The Viking's Defiant Bride

Victorious Vikings #1

by Joanna Fulford

Northumbria, 867 A.D.Beautiful and courageous, the Lady Elgiva is as great a prize as the land the Viking conqueror now controls. Earl Wulfrum has taken her home, and now he will take her-as his unwilling bride. Wulfrum is a legendary warrior, but the strong-willed Elgiva proves the greatest challenge he has ever faced. Yet her response to his touch tells him she feels the all-consuming heat as much as he. Their passionate battle can end only one way-in the marriage bed!

Genres: Historical Romance, Historical, Romance, Viking Romance, Harlequin, Medieval, Marriage Of Convenience

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2009

About the author

Joanna Fulford has been a full-time writer for a number of years now. Always an enthusiastic scribbler, she found that the urge to write only became stronger with time. In the end she decided to take a chance and quit the day job to find out if she could achieve success as an author. However, she couldn't have done it without her husband's unstinting support. Fortunately the gamble paid off. It has been a long haul, with plenty of financially lean periods, but it was well worth the effort. There is nothing quite like the buzz that comes with that phone call to say a publisher wants to buy your book.

Along the way She has been fortunate to have the support and encouragement of a strong and successful writers’ group. Not only has she appreciated the friendship of its members, but has also found their critical insight and feedback invaluable. So too is the support of her editor at Harlequin. With endless patience she steered her through the revisions of the first book and saved her from herself on numerous occasions. Being able to see the resulting improvement made the work enjoyable and rewarding.

As Joanna has always had a passion for Literature and History it ihas been no hardship to do the necessary research for her books. Initially her main interests were the Enlightenment and the Regency, but in recent years she have developed a fascination for the early Medieval period as well. Researching these different eras is exciting because there is always something new to be discovered. Invariably though she ends up with far more material than she can use so it's a matter of deciding what must be left out. Historical detail must never hold up the story. Joanna always has a rough plan in her head, a general idea of where the story is going, although the characters invariably take on a life of their own. They have no qualms about departing from the script and taking her down another path. It's fun to go with them and see where it leads. Frequently their way turns out to be better than her own so she’s learned to listen to them now.

When it comes to the historical background for a new story, Joanna always chooses events in which she has a keen interest, and which involve a serious conflict of some kind. The central love story is juxtaposed with this and gives the characters more obstacles to overcome. The Great Viking Invasion was fertile ground, as were the Luddite Rebellion and the Harrying of the North which provided the settings for her second and third books respectively. The Peninsular War is the background for His Counterfeit Condesa, and for its companion novel, The Caged Countess. This conflict was also the background to Redemption of a Fallen Woman which is Joanna’s contribution to the Castonbury Park series.

Reviews

[Emily Kestrel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This might be the stupidest romance novel I've read all year. It's so bad that instead of giving a proper review, I've decided to unleash the snark beast. (I might be misspelling the names, but I can't really be bothered to look in the book again to check). Warning, spoilers everywhere!

Wulfram: I'm an invading Viking! You will be my wife.
Elgira: Fine, but I won't have sex with you.
Wulfram: That's OK, I can wait. We'll just cuddle until you're ready.

Weeks pass.

Alewyn: Remember me, your previous fiance? I've been hiding out in the woods plotting a rebellion against the Viking invaders. Come with me!
Elgira: No, thanks.
Alewyn: But we are engaged! You are rightfully mine!
Elgira: Meh, I was never that into you in the first place.

Elgira decides to have sex with Wulfram. Happiness ensues until Wulfram needs to go on a journey.

Elgira: BTW, Alewyn's out there plotting your death, so be careful.
Wulfram: How do you know?
Elgira: He told me, silly!
Wulfram: And you didn't bother to mention it? You deceitful whore! (Leaves in a huff.)

Elgira is sulking in the woods and has a chance to say goodbye to Alewyn once and for all. Imagine her shock when it is all a ruse to kidnap her!

Alewyn: Surprise! I'm going to "rescue" you and force you to marry me after we dispose of that horrible Viking.
Elgira: Oh noes, how can I have been so stupid?

Wulfram, still quite alive, comes by and sees that Elgira is tied up.

Wulfram: So, you were telling the truth about not deceiving me? I will forgive you and we can live happily ever after as soon as I get rid of this pain in the ass former finace of yours.
Elgira: Yes, please!

Epilogue:

Wulfram and Elgira are sitting around in domestic bliss, admiring their baby.

Yep, I just spoiled the whole book so no one else has to read it. You're welcome!

Read for Unapologetic Romance Readers 2017 challenge: Viking category

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I originally read and loved this years and years ago. At the moment real life is throwing some curve balls and I’m sometimes finding it easier to do some comfortable re-reads rather than try to concentrate on something new.

Reading this again just highlighted how my tastes have expanded and changed. This time it felt lacking and light.

Wulfrum is a Viking warrior who marries Lady Elgiva to settle and strengthen his claim on her land. But he finds himself intrigued and then besotted with her.
Elgiva also finds herself warming toward the Viking that raided her home and killed so many of her people.

[Serena Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este libro es muy similar a El premio de Julie Garwood, pero me ha gustado muchísimo más. Me he pasado medio libro comparando, pero si quito eso reconozco que este libro me tuvo enganchada, que aunque Eljiva me sacase de quicio en algún momento, es coherente a lo que sucede a su alrededor. La historia de amor no ha estado mal aunque Wulfrum es demasiado inseguro con su relación.
Seguiré con la saga

[Jaime]

NO RATING -

Through the entire story I kept thinking, “I have read this story before” - I kept checking my goodreads shelves thinking that maybe I had read this book with a different cover…then it hit me.

This book is a replica version of The Wolf and the Dove by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss which was first published back in 1974.

Same theme, only the names have been changed. The Vikings invade, overtake the castle by storm, a beautiful Saxon woman who was betrothed to another. Forced to marry the Viking hero, the heroine is conflicted when her loyalties are tested between her Saxon people and the love the Norseman instills. Add to it the villain Viking who first had possession of her and the Saxon fiancé who must watch his love marry the enemy. The planned attack against the Viking by the Saxon woman’s previous fiancé—etc., etc., so on and so on… 🤔🫣

What’s really sad is a major publisher let this go to publishing! “Mass Market Paperback, Harlequin Historical #934, 288 pages Published February 1st 2009 by Harlequin” - shameful all the way around.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read 2/2/11
It's been awhile since I read this book but I remember it a nice love story. Though, the couple took awhile to consummate the marriage.

Unfortunately, I don't remember anything else!

[Kristy Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cool story with a strong male and a strong female. Vikings over take Elgiva's town and one viking takes a liking to Elgiva and claims her, marries her and takes over her home. Throughout the book Elgiva struggles with her loyalty to her people and her growing attraction and respect for her new husband.

Sometimes I wished that Elgiva would have stood up to Wulfrum a little more. I know that she would have been punished, but I didn't like it when she would let him win. I guess I'm more stubborn, but I hate to give in. And the thing is, he LIKED that she was like that. He liked her strength, even if he was trying to get her to yield to him. There were more times in the book that I would have liked it if she would have pushed him a little more.

Favorite Quote

"A beautiful woman can make a man do as she wills. A clever one can make him think it was his idea."

~Osgifu

[Gina Marie (OMG_look_at_her_books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been avoiding giving this book a review because I know I will not do it justice!

This is one of my ALL TIME FAVE books! This book has everything I could ever want: likable characters who grow throughout the book, a strong female lead, action, steamy romance, a well crafted plot, history, even closure and a happy ending!!! (I’m sure I’m missing some things, but you get the point!)😍

This book has made me realize that I love books that portray a character as the “bad boy” (or should I say man😜 in this case) who actually has a heart of gold and is basically the most caring of them all! I think that’s why I also love A Court of Mist and Fury so much by Sarah J. Mass 🌹

I have reread this book probably about 5 times, and I will still continue to reread it! Ugh I just love Wulfrum and Elgiva 💞 I recommend this book to everyone who doesn’t mind smutt in their books and is a sucker for an enemies to lovers kind of story! Happy reading!

[Galena Sanz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una novela que se lee rápido y que me ha gustado por su trasfondo vikingo. Me interesa la historia vikinga a pesar de tener escenas muy terribles, pero que se llevan de forma no muy desagradable en el libro. A pesar de todo, no he logrado ver nada especial en los personajes, me han parecido bastante planos y la historia es muy predecible con las escenas típicas en las novelas románticas, así que me ha servido para entretenerme pero poco más, a pesar de que no es una mala novela romántica sobre vikingos, ya que las demás que leí tenían un trasfondo poco estudiado y esta parece tenerlo más cuidado, no obstante, como digo, la parte romántica es sosa y predecible, lo que le resta mucho valor a la historia.

[Arlenis Ralfsdóttir · Rating 2 out of 5]

Historia entretenida. No fue la gran cosa, básicamente siguió el mismo curso que todas las demás historia de este tipo. No hubo giros inesperados o sorpresas de gran magnitud. Es un libro principalmente para pasar el rato, sin nada mas que hacer. Muchos de los personajes fueron inconclusos y no se les saco mucho provecho, solo fueron nombrados en cierto punto y luego desaparecen, como fue el caso del personaje de Hilda y los sobrinos de Elgiva, entre otros. Los conflictos, los mismos de siempre y con básicamente la misma solución, nada nuevo, nada del otro mundo. En fin, es bueno para distraerse por lo cual no esta nada mal.

[Nyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una buena historia para pasar el rato, muy recomendable para l@s romanticos X)

[Teija · Rating 3 out of 5]

A perfectly cromulent viking romance.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh. I've read other historical romances based on the same premise; however, I felt no real anguish at the onset and no real passion at the end. The first love scene, you suppose, will be filled with helpless desperation. Instead rather, it was anticlimactic! (pun SO intended). I love historical romances that are filled with detailed imagery. This falls flat.

[Wild Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a contemporary romance written in the frame of history,I didn`t feel neither hero nor heroine were acting according to the mentioned time period.Actually I`m sick of authors afraid to portrait the cruelty of such dark times so as not to hurt the feelings of the faint-hearted readers!

[Melann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oui, oui je sais. J'ai déjà dit que j'arrêtais avec les Historiques de chez Harlequin. Mais bon, j'étais en gros manque d'historiques et ce livre traînait sur ma liseuse.
Donc, ce n'est pas mauvais, mais ce n'est pas bon non plus :D

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice and Quick.
I liked the story and plot line bit I don't think it reached it's full potential.
Good story though with an all together satifying ending.

[Isabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es el inicio de la serie "Vikingos" compuesta de 4 títulos.

El noruego Halfdan, hijo de Ragnar, organiza un ejército de Vikingos para vengar la muerte de su padre a manos de el rey sajón Ella.
Tras una batalla toma el castillo de Ravenswood y para consolidar la conquista lo entrega a su hermano adoptivo, Wulfrum.
Wulfrum no sólo quiere el castillo, también quiere a la castellana, Lady Elgiva. Casarse con ella es una forma de reafirmar su liderazgo sobre los vencidos sajones. Pero no es el único motivo para la boda, Wulfrum ha caído bajo los encantos de la dama sajona nada más verla.

Novela romántica de corte histórico situada en el año 867 en Northumbría (Inglaterra).
La autora nos pasea por la Alta Edad Media dándonos una visión realista pero suavizada sobre la época.
Enfrenta a dos protagonistas orgullosos y obstinados que mantienen una fuerte lucha entre ellos y contra si mismos antes de reconocer sus sentimientos.
Wulfrum es un personaje bastante completo no se limita a ser el vehículo de lucimiento de Lady Elgiva, sino que tiene personalidad propia. Su faceta de guerrero está bien reflejada, aunque quizá es poco realista su ternura y consideración para con su esposa.
Elgiva es obligada a contraer matrimonio en contra de su voluntad con el hombre que ha conquistado sus tierras y asesinado y sojuzgado a su gente. Valiente, luchadora y muy práctica, sabe que no puede oponerse y acepta la situación intentando sacar el mayor partido para ella y los suyos. Joanna Fulford nos da una visión aproximada de los vaivenes que podía sufrir la vida de una mujer de ese tiempo.
No es que la historia sea fiel reflejo de una época pero esta aceptablemente ambientada y se nota la labor de documentación de la autora.
Buena labor la realizada por el traductor. Es solo cuando la traducción está mal hecha cuando notamos la gran importancia del traductor en una novela.

[Nessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

NAH. THERE'S A LIMIT TO HOW DEFIANT THE BRIDE CAN BE WITHOUT BEING DISTANT AND THE INTIMACY WAS NOT NATURAL AT ALL. THEIR RELATIONSHIP WAS SO STILTED, IT'S HARD NOT TO CRINGE EVERYTIME THE HEROINE THINKS ABOUT SEX.

HERO may have cut down the people who were once enemies before he claimed the land for his own, and the woman who comes with it. Despised and feared by the English, he has some work cut out for him to win the loyalty of the people. One way of doing it would be to marry the mistress of the castle, but Wulfrum wanted Elgiva the moment he met her. Okay, that's fine with me. What didn't sit right was that even with him 'wooing' her, their relationship was so frigid, it was so awkward and BORING. I honestly was tired when I was reading this, I admittedly nodded off several times while I was in this story. OBVIOUSLY it wasn't interesting enough to wake my brain up. The only thing I liked about Wulfrum was his name. As a character, he wasn't compelling and the fact that the author keeps wanting us to imagine him as 'smirking, charming and all alpha' when he didn't command my respect at all....means he's a failed character.

HEROINE was the definition of frigid in bed. I'm not partial to heroines like this because I personally prefer hot-blooded or meek or a little fiesty but never afraid of intimacy. Elgiva was often so afraid of intimacy, sex and even bonding with the man she calls husband....it gets annoying after awhile. While resistance is fun in the beginning, it gets boring and a cocktease when it became full on in your face that she doesn't want to have sex or kisses. Their kisses was meh.

OVERALL it lacked passion, smooth transitioning of emotions and well...the characters weren't even in love for God's sake!

[Miranda · Rating 1 out of 5]

It could be the ebook format but it was hard to read bc a paragraph would be like 6 normal paragraphs long. And I started skimming and just reading the dialogue bc the plot was just not interesting. I have DNFed so many books lately that I was determined to finish this one. I should’t have.

All tell and no show. But for once I am thankful for that bc it made the skimming easier. The plot was very shallow as were the villains. And then the wrap up of the villains was dumb.

The cover suggests that this would be sexy. It isn’t. While there is a lot of unnecessary writing in the rest of the book the sex is not long and not described well and does absolutely nothing but let us know she can now have a baby.

Not for me.

[Meagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this! I got it for 50 cents at a book sale and had no expectations whatsoever about quality, but I was impressed by the detail and the clear evidence of historical research. I also expected from the title and description that there would be quite a lot of non-consensual sex involved, but to my surprise, this was not the case. Though Elgiva is forced to marry Wolfrum, he does not force her to consummate the marriage until she is willing, and all the while he demonstrates respect for her opinions. It was actually nice to see a male character respect a woman to such a degree, especially given the time period in which the story is set.

[Lotha S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me ha encantado la historia, llena de giros y tensiones, Lady Elgiva es la protagonista del libro, es la hija del Lord de Ravenwood, y debe batallar con una horda de vikingos que deciden asediar su castillo, Wulfrum es uno de los cabecillas en esta incursión.
Me encanta la historia y me recuerda a las historias de Heather Graham y similares, donde se puede palpar la tensión entre los protagonistas aunque se sepa como va a terminar, aquí lo importante es ver como se desarrolla la trama y no como termina la historia.
Me lo he pasado genial con el libro, espero poder seguir leyendo sus historias.

[Biancalekki · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 Stars

Libro entretenido, no quedará recogido en los anales de la historia como una obra maestra pero cumple con su objetivo, está bien escrito y tiene unos buenos personajes. Me gustan los libros con un transfondo histórico y éste parece estar bien cuidado, sin entrar en profundidad o detalles pero construye un marco histórico realista. Es por esta razón que disfruté más la primera parte de la historia que la segunda, que se centra más en el desenlace del romance y se vuelve más previsible entrando en los típicos tópicos del género.
Para resumir, un libro entretenido y recomendable para disfrutar un rato pero que probablemente no llegara a entrar en tu lista de favoritos.

[Laura Findlay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wasn't a bad book.
There are a few things I wished were different such as the fighting scenes. Some were described well while others weren't at all. For the love scenes............ somewhat the same. They weren't described at all. The author only scratched the surface with those scenes.
I liked that the main characters didn't fall in love instantly. I guess you could call this a slow burn.

But yea was a good book!📖📖📖📖

[Bea Tea · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 60%

I tried, but to be honest this book is rather dull. I'm 60% in and so far all that has happened is the heroine had married a viking... then spent the whole rest of the book meandering about the place, making potions, dithering about her loyalties, bandaging some wounds, picking some herbs, dithering about her feelings, having a bath, petting a horse, dithering about some more... where is the plot? There is a lot of tedious stuff going on, but none of it seems worth my time.

[Pang Thao · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED it!

Wow! After going through so many books that just didn't cut it for me, I finally found something I couldn't put down. I loved their love story and everything that let up to it. The writing felt so real, I felt all their emotions. Lol. I am definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the collection. Thank you Joanna, for an amazing read!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had this book for awhile I just never read it. I ended up reading it and it was pretty good. Nothing ground breaking. The beginning was a little slow for me. Once I got past that I enjoyed the story and the ending was very nice.

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a Wonderful Story!

I absolutely just loved the characters and storyline so much. Elgiva and Wulfram came together in the worst of ways. They fought through all the distrust. Their love saved them. Baby Wulfgar Woolfie 😂😂 I can’t wait to start the next book. 🥰💜💜💜💜💜

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a Wonderful Story!

I absolutely just loved the characters and storyline so much. Elgiva and Wulfram came together in the worst of ways. They fought through all the distrust. Their love saved them. Baby Wulfgar Woolfie 😂😂 I can’t wait to start the next book. 🥰💜💜💜💜💜

[Meranda Semeniuk-Wappel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fabulous book!

[Helen Leach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok

[Angelica Morado-Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this story that involved two very strong individuals and how they battle each other.