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onceupon_a_bookdream's review against another edition
4.0
I totally enjoyed this book way more than I shoukd have lol 4/5 stars
lenoreo's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars -- the good parts about this book were really good, but overall I will admit that I found myself skimming toward the end. Owen was fabulous -- adorable, sweet, just perfect. Megan was ok, and I really felt for her when she came home from the grocery store. But all in all things dragged in places. And maybe I just didn't get drawn into the whole Anemoi story....it was a wee bit confusing, but mostly it just didn't grab my imagination. So basically this was a good solid 3 star read, with a half star bump for the adorableness of Owen and his ice cream and lucky charms.
brandiemetzger's review against another edition
3.0
Couldn't get past all the gods stuff. Just not my cuppa. And I kept picturing City Of Angels movie. Owen was sweet, though, and I enjoyed parts of the story.
kindlelitkat's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I took one look at the premise of this book and started squeeing like a lovesick fangirl. A Snow God using a snowman as a means to come to life and attempt to comfort a young, grieving widow? Sounded too freaking cool, if you ask me--or perhaps ASKED me a couple days ago...
I guess I'd be lying if I didn't admit up front that I had HUGE hopes for this one. Stories about Gods falling in love with mortals are something I tend to really love--or really hate. I'm always looking for the love, I swear! But alas, they don't always deliver.
I also came across this book because I'm mixing in some festive reads with the Get Read-y thing I'm taking part in next month. And this just seemed like it would be the perfect fit. Read on and I'll tell you where North of Need melted my heart...and where it left me totally cold.
My Thoughts:
I guess I'd be lying if I didn't admit up front that I had HUGE hopes for this one. Stories about Gods falling in love with mortals are something I tend to really love--or really hate. I'm always looking for the love, I swear! But alas, they don't always deliver.
I also came across this book because I'm mixing in some festive reads with the Get Read-y thing I'm taking part in next month. And this just seemed like it would be the perfect fit. Read on and I'll tell you where North of Need melted my heart...and where it left me totally cold.
My Thoughts:
I often feel like I am a black sheep in the blogging and writing community, because I'm often the devil's advocate, the defender of things that make many people seem to want to wall toss their Kindles. Take insta-love, for example. When it comes to paranormal and fantasy stories, I'm normally totally game for it. I usually find it cute, because I liken those stories, more often to not, as myths or fairytales for grown ups.
But even I have my limit, and North of Need seemed ready and willing to do everything it could to push my buttons and make me look like a total holiday Scrooge. The book actually spells it out for readers that the heroine will have FOUR DAYS to fall in love with the hero. Oh, and did you catch the part in the summary where we learned she lost her husband two years ago in a car crash? Alright-y, then. I can so buy that she'll be ready to give someone--even an Immortal Snow God--her heart in that time frame. NOT.
But wait, it gets better. Surely, you're asking me, there must be some great and crucially life threatening reason that could throw them over the edge. Some terrible evil chasing them? Some great catastrophe that must be thwarted? NOPE. Another God, who controls the onset of spring, is doing things (that do not relate to our couple--this character isn't out to get them or a villain / antagonist--he's purely an elemental force within the context of this book) that are going to make the hero melt. And he can only avoid melting if the heroine can get past her dead husband and declare her love for him...within four days.
And just how will these two fine souls become acquainted? Why, through food, sex, an igloo, more food, more sex, skiing, and sex, sex, and did I mention SEX. Sweet mother of Zeus, I think this book had more sex scenes than Backstage Pass! (Only those were GOOD sex scenes, just to keep things clear.) There were two really big problems with the sex in North of Need. (1) It was sex for sex's sake. It didn't really do anything but pad the book out. (2) and when we're talking six to eight scenes in 230 pages that's way too much boring, generic sex. It got to a point where I would skim the sex scenes because ab-so-freaking-lutely nothing was going on there. (Might make a good sleep aid?)
The hero and heroine were okay at best. The hero, Owen, was perfect to the point of being as tasteless as--you guessed it--snow. Laura Kaye gave him some pretty cool powers here and there, and I did like the lore that surrounded his background...but he was too damn nice. As for Megan, I think I've found a new way to use TSTL. You've heard of "too stupid to live", right? Well...Megan was "Too Stupid To Love"--a condition where our heroine is too stupid to act on her feelings when it's vital and then, in turn, is so stupid we don't feel she should even get her happily ever after. >.<
Aside from the mythology I just mentioned, the only other saving grace this book had was the Supreme Snow God, Boreas. I really wish we'd gotten to see him as a younger character and that he'd been the lead, because he was freakin' hilarious. He showed up a couple times and totally had me laughing by the end of the story.
Purchase or Pass?
I'm honestly at a loss on this one. The best I can say is to take a look at the things I complained about: (1) super, duper, OMFG Kat thought it was insta-love and didn't like it; (2) Where's the plot, man! (3) Sex-o-palooza (boring, generic sex at that...) and (4) a hero who is pretty much as bland as the snow that sustains him. I don't want to write this series off completely because Laura Kaye's writing was good, I've heard the series gets a bit more momentum as it progresses, and I loved the mythology. But I'm not going to be racing to get book two like my butt's on fire.
kendrabetweenthelines's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.0
I'm pretty sure that I just spent 7.5 hours listening to cringey Olaf fanfiction. Do not recommend.
purpletrashpandareads's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
It was pretty okay until they played the baby card. Does this author know anything of pregnancy???
You cannot tell gender in the first week of pregnancy.
And no, you're not eating for two yet either. It's just a clump of cells at that point. Don't start with me about craving ice cream.
Ugh. Biggest pet peeve.
You cannot tell gender in the first week of pregnancy.
And no, you're not eating for two yet either. It's just a clump of cells at that point. Don't start with me about craving ice cream.
Ugh. Biggest pet peeve.
rebecca_3's review against another edition
4.0
This was a sweet Christmas romance, which was just what I was looking for, and what I have come to expect from [a:Laura Kaye|4805272|Laura Kaye|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1313725122p2/4805272.jpg]. Owen was hot, the romance was hot, the sex was hot, the weather was cold. :P
I really loved Owen actually. He was so silly and light-hearted. He acted like a child sometimes and I thought it was adorable, as did Megan. Definitely my kind of guy. As she wished him goodnight, he asked her if they could have ice cream for breakfast. Haha, how cute! And of course she couldnt say no to him. Who could?
The story and mythology behind it was really interested and added a twist to a story that could have easily been contemporary. And I really enjoyed Boreas too. The only problem for me was the way Megan accepted her situation. Some random guy shows up at her secluded cabin and she lets him in, lets him stay even though he has hardly given her an explanation as to why he knew her name. And when she wakes up the next morning to find him sleeping on the floor next to her bed, she doesnt freak out. And once he does give her an explanation for why he is there, she just accepts it. No problem believing in the paranormal. It was a bit of a stretch, but I really enjoyed it nonetheless, and it had a great HEA. I cannot wait to read the sequel, [b:West of Want|13090964|West of Want (Hearts of the Anemoi, #2)|Laura Kaye|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355035930s/13090964.jpg|18262688]. This is my third Laura Kaye book and I have loved them all so far. Check her out!
I really loved Owen actually. He was so silly and light-hearted. He acted like a child sometimes and I thought it was adorable, as did Megan. Definitely my kind of guy. As she wished him goodnight, he asked her if they could have ice cream for breakfast. Haha, how cute! And of course she couldnt say no to him. Who could?
The story and mythology behind it was really interested and added a twist to a story that could have easily been contemporary. And I really enjoyed Boreas too. The only problem for me was the way Megan accepted her situation. Some random guy shows up at her secluded cabin and she lets him in, lets him stay even though he has hardly given her an explanation as to why he knew her name. And when she wakes up the next morning to find him sleeping on the floor next to her bed, she doesnt freak out. And once he does give her an explanation for why he is there, she just accepts it. No problem believing in the paranormal. It was a bit of a stretch, but I really enjoyed it nonetheless, and it had a great HEA. I cannot wait to read the sequel, [b:West of Want|13090964|West of Want (Hearts of the Anemoi, #2)|Laura Kaye|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355035930s/13090964.jpg|18262688]. This is my third Laura Kaye book and I have loved them all so far. Check her out!
island_reader's review against another edition
1.0
Doing something different for this one and showing my thought process as I went along.
- 0% - Sounds very interesting! #Excited (Yes, I speak in hashtags...)
- 10% - Over her obsession with her dead husband. It's been a long time, girl! Move on!
- 20% - Boring, unremarkable. Beige. Thinking about DNFing.
- 25% - YES! The introduction of Boreas is adding some life to this story.
- 45% - The sex scene is a bit too long and drawn out. Kind of boring that way.
- 50% - *Yawn* Same same is too same. Oh and his speech has changed from that of a common man to a king from the 15th centuary all pretentious and stupid. Annoying.
This book could've used more Boreas because the MC's on their own suck. So, yeah. I'm over it. DNF 50%. Not continuing with series.
- 0% - Sounds very interesting! #Excited (Yes, I speak in hashtags...)
- 10% - Over her obsession with her dead husband. It's been a long time, girl! Move on!
- 20% - Boring, unremarkable. Beige. Thinking about DNFing.
- 25% - YES! The introduction of Boreas is adding some life to this story.
- 45% - The sex scene is a bit too long and drawn out. Kind of boring that way.
- 50% - *Yawn* Same same is too same. Oh and his speech has changed from that of a common man to a king from the 15th centuary all pretentious and stupid. Annoying.
This book could've used more Boreas because the MC's on their own suck. So, yeah. I'm over it. DNF 50%. Not continuing with series.
melmel's review against another edition
3.0
Recieved as a Goodreads First read for an honest review.
I'm not sure about this book.
I won it as a first reads book awhile ago, but really struggled to get into it, so i put it down for awhile. I picked it up this morning and finished it today.
It wasn't a bad book, not at all, but I found it difficult to really get into it, i'm not sure if it was a lack of action? or the really short time he did have to make her love him and get over john.
The sex scenes were well done though ;)
I guess i expected more action. Usually with paranormal romance there is some kind of battle involved, and kidnapping and what not. this was pretty tame in comparison to some others that i have read. It was definitely more romance and less excitement.
It WAS a nice book, one to read on a summers day, but not one to read if you like a bit of adrenalin pumping.
I have read though the reviews and i think i will give Kaye's other books a go though, as they all have good reviews.
I'm not sure about this book.
I won it as a first reads book awhile ago, but really struggled to get into it, so i put it down for awhile. I picked it up this morning and finished it today.
It wasn't a bad book, not at all, but I found it difficult to really get into it, i'm not sure if it was a lack of action? or the really short time he did have to make her love him and get over john.
The sex scenes were well done though ;)
I guess i expected more action. Usually with paranormal romance there is some kind of battle involved, and kidnapping and what not. this was pretty tame in comparison to some others that i have read. It was definitely more romance and less excitement.
It WAS a nice book, one to read on a summers day, but not one to read if you like a bit of adrenalin pumping.
I have read though the reviews and i think i will give Kaye's other books a go though, as they all have good reviews.