The Pirate Bride
by Sandra Hill
#11 Viking I
Audio by Heather Wilds
2*

Ridiculous in so many ways. Offensive to women, homosexuals, Asians, you name it. Stupid conversations all throughout. Skip this one. ( )

2.5 stars. There were some cute and fun parts but overall is was just a wee bit better than okay.

( )

I enjoyed this viking romance with a good plot, plenty of humor and steamy scenes. I particularly liked the group of pirate women including all they accomplished and what they overcame. Medana's female pirates kidnap Thork and some of his men then take them to their secret island. ( )

Fun book. There were times when it was kind of silly, but overall I enjoyed it. Medana became a pirate by default, as a way to help support her island of women. Ten years earlier she had fled the prospect of a forced marriage to a cruel man. She had killed the man after he raped her, and in fleeing was joined by others who were also running. Now they live on an island hideaway, doing better every year. The only thing they are missing are the children some of them crave, because there are no men allowed. During a trading trip the women of her crew drug and kidnap eight Viking warriors, hiding them from her until it's too late. Now she has eight very angry men on her hands, with their leader being angriest of all.

Thork has spent the last several years sowing his wild Viking oats. He's done a bit of everything, but now he's ready to go home and make peace with his father. Waking up bound and gagged on a ship full of women is infuriating - and embarrassing. Learning that they are only wanted for stud service is even worse. He holds their leader responsible and has plans for revenge that he takes great pleasure in telling her all about.

Once he starts to get over the first burst of anger, he notices that Medeara is a beautiful woman and his plans for revenge take a different direction. As he and his men make their plans to escape, he starts his seduction to keep her distracted. He doesn't expect to suffer some distraction himself. Meanwhile, Medeara has begun to notice that Thork and his men are very different than the cruel ones she knew before. His concentrated assault on her sensitivities begins to have its effect. When his family arrives to rescue him, there's more going on than either wants to admit. And when her past catches up with her, Thork has to decide if he's ready for more than just a romp.

I enjoyed the interactions between Thork and Medeara. After ten years of being independent she doesn't back down in the face of his fury. She gives as good as she gets and occasionally gets the upper hand. When he introduces her to the pleasure of passion things begin to change between them. They form an peace of sorts as his code of honor won't let him leave until he feels that the women will be safe. He also begins to think that keeping her in his life wouldn't be such a bad thing.

I enjoyed seeing the life that the women had made for themselves on the island, and the way they were determined to protect themselves. It was fun to see them deal with Viking men in their prime, and how both sides learned from each other. Things got really fun when Thork's family arrived. His parents, Tykir and Alinor, from The Bewitched Viking, are just as in love and just as volatile as they were thirty years earlier. Their reactions to Thork and Medeara are fantastic, and as different as their personalities. But family is everything to them, and they are there to help Thork when Medeara is taken.

I was a bit frustrated with Medeara at that point, because she went from a strong woman to something of a doormat. She had her reasons, but I would have liked to have seen a bit more spirit from her at that point. She also didn't have as much faith in Thork as she should have. I liked his rescue of her, and thought that he did well giving her just a little taste of her own medicine. I enjoyed the ending and how they worked everything out. ( )

Listened for Book Club (Cover Girls)
Overall Rating: 2.50
Story Rating: 2.00
Character Rating: 3.00

Audio Rating: 4.00 (not part of the overall rating)

First Thought when Finished: The Pirate Bride was humorous at times but that just couldn't save it for me. That being said, the narration made me stick with the story till the very end because Heather Wilds did an excellent job.

Book Club Thoughts: Overall this was one of those books that everyone seemed to like parts of very much! We all agreed that there were some great moments between Medina and Thork. They had a great energy and their banter was fun. We liked the secondary characters and think some of them will make great leading men.

My Thoughts: I know with a 2.50 rating, it probably looks like I didn't enjoy the book at all. That isn't true. There was some trademark Sandra Hill banter in the story that made me smile. I am a big fan of Sandra's writing but this book just didn't work for me. I don't know if it was timing or just that neither Medina nor Thork won me over. With historical romance I have to love the characters for the story to work for me.

Audio Thoughts:

Narrated By Heather Wilds / Length: 9 hrs and 29 mins

I loved Heather Wilds narration. I don't think I would have finished the story if not for her. She did several accents and all of them made me smile. This had to be a tough one to narrate and she did a wonderful job.

Final Thoughts: Despite not liking this particular couple, I will continue to read Sandra Hill! ( )