Let's call this a SKeeper. OK, so it is a word that I made up. THE ENCHANTMENT aka MY WARRIOR'S HEART as stated on the front of the book in small print, is an almost-perfect example of how a romance should evolve. I don't usually read love stories about Vikings or Norsemen because there is just too much that is unknown about this period. But if a love could develop like what evolved between Aaren and Jorund I would have enjoyed having been there.The world Aaren Serricksdotter and Jorund Borgenson live in is both savage and simple. Nothing is taken for granted; food becomes scarce, disease is deadly, animals kill, and fire can destroy a village in moments. Fighting is the norm and relationships can be brutal. For the most part women are treated as inferiors; men enjoy them as submissive and docile. Enriched with qualities of courage and honor, our hero and heroine rise above the others.I don't want to give away too much of the storyline. There is slow reading in some parts. Usually when I list a keeper it is a book I have read in a matter of hours, at the max, two days. THE ENRICHMENT took me a week to finish. I had to find those quiet moments when no one needed me so I could melt into the setting. I would have loved to befriend Aaren; both strong and naive, no wonder Jorund fell in love with her. And Jorund, ahhhhhh. Desirable but responsible, nurturing yet tenacious, he is the consummate champion.The side story of the White Christ was entertaining, too. Also, the stories about the secondary characters, Aaren's sisters and beaus, is diverting. You FEEL what it must have been like to be a woman in those times. Men were given preference but the backbone and indomitability was found in the women. Not so with Aaren and Jorund; TOGETHER they complimented each others strengths and weaknesses. When they first met they thought they knew what they wanted from life. It was enjoyable to sit back and see how their connection developed. The sexual situations were sensuous and steamy. Too often authors write romantic fiction with the leads having sex within moments of meeting other. Not here. You sense two people scared of each other internally yet you'll feel the tension and chemistry escalate. Outwardly, Jorund uses banter to entice Aaren and you get to watch her defer his advances. It is also fun to see her succumb to this.I am giving THE ENCHANTMENT four stars because the pace was slow in some areas. Even so, this book is headed for my keeper shelf. I know I will want to come back and visit Aaren and Jorund again.
