I neither loved nor hated this book, it was... middle of the line, mediocre, at best for me. I can appreciate the author's take on the classic Beauty and the Beast tale mixed with Hades/Persephone; however, the plot missed the mark. The pacing felt disjointed and too slow in parts and the plot left me scratching my head in others.

I wanted a fantasy and I got one. Alexandria you are amazing! Clap Clap. Don’t pass this one up. I wanted a casual read and planned on reading a chapter a week but I ended up reading the whole book in a day. Sometimes you just have to know the ending.

"The North Wind" by Alexandria Warwick offers an intriguing blend of Beauty and the Beast and Greek mythology, set against a backdrop of a cold, barren fantasy world rich in detail. As a standalone, it provides a satisfying conclusion, though some subplots felt rushed, leaving me with lingering questions.

This slow-burn romance features an enemies-to-lovers dynamic, with Wren as a flawed but determined protagonist. Her struggles with addiction and a take-charge attitude make her a complex character, though at times, her demeanor can be hard to warm up to. This may be a reflection of her imprisonment, which adds depth to her journey.

The North Wind, embodied by the god Boreas, is a compelling figure—strong and passionate. Their relationship unfolds in a way that is both spicy and heartfelt, appealing to older young adults rather than a teen audience.

While the story felt familiar, echoing themes and character traits from other tales, Warwick’s writing is engaging enough that I found myself wanting to explore her future works. Although "The North Wind" may not break new ground, it is a solid addition to the genre, and I’m curious to see how Warwick continues to develop her storytelling in upcoming titles.

Easy story to get into and get lost in a new world! Loved that the main character was a twin and how protective she was of her sister.

The book I didn’t know I needed!

Alexandria Warwick has a lyrical and beautiful way of storytelling that keeps the reader cativated from the very beginning.

I loved everything about this book, from the characters that had so much depth to them to the world building that was done phenomenally well!

My only critique is that the middle felt like it dragged on a little, but other than that this book was AMAZING!

Thank you to Alexandria Warwick, NetGalley, and the publishers for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

DNF

A tale as old as time, but starting to turn stale.

Readers who can't get enough Hades/Persephone retellings or trying to fill the Sara J Maas hole in their heart should give this a try. The Witch Collector by Charissa Weaks is a similar read.

This book had a lot of promise, I did enjoy some things in this book and those are:
-villain love interest, banter (just a little bit though), and some action.

Most of the book I was just confused what was going on and couldn’t for the life of me connect to the characters. I read this back in May and decided to give it another shot but I just didn’t enjoy it.

This book really just kinda fell flat and missed the mark for me. My biggest issue is that the story line really just made no sense, add that to the pacing which was unbearably slow at times, and I just couldn't get into it fully. The world building didn't seem as flushed out as I was hoping it would be for a book with this grandeur. The only other complaint I had which is my own thing and not really about the book but the alcoholism and how awful it got before it got bigger was a huge trigger. That being said there were a few things that I did enjoy about the story. I liked the majority of the characters and felt that the chemistry between Wren and Boreas was done well and in a genuine way. And although the alcoholism was a trigger for me I do like the way that Boreas handled and supported Wren without being judgy and overbearing. I think this led a lot to their romantic development feeling real and not forced. Over all I do plan on picking up the next book and seeing what is next.

I... personally didn't love this one. Beauty and the Beast meets Hades and Persephone should have been in my wheelhouse, but this read like mediocre fanfiction. That being said, I still think a lot of people are going to enjoy it. While it's not a book I'm likely to hand sell, I would keep a copy on the shelf, because I think the twenty-something romantasy girls will really devour it.

I received an advanced copy of The North Wind from Netgalley and the publisher and am leaving this review voluntarily.

If you tell me a book is a fairy tale retelling, I'm sold. Throw in a dash of Greek mythology, and I'll line up at the door for it. Unfortunately, The North Wind was a solid three-star read for me.

I honestly couldn't tell you what I liked or disliked about this book, which will probably make this a shorter review than usual. It was original enough to interest me, but the plot wasn't very developed. Multiple things were introduced as plotlines but left behind in favor of the romance, which I suppose I should have expected but was disappointing nonetheless.

The characters were okay. I didn't find anything particularly memorable about them. I will say that I did like the way the romance developed. It didn't feel forced or too fast. I'm a sucker for slow-burns, and this book scratched that itch.

I genuinely don't have much to say. I liked The North Wind enough to finish it, but I'm not leaving with anything to remember.

I enjoyed the world and the creatures that reside there. The gods and the different realms and powers. I did see some consistencies of Beauty and the Beast for sure. It’s was just okay for me

A fairy tale for fans of Sarah J. Maas and other romatasies or enemies-to-lovers tropes. The North Wind comes periodically to Wren's village in search of a wife. Wren is overly protective of her twin sister and will do anything to stop the North Wind from choosing her. Wren sacrifices herself in place of her sister. Wren's plan for taking her sister's place includes killing the North Wind and restoring spring to the land. Wren doesn't take into account developing feelings for the North Wind. As the two spend time together, they learn about who they are and their value. Will Wren be able to follow through with her plan?
Although part of a forthcoming series, The North Wind could also be read as a stand-alone novel.
This book includes sexual and adult content.

A little Beauty and the Beast. A little Greek mythology. Strong characters. A fantasy world that is icy could and barren but so rich from the word building. I'm here for all of this and Alexandria Warwick delivers. This is a standalone. I like that because I needed to know what happens at the end. HOW things happen and some loose ends did make it seem rushed left me with questions about subplots
This is slow burn, not smut but still a little spicy. For older young adults but not teens IMO.It is enemies to lovers, which I like. Parts of it I didn't love but you can't like every trope and how it's written every time. Wren, is a flawed character. Not in the writing but her character traits. She's a take action and get it done person. She struggles with addiction. Admittedly it's hard to like her at times, not for the addiction but her attitude. Maybe that's what happened when you become a prisoner though. The North Wind is a god (Boreas). He's strong. He's interesting. When he loves, he loves.
I can't wait for the sending in this series.

From the publisher

Wren of Edgewood is no stranger to suffering. With her parents gone, it’s Wren’s responsibility to ensure she and her sister survive the harsh and endless winter, but if the legends are to be believed, their home may not be safe for much longer.

For three hundred years, the land surrounding Edgewood has been encased in ice as the Shade, a magical barrier that protects the townsfolk from the Deadlands beyond, weakens. Only one thing can stop the Shade’s fall: the blood of a mortal woman bound in wedlock to the North Wind, a dangerous immortal whose heart is said to be as frigid as the land he rules. And the time has come to choose his bride.

When the North Wind sets his eyes on Wren’s sister, Wren will do anything to save her—even if it means sacrificing herself in the process. But mortal or not, Wren won’t go down without a fight…

The North Wind is a stand-alone, enemies-to-lovers slow-burn fantasy romance, the first in a series sprinkled with Greek mythology.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

really loved this! I enjoyed the relationship dynamics both romantic and non-romantic, especially how realistic they felt for the situation.

Big fan of the Beauty and the Beast meets Hades and Persephone vibes this has going on. Absolutely devoured this one.

Where do I begin. This book tore my heart out and wiped my tears. It stomped on my intestines and rocked me to sleep. It ripped my arm off then bandaged my wound. This book is a sour patch kid. Mean at first and then nice. I have no words. I would run into a burning building for this book. I would sell my soul to read it again for the first time. I would do all the booktok things and it still wouldn’t be enough. This book murdered me and then saved my life. I can’t.

I was super excited for this book because it is listed as a Persephone/Hades retelling which is one of my favorite myths so I had high expectations. Unfortunately, this one fell a little flat in my opinion- but keep in mind I am sure others might enjoy this, so read this if it appeals to you.
Anyway, my biggest problem with this was the main character and how much I disliked her. She was more like a (alcoholic) wild animal, full of rage and motivated purely by instinct, with no rational decisions. I spent the whole book wanting to shake her for her ridiculous actions and I never connected to her which made it hard for me to root for her. Also the story was at times confusing, the plot jumping around with no transitions and some mystical things barely described leaving me unsure what it really was.
I think the story had potential but it was not a great read for me, I probably would have stopped reading if I did not suffer from the flaw of not being able to DNF a book. That being said, I might read the next book in the series...

*Enemies to lovers
*Greek Mythology
*Fantasy
*Romance
*Battle

I will say I liked this book for the most part. I liked the spin on the story of Hades or "The Frost King" in this book. It was a love story with a twist. I did feel that some of this was rather long and drug out. I understood the story building aspect, however, I did not feel that it needed to be as long of a story as it was. Again I enjoyed reading this but it did require some patience. I am however, intrigued to read more of her work as I know West Wind is coming soon. I truly appreciated the ending of this story and I felt happy after finishing it.

Thank you Netgalley and Alexandria Warrick for allowing me to read this book.

Wren of Edgewood has thought of nothing but keeping her twin sister Elora safe for as long as she can remember. It has always been up to Wren to be the brave, fearless scavenger in order to keep them alive. But that is about to change.
The town of Edgewood has served this King for as long as they all can remember, by providing him wives. And the Frost King has come yet again for his bride to be. When Elora is chosen it is up to Wren to save her yet again by taking her place as tribute.
What will become of Wren, will she be sacrificed to a horrible death? As she is taken to the North Kingdom, reminiscent of the gates of hell, Wren is stunted to find out what the true purpose the Frost King brides serve. Wren must find a way to kill the king and escape this gothic castle like prison. However, the more time she spends with specters and the devilishly handsome king, Boreas, she just might find that there is a reason for staying.
Overall rating 5/5
Having a very similar plot line to that of ACOTAR and reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast, this book was gothically delicious! I loved the Persephone and underworld type vibes this story gave, every time Wren took a bite of cake I was silently screaming NOOOO! The slow spicy burn and enemy to friends tropes were so well written and had me craving more. I can’t wait to read the next installment and secretly hope that Wren gets some magical powers of her own.

*Thank you to Alexandria Warwick, Saga Press | S&S/Saga Press, and Netgalley for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.