#The Brothers of Thunder 1

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

The Viking’s Cursed Bride by Maribeth MacMillan

The Brothers of Thunder #1

A bit of Cinderella with the ugly stepsisters and horrible stepmother but so much more that that fairytale with a marriage of convenience, a bit of clairvoyance, a few unhealthy doses of treachery, battles to be fought, secrets guarded then shared, a bit of romance and a series that I can’t wait to read the next book of.

Aiofe is a woman that was mistreated, maligned and miserable only hoping for a place to belong. Being given in marriage to Tormod was a surprise but she was hopeful that if she did as a good wife was expected she might find that place to belong...even if it was with barbarians.

Tormod was a younger son from the north who wanted to carve out a place of his own and who brought with him men and women to create a settlement. His dreams of sons and daughter, family and friends and a group of his own were to be made real by taking land that was once belonged to Aiofe’s father. Knowing that he could not trust the woman he would marry or the family she came from he still was hoping that she would be okay...or perhaps better than okay. He would not let his guard down, though.

What I liked:

* Aiofe – strong, resilient, unwilling to give up and a charming person in more ways than one. I would love to have her as a friend

* Tormod – wise, strong, caring while putting his people first he provided a soft place for Aiofe to land – eventually

* The way the two main characters grew to care for one another – really was rooting for them

* Tormod’s cousins (three of them) – would love to know more about them and hope to hear about them in the coming books of the series

* The way the visions played a part in the story...along with the ravens and the one-eyed man

* The trust that developed between Aiofe and Tormod

* It seemed real and in keeping with the times

What I did not like:

* Ula – the stepmother

* The way Aiofe was treated before she married Tormod

* Pretty much what I was meant not to like

* Not finding out what the punishment was meted out by the king

* not knowing what happened to Rhiannon (and perhaps the wicked stepsisters)

Did I enjoy this book? Yes

Would I read more in this series? Definitely

Thank you to the author for asking me to read and review this book – this is my honest review.

4.5 Stars

BLURB

Half Briton, half Pict, Aoife has been an outsider all her life. Rejected by her family, despite saving them from the Norse raid on Alt Clut, she is forced to marry one of the invaders to ensure her family’s safety and rid them of a cursed daughter, while putting her own life at risk. Jarl Tormod intends to settle on the Clyde and to marry a Briton. One as high-born as Aoife ought to ensure the safety and prosperity of the Norse settlement. When their relationship grows beyond convenience, loving one another may prove to be disastrous. All Aoife wants is a place to belong, but when her family’s deception is revealed, a near-fatal betrayal in Tormod’s past threatens to destroy all hope for a peaceful and prosperous future.

AUTHOR BIO                                          

Mairibeth MacMillan lives on the shores of Loch Long  on the edge of Argyll and Bute. While very picturesque, living there seems to  involve endless driving and family life currently involves running a taxi  service.              

She was a drama teacher for many years until, during a career break,  she studied for a Creative Writing degree through the Open University followed  by a Masters degree in Playwriting and Dramaturgy. Over the years she has had  some success with short stories and flash fictions in various competitions,  magazines and anthologies. In 2014 she was shortlisted for the New Writer’s  Award at the Festival of Romance.

Inspired by the discovery of a Viking fort  marked on the Ordnance Survey map in a friend’s garden she started working on a   series of Viking Romances set in the Kingdom of Strathclyde at the end of the  Ninth century. The Viking’s Cursed Bride is the first in a series of books  about four Norse cousins as they build new lives far from home.

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