The Very Virile Viking [Mass Market Paperback]

Sandra Hill (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2003

Viking in Wonderland

Magnus Ericsson is a simple man. He loves the smell of fresh-turned dirt after springtime plowing. He loves the feel of a soft woman under him in the bed furs. He loves the heft of a good sword in his fighting arm.

But, Holy Thor, what he does not relish is the bothersome brood of children he’s been saddled with. Or the mysterious happenstance that strands him in a strange new land— the kingdom of Holly Wood. Here is a place where the folks think he is an act-whore (whatever that is), and the woman of his dreams—a winemaker of all things—fails to accept that he is her soul mate, a man of exceptional talents, not to mention . . . a very virile viking

--This text refers to an alternate Mass Market Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With its boisterous humor and lovable characters, the newest entry in Hill's time-travel series (following Truly, Madly Viking) will charm the socks off of readers. Magnus Ericsson, a brawny Viking from the 10th century, sets out with nine of his 11 children to find new lands when his longship drifts off course and ends up smack in the middle of a Hollywood set. Mistaken for an "act-whore" auditioning for a Viking film, he snags the producer's attention as well as the interest of gorgeous realtor Angela Abruzzi. Angela agrees to take Magnus and his kids in, with the caveat that her family's Sonoma County vineyard, be the setting for the producer's next flick. Though buff, Magnus is none too swift, and it takes him a while to realize he's time-traveled. Instead, he thinks he's discovered new lands. He and Angela make ideal sparring partners and bedmates: the only problem is that Magnus has taken a vow of celibacy. Despite a daunting number of characters, Hill manages to give each child a unique voice while still keeping the focus on the sexy shenanigans between Magnus and Angela. A subplot involving a nasty neighbor who will do anything to get his hands on the winery is underdeveloped, but, all in all, this is an engaging, hilarious and entirely winsome read.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Magnus Ericsson is one depressed Viking. He's raising ten children by himself, and his surprise eleventh child has been delivered to him without benefit of the mother. So Magnus does what is, in his opinion, the only sane thing for an overly virile man to do. He takes a vow of celibacy, gathers his children, leaves the Norselands, and heads for Vinland. Rose Abruzzi wants lots of great-grandchildren, enough to fill her vineyard estate. Granddaughter Angela, a Hollywood real estate agent, isn't interested in obliging her, but Grandma won't take no for an answer and says a novena every night to make her dream come true. As Magnus sails to Vinland, he has a vision of an old lady praying over her beads, and the next thing he knows, he and his brood are in twentieth-century California, and culture shock has never been funnier. This is the third in a trilogy about the time-traveling Ericsson brothers (The Last Viking, 1998; Truly, Madly Viking, 2000), and Hill, known for her sexy, sassy style, has penned another winner. Shelley Mosley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 372 pages
• Publisher: Leisure Books (March 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0843950641
• ISBN-13: 978-0843950649
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,353,661 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sandra Hill is a graduate of Penn State and worked for more than 10 years as a features writer and education editor for publications in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Writing about serious issues taught her the merits of seeking the lighter side of even the darkest stories. She is the wife of a stockbroker and the mother of four sons. SandraHill.net

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sandra goes scores a bullseye!, March 13, 2003

By 

Deborah MacGillivray "Author," (US & UK) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Very Virile Viking (Mass Market Paperback)

Sandra Hill goes for tongue through cheek with this charming book and scores big! This is her best work yet and a definite keeper!

Magnus Ericsson is a simple farmer. He loves the land, how to make things flourish and multiply...oh, boy does he....a father with 11 kids from 4 wives and six lovers and various one night after too much mead stands! Worse, he has no mother for his herd of kiddies after all the parade of females through his life, because they had died or possibly run for their sanity when faces with his rambunctious kiddos. Magnus has just been presented with a baby about a year old, told it's his, so he is somewhat of a joke in his Viking settlement. Taking his pride - and 9 of his children - he boards a longship and heads out to find Vineland in the new country.

Cut to present day, you meet Angela and her grandmother Rose, trying to save their family Vineyard and Winery. They are all that is left of their family. Angela is divorced, working as a real estate salesman just so she can plough the money into saving Blue Dragon Winery, her grandmother's love. Rose wishes for lot of grandchildren, but see no hope as Angela has divorced "the Creep" the year before and shows no interest in men. What a grandmother to do?? She make a wish on her rosary for a big strong man and lots of grandchild...asap please.

Off on the other side of the country, having found Vineland and left in shame because of the kids antics, Magnus and his brood hit a strange fog that seems to have no end. Suddenly they enter a bright area, so blinding, and find they have landed in Holly and Wood a most strange and adventuresome country.

Naturally, Rose's wish has summoned him to where he and the children are very needed, but will Angela wake up and smell the wine??

It is so charming and utterly witty, the droll humour is absolutely brilliant. Considered Hill had to juggle so many secondary characters with the children, you fear the leads would get lost in the stampede. Not. She gives life to the kids of all ages - makes them adorable without being Stephen Spielberg smaltsy - and yet more than deals with the love interest of the leads, is very sexy fashion.

An Absolutely must for Hill fans. For those who have not discovered this wonderful lover of Vikings that refuse to stay in their own time, you cannot do better that this one for an introduction.

Simply divine!!!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Hoot, in the very best way, April 9, 2003

By 

HeyJudy "heyjudy" (East Hampton, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Very Virile Viking (Mass Market Paperback)

I bought this book because I was so amused by the title; I never had heard before of author Sandra Hill. Please understand that this is not a conventional story. That said, if one can accept time-travel, whimsy and hot (HOT!) sex, then this is a fun read.

(Have you heard the one about the medieval Viking warrior whose ship washes up on a Hollywood movie set? Ba dum bum!) By virtue of everything going on in this plot, VVV truly is distinctive.

Author Hill writes beautifully, but there is so much doing in THE VERY VIRILE VIKING that it is easy to overlook her skill. Her historic detail seems knowledgable and plausible, though I was surprised to learn that medieval Norsemen spoke Middle English. Still, in reading a novel such as this, a reader either accepts the premise and goes along with the fun, or the reader walks (or runs) away from the book.

Sandra Hill displays a keen sense of humor, again easy to overlook in this well-paced tale, as the plot flows along so nicely--dare I say, even so plausibly. It is entertaining to read her displaced character's take on our modern life, on such basic necessities as deodorant and sanitary napkins and "dome-noes" pizza. And, as I already mentioned, her sex scenes are as good, or better, than any others I have read in the genre of racy romance--so be warned, because VVV definitely is not for the faint of heart!

I definitely look forward to reading more of Ms. Hill's work in the future.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars very satisfying!!, March 21, 2003

By 

Lynne MacIain (London, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Very Virile Viking (Mass Market Paperback)

I read Truly Madly Viking and The Last Viking, and this is a WOW of a end to the story of three brothers. It's funny, sexy, charming and just sparkles with wit!

Think this is her best book yet.