Heather’s Bookshelf: A Cut Twice as Deep
Author: Wendy L. Anderson
Released: 09/24/20
Genre: Historical Romance
“As twin sisters, they had a certain bond and it often felt like the two were one person so the pain of leaving one another was a double-edged sword. The knowledge that they might never see each other again cut twice as deep.”
“A Cut Twice as Deep” introduces twin sisters Liana and Deirdre, the daughters of Gorsedd Gunnarson, a Viking King. The girls are suddenly betrothed to strangers in places they have never been to before. They don’t have a say in the weddings, and find themselves horrified at the possibility of having to leave home and be ripped from each other for the first time in their lives.
Liana has an added strife of also being involved with Thorsten prior to her betrothal. Initially devastated by the possibility of not being able to be with her love, but a sudden betrayal sends her in a completely different emotional direction.
Each of the sisters travel to their new homes and have very different initial interactions with their husbands-to-be. Both Deirdre and Kearn and Liana and Tiernan experience highs and lows in their relationships with added complications from vengeful ex-lovers on both sides and someone else who threatens them all.
Trigger Warning: sexual situations (and lots of them!!!), adult language
Overall, I was a little torn about this tale and I think it was mostly a case of genre preference. The story itself was enjoyable, but I found it to be more in the romance realm than in the historical fiction genre, which I will admit is not my wheelhouse. I really enjoyed the historical aspects of this novel. The era is very interesting and the differences between the communities intriguing. However, I found the romance/sex scenes to dominate the pages. I mean like dozens…and all before you reach fifty pages. So, if that’s not your thing, this is not the book for you. For that reason, I enjoyed the second half of the book much more than the first. I did think the personalities, emotions, strengths, and insecurities of the twins and their husbands was well written and clear. The twist was a bit obvious, but still a good one. The author also does a nice job wrapping up the story with a completeness that is satisfying and enjoyable. I also thought the cover was beautiful.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A historical fiction set in the time of Vikings but dominated by the romance within the pages
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