TEST
How much fun is Truly, Madly Viking? Well, it took me longer than usual to finish this book because my roommate kept stealing it. This time-travel is laugh-out-loud funny, with charming characters to boot. Though it is very campy, it should appeal to the romance reader looking for a good time.
Hunky tenth-century Viking Jorulf Ericsson is grief-stricken at the loss of his twin daughters and is at sea searching for his missing brother when a flirtatious killer whale grabs him in her mouth and drops him off at a marine park in Galveston, Texas. This is the goofiest time-travel device I have ever read, and it’s howlingly funny. Jorulf thinks he has arrived at Valhalla and the fetching “dock-whore” with the man-hair is his own personal Valkyrie.
Dr. Maggie McBride is certain that the naked stranger is insane, but her twin daughters persuade her to admit him to her psychiatric hospital. The man claims he is a Viking and seems most interested in maneuvering Maggie into bed, but she, and the rest of the hospital, are soon won over by “Joe’s” enthusiasm and quiet compassion.
Jorund is an immensely likable hero. His fascination with Big Macs and The Guiding Light make him humorous, but the real appeal of his character comes from his intelligence and warmth. His genuine grief over his daughters gives him a tragic center, and his scenes with Suzy and Beth, Maggie’s twin daughters, are especially touching. Maggie is also likable, and it’s rewarding to watch her learn to accept the illogical. However, Suzy and Beth were something of a disappointment to me; they’re nine years old, but they sometimes sounded like teenagers and at other times like small children. But Truly, Madly Viking is not a book meant to be taken extremely seriously, so I could easily overlook this flaw.
Though the love scenes come late in the book, they are very hot. Better still, they add to the development of the characters. They also maintain the humor of the rest of the book and fit the tone perfectly.
If you’re looking for a historically intricate romance with tons of character development, well, you should probably keep looking. But if you’re in the mood to laugh and laugh – and then laugh some more – Truly, Madly Viking should fit the bill nicely.
Grade: B+
Book Type: Time Travel Romance
Sensuality: Hot
Review Date: 28/07/00
Publication Date: 2000
Related Reviews
Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.