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Secret Princess for the Warrior: An Enemies to Lovers Viking Historical Romance
A dramatic, enemies-to-lovers Viking tale between a princess and a brooding warrior!
Born to be enemies
Sworn to become lovers?
When Viking Karn finds himself shipwrecked on enemy territory, even his razor-sharp, battle-hardened instincts could never have foreseen being rescued by tantalizing maiden Maer…
Maer is stunned to learn that Karn hails from the kingdom that was once her home. And that his father was responsible for the brutal end to her family’s reign, forcing Maer to become a princess-in-hiding! She should hate Karn but instead finds herself irresistibly drawn to the brooding warrior. He could be the key to her return, but can she trust him with her feelings—and her royal secret?
From Harlequin Historical: Your romantic escape to the past.
Born to be enemies
Sworn to become lovers?
When Viking Karn finds himself shipwrecked on enemy territory, even his razor-sharp, battle-hardened instincts could never have foreseen being rescued by tantalizing maiden Maer…
Maer is stunned to learn that Karn hails from the kingdom that was once her home. And that his father was responsible for the brutal end to her family’s reign, forcing Maer to become a princess-in-hiding! She should hate Karn but instead finds herself irresistibly drawn to the brooding warrior. He could be the key to her return, but can she trust him with her feelings—and her royal secret?
From Harlequin Historical: Your romantic escape to the past.
272 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published April 1, 2025
About the author
Michelle Styles
132 books200 followersBorn and raised near San Francisco Califorinia, Michelle Styles currently lives a few miles south of Hadrian's Wall with her husband, three children and menagerie of pets. An avid reader, she became hooked on historical romance when she discovered Georgette Heyer, Anya Seton and Victoria Holt in her school's library. Michelle enjoys writing stories in a wide range of time periods including Roman, Viking, Regency and early Victorian. Her website can be found at www.michellestyles.co.uk
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 10, 2025
Secret Princess for the Warrior had a lot of things I love about Viking romance: plenty of plot, political drama, and main characters who want to bang it out. But it felt like many of the pieces weren’t in quite the right order, despite the individual elements being well done.
The heroine is the daughter of a deposed (and murdered) king of a Viking territory. When her home was invaded and her father overthrown, her mother sent her away with her most trusted advisor and skilled warrior to keep her safe. It’s been ten years since Maer—formerly Ingebord—has seen or heard from her mother. In that time, her mother married the man who overthrew her father and claimed Maer’s prettier, more compliant foster sister as her daughter, Ingebord. Now the new king has disowned his son, Karn, because he refuses to marry Ingebord. The queen sends Karn on what seems like an impossible mission to save him and his men: find her former advisor and bring back what he took. So Karn sets out to locate the missing warrior and the object in question.
The premise has so much promise: a heroine forced from her home and raised in secret, believing her mother has replaced her; a hero trying to reclaim his place as his father’s heir; mistaken identities shrouded in secrets and lies. But nothing felt like it unfolded in the right order.
My biggest complaint is that so much of the book centers on Maer’s feelings of inadequacy. Her mother sent her away, ostensibly for her own safety, then immediately replaced her with her foster sister. After ten years of no contact, Maer is convinced she was abandoned. But when we reach the act-three low moment, the focus shifts to Karn, while Maer’s story is resolved with a hug from her mother. I wanted drama. I wanted a heroine who demanded answers—who asked why her mother never checked on her in the intervening years. Instead, we got a cool story about Viking succession, but it felt like a radical shift from the emotional core.
I like Michelle Styles’s writing. She can get away with not delivering a fully satisfying story because I enjoy her voice and the research she brings to her books. This one didn’t hit for me, but I’ll definitely pick up more of her titles—because she can write a Viking romance. 3 stars.
The heroine is the daughter of a deposed (and murdered) king of a Viking territory. When her home was invaded and her father overthrown, her mother sent her away with her most trusted advisor and skilled warrior to keep her safe. It’s been ten years since Maer—formerly Ingebord—has seen or heard from her mother. In that time, her mother married the man who overthrew her father and claimed Maer’s prettier, more compliant foster sister as her daughter, Ingebord. Now the new king has disowned his son, Karn, because he refuses to marry Ingebord. The queen sends Karn on what seems like an impossible mission to save him and his men: find her former advisor and bring back what he took. So Karn sets out to locate the missing warrior and the object in question.
The premise has so much promise: a heroine forced from her home and raised in secret, believing her mother has replaced her; a hero trying to reclaim his place as his father’s heir; mistaken identities shrouded in secrets and lies. But nothing felt like it unfolded in the right order.
My biggest complaint is that so much of the book centers on Maer’s feelings of inadequacy. Her mother sent her away, ostensibly for her own safety, then immediately replaced her with her foster sister. After ten years of no contact, Maer is convinced she was abandoned. But when we reach the act-three low moment, the focus shifts to Karn, while Maer’s story is resolved with a hug from her mother. I wanted drama. I wanted a heroine who demanded answers—who asked why her mother never checked on her in the intervening years. Instead, we got a cool story about Viking succession, but it felt like a radical shift from the emotional core.
I like Michelle Styles’s writing. She can get away with not delivering a fully satisfying story because I enjoy her voice and the research she brings to her books. This one didn’t hit for me, but I’ll definitely pick up more of her titles—because she can write a Viking romance. 3 stars.
May 3, 2025
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Michelle Styles is on superb form with her latest dramatic historical romance, Secret Princess for the Warrior.
Viking Karn needs to keep his wits about him. He has found himself shipwrecked on enemy territory and with nobody to turn to and nobody to trust he needs to remain vigilant and alert. Yet little does the Viking warrior realise that the biggest danger of all will be to his heart when fate propels him onto the path of a beautiful woman who stirs up feelings deep within him he had never experienced before…
Maer is flabbergasted when she discovers that Karn hails from the kingdom that had once been her home – and that his father had been responsible for the demise of her family’s reign forcing her to become a princess in hiding. Maer’s head is telling her to keep Karn at arm’s length and to hate him with every single fibre of her being. Her heart, however, is telling her something else entirely…
Finding herself drawn to the valiant and handsome warrior, Maer knows that Karn could be the key to going back home. But dare she trust him with her royal secret? Or will risking all for love prove to be Maer’s undoing?
Michelle Styles is at her most captivating with her latest enthralling historical romance. A writer who brilliantly and beautifully brings to vivid life the Viking age, in her latest novel she has written a seductive tale of forbidden love, illicit desire and dangerous attraction with a brooding hero who will makes readers soon and a brave and noble heroine it is impossible not to root for.
A spellbinding historical romance from a master storyteller, Secret Princess for the Warrior is another triumph for Michelle Styles.
Michelle Styles is on superb form with her latest dramatic historical romance, Secret Princess for the Warrior.
Viking Karn needs to keep his wits about him. He has found himself shipwrecked on enemy territory and with nobody to turn to and nobody to trust he needs to remain vigilant and alert. Yet little does the Viking warrior realise that the biggest danger of all will be to his heart when fate propels him onto the path of a beautiful woman who stirs up feelings deep within him he had never experienced before…
Maer is flabbergasted when she discovers that Karn hails from the kingdom that had once been her home – and that his father had been responsible for the demise of her family’s reign forcing her to become a princess in hiding. Maer’s head is telling her to keep Karn at arm’s length and to hate him with every single fibre of her being. Her heart, however, is telling her something else entirely…
Finding herself drawn to the valiant and handsome warrior, Maer knows that Karn could be the key to going back home. But dare she trust him with her royal secret? Or will risking all for love prove to be Maer’s undoing?
Michelle Styles is at her most captivating with her latest enthralling historical romance. A writer who brilliantly and beautifully brings to vivid life the Viking age, in her latest novel she has written a seductive tale of forbidden love, illicit desire and dangerous attraction with a brooding hero who will makes readers soon and a brave and noble heroine it is impossible not to root for.
A spellbinding historical romance from a master storyteller, Secret Princess for the Warrior is another triumph for Michelle Styles.
April 23, 2025
I read this over Easter and as is often the case with books by Michelle Styles, found it an immersive, well researched and great read.
To give you a sense of the narrative through line first - the Viking warrior, Karn, is rescued from shipwreck by the charming maiden, Maer, who, like him, has secrets which she dare not reveal. The two of them should in some ways be enemies, given that his father had in effect ended the reign of her father, but they are drawn to each other all the same. Can she return, and is he the key to her way back to the past?
I don't want to give too much away, but I'm a great fan of deeply researched historical fiction or romance, where the characters are also well drawn and I want to know what is going to happen to them and also I want to like them. With this, Georgette Heyer springs to mind - she has the same way of wearing research lightly and not showing the workings - whilst getting you to care about the characters.
Lastly, I do love a romance where the woman is strong but also contains contradictions - as we all do.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
To give you a sense of the narrative through line first - the Viking warrior, Karn, is rescued from shipwreck by the charming maiden, Maer, who, like him, has secrets which she dare not reveal. The two of them should in some ways be enemies, given that his father had in effect ended the reign of her father, but they are drawn to each other all the same. Can she return, and is he the key to her way back to the past?
I don't want to give too much away, but I'm a great fan of deeply researched historical fiction or romance, where the characters are also well drawn and I want to know what is going to happen to them and also I want to like them. With this, Georgette Heyer springs to mind - she has the same way of wearing research lightly and not showing the workings - whilst getting you to care about the characters.
Lastly, I do love a romance where the woman is strong but also contains contradictions - as we all do.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews