"Magnus Ericsson's story and a highly entertaining one at that!"

Magnus Ericsson is a simple farmer who thinks he has way too many children. Some he's not even sure are his but he takes them anyway. He also misses his brothers, Jorund and Geirolf who disappeared years before. The final straw is when his friends line up women who are too old to bear children for him to bed. Then and there he decides to take a vow of celibacy and he also decides to put his children and himself in his longboat and go on a nice long ocean voyage to visit relatives in Vinland. They also have to put up with this strange whale following the boat.

After Magnus and his children irritate all of the relatives and are sent to sleep in the boat, they wake up in a strange town called Holly Wood with the boat in a lagoon and the strange whale gone. Magnus just remembers some strange dreams about an old white haired woman praying for her granddaughter's destiny.

When Magnus meets Angela Abruzzi, he feels an instant link to her. Then when Darrell Nolan, the director of the Viking movie being filmed sees Magnus and persuades Angela to take him home with her until he can sign him as lead, Angela agrees albeit reluctantly. When Magnus sees a picture of Angela's grandmother, he's sure she's his destiny. Not only that but Angela warms up to his children almost instantly.

When Angela takes Magnus and his children to Blue Dragon Vineyards, they think they've come home. They can't believe that Angela has ever left the place they think is God's country. It doesn't take Magnus long to endear himself to everybody at Blue Dragon but what happens when he and his children leave? Angela doesn't even want to think about that.

This book had me laughing one minute and crying the next. Magnus endears himself to the reader in the way that he treats his children, Angela and even Angela's grandmother Rose. Magnus is such a Viking and Angela is a modern woman. They clash more than once but Magnus only wants what's best for his family including his extended family. Angela has been on her own for so long she's not sure she wants to depend on a man but when that man is Magnus, that may be a different story.

Sandra Hill writes a guaranteed excellent read over and over. I always know before I even start a Sandra Hill book that I better have plenty of time to read it because there's no question in my mind that it will always be a one sitting read. I highly recommend this fabulously entertaining book.

Reviewed by Kathy Boswell
Posted January 9, 2003

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Winner of 2003 PEARL Award
- Best TIME TRAVEL Romance

Summary

Magnus is a 10th century Viking farmer.
Angela is a modern-day vineyard owner.

He has eleven bothersome children.
She yearns for just one child.

He takes a vow of celibacy...
Even though he is a very virile man

Uh-oh!
Let the Viking laughter begin!

Magnus Ericsson is a simple man. He loves the smell of fresh-turned dirt after springtime plowing. He loves the feel of a soft woman under him in the bed furs..when engaged in a different type of plowing. He loves the heft of a good sword in his fighting arm.

But, Holy Thor, what he does not relish is the bothersome brood of children he's been saddled with. Or the mysterious happenstance that strands him and his longship full of maddening offspring in a strange new land -- the kingdom of Holly Wood. Here is a place where the blazing sun seems to bake his already befuddled brain, where the folks think he is an act-whore (whatever that is), and the woman of his dreams -- a winemaker of all things -- fails to accept that he is her soul mate...a man of exceptional talents, not to mention...A VERY VIRILE VIKING.