Customer Reviews

The Tarnished Lady (Leisure Historical Romance)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Well I had missed this book but I'm sure glad I found it. This is the 3rd book in the series of Viking tales by Sandra Hill and I have loved all of them. Sandra puts humor, passion, excitment, conflicts and tenderness in all her books. This one made me feel happy at the end and excited about other books in the series.

This is Eirik's story. He is the Saxon-Viking son of Thork, from the 1st book. He has returned to Ravenshire to find himself propositioned by and ugly old hag. She wants to marry him in order to protect her young son from his true father. Who happens to be Eirik's enemy. The old hag is no hag though. She is the beautiful, young, Lady Eadyth. She hides her beauty for fear of men making advances on her and hurting her the way her son's father did. She decieves Eirik, who has bad eyesight, into thinking that she is not a pretty young woman, only a desperate old hag who needs his protection for her son.

These two go round and round. Both are strong willed and stubborn. They clash several times before the truth is found out. When it is the passions they both feel combine to make them both breathless. The love scenes are tender, exciting and passionate.

But trouble is brewing and soon their new found happiness will be shattered by their enemy, Steven. Together they must defeat him so that they can have a happy peaceful life.

The secondary characters of Tyrik, Eirik's brother and the children are wonderful. They bring to story a real sense of family.

I hope Sandra Hill continues to write more books in this series because its a wonderful world she has created and I enjoy escaping to it whenever I can.

Sandra Hill does it again. She delivers a passionate, enthralling novel laced with her usual dose of good humor. She also brings a fresh new twist to the marriage of convenience plot device. Lady Eadyth is a headstrong, independent lady we can all relate to. She runs her own business making candles and holds her head high despite condemnation from society about her child born out of wedlock.

Like all of Hill's heroes, Eirik of Ravenshire is virile and handsome, but he has a few flaws that make him very endearing to the reader. His nearsightedness, combined with Eadyth's ruse of being an ugly, old crone--so she can avoid the usual marital duties--creates a hilarious situation. Eadyths bees are good for even more laughs. The dialogue crackles with energy and wit as do Eadyth's inner thoughts.

This book is also very sensual, and the lovemaking seemed more real to me than any book I've ever read. It was as if I was there living it.

Sherri Neilson

I cannot think about Sandra's books without having a smile on my face. And when I read them, which I have done loads of times I am in stitches. Eirik and Eadyth are another of Sandra's perfectly matched couples. They will have in tears of laughter with their antics. Especially when you read about Eirik standing on his head.

Thank you Sandra for giving us another marvelous story in your Viking series. I love them all.

Lady Eadyth proposes marriage to Eirik of Ravenshire and the ride never ends. This book is the most. I could not wait to get back to find out what would happen next. Extremely funny in parts so much so that you laugh out loud and your husband will wonder what your reading. Edge of your seat page turner. The physical and emotional and sexual attraction once they recognize it is extremely powerful. She is a strong woman used to running her own life and hates having to depend on a man to protect her son from evil. Eirik plays an equally strong man who underestimates the power of love. Surprise ending too. Definitely a keeper.

I just love Sandra Hill's series of Viking Romance novels. But this is my absolute favorite one. She is able to bring the characters to life and she is just an absolute master at creating and building up the suspense toward the passion. I have fallen in love with her work and can't wait for more to come out.

Third in Sandra Hill's Viking Series, this novel was very well written with all of the elements of a romantic escape. Sandra Hill is such a prolific writer that at times I find some of her novels too quickly developed, but that is not the case with this book. With carefully constructed details about the romantic leads, revealed through each character's intimate thoughts, I felt as if these two people truly connected before pronouncing their undying love for each other. Both characters are flawed, Erik with his poor eyesight and Eadyth with her "tarnished" past, which makes them even more acessible and likeable.

In Sandra Hill's Viking Series I give two novels a five star rating, The Bewitched Viking and the Outlaw Viking. The Bewitched Viking deserves a top rating based on the clever repartee between Tykir and Alinor. Not to mention, Tyker was a very enticing male character. While, The Outlaw Viking, thus far, has proven to be the sexiest of the series thanks to the masculine appeal of Selik. I rated The Tarnished Lady four stars due to the strained sexual tension between Erik and Eadyth in the beginning of the story. Because of the circumstances of their marital arrangement not much sexual chemistry ensues for a large portion of the book, but I think you will find their eventual discovery of each other quite passionate.

At one time Lady Eadyth was known as the Silver Jewel of Northumbria. That was before she had an illegitimate child in 946 AD that led to her being dubbed as the Tarnished Jewel. Eadyth needs a husband to protect her and her offspring from a nasty brute who plans to gain custody of her son.

Needing a bodacious plan, Eadyth marches into Ravenshire Castle to persuade that barbaric "loathsome lout" Lord to marry her. He is aghast by her hag looks and her sassy mouth. However, instead of rejecting his guest's strange proposal, he becomes interested when he learns who sired her son. Eirik plans to use Eadyth as a pawn to get to his adversary who is also her son's father. He will be further stunned when he learns what she really looks like but trouble is fomented by their common enemy and leaves them in peril.

This is a reprint of a 1990s award winning tenth century Viking romance starring two battling Vikings in love and a common vile enemy. The story line is fast-paced with a humorous Sandra Hill trademark romance although the adversary is stereotyped detracting from their jocular gender war.

Harriet Klausner

I love historical romance, though sometimes the stories tend to be similar. Sandra Hill's Viking series is great and DIFFERENT.

This was a silly plot with unlikable characters. I mean, would it not be miserable walking around all day with "smelly" grease in your hair, while "crackly" as you speak and "stooping" as you walk as the heroine does in orders to hide her "beauty". Also, the heroine has a son and the hero has two daughters, who never receive any attention or affection from either parents. This is a very uncomfortable read. Don't waist your money. I cannot understand why it has 4 stars

I have read 8 books of Sandra Hill's and loved all of them until this one. It lacked interesting characters and kept repeating events over and over. The main characters got very boring and there were not any new adventurs to take them on. Maybe if they went into a time travel adventure they would have been more interesting. I was bored and didn't like this book. I will finish the other books in the series hoping they will be as good as the first ones in the series. I do love the Viking series and the time travel series. Everyone has a bad day now and then.Lets hope this was the only one.