Review by Veronica

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Series Name: Rise of the Invarssons, #2 

“Her eyes flashed in the flickering firelight. Svea was headstrong, she was impetuous—she was everything he’d been brought up to see as dangerous in a person. And judging by the way his lower body was responding to hers, she was most certainly a danger to him…”

Escaping with her Saxon Enemy is a thrilling historical romance that will capture your attention and your heart. 

Viking shield maiden Svea Ivarsson would far rather face Saxon warriors than be on the run with the fiercely captivating Lord Ashford Stanton, protector to the Saxon king. Reaching Ash’s family castle, Svea must swap her chain mail for life as a lady. She can wield a sword like an expert, but no training has prepared her for craving the touch of her greatest enemy…

This book was a lot of fun to read, and I have to admit it surprised me a bit (in a good way). There was a lot more action in this book, and I really enjoyed all the battle scenes, especially when you have a badass woman holding her own on the battlefield.

The pacing in this book was much quicker than other Harlequin romances that I have read. I loved how Sarah balanced battle scenes, devious plots to overthrow the King, and of course, a steamy love story. Everything that was going on in this book worked well, and it felt like all those details and subplots came together to help advance the story. It made reading this book incredibly enjoyable. I was actually a little sad it was so short, because I enjoyed it so much.

Svea and Ash are lovely main characters. I just loved that Svea was this warrior woman who was fierce and intelligent. It was great to read a historical romance that had a woman in it who could fight and take care of herself; it was a nice change. At first, Ash came off as that typical gruff warrior, but his character has a surprising amount of depth, and he had a complex and slightly tragic backstory. Both of these characters had pasts that have left them scared and emotional, and it really shaped how they interacted with each other and the world around them. Sarah did a great job at addressing those issues and using the growing relationship between these two to help them heal and accept who they are.

If you are a fan of enemies to lovers and forced-proximity romances, you will love the romance in this book. Svea and Ash are enemies, she is a Dane, and he is a Saxon. The history between these two people is one of bloodshed and hostility. Svea hates how controlled Ash always is, and Ash doesn’t like how impulsive and hot headed Svea is. Despite their hostilities toward one another, there are some sparks between these two right from the first moment they see each other (they just choose to ignore it). When these two are forced together to help save the King, those sparks become harder and harder to ignore. I loved the chemistry between these two; they are well-suited for each other in an opposite attract kind of way. Lord, the spice in this book was oh so nice. Even though this was a short book and a lot was going on, there still is plenty of spicy moments between Svea and Ash that will satisfy any romance reader.  

This is the second book in the Invarssons series, but it can definitely be read as a stand-alone. I enjoyed this book so much that I will be going out and getting the first book in the series.

If you are looking for a historical romance that will sweep you off your feet with epic battles, spicy romance, and unforgettable characters, then you need to read Escaping with Her Saxon Enemy.

Thank you, Harlequin Historical and Rachel Random Resources, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.