3 star read

Turns out "Tempted by her Viking Enemy" is book 5 in a series. Although, I read it without having read the other 4 books. I still enjoyed the story.

Some of my favorite tropes are in this book, enemies to lovers, nursing him back to health, family fued.

But there were some things I found frustrating. Brandt has lost his entire future. I really felt it hard to believe he would let his defenses down so easily after suffering such a loss. It made the loss he suffered feel unimportant to me. I feel like the action in the story was glossed over which would have balanced the book out better if it had been elaborated on, since the fighting is a big deal for the characters in the book.

Overall... I was not convinced to read the other 4 books, but taking this for what it was, the romance was good!

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This was a fantastic conclusion to the series. All five sons of Sigurd swore to avenge their father's death in a treacherous attack on their home. Each book follows the journey of one son in his search for the truth. Each of those sons finds love as well as moving closer to the truth. This is the story of Brandt, the oldest son and heir, who also lost his wife and unborn son on that terrible day. All of the clues the brothers gathered point to Thorfinn Bjornsson, the man who married their mother's sister.

Brandt shows up at Castle Wik and immediately challenges Thorfinn. Brandt is seriously injured, but his life is spared, ostensibly so he can face a trial before the king. Thorfinn charges his daughter, Katla, with nursing Brandt back to health. Katla and Brandt are wary of each other initially, despite or because of the sparks that flare between them. Katla had been married to an abusive man and was frequently beaten by her father, so Brandt makes her very nervous. Brandt is suspicious of Katla, wondering if she spied on him for her father.

I liked both Brandt and Katla. Brandt is an honorable man who was devastated by the deaths of his loved ones. He never expected to survive his confrontation with Thorfinn and isn't happy about it at first. As he slowly recovers from his injuries, he develops a great respect for Katla. Katla works hard to save Brandt and realizes that she has come to trust him. I was impressed by Katla's bravery as she visited him late at night, knowing that some would not be pleased. As the days passed, she and Brandt formed a solid friendship. Neither expected the sparks of attraction that flared between them, nor the deeper feelings that followed. Brandt never thought he'd have feelings for another woman until he met Katla, while Katla never thought she'd welcome a man's touch.

When Katla's father betroths her to a man she is terrified of, she begs Brandt to help her escape. He wants to protect her, but how can he leave without carrying out his plans to avenge his father? As he and Katla plan their escape, they also put their minds to discovering the truth behind his father's death. Some things that Brandt has learned do not make sense, leaving him with more questions. Katla has also experienced some unsettling revelations. When they combine what they know, they come to a startling conclusion. The ending was intense, as Katla provides the last piece of the puzzle that explains it all. There are some nail-biting moments as Brandt finally takes his revenge.

I loved the epilogue and how it brought the series full circle. There is an update on the brothers' quest for justice. We get to see all five brothers together again, this time with the women who changed their lives. I loved the scene around their father's grave and the depth of emotion displayed.

Book: Tempted by her Viking Enemy
By Terri Brisbin

Series: Sons of Sigurd, Book # 5

Publisher: Harlequin

Heat Rating: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Book Rating: 5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blog Rating: 5/5 Saltire Flags 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿


874, Kingdom of Maerr, Norway

This story begins on Alarr Sigurdsson’s wedding day. Alarr’s father King Sigurd, had always been power hungry, this was another place to show off by gaining more power and wealth by the surrounding clans. King Sigurd, had invited everyone including his biggest enemies, though he had been advised against this action. Of course this stubborn King Sigurd, was hated by many as he was a vain, cruel, double crossing, deceitful man! Queen Hilda, his wife demanded no weapons be allowed at the wedding or on the grounds on this wedding day. Suspiciously, right before the wedding was a ruse was carefully planned out by their enemies. It resulted in annihilating a big majority of their people, including their target his father, but so many innocents including Brandt’ s pregnant wife and unborn son. Eventually the brothers were set up losing their land, titles and now considered outlaws and were in hiding looking for those responsible for this massacre!

Wik Castle,Kataness
Caithness, Scotland
Year of our Lord 877

This story begins in mid December, as Brandt Sigurdsson, who is the brawn, honorable, protective, and fearless, Sigurdsson heir, now filled with grief, fury and a cold heart! Now an exiled outlaw of his former homeland in the Kingdom of Maerr. This leads him to Alba’s Wik Castle to get vengeance for his pregnant wife and father’s murderer! He believes his father’s killer is -the Jarl Thorfinn Bjornsson who now lives in Alba. A man married to his Aunt Kolga, not thinking clearly and recklessly Brandt threatens the Jarl, not seeing all his men with arrows on Brandt. Yet surprisingly, Thorfinn tells his men not to end his life. The Jarl demands his daughter save this man who threatened and now lays unconscious. His men throw Brandt in a cell dying from his severe injuries which was fine with him as soon he will be feasting with his dead wife and father in Valhalla!

Katla Thorfinndottir is a widow, but has been treated harshly both by deceased first husband, and for the past few years by her father too. Even though it never made sense as her father had alway been kind until he married her stepmother and Brandt’s wicked Aunt. She was unsure why her fathers behavior had changed so much toward her. Plus breaking promises he made to her mother. Yet Katla makes sure she is the target and not her precious younger sister Gemma. She and her Aunt Alpia, her mother’s sister, is all she had in the world . Katla tends the wounds of the handsome Brandt Sigurddson. He is angry she saved his life, a life he didn’t want saved! He soon realizes she is a beauty with a warrior’s heart caring for everyone else besides herself. Brandt soon hears her story and sees the marks on her body and knows she has been roughly used.

Katla starts to care for her fathers enemy and also falls in love for the first time with her father’s enemy. She starts to melt his frozen heart and discovers an honorable caring and protective man. The first man to worship her like a goddess. The first man that has ever been kind, gentle and given her a choice. Katla is an unexpected gift Brandt never expected, as he never expected to feel or want a future again. Yet he still had a problem trusting wondering if his enemies daughter is sincere. They soon open their hearts revealing their hurtful bitter pasts hoping to find a joyful future as rhey are basically healing each other.

He immediately notices her beauty and kindness except he wants to murder her fathers high is a big complication in their relationship. Even her father has been unkind and abusive the last few years she tries to remember the man he used to be. It is the first time since Brandt’s wife’s death that he is feeling anything beyond bitterness and fury! However she gets news, she has to marry a man she knows will kill her and asks Brandt if he will help her escape? As she has no choice in this marriage. He also has to trust her fully to make sure this is not a trap, after-all her father now wants her to uspy on Brandt!

Brandt doesn’t realize that Katla is not only healing his wounds but his heart and soul too. Yet even as they both seem to open their hearts will it ever work? She is the first woman that made Brandt want to live and feel again. He is still an outlaw and believes the King will never believe him without the proof he needs and the end result will be death! Plus even if he remained hiding he still has no place to call home, his weak cousin is sitting on his throne in Maerr . Will Katla be forced into a marriage that will cause her immediate death? Do either one of these star crossed lovers even have the slightest chance of a normal life and any type of positive future at all? Read and find out in the conclusion in Tempted by Her Viking Enemy by Terri Brisbin

I have been reading Terri Brisbin books for over twenty years and believe me her books will always keep you on your toes and sweep you away! This book is no different as the “Sons of Sigurd” series is a wonderful five book series. Each book by a different author which I found myself falling in love with each brother. Yet Brandt is the brother that shattered my heart the most! I was not sure he would ever heal and come back completely after such a big loss. I found this story so beautifully written feeling the emotions each character felt. As the setting, dialogue , the pace of the storyline and the plotting was absolutely brilliant in my opinion. The multidimensional characters and even the secondary characters just blew me away!

Historical readers will love this riveting action packed, page turner, filled with vengeance, betrayal, treachery, deception, murder, grief, fury, forgiveness, trust, faith, passion and love. It also shows how family is everything and a connection between brothers can’t be broken. Yet sometimes an honorable Viking might find that rare compassionate woman with a warriors heart that might possibly bring the light back into their life of darkness!

Disclaimer: I received an advance reader’s copy from Harlequin Publishing. I voluntarily agreed to do an honest, fair review and blog through netgalley. All thoughts, ideas and words are my own.

I absolutely and unequivocally highly recommend this masterpiece! One of my favorite reads of the year!

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Okay, so I am aware that this book is the final book (fifth?) in a series--but honestly, I found it enjoyable and it was completely capable of standing on its own without having any knowledge of what happened in the first books.

Brandt is a man driven by revenge for the death of his father, unborn son, and wife. He heads to Scotland, where he challenges the man who's responsible for their deaths, and ends up in his dungeon, where he's nursed back to health by Katla Thorfinsdottir, his enemy's daughter. Katla is a widow who's come back to live at her father's (really, her) estate and they catch feelings.

I honestly thought this book was very enjoyable and I read it in one sitting. I didn't expect to be as invested in it as I ended up being (because it's so short!) and I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the plot the book contained. I especially like how both Brandt and Katla were previously married, which negates the whole wedding-night trope quite nicely, and I also like how Katla never "replaced" Brandt's first wife. Second chance romances are something I generally avoid because I am always afraid that will happen.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars, rounded up - Might be a bit spoilerish

After years of running; hiding and being branded an outlaw, Brandt Sigurdsson, the eldest son and his father’s heir, believes he will finally have justice for the murder of not only his father Sigurd, King of Maerr, but also his beloved wife and unborn son, along with countless others. In the years since that fatal night the brothers have searched for answers, from their home in Norway to England, Ireland and Scotland. All the information they have each gathered have led Brandt to Castle Wik in Alba (Scotland) to confront his father’s friend and his Aunt’s husband – Thornfinn Bjornsson. Brandt challenges Thornfinn and is gravely wounded and taken prisoner – surprised that his life spared by Thornfinn.

Thornfinn sends his widowed daughter, Katla to tend Brandt, telling her he wants him alive to be taken to King Harald once the winter passes. His injuries are serious and due to a beating she endured for disobeying her father – Brandt was left untended for days. She is not sure she can save him, but refuses to give up without a fight and even in her own injured state, she works diligently to save him. After days of care and many prayers offered to the gods – Brandt shows signs of surviving. He slowly heals and comes to respect the quiet, caring woman who tends him. Katla and Brandt form a friendship and when her father announces she will be remarried to her step-mother’s commander, she asks Brandt to help her escape, he agrees but plans to return to enact his vengeance on her father – but when he realizes his quest may cost him a second chance at happiness, will he give up his desire for justice?

This was a very well written, smoothly paced novel that neatly ends the series. Set in ancient Scotland, the book is filled with emotion, warm love scenes, action, betrayal, surprising revelations, twists and turns that lead to more revelations, closure for Brandt and his brothers and HEAs for all. I really felt Brandt pain, but the ongoing reminders of his deep love for his dead wife Ingrid – including a detailed dream of making love to her and memories of her during love scenes with Katla was a bit off-putting in a romance. I am not a huge fan of second romances, I did feel that he loved both women dearly and in the end was able to devote himself to Katla – but I wish it was done with less detail of his love life with Ingrid. This is the fifth and final book in the series, but it could easily be read as a standalone title with no issues. I enjoyed this story and would happily recommend.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested from NetGalley and the Publisher. All opinions are my own.*

This Viking romance had so many things that I love in a story going on with it. It's enemies to lovers, political intrigue, and the nursing him back to health trope!
*TW for grief, loss of a spouse, loss of a child, domestic abuse.*
The dynamics between our characters are layered, and they both come into their situation with their fair share of baggage. I love what the author did to bring them together in the end, and the way that the family connections played into everything.

A quick read but definitely good!
Brandt is on a mission to reclaim his father's honor and to dish out revenge to those responsible for killing his father, his wife, and his son. He wants revenge, his honor/his father's honor back and he wants the lands of his father back. So, he travels to the castle of who he firmly believes is responsible only to fail on the challenge and end up in the cells. With a promise to turn him over to the king and will probably end up escuted.
Katla is loyal to her father, she escaped from a bad marriage the first time and when she is betrothed to a monster knowing she will end up dying she knows she must escape and the only person who will be able to help her escape is Brandt. Brandt and Katla slowly fall in love and then form a plan for their escape. Will Brandt be able to let go of his revenge and restore the honor and stay with Katia. Only time will tell. This is a romance novel but there are much more even sword fights and schemes. I really enjoyed it! Definitely will look into others by this author and in this series!

CW: physical abuse

I think I could've enjoyed this title at least a little bit more if it weren't for the physical abuse at the start: Katla's father is physically abusive, and while it doesn't occur on page, it is referenced constantly on page. There are constant references, at least in the first quarter of the book, to evidence of the abuse, from Katla, Brandt, and everyone else. It was really upsetting to read descriptions of her bruises, and so I couldn't get myself to actually invest emotionally in the book.

Katla Thorfinnsdottir is the oldest daughter of a Pict woman and a Norse man.  Her father has promised her in marriage to a horrible man and Katla is devastated.  She is a widow from her first marriage and doesn’t want to marry another ogre.

Brandt shows up at the Pict stronghold to kill Katla’s father, Thorfinn Bjornsson.  He wants revenge as he believes that Thorfinn is responsible for the raid on his Norse village that ended up killing his father, Brandt’s pregnant wife, and the crown taking their titles and their land.  They fight, but eventually Brandt is wounded and taken prisoner.  Katla is the castle’s healer and is ordered by her father to save Brandt.  As he’s healing, Katla gets to know Brandt and stats to like him a great deal.  She asks him to help her and her younger sister escape from the castle and Brandt agrees, but not before he gets his revenge.  Brandt is leery of Katla at first but soon finds himself falling in love with her.

Brandt tells Katla the story of his village and Katla discusses some weird happenings that are taking place in the castle.  Between the two of them they solve the mystery of what’s going on, but that doesn’t help Brandt who is still a prisoner. They make a plan, but they’re not sure if they can execute it without, well, getting executed.

This was a decent read.  I liked Katla but felt bad for her for the life she’d had after her mother died and her father had gotten remarried. She came back home after her husband died with the intent of staying at the castle for the rest of her life.  In the Pict lands the right of inheritance is through the women.  For the Norse, the right of inheritance goes through the male line.  Her father marrying her off again was something she certainly didn’t want.  She’d been abused by her first husband and didn’t want to have to deal with that again.  Unfortunately, her father wasn’t listening, because of his new wife and her machinations.

Brandt was a good character, but he didn’t have much depth.  He was so focused on revenge that we didn’t get to know a whole lot about him or his background. I certainly liked him with Katla,and loved that he could love her despite his hate for her father.  Katla was kind and giving and I loved her determination in getting the heck out of Dodge.

The story did have a ton of introspection as the characters were trying to figure out their lives, and the mystery that entwined the two of them, and that slowed things down a bit for me.  Despite that I enjoyed the story and recommend it if you like a good Viking story. This is the 5th book in the Sons of Sigurd series – all the books are written by different authors.  I didn’t read any of the books in the series besides this one but didn’t feel that I needed to do so in order to figure out what was going on in this one.  I obviously can’t say if that applies for all the books in the series, but for this one, it worked.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5