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    Beautiful Wreck
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    Beautiful Wreck
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    Beautiful Wreck
    Ebook611 pages10 hours

    Beautiful Wreck

    By Larissa Brown

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    In a bleak future built on virtual reality, Ginn is a romantic who yearns for something real. She designs environments for people who play at being Vikings. But when her project goes awry, she’s stranded in the actual 10th century, on a storybook farm in Viking Iceland.

    Heirik is the young leader of his family, honored by the men and women who live on his land. But he is feared and isolated because of a terrible curse. Ginn and Heirik are two people who never thought they would find a home in someone else’s heart. When forces rise against them to keep them apart, Ginn is called on to decide—will she give up the brutal and beautiful reality of the past? Or will she have the courage to traverse time and become more of a Viking than she ever imagined?

    LanguageEnglish
    Publisherinfocooperativepress.com
    Release dateFeb 1, 2014
    ISBN9781937513436
    Author

    Larissa Brown

    Larissa Brown is a writer and fiber artist whose artwork has been featured in Fiberarts and Knit.1 magazines and exhibited in New York, Seattle, Boston, and her hometown of Portland, Oregon. See her art at www.larissabrown.net and read her blog at www.larissmix.typepad.

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    Reviews for Beautiful Wreck

    4.5/5

    33 ratings8 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      This story begins in Iceland in the future where we live in sterile, minimalist environments probably because we've ruined a good deal of our planet. Then, when at work doing a procedure in water, she was transported to in the year 920. She awakens to Vikings where she begins a journey that she's always dreamed of, but isn't sure if she should stay.This was an excellent book; I loved it! As I read I found myself being drawn more & more into the story until I was part of the story. The descriptive text was easy to visualize, & the story both scared & excited you at the same time. I didn't want it to end, but when it did end, I was sad because I couldn't continue 'my life' in 930ad Iceland.I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction, stories of other worlds & other times, time travel, or just a good story.
    • 5/5
      I absolutely loved this book and have recommended it to my friends. I got this as an early review with the understanding that I would give an honest review. So, honestly, this is one of my favorite books. I felt as if I was in Iceland experiencing all the sorrows and joys of Viking life. Larissa Brown has the ability to make me believe in time travel. I hope a sequel is in the works.
    • 5/5
      I am not a big romance novel reader, but the book description enticed me right away so I signed up on Library thing to see if I could get an advanced review copy. I must confess I had a hard time getting into this book. Once I got my copy I started it, restarted, put it down and then started again. I think it has to do with the writing and pacing style which I needed to get used to. After I got past my own difficulties, this book just grabbed me, pulled me in and still hasn't let me go!Beginning in a future Iceland where Jen, a linguist at a virtual reality company, is testing a simulation when something happens that transports her to 10th century Iceland. There begins her adventure living in a long house as part of a Viking family. We learn of daily life during all seasons and events. Jen (now Ginn) must learn to be useful to the family and she does not shy away of anything thrown her way. The Chief, Heirik, is cursed as untouchable, but Ginn is enamored and through a slow process of building trust, encouraging love and not giving up she works to build a relationship with Heirik.The descriptions, characters and story are wonderful. I was so enthralled with the people, love interests, daily life and all that I want to go back and read this book again. I also want to know what happens next!
    • 5/5
      This book grabbed me from the start and wouldn't let go. I was very intrigued by Jen's 22nd century life, where a simulation tank allowed people to live the lives of long-gone cultures. One day, a glitch in the tank sends Jen back to real 10th century Iceland where she must learn how to really fit in with the culture she has studied for years. She quickly learns that even the best historian can't get all the little details right and occasionally makes embarrassing mistakes, all while falling in love with a man believed to be cursed. This is definitely a new favorite! I would love to see a sequel!
    • 5/5
      Fans of The Outlander will love this. Excellent writing, interesting characters, very in depth look at an ancient culture. Will be looking for more from this author.
    • 5/5
      Without a doubt, Beautiful Wreck is one of the best novels I've read recently. While on the surface it could be categorized under certain genres such as fantasy and romance, it dispenses with the usual clichés associated with these classifications and tosses them away to forge a new path. We are transported from a near-future, which is enthralled by visions of the past, to the imagined past of Iceland in the year 920 which full of beauty and hope for the future.We watch Ginn discover a reality thought unattainable and beyond her wildest dreams. She has yearned for an immersion of indistinct boundaries where she could actually experience "art, magnificent in its fervent detail", what happens to her when the impossible arrives?Brown's writing describes a world that makes me wish for the tank. Ginn’s experiences draw you in from the very start without any desire to tap out, so plan ahead and clear your schedule (or prepare for a sleepless night).I highly recommend Beautiful Wreck.Disclaimer: I have done work for the publisher and (after begging) received an ARC in exchange for a review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
    • 3/5
      As I licked the batter from the rim of the mixing bowl, I ground into the flour and baking soda particle clumps that didn’t smooth into the concoction. My face scrunches up in consternation, but I soldier on, determined to find nirvana. I am thwarted again when the kitchen timer chimes; tricked into believing the product is done, I find the brownies gooey and undercooked in the middle. Satisfaction only arrives when I work my way to the edges that are baked just right. This, my peeps, mirrors my journey through this novel. I don’t think I can say anything that expresses this story better than the title already has; it’s a beautiful wreck. For the first 30 pages, I was muddled in the futuristic concept of the Viking virtual reality. There was absolutely no continuity with the exposition; luckily I could grasp enough of the terms to figure out what was happening. If I hadn’t been so determined to finish due to my investment in the characters, I would’ve quit before I hit page 50. Once the heroine, Ginn, made the jump through hyperspace, the shift in pacing was tremendous. Instant chemistry developed between Ginn and Heirik. It was too easy picturing another current Viking fave (Why, hello Chris Helmsworth a.k.a. Thor. Yum!) as the brooding leader. Even with that distraction, the plot often bogged down in Viking culture—although that did lend itself to the authenticity of time and place. And about half way through the novel’s batter became lumpy with the relationships turning into high school drama. It was almost a relief when Ginn jumped back to the future taking a break from the hurt feelings and misunderstandings. However, by the end, the author hit her stride, much like Ginn did when she returns to Viking land as a force to reckon with. She doesn’t mess around playing any more childish games.If it wasn’t for those god-awful lapses in writing? editing? (and that cover!) this story would easily cook into a blue ribbon special. Romance, action, adventure, mystery, and intrigue: they all blend together into a messy batter, lumps included.
    • 5/5
      I like to wait a couple of weeks between finishing a book and writing a review. That way, when I say I really like a book its not just because I'm caught up in it at the moment. It means it was good when I read it AND it stuck with me. I still think about it and wish I could go back and read it for the first time again. This is one of those books.

      To be honest, I almost didn't want to love this book. Its a romance novel and I don't see myself as the type of person who raves about romance novels. But its just so well written that I couldn't help myself.

      So what is so great about Beautiful Wreck? Its well researched and well written. The language is beautiful and the amazing amount of researched detail makes you believe that you are back in time in ancient Iceland. Before reading this I knew nothing about Iceland. I had never seen photos of it or heard about its natural wonders. Total blank slate. And yet, Larissa's descriptions are better than a photograph. You KNOW what the land around Ginn's farm looks like but more than that, you know how it feels and what it means to the people who live there. You can see it and you can connect to it.

      The only bad thing I have to say about Beautiful Wreck is that in some ways I think that Larissa's extensive research and beautiful writing is somewhat wasted on a romance novel plot. I'd like to see what she can do with a more substantial story line. Granted, I'm not sure that there was much else to do in a 10th century Icelandic farm other than think longingly about the handsome leader. I hope that Larissa takes a stab at a slightly more active time period/setting so that we can see her writing develop even more. With a more complex story line I think we could see Larissa Brown develop into the next Diana Gabaldon.

      Note: I received an advanced copy of this to read and review. I did not receive any type of payment other than the free copy of the e-book.