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DNF @ p.85



I recently read one of my first books by Kat Martin, which was DUELING HEARTS, one of her earliest books from the bodice-ripper years, which gave me strong Sandra Brown vibes-- only with a much more empowered heroine who literally and figuratively wore the pants for a lot of the story. I was curious to see how she would grow and develop as a writer, since the first book I read of hers was published in 1989 and this was published in 2006.



HEART OF HONOR is about a bluestocking heroine named Krista Heart who runs a column called Heart to Heart, which touches upon many serious social issues and often faces opposition from political and industrial persons of interest. Her father is an Indiana Jones type who is interested in Ancient Norse antiquities, and has basically let her run wild, but her grandfather is pushing for her to marry because the inheritance must pass on to her male descendant.



Cue the hero, Leif, who was shipwrecked and abducted by a sleazy circus owner who slaps him in a cage as a starring attraction. Leif is from an island that has-- miraculously-- remained isolated all these years, so all of the people on the island still speak Ancient Norse and adhere to those customs. What a coincidence, then, that Krista and her father are practically the only people in England who are in a position to not only understand but help the hero. Which they do, taking him into their home.



I think my problem with this book is that it requires-- as other reviewers have said-- too much suspension of disbelief. Leif's characterization in this book reminds me a lot of the "primitive" romances I've read, where the hero is a Tarzan- (or in some cases, an actual caveman) guy who is naive to the ways of modern customs and often portrayed as over-sexed. He also has an animal sidekick, and it's been my experience in romance novels that if a hero or a heroine has an animal sidekick, it's indicative that the novel is going to be overly precious and not good.



Others may well enjoy this but it is not my cup of tea at all. It's currently only $1.99 on Kindle, though, so if you're intrigued, it's a cheap way to try your luck and see if the book is right for you.



1.5 to 2 starshistorical-romance kissing-books victorian26 s Lisa (Remarkablylisa)2,364 1,829

Ugh it was so fun and delightful.november-202211 s Fangirl Musings427 104

Pages Survived: 206

Okay. Many problems with this story!

Number One: From page one, I could not connect with the character of Krista, or Leif for that matter. I'm not sure why it is, but from 1 to 206 I never really felt I could understand the motivations or driving forces behind Krista's actions or thoughts. Or even, who she was as a person. I know that she is kindhearted, what with her reformation efforts, and yet I never felt I had a believable reason as to her inner thoughts on these matters. The same can be said for Leif's character. While I logically know the explanations as to why these characters felt the way they did; why Krista ran her gazette and why Leif feels he must return. I know the reasons, I just never felt I could emotionally connect with the characters. At all!

Number Two: The plot is just...flaccid. This is very disappointing, since based on the synopsis, this book had worlds of potential. There is so much Martin could've done with this plot, and yet, by page 206 I felt the plot may as well have been about the characters inventing sawdust for as driven as it was.

Number Three: The seemingly lack of realism in the plot. Now, don't get me wrong, I fantasy as much as the next girl. But as much as I long for the fictional, sometimes that fictional has to be presented in a believable light. The fact that Lief is a viking from an undiscovered island? And the fact that he is such a genius he can learn to speak a new language in under two months? I don't know, maybe I'm being too picky, but this was just one more facet as to why I just gave up on this book.

Number Four: Okay. Here's the kicker. Here's where I just threw up my hands and said "are you kidding me?" Right after Lief returns from the country, having spent a total of two months becoming a 'new man,' it comes to light that he's slept with a servant on the manor. And was thinking of Krista the entire time. ... Seriously? I mean...seriously?! The issues with that concept are so obvious I need not state them.

I could possibly excuse Number Four if in fact the character Lief were written better, if the book were written better, ect...but more importantly, in this book, it WAS inexcusable. If Lief were written in such a way that he was a devilish rake and was reformed by the end of the book, then maybe I could overlook this fact.

Such was not the case, however. What made this even more irritating was that Krista found out about Leif's "indiscretion" and barely even batted an eye.

Put simply, I must sigh and toss this book aside for the next one!This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full reviewclassified-as-dnf10 s Ana M. Román655 86

No he podido conectar completamente con la historia aunque no soy capaz de descubrir exactamente por qué. Aunque al mismo tiempo quería seguir leyendo y no encontraba el momento de dejarlo, especialmente hacia el final.

Los personajes estaban bien construidos y ambos se dejaban querer, cada uno a su manera. Leif como vikingo estaba bastante bien creado y Krista, como mujer independiente de su época también. Sin embargo, estaba tan desconectada de la historia que notaba hasta el fallo más pequeño, o lo que a mí me parecieron fallos. Como el darle nombre, y mencionarlo en repetidas ocasiones, hasta al personaje menos relevante o la fijación de la autora por la ropa. Tampoco es tan necesario saber lo que llevan y como es la falda de la protagonista a cada rato. Ya me supongo que no va desfilando por ahí desnuda...

Creo que volveré a leer algo de la autora, posiblemente el segundo de la serie, para formarme una mejor opinión de ella.8 s Kübra 1,860 361

Blurb’e tav oldum, Viking falan diyordu,
Kitab?n ba?? iyiydi, ortalar? idare eder kalan?n? sallay?n derim ben
Gene salak bir kad?n ba?roldeydi, allah affetsin1-english 2-fiction 3-1-roman8 s Gamze569 95

3.5

çok uzundu ya! :D 4 s Bambi Unbridled1,284 140



The Heart Trilogy by Kat Martin takes place in Victorian era London at the Heart to Heart gazette run by Krista Hart and her father. While Heart to Heart is a ladies magazine, it also publishes editorials addressing political and social issues of the day. During this particular time period, one of the big social issues of the day was conditions for mine workers, particularly regarding child labor.

Krista Hart is a modern woman for the times - she flouts convention by having an occupation, as a writer at the gazette. Her livelihood earns her enemies because she writes the aforementioned editorials on important social issues. So when we meet Krista, she has a lot going on between work and her personal life... with threats from men angered by her editorials, and pressure to get married from her grandfather, the last thing Krista needs is to bring home a handsome and aggravating Norse barbarian. I d that Krista was her own person and had a purpose beyond balls and beauty routines. She was brave to write about social issues that were unpopular with her peers, but she was also a bit foolhardy when it came to her safety and the reality of her situation. Leif was an irritating addition to her life and she treated him as such most of the time, so I found myself wishing she was softer in her treatment of him.

Leif Draugr is a Nordic beast of a man. He is destined to be the chief of his clan, but he yearns to travel and see the world outside of the remote Draugr Island. When Lief is shipwrecked off the coast of England, he is taken captive by English ne'er-do-wells and put into a circus sideshow. With his unkempt appearance and strange language, its not hard for people to believe him to be the barbarian advertised. I really d Leif and the way he said whatever he was thinking... it definitely generated some laugh out loud moments. He was a true viking in appearance, speech and mannerisms... but he also cleaned up as an English gentleman quite well. I d that Leif brushed off Krista's prickly behavior and didn't give up despite her saying that they could never be together. He was definitely the more favored character for me in this first installment of the series.

The romance between Krista and Leif was somewhat slow building, and it was more one-sided on Leif's part while Krista denied what was between them for the longest time. It was fun to watch Leif pursue Krista and not take no for an answer... not in a rapey way, but just an "I will win you over" way. This story requires you to suspend your disbelief quite a bit. For starters, this is pretty late (historically speaking) for a Viking to be shipwrecked from an undiscovered island where the people still live they did in medieval times. Leif appears to be some kind of super genius that goes from captivity to polished Englishman (with exceptional grasp of the language) in less than two months time. But if you can ignore the unlihood of these aspects, then the story was entertaining.

The mystery of the threats against Krista was a nice addition to the story that gave us something to focus on while the romance was building. It did seem the resolution for the enemies and saboteurs was anti-climactic, so I wish there would have been a little more to get my adrenaline going and really feel a sense of danger to Krista's person. However, this was not a romantic suspense so I won't complain too much about the lack of action. Overall the story was a nice diversion and held my attention well enough as I drove from Louisiana to Tennessee.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this audiobook that I received from the publisher, Tantor Audio. Stay tuned for my review of the next book in the series, Heart of Fire, which is on the calendar for next month. arc audiobooks million-page-challenge ...more3 s Maria307 19

???? ??? ?????? ?????? ? ???????? ????? ???????? ??????????? ??? ?????????? ????? “?? ?????????? ??? ?????” ?? ??? ????? ?????????????? ??? Kat Martin. ???? ?? ???? ? Martin ?????? ??? ??????? ???????????, ???????? ??????????? ?? ???? ???????.
?? ?????? “???????? ??????” ????? ?? ????? ??? ????????? ??? ???????.

? ?????????? ??? ????????? ??? ??????? ??? 19?? ?????, ???? ? ?????????????? ?????? –?????? ????- ????????? ?? ???????? ?? ????????? ??? ???????. ?????? ????????????????, ???????? ??? ?????????? ????????? ??????????? ?? ??? ???????? ??? ??? ?????? ??? ??????? ????. ? ???? ????????? ???? ?? ?????? ??? ?? ????????????? ?? ??????? ??? ???????. ? ??????, ?? ?? ??????? ??? ???????? ?????? ???, ??? ?????. ??? ?????? ?????? ??????? ???? ??? ?????? ?????? ? ???? ?? ?????? ?? ????? ??????? ??? ?????? ????? ?????????? ????????, ??????????? ??? ??? ???????????? ??? ??? ???????, ?? ????????? ?? ?????????? ?? ??? ???.

????????? ??? ??? ????????? ???????????? ??????, ???? ?????? ??? ????????? ? Kat Martin. ?? ??? ??????????? ???????? ??? ??????????? ??? ???????? ?? ??? ????? ??????????? ? ?????????? ?? ??????????? ??? ????? ???. ??????????, ?????? ??? ??????? ???????????? ????????? ??? ????????? ???? ?? ????? ??? ?? ??????? ???????. ??? ????? ?? ???????????? ?????????, ????????? ??? ???????????????. ? ???? ????? ???? ?????????????? ??????????, ???? ???????. ?? ????? ???? ???, ??? ?? ????? ??? –? ??? ??????? ????- ????? ??? ????? ??? ????????, ???????????? ?? ??????????? ???????? ??? ????????. ? ?????? ??? ????? ??? ????? ??? ?????????? ??????. ???-??? ??? ??? ?? ??? ??? ?? ???? ?????? ??? ?????. ???? ???? ????????? ??? ????? ??????? ?? ?????????? ????? ??? ? ???? ??? ?????? ??? ??? ???? ??? ?????????? ???????.

? ?????????????? ??? ??????? ????? ???? ???????? ??????????, ???? ??? ????? ?????????? ???????? ??? ?????????? ?????? ? ????????? ?????????? ?? ????????? ?????? ???? ???, ????? ?????? ?? ????? ??? ??????? ??????? ??? ??????. ? ??????? ???? ??? ??????? ??? ? ??????????? ????? ??? ?????????? ?? ???????? ??????? ??? “???????? ??????” ????? ? ????. ????????? ??? ???? ??? ???? ?????????? ??? ??? ???????????? ????? ??? ??? ???????? ???? ???. ? ?????????? ????, ???????????, ??????????? ??????? ??? ??????? ??? ???????? ???????? ???? ???????? ?????????. ? ???? ?? ??? ???????????? ??????????? ??? ??? ??? ??? ????? ?? ??? ????? ????? ??? ?????? ???????? ???????? ??? ???????? ??? ??????????? ????????. ???????????? ?? ??? ?? ??????? ?? ?????? ??? ?? ????? ???.

?? ???????? ??????? ??? ????? ??? ???? ??? ????????????? ?? ??? ????????? ???? ????????, ???? ??? ?? ?? ???????? ??? ??? ???????? ??? ??????? ????.
3 s Neus Gutiérrez1,014 599

Quizá el mejor elemento del libro sea la originalidad. Este personaje masculino es cuanto menos, diferente, que en este género no es poco. Además la autora ya nos tiene acostumbradas a una narración intensa y buena, con detalles y personajes bien formados. El argumento es consecuente. Quizá lo único algunos clichés y algunos momentos """"machistas""" que en esta época tampoco podemos criticar, porque era tal cual.

Reseña en el canal de YT próximamente.3 s Megan (BookWifeReviews)1,564 51

This book was hella long. Good but looooong.2 s GuisBell1,297 32

Una hermosa historia de amor romance2 s Molly1 review1 follower

Okay, so. I honestly wanted to give this book 2.5 stars since it was right at the junction of "not very good" and "unbelievably entertaining". So I rounded down in the interest of fairness.

The whole premise of this book is actually pretty fun. "Modern" Victorian girl meets Viking from an island that apparently got stuck in time around the year 1500? Heck yeah, that's the kind of nonsense I crave! And with a little more research and effort this book could have been genuinely good instead of ironically good. But ultimately it flopped because of the following things, among others:

1. The book takes place in 1842 and the heroine's name is Krista. According to behindthename.com, pretty much no one was named Krista until the 1960s.

2. Krista spends half the book complaining about how unattractive she is...because she's tall and blonde and curvy. Sure. That's never been considered attractive.

3. Every time the hero, Leif, encounters an English word he doesn't know he hyphenates it. Every. Time. He does this with names that a Norwegian person probably wouldn't have any trouble pronouncing, Paxton and Petersen. (Pax-ton and Peter-sen is what they are turned into) Why?

4. Consistent, aggressive misunderstanding of how corsets worked and why women wore them. They're referred to as "torture devices" eight times. Here's the thing: corsets weren't invented to be oppressive, they were there to act as a support garment, just how modern women wear bras and Spanx. Most women didn't lace them that tightly and once you got used to them they were perfectly comfortable. Check out any of Karolina Zebrowska's videos on Youtube if you don't believe me.

5. When Leif heads out to the country to stay with Krista's dad and learn English or whatever he apparently gets with a servant girl but obviously was thinking of Krista the whole time...and when he gets back to London he tells Krista this. Advice for all the fellas in the audience: don't do that. Any of it.

6. If you're a woman in this book you are either Krista, Krista's personality-less best friend, or a gossipy ho, pretty much.

7. I kind of thought romance authors as a group had decided kidnapping wasn't sexy sometime around the year 2001 but apparently not.

All that said, there were some genuinely interesting and emotional moments and even the bad parts were pretty funny, so you know what? Drink some wine, read this book, have some laughs. Treat yourself.so-bad-it-s-good2 s Rose May106 1 follower

Note: This review, and all my , comes from my blog - Romantic Rose's Bookshelf (http://romantic-rosesblog.blogspot.com)

Book 1 in the Heart Trilogy

Lief Draugr is a Viking. After leaving his home island in search of new and glorious places to explore, his ship breaks and he is left stranded, half-dead. The shepherd who nurses him to health sells the large, blond, ‘wild man’ to a traveling circus, where Lief is enslaved for nearly a year (the scenes Martin writes of his feelings and thoughts while he is in captivity are really heartbreaking – I felt crying). Krista Hart is the publisher of a ladies’ gazette in London, Heart to Heart, which publishes very unpopular articles on things such as social reform. When visiting the circus, she discovers Lief in chains and demands his release. After that, the pair, along with Krista’s father, work to teach Lief how to be a gentleman while Krista faces threats on her life due to her newspaper’s outspoken views. At one point, Lief leaves with Krista's father for their country estate to work on his English and manners. When he comes back, the romance really begins.

What did I love about this book? Pretty much everything. So we’re going to start with the things I didn’t , and get them out of the way so I can rave about how much I did this book! First, the book was a little too long – , 30 to 40 pages. It dragged a little at the end, and the length made me lose some of the anticipatory feel I should’ve had. Second, I disd how long it took Lief to realize that he should stay in England for good. My HEA was far too delayed for my liking. Third, some events in the book were a little implausible – however not so implausible it wrecked my read. I’ve heard a lot of people say how annoyed they were that Lief learned English so quickly, but honestly it doesn’t surprise me (much, at least). Earlier this year, I went to Spain with two years of high-school Spanish backing me - nothing else. By the time I left my host family’s house three days later for France, I was talking rapidly and thinking more in Spanish than English. The human mind adapts amazingly well when no one around you speaks your language and everyone else speaks another one. Also, if Lief is as determined as he sounded, he would've spent every waking moment learning English and would've been far more successful than most readers seem to think he would be. I didn't find it annoyingly unbelievable at all.

Onto what I loved. I loved how funny this book was. Honestly, the first half of the book had me laughing at least fifteen times. I was having hysterics over Lief’s boldness. I also loved how beautifully Martin wrote Lief’s scenes of captivity – and later Krista’s ‘captivity’ as Lief drags her away to his island (it’s not as bad as it sounds, ladies. You’ll still love him). In the case of Lief’s captivity, every time I read about him in those early chapters my heart broke. Again and again. It was that powerful, and that sealed the book for me. I also loved how well I connected with Krista and Lief’s characters. I could feel and understand their motivation, their drive. I loved how Martin kept me with them every step of the way. I could feel their pain, their fear, their anguish. I was thoroughly involved in this story - completely invested in every scene and every move made by each character.

I also loved the unique premise of this book. In most Historicals, the male saves the female. However, in this case, Krista comes to Lief’s rescue before he comes to hers. It made them seem more equals. I, for the most part, really enjoyed the plot. It was exciting, intriguing, and very distinctive. I have read books where you ‘turn the beast into a gentleman’ (The Making of a Gentleman by Shana Galen, anyone?) but none as well done as this one. Every time a doubt rose in my mind about something, Martin put my mind at ease, which is an incredible talent. She didn’t leave a single loop hole. I felt the pace was good throughout most of the book as well.

I, un others, d that Lief didn’t remain chaste upon his freedom from his cage. Back where he came from, his old island, he was very used to having women all around him (the quintessential rake, but in a more barbaric and less refined fashion). It wasn’t part of his culture for him to be monogamous especially before even entering into a romantic relationship with Krista, and I d that he was honest with her about his escapade with a maid while he was at her father’s estate learning to be an English gentleman. I d that she didn’t make a big deal about it because, again, they weren’t in a relationship of any kind. I think that was my favorite thing, how true Lief was to his barbaric, Viking culture in the beginning. I really enjoyed watching him transform throughout the book, still retaining part of his wildness. It gave us some really great protective warrior scenes too – that fencing scene was delectable. Or maybe I just the image of men waving around their swords…

“Sexy”ness rating: Hot, hot, hot!

Overall Rating: A

Bottom Line: This book is funny, heart-wrenching, sexy and charming – it’s an all-in-one package deal! Pick this up on your next trip to the bookstore and enjoy!a1 Linda224 20

This was really different but I d it. The audio production was fun to listen to. The island stuck in time was an unexpected plot device as was the ancient Viking language. The romance was strange. They both loved each other but when one would admit it the other would back away. Then there’s the grandfather who wants an heir putting a spanner in the works occasionally. Truthfully there’s an extra star for the entertaining audio, because the plot is so so.1 Tracy T.1,011 19

Decent story and great narration by Beverly Crick. (audible review)

This was a good story. Kept me entertained and curious how it was going to play out. I d Leif and Kristen together. They made a good match and had some good chemistry together.
Kristen was smart, spunky and had spirit. Leif was also smart and resourceful.

The story line and plot were interesting and different for this genre for sure. But I d that about the book. Not a typical HR. Interesting how the author brought a viking into London England. There was a lot of dialogue throughout the book and it wasn't really full of angst either. It was a bit long at 12 hours.

As for the narration, Beverly Crick did a great job. She has become a favorite female HR narrator. The men sound men, everyone gets their own distinct voice, she does great accents and has a nice reading voice. 1 HÜLYA1,101 43

Orjinal Ad? :Heart of Honor
Edisyon Ad? : Kalpten Kalbe
Yazar : Kat Martin
Goodreads Puan?: 5/3,73
Puan?m: 5/3.60



Kat Martin'in kalemini seviyorum oldukça kuvvetli kalemi olan bir yazar. Heart Üçlemesinin ilk kitab? olan Kalpten Kalbe kitab?n?n konusu oldukça de?i?ikti.Biraz masal?ms? bir tad? vard? roman?n ba?lar?nda ama yazar kitab? yazarken s?k?lm?? olmal? ki kitab?n ortalar?ndan sonra biraz s?k?lmaya ba?lad?m. Oldukça ak?c? bir konusu olsa da iki apayr? dünyalardan gelmi? olan ki?inin a?k? da çok farkl? i?lemeye çal??m?? yazar ama kurgu sanki tam oturamam?? gibiydi.

Yine de tam s?k?lmadan severek okudum ama çok çok be?enmedim.Önceki okudu?um Kara Melek ve Gelinin Kolyesi isimli kitaplar?n? daha çok be?enmi?tim. Farkl? bir konuyu okumay? beklerken biraz kitap bitse de ba?ka bir kitaba geçsem moduna girdim.

Asl?nda tam da bir ki?iyi s?f?rdan yeniden yaratma temas? da vard? ve erkek kahraman bir Viking sava?ç?s? Alfa karakterde yaman bir erkekti. Kad?n kahraman?m?z ise özgür ruhlu dönemin hayli ilerisinde olan bir asilzade ?ngiliz kad?nd?..?kisinin inatla?malar? ki?ilik çarp??malar? ba?larda ho?uma gitse de sonradan sinir olmaya ba?lad?m..

Kitab?n en sevdi?im sahnesi bir sirk de kafese hapsedilen bu Viking sava?ç?s? olan Leif Draugr ile gazete sahibi Krista Hart'?n kar??la?t??? sahne idi.

O sahne çok güzel idi orada Leif'in çaresizli?i kurtulma umudu Krista'n?n onu gördü?ündeki yard?m etme çabas?ndan etkilendim.Onu profesör babas?n?n yard?mlar? ile sirkten kurtar?p onu tam bir ?ngiliz Beyefendisine çevirmek için e?itmeleri.
Çünkü bir Viking olan Leif tek kelime ?ngilizce bilmedi?i gibi ?ngiliz kültürüne ait bir ?ey bilmiyordu.Yeni medeniyetler için gemisi ve adamlar? ile yolculu?a ç?kt???nda deniz kazas? geçirdi?inde de ondan ba?ka herkes hayat?n? kaybetmi?tir. Korsanlar onu bularak bir sirke satm??lard?r.
Derdini anlatamad??? ve devaml? dayak yedi?i için yar? delirmi? durumda kurtulmaktan umudunu kesmi? durumdad?r.
??te bu ?artlarda gerçekle?en Krista ile kar??la?mas?nda onun dilini anlad???n? farketti?inde bu genç kad?ndan yard?m ister ve Krista yard?m etmek ister ve i?te burada Krista'n?n profesör babas? ortaya ç?kar Leif'e yard?m etderek onu gaddar sirk sahiplerinden kurtar?r..
Onu kendi evlerine alarak hem bar?nmas?n? sa?larlar hem de ?ngilizce ö?reterek kendi kültürlerini ö?retmeye çal???rlar Ona medeniyet dersleri verirken ,Leif'in bir ?ngiliz gibi giydirirken . Krista'da ona dans dersleri vermeye çal???r....
Çal???r diyorum çünkü Krista ve Leif aras?ndaki çekim ilk andan itibaren çok güçlü olmas? yüzünden bu çok da kolay olmaz..

Bu arada Krista ç?kard??? gazete de yazd??? devrimci ve ilerici makaleler yüzünden tehdit mesajlar? da almaktad?r. Fakat bunlar? ba?larda pek önemsememektedir.
Tehditler tehli olmaya ba?lay?nca Leif Krista'y? korumaya ba?lar.Bu arada Krista ile ilgilenen Matthew Carlton ile Leif aras?nda rekabet ba?lar.

Krista ona a??k de?ildir ama ailesi için evlenmesi gerekmektedir. Kendisinden ba?ka mirasç?s? kalmayan büyükbabas?n?n özel ald??? bir izin ile ünvan? Krista'n?n çocu?una kalacakt?r.
Matthew sosyetenin çok gözde bir bekar?d?r onunla ilgilenmesi bile ?a??rt?c?d?r.Ama ona kar?? hiç bir ?ey hissetmemesine kar??l?k Leif'den bu kadar etkilenmesi Leif'in onunla ilgilenmesi i?leri kar??t?rmaktad?r..


Bu olmayacak bir ?eydir. Çünkü Leif vatan?na babas?na verdi?i bir sözden dolay? dönüp ailesine sahip ç?kmak zorundad?r..

Roman? okurken birbirlerini o kadar sevdikleri halde yoku?a sürmeleri bana tuhaf geldi sanki yazar hikayeyi uzatmak için kullan?yordu bunu. Okurken zevk alsamda baz? yerlerinde zaman zaman s?k?ld???m bir roman oldu. Kötü demiyorum ama benim beklentim daha yüksekti. Kitap ilk ç?kt???nda ben bu kitab? Gelinin Kolyesi'nin Kolye serisinden oldu?unu dü?ünmü?tüm ama kitab? al?nca ba?ka bir seriden oldu?unu gördüm..
Kolye Serisi çok daha iyi idi bence..
Yazar?n o kadar çok kitab? var ki umar?m hepsini okumak nasip olur. Gerçekten de iyi bir yazar..Historical ve Viking severlerin be?enece?ini dü?ünüyorum...


Heart Trilogy
1. Heart of Honor (2006)
2. Heart of Fire (2008)
3. Heart of Courage (2008)

http://hulyami.blogspot.com.tr/2014/0...This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full reviewhistorical1 Kazen1,377 309

As an American living abroad and a person that married into a different culture I was looking forward to seeing how Martin dealt with culture shock and the mixing of different worlds in a relationship. The answer: horribly.

Our hero Leif doesn't speak a lick of English but is fluent in the matter of months. After he learns he apparently never speaks his native language to Krista again, even though she is one of the few people that can converse in it. Or maybe he does - there were several times in the text we are told Leif is speaking Norse when I thought he was still rambling on in English. And the times he does speak in Norse his expressions are simpler and less nuanced, even though it's his mother tongue. What?

I've had a run of Alpha Assholes lately, and Leif is right up there. The gods have determined that we need to be together, so I'm going to kidnap you and put you through hell, because love. Even though I never really think about love, oddly enough.

The plot sags, characters' motivation is muddied or nonexistent, and too many times I was left thinking, "Wait, what? Why?!" I didn't fall into rage reading, though, so two stars it is.1 Sara679

i kept seeing this everywhere i went, and the first few times I didn't pick it up. i put the odds at about 92% it would be totally, utterly ridiculous, and a tiny 8% chance that it would be totally epic. Finally, I couldn't pass up that 8% chance. But it was awful. The characters were flat, the descriptions were repetitive, and the heroine (author) is completely culture-centric, e.g. even though she "loves" this guy and is pro-everything-reform, the Viking descendants are Barbarians with a capital B. Heaven forbid, they don't use forks!!!!!!!!! How can a proper lady possibly survive in this world???????????!?!?!?!
I guess the one good thing I can say about this one is that: I would have thrown it down in disgust, but I kept reading in spite of myself because I couldn't figure out how it was going to end. In its defense, I didn't figure it out until very near the end. And that is a hard thing to pull off.1 ChloeLeeNH286 43

I really wanted them to be together... held my breath many times. He was so sexual... but also very caring towards her. There was no way she was going to keep saying no LOL. The mystery held little interest to me... (the reason why I started reading it) but it ended up being a great story anyway!1 Carla1,609 8

I read the third book of this series, and d it better than this one. It's an odd combination of fantasy and romance (what would it be to be a Victorian-era lady (who is a feminist working girl as well) in London who is wooed by a handsome Viking?). The third book had those elements, too, but this one was a bit over the top for me. Still an ok escape read, though. fantasy romance1 Miranda Vint10 1 follower

This book was A-freaking-mazing. The main character was a strong, principled woman, thoroughly modern, all things considered. The story had some intrigue and some very delightful love scenes, and come on, who doesn't love a big, strapping viking?1 Romancebooksandmore110 13

Love this book. kick ass Heroine, strong Hero. a dash of mystery great book to curl up with on a chilly night. love that this is an unconventional Hero/Heroine pair. with his back ground and her being noble but once removed. plus she follows her dreams and doesn't let anyone stop her.1 78sunny2,100 40

4 von 5 Sternen
*Inhalt:*
Krista gehört zu den modernen Frauen ihrer Zeit und arbeitet in ihrer eigenen Zeitungsredaktion. Das sie gesellschaftskritische Themen anspricht, gefällt nicht allen Leuten und sie schwebt deshalb in Gefahr. Bei einem Zirkusbesuch entdeckt sie einen Mann in einem Käfig. Groß, kräftig, wild wirkend. Sie ist die Einzige die seine Sprache spricht und somit aufdecken kann, dass er nicht verrückt ist und gegen seinen Willen wie ein Tier gehalten wird. Leif ist nämlich ein Abkömmling der Wikinger und mit einem Schiff gestrandet. Kristas Vater studiert altnordische Geschichte und Sprache und nimmt Leif als Schüler auf, um von ihm mehr zu lernen und Leif das englische Leben zu lehren. Leifs Interesse an der fremden Kultur ist groß, aber auch sein Interesse an Krista. Doch ihre Herkunft und ihre Sitten sind so unterschiedlich, dass es sich ein gemeinsames Leben als äußerst schwierig erweist.

*Wie kam das Buch zu mir*
Ich war von „Heißer als die Sonne“ so begeistert, dass ich mir mehrere Romane der Autorin zugelegt habe. Dieses hier war darunter.

*Meinung:*
Ich war etwas überrascht, dass dieses Buch doch ziemlich kitschig und in erotischer Sicht oft recht plump wirkte. Das war ich von der Autorin nicht gewohnt. Es war jetzt nicht extrem störend, aber ich wunderte mich schon sehr über diesen Stilwechsel.

Die Grundidee war wirklich gut. In Sachen umfangreiche Handlung wurde ich bis jetzt von dieser Autorin noch nie enttäuscht. Auch dieser Roman hat wieder etliche Handlungselemente die einen bei Laune hielten. Zum einen natürlich die geschickt kompliziert entwickelte Liebesgeschichte, dann Kristas Arbeit bei der Zeitung, dass für die damalige Zeit (Regency) eher untypisch war und die Drohungen und Anschläge, die auf Krista und ihre Zeitungsredaktion verübt werden. Das ganze wird wieder sehr überzeugend geschildert und erhält im ganzen Buch die Spannung. Außerdem nimmt man der Autorin generell die Zeit in der ihre Romane spielen ab. Es wirkt sehr authentisch.

Der Schreibstil ist leicht zu lesen und schon eher ausschmückend. Allerdings in einem guten Maß, um voll in die damalige Zeit abzutauchen. Einzig die doch sehr 'wilde' stellenweise eher plump wirkende Art der sexuellen Annäherungen von Leif waren gewöhnungsbedürftig, da ich das so von der Autorin nicht gewöhnt war.

Die Spannung wird gekonnt aufrecht erhalten, was ja bei historischen Liebesromanen eine ganz schöne Herausforderung ist. Vor allem die Aufs und Abs der Liebesbeziehung, die vielen Missverständnisse dabei, aber auch die sehr glaubwürdig vermittelten Konflikte aufgrund der unterschiedlichen Herkunft der beiden Liebenden, sorgten für moderate Spannung über das ganze Buch über. Die ständigen Drohungen und Anschläge auf die Zeitung und somit auch auf Krista zogen sich auch gekonnt über das ganze Buch hin. Am Ende gibt es dazu ein Finale, aber ein richtiger Spannungsbogen entsteht nicht. Für mich ist das bei diesem Genre aber völlig in Ordnung.

Die Emotionen kommen bedingt herüber. Leif ist ein sehr impulsiver Mann und kommt leider schon ein wenig 'Tarzan'-mäßig herüber. Das fand ich schade, hatte es aber bereits am Anfang befürchtet. Es passt generell zum Inhalt des Buches, da er von einer abgeschiedenen Insel stammt und eben ein Wikinger ist. Da schnappt man sich schon mal eine Frau, schmeißt sie sich über die Schulter und zeigt ihr wo's lang geht. Trotzdem hätte ich mir da doch ein wenig mehr Stil erhofft. Krista dagegen ist ein Kopfmensch und trotzdem wird sie angeblich von wilder Leidenschaft überwältigt wenn sie Leif sieht. Naja, in Sachen Liebesgeschichte konnten mich die Emotionen daher nicht ganz überzeugen. Was Sehnsucht, Abschiedsschmerz, Angst... angeht, wirkte das ganze schon überzeugender.

Wie eben schon erwähnt ist Leif ein schwieriger Charakter und sehr von sich überzeugt. Oft nervte sein übertriebenes Selbstbewusstsein ein wenig, allerdings passte es zu seinem Charakter. Bis auf die übertriebene sexuelle Anziehungskraft wirkte Kristas Charakter überzeugender. Vor allem ist sie sehr interessant. Sie gehört für ihre Zeit zu einer sehr modernen Art Frau und bekommt mehr Freiheiten von ihrem Vater und Großvater, als es normal war. Trotzdem wirkte das ganze durchaus überzeugend, da vor allem der Vater als sehr eigenständiger und frei denkender Charakter dargestellt wurde, der seine Tochter über alles liebt. Alle anderen Nebencharaktere blieben aber etwas blass.

Das Buch war sehr erotik-lastig. Erotik war eigentlich ständig Thema, auch wenn es lange Zeit nicht zum eigentlichen Akt kommt. Leif ist sich seiner Sache sehr sicher und geht da mit dem Hochmut eines starken Wikingers heran. Krista ist wie oben schon erwähnt von ihrem Verlangen etwas überwältigt, was streckenweise albern und sie somit etwas naiv wirkte. Das wurde durch ihren sonst so starken Charaktere ausgeglichen, war aber manchmal wirklich grenzwertig und wird nicht jedem Leser gefallen. Die erotischen Szenen an sich hatten einen mittelmäßigen Kitschfaktor für dieses Genre. Sie wurden nicht unnötig in die Länge gezogen, wirkten sexy, aber hatten eben doch bei Wortwahl und Inhalt immer etwas Kitsch dabei.

Die Liebesgeschichte war wirklich interessant und bot jede Menge Abwechslung. Die unterschiedliche Abstammung und somit die unterschiedlichen Vorstellung einer Beziehung zwischen Mann und Frau führte zu einigen unterhaltsamen Szenen. Aber auch die Lösung der verschiedenen Konflikte war nicht überhastet und wirkte daher überzeugende. Das Ende weißt dann aber einen enormen Kitschfaktor auf.

Grundidee 4,5/5
Schreibstil 4/5
Spannung 4,5/5
Emotionen 3,5/5
Charaktere 3,5/5
Erotik 4/5
Liebesgeschichte 4/5

*Lesergruppe:*
Leser, die gern historische Liebesromane mit viel erotischen Anspielungen und Szenen lesen. Außerdem sollte man auf einen mittelmäßigen Kitschfaktor gefasst sein.

*Fazit:*
4 von 5 Sternen
Ich muss gestehen, dass ich von dem Schreibstil etwas überrascht war und ihn eigentlich nicht dieser Autorin zugeschrieben hätte. Das Buch hatte einen sehr hohen Erotikanteil, der leider ein wenig ins kitschige abdriftetet. Die Handlung war aber sehr unterhaltsam und hat einen immer zum weiter lesen veranlasst. Die Entwicklung der Liebesgeschichte zwischen zwei so unterschiedlichen Menschen konnte mich ebenfalls überzeugen. Allerdings ist dies kein Buch für jedermann.


Reihe:
Mein wildes Herz
Mein brennendes Herz
Mein mutiges Herz
Jemma FrostAuthor 11 books180

This was a reread.

I first read this years ago but had forgotten it until I saw it pop again. I really enjoyed the premise which was unique with a Viking who's basically been stuck in a time warp on an isolated island discovering the wonders of "modern" (1842) England.

Leif cracked me up with his lines. He was very blunt and confident in his desire for Krista and made no secret about it (no matter who was around). And Krista was able as an independent woman who ran her own company (a rarity in HR sometimes).

There were multiple open-door sex scenes and lots of kisses, though descriptions were a bit short.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and stayed up until 2 am to finish rereading it! Matteja LV 543 27

Sama zasnova zgodbe mi je bila vše?, ker je nekaj druga?nega : tujec, ki ga nih?e ne razume zaradi jezika, nato pa ga rešita dama in njen o?e, ki poznata staro skandinavš?ino, vzameta ga pod okrilje in skušata vpeljati v družbo- on si želi pa le vrniti nazaj na svoj otok. Vmes se seveda zaljubi v damo, ampak... Ona ne želi iz Anglije, on pa ne želi ostati v Angliji. Seveda je ona tudi takoreko? že zaro?ena in skrbi tudi za izdajo glasila- ko ji za?nejo zaradi ?lankov groziti, on postane njen varuh. Medtem pa na?rtuje pot nazaj.

Zgodba postane kompleksna, dolga in na trenutke preve? obsežna, mislim, da bi se lahko veliko hitreje zaklju?ila. Natalie Brooks1,234 18

4.5 stars. I loved this book, especially as an audiobook with Beverly Crick narrating. That’s how I found it: searching for books narrated by Crick. The conflict keeping the two apart was realistic. The storyline of him being unfamiliar with the culture and language, and the heroine and her father teaching him was one I really enjoyed. His directness was also amazing.

The only downside was the hugely predictable and common last 1% of the story. I wish the author would’ve employed a bit more creativity there.

I wish there would be a book about the brother.really-enjoyed unusual-characters-or-plot Tim CovellAuthor 3 books6

I enjoy Kat Martin's books (including a later one in this series, which I had already read), but this was over-the-top. Part Victorian romance, with a reforming unconventional woman, and part Viking romance, the mix gives hilarious fish-out-of-water moments, and eye-rolling. There were a few too many coincidences and too-good-to-be-true moments, and too many "mayhaps."

Then again, one mayhap is usually too many.

A fun read, and well-written, so I did enjoy it, but not my favourite of her work.


Jennifer Saint-preux59 2

Dragged

The story sort of dragged. Both characters has to make a tough decision and I d that the heroine knew she loved the hero so much that she was willing to leave all she knew for him and states as much to him. Otherwise...The story coulda have been finished in about half as many chapters. And you do need to suspend a certain level of belief as I'm certain that half of the things that occurred in this story could not
Possibly have been tolerated during this period of time. Christine Jalili1,841 32

Fantastic series.

I loved this book and couldn’t stop reading. Loved how Krista and her Dad rescue Leif. They teach him their ways and also English. But he’s meant to return home. I did cry for them. She’s so independent and feels she’s needed in England. I really felt for them. Thankfully they finally get a very happy ever after. I highly recommend this book. I read the other two books first and now I want to re read the series. Maria May142 4

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