ACOTAR meets beauty and the beast with icy tension, enemies to lovers, witty banter & “I’d burn the world for you” 🔥

Grab a jumper, let me set the scene… ❄️

The north wind god selects a human wife every few decades in order to maintain the strength of a magical barrier that prevents darkling creatures from entering.

“It’s your blood I need, not your death. Your oath, not your lies. In one day’s time, we will be wed.” 💍

Our sassy & cake loving FMC Wren won’t go down without a fight, we have multiple knife to throat moments however as the days pass Wren realises her captor isn’t as cold hearted as she originally believed.

“I, too, know what it’s like to be alone…maybe we can be alone together”

The story also explores the complexities of grief, alcoholism, self worth & love.

“You did not shy away from my scars. Why should I shy away from yours”

This book is for you if you love:

>Enemies to lovers / Captor vs captive
>Arranged marriage
>Icy atmosphere
>One bed
>Banter
>”My wife”
>Burn the world for you

I was living for the tension and banter, you can’t tell me that the “bone broth soup” scene didnt have you on the edge of your seat? Im UNWELL 🫠

The one bed trope mixed with the comments about sleeping on the floor and having back pain will live in my head rent free forever.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an eARC copy for review.

The North Wind is a Beauty and the Beast and Hades and Persephone retelling.

The beginning of The North Wind had me worried that I wasn't going to like the book, I'm not sure if it was the vibe or that the story starts off with Wren (the FMC) in the woods, hunting to get food to help her sister survive, which transported me straight back to the beginning of ACOTAR.

Regardless, my opinion on the book changed quite quickly as I kept reading. The writing was magical and lyrical at times, the story flowed seamlessly and the plot kept me interested to find out what would happen next and when the North Wind's heart would thaw and give in to Wrens chaotic personality.

There relationship was so beautiful to watch transform. It was magical, raw, emotional and vulnerable.

This was a true enemies to lovers, one bed and would you call it grumpy x sunshine, when they were both a little grumpy?

The spice was amazing, I'm not always a big fan of spice but this was perfection.

Other than that Wrens alcoholism was a little of a struggle for me to read having a family member who has passed from the same condition However, while frustrating at times I really enjoyed seeing her strength as she struggled with the disease, her true feelings and her rose shaded glasses be removed regarding her sister and learned to love herself and others again.

Highly recommend everyone give this book a go and I cant wait to read book 2 and to find more about The North Winds trickster brother!

I love a good fantasy set in snowy climes. Especially when the leading lady is so lovely and there's a focus on her relationship with her family. An easy read with a good flow that should suit any romantasy fan.

As soon as I read inspired by Beauty and the Beast and the myth of Hades and Persephone I was in. It is stated to be a stand-alone, enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn fantasy romance - the first in a series with some Greek mythology influence. Sadly, for me, I found the slow burn to be more of the slow and less of the burn. I wished there to be more world building (it is rather underdeveloped) so as to have a clear understanding of this world. I found it to be more YA, which is fine if I knew that going in my expectations are aligned. The ideas are there but it was just lacking a bit in execution.

Thank you for letting me read this book.

I tried to like it, but it ended up not being the book for me. I couldn’t connect to the characters, I found the FMC extremely annoying and frustrating, her personality seemed all over the place. The North Wind himself was not an easy character to comprehend.

I enjoy Beauty & The Beast retellings but there’s so many of them out now that unfortunately for me this one didn’t stand out. 2.5 stars. But I’m sure someone else will like it.

*Light spoilers in this review, proceed with caution*

Wren of Edgewood is everything I hoped for and more. Wren is a total badass, doing whatever it takes to protect her sister in a land where winter never ends. The twist? The only way to keep their world from falling apart is for a mortal woman to marry the North Wind, an immortal with a heart as cold as ice.

When the North Wind sets his sights on Wren’s sister, Wren steps up, willing to sacrifice herself. From the get-go, the sparks fly between Wren and the North Wind. Their chemistry is off the charts! The tension, the banter, the slow unraveling of their feelings – it's all so well done. Watching the North Wind's icy exterior melt because of Wren is incredibly satisfying.

If you love a good enemies-to-lovers story with a magical twist, "Wren of Edgewood" is a must-read. It's packed with action, romance, and just the right amount of fantasy. Trust me, you won't be able to put it down!

It’s been a while since I’ve been enthralled by a good fantasy, but this one had me hooked. I love a good slow burn romance, and this was certainly that. The tension was intense throughout, and when they finally admitted how they felt, it was so satisfying.

We have a few tropes in this one and they happen to be some of my faves. I love the enemies to lovers trope and I think it was done so well in this book because it was done in a believable way. I loved the way Wren stood up to Boreas and challenged him at every turn.
The one bed trope is always a good one, and this one had me chuckling. Loved it.

I did find the epilogue a little random, but it was cute.

All in all, if you enjoy Beauty and the Beast retellings, slow burn with spice, enemies to lovers and one bed, then this is the one for you.

The North Wind by Alexandria Warwick is a masterfully crafted fantasy novel that truly shines in its traditional publication. Originally self-published, this enchanting tale has captivated readers once again with its richly imagined world and deeply compelling characters. Warwick's prose is both lyrical and immersive, drawing readers into a realm where the icy grip of the North Wind holds sway. The protagonist's journey is fraught with danger, magic, and a stirring romance that blossoms against all odds. The emotional depth and intricate world-building are beautifully balanced, making it impossible to put down. Re-reading this novel has only deepened my appreciation for Warwick's storytelling prowess. The North Wind is a well-deserved 5 out of 5 stars, a testament to Warwick's talent and the timeless allure of her enchanting narrative.

I struggled to read more then 40% of this book and will not be reviewing on other platforms as was a DNF for myself

The North Wind by Alexandria Warwick ❄️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Firstly, this cover is STUNNING!! ✨
Secondly, I received the ARC of this and within the first 50 pages ran to preorder myself a physical copy 🫣
This is an enemies to lovers Beauty & the Beast/Hades & Persephone retelling and I was obsessed 🙌 this book reminded me of my first time reading ACOTAR in the best way (Wren 100% gave me Feyre vibes).

I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book 👀 in the meantime definitely give this one a try if your a fan of enemies to lovers, slow burn, badass fmc 😉

Thank you so much @alexandriawarwick @simonschusterau for the ARC (& sorry for the late review)

The North Wind was a Beauty and the Beast meets Hades and Persephone retelling full of heart.
When Wren gives herself to the Frost King, lord of the dead, in place of her sister, she thought it was to sacrifice her life. She never imagined that she would become the wife of the surly immortal.

I really enjoyed the slow enemies to friends to lovers of Wren and Boreas. I liked that they both had demons to overcome. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book!

The North Wind reminds me of Beauty and the Beast mixed with the myth of Hades and Persephone added for inspiration. An enjoyable read that will tick off almost every fantasy trope on your bingo board, this will be popular with the book-tok crowd.

Thank you to Netgalley, Simon & Schuster and Alexandria Warwick for providing me with a free copy of this book for review. The below is my opinion freely given

Generally not a Romantasy reader but I think I might just be swaying over.

This is a nice story, the world is rich and well built, most of the main characters are well realised, the pacing is really good with the right amount tension both in the story and in the romance.
Slightly more spice then I usually look for in books but it doesn't seem gratuitous. Some scenes could be classed as very light smut/ dark romance but nothing outrageous. In fact, this is a good story for those maybe wanting to explore moving to the darker side of romance.

I found this really enjoyable and entertaining. Boreas and Wren had a wonderful chemistry on the page and they were both the right amount of "damaged" without being self pitying and hard to take. Really keen to follow this series through to the end.

I have to get this out of the way as well- NEVER have the first lines of a book given me the ick as much as this one - "It is the palest of grays, yet a red stain clots the eastern horizon - evidence of the rising sun. The stain expands, sopping the clouds and dripping farther westward. BLERGH - I am sure the author didn't intend this reaction but I cant help but think of a monthly visitor. It was almost enough to make me DNF the book immediately. I am glad I didn't but it was a very close run thing.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher of providing me with an e-arc of this book. My opinions are my own.
I saw a review call this "Budget ACOTAR", and while I cant agree because I haven't read ACOTAR. I have read this book, and because of that I can say Ill never read ACOTAR.
I'm not going to lie though, the first chapter was well written, like this book started of strong. But from then on.... well the quality drastically reduced.
From the overexplained first person perspective to the trope checklist, such as; she was not like other girls, wine dependency (Which was a bit on the nose for me because I just finished reading The Broken Blade by Melissa Blair which was another mediocrely written book about a girl not like other girls who had a wine dependency, and honestly there are so many other ways to write an unreliable narrator.), one bed, enemies to lovers, and I could go on. But basically the tropes be troping. Conversely, the plot was not plotting, and by that I mean I have questions? So many unfinished thoughts, so many stupid plans. Why?
These romantic fantasies obviously have their audience, and generally I don't consider myself one of them. But I'll enjoy just about anything if the writing is good enough, and this wasn't.

The North Wind is the first of ‘The Four Winds” series. Our MC, Wren, lives in the mythical land of Edgewood, a land that has had a permanent winter for 300 years, while the lands beyond are encased in ice as the Shade, a magical barrier which protects Edgewood citizens from Deadwood. The barrier has been weakening and the only thing that can strengthen it again the blood of a mortal woman who has to be married to the North Wind, aka Boreas the Frost King. He is the scary god of death and winter, one of four brothers who each control a season.

The book opens when the Boreas comes to choose his new bride. The belief is that she will be sacrificed to placate the Shade. Wren’s young sister is selected to be one of the candidates for him to chose. Wren has cared for, and protected, her sister since their parents died so she steps in and takes her place, fooling Boreas into marrying her instead. It is hate at first sight.

Wren is one tough cookie, and Boreas has no idea what he’s in for. Wren is strong-willed and tough - all she wants to do is kill Boreas and get back to her sister. Boreas is heartless and hateful; trusts no one. Wren gradually changes her opinion which makes it hard to carry out her plan to kill him, Boreas too is changing his thought about Wren. Eventually they have to work together to save everything and maybe, just maybe, fall in love.

The story is beautifully written - the fantasy world came alive on the pages. It is a slow-paced story that kept me glued to the pages from the scene setting opening “…The sky foretells a coming tragedy. It is the palest of grays, yet a red stain clots the eastern horizon— evidence of the rising sun. The stain expands, sopping the clouds and dripping farther westward. Huddled in the thicket of snow-laden trees, I watch the day waken with fear running cracks through my heart. The sky is red, like bloodshed. Like revenge…” to the very end which I won’t quote as is a serious spoiler. Let’s just say that cake is involved.

Loved the story, the danger, the betrayal, the friendship and above all the true love growing out of pure hate.

This was the exact type of entertainment that I needed. Light, readable, not too angsty, swoonworthy – this was so much fun. I also ADORED the mythology, the scatterings of Greek mythology woven into this fascinating fantasy world was so gorgeous to read.

“The low, lamenting peal of a ram’s horn climbs through the valley and kicks my pulse into a perilous spring. The sky foretold a coming tragedy, and it was right.
The North Wind has come.”

Our protagonists were so loveable – Wren was bold, brash, and so fun. I loved her commitment to, firstly, saving her sister, then to drawing our frosty little North Wind out of his shell. I felt that every decision Wren made was so understandable – she made mistakes, but I simply can’t imagine any other realistic choice that she could’ve made. She was such an enjoyable protagonist to read about.

“If I am going to die, it will be on my terms. On my feet, not on my knees.”

Boreas was a cutie – he started off as a rude, vaguely terrifying, not-at-all-loveable mmc, but the more we got to see his character and the more he opened up for Wren, the more I grew to love him. He ended up being a major simp, which I loved. And I was so happy by the length of this book – the perfect standalone really, it encompassed all the character and relationship developed that I needed, without dragging on too long or including unnecessary angst.

“My captor, my husband, my enemy, my lover, my friend.
A dream I did not dare to dream.
Mine.”

Overall, so enjoyable. Easy breezy romantasy, a quick and entertaining read, beautiful relationship with a simp of a mmc. Loved the ending, plus the little epilogue (he made her a cake !!!). Romantasy standalones are just so fun! Thank you so much to the author, publisher, NetGalley for the ARC copy :).

“Man and woman, god and mortal, we stare at one another, bound by duty, obligation, and deceit.”

Overall this book was a good read, drawing inspiration from Beauty and the Beast and Hades and Persephone this was a true enemies to lovers with a lot of murder attempts.

I had a love/hate relationship with Wren and The North Wind and I struggled to connect at the start, I almost didn’t finish but about 40% in, the characters developed along with the plot. I found the pace was slow at the start but picked up after the 40% mark.
I did like how the author incorporated addiction into the story and how it affects others alone with oneself, I liked how it was addressed and portrayed.

This is a slow burn to start with as well but we get some spice closer to the end. I enjoyed the found family aspect of the book along with the unique world building and magical system.

I feel awful for giving yet another book a 4-star rating, especially as I loved The North Wind. I'll get to the good points of this story soon, but first, let me tell you why I couldn't give it the full 5-stars.

It took me a few attempts to get past the first paragraph. Then it took a couple of attempts to make it through the first chapter. My initial impression of this book was that it read like a high school creative writing project. It started out overly descriptive with more detail than I felt was necessary.

By Chapter 2, the author seemed to be finding their feet with the story. Descriptions started to lessen as the action happened (still a lot of description though). I could immerse myself in the story more fully from this point onwards.

You might be asking, “Ashleigh, why did you rate this story 4 stars if you struggled that bad?”

Well, for a number of reasons.

I loved the world the story was set in. It was a true fantasy story, with castles, magical rivers and caves, doorways leading to other places, and ghostly spectres serving the royal family.

I loved the way the relationship between the Frost King and Wren developed. It felt natural. Wren was terrified of her husband at first, although she did her best not to let it show. Boreas (the Frost King) was a cold, terrifying figure who slowly opened himself up to his stubborn, brave bride. The couple went from enemies, to friends, to lovers at a pace that felt realistic. I absolutely abhor Insta-love, so this type of relationship development was perfect (in my eyes). In fact, Boreas’ and Wren’s relationship was my favourite part of the story.

And I’ve recently discovered that I’m a sucker for reimagined fairytales (I blame Second Star to the Left by Megan van Dyke), and The North Wind had elements of Beauty and the Beast woven through it.

For a book that took me a few false starts to read, I really did enjoy this book. If the first chapter wasn’t so wordy, I would have given it 5 stars.

Do I recommend this book? Absolutely.

Prior to reading this book I had not heard anything about it, nor read any reviews, so I suppose that it read to me like a retelling of Beauty and the Beast means it hit its mark!
But the slooooow burn, painfully stupid decisions made by the protagonist Wren, the concept of shades (ghosts) who can bleed and feel pain, yet food tastes like ash (anyone here tasted ash so they know what it tastes like?) and Game of Thronesesque wights and White Walkers (I forget what they are called in this book) made it total drudgery to read. If it hadn’t been that I accepted the e-book via NetGalley to read in return for an honest review, this would have been on my DNF pile!
So many questions raised, so few answers given, why does Boreas AKA The North Wind AKA The Frost King need to take a wife every 30 years? What does he do with the previous ones? Does he bleed them to death trying to repair holes in the shade? Do they head off through one of the many doors in his castle, never to be found again? Why is Wren, who clearly has kept her and her twin sister alive through all kinds of trauma, a skilled huntress who is prepared to prostitute herself to get nice things for her sister, such an inordinately stupid brat? Why three quarters of the way through the book do we suddenly need passionate, explicit sex scenes? Why, why, why?
This is the first in a series of four books, I am not inspired to attempt any of the next three!
2 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for approving my request for this book! It was amazing.

I love a enemies to lovers trope, especially when it’s “Beauty and the Beast”-esq. like the heat in this book is soooooo yummy!!!! Wren and Boreas make such a dynamic duo!!!