April Vine: The Viking’s Conquest By Felicity Brandon

I have the absolutely fabulous Felicity Brandon here today with her new book, The Viking's Conquest which I read, loved and reviewed below!

When she is left all but alone to defend her family's castle against an army of battle-hardened Viking raiders, nineteen-year-old Princess Aurelie of Donrose fights valiantly but is soon overcome. After her capture by the tall, handsome leader of the northmen, Prince Anders, she is carried away along with the rest of the spoils of conquest.

Anders makes it clear to the princess that she is now his property, to do with as he likes, and he takes pleasure in stripping her bare and putting her on display. When she defies her new master, Aurelie quickly discovers that Anders will not hesitate to spank her soundly, but to her shame the painful, humiliating punishment leaves her deeply aroused.

Bound and helpless yet burning with desire, the princess finds herself longing for the bold, dominant warrior to take her hard and thoroughly, and when she surrenders to his mastery of her body the pleasure is more intense than she would have ever thought possible. Aurelie's submission to Anders grows more complete with each passing day, but when her brothers arrive with an army to seek vengeance against their old enemy she must make a fateful choice. Will she remain loyal to her family and her people, or come to the aid of her Viking prince?

Publisher's Note: The Viking's Conquest includes spankings, sexual scenes and sexual humiliation, and more. If such material offends you, please don't buy this book.

Here's Felicity's author synopsis.

War has come to Donrose, and with her men away, Princess Aurelie is left to defend her castle from the impending northern invasion. Vastly outnumbered and overpowered, brave Aurelie is soon captured and finds herself the new prize of Anders, Prince of the Vikings. Uncertain of her captor, and frustrated by her imprisonment, Aurelie is confused by her burgeoning desires for the towering Anders, but when he puts the maiden over his knee to punish her, her thirst for him threatens to spill over… How can a lady of such high position entertain the idea of a spanking, yet alone be excited by it? Bound, used and displayed, Aurelie’s journey of self-discovery begins as she learns her surrender delivers not only humiliation, but also great arousal and pleasure. With her yearning fit to burst, she yields to her new master, utterly compelled by his dominant affections. But then, all at once – everything changes… And now Aurelie of Donrose must make the ultimate choice and one that she never thought possible. With Anders’ life hanging in the balance, will she choose her family’s lands or her new found love?

The Viking's Conquest is truly a gripping read. While it has all the components of a great historical romance, it gives a whole other meaning to 'the virgin princess captured by the formidable prince' trope.

When Anders - Prince of the Vikings takes proud and pampered Princess Aurelie from her home, he strips her bare until she comes alive under his astute and potent dominance. Her punishments are sharp and deep and her reactions to them are fervid yet denuding. Her sexual humiliations are vivid and powerfully evoking but I found myself trusting Anders the same way Aurelie instinctively did.

Ms. Brandon introduces fascinating characters at their most profound which makes The Viking's Conquest an intense, provocative read, beautiful and mesmerizing with a breathtaking, satisfying ending.

Leaving my empty goblet, I slide from the soft pile at his order. I can already feel the desire bursting from between my thighs as I fall to all fours and begin my crawl to where he has seated himself.

“We will begin as before—you will be spanked over my knee—but this time there will be little pleasure in it for you, my captive. I intend to hurt you—to mark that pretty little behind—and make you unable to sit properly for some time.”

I am back by his feet as he concludes and warily, I raise my eyes as he finishes the sentence. I know I am not hiding the terror in my face and yet still I am compelled to carry on—submitting myself to him in this way for our mutual need. He catches my hair in his left hand and pulls it into a rough ponytail, again drawing my head back.

“When my hand is aching from tanning your backside, I will bind you to the bedpost and continue to thrash you with my strap. Do you understand?”

He eyes me wildly and for a moment I am too afraid to even respond. I have to swallow hard again to find my voice.

“Please, my Lofðungr,” I say shakily. “I do not know if I can bear such a punishment?”

He never takes his eyes from me as he answers. “You can and you will, my sweeting,” he says. “You will submit to me in this way as a sign of your true desire to be mine.”

I close my eyes at his words, understanding for the first time his real intention. He means not just to punish me, but to mark and possess me in some meaningful way. To make me his again in the way that our coupling had done before. As I open my eyes again and see him standing over me, there are tears but also a new acceptance.

I nod my head as best I can whilst he is still holding my hair in his fist. “I will bear it,” I say, my voice breaking.

He leans in toward me, his face just an inch from mine, those blue pools burning into me. “You will bear it,” he replies, his hot breath against my face, “and I will love you for it.”