What do you think?
Rate this book
Viking II #8
Viking Unchained
ONCE A VIKING....
He swore he'd travel the earth to find his little boy. But Viking warrior Thorfinn Haraldsson never counted on traveling through time--and he's more than a little surprised to find himself in modern day Baghdad in the midst of a Navy SEAL operation. Luckily, the SEALs include his cousin, who takes him Stateside. And there, at a bar, he stumbles on a woman with an eerie resemblance to his cheating wife...
... ALWAYS A HERO
For almost five years, single mom Lydia Denton has mourned the loss of her Navy SEAL husband. Then she meets a man who looks a lot like her lost love. Despite Thorfinn's ridiculous accusations that she's taken his son, Lydia finds it impossible to ignore the steamy chemistry between them. And as she gets to know this handsome Viking, she can't help but wonder whether two souls, separated by time, have found their way back to each other...
He swore he'd travel the earth to find his little boy. But Viking warrior Thorfinn Haraldsson never counted on traveling through time--and he's more than a little surprised to find himself in modern day Baghdad in the midst of a Navy SEAL operation. Luckily, the SEALs include his cousin, who takes him Stateside. And there, at a bar, he stumbles on a woman with an eerie resemblance to his cheating wife...
... ALWAYS A HERO
For almost five years, single mom Lydia Denton has mourned the loss of her Navy SEAL husband. Then she meets a man who looks a lot like her lost love. Despite Thorfinn's ridiculous accusations that she's taken his son, Lydia finds it impossible to ignore the steamy chemistry between them. And as she gets to know this handsome Viking, she can't help but wonder whether two souls, separated by time, have found their way back to each other...
330 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 2008
50 people are currently reading
753 people want to read
About the author
Sandra Hill
92 books1,313 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Sandra Hill is a graduate of Penn State and worked for more than 10 years as a features writer and education editor for publications in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Writing about serious issues taught her the merits of seeking the lighter side of even the darkest stories. She is the wife of a stockbroker and the mother of four sons.
This biography was provided by the author or their representative.
Sandra Hill is a graduate of Penn State and worked for more than 10 years as a features writer and education editor for publications in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Writing about serious issues taught her the merits of seeking the lighter side of even the darkest stories. She is the wife of a stockbroker and the mother of four sons.
This biography was provided by the author or their representative.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
July 9, 2008
I've read all of Sandra Hill's 'viking' series and enjoyed every one of them. I have to say that her latest "Viking Unchained" isn't the best of them, but it was still an entertaining read for me as it gives quick glimpses into the lives of most all of the other time-traveling Vikings from her earlier books.
Thorfinn has sworn off love. Sex is fine, but love is just asking to be crushed. His first wife ran off, and he didn't necessarily miss her, BUT she took his beloved son with her and that broke his heart. On the trail of yet another rumor regarding his errant wife and child, he ends up in Baghdad. Returning from another fruitless search, he's attacked by a band of natives. Imagine his surprise when he is 'saved' by a group of modern Navy SEALs!
Lydia is still in mourning after 5 years. Her Navy SEAL husband was killed on an op leaving her with only memories and a bun in the oven. At the insistence of her friends, she goes out and meets a man who could be her dead husband's twin, right down to the same eyes! Only after she takes him home and sexes him up does she finally admit he's not her ex. But now Finn has seen a picture of her son...and he's positive that her son Mike is somehow his lost child...and he's not leaving the child's side. But Lydia is adamant that she cannot love another military man with the attendant risks. Who will break first?
I enjoyed the WAY hot sex, the constant bickering between the Vikings/SEALs, the glimpses into the current lives of couples from past viking books. What I didn't like: he reminds her of her 5 years dead hubby so she immediately takes him home? Uh, no! He treats her like an ancient Viking would (she is a woman, interchangeable, unimportant, etc) and she puts up with it? Umm, I don't think so! When he tells her about his true past, she pretty much just accepts it? Uh huh, sure. When he states they will live together and raise her son, she doesn't take out a restraining order? Ooooookay.
So I would really give the book 3.5 stars but rounded it up as I've enjoyed her others so much. I didn't like Finn so much til the last couple of chapters. I guess he was just toooooo Viking for me.
Thorfinn has sworn off love. Sex is fine, but love is just asking to be crushed. His first wife ran off, and he didn't necessarily miss her, BUT she took his beloved son with her and that broke his heart. On the trail of yet another rumor regarding his errant wife and child, he ends up in Baghdad. Returning from another fruitless search, he's attacked by a band of natives. Imagine his surprise when he is 'saved' by a group of modern Navy SEALs!
Lydia is still in mourning after 5 years. Her Navy SEAL husband was killed on an op leaving her with only memories and a bun in the oven. At the insistence of her friends, she goes out and meets a man who could be her dead husband's twin, right down to the same eyes! Only after she takes him home and sexes him up does she finally admit he's not her ex. But now Finn has seen a picture of her son...and he's positive that her son Mike is somehow his lost child...and he's not leaving the child's side. But Lydia is adamant that she cannot love another military man with the attendant risks. Who will break first?
I enjoyed the WAY hot sex, the constant bickering between the Vikings/SEALs, the glimpses into the current lives of couples from past viking books. What I didn't like: he reminds her of her 5 years dead hubby so she immediately takes him home? Uh, no! He treats her like an ancient Viking would (she is a woman, interchangeable, unimportant, etc) and she puts up with it? Umm, I don't think so! When he tells her about his true past, she pretty much just accepts it? Uh huh, sure. When he states they will live together and raise her son, she doesn't take out a restraining order? Ooooookay.
So I would really give the book 3.5 stars but rounded it up as I've enjoyed her others so much. I didn't like Finn so much til the last couple of chapters. I guess he was just toooooo Viking for me.
July 4, 2010
Like the others in this series it was filled with fun, hot sex, and lots of Viking misunderstandings, but unlike the others this one had me tearing up in the last scene in a way you wouldn't think would be possible with a scene between 2 men, both who love the same woman.
Finn, who we met in a previous book, seems to have the same good luck as his other family members and is able to time travel to the present, where he runs into Lydia who is still mourning her dead husband. The tricky part is that Finn is a dead ringer for Dave, the dead husband, and Lydia reminds Finn of his wife who ran away with their son, and Lydia's son, Mike, seems like his is Finn's son from the 10th century. Confused yet, well have no fear as when reading thing make total sense.
Once Lydia really opens her eyes she realizes Finn is not Dave, and Finn knows Mike is not is son, but doesn't want to truly believe it because then his son is really gone. This book is about both Finn and Lydia coming to terms with the past enough that they can see the future where they are together. While there are bumps and misunderstandings along the road it is worth it for them in the end, and reading this book is worth it as well, if only for the last scene that I referenced first.
Finn, who we met in a previous book, seems to have the same good luck as his other family members and is able to time travel to the present, where he runs into Lydia who is still mourning her dead husband. The tricky part is that Finn is a dead ringer for Dave, the dead husband, and Lydia reminds Finn of his wife who ran away with their son, and Lydia's son, Mike, seems like his is Finn's son from the 10th century. Confused yet, well have no fear as when reading thing make total sense.
Once Lydia really opens her eyes she realizes Finn is not Dave, and Finn knows Mike is not is son, but doesn't want to truly believe it because then his son is really gone. This book is about both Finn and Lydia coming to terms with the past enough that they can see the future where they are together. While there are bumps and misunderstandings along the road it is worth it for them in the end, and reading this book is worth it as well, if only for the last scene that I referenced first.
January 3, 2016
As this is a time travel story, it starts out with two seperate story lines, one with Thorfinn Haraldsson in the eleventh century, and the other with Lydia Denton in the present day. Thorfinn once married a woman and had a young son, she leaves him along with his son. Even though he suspects that they have been killed in a storm on the sea, he continues searching for his son Miklof. He ends up in Baghdad fighting and killing as fast as he can, surrounded by a group of men. Then suddenly he is drawn by some force into another time, in the middle of a SEAL operation, one of the SEALs happens to be his cousin, who takes him on a plane and to the states. There he is learning how to treat others, especially women where he is about hopeless (a viking in the twenty first century is so hilarious, I was laughing the whole way through this section of the book) Finn is eager to be a fighting man once again, so the SEAL team that discovers him starts training him to be read for prep for being a SEAL.
Lydia Denton, lost her husband Dave who was a Navy SEAL and died in combat four years ago. She has been raising her son Mike all on her own. Lydia is a dancer and teaches other women how to do aerobic dancing. She sends her son Mike on the farm with her parents in Minnesota. She goes to a bar with a friend, and meets a man with Dave's eyes; which were silver and very rare. Even though he looks different from her husband, she assumes he is back from the dead. One kiss turns into a endless night a steamy passion that gets the blood pumping. Lydia is utterly confused, despite the passionate nights they share, she wonders who this strange man is. She assumed its either Dave reincarnated or Dave sent this man to her. She aches for love again, and she knows that she is falling for Finn, despite his chauvenistic ways.
This is definitely an loveable read, that every romance reader will thoroughly enjoy. I have always loved reading Time Travel, and I have equally fallen in love with this one. Especially since I love reading from Sandra Hill and does amazing Viking stories. Here is a adventure you never want to miss out on. With a man who is a fighting Viking from the 11th century, who is taken to the future and has to learn to cope with modern women, that would most likely cut him to pieces if he calls them "wench" too many times. However with Lydia, he treats her differently then all the other women that he has met through the SEAL team. He treats her with more respect and tenderness than he does with anyone else. Lydia see's a side of him, that is hidden beneath his rough exterior. Lydia falls in love with Finn, and when she finds out that he wants to join the SEAL team, she is broken inside, not knowing if she can live with another military man once more especially one that she has fallen in love with. Finn is insisting that all they have is sensual passion, that he could never love a woman and Lydia goes about to prove him wrong and make him fall in love with her. I truly was captivated by this story and the characters within it. This is the first of the Viking II series that I have read, which is her time travel viking series. I really loved everything about this book, I was laughing throughout the whole of the book, due to the circumstances of which Finn and Lydia are put in. There is a heated passion that develops between the two that really sets the room ablaze. And a love that expands through time and space. Definitely a keeper!
Lydia Denton, lost her husband Dave who was a Navy SEAL and died in combat four years ago. She has been raising her son Mike all on her own. Lydia is a dancer and teaches other women how to do aerobic dancing. She sends her son Mike on the farm with her parents in Minnesota. She goes to a bar with a friend, and meets a man with Dave's eyes; which were silver and very rare. Even though he looks different from her husband, she assumes he is back from the dead. One kiss turns into a endless night a steamy passion that gets the blood pumping. Lydia is utterly confused, despite the passionate nights they share, she wonders who this strange man is. She assumed its either Dave reincarnated or Dave sent this man to her. She aches for love again, and she knows that she is falling for Finn, despite his chauvenistic ways.
This is definitely an loveable read, that every romance reader will thoroughly enjoy. I have always loved reading Time Travel, and I have equally fallen in love with this one. Especially since I love reading from Sandra Hill and does amazing Viking stories. Here is a adventure you never want to miss out on. With a man who is a fighting Viking from the 11th century, who is taken to the future and has to learn to cope with modern women, that would most likely cut him to pieces if he calls them "wench" too many times. However with Lydia, he treats her differently then all the other women that he has met through the SEAL team. He treats her with more respect and tenderness than he does with anyone else. Lydia see's a side of him, that is hidden beneath his rough exterior. Lydia falls in love with Finn, and when she finds out that he wants to join the SEAL team, she is broken inside, not knowing if she can live with another military man once more especially one that she has fallen in love with. Finn is insisting that all they have is sensual passion, that he could never love a woman and Lydia goes about to prove him wrong and make him fall in love with her. I truly was captivated by this story and the characters within it. This is the first of the Viking II series that I have read, which is her time travel viking series. I really loved everything about this book, I was laughing throughout the whole of the book, due to the circumstances of which Finn and Lydia are put in. There is a heated passion that develops between the two that really sets the room ablaze. And a love that expands through time and space. Definitely a keeper!
December 31, 2010
1.5 stars. 1 star (didn't like it) doesn't seem completely fair, but saying it was okay? Also not quite right.
So this was my second romance novel and it was...better in some ways, way, way worse in other ways. I think I can say I'm done with this genre, though, because I mainly find things to be disturbing. The writing, the characters, sometimes the sex scenes--disturbing. This one didn't feature a virgin, so that's a win, but did center around a pole-dancing, aerobics teaching widow (with a child that was conveniently shipped off to grandma and grandpa's farm at the beginning of the book) and a time-traveling, overly macho Viking. And, no, the time traveling is not explained, but maybe that's because it isn't the first book in this Viking series? Still, some explanation could have been offered especially since many members of this same Viking family have time traveled, half of them involved in the wine industry, the other half joining the Navy SEALs (wtf?). Also a win for this one--actual sex scenes! Almost...too many scenes. And then they all stopped to focus on...the terrorist wanting to blow up the main character and her son at a dedication ceremony for her dead Navy Seal husband (yeah, her husband was in the Navy SEALs too). Um...what? This isn't sexy anymore. And for some reason, a romance novelist dabbling in a serious subject like terrorism rubbed me the wrong way. I kept cringing and wrinkling my nose in distaste.
So this was my second romance novel and it was...better in some ways, way, way worse in other ways. I think I can say I'm done with this genre, though, because I mainly find things to be disturbing. The writing, the characters, sometimes the sex scenes--disturbing. This one didn't feature a virgin, so that's a win, but did center around a pole-dancing, aerobics teaching widow (with a child that was conveniently shipped off to grandma and grandpa's farm at the beginning of the book) and a time-traveling, overly macho Viking. And, no, the time traveling is not explained, but maybe that's because it isn't the first book in this Viking series? Still, some explanation could have been offered especially since many members of this same Viking family have time traveled, half of them involved in the wine industry, the other half joining the Navy SEALs (wtf?). Also a win for this one--actual sex scenes! Almost...too many scenes. And then they all stopped to focus on...the terrorist wanting to blow up the main character and her son at a dedication ceremony for her dead Navy Seal husband (yeah, her husband was in the Navy SEALs too). Um...what? This isn't sexy anymore. And for some reason, a romance novelist dabbling in a serious subject like terrorism rubbed me the wrong way. I kept cringing and wrinkling my nose in distaste.
September 15, 2015
My second book to read by this author. I enjoyed it a lot. Very humorous. The humor is silly and ridiculous but it works.
October 30, 2025
3,5 ☆
I always love the humor written by Sandra Hill in her stories. But with this one, some of the situations felt a little too unreal.
Lydia is still grieving for her dead husband Dave even after 5 years. But to almost instantly believe that Thorfinn is her husband during their first meeting. That felt truly ridiculous even if his eyes looked the same as her husband's and son's.
And the resulting miscommunication which is understandable if you're a Viking from the 11th century dropped by TimeTravel in the 21st century.
But a little unbelievable for a woman from this century to believe her husband has returned from the dead.
A nice ending but I wish we had an epilogue to finish with, maybe even their wedding night?
That does not mean the ending was bad, but I wish there was a little bit more to end with.
I always love the humor written by Sandra Hill in her stories. But with this one, some of the situations felt a little too unreal.
Lydia is still grieving for her dead husband Dave even after 5 years. But to almost instantly believe that Thorfinn is her husband during their first meeting. That felt truly ridiculous even if his eyes looked the same as her husband's and son's.
And the resulting miscommunication which is understandable if you're a Viking from the 11th century dropped by TimeTravel in the 21st century.
But a little unbelievable for a woman from this century to believe her husband has returned from the dead.
A nice ending but I wish we had an epilogue to finish with, maybe even their wedding night?
That does not mean the ending was bad, but I wish there was a little bit more to end with.
May 19, 2021
Pros: Sandra Hill isn't afraid to stretch her imagination, and I've returned to her Viking books again and again. They're usually light, fun reads.
Cons: This is obviously very subjective, but I find it nearly impossible to enjoy a book when I don't like the main characters. I especially disliked Finn and cringed at the way Lydia endangered herself and her son by letting a near stranger too close too quickly. I know these books are meant to be funny and outrageous, but the actions and reactions of the characters, not to mention the element of possible reincarnation on top of time travel, pushed me beyond my ability to suspend disbelief.
Cons: This is obviously very subjective, but I find it nearly impossible to enjoy a book when I don't like the main characters. I especially disliked Finn and cringed at the way Lydia endangered herself and her son by letting a near stranger too close too quickly. I know these books are meant to be funny and outrageous, but the actions and reactions of the characters, not to mention the element of possible reincarnation on top of time travel, pushed me beyond my ability to suspend disbelief.
January 10, 2019
I haaaaaaaated this book. It has all these weird tropes in it. Also, SPOILERS, it starts with a scene that you initially think is a rape, but it turns out to be her horny husband who's been off probably killing brown people for months. Later there's mistaken identity sex. And OF COURSE the main female character is an aerobics instructor who teaches pole dancing. OF COURSE. Also, the viking elements seems really historically inaccurate and/or based on old information. I must not be the target audience for this book, even though I enjoy both vikings and romance novels. OH WELL.
May 28, 2023
Does this author's publisher never give the illustrator a description of the hero? He has black hair.
I actually give this book 2.5 stars but I bumped it to 3 because of some LOL moments.
This book was about SEX. Yes, there was a background plot with a terrorist, and a Viking searching for his son, but basically this was all background for sex.
It helps to read this series in order because the previous characters show up in each book.
I thought Finn's choice of careers in the end was extremely selfish.
I actually give this book 2.5 stars but I bumped it to 3 because of some LOL moments.
This book was about SEX. Yes, there was a background plot with a terrorist, and a Viking searching for his son, but basically this was all background for sex.
It helps to read this series in order because the previous characters show up in each book.
I thought Finn's choice of careers in the end was extremely selfish.
June 23, 2023
Viking Unchained
Viking Navy SEALs WEALs. Could be any better. Lydia the widow of a Navy SEAL and Thorfinn , A 10 th century Viking are brought together by a little help from above. This is the best kind of book, the type you never want to put down. I would recommend this to anyone who loves great novels about Vikings, that draws you into the story. Sandra Hill writes the best Viking novels.
Viking Navy SEALs WEALs. Could be any better. Lydia the widow of a Navy SEAL and Thorfinn , A 10 th century Viking are brought together by a little help from above. This is the best kind of book, the type you never want to put down. I would recommend this to anyone who loves great novels about Vikings, that draws you into the story. Sandra Hill writes the best Viking novels.
May 9, 2020
GREAT PAINKILLER
Hill always makes me laugh and smile. She is the author I reach for when I am facing a lot of pain.
I have read all of her books and they have made life barrable. She always brings fun.
Hill always makes me laugh and smile. She is the author I reach for when I am facing a lot of pain.
I have read all of her books and they have made life barrable. She always brings fun.
March 10, 2022
Did not finish. Thought it would be bad in a fun way, but it was bad in a poorly edited (continuity errors galore) and offensive/cliché (the antagonist is a Muslim jihadi, I think?) way. Admittedly I haven't read the earlier books, but this sure made me not want to.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2017
Another fun edition to this series. A great way to spend a few hours escaping from reality!
April 26, 2024
4.8 Stars
May 4, 2024
Reread. I again found this story very fascinating & quite funny.
April 12, 2014
I could do a big long review....but I won't. Short & sweet tonight.
I liked it. Started reading it not knowing it was part of a series however that didn't take away from this story. Yes, many other characters from previous stories are mentioned but you do not have to read the others to enjoy this one. (Me I've only read Jorund's story in Truly, Madly Viking, so I didn't even know all the character that showed up.)
Okay enought about me onto the book:
Lydia Denton lost her husband five years ago in a SEAL mission. Soon after she finds out she pregnant and a piece of Dave gives her the strength to live after such a loss.
Throfinn Haraldsson also suffered a loss. His wife left him taking his only son with her, reports come back their ship sunk. Still he searched for five years for any clues if his son was still alive. This search sends him on a distance he never imagined..the furture. Suddenly Thorfinn is the present not the eleventh-century.
Throfinn and Lydia run into each other and surprise Lydia reminds him of his ex-wife Luta and Throfinn bears a strong resemblence to Dave, her dead husband. Thus starting one wild, funny, sexy roller coaster ride of this so-called relationship. Throfinn thinks Lydia's son Mike is his lost son Mikolof and wants to see him, plus Lydia is slowly drawing him in.
Ahh sorry I said it was going to be short and then I start ranting. Sorry. Um, Wonderful story Throfinn and Lydia are awesome together and he really does make a great father..even if he is still trying to 'get with the times'.
I liked it. Started reading it not knowing it was part of a series however that didn't take away from this story. Yes, many other characters from previous stories are mentioned but you do not have to read the others to enjoy this one. (Me I've only read Jorund's story in Truly, Madly Viking, so I didn't even know all the character that showed up.)
Okay enought about me onto the book:
Lydia Denton lost her husband five years ago in a SEAL mission. Soon after she finds out she pregnant and a piece of Dave gives her the strength to live after such a loss.
Throfinn Haraldsson also suffered a loss. His wife left him taking his only son with her, reports come back their ship sunk. Still he searched for five years for any clues if his son was still alive. This search sends him on a distance he never imagined..the furture. Suddenly Thorfinn is the present not the eleventh-century.
Throfinn and Lydia run into each other and surprise Lydia reminds him of his ex-wife Luta and Throfinn bears a strong resemblence to Dave, her dead husband. Thus starting one wild, funny, sexy roller coaster ride of this so-called relationship. Throfinn thinks Lydia's son Mike is his lost son Mikolof and wants to see him, plus Lydia is slowly drawing him in.
Ahh sorry I said it was going to be short and then I start ranting. Sorry. Um, Wonderful story Throfinn and Lydia are awesome together and he really does make a great father..even if he is still trying to 'get with the times'.
December 31, 2013
Happy New Year!! Coincidentally, I just finished this tonight, so officially, this is my last book of the year!
So... Gotta say, I really wanted to punch some sense into that chauvinist pig. I fully expected to get really pissed off at this guy, but surprisingly, he's not that bad.. once he met his lady-love, that is.
I have mixed feelings about this book on some scenes. Like those sex scenes; I see there was a lot of them. Two, the terrorist POV.. kind of touchy subject there, especially when its kind of difficult to really know what goes on in a terrorist/religion-obsessed fanatic, especially in this case, where he places his misdirected grief on innocents, thinking that his God would forgive his transgressions. Tsk, tsk, tsk.. This happened in other books too of this series, but not this twisted, I think.
Anyway, love the ending. Very...miraculous, and unforgettable for me because, ironically, two things that are supposedly improbable(not to mention complete opposites of each other) to a skeptic came together in one chapter. So, it was nice.
So... Gotta say, I really wanted to punch some sense into that chauvinist pig. I fully expected to get really pissed off at this guy, but surprisingly, he's not that bad.. once he met his lady-love, that is.
I have mixed feelings about this book on some scenes. Like those sex scenes; I see there was a lot of them. Two, the terrorist POV.. kind of touchy subject there, especially when its kind of difficult to really know what goes on in a terrorist/religion-obsessed fanatic, especially in this case, where he places his misdirected grief on innocents, thinking that his God would forgive his transgressions. Tsk, tsk, tsk.. This happened in other books too of this series, but not this twisted, I think.
Anyway, love the ending. Very...miraculous, and unforgettable for me because, ironically, two things that are supposedly improbable(not to mention complete opposites of each other) to a skeptic came together in one chapter. So, it was nice.
April 4, 2009
Book #32 of 2009
This one was a bit strange... A Viking warrior time-travels to modern America. I wanted to slap him half the time, ordering people (women) around. The writing was a little strange for me too, there were all sorts of mini-sections within the chapters with titles like "Hey, Cuz! Long time no see!..." and "Daddy knows best..." which in my opinion distracted from the flow of the story. In all, it was an OK book. Not the best, not the worst
I like the idea of the monthly challenge over at Romance Readers Reading Challenges so this can count as fulfilling item #7 on the April list, Read a book that has some kind of WAR as a backdrop. This had the "War on Terror" as a backdrop.
Borrowed from the library
This one was a bit strange... A Viking warrior time-travels to modern America. I wanted to slap him half the time, ordering people (women) around. The writing was a little strange for me too, there were all sorts of mini-sections within the chapters with titles like "Hey, Cuz! Long time no see!..." and "Daddy knows best..." which in my opinion distracted from the flow of the story. In all, it was an OK book. Not the best, not the worst
I like the idea of the monthly challenge over at Romance Readers Reading Challenges so this can count as fulfilling item #7 on the April list, Read a book that has some kind of WAR as a backdrop. This had the "War on Terror" as a backdrop.
Borrowed from the library
April 18, 2011
Time-traveling Viking romance - what's not to love? This whole series definitely falls into the "so bad it's great" category. The wild sex scenes start on page 2, and just keep going. The Viking characters would be over-the-top unbelievable even if they weren't traveling through time to become Navy SEALs, but with that part thrown in, they're magnificent.
Don't even try to take this book, or any of the rest of them, seriously. I'm pretty sure the author doesn't. There may be a couple serious messages she'd like her readers to take away, but what you have here is a laugh-out-loud trashy romance, a perfect chick-lit diversion for an afternoon. I read it twice on a flight home, and had to work to avoid giggling. It was so much fun that I almost wasn't ashamed to be seen with the cover.
Don't even try to take this book, or any of the rest of them, seriously. I'm pretty sure the author doesn't. There may be a couple serious messages she'd like her readers to take away, but what you have here is a laugh-out-loud trashy romance, a perfect chick-lit diversion for an afternoon. I read it twice on a flight home, and had to work to avoid giggling. It was so much fun that I almost wasn't ashamed to be seen with the cover.
October 19, 2015
I've had this book on my TBR "shelf" since 2008 and I'm determined to cull this "shelf." Tried this one and made it to page 74 before I gave up. The book did not work for me for multiple reasons: the plot was (I'm sorry) stupid. I love-love-love a romantic time-travel, too! Hokey comes to mind. There were too many character names thrown around and I wanted to see more dialogue. The SEAL add-in was hokey. It could have been done, but the way it was presented seemed too light-hearted. I was expecting a few chuckles, but the characters were not funny. I thought it was stupid. I'm sorry.
I think this book will be fine if you are expecting a light-hearted and kinda dorky plot.
I think this book will be fine if you are expecting a light-hearted and kinda dorky plot.
July 7, 2010
Thorfinn and Lydia. He's sworn to find his son, who he believes he spotted right after time traveling into modern day life. Newly widowed, Lydia is putting her life back together now without her Navy Seal husband. Thorfinn believes her young son is really his. Lydia fears she's losing her mind as Thorfin reminds her so much of her late husband as does his reincarnated counterpart. Interesting twist at the end with reincarnation that works well. Lots of emotion in this and very hot. The cover is completely deceptive. Only negative is that she buys off on another man, even if she does believe it might possibly be her husband, too quickly. I'm a little uncomfortable with the ending but that's personal preference. Well written and original.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2011
Hmmm ... I didn't hate it, but I wasn't really crazy about it, either. "Viking Unchained" represents an ambitious effort from Sandra Hill, but I reached the ending feeling a tad "empty," like I didn't get my "Hill fix" I've enjoyed with so many of her other books. The novel contains many of the elements and writing quality I've come to expect in Hill's work. I liked the main characters. I also enjoyed that several characters from earlier books in the Vikings II series have bit parts in this book. I think part of the problem I had with this book was that many of the issues visited in this story are often a tough sell in romance (intended to be escapist reading.)
April 4, 2011
The moment i started reading this book i couldnt put it down. The story of Lydia and how devastated she was by her loss and her renewed purpose to live, was too compelling. Add a thousand year old Viking to the mix and the result is a hilarious, romantic story that i wouldn't mind reading all over again. And here i was thinking i had outgrown romance novels which i read religiously several years ago. Aside from the fact that the time travel theme becomes tiring after some time Thorfinn was adorable (i know he wouldn't want to hear that!) and its refreshing to read a fun-filled love story for a change
April 23, 2012
Sorry to have to give this a 3.5. I usually LOVE Sandra Hill's Vikings. I think it's sweet he got his son and family. I just found it weird how She didn't go all MAMA Bear on anyone who claimed something like this about her son! It would of taken me a WHOLE LOT longer to allow him near my kid!! So I think for that reason it kinda bugged me. Other than that I found their love scenes hot and fun. I giggled at the thousand year old Viking getting used to modern things and terminology Hysterical as usual. Was fun to check in with some of the Old characters from the previous books. I will continue with the series and just hope this one was just a flat one.
November 3, 2008
Okay, I thought this would be good trash, but it's just trash. Time-traveling Vikings who end up as Navy SEALS in California, and here's one of the most exemplary lines: "The lust sap is nigh dripping out my ears and every orifice of my body." Eew! And, this is a series! I can't believe someone would waste their time on more than 1 of these.
December 27, 2008
"What I learned from this book." Well, I've never read a romance novel before. I didn't realize that they could be amusing enough to keep my attention until the last page. But ... this book was just too violent for me. When Finn forced himself on Lydia, I don't care how much her body reacted, it was still creepy. Rape isn't sexy. Guess I'm just too romantic for romance novels ... ?
Read
January 20, 2009Very humorous and good time travel romance. This story is about Thorfinn and Lydia. Thorfinn has traveled from old Norway to present times. He greatly resembles Lydia's dead husband. Her son looks just like his son from the past. They both find that there is a chemistry between them that the can not ignore.
February 23, 2009
This book is deeply inaccurate about so many things-- the US military, Norse dialect & history-- but also so ridiculous it is very fun to read. Like most of Hill's books, it is over the top funny. Also, this book has tons of sex that is not particularly creative but is also not poorly written. Pure braincandy.
October 10, 2023
Sandra Hill is my guilty pleasure when it comes to time travel genre, light novel and full of humors. My advice is don't think to much when read this. Just enjoy it. Some part will make you shake your hear with its weirdness, but I do not complained.
Beside, love me some Viking who have a good sense of humor
Beside, love me some Viking who have a good sense of humor
June 30, 2013
I usually don't care for stories with military characters, but having caught an earlier entry in the series, I couldn't miss Hill's title. I felt lost since I was missing many stories between. And I really didn't care for the constant "Is he Dave?" or "Is he Miklof?" themes. Other than that I enjoyed the story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews