To Sin with a Viking by Michelle Willingham

I adore Michelle Willingham’s Viking and Irish historical romances! They’re sweet, sexy, intriguing, and I love being swept away to those ancient places in time. Her latest book, To Sin with a Viking gave me more of what I’ve come to love about her stories, but was disappointing in a major way.

In her introduction to the story the author says:

Author Note

Sometimes arranged marriages in historical romance end in happily-ever-after. And sometimes two good people are never meant to be together. I wanted to explore the idea of a marriage between a husband and a wife who want to make it work but are unable to connect. And what will happen to them when they meet their true soul mates?

This duet of books, beginning with To Sin with a Viking, explores that theme without trespassing into the realm of adultery. Both Styr and Elena Hardrata deserve a happy ending…but it will not be with each other...

The thing about this statement is that infidelity is not just a sexual betrayal of vows, infidelity can also be manifested through the heart and mind. Such is definitely the case with this story. While sexual intercourse doesn’t occur until after Styr is divorced, there are other physical, sexual, and emotional infidelities taking place between he and Caragh, and so I was horribly disappointed in them as people.

This is so out of the norm for this author, so by no stretch of the imagination am I thinking of giving up on Ms. Willingham’s stories. I have every intention of reading the next book, but I’d be lying if I said I enjoyed this one. In fact, it broke my heart. As brilliant as the characters are, as poignant as the story is, dishonoring ones vows, however it’s done, is as unacceptable to me in my romance reads as it is in real life.

Had there been zero infidelity, this would have easily been a 4 read, but I cannot, in good conscience, overlook what took place between Styr and Caragh and rate it more than 2 stars. That said, other reviewers have given this story 4 stars and higher, so please, if infidelity isn't an issue for you, read To Sin with a Viking. There's much to love about the story, so you'll probably enjoy it!

My thanks to Harlequin and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.   

Kiss of Temptation by Sandra Hill

Is it lust?

Ivak Sigurdsson is dead . . . well, sort of. Guilty of the sin of lust, he's been given an unusual penance: spend eternity as a Viking vampire angel, or vangel, fighting Lucipires, Satan's vampire demons on earth. Now sequestered in Angola Prison as a "spiritual advisor," Ivak is finding all these centuries of celibacy depressing, to say the least. But then, along comes southern belle Gabrielle Sonnier. Is she a reward for his good deeds, or a temptation sent to rattle his lustsome brain?

Or is it love?

Gabrielle, a lawyer, begs Ivak to help get her brother out of prison. Aided by the Cajun LeDeux family and their chief looney bird, Tante Lulu, Ivak reluctantly agrees. And while he alternately tries to seduce and save Gabrielle before the Lucipires run rampant, they both begin to wonder if it's really only lust, or something more.

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 Kiss of Temptation is the third book in Sandra Hill’s Deadly Angels series, and given that I’m a big fan of Vampires and Fallen Angels, when I saw that this book encompasses both, I was more than a bit excited! But then toss in Demons, Vikings and Archangels, and I'm sold!

This is a fun, steamy, easy to read story, something you can enjoy on a road trip, a day at the beach, or curled up on your living room sofa. Ivak and Gabrielle are quirky, likable people/beings trying to make the world a better place by righting wrongs, and ridding humanity of Lucipires – demon vampires who infect their victims with the need to sin. Once a major sin has been committed, Lucipires, or Lucies for short, kill their victim before they can repent, damning them to hell.

In her Deadly Angels series, Sandra Hill has created a very unique world, one I enjoyed spending time in. The traditions, the people... truly entertaining. But, I have to be honest – at times the humor was more silly than funny, and distracted me from the story. With so much going on, I could have done with less of the ‘ha-ha’ in order to spend more time exploring the incredibly exciting Vangel world.

I'm looking forward to reading more in the Deadly Angel series.

My thanks to Avon Books for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.