Book Review: North of Need

North Of Need

Book 1 of the Hearts of the Anemoi series

By: Laura Kaye

Published By: Entangled Publishing, LLC (11/1/2011)

Buy it at B&N.com or IndieBound

Source: Owned by Reviewer

Audience: 18+ Paranormal Romance

My Thoughts:

Alright, my one sided love affair with Laura Kaye's leading men is well known, as is my serious case of hero worship with the author herself. She's warm, funny, and incredibly smart; and she hasn't served me with papers regarding my stalkerish tendencies. 

Anywho, I love her and I adore her writing. I pre-ordered my paperback of North of Need back in October for its November 1st release - my birthday is on November 3rd, and decided it was a sign from the gods that it was meant to be mine - That and I have loved everything else she's written, so it was time to make room on my shelves. I have read it a total of 4 times since I bought it.That Man keeps quirking an eyebrow at me and saying "You read that one already, didn't you?". I merely scowl at him (don't worry, he's used to it) and scathingly say "Yeah, SO?"  

NoN brings us to present day Maryland on Christmas Eve. Young widow Megan Snow is struggling to deal with guilt and grief after the sudden death of her beloved husband two years ago. With a little divine intervention and a freak snow storm, Megan learns to let go and find a little magic, which brings us to....Owen Winters. Owen is a snow god, one of the Anemoi, and this is his second chance too. With Megan, he learns to feel and love again, after centuries of being in elemental form. The pair are on a wild ride of with fun, laughter, hot sex, and visceral emotions that tug at your heart strings. I'm talking ugly cry, y'all.

Now, as you know, we don't get a whole lot of cold weather down here, so one of my favorite parts of NoN is the description of snow  - it's so vivid its practically tactile and I love that. That same quality also applies to the emotions of the main characters. I find  that to be true in all throughout Miz Kaye's writing, whether it's a widow and a snow god, two strangers in an defunct elevator or the vampire next door - there is so much heart in there. It just feels so real. There is also plenty of fun and humor threaded all throughout.

And since this our After Dark section, we can talk about sexy. H.O.T. Owen is sweet, hot, and very attentive. It's warm enough in the Deep South, lady! My temperature ratcheted up quite a bit, but don't mistake my use of hot for raunchy. It's tastefully done which in my opinion makes it even hotter. North of Need is a must have, guys and dolls.

Summary:

While attempting to escape the agonizing memories she associates with Christmas, twenty-nine-year-old widow Megan Snow builds a snow family outside the mountain cabin she once shared with her husband and collapses in tears against the snowman at the sight of what she'll never have.

Called to life by the power of Megan's tears, snow god Owen Winters appears unconscious on her doorstep in the midst of a raging blizzard. As she nurses him to health, Owen finds unexpected solace in her company and unimagined pleasure in the warmth of her body, and vows to win her heart for a chance at humanity.

Megan is drawn to Owen's mismatched eyes, otherworldly masculinity, and enthusiasm for the littlest things, and her heart opens enough to believe he's a Christmas miracle. But this miracle comes with an expiration before the snow melts and the temperature rises, Megan must let go of her widow's grief and learn to trust love again, or she'll lose Owen forever.