Customer Reviews

Hot & Heavy

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I had some problems with this book:
1. The whole marriage thing was pretty far fetched.
2. Maddie should think about breast reduction surgery since we heard about the size of her breasts constantly.
3. She was a shrew; she was always shrieking about something & never shut up. I'm surprised Ian didn't wear ear plugs around her.
4. This is the same problem I have with many books. The male and female leads have an area of expertise due to career, training, etc. Yet one of the leads, usually the female, refuses to let that person call the shots, even though in that particular area, THEY KNOW MORE. EX: Maddie knows squat about the 21st century, has no clue about covert ops. Yet every time Ian tells her to do/not do something that he knows will be dangerous she pouts, is insulted, says it's because she's a woman and if at all possible does it anyway. Completely irresponsible, particularly as her acts can put people in a lot of danger. If she were a photographer & told Ian not to open the darkroom door she'd expect him to adhere to what she says because SHE KNOWS more about it.

I would have given it a three but I enjoyed the follow up on the earlier stories in the series and I like Sandra Hill's writing style.

Over the past few years, Madrene's Viking family has steadily been vanishing; logical probability indicates that they are dead. Despite Madrene's valor, she finds her lands overtaken by invaders and herself sold into harem after harem as a slave. However, since she tends to have an unfortunate effect on her owners' ability to make use of her as a harem girl, she never stays anywhere long. Then, out of the blue, she finds herself free, and a thousand years in the future. Madrene does not know what has happened or what to make of this new world. When she is found by a group of Navy SEALS, they at first think she's a terrorist, but soon become otherwise persuaded. A marriage of convenience, or possibly inconvenience, is the only way to get her legally into the States, and Ian MacLean is chosen as the groom. He is sure that they'll be able to annul it after she's safely established as a citizen, but he hadn't counted on attraction bringing them into a real marriage. The only problem is, Ian is convinced he's married to a lunatic who might be a terrorist, [prostitute], or burglar, albeit a pretty one. There is no way she could be so innocent of all modern things, yet she is. None of it makes a bit of sense. The only thing either is sure of is that they are falling for each other, and it can't possibly work.

**** Granted, this book is replete with places nitpickers can dismantle gleefully, such as how could a woman from the distant past, from the Viking lands, speak English? However, fans of Ms. Hill's broad humor will be pleased as she adheres to all her trademark mechanisms to create a story with zip and a heartwarming end. ****

I was crazy about her fun viking series:The Reluctant Viking, The Tarnished Lady, just to name a few, but extremely disappointed with her too corny, far fetched books in:Bewitched,Truly Madly Viking, Love Potion. I missed Sandra so I took a chance on Hot and Heavy and wasn't disappointed in the least. This is a great book to bring to the beach...I read it in 3 days.

Navy SEAL Lieutenant Ian MacLean leads his commando team on Operation Rodent; the objective is to eliminate terrorist leader Jamal ben Hassan in Northern Iraq. The SEALS safely land near their target with Ian entering an empty cave to use as the rendezvous point.

In 1013 Madrene Olgadotter is paraded naked and in chains by Steinolf the Vicious who has taken over her home Norstead. When she continues to display a vitriolic tongue, he sells her to a harem. Over the next three years she is sold nine times, but no one touches her as she curses her owners with a shriveled jewel. She escapes her last captivity in Northern Iraq and hides in a cave.

Madrene surprises Ian and hits him with a rock. She binds him, but he easily escapes. He believes the sharp tongued beauty is Jamal's girlfriend while she thinks he is a caliph's slave. As they become acquainted during the dangerous mission, they fall in love, but neither is sure how much time she has although she will soon find her parents and siblings living comfortably in twenty-first century California.

The latest Viking time travel-SEAL romance is a fun tale starring two protagonists who belong together even if their birth dates are over a millennium apart. Madrene is terrific as she curses males with a shriveling ease until she meets Ian who thinks she is crazy but seems to enchanted by her with an opposite spell that leaves him in a permanent state of hardness due. Readers will enjoy Sandra Hill's latest romantic thriller starring this time a female Viking warrior and the SEAL she tames.

Harriet Klausner

Anyone who has read a Sandra Hill book will know what to expect from this one. Anyone who has not read a Sandra Hill book needs to read this one. For humor with a hot romance and a tongue in cheek attitude nobody does it better than Hill.

Ian MacLean is a Navy SEAL, while on a mission to Iraq his team literally picks up a woman, who is thought to be the lover of a terrorist. This straight arrow, upstanding, by the book soldier is dumbfounded, confused and just plain maddened by the gorgeous female who simply wants to raise an army and lead them to recover her fortress which was taken over by a slimy underhanded Viking. Did I mention that was in 1013 A.D.?

Madrene Olgadottir has just escaped from 2 years of captivity in assorted harems. Having used a mystic spell she developed to save her self from being ravished. Now when she has escaped her latest owner and aquired a few of his jewels, all she needs is an army. An army like the one that has captured her. Madrene is known in the Viking world as a "shrew" of which she is proud. Never one to let one word do when 20 sound so much better and relieve so much more stress, she does not find this new world of magic very hospitable.

Getting to Bagdad tells her this is not where she wants to be. The only way to get her to the US is for someone (Ian) to marry her and get an annulment when they find out what she knows about the terrorist. As she knows nothing about this new world, she becomes very frustrated. OF course, Ian has some frustrations of his own. Not the least is how attracted he is to Maddie.

The relationship, steadily encouraged by Ian's SEAL team, is on a train headed for disaster. When the terrorists finally come to get Maddie, Ian finally settles his feelings for the shrewish wench. Is there such a thing as being too honest? Have a good time, read this book.

Hot & Heavy by Sandra Hill has been by far the best book I have read this summer. I love Ms. Hill's books because there is such a great mixture of romance, comedy, and just a hint of danger. I have read all of Ms. Hill's viking stories and this one is has to be my favorite.

This is a GREAT Sandra Hill story which includes Navy SEALS, Vikings, time-travel, with a Cajun thrown in, plus action, plenty of humor, emotions and loads of typical Sandra Hill asides. She managed to include it all. I LOVED it, my husband chuckled his way through the book and now I am going to loan it to my girlfriend who I also got hooked on anything with Sandra Hill's name on it. I highly recommend this book to all and the same goes for all her books.

What the heck do you expect from Sandra Hill - anything less than excellence?

As usual, an awesome Viking/Navy Seal adventure just waiting for you to buy it, take it home and treat it right - read it!! But pay attention: this is a fantasy so don't expect reality; suspend belief (such as "there is no such thing as time travel") and just ENJOY the book. If you don't like fantasy, don't buy then review the book in a negative; that's not fair. Warning: sex scenes are R but story line is hysterical and wonderful!

I really love Sandra Hill's writting style, and this book is no exception to what I expect when I read one of her stories. I laughed so hard, and found the steamy scenes very steamy. I loved it. As always, she also writes her characters with a lot of heart, passion and depth. I have not read the previous books in this viking series, but it really didn't matter. They can be read out of order. (I also recommend her Cajun series for some funny stories of hot alpha males. They are delicious stories. Yum!)

I know some reviews comment about some aspects of the story is hard to believe or may be too far fetched, but then what do you expect when you read fiction comedy that includes a time traveling viking warrior lady who spent the last 2 years in 9 different harems? When reading Sandra Hill, you need to suspend your belief of reality and just let the story take you for a fun ride.

This is my first Sandra Hill. I am pleasantly surprised. the humor was good and realistic. sure a little far-fetched but very enjoyable. I am calling borders now to order the rest.