Norse Jewel (Norse, #1) (Entangled Scandalous)

by Gina Conkle

[Angie]

I definitely need to read more books set during this time period! Norse Jewel was such a nice change from all of the Regency and Victorian era Romances I've been reading. The year is 1022, and Helena has been taken from her home and is being sold as a slave. Lucky for her, a Norse chieftan is looking for a thrall who speaks Frankish, so soon Helena is setting sail to a place far from her home. While she's glad to be away from the Danes who stole her, all Helena wants is to return to Frankia to be with her family and betrothed, even though Hakan treats her more like lady of the house rather than a slave woman.

Norse Jewel could probably be described as a "slow burn" romance. Hakan and Helena fight their attraction for most of the book and it drove me crazy (in a good way, of course)! Hakan is not a typical viking. He's sick of being a warrior and just wants a quiet life as a farmer. He also lives by a code of honor which keeps him from being involved with this thralls, but he can't help but be drawn to Helena. Meanwhile, Helena sees what a good man Hakan is, but all she wants is her freedom. Or to marry the man who claims he'll never marry. He offers her everything except the two things that she wants most and would make her stay with him! Boneheaded man! Grrr!

My only disappointment in Norse Jewel was that the dangerous, revenge plot kind of gets dropped at the end. Someone overthrows the king, and that same someone wants revenge on Hakan and will go to any length to get it. Hakan is suppose to go put a stop to all of this, but....nothing happens. The epilogue does leave the story pretty open, since it says something about their adventures just beginning. So I assume Hakan went to take care of business after getting his happily ever after. I just wish we had gotten to see that.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.