Afternoon Delight: Ivar the Red by Victoria Vane

Posted January 30, 2018 by Sophia Rose in Afternoon Delight, Reviews / 14 Comments

Afternoon Delight: Ivar the Red by Victoria Vane
Ivar the Red
One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarHalf a Star
three-half-flames
Series: Wolves of Brittany #2
Genres: Historical Romance
Published by Kindle Worlds
Released on September 4, 2016
Pages: 118
Format: eBook
Source: Author
Get it at: add to goodreads

The Delight

The Wolves of Brittany series continues on with Ivar’s story.  I really liked Ivar in the first book and the scene where he first encounters Lady Emma is memorable to say the least so I dove in with great anticipation and was not disappointed.

Review

Ivar the Red is book two in the series.  I would say it could be read standalone because of all the backtracking to scenes from Breton Wolfe, but the summary scenes painted things in a slightly different light when Ivar is doing the describing and narrating rather than the earlier hero and heroine, Valdrick and Adele.  Better to get these in order, I think.

The Ninth Century storyline doesn’t change from the first book of the three half brothers- Vikings- who are given the land of Brittany in a treaty between the French King and their uncle if they can conquer Brittany and hold it.  In book one, it was Valdrik conquering the Duchy of Vannes and now they have moved on to the lands of Quimper and fight the Count, Emma’s father.  Political intrigue surrounds them as the other lands of France either wait in anticipation or plot for what they can get out of Brittany’s fall.

Ivar the Red was a much more exciting and layered book for me.  There is the tempestuous romance and the growing understanding between two people from different cultures, but there are other schemes afoot.  Gisela, the conniving and grasping woman from book one, is back and worse than ever even as the intro to others who would take what Ivar and his brothers have claimed.  I love how the series seems to be building in tension and leading toward a huge series climax.

In the beginning, I was enthusiastic because Ivar and Emma are a fiery pair and that excitement never diminished.  This pair had chemistry- or maybe I should say alchemy since its medieval times.  I loved them and came to anticipate their confrontations that just crackled with attraction and anger.

Ivar, for a conquering Norseman, was rather patient and gentle because Emma sure pushed all his buttons and tended to be unrealistic because she was so sheltered.  I liked Emma, but Ivar was right- she needed her britches tanned a few times.  She would just shoot off her mouth or leap impulsively into action.  She’s mean to Adele and doesn’t seem to get what’s going down even when more than one person explains it to her.   She is dangerously naive and sheltered at the same time which caused her to not have an accurate assessment when she’s working her mini-rebellions and schemes.  I don’t mean to sound like Emma is unlikable or even stupid.  She’s not even close, but yes, I was glad when she does eventually clue in.  This pair were a great match.  The author wrote them with strength, passion, vulnerability, and flaws that they had to work through.  And, I did enjoy the way Ivar introduced Emma to the pleasure of passion.

And, now, we head into Bjorn’s story.  I have seen him as the dark horse through the series because he’s quieter and gives little away.  I think he’s going to surprise me, nicely.  This is a perfect series for those who want some fantastic action and passion in medieval times, but need a quick read with good development.

My thanks to the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Challenges

Romance Roundabout #43 HR
Literary Pickers #39
Gender Bender Let’s Read Indie #19

Recommendations

   A Sword for His Lady by Mary Wine

Preview

 

About Victoria Vane

Victoria Vane is an Amazon #1 bestselling author of smart and sexy romance. Her works range from comedic romps to emotionally compelling erotic romance and have received over twenty awards and nominations including: a 2015 Red Carpet Finalist for Best Contemporary romance (Slow Hand), 2014 RONE Winner for Best Historical Post Medieval Romance (Treacherous Temptations), and Library Journal Best Ebook Romance of 2012 (The Devil DeVere series). Victoria also writes romantic historical fiction as Emery Lee. She currently resides in Palm Coast, Florida with her husband, two sons, a little black dog, and an Arabian horse.
Contact info:
Email: victoria.vane@hotmail.com Website: www.victoriavane.com
Blog: www.embracingromance.com Facebook: http://on.fb.me/YVeXrf
Twitter: @authorvictoriav Pinterest: http://bit.ly/1vONQZh
Amazon: http://amzn.to/10QMKT5 Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1sccsM4
YOUTUBE: http://bit.ly/1yNtEMP

Praise for SLOW HAND
“Well-paced, scorching scenes and witty banter…”
—Publishers Weekly

“Slow Hand by Victoria Vane is delightful, funny, page-turning steamy sexy, and the romance between Wade and Nikki make you wish you could pull Victoria’s characters straight off the page and into real life…”
—Unwrapping Romance

“For erotic passion and one-liners, the first book in Vane’s new series will satisfy…Vane’s latest gets a big yee-haw.”
—RT Book Reviews

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Sophia Rose

I was born and raised near Sacramento, CA. I have read since I was four years old and developed tastes that run the gamut of literature. I went away to college and have a degree in education, a certificate in family history research, and a certificate in social work. I worked for a non-profit agency with low income families for 20 years which included being responsible for the children’s library and promoting/teaching adult literacy. I have lived in Southeast Michigan for the last 18 years and I am currently a book addicted homemaker with a cat and husband who keep me grounded. Recently, I made it a challenge to review each book that I have read as a favor to author friends who said reviews are important. I have done reviews for Good Reads, Amazon, eBay, and Smashwords, but mostly at Goodreads and Amazon.

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  • Debbie Haupt

    Now that’s a throwback bodice ripper cover if I ever saw one! 😉
    thanks for the great review!

    • LOL! It does go there, doesn’t it, Debbie? But he’s a big teddy bear who near comes close to forcing her- though he does give her a few swats when she’s being a brat. 😉

  • Am I the only one who loves those old fashioned covers. LOL I am glad this series is working out so well for you, Sophia. Hopefully you’ll love the next as much. 🙂

    • Oh no! I enjoy seeing them get some resurrection, too, Angie. And particularly b/c the models look a lot like the way the author describes her characters.
      I read Bjorn’s book and the review will go up tomorrow. I did enjoy it, but I think Ivar’s story will remain my favorite. 🙂

  • That sounds really good and that cover is awesome.

    • All three were great, Mary. Oh yeah, great covers on these. I loved this book the best, but now that I think on it, I love the cover the best, too. 🙂

  • This sounds good, but it also sounds like I would want to scream at Emma while reading! Back then they married and courted young- was she just immature maybe? Glad you are enjoying these!

    • LOL! Emma is a bit different. She’s somewhat a tomboy and has had the run of her father’s estate for years. She’s older than other noblewomen for marrying, but her dad could get no takers b/c she’s tall, blunt, and resists. Ivar was a good strong balance for her and he’s the first man to meet her stubborn strength and not be intimidated or lose his temper when she goads him. 🙂 It was good.

  • I’m not actually fond of this kind of settings but this story looks good. Emma do sound like a lot to handle, good for Ivar for putting up with her, hehe. And btw, that one sexy cover!

    • That’s alright. There are a few settings that are less appealing to me than others. Yeah, Emma was a real pistol. 😉

  • Ivar on Vikings look nothing like this. Maybe I would like him more if he did. Nah, he’s a real jerk on the show.

    Melanie @ Hot Listens & Rabid Reads

    • Buahaha! And that relieves me a lot since I adore this Ivar. 🙂

  • I love how developed the characters sound and appreciate the chemistry.

    • Yes, exactly. These are novellas, but she introduces each character and gives them a good strong background so I could get to know them before the action started.