From the blurb:

One woman’s journey to the truth… Stranded on foreign soil, a Viking maiden is rescued and raised by the enemy. After witnessing the brutal slaughter of the Saxon woman who saved her life, Tyra Svensdottir declares war on her own people by kidnapping the dark Viking to carry out her revenge. Her quest takes them across the frigid waters to Iceland on a sensual voyage she never anticipated and only the gentle assault of a green-eyed Viking can soothe a heart infested with revenge.

One man’s quest to save his people… A warrior destined to be king, and the man who wields a mythical sword, Rorik Thorlicksson must yield to his mysterious captor to uncover her dark past. When the truth is revealed he is determined to redirect her wrath to more pleasurable pursuits, although their forced intimacy reveals a deep yearning he’d long ago buried and an obscure past he is just beginning to unravel.

Blood vengeance brings them together, but will desire unleash a love that brings an end to A Valkyrie’s Vengeance?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was hooked from the first chapter, which plunges you into action and ends in such a tantalising way I was compelled to read on – indeed, I finished the book in a day. I found the era (900s AD), the peoples (Vikings versus Saxons) and the settings (England and Snowland – Iceland) fascinating, and the book is clearly well-researched and is, consequently, believable. I most enjoyed getting an insider’s perspective on both Saxon and Viking life, and their varying points of view and passions.

If you are looking for a book in which the heroine is feeble and requires constant rescuing by a dominating man, this book is not for you! Tyra is fabulously courageous and strong; her character is, I think, realistic for the time, but her ability to kill and maim is of course grisly reading for a modern reader. I loved the interplay between Tyra and Rorik, and the fact that each is given room to both protect and be protected by the other. I was quite swept away in their romance, but was glad that this did not consume the book – there is an interesting, suspense-full tale that had me turning the pages.

As well as creating a believable and compelling story, Suzie writes in such a way that I was transported back in time. Her descriptions and timing are wonderful. Here’s an example:

The morning mists evaporated under heat of the sun. She shivered, wishing he would leave so she could finish her bath in peace and yet, at the same time, she wished for him to stay.

Seconds later, a splash of water brought her around, and her eyes widened as he slogged toward her. Naked. Beautiful. Prideful. Intent not on conquering but on seduction. A man determined to make her see reason or make her pay for her sins.

A passionate, evocative romantic historical novel that gets five stars from me.

Valkyrie’s Vengeance is available now from Amazon; click on the book cover below to visit the store.