Title: The Viking Chief’s Marriage Alliance
Author: Lucy Morris
Published: May 2021
Genre: Historical Romance, Mills & Boon Historical, Harlequin Historical, Viking

Blurb:

A Challenging wife for a warrior Viking

When Thorstein Bergson rescues a beautiful woman from a strom-tossed longship, he little expects to broker a powerful marriage alliance with her. This high-status ice queen is not the comfortable wife the warrior chief is seeking. But maybe the bittersweet pain in Gyda’s eyes hides another woman beneath? The one he tasted that first night when she’d kissed him with such pent-up longing…?

From Harlequin Historical: Your romantic escape to the past.

My Review:

Captivated by the encounter between Thorstein and Gyda, I was unable to put this book down (literally). The handsome divorced hero with crucifix facial scar and big strong muscled body, Thorstein, is attempting to help the occupants from the wrecked ship, he is fascinated by the beautiful, tall heroine, Gyda, with ash-blonde hair and cold blue-grey eyes whom refuses to be rescued before she seizes her precious saving. She has intended to start a new simple life in Jorvik after her disastrous marriage to a Jarl and is inclined not to leave the ship however when it is beginning to sink, Throstein is growing impatient, he lifts and puts her on his broad shoulder and flees to his ship. Unable to not to care despite her ungratefulness, he gently treats Gyda whom seems to be freezing. Afterward, Thorstein takes all the occupants onto his land and Hall.

This is the first Viking book I ever read and I wondered how the story would be like in the Viking period and Wow this book was beyond my expectation. I was utterly infatuated by over-growing emotion, historical affairs, superstitions and places that I never knew its existence, and also Gyda with her cold demeanour and arrogant mask to lurk the sweet devoted strong woman beneath, this isn’t because she is a Jarl widow and has a higher status but it’s because she doesn’t want to look vulnerable particularly in front of men after what she has been through, however Thorstein becomes increasingly irritated as she has never thanked him for saving her life so when they are having meal, he confronts her and likely misleads his intention because Gyda passionately kisses him instead.

As a debut writer, Lucy Morris has outstanding writing, she might have done her best to write this book and research for detailed history that wrapped in romance thus I take my hat off to her for her talent, she also was able to evoke the overwhelming emotion within when Thorstein refuses to marry Gyda to make alliance with her brother-in-law hence his best friend due to misapprehension, then after they get married when Gyda proofs that she can be a farmer’s wife and opens up her feeling and expression especially after the revelation of their past.

For me, The Viking Chief’s Marriage Alliance is emotionally compelling, gripping and attracting with delightful and impressive ancient historical description and strong superstitions, the leading tangible attraction between Thorstein and Gyda coping with the painful past towards uplifting and happy ending just make the book more enchanting. Thank you, Lucy Morris, for this ARC.

Rate: 5 of 5

About the author

Lucy Morris lives in Essex, UK, with her husband, two young children and two cats. She has a massively sweet tooth and loves gin, bubbly and Irn-Bru. She is a member of the UK Romantic Novelists’ Association and is delighted to begin her publishing journey with Harlequin Historical in 2021 with her first release ‘The Viking Chief’s Marriage Alliance’.

She adores writing strong, passionate women and the brave honourable men who fall in love with them. Weaving her fascination with the dark age of medieval Europe with her compulsion to give her characters a happily ever after. But only after they’ve had an adventure along the way. Follow her on twitter @LMorris_Author