Review: North of Need by Laura Kaye

Title: North of Need

Author: Laura Kaye

Genre: Contemporary Romance w/Fantasy elements
Series: Hearts of the Anemoi, #1
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Received by: Publisher for Review
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Heat Rating: 3.5/5 

~*~Book Blurb~*~

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."

This is the type of story that leaves you feeling a little warm and fuzzy. It's sweetly romantic, sprinkled with a healthy dose of sexiness. Who knew a snow god could warm up the pages!


Angst has occupied Megan Snow's life for nearly two years. Mourning the death of her husband, Megan retreats to a place that reminds her of times that were spent happy with her former husband, John. Little does Megan know that her time spent at a remote cabin on Christmas would call a snow god to her; sent to seduce, love, and help her move on. 


Owen Winters isn't sure what to expect when he finds himself corporeal and in the arms of a woman who takes him in and cares for him. But surely he can't deny the immediate attraction to Megan -- and he knows she feels it too. Owen knows in his heart that Megan is the woman who can not only make him human, but also heal his own broken heart, and he wants nothing more than to keep Megan for himself for as long as he can keep her. The only problem is if can they admit their love for one another in time before they no longer have the choice to keep Owen on Earth permanently.


While I personally enjoy a little more "alpha" in my heroes, Laura Kaye does a great job at creating a sweet, romantic hero who's not whimpy. Both the hero and heroine were well developed and enjoyable. It was clear that there was attraction and chemistry between the both of them, and surprisingly, I didn't feel like it was forced despite the time line of the book taking place over a matter of days. It's a story about letting go of the past and learning to trust -- and fall -- in love again.

The writing style was very easy to follow, and like I mentioned earlier, is filled with a lot of "sweetness" both in dialogue and through actions. And while I thought I could predict the sequence of events and final resolution, Laura threw in a twist in the end that completely took me by surprise -- in a good way!


I definitely enjoyed the fantasy twist of the Anemoi mythological gods incorporated into the contemporary backdrop, and am looking forward to reading the upcoming stories of the next "gods". Which I'm sure you can guess will represent seasons. Overall, this was a good story filled with very sexy romance and a healthy dose of sweetness, sure to warm you up on any chilly day! :)