Across The North Sea: A Viking Romance
When the Frankish sisters Ishild and Odilia are stolen away to the North by savage Norsemen, they must each adapt to survive in such a brutish, unforgiving land, so far from home.
Odilia's Story:
After the attack on her home, Frankish noblewoman Odilia is taken hostage by a Viking warrior with unknown motivations. She has never seen a Viking before, let alone one from the African continent; with his umber-colored skin and black, textured locs, he stands apart from the other Northerners- in more ways than just appearance.
When Odilia is saved from becoming the concubine of another Norseman, and dangerous forces require her to hunker down in hiding at Svendsholm, the dark Viking swears his fealty to her. However, having suffered the tragedy of losing his family once before, Torsten has no desire to ever marry; as Odilia withers from the weight of her increasingly unrequited love for her savior, she wonders if she can possibly show Torsten that taking a chance on love- even at the risk of a lifetime of hardship- is worth everything.
Ishild's Story:
During her attempt to flee from the raid on her home, the eldest daughter of Adalbehrt of the Franks stumbles across a wounded Norseman; against her better judgement, Ishild saves his life- a mistake that leads to her ultimate capture and subsequent imprisonment in the North.
She soon becomes the promised bride of the chieftain, forcing her to remain locked away and isolated from the rest of the village. Having been married once before, to a monster of a man, Ishild would rather die than become a bride again.
That is, until a series of odd circumstances lead her to the very same Viking whose life she had saved; willing to repay his debt to his brother's captive, Brandr promises to teach Ishild to fight, so that she may fight her captors and win her freedom. They hold their clandestine meetings beneath the chieftain's own nose, both aware that he could exile them or worse, should they be discovered.
When she learns of Brandr's terrible secret, however, Ishild must choose between her romantic feelings for the dishonorable Viking, or her plan to save herself- before it is too late for either of them.
Reviews for "Across the North Sea""If you love enemies to lovers, villain romance, and forced proximity then you might need to read this one." -Goodreads reviewer "These are not your typical "r*pe and pillage" Vikings, they show a great deal of hesitation, guilt and repentance when it comes to the mistreatment of women. A nice Viking love story for those who might enjoy a Viking romance without full on nonconsensual sex." -Goodreads reviewer "This is my first read by Sofia Hahn but it won't be the last. Loved the language and customs of the Viking world thrown in." -Goodreads reviewer "Absolutely loved this story. It was my first Viking romance and I was consistently engaged the whole time. Well written and can't wait for more by this author." -Booksprout reviewer "Overall the story has made me more interested in the era, and I'll be looking out for future historical romances by Sofia Hahn. I recommend this book to all Viking fans and those seeking historical novels in general." -Goodreads reviewer Author's Notes
*Told in alternating POVs, both sisters' stories are intertwined in a duet throughout the novel; while they are intended to be read straight through and all at once, they can also be read separately by skipping chapters. Ishild's Story is told in the even-numbered chapters, while Odilia's Story has all of the odd-numbered chapters.
**Readers take note: This book contains violence, death, blood, mature scenes, and attempted, on-page assault (including by one of the mains). More or less what you would expect from a Viking/historical romance.
Customer Reviews
ThriftBooks® and the ThriftBooks® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
