lesser extent Britain) during the late 9th Century. I loved how Nadine Crenshaw showed us how difficult it would be for a noble Saxon woman to be suddenly enslaved, as well as the difficulties of a relationship between two peoples of such vastly different cultural backgrounds and basic beliefs.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed "Season of the Sun" or who wants a peek at Viking life without having to trudge through all the bare facts you would have to read in a non-fiction historical account. While, naturally, some liberties were taken for creative purposes, I found the author still held as close to the factual details as possible.
This book is 480 or so pages long, so if you like the type of story where you can take the time to get to know your hero & heroine, this is a great one to read.
Note: I would classify this book as a Bodice Ripper, so reader beware. There is plenty of violence, as one would expect of a book based on Viking life with any attempt at accuracy, as well as sexual situations of dubious consent/rape. However, while there are battles and deaths, I did not feel it was overly graphic with the blood and gore, and the battle/fighting scenes were kept relatively short.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed "Season of the Sun" or who wants a peek at Viking life without having to trudge through all the bare facts you would have to read in a non-fiction historical account. While, naturally, some liberties were taken for creative purposes, I found the author still held as close to the factual details as possible.
This book is 480 or so pages long, so if you like the type of story where you can take the time to get to know your hero & heroine, this is a great one to read.
Note: I would classify this book as a Bodice Ripper, so reader beware. There is plenty of violence, as one would expect of a book based on Viking life with any attempt at accuracy, as well as sexual situations of dubious consent/rape. However, while there are battles and deaths, I did not feel it was overly graphic with the blood and gore, and the battle/fighting scenes were kept relatively short.
July 18, 2023
3.5 stars, girlie was miserable the whole book!
March 5, 2023
1) reading this made me realize I would become a Viking’s whore sooo quick, it’s horrifying to me. I would not survive abduction. I am not made of stronger stuff like I thought
WHERE did this women get the resolve to fight , to run into wolf-infested forests and off-cliffs, to escape the Jarl?
2) I need to start watching the Vikings tv show again👀
The dialogue in this book? UNMATCHED.
Edin’s an incredible heroine who’s got goals and her own sense of personhood. She’s smart— she knows when to outsmart her opponents and when to scheme quietly in her mind. She‘a witty, resourceful, adaptable and unwavering in her principles.
(Even when the principles are contradictory sometimes)
Up until 60% if the book, Thoryn was gunna be up their with my book boyfriends. The handsome, gigantic, savage, sharp-tongued, unrelenting, cold, calculated Viking with a soft spot?? I was impressed with the way Crenshaw wrote the slow, steady way he fell for Erin, while maintaining his character. He never gave up fighting or war, or yielding to Saxon ways of thinking— you could very easily see the cultural clash between Edin’s Saxon ways of thinking and Thoryn’s Viking upbringing. He learned mercy, but he didn’t easily accept it. His character arc felt genuine and natural.
But then, I don’t know… the story kinda dragged on. I wanted them retire the “I will seduce you into admitting your love” script. They should have unalived this one unhinged character a whileee back. The story could have been condensed towards the end.
Nevertheless, this is in my favourites now and I’m gunna start watching Vikings again.
Also I unintentionally imagined the guy who plays Ragnar Lothbrook from VIKINGS as Thoryn, and heard Thoryn’s dialogue his voice, which honestly contributed to why I loved this book so much. I don’t know if I would interpret the intensity within the dialogue the same if I imagined Thoryn like the costumed Viking on the cover of this book.
WHERE did this women get the resolve to fight , to run into wolf-infested forests and off-cliffs, to escape the Jarl?
2) I need to start watching the Vikings tv show again👀
The dialogue in this book? UNMATCHED.
Edin’s an incredible heroine who’s got goals and her own sense of personhood. She’s smart— she knows when to outsmart her opponents and when to scheme quietly in her mind. She‘a witty, resourceful, adaptable and unwavering in her principles.
(Even when the principles are contradictory sometimes)
Up until 60% if the book, Thoryn was gunna be up their with my book boyfriends. The handsome, gigantic, savage, sharp-tongued, unrelenting, cold, calculated Viking with a soft spot?? I was impressed with the way Crenshaw wrote the slow, steady way he fell for Erin, while maintaining his character. He never gave up fighting or war, or yielding to Saxon ways of thinking— you could very easily see the cultural clash between Edin’s Saxon ways of thinking and Thoryn’s Viking upbringing. He learned mercy, but he didn’t easily accept it. His character arc felt genuine and natural.
But then, I don’t know… the story kinda dragged on. I wanted them retire the “I will seduce you into admitting your love” script. They should have unalived this one unhinged character a whileee back. The story could have been condensed towards the end.
Nevertheless, this is in my favourites now and I’m gunna start watching Vikings again.
Also I unintentionally imagined the guy who plays Ragnar Lothbrook from VIKINGS as Thoryn, and heard Thoryn’s dialogue his voice, which honestly contributed to why I loved this book so much. I don’t know if I would interpret the intensity within the dialogue the same if I imagined Thoryn like the costumed Viking on the cover of this book.
February 4, 2023
This was such an awesome book! It seemed so evocative of the time period and one of the best historical romances I've read. The details were amazing and I felt so immersed in the time of the Vikings, from the exciting to the mundane. Jarl Thoryn Kirkynson came to Briatin's shores to pillage and plunder. He landed at the Manor of Great Hope and laid waste there on the eve of Lady Edin's wedding to Lord Cedric. The beautiful Lady Edin was captured to be sold in a slave market while Lord Cedric was slain defending her.
Overall this was a really good romance. Thoryn's plan to sell Edin came undone almost immediately. He was attracted to her looks and her ability to stand up to him, even though he was now her master in all things. She questions his every command, forgetting that she is now effectively a thrall, or slave. It is difficult for her to humble herself before him and the other Vikings who she considers to be Barbarians as she considers herself to be a gentle lady of breeding. However, nothing can prevent the simmering attraction she feels for the powerful jarl.
It really is interesting to read the development of their relationship and the qualms they each have over succumbing to it. Thoryn is reminded by his possessive mother about when a bed-thrall killed his father , then herself. She and his men question the pull the lowly thrall has on this great man. Edin, for her part, feels guilty for trying to make the best of things in her new country and being in love with the man who enslaved her.
There is even more to discover in this romance. Lots of adventure, mishap, and sizzling desires.
Overall this was a really good romance. Thoryn's plan to sell Edin came undone almost immediately. He was attracted to her looks and her ability to stand up to him, even though he was now her master in all things. She questions his every command, forgetting that she is now effectively a thrall, or slave. It is difficult for her to humble herself before him and the other Vikings who she considers to be Barbarians as she considers herself to be a gentle lady of breeding. However, nothing can prevent the simmering attraction she feels for the powerful jarl.
It really is interesting to read the development of their relationship and the qualms they each have over succumbing to it. Thoryn is reminded by his possessive mother about when a bed-thrall killed his father , then herself. She and his men question the pull the lowly thrall has on this great man. Edin, for her part, feels guilty for trying to make the best of things in her new country and being in love with the man who enslaved her.
There is even more to discover in this romance. Lots of adventure, mishap, and sizzling desires.
February 17, 2023
3.5
New to me author, might check out her other works.
This book reminded me of the Julie Gardwood books except a lot darker.
New to me author, might check out her other works.
This book reminded me of the Julie Gardwood books except a lot darker.
April 13, 2025
Viking story with heroine captured as a thrall and is constantly threatened to be sold as a pleasure slave until she is sort of raped by the hero. She makes the best of her situation while staying true to her desire for freedom until predictably she falls in love with her captor.
May 28, 2023
This was a perfect read for anyone who likes an alpha hero with a brain and a genuine heroine who isn’t a stupid spitfire. I appreciated that the author didn’t make the h a foot stamper, a spineless idiot or someone with a body who betrays her. Edin is strong because she keeps going, not because she dons trousers and fights a physical battle like a man. She uses her woman’s intuition, her softness of character and her pragmatism to get through the horror that became her life when she was turned into a slave by marauders.
The hero is very much a man of his day who goes through a very slow period of reflection and growth much like the Hero in This Other Eden by Harris and Resurrect by Ray. I hate instalove stories or stories where so little of the couple’s time is actually spent in interactions that aren’t bedroom-like in nature. Thoryn takes a long time to understand himself and his reaction to his new slave. He isn’t a magnificent lover from the start. I adore that he has to work for every little thing he wants from her because as she tells him many times, she doesn’t like him and she definitely doesn’t trust him.
I also like the author’s use of actual places, happenings and items of the time. She gives us an amazing insight into Viking culture (makes me glad they are long gone) without resorting to infodumps ala Woodiwiss. Superficially, this book was similar to The Wolf and the Dove but with a heroine who made more sense and a hero who was even more compelling than Wulfgar.
The side characters were beautifully incorporated even if the mystery of the murder suicide was apparent from very early on in the book.
The only issue I had was the last twenty pages which became a little hokey, especially those bedroom scenes.
Other than that, cheers to Ms. Crenshaw who barely made me cringe with a book that isn’t pc and is chock full of purple prose ( but it actually works really well here).
And I love the last line!
The hero is very much a man of his day who goes through a very slow period of reflection and growth much like the Hero in This Other Eden by Harris and Resurrect by Ray. I hate instalove stories or stories where so little of the couple’s time is actually spent in interactions that aren’t bedroom-like in nature. Thoryn takes a long time to understand himself and his reaction to his new slave. He isn’t a magnificent lover from the start. I adore that he has to work for every little thing he wants from her because as she tells him many times, she doesn’t like him and she definitely doesn’t trust him.
I also like the author’s use of actual places, happenings and items of the time. She gives us an amazing insight into Viking culture (makes me glad they are long gone) without resorting to infodumps ala Woodiwiss. Superficially, this book was similar to The Wolf and the Dove but with a heroine who made more sense and a hero who was even more compelling than Wulfgar.
The side characters were beautifully incorporated even if the mystery of the murder suicide was apparent from very early on in the book.
The only issue I had was the last twenty pages which became a little hokey, especially those bedroom scenes.
Other than that, cheers to Ms. Crenshaw who barely made me cringe with a book that isn’t pc and is chock full of purple prose ( but it actually works really well here).
And I love the last line!
April 18, 2018
SOLID 4.5 STARS!
CLASSIC! I ENJOYED EVERY VIKING MOMENT, IT WAS EVEN BETTER THAN FIRES OF WINTER BY JOHANNA LINDSAY! I'M GLAD THAT THE CHARACTERS WEREN'T OVERLY PRIDEFUL THAT IT RUINED THE ENTIRE STORY.
OUR HERO is a Jarl, a Viking who raided our heroine's home on her wedding day and killed her groom. He's determined to sell her as a thrall for a high price but there is something about the Saxon, one whose pride rivals his own. He's captivated by her defiance and wants her in his own bed, eventually succumbing to the softer emotions she stirs deep in his heart. Despite his own father's demise at the hands of his own Saxon thrall, or so we believe, this Jarl is suddenly defending her against his own people, especially his own mother.
OUR HEROINE was to be married, although we got a glimpse of her would be life...she wasn't exactly happy with her choice of husband. When the Vikings raided her home, she's angry, afeared and trying her best to cope with the situation. A lady her state reduced to becoming a thrall, there is no way she will submit so easily, there in lies the great chemistry between them...the push and pull...the passion and defiance. The sex between them was a little stilted at first, until the Jarl is determined to woo his little thrall, slowly enslaving her body before her heart.
OVERALL this is a keeper classic. I'm glad there was no bad angst that turned this story into crap. This wasn't love at first sight, it's a romance between a strong Viking and a fierce Thrall. Yum!
CLASSIC! I ENJOYED EVERY VIKING MOMENT, IT WAS EVEN BETTER THAN FIRES OF WINTER BY JOHANNA LINDSAY! I'M GLAD THAT THE CHARACTERS WEREN'T OVERLY PRIDEFUL THAT IT RUINED THE ENTIRE STORY.
OUR HERO is a Jarl, a Viking who raided our heroine's home on her wedding day and killed her groom. He's determined to sell her as a thrall for a high price but there is something about the Saxon, one whose pride rivals his own. He's captivated by her defiance and wants her in his own bed, eventually succumbing to the softer emotions she stirs deep in his heart. Despite his own father's demise at the hands of his own Saxon thrall, or so we believe, this Jarl is suddenly defending her against his own people, especially his own mother.
OUR HEROINE was to be married, although we got a glimpse of her would be life...she wasn't exactly happy with her choice of husband. When the Vikings raided her home, she's angry, afeared and trying her best to cope with the situation. A lady her state reduced to becoming a thrall, there is no way she will submit so easily, there in lies the great chemistry between them...the push and pull...the passion and defiance. The sex between them was a little stilted at first, until the Jarl is determined to woo his little thrall, slowly enslaving her body before her heart.
OVERALL this is a keeper classic. I'm glad there was no bad angst that turned this story into crap. This wasn't love at first sight, it's a romance between a strong Viking and a fierce Thrall. Yum!
July 29, 2021
This was a hard read for me.
Perhaps I'm not used to reading about the way of the vikings.
The forced seduction - which I deemed as rape - was so gross, but the weird thing was; I couldn't put the book down. The way the men spoke about taking and taking and taking was so disgusting but I understood that was their way of living.
I loved the plot (although it was very painful for me to read the way the viking treated Edin in the beginning). Even the villain, the mother, was very interesting.
Good story overall (if you could look past their savage way of life).
Perhaps I'm not used to reading about the way of the vikings.
The forced seduction - which I deemed as rape - was so gross, but the weird thing was; I couldn't put the book down. The way the men spoke about taking and taking and taking was so disgusting but I understood that was their way of living.
I loved the plot (although it was very painful for me to read the way the viking treated Edin in the beginning). Even the villain, the mother, was very interesting.
Good story overall (if you could look past their savage way of life).
July 15, 2022
It is well-researched and I learned a ton about Norse culture and lifestyles, but it is so rapey I had to abandon it. Why do romance novelists think men can redeem themselves from sexual assault? I don't care how handsome you are or whatever confused feelings you have for the heroine - pressuring, forcing, threatening a woman into intimacy is not attractive, it's not acceptable, and it's not something you can be forgiven for later. I liked Edin, she was a spitfire, but she didn't deserve Thoryn's selfish and gross defilements. Ugh.
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