Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Viking Gold (The Carswell Adventure Series Book 2) by L.A. Sartor

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From bestselling author, L.A. Sartor

Abigail Carswell is an adventure junkie, willing to take risks and thwart death to find the unfindable. But her need for the rush of the hunt is wearing thin on those who love her. Specifically her fiancé, Hermann Weiss, who loves the hunt as well, but as an engineer, does his best to not get into situations he can't engineer himself out of. The opposite of Abby who flies by the seat of her pants.

They are joined on this adventure by her twin Victoria Carswell Hunter and her brand new husband, Reid Hunter, total opposites as well, who met in the Yucatan while searching for the Stone of Heaven...and rescuing Abby.

On this hunt for Viking Gold in the deep fjords and the ancient city of Trondheim, Norway, Abby and Hermann have agreed to take precautions, but in reality those restrictions chafe Abby. Add in Sigurd Thorsen who may not be whom he appears to be and Magnus Jones who definitely isn't who he thinks he is. Then add in ancient gold and betrayal with a touch of mythology and you have Viking Gold. Live The Adventure ~ Love The Romance

L.A. sets the scene for us:
Norway. On Hermann Weiss’s research boat the Brizo.
Death nearly won this round. Abby Carswell’s dive in the dark, treacherous waters of Trondheim fjord moved quickly from exploring the unique and otherworldly red of dead man’s fingers coral to being swept deep into the fjord’s abyss by the tricky currents. Hermann was able to save her because, knowing Abby’s need to test death’s door, he’d been vigilant. But now his frustration over her behavior and his own vulnerability in loving her has passed his limits, as in the scene below.

Excerpt:
She was pulling her suitcase from the small closet when she felt a frisson of electricity spark between them. It invariably happened when Hermann was near—corny, but so true.
He closed the door softly.
I think I should get a room at the hotel,” Abby said, choking back tears as she kept her back to the door. "We can come up with some excuse."
I think that's a mistake.”
Abby whirled from the compact closet. “I thought you'd be happy if I put some distance between us. I don't understand why you seem—”
Abigail, we must talk this through, but this isn't the right moment, as I'm sure you'll agree. Nor is it fair to burden Tori and Reid with our personal issue, especially since it's still their honeymoon. I love you, you are part of my heart, but I cannot watch you try, once again, to destroy yourself. At the end of this hunt we talk, and if we can't find a reason for your behavior—”
For God's sake, Hermann, it was an accident. I wasn't on a suicide mission. My ‘behavior’ as you call it—”
He held up a hand. “I retract that word. Can we behave normally for the time we're here?”
Abby shot him a questioning look even as her heart constricted to half its size. “Can you?”
Ja. For the sake of Tori and Reid, I can do this. Then afterward, we talk.”
I don't think I want a ticking bomb between us the whole time we're here.”
Think back on my words, and you'll realize it's only a ticking bomb if you want it to be. I know you're exhausted. Go to sleep, rest for tomorrow, and I'll be quiet when I return from the last plotting session with Andrews.”
Hermann proved his words as he brushed her forehead with his lips, then left.
Stripping to the scrap of lace she wore as panties, Abby pulled on a T-shirt of Hermann's but only felt more miserable as she crawled between the cold sheets, where his clean, slightly woodsy scent surrounded her.
Yanking off the shirt, she threw it against the wall and waited for the relief to come. When it didn't, she got up and folded the shirt neatly on the foot of the bed so she could slip it on in case of a boat emergency. With an entirely male crew, leaving the cabin wearing nothing but undies that barely covered anything wasn’t wise.
Abby left the light on over Hermann's side of the bed. She was exhausted and needed to turn off her brain and her heart. But it just didn't happen.
Hearing footsteps, she glanced at the clock on the built-in bedside table and saw that an hour had passed, but sleep remained elusive. Closing her eyes, she forced her breathing to be slow and rhythmic.
Liebchen, you can't fool me,” Hermann said softly as he closed the door. She heard the zipper of his trousers, the soft movement of the hanger as he put his clothes away, a habit of his, no matter how tired he was. As he climbed into bed, Abby felt the mattress sag and the sheets pull across her as he rolled onto his side, but no breath on her face. He was turned away from her.
Through it all, she kept her eyes closed. It was going to be hell if she didn't figure out some way to “act normal” for the rest of their sojourn in Norway.
Or, as Hermann said, figure out why she seemed to flirt with death—the same reason that caused her inability to speak those two important words, I do.


Review:

I haven't read the first book in this series, but now I really must go back and read it! If you love romance, adventure, and mystery, you're going to love this series. As with every other L.A. Sartor book, I was drawn in from the very beginning. I loved the characters, the romance, and the mystery. It's a great book and one you'll find impossible to put down. 

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