The Viking in My Bed by Jan Irving

Title: The Viking in My Bed

Series: Lightning Strikes  01

Author: Jan Irving

Genre: Gay MM/ Time-travel/ Bondage/BDSM

Length: Novella (94 pg)

Publisher: Total-E-Bound Publishing (April 2nd, 2012)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥2Hearts

Blurb: Book one in the Lightning Strikes Series

Wise-talking college student Bailey Moore saves his romantic side for the historical romances he’s secretly addicted to—until he wakes up crushed under six foot plus of sexy, aroused ancient Viking.

Bailey Moore is a cynical, wise-talking college student who saves his mushy, romantic side for the historical romances he’s addicted to, until he wakes up crushed under six feet three inches of aroused Viking warrior.

At first he takes Freyr Grímsson as a glorious odd ball obsessed with Medieval role playing-down to his rough hewn sword, but Frey insists Bailey is his guide in this new world and when Bailey is attacked by a mysterious creature, he’s convinced that he and Frey have to wage a battle to drive evil forces off campus. But when his Viking conquers him in bed, Bailey is afraid Frey will also lay claim to his secret, vulnerable heart.

Reader Advisory: This book contains scenes of a light D/s nature.

Product Link: http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=1605

Reviewer: Thommie

Review: Let me just start by saying how very disappointed I am from this book. Reading the title The Viking in My Bed and the blurb I truly got excited and couldn’t wait till I got it on my hands. But you know what they say: Don’t get your expectations too high…

So let’s see. Bailey is a college student, he studies… God knows, that has to do with graphics? Yes! His professor (she’s also a big bad demon wannabe) gives him some old Celtic graphs to study and while Bailey’s playing with them he creates a summoning portal!!! But he doesn’t know it so the next morning he wakes up with big, horny Viking licking his… arm! Telling him that he want to make him his… woman!!! Bailey, although shocked, takes it in the stride believing it must be a joke from his friends due to his birthday. And while Freyr (the Viking) apparently knows no other way of communication beside roaring and bellowing that Bailey is “the guide” and he is “the guardian” and big bad things are coming after them (no reason on why all that is happening is given btw), BFF Candy shows up to calm things down by… grooming Freyr, conditioning and cropping his hair.  So they get convinced that Freyr’s the real thing by his nasty scars. Now, except Freyr, there are other creatures coming after them from the void… The guardian fights and keeps the guide safe. Bailey learns that his professor manipulated him into creating the portal so she could be possessed by the Whisperer and then control his powers.  So ultimately what guardian/guide needs to do, is go get the graphic, reopen the portal, send demons/guardian back and all clear. And here is my best part so far. All this happen during one day time. Freyr, of course, makes Bailey his woman and conquers him by… spanking him!! Oh, and Bailey falls for Freyr, cause Freyr made him look him in the eyes while they were lovemaking!!!The D/s scenes that we were being warned about, yeah!! I  So after falling in love with Freyr, Bailey has no intention of letting him go. He and his friends make up a plan and armed with Molotov cocktails, they go after the professor… Well, the end, it is after all a love story!!!

All in all, I was expecting an adventure and didn’t get one. I was expecting some hot sexual scenes and didn’t get any. II wish there had been more of a love story, if nothing else. In one word I found the book lacking!

Pixie’s Two Cents:   ♥♥♥2.5Hearts  This is a humorous take on time-traveling Vikings and the love of good historicals. Bailey discovers that there are things that really just can’t be explained and finding a Viking in his bed is definitely one of them.  Having that Viking declare him his guide is another and having evil come after him is the last straw. Frey has been summoned by the guide and it is his job to fight the evil and he decides to make Bailey his ‘woman’ (yeah, I know, but he’s a sexy Viking so I’ll give him some leeway).

I really do believe that this is more tongue in cheek, let’s have a giggle type of story from Frey’s over the top Viking tendencies, to Candy’s (Bailey’s friend) insisting on conditioning Frey’s hair, to the mention of re-enacting scenes in a Johanna Lindsey book. It’s not all smiley fun though, because Bailey has to face up to the fact that he was tricked and betrayed by a long-time family friend who is power mad and he doesn’t get the nice and tidy evil oh no his is the slimy, stinky evil with razor-sharp teeth and claws.

So in all honesty I will recommend this to those who want a light-hearted read that will have you giggling and laughing, with a slight poke at the more serious time-traveling Vikings, with lots of hot sex between a hot Viking and his ‘woman’ (sorry I just love that), some very slight kink and a happy ending for them all.