The Warlord's Wife by Sandra Lake Series: Sons of the North #1
Genres: Historical Romance
Published by Intermix Publication Date: 17 March 2015
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A stunning historical romance from debut author Sandra Lake transports readers to 12th century Sweden, where a powerful Viking lord will discover a fierce heart cannot be taken by mere force.Lida was married to the love of her life for just two months when she became a widow. Pregnant and disowned by her late husband’s family for suspected infidelity, she was forced to return to her family in shame. Eight years later, uninterested in the prospect of finding another husband, she finds herself the unwilling object of a marriage contract with a powerful warlord. In a day, she is wed, bed, and put on a ship headed for Tronscar; an unknown icy stone and steel fortress.Jarl Magnus is pleased to have taken a strong wife who, however stubborn she may be, will surely produce sons. However, he is less pleased with his wife’s additional baggage—a young daughter. But despite himself, Magnus falls for the daughter just as hard as the mother, and Lida’s heart is warmed to see the cold, serious Jarl move surprisingly fast into the role of stepfather.When enemies attack Tronscar, Jarl Magnus’s nerves of steel waver, as the warrior fears his love for Lida will weaken him. But when his family is threatened, he’ll go to war to protect them, discovering along the way that they have the strength to protect themselves.
I was in the middle of a historical kick, so I decided to get back in with The Warlord’s Wife by Sandra Lake. Hot Viking Warlord? Sign me up! Lida was a young widow who is reluctantly promised to Jarl Magnus. Magnus needs a strong woman who is able to withstand the harsh weather, and Lida seems to fit the bill.
The book was an interesting, but there were a couple of things that bothered me, especially Lida, who acts like a bit unreasonable. It was hard to really like her at first, although she did seem a bit more redeemable in the second half. Magnus is your typical historical clan leader, but he can come across as controlling at times. Character flaws aside, when they finally stopped dancing around each other and started getting along it made for a likable story. The one character I loved was Lida’s daughter, Katia, whose interactions with Magnus were priceless. Overall I liked the book, and it was a good historical romance if you enjoy books about Vikings.
