This was very sweet. It pulled me in with the having to be apart for 12 years and wondering what would happen when they see each other after all that time. Arik yearns so much. He is consistent throughout and I loved his smiley and reassuring presence.
They both struggle to confess their feelings and you feel really root for them.
What drew me in was Tora and her hearing loss because I have the same issue. It makes her more reserved, but resilient. She grows into herself and I enjoyed seeing them face some difficulties because a HEA was questionable at times.
Thanks so much NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC opportunity!

This was a super fun, quick read. I loved the story, the characters, and the low angst of it all was a perfect Sunday evening read. The writing was great and everything flowed smoothly and with ease. Definitely a good read!

Childhood friends to lovers is better than enemies to lovers. Sorry, never have I ever thought about someone who made me angry all the time and thought "he likes me".
!2 years apart and people change, they grow up and in a way are a new person. And rediscovering how they are the same and embracing the changes in each other is just beautiful

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fun, cozy, and incredibly easy read. After working my way through so many high-stakes, emotionally tumultuous romantasies lately, this was exactly the palate cleanser I needed. The low angst, charming romance, and lovable characters made it the perfect weeknight read.

I really enjoyed the writing style...it flowed effortlessly and kept me turning the pages without ever feeling rushed or dragged out. The pacing was just right, and I found myself smiling throughout.

One aspect that meant a lot to me was the hearing loss representation. As someone who is also half deaf, it was wonderful to see that included in the story. It added an extra layer of connection for me, and I appreciated seeing a character with experiences I could relate to (I never see this represented anywhere!!!)

Overall, this was a warm, comforting read that left me feeling happy by the end. If you're looking for a sweet romance with engaging characters, great writing, and a cozy atmosphere, I'd definitely recommend picking this one up.

I received this as an ARC from the author on NetGalley.

This was a Viking setting, childhood friends to lovers, full of yearning book!

Tora and Arik were very sweet. There was years of yearning then miscommunication leading to a marriage of convenience.

They were so sweet to each other. Spice was good and then spice was HOT, then back to sweet.

Low Stakes, HEA. Good book, worth the read.

Okay this romance was so refreshing to read, Just enough drama to keep you hooked but nothing about said drama made the FMC or MMC fight or not understand each other or break up or anything negative and I LOVE THAT!!! You would think from the cover that it would be a sweet little book, but that Baron certainly knows what he is doing...if you catch my drift... I need more romance books to be just like this, nothing but love and happiness between the characters with enough spice and things happening to keep you guessing and also hooked. I honestly kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and was very happy when it didn't.

Fantasy and sci-fi are my main genres, but if I enjoy an author enough, I will absolutely stray from my usual reading choices. That is exactly what happened with The Baron and His Bride.

I really enjoy Ashley J. Vinson's writing, so I decided to give this one a shot, even though it doesn't fall into my usual genres. And I am so glad I did.

Now, if you're looking for an epic fantasy filled with court intrigue, violence, adventure, and complex world building, this probably isn't the book for you.

But if you're looking for a cozy, feel good, spicy romance, you've come to the right place.

Set in an old Nordic country, this is the story of two childhood sweethearts who are separated by war for twelve years. Twelve! And the story of what happens when they finally have the chance to reconnect.

This is very much a character-driven story, and I really enjoyed that. The focus is on the characters and their relationship rather than some huge, complicated plot.

And honestly, sometimes that is exactly what I want.

This is the perfect book for a gloomy, rainy day when you need something to lift your spirits. No hidden traumatic events, no devastating cliffhanger, just a story that gives you a little comfort.

A wholesome tale about two childhood friends who reunite and fall in love again.

The Baron and His Bride is a piece of life story about two childhood friends, separated by the war at 13, and reunited 12 years later. Arik is now an experienced warrior and a Baron, tasked by the King to marry to produce heirs. The only person he wants to marry is the girl he's pined for for the past 12 years: his childhood friend, Tora.

There are a lot of things to love about this book. I loved both Arik and Tora together, and their relationship was incredibly sweet, full of pure love and respect. I love how Arik was constantly observing Tora to confirm that she was okay, and if she wasn't. He would try to make her feel better. He was truly a protector, and his personality shined in this regard. Tora was always a good counterpart to Arik - she was calmer, resilient, with strength built whilst helping her family survive year after year in poverty.

I did enjoy the setting aspect - a small village where both grew up, then Arik's lands and small community. I like how the community felt close-knit, with Arik determined to protect his lands and his villagers. The setting felt cosy and heartwarming, with two sweet characters' life moments. It felt like a tale of their happiness after years of being separated and suffering. I did enjoy the writing overall; it was a bit inconsistent, but some parts were genuinely really well written and very whimsical. But I loved the feeling of calmness that emanated from the story.

The chapters were basically glimpses of Arik and Tora's life after being reunited. The book definitely felt disjointed at first, until I understood the structure and that each chapter offered snippets of their married life. I wished that the chapters had titles or dates, so it would have been easier to understand the structure, but also to see time passing with each chapter.

I liked how sweet and precious the romance was, but it did feel quite rushed in the sense that they were separated at 13 or 12 years old, yet they are still in love with each other and married as soon as they met again. Yes, the marriage-of-convenience aspect helped explain the fast timeline, but I wish we had seen more of them slowly rediscovering each other before they were married. I also wish we'd learned more about Arik's military past and its impact on him. It would have made his character more fleshed out (his only personality trait seemed to be that he was obsessed with Tora). I also felt some scenes were rushed and could have been longer.

I still really enjoyed it, and it was the perfect read for me as I was looking for a light and quick read. I did like both characters together, and the setting felt whimsical and cosy in the best way.