During his search for his cheating wife and missing son, Viking warrior Thorfinn Haraldsson is surprised to find himself in the middle of a Navy SEAL operation in present day Baghdad.  Fortunately his cousin is part of that operation and sneaks Thorfinn stateside with the SEALS.  Having been through the time travel himself, his cousin, Torolf teaches him about the wonders of modern times.

Lydia Denton, widow of Navy SEAL Lt. David Denton, has struggled to get on with her life for almost five years since the death of her husband.  The driving force in her life is now the happiness and well being of her son, Mike.  Her friend convinces her to go to a bar and there she sees Thorfinn...now called Finn, who looks so much like her beloved Dave that she fantasizes that he's not dead.  But she's convinced herself the last thing she wants is another SEAL in her life...only to start falling for Finn who is planning on joining the SEALS. 

Lives tangle and lines blur as both are reminded of their past lives.  Lydia looks like Finn's runaway wife Luta, Finn looks like Dave, and her son Mike reminds him of his lost son Miklof.  Both Lydia and Finn have trust issues to contend with before their relationship can work.

I found this book to be entertaining.  The best characters to me have strong senses of humor as these do...but the best lines are taken by the author...not given to the characters.  I wish the author had made the characters as witty as herself, instead of using the humor as precursors of coming sections of the book.  That being said, Viking Unchained is funny and easy to get caught up in and with down to earth characters I found myself believing and caring about.

October 8, 2008