Holding On For a Hero: A Viking Historical Romance by Lily Harlem wasn’t the right book for me. I didn’t enjoy Astrid as the main character, and I personally don’t like too much religion in the stories I read (unless I’m picking up a nonfiction book about the subject).

Another major issue for me was the treatment of consent. If someone is drugged and touched or has sex with, that is non-consensual—it doesn’t matter if it’s a man or a woman doing it. That element in the story made it impossible for me to enjoy the romance.

Overall, this just wasn’t my kind of story. That said, I’m still happy to try out other authors from Dragonblade Publishing, but this one I’ll pass on.

Thank you Netgalley and Dragonblade Publishing for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Let's give our hero Hamish a two star and move on. Besides a vicious heroine who assaults our sweet virgin hero, you also have inconsistencies in historical details, language and a religious bent to the book.

Not my cup of tea.

A fiery Viking shield-maiden meets a devout virgin Highlander in this steamy, opposites-attract romance. Astrid is all fierce independence, while Hamish is earnest devotion—their chemistry is hot, and the forced proximity amps up the tension. The book delivers on romance and humor, though Astrid’s abrasiveness occasionally grates, and historical accuracy takes a backseat to fantasy. A fun, fast-paced romp for fans of bold heroines and swoony first-time heroes.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Spoiler Free Review
Book: Holding On For A Hero
Author: Lily Harlem
Series: Vikings Rock, Book Two
Length: 197 Pages
Publisher: Dragonblade
Overall Rating: 4 Stars

The Shield Maiden meets the religious virgin Highlander was a delightful novella that I really enjoyed. I was happy to see some profanity too because I feel this is more of reality. I was worried this was going to be some unrealistic Christian fairytale but it definitely was not that at all.

I definitely enjoyed this book from start to finish. Looking forward to the next book in the series

I loved that Astrid even with her and wildness he did try to change. To make her something she is not. Hamish was amazing, he was very open and honest and I think those are rare qualities in this period of time. I loved the true history in this period of time too. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Dragonblade Publishing and Netgalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. All words, ideas and thoughts are my own.

This book does contain sexual assault.

I cannot find any evidence that vikings pierced their penises; and even less evidence that they got their moms to do that for them. But I digress.

Faith is a very central part of this story by Lily Harlem. It’s the second book in her series Viking’s Rock. At under 200 pages and on Kindle Unlimited it’s sure to be a hit with some people.

I was a bit worried that this would be hella Christian, (not a fan of extra Muslim or any religion either), but it did Astrid’s strong convictions justice.

“”And I am a believer. You have forsaken Odin and Thor and Freya. You do not even believe Egil is going to Valhalla.”
He glanced at Kenna and then Noah, who stood on the beach with Fion and Olaf. “How can you say that?” he asked quietly through clenched teeth.
“Because I saw you renounce your heathen sins in this very bay.” She held the torch over the body.””

You may not agree with Astrid entirely and I understand the crisis that Haakon may go through at this point, but it is clear to see that he hasn’t thought about it too much when the practice of any belief means that you do need to have some courage in your convictions; he converted for the sake of a throne and he must bear all that comes with that.

But then we get to all that went wrong here and there was plenty.

On one hand Haamish is a warrior; the fact that the author shows him pinning Astrid down so quickly does bug me; she has fought more than him (this is implied) but somehow she’s no match for his strength; like yes Lily Harlen, let’s weaken this Viking warrior. It would have been much more interesting if we had her pinning him down at this stage.

The language isn’t consistent and doesn’t go with the setting; it really does break the flow and I wish more historical romance writers were aware of this. Weird can be swapped with strange; your readers should know the meaning of strange; if they do not, it’s time to get a new job.

The author uses village a lot to describe the p[ace which doesn’t make sense. It’s apparently important enough to have its own king (not a chief mind you, a king), and have the original king come to get taxes in person. The author needs to sort this out.


“ “Because I see a warm heart in you, Astrid.””

I hate this because she’s horrible to him for no reason and he takes it for almost all the book. A lot of stories would be over if people were like we see your red flags and your energy and we raise you go away.

I don’t know why I’m writing this much for this review; Astrid drugs and sexually assaults Haamish. I do not know if there is a trigger warning or not in the KU version, but let’s call it what it is. If a man did this to me it would be assault. But it’s treated super lightly in the book; like a fun thing because he’s a man and has needs. She drugged him and touched him. And I get that everyone’s into bully and non-con romance, but this is not that genre and it shouldn’t be treated lightly


“ “Your son is no longer a virgin, if that is what you are asking…He is a man who lies with a woman with passion and fights battles with bravery.”
Astrid says the above to his mother.


Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this.

Believe in me by MeemsAngel82

This was a very well written book that explores a time in history I simply don't read enough of and it's a shame because it is so exciting and raw. This was a time when people were conquering land and war was fought with some kings at the helm. This story is a full one and a sensual one. Expect a cast of colorful characters and some lusty moments between our stubborn h and her sensible and kind H. Different personalities they may have but they compliment one another.

She is a wild one and no one can tame her. He didn't try but rather celebrated her strengths and quietly stole her heart.

I wish she didn't have experience and also that she believed in marriage. I am not a person who understands people that don't believe in it, but to each their own. In my books, my ideal is for them to tie that knot. She was so headstrong and a little too !much. Her brothers cared and some do not even have that, she shouldn't be so callous with her words. Our H...he was an absolute delight! What a darling mani He is honest and true and such a good person. The story ended a little too abruptly for me but they are very clearly on their next adventure. This series sounds exciting and I'm sorry I didn't catch it from the beginning! I received this copy for free from Netgalley and volunteered to write this review.

It is full of drama, action, adventure, humor, and a lot of excitement that kept me entertained. I enjoyed the heroine being so strong-willed, and I found the hero to be quite interesting. Their chemistry and slow burn romance were really good.

Holding On For a Hero is the second in Lily' Harlem's Viking's Rock series. I must admit, I picked up the first book because I'm a massive Meatloaf fan. It was just ok. But I am also a Bonnie Tyler fan, so I couldn't say no to this one, espcially when I saw the cover, but maybe I should have....

I really struggled with this book. I am all for a strong, willful woman, but the main character, Astrid, is just horrible and mean. She was in the first book, but you would have thought she would have mellowed once she fell in love and settled into life in the Highlands; there is just nothing to like about her, which makes the book hard to read. I also took into consideration that she is a Viking and has very different beliefs from me or other people in the book, but frankly, she is just obnoxious.

This book is not as focused on Christianity, which was a bonus, and gets even steamier than the first was was a pleasant surprise. Her love interest, Hamish is the redeeming feature.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing, Inc for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I like the characters of this book and series. The story is a good one, but not the depth I expected. I like that Astrid is strong in her beliefs, but accepts Hamish and his views as well. Hamish is almost too good for her. The book has several very steamy scenes. I will read the next book in the series.

Great book, it is much better than the first one. It focuses way more on the spice and less on the Christian stuff. So it is very spicy. The hero was a virgin, so this was a nice surprise, and once he got together with Astrid, they couldn't keep their hands off each other.
Haakon from the first book also makes an appearance (he is Astrid's brother) and as with Book 1 I also didn't like his crude remark towards his sister ((view spoiler)) - very inappropriate thing to say as her brother.
4 stars.

Holding On For A Hero was an enjoyable read with a unique twist on the Viking romance genre. I loved that the heroine, Astrid, is a strong and fearless it’s not often you see a female warrior leading the action like this, and her bold personality carried much of the story. Hamish, the Highlander hero, was a refreshing contrast, timid and inexperienced, but full of heart and surprising depth.

Some of my favorite moments included the playful yet tense banter between the two through the entire book and Astrid’s loyalty to her people. The chemistry between them was definitely steamy, with some well-written intimate scenes that matched their emotional development and Hamish’s inexperiece is actually charming at certain point!

The story felt a little rushed in places, and I wish we had more time to explore Hamish’s growth as a character beyond the romance. A few plot points resolved quickly, and I would’ve loved a bit more world-building even between the first book and this book as a series.

Overall, a solid, spicy read with a strong heroine, some unexpected twists, and a fast-paced plot. If you’re looking for a Viking romance with heat and heart, this one is worth picking up but it might not be for readers wanting something deeply developed or historically grounded.

To preface, I am not a Viking time period girlie. But I enjoy this author. She seems to like very alpha characters which the Viking time lends to based on what we tell ourself it looked like (I don’t actually know). I didn’t love like this one less than the first because there was a dubcon scene that just was not necessary, this man gave up his village he would give up anything for her. Keeping with the alpha, he beds a lot to her will gives her everything she demands as she is so hot headed and stubborn (just like her brother).

I just really disliked the dubcon part, I know he was fine cause he said so cause he would have done anything if she let him! And HE SAYS THIS… like woman that man likes you and doesn’t mind your disrespect just do it with his okay

I have very mixed feelings about this story, so I moved more to the positive side rather than the negative one. Here's my negative, Astrid, I didn't like her at all! I like strong women but mean is mean and while I get that she had to be really hard to survive I found it sad that it caused her to be mean and cruel.

Hamish on the other hand was swoon worthy. He is a Highlander, first plus. He's holding himself for just the right partner, second plus, he's disciplined, strong++++++. That is until he meets Astrid. Now I can't see what he sees in her but it must be something really good and powerful because while they circle each other often, he is captivated.
Book two has lots of steam, fast paced, exciting and immersive all in its favor. The overall plot is well done. Finally, for an author to write a story where the heroin is so awful is a huge risk and takes guts, creativity and panash to get a reader to have such intense feelings. Well done!

I'm sorry I tried twice to get through this book. It's very rare for me to give up but I did with this one. I got so fed up with the long winded details about the sex. I read lots of very steamy books . This one just didn't interest me at all.
This is the only place I will leave this review.

OH MY WOW! I loved this read so much that I couldn't put it down as soon as i cracked it open. It was thought grabbing from the first page. This read had me grabbing my Victorian fan from the steam coming from it!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

This short novel is the second in a series. I have not read the first, but with the recap at the start of the book, and this one being about a different couple, it was easy enough to continue on.

This was interesting. The characters come from different walks of life - a Shield Maiden, that is a fierce fighter, rower, and could rival any man. A sweet Scottish Highlander who rather women not have to fight, and that they are softer. Their sparing and bantering back and forth was good!

There are a lot of religious mentions throughout this - for the time period, it is understandable as to why but it started becoming a bit too much.

There is one spicy scene that had me feeling a bit iffy. The first scene, the fmc gives the mmc a tea that can get him high and touches him while he is drugged. When he wakes up the next morning he does not really remember it happening.

Holding On For a Hero is the second in Lily' Harlem's Viking's Rock series. I really wanted to like this book, but I struggled with it. But let's start with the good stuff! The hero is a hunky sweetheart named Hamish MacCallum. He's attentive and kind, not a rake in the slightest because he's "saving himself for marriage." When he falls in love, he's completely dedicated to the heroine. The steamy love scenes between the two are off the charts, and the love that grows is quite endearing.

Where I struggled the most was the heroine Astrid Rhalson. I like heroines who are independent, fierce, & strong. I don't enjoy heroines who are hateful and mean. I tend to dislike any character (male or female) that acts like that. It came through that Astrid has some personal issues to work on, but the hatefulness was too much. It's hard for me to enjoy a book when I dislike a main character. The modern phrasing throughout the book was also immersion-breaking for me.

That being said, Holding On For a Hero is overall a fun and very spicy romance. If you're in the mood for a 4 alarm fire Viking romance you should give this book a try.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

2.5 ⭐️

Unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me. While the premise was promising, I found it difficult to stay immersed in the story.

The writing style, particularly the mix of older, formal language with very contemporary phrasing, felt jarring to me and pulled me out of it. I appreciated the themes and the message at its core (of being accepted and loved as you are, and not changing yourself for someone), but the execution didn’t quite click for me.

That said, readers looking for a quick, steamy read with a Viking theme may find this one enjoyable!

Thank you to Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Viking Shield Maiden Meets Her Match:
Astrid a fierce shieldmaiden arrives in a new land and she is not one bit happy about it.
Hamish the sweet caring Highlander who tries very hard to gain her trust.
Both characters are individually interesting and have a cat and mouse love hate relationship.
The language is crude and little and over done for my taste.
The relationship between the two has that growing attraction that keeps the story moving.
Two very passionate people drawn together for an intriguing story.
In my opinion I enjoyed the first book much better.
The cover is very enticing and caught my eye to read this story

This book was definitely outside my usual reading lane, but I gave it a shot and honestly, parts of it surprised me in a good way. The setup? A fierce Viking woman meets a sweet, sheltered Highlander virgin. It had big Jon Snow and Ygritte energy right from the start. There’s spying, there’s banter, there’s that delicious “we’re opposites but somehow we’re magnetically attracted to each other” tension. I was so here for that. The verbal sparring? Super fun. The spice? Yes please! Their chemistry was strong and kept things moving in a good way.

Where it started to lose me was with the religious stuff. It’s a big part of the story, and while I get why it was included, it started to feel like it was popping up a little too often. Every time I was getting into the romance, the story would veer into moral conflict mode, and it pulled me out of the moment.

That said, this book absolutely has an audience. If you love your historical romance with strong heroines, forbidden tension, and a splash of spiritual conflict, this could be your next favorite.

Especially for readers who loved Jon Snow and Ygritte and wished they had more time…..and a much happier ending then this one will scratch that itch.