Review: North of Need by Laura Kaye

Title: North of Need (Hearts of the Anemoi, Book 1)

Author: Laura Kaye

Release Date: November 1, 2011

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Category: Erotic Paranormal Contemporary Romance

Type: Kindle/Paperback

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Website: http://laurakayeauthor.com/

 

Book Blurb:

Her tears called a powerful snow god to life, but only her love can grant the humanity he craves...

Desperate to escape agonizing memories of Christmas past, twenty-nine-year-old widow Megan Snow builds a snow family outside the mountain cabin she once shared with her husband, realizing too late that she's recreated the very thing she'll never have.

Called to life by 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. But this Christmas 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.

Book Excerpt:

Small moans and whimpers rose up from Megan’s throat. The sounds ricocheted through Owen’s body, made him hard and impatient where he rocked against her. Her hands locked behind his neck, she held her breath, clenched her eyes shut.

                                               

She was still kissing him, but something felt off.

Owen pulled back to find tears streaming from her eyes. His heart dropped into his stomach. “Have I hurt you?”

She slapped a hand over her mouth, shook her head. Watery blue eyes peered up at him. Full of grief.

Mind reeling with concern and confusion, he stroked her cheek. The need to ease her rocked through him. “Please, Megan.”

“Too good to be true. Knew it,” she rushed in a tear-strained voice.

Owen frowned, tried but failed to follow her logic. “I don’t—”

She dropped her hand, wiped at the tears on one side. “If you’re a god, you can’t stay. You’ll have to go. Sometime. And I’ll—”

He shook his head. “I want to stay, Megan.” Perhaps the biggest understatement he’d ever uttered. Not only did he want her, he wanted what a life with her could offer—loving companionship, a satisfying conclusion to the empty endlessness of immortality. Not even the loss of his powers outweighed the myriad benefits of humanity.

She pushed against him, but he held fast. “Please don’t. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. I couldn’t—”

He cupped her face, leaned right over her, and forced her eyes to meet his. “You need only choose me, Megan, and I will stay forever.”

Favorite Dialogue:

The men in her life wanted her to be happy, wanted her to let go of the pain. Wanted her to embrace life. To live.

John couldn’t. But she could.

Owen’s mouth dropped open when she dragged her exploring fingers across the deep red of his bottom lip. So soft.

For now, she’d start with what she knew. “I do want you, Owen. And I need you.” She swallowed. “So much.”

A deep sound of satisfaction rumbled low in his throat and ricocheted down her body. Those soft lips found hers, already open, waiting for his touch. With his kiss, he possessed her. His scent—winter spice and male—filled her senses. His body covered her. She could live on the cool, sweet taste of his tongue. And, God, his little moans and grunts reverberated right down to the wet heat between her legs.

He trailed open-mouthed kisses over her cheek to her ear, sucked her lobe between his lips and flicked it with his tongue. She gasped as goose bumps erupted everywhere and she offered her neck to his exploration.

“I want you, Megan. Be mine. Gods.”

He licked and sucked down her neck. She shivered and grabbed onto the firmness of his sculpted biceps. He nipped at the tendon where neck met shoulder. A moan exploded from her, loud and wanton, but couldn’t be helped. She threaded her fingers into his silky black hair and held him to her. “Again,” she rasped. He teased her with his teeth, then his tongue and lips. “God, Owen.”

She chuckled even as she whimpered at the spine-tingling nips and bites.

“What’s so funny?” His warm breath caressed her bare skin.

“Sorry, it’s just…” She covered her mouth with her hand, humor-induced tears now gathering at the corners of her eyes.

He pulled her hand away. “Never hide your smile from me.” He pressed kisses to her knuckles, then pinned her wrist beside her shoulder.

Review:

Laura Kaye was recommended to me by a friend. Previous to the recommendation, I had not an inkling who this author was. I now know exactly who she is and am thrilled to have discovered her! As a first read from this author, I couldn’t have picked a better book. North of Need is a terrific story about loss and the human ability to cope. Many times we cope in our own ways. Friends and family may or may not agree with our methods, but we do the best we can with the devices we are equipped with.

Megan had it all. Perfect husband and perfect life – until Christmas day, two years ago, when her entire world came crashing down; the result of a terrible car accident. For the last two years Megan has struggled with moving beyond her grief and finding her way in life without her husband. Unfortunately, her methods involve closing herself off from friends and family to a degree. And so she sits, once again, alone for another holiday at the cabin she and her husband had shared together. As she sits and waits for the exact time of that fateful night that changed her life, she encounters an unexpected arrival – a man, partially dressed, passed out on the front porch of her far away retreat, in the middle of a blizzard.

Owen takes a bit to remember his purpose, but once he does, he is ready for the challenge: to make Megan his. But Owen has a lot of challenges to circumvent if he is to be successful in his mission. Not only does he have to work his way past Megan’s defenses, put up to protect herself from ever feeling such loss again, he also has to work within the confines of a body that cannot stand much heat. Did I forget to mention that Owen is a snow God? Yeah … heat and snow, not a great mix. And on top of everything else, one of the other Gods is in a pique and sending a warm front headed toward Owen, effectively cutting his time to get through to Megan to a mere four days! Yikes!

I so enjoyed this book! Megan shows tremendous growth from beginning to end. I wanted to cry at her loss, smack her for damn near losing Owen, and jump with joy when she took that leap! Not that I didn’t sympathize with her reasons, but dang! Hawt man, second chance, spectacular sex … no brainer! And Owen? I wants! He’s gorgeous, he has every good quality a woman wants, he is slightly flawed, but in an endearing sort of way, and he is a God with magical powers! What is not WIN about Owen? Nothing, that’s what! And do you want to know the best part? There is a whole series of gorgeous Gods searching for their special someone! Weeeee! West of Want is set to release March 2012, South of Surrender hits July 2012, and East of Ecstasy rounds the group out in November 2012! If these books are anything close to North of Need, we are in for a helluva treat! Mark your to-read piles now! Laura Kaye is, without a doubt, an author to watch!

(E-book provided by publisher for review)