She swore to defy him to her dying breath… But passion blurs the line between love and hate…
The bluest blood and the hardest heart… at least when it comes to marriage… The daughter of a duke and granddaughter of a king, Adele of Vannes was bartered at birth in a marriage treaty for the sole purpose of producing a royal heir. When her philandering husband is slain by Norse marauders, she … marauders, she is coerced to wed again in order to protect her home and her people. Adele knows that her beloved Brittany needs a strong hand to survive, but how can she ever reconcile her bitterness and hatred with the desire she feels for her mortal enemy?
She’s the jewel he seeks for his Breton crown…A Barbarian bent on building a dynasty, Valdrik Vargr, ‘the Norse Wolf,’ is renowned for both his bravery in battle and shrewdness in statecraft. Setting his sights on claiming the kingdom of Brittany, he knows that siring sons from royal blood would solidify his hold, but the woman he would claim as his queen refuses to have him. Will he fuel her hatred by taking her to his bed, or will the man who strikes terror in the hearts of men be reduced to wooing his bride?
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Breton Wolfe is a fantastic historical romance by Victoria Vane. Ms. Vane has provided readers with an outstanding story filled with a fantastic cast of characters. Adele is married and prays daily for her husband’s death. But when she learns they are going to be invaded, she prays for her country. Valdrik is the invader that killed Adele’s husband and has decided he’ll take her as his wife. Valdrik and Adele’s story is loaded with drama, humor, sizzle and action. I enjoyed reading Breton Wolfe and look forward to my next book by Victoria Vane. Breton Wolfe is book 1 of the World of de Wolfe Pack: The Wolves of Brittany but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.
Love finds us in the most unlikely times and places, when we least expect it. This is an intriguing page turner of a story between a Viking and a Breton Nobel woman. An unlikely love and tenderness grows between this woman who had been ill treated by her husband before his death, and her feared enemy who had actually killed her husband. This is an adventure full of betrayal and mistrust. We watch as the characters learn to deal with their emotions, their past perceptions and assumed predilections. Will their attempts to forgive and accept each other actually foster a great love or a greater hate. This is Book 1 of 3 books in this series by Victoria Vane. While each book could easily be read as a stand-alone, I’d recommend you to read the entire 3 book series to get a better picture of the connections between the characters and how their interactions affect their future.
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Adele is married to Rudalt, Duke of Vannes. This is a horror of a marriage. Rudalt learns of the Norse invasion and leaves, convinced he will “scare away” the savages. Valdrik is waiting and the Duke challenges him to a fight to the death. Rudalt is killed and Valdrik moves on to claim the Duchy of Vannes. When the Norse appear on Adele’s doorstep she must decide. She choses to save the lives of her people to the detriment of her own. She must marry Valdrik. The love story between Valdrik and Adele becomes a learning experience for her. She has never been treated with such kindness. This is a wonderful start to this series. I love all Ms. Vane writes. Another great novel!!!
If you are a follower of the DeWolfe books by Kathryn LeVeque, this series of books by Victoria Vane is for you. It begins with the Vikings and how they came to conquer Brittany and settled it the years after 907. Three brothers (Valdrik, Ivar the Red and Breton) decided to claim Brittany, castle by castle, and do it with care and as peacefully as possible. The thought was to marry the noble women and begin to become as civilized as possible for the time period. This clearly lays the ground work for the invasion of England in 1066.
“For the first time in her life she began to understand the power of lust. Lust was not rational. If given free rein, it ruled supreme over all other emotions, even weakening the strongest of men.”
In Breton Wolfe, Adele of Vannes has found herself wedded to a brute of a Duke—one that uses and abuses as his “right” as her husband. When their homestead is invaded by ‘the Norse Wolf’ Valdrik Vargr and his army, Adele finds herself once again at the mercy of a man. But after years of abuse, Adele would rather fight than succumb to more depravity. But when Valdrik offers her a choice of seeking and finding pleasures in his bed willingly or to be free if she does not, Adele is intrigued…and takes a chance that Valdrik is a man of his word.
Victoria Vane’s The Wolves of Brittany series reminds me why I luvs historical romances. Highly recommend!
Exciting and skillfully written, this medieval novella begins the first in a three part saga of The Wolves of Brittany Series. This is a world of the strongest wins and women are treated more as chattel and have to submit to their husbands. It can be a cruel world as in the case for Adele of Vannes, daughter of a duke and granddaughter or a king. She was forced to marry Rudalt, the son of the King of Brittany. Treated brutally by him she somehow maintains her regal bearing and honor. But as with the times of the strongest conquers, Norse raiders led by Vladrik and his two half brothers kill Rudalt and take the castle and lands Adele is wary of any Norsemen due to them having killed some of her family. With the spoils going to the victor, Adele is made to marry Vladrik but plans on escaping as soon as possible. What happens though is Valdrik shows her kindness and passion which she had not experienced by her first husband and things slowly begin to change. Victoria Vane does immeasurable research that makes her stories come alive. This tale is action packed from start to finish but also brings a wonderful love story that conquers time. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series and know I will not be disappointed.