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Loki #1

The Trickster's Lover

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An alternative cover edition of this ASIN can be found here.


Caroline Capello doesn't take chances. Until a god appears in her bedroom.


Loki, the irresistibly sexy Norse god of fire and lies, doesn't get attached. When he appears in Caroline's apartment late at night to upend her studious world, both the god and the mythology graduate student assume one passionate night together is all they'll ever share.

But as their one-night fling turns into something more serious, Caroline finds herself drawn into a dangerous world where the myths she studies become terrifyingly real. When the clouds of Ragnarok, the apocalyptic end to all Nine Realms, begin to gather on the horizon, Caroline must decide if she is willing to risk everything to save her mercurial lover.

If she fails, there's far more than just Loki's life on the line.

The Trickster's Lover is a stand-alone paranormal romance inspired by Norse mythology. Fans of Shelly Laurenston, Kresley Cole, and K.F. Breene will love this steamy, unpredictable page-turner!

341 pages, ebook

First published July 17, 2016

353 people are currently reading
1666 people want to read

About the author

Samantha MacLeod

25 books117 followers

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5 stars
304 (43%)
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211 (29%)
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121 (17%)
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43 (6%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
Profile Image for Monique.
499 reviews244 followers
January 7, 2023
4,5 'I am in love with this book' stars

Review to come when I stop dancing around and shouting how happy I am!
Warning: Don't expect this review to have much sense 'cause I'm still in that kind of mood 🔽🔽

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Considering my display of enthusiasm and declaration of my love for this book, you're probably wondering why I didn't rate it full 5 stars. That's because this book has flaws and not just one or two but when you're in love, you don't see imperfections. There's beauty everywhere and this book is very beautiful *le sigh*

So, we have here Caroline Capello, a student of Pre-Christian Norse Mythology, who is preparing for a doctorate. One late night, while trying to translate some very old book from Islandic, the Norse god of lies and mischief, appears in her room. And what do you do, when you suddenly find yourself face to face with Loki of the Æsir? You say 'hi' and jump his bones, of course. And Caroline, being a good girl, did just that. Well done!! What a night that was and not just one. They were really hot for each other.

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Caroline is such a special person. So nice and friendly and funny and clumsy. She's the kind of friend you can always depend on to have more bad luck than you. She just attracts all kinds of trouble and even if she had some eye-roll moments, she's in no way one of the TSTL heroines. She's the kind of person who would go to a bar in a sweater and yoga pants but who would wear a summer dress and high heels for Ragnarök. Because hey, if it's the end of the world, at least you can look sexy, so why the hell not?!

She's also super sweet and caring, always ready to help. She definitely didn't deserve all the bad shit that happened to her. For half of the book, I just wanted to put her somewhere safe, wrap her in a warm blanket and make her hot chocolate with rum. And now, you're probably wondering why I'm babbling about her if I love Loki so much?

Well, the reason is that Loki is a jerk. Big one. And often. I was angry with him so many times, I lost count. But still, I wouldn't want him any other way. He's a god, after all. Why would he care for a bunch of mortals who live in Midgard? Samantha MacLeod has many books from different series that actually take place in the same universe. So the Loki from Claiming Thor's Hammer and Winning Freyja's Cloak is the same Loki as in this book. It would be strange if he would change from being a god of lies to perfect boyfriend material. I liked that his character in this book stays true to his mythical self. All the crimes he committed, all the troubles he caused, it's all there. And because he is like he is, he would certainly deserve something like that to happen to him.



Or at least that. I was crossing my fingers for the whole book that Caroline would slap him just once for how he treated her at first. But unfortunately, it didn't happen. She really is too good.



But there were, of course, many things I did like about him very much. When he was not being a jerk, he could be attentive and considerate to Caroline. And sometimes his harsh actions were only to protect Caroline even if didn't seem like. He's not truly evil, I don't get why he's often portrayed like that. In my opinion, it is Odin who's a sneaky hypocrite. Why he had the highest count of the mortal lovers is beyond my imagination. I mean, who would have wanted to fuck this sly bastard? Anyway, back to Loki. There was also everything I love about him. His cunningness, his mischievous ways, and dry humor. And we mustn't forget the ability for illusions and shapeshifting. This really comes in handy many times.


“I don’t think I deserve you,” I said.
“Absolutely true,” he said. “You deserve the very best.”

As for Caroline and Loki's relationship. It takes quite some for them to actually establish a solid relationship. I was hoping this would happen sooner but since there is at least one more book + a novella, there will be a lot of opportunities to seeing them together.

“Are you okay?” I whispered.
“I’m alive,” he said. “I’m alive when I should be dead, and I’m with you when the world should have ended. Yes. Yes, I’m okay.”

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That's exactly what happened.

The supporting cast of characters was amazing as well. I'm looking forward to seeing them in the following books. And I hope that certain things which were a little unclear here will be further explained. For instance, how much are different mythologies intertwined, and if Di Also, Caroline asked Loki about his wife but she never mentioned his children, and neither did he. He is a father to five of them (and a mother to one), yet he only spoke once about his sons with Sigyn. It would be nice to learn about their fate. Are they still alive or not? But since almost all of them have their own books/ series maybe everything is explained there.

Congratulations to everyone who stayed with me till the end of this looong review. You're awesome!
Profile Image for Virginia Ronan ♥ Herondale ♥.
654 reviews35.3k followers
Want to read
December 17, 2019
As a confirmed and fierce Loki fan all I can say to this is:

Colour me intrigued! *lol*
I think I really need this in my life. XD
Profile Image for Tatra Luke.
26 reviews10 followers
May 10, 2018
Look! My second ever review. Let’s get to it.
So the beginning is ridiculous. Let’s just get that out of the way. Like, laugh-out-loud, what-the-hell-did-I-get-myself-into, ridiculous. And maybe that’s just because I don’t read stuff like this very often. It’s probably mostly that, let’s be honest. That being said of course, I definitely came at this like an asshole, expecting to make fun of it. AGAIN, MY BAD. I’M THE ASSHOLE HERE.
Because this???? Was entertaining as hell. I read it in a day and that’s a rare feat for me. Caroline was funny, relatable, and likable enough. Loki was Hot™️ (and surprisingly soft??? EXCUSE ME).
The mythology was handled really interestingly and I even feel like I’ve learned something. (And I don’t mean that I learned Loki is killer in the sack, while that is true.) It was very [Caleb a la Critical Role voice] Edubational.
There were a few moments here and there where I wasn’t super impressed, but it feels more like it was just not My Thing rather than actually poorly done. (Although I will admit there were a few words and phrases repeated so much I started anticipating them in the text and what the hell is up with a random Greek deity showing up?). This is urban fantasy, I’m aware, but some of it was pushing my suspension of disbelief juuuuust a bit much.
Anyway, this was a lot of unexpected fun. A nice balance of the romance and the super cool, darker mythology. Strong death and the maiden vibes overall, and y’all know I’m a slut for that.
Profile Image for Mony.
196 reviews
July 13, 2022
5++ ⭐
Loved loved this book! A wonderful surprise!!
Smart strong FMC, Norse mythology low key/done well, steamy, great world building, interesting/sometimes surprising characters, down to earth writing/not OTT. Excellent book!


Profile Image for Catarina.
10 reviews
November 9, 2018
I’ve read many different books in the paranormal romance genre that tend to be much all the same. This was not the case. Despite its very suggestive title, The Trickster’s Lover (TTL) is far from being just another one of those books. It’s refreshing, compelling, story-rich and strongly research-based.

I read this in one-sitting. Now, I’m reading it again.

Get ready to get addicted.

What would you do if the norse god Loki showed up in your room? Caroline Capello is an Italian graduate student at the University of Chicago, who accidentally summons the Trickster while translating an Icelandic saga. Her whole reality is about to be shaken. The gods she has been reading about since the age of thirteenth are real.

You don’t need to know much about Norse mythology in order to read TTL. In fact, you can learn from this book and have fun at the same time. Great, right? As someone who has studied Norse mythology in the past, I must say this is beautifully made. It is research-based, but also bold and original.

I feel this book deserves far more recognition. It’s very well balanced with just the right amount of action and steaminess. Samantha is an independent writer who strives for creative control and to deliver her best work, which makes this book even more laudable. I will be recommending it to my friends.
Profile Image for Lorellie.
1,013 reviews23 followers
October 21, 2021
“Yggdrasil,” I said. “The World Tree. That’s a... a metaphor for social structure.”

Loki laughed... “No, it’s a tree,” he said. “It’s an ash tree.”
-

I honestly didn't think I would end up enjoying a modern romance centered on Loki, despite my fondness of the trickster and all things norse mythology. I was absolutely wrong! This book was as adventurous as it was sexy. I devoured it in two sittings.
Profile Image for Liz Meldon.
Author 33 books329 followers
June 15, 2018
THIS WAS EVERYTHING

Okay, so, I wasn't 100% sure what to expect when I started The Trickster's Lover by Samantha MacLeod. I knew some things for certain. 1) I love me some sexy Loki. 2) I enjoy the author's work. When it loaded on my Kindle, I was like guhh so long -- I've been more inclined toward novellas lately, but I sucked up my whining and dove in.

And. Oh. My. Loki.

This was -- beautiful. I instantly fell in love with Caroline Capello, and lemme tell you, I usually NEVER remember character names in first person POV books because I tend to be all "meh gimme the smut". But nope, Caroline stole my heart. Then Loki shows up, all smoldering and shirt-cutting and UNF. Given the title of the book, you can expect a lot of smut, but the way the author wrote it -- it was so sensual, and while there was a lot of it, I never felt like I was reading a repeat. Each encounter felt unique and steamy and gorgeous.

Not only was there a ton of smut and feels to keep yours truly happy, but there was PLOT. Wonderful, character-growth-inducing PLOT. Stopping Ragnarok. Earning her PhD. ICELAND. I had such a hard time putting this book down, and was always excited to get back to it later.

I've said it before, but some of my favourite authors are the ones whose books inspire me to write. MacLeod inspired a whole book's worth of material in my brain with her incredibly well-written tale of love, loss, family, and doomsday. I need moar Caroline and Loki. STAT. Because that ending is kiiiiilling me. I can't wait to read more of Samantha MacLeod's work. I've found a new must-buy, one-click author to add to my list.

Highly recommended for fans of mythology, Loki, sensual heat, and strong af heroines.
395 reviews8 followers
September 6, 2016
Sizzling Paranormal Romance
God meets mortal in this super sizzling romance from Samantha MacLeod. When the studious and bookish Caroline leaves home to attend university in Chicago, little does she know that she will attract the carnal attention of Loki, the Trickster god (serious hottie alert). Her dedication to and knowledge of Norse mythology will be truly tested as well as her safety and sanity. Does Loki really exist or are his visits manifestations of an inner malaise? As Loki’s visits increase, events indicate the approach of Ragnarok, heralding the apocalypse, threatening their fledgling relationship and the future of all. What is a girl to do?
I lapped up this read. The sex scenes are hot (Loki is certainly not lacking in the stamina department) and the plot is for the most part fast and furious, whilst at the same time drawing on the richness of Norse mythology throughout. It is evident that the author has a great deal of knowledge of and love for this subject. The initial portrayal of Loki as an enigmatic, fly-by-night, ladies man is well done as is the development of his character, as his unorthodox relationship with Caroline progresses. Caroline’s character is well drawn and I enjoyed how she grew as a person in the face of the many obstacles in her path.
I will not give any of the plot away but suffice to say that it has many unexpected twists and turns, as Caroline unravels the mystery of Loki and tries to uncover what is reality and what is myth. The destinies of the hero and heroine become more and more intertwined as the plotline develops and their love and very survival is tested.
A super sexy and entertaining paranormal read! Please note, a copy of this book was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review
Profile Image for Ashley.
177 reviews
November 19, 2017
Ms. Macleod, I commend you whole-heartedly. I think you are one of the only authors that I can say without a shadow of a doubt has enticed me to buy all of the books written by you without even finishing the first book. Trickster’s Lover grabbed me from the first page - from the first word . I am a huge fan of Norse mythology, and without a shadow of a doubt Ms. Macleod is too. She knows the ins and outs of some of the most well known and beloved stories written about Norse Mythology, and some that aren’t so well known. Loki is one of my favorite characters. He always has been, and this book makes me love him even more.

As the character of Carol unfolded, I was sucked into the depth of her - her emotion, her trials and tribulations, even her hallucinations when she questioned what she saw as reality. As the relationship between Loki and Carol develops, and she is willing to risk her life to save everything she loves.

This book had just the right amount of sexual tension, supernatural draw, and heart-pounding thrill that I enjoy. Very eagerly I snatched the rest of the books up - I couldn’t help it. Macleod weaves such a vivid picture that one cannot help but close their eyes and see every piece of fabric, ache with every touch. I finished the book in a good 36 hours - I forgot to eat, I was distracted at work, and I could think of little else. Those criteria all mean this book was a delightful read. When the final page was done, I sat down and felt an ache in my heart for what I had finished - what I am going to be rereading again, very soon.
Profile Image for Rhiannon Chillingworth.
839 reviews221 followers
October 18, 2020
I love another of this author's series, so I thought I would try this one.

I have to say that this was much heavier on the romance side of things than the series that I had read, which is not usually my preference, but I did enjoy it.

I would say what really sets this apart and made it a 3 star and not a 3 star read was the mythology. It was really interesting and full of depth. I also loved that th enain character was an academic.

What fell. Shirt for me was Loki, as I don't really feel like he was developed much as a character. I would say 70% of the time he is in the book they are having sex, so it was hard to see the person there really. It is also not usually my preference to have sex within the opening of the book, as I prefer the relationship to build, and while the relationship did have depth eventually, the physical side of it was very much emphasised.

These are, however, personal preferences I have and in no way reflect the quality of the book, which I thought was good.
18 reviews1 follower
March 10, 2019
The Loki by which all other Lokis will be measured.

I first fell in love with Marvel's Loki. But Samantha's version? Definitely giving him a run for his money. His take-what-he-wants style and clear zest for living life in style makes him incredibly loveable, but you can still see the pain he has suffered over the centuries in his words and actions.

Caroline never comes across as a Mary Sue character trope. As someone who has gone through the rigors of grad school, I found myself relating to her more than I've related to a character in a while. She doesn't let the idea of gods, mortal or not, keep her from speaking her mind and telling them what's up.

Everything about this book was great. 10/10, will gladly force all the Loki lovers in my life to read this and use it as recruiting material for new fans.
Profile Image for Faraday Adams.
57 reviews
Read
September 1, 2019
Read this on a recommendation from a friend. Not going to lie, I thought this was going to be a trashy erotica - the copy I borrowed has a naked man and woman passionately embracing on the cover. But guys, it’s actually really good. I’m embarrassed to have reduced it to the romance-genre stereotype, because it’s so much more than that - it has fantasy, romance, adventure, drama, and everything else you could want. Admittedly, the first few chapters were a bit slow, and I felt that the emotional bond between Loki and Caroline could’ve been developed more. Still, this is a solid novel. If you want an engrossing weekend read, I highly recommend The Trickster’s Lover!
Profile Image for Miranda.
525 reviews127 followers
nope
December 15, 2021
Portrays Loki as entirely straight and cis, which is just hilarious.

Also fridges Sigyn and doesn't make a mention of Angrboda.

It's the same thing I think about Godspouses who ignore Sigyn and Angrboda: If you have to "sanitize" Loki's history in order to make Them an acceptable love interest in line with your morals and ethics, you quite frankly don't deserve to have Their love. You either accept Loki in all Their complexity, AND accept that They deeply love Their wives, or you are undeserving of Their heart.

Plus insulting Their wives by ignoring them is a pretty good way to get Them to fuck up your life.
182 reviews1 follower
November 18, 2017
You know, I wouldn't mind a few of the God's paying me a visit like that. This story was funny, hot, and intriguing. I was captivated all the way through. Couldn't put it down. I liked how the author depicted all the different layers of Loki. Caroline as a mere mortal woman was hilariously real. I worried that this book would be cheesy but it was very well written. It felt like this could actually happen to anyone.
Profile Image for Alyssa.
4 reviews
April 19, 2020
I didn’t think I’d be able to read a 500 page book in under a week with being busy with work and the pandemic going on, and yet here we are. This book was just incredible. Come for the sexy times, stay for the storyline lol I won’t post too much here, but I’m about to buy the other books in the series after I post this.
14 reviews
August 20, 2020
Wonderful

I loved the mixture of Norse mythology and modern day. The story keeps you on edge and warm. Gotta love Loki!!
Profile Image for Chantelle Smith.
215 reviews15 followers
November 18, 2017
The Trickster’s lover is a stand-alone novel from author Samantha Macleod. This is my second book from this author, and she just continues to get better. I’m not sure how it’s possible but she managed to captivated me even more chapter after chapter. She draws you in and totally hooks you completely.

WOW, WOW, WOW….! This is an incredible read surrounding a twist on Norse Mythology, its filled with magic, high fantasy, mystery, suspense, romance, love, passion.
This book was sexy, suspenseful, gripping, spellbinding and seductive I thought Samantha’s read of Death and Beauty was the best mythology book I have read in a very long while, but this by far is everything I love in a book. To top it off its based on a god and Mythology that I love to read about. I liked that we learnt along with the characters what things meant, it wasn’t just surrounded by the story telling the history the Norse gods, but it had a story line that was gripping, captivating and heart-pounding, it was steamy, heart racing and had me hooked from the start. You get thrown in pretty quickly into this book with the sexiness of the characters, the immediate connection between Loki & Caroline and just the whole atmosphere that this book creates. These two have an epic, raw and sizzling connection that only continues to get even better, the more time they are together, I seriously don’t know how Caroline coped with separation and disappearance of Loki all the time, I think I would have been driven mad. But these two both bring out the best in each other, and you really get to see two different sides of the characters from how they were at the start of the book to how they are at the end. I like that even through all the illusions that Loki casts Caroline can see the real him and still loves him for it and still finds him just as beautiful. Their relationship that starts in a very unrealistic way blossoms into something real, life-altering and continues to grow through the book even when obstacles are thrown their way. We are thrown with twist and turns through this book that are fast paced, action packed and have you on the edge of seat!

I couldn’t keep the smile off my face whenever Caroline & Loki were together they just had something that was unique, but if I wasn’t smiling them I was frustrated and with the some of the choices the characters made, but ultimately, I was thrilled with the outcome of the events that occur.


While reading this book you are aware of the time scale of this read but it wasn’t something that I really paid much attention to but even so It didn’t feel rushed or too much crammed in, it was paced to perfection.
I would have loved to have this book in Dual POV’s as I would have loved to been able to find out what Loki really thinks and feels through situations that occur with this book.

Along with the incredible Loki & Caroline, there are some secondary characters that I loved within this read, especially towards the end of the book, I got even more intrigued by Di & Geoff I’d love to read their story, but also Næmir he come as someone I didn’t expect to be to bother about other than the fact he was making moves on Loki’s women, but after revelations about him get revealed I’d love to discover more about him as well.


Once again, I cannot praise how incredible this book was! I cannot wait to dive into other story worlds that Samantha MacLeod creates, and hope that this isn’t the last we have of Loki & Caroline story. But until then this is a read not to be missed!
352 reviews1 follower
November 15, 2017
a brilliant novel about never giving up on someone you love. Caroline Capello is a third year student studying Norse mythology when one night she accidently summons Loki, the god of lies and they have sex. Convinced it was a dream, she continues with her studies and he rjob in a coffee shop until he reappears and they have sex again. This continues and they form a relationship. while Loki shows her that the world is not all that it seems and myths are real and even leaves a gift of a pendant as proof. However, when he leaves for a longer period of time to fight in a "magnificent battle", she starts to doubt if he is real. she continues with her life and even attends her brothers wedding and goes on a date and continues her studies. he reappears injured and she takes care of him and he gives her enough money to afford a trip to Iceland. In Iceland, she makes some startling discoveries in the stones and meets a professor named Haemir who also consoles her sexual needs while Loki refuses to visit her. one discovery she makes is a book of lovers of Loki and when confronted about it, Loki says he remembers all of them. he leaves for a while back to Asgard. Meanwhile, a battle breaks out between the Jotunn and the Aesir and Loki gets in trouble. To save him, Caroline walks across the Bifrost bridge and demand a trial. defying Odinn's offer of freedom, she saves Loki and returns home banished, unaware she ahs accidently triggered Ragnarok. To save Loki and the whole planet, Caroline teams up with her brother and her sister in law to cut Yggdrasil. Will they be able to save everyone in time?
an excellent read. well developed plot. well developed characters. Especially in Caroline who was extremely relatable with her norse mythology for her dissertation, which I am also doing. the supportive cast of friends such as Laura and Debra were good characters aswell. I also liked that the depiction of Loki was different, and there was more to him than just lies and tricks. As a lover of norse mythology myself, this book was perfectly written. Every aspect was respected and kept to the original myths in precise detail, especially with Loki. Even the slight references to myths such as the mead or the squirrel were perfectly done. I did enjoy the twists on it with the stones and the Nowhere, I particular the scenes with the shelves of books which was heartfelt and perfect. a book packed full of visual detail which was stunning, for example with the tree, the fireflies, the scenes in the park, the bridge and so much more. I loved Loki's use of magic which never failed to amaze or suprise me. I only wish that Caroline's mother was a little less overbearing. also the scenes of everyday life for Caroline seemed elongated at times, which perhaps could be shortened. Overall, a wonderful book and I would give it five stars.
Profile Image for Bobbi Wagner.
5,028 reviews65 followers
November 3, 2017
The Trickster's Lover: A Steamy Paranormal Romance with the Norse God Loki: Gods and Lovers Series by Samantha MacLeod is a paranormal fantasy romance story. This is not my first story by this author but it is my favorite of hers so far. I enjoy how she can write a story that will pull me in right from the beginning. Her details make me feel like I am right there with the characters. Her characters are connectable, lovable and true to life. They will take you on a roller coaster ride of various emotions that you don't want to miss. This is the story of Caroline and Loki. Caroline has moved to Chicago away from her family and her boyfriend to attend a university. As she finds herself single again little does she know her sanity is about to be tested. She has been waiting months for a set of books from the library, she is so excited to pick them up and dig into them. As she digs into them she catches the attention of Loki. What will happen when he suddenly appears and rocks her world? As he visits her more often will it put her safety in danger? When Loki's visits all of a sudden stop, Caroline decides she needs to find out why. How far will she go to reach Val-Hall? Is she willing to put herself in danger to find out about Loki? Will everything she has learned be enough to save herself and Loki? These are two strong characters that you will just love. Caroline has a little insecurity problem but she is smart and determined. I enjoyed watching her grow throughout this story. She is just so down to earth and has a kind heart. She thinks she is going crazy when Loki starts appearing. She tries to resist at first but the attraction between these two is so hot that it just can't be controlled. Loki is sexy and mysterious and I enjoyed his character. They took me on a few twists and turns that I didn't see coming, some left me on the edge of my seat where other times left me needing to cool down. These two have such great chemistry together. But the question that Caroline struggles with is the difference between reality and myth. How far will they go for their love? What will fate have in store for them as Caroline starts her journey into solving the mystery of Loki? I highly recommend this story, I know you will want to see what happens to Caroline and Loki and if they find their HEA.

Profile Image for Laura Furuta.
2,047 reviews28 followers
November 3, 2017
The Trickster's Lover: A Steamy Paranormal Romance with the Norse God Loki: Gods & Lovers Series
By: Samantha MacLeod
5 out of 5 stars

The story The Trickster's Lover: A Steamy Paranormal Romance with the Norse God Loki: Gods & Lovers Series by Samantha MacLeod is an erotica/paranormal romance book. It is a story that I really enjoyed reading. It drew me in from the very beginning and I found myself not wanting to put it down until I had finished the last page. It is a story that has plenty of romance, passion, and Norse mythology. It is a book that had me wondering what was going to happen next and quickly turning pages to find out. I love the characters of Loki and Caroline. Loki is a very handsome Norse god. He has set his sights on Caroline Capello. Caroline is a smart, beautiful woman. I love her character because when she is presented with a problem/situation she doesn’t back down from trying to solve it. Once she starts something she becomes determined to finish it. She, however, has not had a lot of success with men and relationships. Finding Loki in her apartment and the passionate relationship that follows is not part of any plan she had, however, she finds herself with Loki in her thoughts and always wanting to be near him. Then a time comes when Loki disappears. She feels that something is wrong. This starts her on a journey to find him. There are also events that are starting that will mean the destruction of both the human world and the Nine Realms. Will Caroline find Loki? Will she be able to stop the destruction that is about to take place? Caroline is also finding that not everything in her life is as it seems to be. This is a story that had me on the edge of my seat at times. I also found myself curious and wanting to read more about Norse mythology. There are scenes of danger and times when I was wondering who would survive the events unfolding. Filled with twists and turns this is a book that you do not want to miss out on reading. It is the perfect story to get lost in. The attraction between Caroline and Loki is hot and steamy. The passionate scenes between them will have you turning on a fan full blast and reaching for a large glass of ice water. It is for this reason that this book would be recommended for those 18 years of age or older.
377 reviews1 follower
October 30, 2017
This book is listed as erotica, but it really isn’t. Not that there aren’t any steamy sex scenes. There are, but I don’t think they’re any steamier than a lot of mainstream romances, these days. But that’s not really it. My experience with erotica has been a lot of very steamy sex scenes loosely tied together with an absolutely minimal plot. This isn’t a value judgement; I enjoy erotica. This book, however, cannot, by the wildest stretch of the imagination, be said to have a minimal plot. It has an intricate, well thought out plot based on Norse mythology, more specifically, Ragnarok, and the possibility of stopping it. I mean, most of us would rather the world didn’t end, wouldn’t we?

Our heroine, Caroline, fell in love at first sight with Norse mythology. So much so that she:
spent her sweet sixteen summer teaching herself to read German while everyone else snuck off to Mexico and had magical first kisses on the beach? The one who decided to move to Chicago and study ancient Viking gods while every other person in my family ran Capello’s Landscaping & Tree Surgery?

Now she’s at university, and incredibly excited that the books she’s been waiting for have finally arrived at the library.
The Vikings and Their Gods. Being a Recollection of the Pagan Beliefs of the Northmen. And the Sem Guði Hátíð, The God’s Feast. This was an account of a celebration held for the Norse gods in Svartalfheim, and it had never been translated into English.

I was going to do it. I was going to be the first person to translate it.

All I had to do was teach myself to read Icelandic.

Like I said, madly in love. She starts out with dictionaries - Icelandic/French (it’s what she could find), French/English (she learned German, not French). Fun, huh?

Ms MacLeod has a wry sense of humour.
Profile Image for Lorena.
858 reviews23 followers
September 17, 2018
Initially, I had a bit of trouble relating to our main character, Caroline. If a stranger showed up in my apartment in the middle of the night and cut off my clothes, I can’t imagine my response would be to become overcome with lust. But then, I’ve never had an encounter with a Norse god, so who knows? Part of the pleasure of reading is to experience what life might be like for other people, and Caroline’s situation is certainly different—if you’ve ever wondered what it might be like to try to balance work, friendships, and trying to obtain your PhD along with an erratic romantic relationship with a Norse god and saving the world from Ragnarök, well, this is your book!

As the novel progressed, I did start to relate more to Caroline, although she still frequently made decisions that made me wonder if perhaps she’d been dropped on her head a few too many times. Her characterization is consistent, it just didn’t always make sense to me that someone so intelligent would make such bizarre choices. I will say that despite not always understanding her, I genuinely grew to like her.

I also loved watching her romance develop with Loki—it was in its own strange way quite sweet and touching, and such a delight to watch Loki slowly reveal more of himself. There’s a lot of sex in this book, which didn’t always work for me, but I really loved the mythology and seeing the romance develop.

I recommend this for anyone who enjoys Norse mythology or paranormal romance. If you’re not a fan of Norse mythology, if you’re bothered by explicit sex, or if you don’t like books that include cheating or love triangles, you might not enjoy this.
Profile Image for Angela Shirley.
941 reviews6 followers
November 16, 2017
The Trickster's Lover by Samantha MacLeod is a book which involves Loki, the Norse god of mischief and a human called Caroline. What happens when your book boyfriend becomes a reality.

Caroline has recently moved to Chicago away from her family and her boyfriend to attend University, but as she continues with Uni she has problems with her boyfriend and becomes single. Until one day she receives good news that a set of books she requires have become available from the library, so when she picks them up and starts to read them something strange happens.

All of a sudden one night he appears from the book and scares Caroline, she ends up thinking is she hallucinating but as the more and more he appears the more inquisitive she becomes about Loki himself. Loki spots Caroline from the book and is attracted to her but will his appearance cause her danger and is he prepared to put her in more danger than necessary.

I loved this story, I am also fascinated with Viking history and there gods and this was a great insight within this subject. I loved the character of Loki and the strong dialogue he had throughout the book. I was a little annoyed with the Caroline character in parts but overall the two main characters complemented each other.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I would love to read this series and see how it follows on. I would recommend this book to someone who loves the paranormal fantasy genre.
Profile Image for Rhiley Jade.
Author 5 books13 followers
August 17, 2020
I read adult romance books scarcely. The last one I read and loved was HER MAD HATTER by Marie Hall, and I've yet to pick another one up since. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by this book! Loki is one of my biggest muses and greatest inspirations. I've been in a kick recently on wanting to read books based on the Norse god, whether it be fictional or nonfiction. When I saw that this was a ROMANCE involving Loki, I was intrigued immediately.

The writing style was a tad bland. It could have been fleshed out more. Especially in the character's descriptions. I feel like I saw a blurry picture of the main character and most side characters, but never the FULL picture. Samantha chose to focus mostly on describing clothes rather than features which made it difficult to read because I need a juicy description to truly fall in love with a book (Yes, I know this is a personal preference and most people won't find that annoying. I'm stating my own faults with it).

I loved Loki and Carol's relationship. Though not at the beginning. At first it was rushed, insta-lovey and stereotypical. Then, as time passed, they grew together and learned about each other while also remaining passionate. They found solace in each other.

Lastly, I loved that Samantha incorporated Loki's original traits. The scars on his mouth, the fiery red hair. You could tell she really did her research on the origins of the Norse gods.

A good, fun book to read for any Loki lovers!
140 reviews1 follower
November 4, 2017
Having just seen a particular movie featuring Norse gods played by extraordinarily handsome men, this book was icing on top of a delicious cake. This story appeals to me more ways than just the romantic aspects. Much like Caroline, I have always had an interest in mythology, Egyptian and Norse to be specific, and I also have partially taught myself to read and speak German. I don’t know if I could create a more relatable character! Ginger men are also a weakness of mine AEB my fiancé so the description of Loki as a ginger with clear blue eyes was particularly evocative.
The writing of this book was also perfect for my own reading style. I never felt like there was too long between the main plot points with Loki and there wasn’t unnecessary filler. Nothing puts me off a book more than irrelevant fluff that adds only length and no real content.
With the popularity of Thor in Marvel movies and the success of Neil Gaiman’s book on Norse mythology, I hope to see more books like this one and I definitely hope to see more in this particular story line from Samantha MacLeod. Her characters are compelling, the heroine isn’t a simpering princess, and she stays very true to the myth source material.
3,108 reviews34 followers
November 18, 2017
The Trickster’s Lover by Samantha Macleod is a unique perspective on an old tale of a Norse God. Compelling from start to finish this book is worth every minute of the afternoon I lost when I couldn’t put it down.

Caroline is focused on her studies. Serious and academic she isn’t on the lookout for anything more. But with the unexpected appearance of Loki everything she thought she knew is turned upside down.

I love reading stories about Gods, especially ones well known like Loki and I love seeing all the different views of them. I knew from the moment I read the blurb that I would like this as even that brief description had me excited. From page one I knew I wasn’t going to be disappointed.
The characters had such a chemistry between them that it was practically sizzling right off the page from their first meeting. I loved that the Loki you read in this book wasn’t just a regurgitation of all the other versions previous - that the author had actually taken the time to produce a very well thought out character.

I loved this book entirely and cannot wait to see what else is to come. This is the first book I have read by this author but it will most definitely not be the last. A great read, one I just couldn’t put down!
Profile Image for Pandaduh.
285 reviews30 followers
September 6, 2021
I chose this book because I am really really really into mythology. And MacLeod really seems to know her stuff. And it’s funny that in the book the Italian MC, Carol, makes a point of expressing the irony of not being into Roman myth.

This book, however, is more heavy on the romance and light on the mythology. I was hoping it would be more myth with romance sprinkled in. Not the case.

I probably wasn’t the reader for this book. But if you like the romance genre and are interested in Norse myth, this one is for you. I think it was also a bit too lengthy for what it wanted to do and suffered from insta love (Loki basically sexually assults her to tell her he likes her but she’s OK with it?). But again, I am not the reader for this book and the length and automatic attraction seems like it would fit in the genre anyway.

I also loved that all the “Norse” words had their proper accent marks in the book. Great stuff.

An good choice for any librarians looking to grow their indie books, romance, or sf collections.
Read my review on my blog: https://blackandwhitepandaduh.wordpre...
Profile Image for Moriah Venable.
1,374 reviews30 followers
November 4, 2017
The Trickster's Lover by Samantha MacLeod. This is my second novel by this author.

After reading another book by this author, I was eager to read another. While I am not knowledgeable about Norse mythology, I am interested in, especially with a twist.

Caroline Capello is graduate student that studies in Norse Mythology. Her mother sees her as a disappointment because of her occupation, not seeing her job as real, and thinking she will find not a man because of her occupation.

When she starts having nightly visits, from the Norse Trickster himself, what else to think but to believe its a dream, that is until she notices that the clothes he ripped off are on the floor the next morning. She doesn't tell her family about it.

The more the night visits occur, the more events lead to the approach of Ragnorok, an apocalypse..

I couldn't put this book down. I love the character development of Caroline as well the relationship between her and Loki.

This is fun read that you won't want to put down. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you for your review.

Profile Image for Kim.
9 reviews
November 18, 2017
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. This was an action packed, steamy read.

Not knowing much about Norse gods and mythology I came into this story with an open mind and no expectations. I really enjoyed the fact that Caroline was a strong female lead. I can’t stand books where the female lead or heroine is whiny, indecisive and reliant on her male counterpart. In this novel, Caroline is a graduate student working on her PhD. She’s managing to live on her own far away from her family while putting herself through school. One day while translating some Icelandic text she’s visited by a super-hot, mysterious and VERY passionate man (if you know what I mean *wink *wink) whom she later determines is none other than the god she’s studying, the ‘trickster’ god, Loki. Caroline is pulled into an ancient world where she must use her knowledge to save Loki and those she loves, even when all odds are against her.

I got completely wrapped up into this story and couldn’t put it down. It had a little bit of everything – fantasy, intrigue, action and lots and lots of steam : )

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