This has been one of my favorite books for years! I lost it a few years ago and, since I don't live in the States, I had quite a hard time finding it! But now that I have it back I'm happy as a clam.
The characters' complexity and stubbornness is fun and you will find yourself both laughing and wanting to box both their ears for their stubborn pride!
One of my best reads (and I read a LOT)

I don't know which one was worse: the hero or the heroine. The hero was a cruel, ruthless, horrible man. He wanted to have his way, no matter what. He forced the heroine - and not only once. And he wasn't even sorry for it. When it comes to the heroine, she was a spoiled, stubborn, horribly annoying brat! I could hardly stand her. And in the end, when she went to live in a cottage in the middle of the woods alone - and pregnant for something like 6 or 7 months - it was just sooo stupid. I don't know what either of them saw in the other. It was just horrible. All they did was fight. With words or with anything else that came handy. I could hardly finish this book.

This book is amazing! Johanna Lindsey is amazing. This superb book is a must read. If I can go back in time to meet my Viking, it would be Garrick. The whole story of it is sad then the whole juicy part of it comes together. I can't but feel sad at times but at the end it is wonderful. Recommended for people in relationships with trust issues. A must read.

I read Hearts Aflame before reading this one, which is why I picked it up. However, this book completely disappointed me. This is the story of Kirsten's parents, and it is totally opposite their daughters story. In Heart's Aflame the two characters start off on the wrong foot, and the author does show and mention the brutality of the time period, but not to the extremes of this book.
In this book the two characters hate each other the entire time, and one is always angry with the other. By the end of the book, even I was worn out and angry with them. He rapes her, she spites him, and around it goes. The ending seemed as if it was meant to be different. The main characters could have potentially never seen each other again, and it would have made perfect sense. Only after she has the child, and is about to leave is any progress made in their relationship at all.
If you liked Hearts Aflame, skip this book, and you will remain so much happier.

I have read & enjoyed lots of Lindsey books and this had to be the worst. Too much rape, selling & raping slaves, and then even more rapes. Who would like this hero? Having raped the heroine - he is despicable. I lost all respect for the heroine (and the author) when she wanted the hero to continue on after he raped her (because of course she started to enjoy the rape) but unfortunately he was incapable because he had already "spilled his seed." Yuck!