| Title | : | Hearts Aflame (Haardrad Viking Family, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0380899825 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780380899821 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 368 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1987 |
But her golden loveliness drives him mad with desire, her fiery eyes taunting him, compelling him to claim her. Until, in wordless surrender, they cast aside the shackles of doubt and distrust to unite forever in the searing promise of all-consuming love.
Hearts Aflame (Haardrad Viking Family, #2) Reviews
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3.5 stars
The heroine was such a breath of fresh air: unique, unapologetic, lethally seductive, proud as a Viking, and unmistakingly intelligent.
Things I loved:
➥ Heroine is too proud to willingly give herself to the hero, so she goads him into forcing her🌚. And then she's all like... har har look at this idiot, falling for my manipulations.There was no escape, but she didn't really want to escape. He was finally going to force his will on her, and though she would not give him this victory easily, she wanted the victory to be his—or at least to have him think it was his. Pride would not let her give in, but brute strength would.
➥ In fact she was very forward in everything she did. Spoke her mind when she wanted to. Deceived when it fit her. Was confident sexually unlike a regular, historical, virgin heroine.
➥ When she attempted to murder the hero's cousin.
➥ The way she looked at the man who chained and enslaved her and decided he is the perfect fit for a husband she has been searching for all along💀
➥ The fact that Kristen (h) was NEVER a damsel in distress. She stood up for herself every time."I swear I will never understand you. Any other woman would have cried and screamed to me of the indignities visited on her and demanded retribution. You do not even mention the assault. You even accuse me of being daft for asking if you are all right."
Yea basically all of my happiness came from the heroine. The rest was lacking but still entertaining. -
I'm of two minds with this book. One part of me wants to shudder and 1-star it. The other wants to give it 4, on account of its heroine, Kristen.
Kristen Hardraad is a strong willed, drop-dead gorgeous Viking maiden (Aqua eyes! Long, flowing, blonde hair!), who longs for adventure and man she can marry and love. So she stows away on her brother's ship while he's on a "Trading Voyage", with the intent of finding herself a nice man in one the "Trading Ports" he'll visit (because, you know, none of the men who are throwing themselves at her and worship the ground she walks on at home are good enough).
Well, it turns out brother-dearest told a white lie when he borrowed daddy's ship. No trading for them, they're going VIKING! (Did anyone else know Viking was a verb?) This doesn't turn out as well as they hoped. Half the crew are killed, and the other half, Kristen included, taken prisoner to work as slaves. Kristen is separated from the crew, and finds herself working in the house of Lord Royce. Kristen and Royce are drawn to each other, and Kristen knows she's found her man. He just happens to be her captor.
OK. So, fair enough. We're off to an interesting start. About a fifth of the way through the book they eventually meet for the first time (golly, this started off slow). Royce assumes that Kristen, being a sole woman on a Viking ship, must have been onboard to, ahem, service the ship's crew. So there are lots of longing stares, denied attractions, and "I can't be attracted to you because you're a Viking whore and Vikings killed my family and affianced! *Angst, angst, ANGST!*"'s
My problem with this book is quite simple, really: Rape is never, ever, ever OK.
When they inevitably fall into bed, it plays out like this:
Royce: "I'm going to bone you whether you're willing or not."
Kristen: "Oh, well, I'd prefer that I not be raped, so I'll say yes, and then it's not rape, right?"
Royce: "Oh, yeah... totally. Now take off your clothes, wench, and get in my bed."
Kristen: "OK!"
Royce: "Well, this is jolly good then!
...
*insert moaning and groaning*
...
WTFery?! You have a HYMEN?! You tricked me! DUPLICITOUS WENCH!"
Kristen: "Uh, yeah. I thought if I was a virgin you'd rape me."
Royce: "Well, yeah. But I totally would have raped you either way."
So. He's going to have sex with Kristen whether she wants to or not? Despite the fact that, well, yeah, she wants to, he doesn't give a damn either way? My issue is this: willingness and intent to rape are surely just as bad as the act itself. The dude set out with the intent to force himself on her, and IT. IS. REPUGNANT. Royce sees it as not rape, because she's a slave, and he's her owner, so he can do whatever the fuck he wants. So, you know, it's OK 'cos the law's on his side. Never mind, well, that you're a douchebag. I get that, taken in terms of historical context, yes, Royce's stance is—however sickeningly—'justified'. And you know what? I DO want historical accuracy in my novels, sure, but it's a romance novel written in fairly modern times for modern readers. I don't get off on rape. I want a hero with at least as much moral fibre as my Wheat Bran.
I've never read a romance-novel sex scene that made my stomach turn instead of tingling. I wanted them ('them', because there are MANY) over, or not happen at all. In one particularly disturbing scene he forcibly ties Kristen up after she's fought him to the extent of attempting to physically harm him, rather than going to his bed. But, oh, she winds up quite enjoying it, thank you, so it's OK.
I can't articulate my frustrations with this aspect of this book strongly enough. It's disturbing, and wrong. It rankles so badly because Kristen is awesome. She's a strong woman, and a great feminist role model; I love that she achieves this not by hating men, or compensating for her physical weakness. She's actually physically strong, sure, but it's her mind and spirit. She doesn't cry, she doesn't pity herself, she doesn't let anything break her spirit. She acknowledges the only person responsible for her situation is her, and takes it as it comes. She's fiercely devoted to those she loves, and she's not an emotional manipulator (which both Royce and I loathe).
There's actually one particularly awesome event in this book, where, after Royce is gravely injured, and both he and Kristen are captured, she's about to be raped (not willingly, this time). Fighting off, and incapacitating her captor, she defeats the guards with a sword she's stolen, and breaks Royce out of the dungeons. A total reversal of the damsel in distress scenario.
But I keep coming back to the kind-of-consensual-rape. We've all heard of court cases where—and I shit you not—the "but she totally wanted/enjoyed it" story has been played as some kind of sick, twisted defence for the rapist, or as an attack against the rape victim's credibility. It's why I can't make myself be OK with this element of the story. Rape is such an incredibly serious issue and such an heinous, violent act, I can't justify it as being OK, in any situation. There is no "she was asking for it," or, "she enjoyed it," (or he, for that matter). Any way in which rape is somewhat justified detracts from a violent, hateful act that destroys the lives of thousands of women, children, and—yes—men, around the world every year. I can't swallow this element of Hearts Aflame without feeling it somehow cheapens the suffering of rape victims everywhere.
I guess the event in this book may not technically be rape. It was—more or less—consensual. But it could have been, and would have been, if our so-called-hero didn't get his way. How is that romantic? Attractive? Appealing? Despite his good qualities, and they're many, I couldn't see Royce as anything besides a would-be rapist.
The Verdict:
Our otherwise fabulous protagonist, Kristen, is let down by one aspect of the book, but it's one aspect so repellent I can't let it slide. The 'rapey' sex-scenes aside, Hearts Aflame is a good story, which is why it's so. damn. frustrating. The characters are interesting, so's the storyline, and watching the relationship between Kristen and Royce develop is lovely. I've never wanted for no sex in a romance novel more, and I just can't get past it. Please don't get me wrong: I'm not saying anything against anyone who loved this book—there are clearly many of you out there, and I can understand why. I throroughly enjoyed the story otherwise, but I couldn't get past my one, rather large issue. -
4.5 stars
my copy had a ton of misspellings and badly needed editing. other than that (and the occasional whiplash i got from all the mentions of height differences and physical descriptions of the Vikings vs. the Saxon people), holy moly i loved this book so much 😭 i wanted to give it all the stars, but im afraid i’d jinx my own luck since this is the first historical romance i picked up in a while AND its the first of this subgenre that like... im ever really trully obsessed with. totally kept me riveted from start to finish.
this was a medieval, captive romance where you have a h who smuggled herself into her brothers ship. they were going on a raid but ended up being the one ambushed and captured instead by the Hs men. the h disguised herself as a man for a time until she was discovered by the H. this book just ticked all my boxes. theres the awesome H, even more awesome h, best family dynamic (adored how the brother & his men were so protective of the h), great romance, great plot. all in all, love love LOVE. defenitely re-read material. ♥ -
I don't seem to enjoy a lot of the books that were written in the 80's and very early 90's. There's too much violence and raping and abuse in some of them. It seems like a crap shoot any time I pick one up. This book was one that I read years ago in the early days of my romance reading. (I started when I was about 12) I had so much fun reading it that I have kept it all these years and have reread it multiple times. I get a kick out of it each time I read it.
Kristen stowed away on her brother's ship for some adventure and to avoid an irritating situation. Things go badly for the Vikings and they get captured by the Saxons. Fearing rape, the Vikings disguise Kristen as a boy, but their protective nature soon leads to more trouble for her. It's soon discovered that Kristen is a female and she's taken into the house to be a slave their and to act as a hostage to keep the Vikings from trying to escape.
Kristen is so much fun to read about. She takes insults about her heritage and her attractiveness in stride and continues to smile. She doesn't care what's thought about her. She is good-natured and cheerful throughout the book, although she does get angry a time or two. But when she gets angry she takes action. She is not a weak woman and she will not let herself be turned into a doormat.
I loved watching her relationship with Royce. Her perspective was very refreshing. She didn't expect marriage and didn't punish him for being surprised by the very idea. She was very frank and open about sex and the pleasure she finds in it. I think that if she had been a different personality type Royce's personality would have come off as too dominating. But with her he never could because she was just as forceful and dominant as he was.
There are some dominance struggles in this, but I never felt that it crossed the line or even came close to the line. Their antics and struggles actually made the book more enjoyable for me. -
I thought Brenna was the most fierce woman but wait until you meet her daughter, Kristen.
The previous book dealt with bodice-ripping, rape, and slavery, this one is much milder than that book.
This is the story of Kristen Haardrad, daughter to Garrick and Brenna and Lord Royce of Wyndhurst. Kristen wants to go on an adventure to find herself a husband, and when she asks her father if she could go with her brothers and cousins to sea, he refuses. Being left with no choice, Kristen sneaks onto the ship and hides in the lower compartments. But busted quite quickly and when they do find her, it is revealed that the men are going Viking. But things don't go to plan, and they are quickly defeated and taken as prisoners.
Royce is confused yet intrigued by how the Vikings are treating the smallest of their pack. From what they've said, the boy is mute, and they keep him hidden amongst themselves, so when Royce finds out, it is not a he but she, she's put to work as a slave in the household, but with her temper and his distrust in the woman, he forces her to wear shackles.
Now with another fierce woman put to slavery, it seems history is repeating itself. The difference between Brenna and Kristen, however, was that Kristen wasn't as stubborn as Brenna. The moment she saw Royce, she knew he was the man for her, and she didn't ignore those feelings as Brenna had for Garrick.
The side characters in this book, Eda, Meghan, Alden, and the Vikings were terrific. Meghan, Royce's sister, and Kristen's relationship were so loving, and I loved the friendship and trust they built.
I don't know if this is a spoiler, but I've put it as spoilers just in case it is.
This is a must read series if you love historical romance and if this is your first time reading historical fiction, you will not be disappointed.
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4 ½ stars for lovers of historical romance. Smart strong heroine. Great relationship development. It was fun.
STORY BRIEF:
In 873 Vikings travel to England to raid a monastery. They are ambushed and kept as slaves by the Saxon lord Royce. Norwegian woman Kristen is among them. Royce cannot resist her. And she wants him too.
OPINION:
Kristen’s intelligence, attitude, and fighting abilities might be stretching believability - as to typical women in those days, but it made a good story. There’s good plot and no stupidity. I really enjoyed this.
Some readers did not like Royce because he kept Kristen in chains and bedded her every night while he was engaged to another. I didn’t mind that. He had good reasons. It was obvious he was falling in love with her and didn’t want her hurt.
There is one attempted rape. A guy (not Royce) grabs Kristen and kisses her, but she fights and gets away before anything else can happen. A few sex scenes are bodice-ripper style. He wants her but won’t force it. But she wants him to attack her, so she baits him to do it.
SERIES:
This is second in a trilogy but can be read as a stand alone. Books 1 and 3 are Fires of Winter and Surrender My Love.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Story length: 363 pages. Swearing language: mild. Sexual language: none to mild. Number of sex scenes: 6. Setting: 873 Norway and England. Copyright: 1987. Genre: historical romance, Vikings. -
"Hearts Aflame" by Johanna Lindsey is the story of Kristen and Royce- and it was phenomenal.
Unlike its predecessor book- which was a bodice ripper (but I still liked it)
This one had
- A strong heroine who wasn't childish and insubordinate- and who could kick ass literally
- A hero who wasn't abusive or into making love against will
- The heroine knew she wanted the hero and to marry him and tells him when she feels it (so no hiding a denying feelings)
- A hero who literally couldn't stay without the heroine for a day and keeps seducing her because he can't be without her
One of the rare books where the heroine saves the heroes' life- this struck all the right cords when it comes to characterization of strong leads.
It was passionate, sweet, having its angsty moments- and the best part was- she was Brenna and Garrick's child.
JL books usually follow a pattern (except a few and in the Mallory series)- but this one not only surprised me- but stole my heart.
I adored their banter, their lovemaking and their craziness about each other.
What a wonderful way to start my Friday.
Ps- love Fabio on the cover, though my copy has the angel on it.
Safe
4.75/5 -
4+ This book may have been written 20+ years ago, but it is a timeless classic. It's a well written fantasy Viking romance meant for pure enjoyment, and enjoy it I did! It has plenty of sizzle and adventure, a great hero/heroine, and a flirty sense of humor that I just love. Very high on the angst scale. The heroine becomes a prisoner to our hero, but soon it is he who is the one being held captive for her. This was great romance candy, IMO.
-
3.5 stars.
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Hearts Aflame is a notable Johanna Lindsey historical romance for a few reasons.
Back in June 1987, John Le Carre, Barbara Taylor Bradford, Robert Ludlum, Arthur C. Clarke, and Star Trek were on the top 10 of the NY Times Weekly Bestseller list for paperbacks. Also in the top ten? Jude Deveraux’s The Raider and Johanna Lindsey's Hearts Aflame at #3.
Spy thrillers, mysteries, science & women’s fiction were always big hits, but for many years, it was unusual to see more than one romance novel anywhere near the top. With her 14th book, Lindsey was on a roll, writing blockbuster romance after blockbuster romance.
Fans of Lindsey should be familiar with Hearts Aflame, as it contains two hallmarks of her books. First (no longer was Robert McGinnis illustrating) was “The Queen of Romance Covers” herself, Elaine Duillo painting the artwork for the cover.
Second, this book featured romance supermodel Fabio posing for the clinch. This was–if not the first--one of the first romance front covers for the Italian-born hunk.
Hearts Aflame by Johanna Lindsey is the sequel to her third book, the fierce bodice ripper
Fires of Winter. In it, the beautiful Welsh Lady Brenna finds her life torn asunder when Vikings raid her home. They kill all the men and take the women captive. Brenna is given as a prize to the Viking chief’s son, Garrick.
After a very rocky beginning, Garrick and Brenna find love together. The heroine of Hearts Aflame, Kristen, is their daughter. She is as fierce and strong as both her parents.
With her many Viking brothers and cousins, young Kristen has always desired an adventure as they claimed to have experienced. In search of action, she stows away on their raiding ship.
The raid is a failure when the Vikings are beaten and taken hostage by the Saxons, led by the arrogant Thane Royce.
Kristen is dressed as a male, and her kinsmen guard her true identity. Soon, the nature of her sex is discovered by Royce. Royce forces her to serve as his personal house slave. He places Kristen in chains when she refuses and he finds her will is unbreakable.
From there on, the relationship between Royce and Kristen is a power play of master and slave, captor and captive, man and woman.
Kristen is not a simpering dame, as her actions prove. Although Royce is a powerful leader and tries to master her, it’s she who proves to be the real mistress.
Speaking of mistresses, Royce has one; a rare instance in a Lindsey romance where the hero beds the other woman. But no fear, her simpering nature proves no match for Kristen’s fierce one.
Some evildoers would see Kristen and Royce fall, but Royce shouldn’t worry when Kristen is on his side. She has no qualms about threatening Saxon lords and ladies and can back up her words with fighting skills.
Of course, Kristen and her fellow Vikings are to be avenged by her people, and this leads to a dramatic ending where her parents show up to save them.
Hearts Aflame is a solid Johanna Lindsey romance, perhaps not in my personal top-tier, but it still was a blast to read.
Kirsten has all the warrior skills of her mother, with her father’s stubborn temper.
Royce is sexy enough, even though Kirsten steals the show. But it’s fun to imagine him looking like Fabio since he was the first Lindsey hero painted by Elaine Duillo.
Fans of Kirsten’s older brother, Selig, will be happy to read his story in
Surrender My Love, the conclusion to Lindsey’s “Haardrad Viking Trilogy.” -
Let's break this viking down, shall we?
I'm hiding most of this review because I rant and spoil a lot (or a little, depending on who you are and how you interpret what I write). Read this book. It's worth a lesson in how far we have come; we being the romance community and women. -
Beautiful bodice ripper and very much politically incorrect.
There are so many triggers but I loved it.
The hero was not cruel or mean, it was the situation who was bad.
The heroine is a Viking and is caught with her brother and his crew while trying to go Viking around the H‘s land.
He keeps her prisoner and:
Whips her
Chains her
Enslaves her
Makes her work for him
Beds her
Ties her to his bed
Spanks her
And he’s also engaged to another woman and refuses to leave her to marry the h.
But the heroine is no victim at all.
She’s a warrior, tall, strong and determined.
She fights like a man
She beats him repeatedly
She fights him and enjoys the fighting
She enjoys sex and is never passive
She doesn’t cry
She never complains, but she tries to make the best of every situation
I think that between the two of them he’s the more besotted
She’s a warrior until the very end.
She’s one of my favorite heroine ever.
She reminds me of a movie, Conan the barbarian, where the female character and love of the hero was Valeria, a blond woman who was also a strong warrior.
Actually if you’re not sensitive you will appreciate the beautiful story, the strong passion between the characters and also their sparring that is really equal because the h is as strong as the H.
And the prose is also very very good. -
Lol my first 5 star romance read of the year is a book I wouldn't recommend to a majority of people?? IDK DON'T JUDGE ME KRISTEN AND ROYCE HIT DIFFERENT.
First, I want to be clear here and say that there are multiple scenes in the book where there isn't 100% clear consent between Royce and Kristen.
Also, this is an old school historical romance - it was written in 1987 and takes place in the literal year 843 AD. So like, idk there are some dark themes here and being a woman during this time seems like a literal nightmare. Kristen has to defend herself from multiple garbage men throughout the book and she kicks some major BUTT doing it.
All of this to say, I would not recommend this book to someone who is new to historical romance or dark romance. I think old school historical romance is pretty comparable to dark romance. In 2022, I don't think this book is for everyone. But, for me I just fell in love with Kristen and Royce and yes so much of this book is dated but SO much of it is progressive and that's important to say too.
It is insane to me that a book written in 1987 could have a main character as fresh and bold as Kristen. Kristen is STUBBORN. Like, the most stubborn FMC I've read and I loved every moment of her. Kristen is a badass, self-aware, can be both calm and furious, and incredibly self-sufficient.
I can't stress her self-awareness enough. It was such a joy to read about her process her own emotions and admit them to herself. She literally is like ya my captor is hot...and what? I can admit that he's hot and I have a crush. Idk I feel like a theme I see a lot in romances is a woman denying herself her attraction/feelings (which obvi makes for great internal conflict), but I loved that Kristen couldn't be bothered in lying to herself and never second guessed herself.
There is something so progressive about Kristen. There's a scene where Royce is in a bad mood because of an argument he had with Kristen the night before. And someone goes up to Kristen and is like hey this is your fault and she goes no it's not I'm not responsible for his moods. And it's like...it literally took me 25 years to understand that I'm not responsible for other people's feelings and 19 year old Kristen just always knew lol.
Royce is one of my more toxic book boyfriends and I love him. He's that alpha archetype for sure - he's condescending, protective, grunts a lot, etc. But he's also quite goofy and kind and idk it just works for me. Also talk about a traumatic back story - my poor Royce! I also loved that Johanna Lindsey frankly didn't write too much about him, because as the reader you can kinda fill in with your own imagination and read too deeply into his subtle movements and thoughts. Also - his relationship with his younger sister! He's trying!! Also the irony that I decided to read this book initially because I thought Royce was a Viking but he's not - she's the Viking lol.
I just adore Kristen and Royce as individuals and as a couple. Their relationship goes through a lot of iterations throughout the book as they both learn more about each other and their situations. And it was such a treat to see them learn how the other communicates and uses their body language. I really want a sequel of just them being happy and silly and playing pranks on each other.
I also think Johanna Lindsey is really great at subverting expectations and diffusing tension in this book. Like, there are multiple situations where two angry people are together and things are about to get really tense, but one character finds the humor in the situation and it just calms everything down. I LOVED that because it was always a delight and a surprise. I loooooved it when Kristen would be wound up about something and Royce would be calm as a cucumber and smile at her, or when Royce would be wound up about something and Kristen would reply sarcastically. I think a lesser novel would've had them fighting way more because it's "enemies-to-lovers", so I liked the difference here.
I found the humor in this book to be stupid, which is perfect for me.
I literally was shocked reading so many scenes in this book. I literally would gasp out loud, alone on the couch. Also I know that I have a five star read on my hands when it takes me forever to read the book because I'm savoring it, and I'm using my bookmark to cover the next paragraphs I have to read on the page so I don't accidentally jump ahead. And...I read this book very slowly and covered the pages with my bookmark almost every time Royce and Kristen were together.
Okay so ya - I think that's all of my thoughts lol. Fully anticipating no one reading this, but I'm happy I wrote my thoughts down to look back on. So happy to have buddy read this with Yasmine AND my first edition hard cover of it is supposed to be delivered to me today!! -
Δείτε επίσης και στο
Chill and read
Η Μπρένα κι ο Γκάρικ που γνωρίσαμε στο “Φωτιά και πάγος” ζούνε πια αγαπημένοι και μονοιασμένοι. Έχουν τρεις γιους και μια κόρη και αγαπάνε όλα τα παιδιά τους εξίσου. Ο Γκάρικ θέλει να σταματήσει πια τα εμπορικά ταξίδια στην Ανατολή, οπότε και δίνει τα ηνία στο μεγάλο του γιο, ο οποίος αναλαμβάνει να οδηγήσει το γερό σκαρί μακριά από τον τόπο του. Όλα θα πάνε στραβά όταν ανακαλύψει την αδερφή του κρυμμένη στο αμπάρι του πλοίου και ακόμα χειρότερα όταν το ταξίδι δεν θα προχωρήσει όπως το είχε σχεδιάσει.
Η Κρίστεν Χάαρντραντ είναι άξια κόρη της Μπρένα και του Γκάρικ. Είναι μια Βίκινγκ που έχει μεγαλώσει με τις αξίες του λαού της και έχει γαλουχηθεί με τα εφόδια που χρειάζεται από τη μητέρα της. Δεν θα κάνει ποτέ πίσω σε κάτι που θέλει, ούτε όμως και στον κίνδυνο προκειμένου να σώσει αυτούς που αγαπά. Όταν όμως γνωρίσει τον Ρόις θα καταλάβει πως δεν μπορεί πάντα να ελέγχει τα συναισθήματά της.
Ο Ρόις είναι ένας περήφανος άντρας που όμως έχει υποφέρει πολύ στο παρελθόν. Διοικεί με πυγμή το κάστρο και τους ανθρώπους του και δεν θα επιτρέψει σε κανέναν και τίποτα να διακινδυνεύσει την ασφάλειά τους.
Πρόκειται για το δεύτερο βιβλίο της σειράς και αυτή τη φορά είναι μια γυναίκα Βίκινγκ που πρωταγωνιστεί. Η περιγραφή της είναι ακριβώς αυτή που θα περίμενε κανείς για κάποιον που ανήκει σε αυτό το λαό. Αν έχεις διαβάσει και το πρώτο βιβλίο της σειράς, θα δεις πολλές ομοιότητες ανάμεσα στην ηρωίδα και στους γονείς της. Είναι ένας συνδυασμός που της ταιριάζει πολύ αλλά και που οδηγεί σε ένα τελείως διαφορετικό χαρακτήρα. Μου άρεσε πολύ ο τρόπος που αντιμετώπισε τα συναισθήματά της και αγωνίστηκε για αυτά που ήθελε.
Ο ήρωας από την άλλη ήταν απλά απολαυστικός. Όσο κι αν δεν ήθελε να το παραδεχτεί, ερωτευόταν την αιχμάλωτή του μέρα με τη μέρα, λεπτό το λεπτό και μισούσε τον εαυτό του που της στερούσε την ελευθερία της. Από την άλλη όμως φαινόταν να σέβεται παράλληλα το γεγονός πως ήταν μια γυναίκα της φυλής της και πως αν ήθελε θα μπορούσε να φέρει τα πάνω κάτω στον πύργο του!
Με αυτά και με εκείνα, πρόκειται για μια πολύ ωραία ιστορία αγάπης. Δεν μένει παρά μόνο να διαβάσουμε το τρίτο και τελευταίο βιβλίο της τριλογίας, “Αιχμάλωτη του Βορά” που κυκλοφορεί τέλος του μήνα από τις Εκδόσεις Elxis. -
My favorite Viking romance, Hearts Aflame has two of the most hard-headed Heroes and heroines since… well since the heroine’s parents' story.
Kristen Haardred the beloved daughter of a Viking lord and a fierce celtic mother, knew she would marry for nothing less than true love. Almost forced into marriage by a determined suitor and facing an arranged marriage, she sneaks onto her brother’s ship headed east for trade. Only they weren’t’ headed for trade- they were going-a-viking.
Unfortunately rather than gold and glory on the voyage, they encounter an unexpected force- and one that quickly routes them.
Now, a prisoner and her beloved brother thought dead at the Saxons' hands, she burns for revenge.
Lord Royce Wynhurst has hated the Vikings from the sea these last five years, having lost his father and brother and his wife raped in front of his eyes before her throat was slit during a brutal raid. He hated the Danes but he was not cruel and so when he discovers a woman cleverly hidden amongst the prisoners, he brings her into his home.
And so the battle of wills begins. Helpless attraction builds, but stubborn pride just about destroys them both.
Until Kristen’s family comes to the rescue. Finally free to go home, Kristen realizes she’s captured by something far more binding- true love.
I have read and re-read this romance novel for years and every time, I’m sucked in as soon as Royce and Kristen meet. Their chemistry leaps off the pages and though they fight it, passionate love is their only conclusion- well, that or killing each other. Plus, there’s no big bad in this one except their unwanted desire for each other. Love that. Kristen is truly strong, in body and spirit- made strong by the knowledge that she is truly loved by her family. Royce is her match in every way and Lindsey is faithful to the characters through the entire story. Love that too.
Heart this book so much. -
I was on the Smart Bitches, Trashy Books website a few days ago reading the Johanna Lindsay discussion. Many waxed sweetly about this book Hearts Aflame--how it was both rape-y and feminist all at the same time. It's hard to think of a smutty romances as *that* paradoxical but the 80s were the golden age of bodice rippers when tempestuous and fiery women could only be subdued by alpha males with giant members and big muscles. That's just how it was. It would get, well...rape-y.
Anywho, imagine my surprise when browsing through a used bookstore yesterday, I stumbled upon the very book under discussion. Two whole dollars and three hours later and it was exactly as described. But I miss that, yanno? All these marriagable misses and the "ton" are boring. It's equally boring when the author tries to "modernize" the heroine--equalize her as some sort of blue-stocking, private business titan or what have you and the action never gets any farther than "the country estate.". I miss the days when the women would go a-Viking on a whim and end up with a grand adventure that covered continents with their irascible and irresistible hero who really does love her but he doesn't know it so he has to have rape-y sex with her.
Oh, and the absolute *best* part? The picture of Johanna Lindsey inside the back cover with a femi-mullet. Feathered bangs and long scraggly blond hair. I bet if they took the whole pic, she'd have been wearing Jordache jeans and Vans just like I did in the early 80s. A feathered roach clip in her hair would have made it picture perfect. -
Buddy read complete. Thank you Ally Georgie for reading this with me! I was not sure what to expect from this book and it was nice to have someone along for the ride.
Now, I know a 3 star review implies that this was a so-so read, but in this case it is serving as an average of my 5-star feelings and my 1-star feelings. I think this may be one of the oldest romances I have ever read. In fact, it is just a tiny bit older than me! It is shocking how much has changed in the romance genre in the past 30 years.
Aside from Josie Litton's Viking series, this is the only other Viking book that I can recall reading. And boy does Lindsey capture the barbaric nature of the society early. The book opens with our heroine being pursued by a man who has no qualms about attempting to rape her. Lindsey reveals to us the strength of our heroine, Kristen, early on, and because of Kristen, I was able to read this book in its entirety and enjoy many parts of it.
In the hopes of avoiding the obsessed suitor and in her quest to find a husband of her own choosing, Kristen sneaks upon her brother's ship to see more of the world. At the time, she is unaware that her brother is going on a raid instead of going to merchant ports for trading, as he told his parents. Of course, their raid is a failure and many of the crew along with Kristen, are captured as slaves for the Saxon ruler, Royce. While Kristen is disguised as a boy by the crew to protect her, this deception does not last long. As a result, Kristen is dragged into the hall and chained up to work with the women, while the men are used outside to build a defense wall.
In this tale, the Vikings, including Kristen, tower over the Saxon people. The only Saxon man of a size with the Vikings is Royce himself. Even Kristen is enormous for this time period. She is near six feet tall and voluptuous. Her physical as well as mental strength which she uses to survive her captivity as well as defend herself from unwanted advances made her a heroine I could admire and root for.
Most of the story takes place in Royce's hall where Kristen serves as a chained up slave and Royce is ruler. There is a gradual building of trust (very tenuous) and Royce and Kristen soon become involved sexually. Thus far, I have been greatly enjoying the adventure and unusual setting of this book. However, at this point, as many readers have pointed out, the lines become blurred about what constitutes consensual sex. I just could not enjoy the sex scenes in this book. Even though we know Kristen's mind, Royce does not. Kristen resists at every opportunity and Royce is determined to have her, regardless of whether she fights him. This is NEVER okay. I know it is realistic for the time; Kristen is a slave from a raid and has no rights under Royce. However, the fact that so may pages are dedicated to their physical relationship and it even has a sort of "glamour" to it is what is wrong. Kristen had decided that Royce was the one she wanted and was all right with their sexual relationship, but that is beside the point. She is never vocal about her consent, and if she had been truly resistant, Royce would have taken her anyway, and this is why he could never be a true "hero." This is the 1-star aspect of this book. I read some very insightful reviews from readers who had read this book when it first came out, describing that during this time in the 80's, women enjoying and pursuing sex was frowned upon outside of marriage and Kristen resisting was a reflection of that societal expectation. This was eye opening for me as I am of a younger generation. For me, when I look at this book, all I see is that the sexual relationship is clearly rape. I am glad I read this because it was a learning experience for me and reminded me how lucky I am to be in a generation where women are fighting against this treatment and that we need to continue to do so.
Now, if Kristen had not been such a strong character, I probably would not have been able to finish this book. However, despite the rape, there is also a clear feminist message in this book. Kristen has learned how to use weapons and is not afraid to speak her mind or defend herself. She is logical, strong, and immensely brave, and is truly the 5 star aspect of this book. Here are a few quotes that capture how awesome Kristen truly is.
First, her behavior is always a surprise and she does not conform to expectation. She knows her own mind, is comfortable in her own skin, and does not care if people think she is odd. At first, this causes friction in the book, but even Royce comes to respect her for her spirit:They had both watched Kristen behaving most bizarrely. "What can I say? She ceases to surprise me with the strange things she does. Nay, she still surprises me, but I am more used to it now."
In addition, Kristen has physical and mental strength. She never cowers, cries, or bows down under the pressure of her situation. In fact, she protects herself. She wards off unwanted advances, she does not rely on any man and rescues herself, and she embraces her ability to defend herself. Despite this, I never once saw her as "manly." I viewed her as a woman of strength in mind and body and respected her for her ability to embrace her femininity without bowing under the expectations of her gender. Here is a situation where her aplomb and strength intimidate a bully:He leaped at her, slapping her hard. Her face turned; her body did not budge. This gave Eldred a momentary surprise. He was used to women falling down from his powerful blows, and cowering in fear. But this women was of a size with him. And she did not cower. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, but her eyes flashed fury as she looked back at him. Eldred stepped back, somewhat unnerved.
And finally, Kristen never truly accepts her lot in life. She continues to be who she is and refuses to change for anyone. Maybe this isn't realistic for the time period when this book takes place, but I think it is a strong take away message for women reading this book. Kristen is a warrior. She does not embody the Saxon definition of beauty, she is thrown into a situation of which there is little hope, and yet, she remains proud of who she is, knows her own mind, and always continues to fight. At the end of the book, even Royce sees just how strong she really is:She had simply shed the mantle of slavery as easily as she had worn it, making him realize that she had never really worn it at all.
This is why I could not give this book a 1-star rating. The strength of Kristen as a heroine is too strong for this book to be a 1-star read. She is a 5 star heroine and a reminder to be yourself and take pride in being a woman, regardless of your physical appearance, situation in life, or your race.
It took me a few days to fully comprehend what I felt about this book. Even though it is a "romance", Royce took a backseat. It really wasn't about him at all. This was a book about how Kristen remained true to herself and went after what she wanted; even if I do not agree with her choice, I will always respect her. She is one of my favorite heroines I have read about and it was worth wading through the terrible sex scenes in order to know her.
This book centers around a captor/captive situation, with chains, coerced sex, and lack of respect. It is not glamorous or romantic. It is a classic old school romance novel that captures the societal expectation of the 80's-a blend of repressed, sexual rights for women, with a message of feminism despite this expectation. It was a journey that caused me to really think about my feelings about being a woman and to truly be thankful for how much progress we have made, while still knowing that there is more to fight for.
1 star for the rape and the terrible hero; 5 stars for the strong heroine and the book's ability to really make me think; 3 stars on the whole. -
2.5 Stars
Ugh, remind me not to pick up another Johanna Lindsey book. They're so popular but never satisfying for me. Ughhh, I just really want to read a good romance novel and get a 5 star read, how hard can it be?
I picked this up because I wanted to read another Viking romance novel after "Fires of Winter" (Book 1 in this series) but there aren't too many Viking romances, so I just to had to be content with reading Book 2. Plenty of my GR friends rated this 5 stars so I had high expectations too.
The story started interesting enough, with Kristen, daughter of Garrick and Brenna from Book 1, resisting a rape attempt in a lake she was bathing in. Her brother is taking some men to go trading, and because Kristen loves adventure and wants to find a husband but isn't interested in anyone where they live, she sneaks aboard the brother's ship. Well, it turns out the brother lied to his family and was really planning on going Viking, or raiding. Instead, they're ambushed and captured by Royce Wyndhurst, a powerful noble close to King Alfred of Wessex. Once Kristen is revealed to be not a boy but a woman, she's taken inside Royce's hall to be a slave but ends up willingly warming his bed as they give into the fierce attraction between them.
There might have been one rape scene, I was confused if he raped her or not, because though they had already consensually had sex, Kristen started refusing him because she didn't want to be put in chains afterward. I found the middle to be a little boring too and was contemplating DNF-ing but didn't because I don't like not finishing books.
I liked Kristen a lot, she was a great, badass, prideful, and strong heroine. Royce was good too and they definitely met their match in each other.
I found the ending where the parents show up to be random and just weird. It seemed like Johanna Lindsey just wanted a reunion scene with the characters from Book 1. Also,
Other-woman (barely): Royce's betrothed but he was never really into her and found sex with her to be boring ("as passionless as dead meat"--loved that)
If this was the first romance novel I had read, I would have probably really liked it, but I've read over 1,000 adult romances and I really just don't understand the hype with this book (some say is the best JL book) and Johanna Lindsey as an author. I really feel like she's overrated. I feel a little badly speaking not highly of the dead, but I feel like I'm missing something here. Maybe because it was the 80s there was just a lot fewer romance novels around so her books were a novelty and there weren't many better ones to compare to?? -
I read this book long, long ago and then downloaded it again for my Kindle. I'd forgotten every bit of the story in the years in between, but I still loved it when I read it again. In some ways it's old school romance, in others (especially the sensuality level) I think Ms. Lindsey was ahead of her time (as she was in writing futuristic romance!). She was a treasured author for me for a long time and now I remember why. :)
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4.5 Stars
“You are my heartmate, Royce. Begin to accept it. You will eventually.”
A steamy romance about a fierce Norsewoman falling for her rugged Saxon captor.
SUMMARY
Kristen Haardrad is a sword-wielding beauty, but none of the men from her clan light the flame within her heart. Determined to marry for love, Kristen stows away on her brother's ship as he sails for a trading port. However, her plan takes a turn when she finds out her brother is actually going Viking. Kristen's situation get even worse when her brother and his men are defeated and captured by the Saxons. Now a slave to the Thane of Wyndhurst, Kristen finds herself falling for her captor. But he is determined to never fall for her.
REVIEW
I have gone back and forth on what to rate this book and decided on 4.5 stars. The reason for the deduction is the dubious consent that occurs during a few sex scenes. Our male love interest, Royce, forcefully penetrates Kristine on two occasions without her prior consent … But she wanted him to feel like he was taking control and that she didn't want it, even though she did want to have sex with him. It is a tough situation since Kristine does consent in her mind, but it ultimately made me a bit uncomfortable while reading it and so I deducted the half star.
Otherwise, I adored this novel! This is my first Johanna Lindsey novel and also my first captor romance.
I loved our heroine Kristine. She was everything I wanted and more, from her take-no-shit attitude to her to her fierce love. She is torn between her feelings for Royce and the freedom of her fellow captured Vikings. I loved seeing a heroine who spoke her mind, was confident in her beauty, could kick ass, and was assertive in her feelings. She knew she loved Royce but still fought back against him when he wasn't treating her with the same respect. I admired that. I do wish we got to see a little more of Kristine's sword skills, because the few scenes we got were really cool. This truly felt like Kristine's story and that Royce was the secondary character, which I loved (too often the male love interest dominates the plot).
Royce was an interesting fellow to follow. His fiancee and family were killed a few years back in a Viking raid, leading to his instant hatred of Kristine and her brethren. I was a bit turned off by his whole "I will have you if I want you" attitude and the kind of "rapey" nature he had. I thought it was hilarious when he was offended by Kristine's blatant flirtations at the beginning of the novel and enjoyed watching him fall in love with her. He is a complex character despite his brutish nature and his love for Kristine was genuine.
I also thought the bond Kristine formed with Meghan was really sweet, and I always smiled when they had scenes together. Every character in the book was unique and had a concrete personality. The friendships and relationships they shared were tangible. Especially that between Kristine and her fellow Vikings!
The ending did feel a tad rushed, but I enjoyed the way it played out. I was constantly wondering how the "captive" part would pan out for Kristine and the others. Would they escape? Would her family come for them? Would Royce set them free? There was never a lull in the storyline, and I was constantly hooked.
I think that, at the end of the day, we need to remember that this book was written in eighties and is set during a time when women were seen as demure objects. Knowing this, it is easier to overlook misogynist comments and actions from characters and fall into the world. Overall, I will for sure be reading the other two books in this series and cannot wait to try more from Johanna Lindsey. -
Това мога да го препрочитам до безкрай в мрачни зимни дни и всеки път ме развеселява.
Една снажна и невъзмутима норвежка мома, попаднала по невнимание на кораб на викингски рейд из англосаксонските брегове опердашва наред разни невнимателни саксонци (и без това повечето са по-ниски от нея!) от времето на крал Алфред. Рейдът, уви, се оказва пълен провал, и разлютените викинги (които са още съвсем новаци в занаята и объркват координатите на плячката) набързо се озовават овързани като пилета в двора на местния саксонски лорд. Той на свой ред без да му мисли твърде заповядва да ги изколят до крак.
Това, естествено, не се случва. Това, което се случва е крайно забавна романтика, в която девойката бие наред с брутална откровеност и несекващ ведър оптимизъм и нито веднъж не се тръшка за глупости. Лордът малко по малко така захапва кукичката, че дори зареден арбалет на разярен викингски родител в тъмна нощ в края на книгата не успява да го усмири.
Има много хумор в историята, доста романтична драма и нито веднъж не се появява омразния ми мотив за “голямото недоразумение”. Такова просто липсва. Героите са рационални, схватливи, откровени и са деца на епохата. Няма нито едно мрънкане или тръшкане. Псевдофеминистките от американски градски тип могат само да гледат завистливо как всъщност се правят нещата. Много любимо. -
Hearts Aflame by Johanna Lindsey • Book 2 in the Viking Haardrad Family series
Spice: 🌶 This was published in 1989, ok? So its mostly missionary and some fade to black, but still hot and sweet in its own way.
OMG/Taboo: Lol no
Sad: No
Love: The captive falls for her captor, and the captor is captivated by her in return. The angst *chefs kiss*
This book was probably one of the ones my 8th grade history teacher confiscated from me during class 😈
Suffocated by domineering Viking men in her family, Kristen is desperate for adventure before she is married off. Especially now that men are noticing the striking, bold woman she’s become. Her mother, once a captive in the Haadrad family home who brought Kristen’s father to his knees, has taught her daughter all about weapons, fighting, and being a badass who knows what true love looks like. So when the time comes for Kristen’s brother to go on a trading trip, what’s a girl to do but stow away so she can tag along?
Once she’s found, she learns that they’re not going trading at all—they’re going Viking. Time to pillage and plunder some Saxons! The Gods don’t favor them though, because Saxons find and capture them. When Lord Royce rides in to see his prisoners, Kristen knows what’s up immediately. That’s her man and makes no bones about telling him so. He is grumpy, bossy, thinks she’s a massive pain in his ass, and is so thirsty for her you almost feel bad for the guy.
What follows is a dance between them of Kristen being his slave, literally chained, and never willing to acknowledge it, while he’s the Lord, absolutely shackled by how much he cares about her but doesn’t trust her not to escape. It doesn’t help that she routinely beats the shit out of any Saxon men who fuss with her. Truly some of the best moments. This includes Royce—if a man ever wanted a challenge, he’s got one for her mind, body, and soul. But how long can Kristen’s love and spirit survive being a slave he cares for rather than a free woman he loves?
It’s a different kind of romance novel than we see nowadays but I love the imagery, story, humor and side characters. I especially love these lunatics together. -
Because even though I'm torn with my opinion on
Fires of Winter, I am not yet ready to leave the Haardrads. Despite my misgivings, I adored that cozy Viking family. Then I ended up absolutely loving everything about this book! I couldn't tear myself away!
Kristen is Garrick and Brenna Haardrad's only daughter. She longs for a marriage of love and passion like her parents'. She knows that she won't find it at home. So when her brother Selig is set to sail, she stows away on the ship but when they landed, they find themselves in a predicament, to put it mildly.
She finds herself and their comrades at the mercy of Saxons.
Royce Melborn of Wyndhurst hates Vikings. He doesn't understand why he would be attracted to a "Viking whore", but he was nonetheless, taken with Kristen; all that blonde elegance, not-so-feminine stature, fiery personality and spirit.
Royce is a delicious Alpha Hero and perfect for Kristen in every way. I liked Kristen more than her mother, Brenna, mainly because though they are very much alike in many aspects of their personalities, Kristen is considerably much more mature when she was dealing with Royce than Brenna was with Garrick. Although I think she a bit more handful than Brenna! But it was very amusing to read!
I love love love this book and would most likely reread it in the years to come! I wish there was an epilogue. I feel like the ending was a bit abrupt like in most of her books but then I'm pretty sure that we will see more of them in the last book,
Surrender My Love. -
Superb Viking-Saxon Romance!
This is one of my all time favorite Viking romances. It is the 2nd in a trilogy, stories of a Viking family (FIRES OF WINTER, HEARTS AFLAME and SURRENDER MY LOVE), but it can be enjoyed as a stand-alone. It is quite wonderful--an engaging story and well-told. In a bit of a twist, it’s a Saxon lord capturing a Viking maiden.
Set in the late 9th century when Vikings sailed south to England, Scotland and Ireland to raid, it tells the story of Kristen Haardrad, the independent, strong-willed and much loved daughter of a wealthy Viking merchant (whose story is told in FIRES OF WINTER). Having spurned her many suitors because she can find no spark of love with any of them, she stows away on her brother's ship believing he is headed to the southern coastal towns for trade where she hopes to find a husband. But her brother is not sailing to trade, but rather to raid. And he is not pleased when he discovers his sister is aboard his ship. Still, he proceeds with his plans. It all goes awry when Kristen is captured and made the slave of the Saxon lord, Royce of Wyndhurst, a favored knight of King Alfred.
Royce is a tough but fair leader who is betrothed to a manipulating female he doesn't really want. He fights his attraction to his beautiful Viking slave, but Kristen, who has finally met a man who stirs her passion, has decided he is her "heartmate" and will have no other. Kristen is proud and determined to win his heart and not just his body.
Lindsey keeps you intrigued with rich characters, snappy (and sometimes funny) dialog, great action scenes and wonderfully believable tension between Kristen and Royce. I loved this story and will certainly re-read it. It's the best of the trilogy (in my opinion) and definitely a keeper! -
Follow up to "Fires of Winter"
Kristen Haardrad smuggled herself in her brother Selig's ship bound to go on a trading voyage. But once aboard she finds out they are going "Viking", meaning they are going raiding. The plan is to raid a saxon church but it goes wrong and they are captured. Because of her height and boys clothes Kristen passes herself off as a boy but Royce of Wyndhurst soon realises she is female and puts her working in his hall. He makes her wears chains and fights his attraction for her as she realises that he is the man for her.
Now the battle of wills between these two begins and the sexual tension is sizzling. Kristen does not hide her attraction to Royce as she is no shy miss. This is a good sequel and I enjoyed it as much as Fire of Winter. Looking forward to Selig's story next. A great series from JL -
4.5 stars. Kristen and Garrick . Old school. Kristen is Garrick's Viking slave for most of the story with chains on so she will not be able to escape. Their chemistry is great. This is the 2nd book int the Haardrad Viking Family Series. Her mom is the heroine in series one. Her brother is the hero in book three.
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I love this book so much😍
This kind of h i loved the most!
I wish the H was more Cruel 😂 -
3,5 αστέρια
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I remember sneaking this book off my mom's shelf when I was fourteen and reading it. Probably not the best reading material for a young teenager, but nevertheless I fell head over heels in love with Kristen and Royce and have read Hearts Aflame a dozen times over since then. It is, in my opinion, the best book I have ever read by Lindsey (and I have read nearly all of them). There was action, adventure, love, betrayal, and a tough as nails female heroine, something I had never encountered before (and have rarely seen since) in historical romance.
If I could give this book a hundred, nay, a thousand stars I would! -
My favorite book in this series of 3 books. I have read numerous times and each time I never skip a sentence. I TREASURE this book. It is so good, so well written and I just love their story. I will read again, and again. I have paperback and e-book... In fact, it was 1 of the first books I purchased when I got my first Kindle.
12/24/14 - I read again for the 4th or 5th time and it was just as awesome as all the other times. I love this book
