I didn't enjoy To Tempt a Viking as much as I did To Sin with a Viking. The two books are about a couple in an arranged marriage that isn't working out so well. To Sin with a Viking focuses on the husband, while To Tempt a Viking is the story of the wife, Elena, in this situation.
Because I'd read To Sin with a Viking, I already had a pretty good idea as to what happens in the beginning, so I found that to be a little boring. I don't think I'm giving anything away by saying that I knew the marriage was going to end. This story focuses more on how Elena moves on after her husband leaves. She finds herself drawn to Ragnar, her husband's best friend, who has always been in love with her. But he came from the poor family, and was always just the tag along friend, while it was his friend who came from an important family and got the beautiful girl.
I didn't like Ragnar all that much. He spends an awful lot of time trying to convince Elena that he isn't good enough for her, and I often found myself agreeing with him. I thought he was mean to her. She was alone and she clearly needed someone and she had very strong feelings for him. But he was so wrapped up in his own lack of self confidence and certain he couldn't compare to her ex-husband, that he couldn't see how much she wanted and needed him.
Elena's a strong character, determined to make a life for herself and figure out what she wants. But I couldn't relate to her intense desire to have a child. I know that's just one of my issues, and it's an issue to which a lot of readers can relate. I'm just not one of those readers. And this plays a pretty big role in the story. Her inability to have a child played a big role in the demise of her marriage. Now that her marriage is over, her yearning for a child hasn't in any way lessened. Eventually she learns that she doesn't have to get pregnant in order to be a mother.
It's an interesting story, and held my attention, but I couldn't relate to the characters or care about them as much as I did with the other book.
I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.
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