4 ⭐️
2 🌶️

Wren lives in a small village with her sister, their parents have died and she will do anything to protect her sister.

The North Wind is a god banished to the mortal realm, comes to the village to choose another woman to take back to the deadlands, and her sister is chosen. Wren ends up taking her place in secret, to protect her sister from him.
Wren discovers that she is set to marry the North Wind, she rebels but she is determined to survive, so she decides she is going to kill the North Wind.

Wren is a very strong willed character, she's very much suffering from her own problems and trauma from her childhood and the rule she took of protecting her sister what ever the cost and the realisation of how that has affected her. The North Wind King has his own trauma and throughout the book you see how much they needed each other. There's suffering and heartbreak but along with tender moments and love.

I enjoyed the storyline, with Wren growth throughout the book and her understanding of the North Wind. It's a slow burn, enemies to lover's trope with lots of tension.

Thank you Netgallary and Simon Schuster UK for the ARC

Wow this was a hard book. The first 35-40% was HARD. I hated both the main characters, they were flat and I was not interested in the story at all. At one point I almost DNF'd due to the female main character being wildly inconsistent.

The great thing about this book is the enemies to lovers is done wonderfully. Despite both the characters shortcomings in the beginning, I did grow to at least tolerate them both rather than wishing I was reading anything else. That said, as their relationship grew and we learnt more about the characters, I did enjoy their scenes where they were together, bickering and learning to love one another.

However, I really didn't like the pacing of this book. It has a few moments where it seems to not know what it's doing and then you end up bored while it tries to bring you back. The slow burn was SUUUUUUPER slow. Just when you THINK you're about to get some at around 70%, it's ripped away from you and you have to wait till nearly the end of the novel to see the pay off. The relationship also feels a little toxic at times but I think this was to solidify the enemies to lovers aspect.

Overall, I had a good time once I was out of the heavy worldbuilding intro and saggy middle. The last 30% definitely made up for the rest of it and I can see why others will go absolutely feral for it.

“The North Wind” is a mythical romance book by Alexandria Warwick.

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Plot: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Characters: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Suspense: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Romance: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

What you’ll find in this book:
⭐️ Fantasy Romance
⭐️One horse
⭐️ One bed
⭐️Battles
⭐️ Spicy scenes
⭐️Enemies to lovers
⭐️ Myth retelling

Warning content: alcoholism

OMG!!! I couldn’t put that down! A very quick pace that I loved! A mix of love, betrayal, and understanding, plus lots of my favourite tropes made it one of my favourite books this year. Alexandria writes so flawlessly, the tone, and the chapters are all harmoniously written. The creation of the background and the different places was also amazing. Plus there is a map!!!

A smart mouth/ bad-ass heroine against an ancient Greek God. Who will survive? Who will fall in love first?
Wren is used to putting her twin sister’s needs before her own until she is forced to marry a God/King in her sister’s place in order to protect her. Going into his death realm she is forced to find herself and while trying to free herself from the King she falls hard for him. The plot is inspired by Beauty and the Beast and the myth of Hades and Persephone.

Few of my favourite moments:
“Man & Woman, God & Mortal, we stare at one another, bound by duty, obligation and deceit.”
“Once inside, I halt. Of course, there is only one bed.”
“What have I done? I am the fool who fell in love with my enemy”

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my early copy. All opinions are mine and sincere.

"There are many ugly things in this world, wife. But I do not think you are one of them."

Wren cannot let The North Wind take her sister. No one knows what happens to the sacrifices that The North Wind selects and takes to the Shade, all the people of Edgewood know is that they are never seen again. Wren must take her place, she must protect her sister.
The stories surrounding The North Wind appear to be a true, an immortal with icy blue eyes and a cold, brutal heart to match. Yet bold, fearless and stubborn Wren will not bow down to him easily. A story inspired by Beauty and the Beast and Hades and Persephone, this was not one I wanted to miss.

I had not heard or seen this book anywhere, but was very intrigued so decided to give it a go. It starts off very similar to ACOTAR and A Curse So Dark and Lonely so immediately I was hooked.

The romance is very slow burn but the chemistry between the two is apparent quite early on and I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Wren and Boreas as well as them learning more about themselves.

I did find Wren slightly irritating at some points, she was very stubborn and sometimes I just wanted her to be quiet and stop meddling, particular towards the end of the book but Boreas calm demeanor made this a bit more bearable.

The climactic scenes at the end of the book weren't my favourite and whilst The North Wind does nothing new, I found it to be well written, addictive and highly enjoyable - so it still gets 5 stars from me.

I believe this is the first in a series, however I think the next book in the series follows another set of characters so this does read like a standalone.

Try this if you like:
- Beauty and the beast retellings
- Slow burn romance (there is spice!)
- A fearless, stubborn FMC
- "My wife"
- a dark and mysterious MMC
- A Curse So Dark and Lonely

The North Wind selects a woman from the village every few years, and that woman is never seen again. When Wren's sister is chosen, Wren goes in her place - only to discover she is to be wed to the fearsome God.

This book was ok, well written with an interesting plot. There was nothing particularly unique about it though, and it needed to be edited down because it was too long! If you're not bored of the same story (Hades/Persephone, Beauty and the Beast retelling) then it's worth picking up. Just not sure it was for me!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed this book and once I started I felt that I was hooked and wanted to read more.
The world building is fantastic and I loved all the descriptions throughout the book especially how the ghosts were described.
I felt the plot was great and I felt that this was a lovely refreshing slow burn romance and it was just what I needed.
I loved the characters as especially loved seeing their growth and strength throughout the book. Especially when Wren realises she is worth more than she thought. I love the journey that both her and Boreas go through in the book. The book has been described as a Beauty and the Beast Retelling and I can definitely see where that comes through.
I’d love to read more from the other three gods.

Thank you to Netgalley, the Author and the Publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. How did I not know I needed a story that combines retellings of the Hades and Persephone mix and Beauty and the Beast? As soon as I saw the synopsis I knew I had to read it and it definitely didn’t disappoint. I loved the world building, the danger faced outside the castle walls, the mysteries within, and most of all - the romance. It’s safe to say Wren and the god known as the North Wind don’t get off to a good start. Tensions are running high, Wren is feeling protective, and the North Wind’s behaviour is beastly. I loved the progression of these characters and their story, watching them reluctantly share pieces of themselves with each other. The North Wind’s awkward side is incredibly endearing, and Wren’s fierce and independent nature make her such a strong character I couldn’t help but root for. There’s plenty of danger, and both personal and magical mysteries to be unravelled, and time brings these two closer together. I can’t wait to see what Alexandria Warwick writes next!

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

4 stars - a dark beauty and the beast retelling.

The story starts with a village that lives in eternal winter. Every so often the ruler of the village, the north wind (named Boreas) claims a girl from the village and she is never seen again. This year Elora is picked, but her elder sister Wren goes in her place. The story then follows Wren, who soon learns she is to be wed to Boreas, and her plots and schemes for her to escape.

I enjoyed the enemies to lovers trope but felt they became lovers too late in the story so we don't get to see much of their time together in love. Very slow burn and lovers at around the 80% mark and as this book is quite long I feel like I would have rated it higher if it was either shorter or the slow burn ended sooner.

I loved the character of Wren from the very beginning of the story and the inclusion of her addiction story line I felt was unique and not something I’ve seen done before.

I grew to love Boreas as the story went on as he let his walls down and thought he was quite funny at some points.

I enjoyed the authors writing but don’t think the world building was well done. I kept waiting for reasons or explanations to why things were the way they are - why the eternal winter, why is the winter going into the spring realm - but it was never explained. Very little backstory to the village also. I also felt as if Eloras story wasn’t fully resolved by the end.

I overall enjoyed the story but it does have some issues that could frustrate some readers . I know this is a stand-alone in a series of interconnected books so the answers may be given later on.

“The immortal who stole my heart”

I loved this book. I finished it last night and I’ve thought about it all day. I want to go right back to the beginning and absorb it all over again.

Boreas, the North Wind, aka the Frost King is a god, an immortal, banished to the Deadlands to judge the dead and rule the lands that lie beyond death. However weaknesses keep appearing in the defences of his realm. To counter this Boreas takes a bride every few decades, taking her from her home in Edgewood, never to be seen again….. Wren lives with her sister in Edgewood, following the death of their parents several years earlier. She is her sisters self-appointed protector, leading a hard life and developing a drinking problem in the process, to ensure that her sister, Elora, is taken care of. When the North Wind arrives in Edgewood to choose a bride, he chooses Elora……. Wren will do anything to protect her sister, including swapping places with Elora and tricking the North Wind into taking her instead…….

This classic ‘enemies to lovers’ tale takes inspiration from Beauty and the Beast and the myth of Hades and Persephone with a side of Uprooted. It is a slow burning plot, depicting the changing course of the relationship between Boreas and Wren, along with the peril faced by Boreas’ kingdom. Wren is a character carrying a lot of trauma and a drinking problem (which is handled really well) She is angry, defensive and determined. At times she is unlikable, insufferable and mean. she refuses to be cowed by the North Wind. On a couple of occasions she went too far in her self centred endeavours but they were also resolved well by the author and added to the story. Ultimately people are complex and it was a change to not be 100% rooting for the main protagonist.

There are side characters that you cherish as the story moves along - Orla, Silas, Pallas and Thyamine. And some you don’t…..looking at you Zephyrus!

And then there’s Boreas. As soon as the author showed the first bit of vulnerability in the cold, aloof, often rude Frost King, I was captivated. I enjoyed his backstory immensely, explaining exactly how he arrived at the place emotionally he is when you first meet him. His awkwardness interacting with others and his dry, often unintentional, wit made me smile. He is a complex character hidden behind a lot of defences that, as his relationship with Wren changes and grows, begins to emerge. Judging by other reviews I’m certainly not alone in being a fan of Boreas! To reference back to my opening quote, I think he stole my heart too. One of my favourite ‘book boyfriends’ to date.

I can’t end this review without mentioning the tension that develops through the story (and by association, the sexual content). I thought this was the most impressive part of the construction of this book. Most of the ‘enemies to lovers’ stories tend to either not be believable in the eventual attraction, as they’ve been too subtle or too fast to be believable. This hit the mark perfectly. Their initial loathing led to electric tension and confused feelings that slowly simmered and developed throughout the story, tackling crossed wires and feelings of shame and rejection along the way. When they eventually crossed into their ‘lovers’ era it was electric and pulled off really well.

I’m really looking forward to reading more from Alexandria Warwick and especially the next instalment in the Four Winds series. It’ll be a tough challenge to try and better Boreas though.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author Alexandria Warwick and publisher Simon and Schuster for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this enemies to lovers fantasy novel. The storyline was intriguing and I really enjoyed the Greek mythology connections. Definitely give this steamy romance a go if you like Persephone/Hades and Beauty/Best inspired storylines.

I've had my eye on this book since before it was picked up by a publisher. I was so excited to finally get the chance to read it and it certainly did not disappoint.

The North Wind is the first book in a series of standalones and is inspired by Beauty and the Beast and Hades and Persephone. It is a fast paced and beautifully written romantic fantasy full of all of my favourite tropes. I really enjoyed the unique world and I can't wait to revisit it in future books in the series.

It’s an interesting retelling of ‘Beaty and the Beast’ and ‘Hades and Persephone’. I quite enjoyed ‘The North Wind’. It was a good story to read. It had interesting characters. It took me a little while to like Wren, but she grew on me.

It was very slow burn. I think the author needs to work in explaining the world-setting a little better, some parts were a little confusing e.g. the grey, the deadlands.

Overall, it was a nice book with a interesting story that I enjoyed it.

Arc generously provided via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This felt like such a guilty pleasure fantasy and I read it in one night! It had all the things I love: we already know they're gonna get together, she's taken to his dark and brooding castle but she's wilful and stubborn and fights him at every turn. And slowly, slowly they fall in love.

Okay maybe I take back the slowly because although I loved every emotional scene, every argument scene, I feel like perhaps I missed the bit where they really fell in love - I believed when they hated each other, and I believed it when they were happy together - but I just think the middle ground moment was missing for me.

However, the snappiness of both characters was perfect, I LOVED that he enjoys gardening, and the friendships were so cute too! Was so lovely to read, so will see if I can get my hands on the other books!

Title: The North Wind by Alexandria Warwick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars

Wren of Edgewood finds herself shouldering the weight of survival for her and her sister amidst a harsh and unrelenting winter. As the magical barrier known as the Shade weakens, leaving their home vulnerable to the dangers of the Deadlands, a centuries-old legend resurfaces. The only hope to save their town lies in the blood of a mortal woman wed to the North Wind, a perilous immortal ruler. When the North Wind sets his sights on Wren's sister, Wren embarks on a journey to protect her, even if it means offering herself as the sacrificial bride. In this enemies-to-lovers slow-burn fantasy romance, Wren refuses to surrender without a fight, even in the face of an immortal foe.

This captivating tale blends elements of fantasy and romance with a sprinkling of Greek mythology, creating a rich and immersive world that will leave readers spellbound.

The world-building in "The North Wind" is truly exceptional, with Warwick masterfully crafting a vivid and atmospheric setting that feels both magical and perilous. From the icy landscapes of Edgewood to the mysterious realm of the North Wind, each location is brought to life with great detail.

A mesmerising read that will leave you eagerly turning pages until the very end. Warwick's lyrical prose and skilful storytelling make this a must-read for fans of fantasy and romance alike.


Thank you to the publisher Simon and Schuster UK ,The Author Alexandria Warwick & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.

3.75 stars ⭐⭐⭐✨

I was gifted an e-copy by Simon & Schuster via NetGalley and I enjoyed it so much that I ordered the Goldsboro limited edition copy at the 50% mark.

This ticks all the boxes that I'm an absolute sucker for:

☑️ Slow-burn enemies to lovers
☑️ Beauty & the Beast retelling/Hades & Persephone vibes
☑️ Arranged marriage/forced proximity
☑️ Dark fantasy
☑️ Villain love interest
☑️ There's only one bed 🙏

If you're a fan of ACOTAR, I can promise that you'll love The North Wind. Our FMC, Wren, isn't your typical fantasy female lead; she's bolshy, stubborn and a little crude. At some points she's even unlikeable but definitely has a thorugh redemption arc/character development.

Orphaned Wren lives with her twin sister in Edgewood where it is doomed to forever be stuck in winter so there is a constant struggle for food. Wren's sister, Elora, is the total opposite to her; she's delicate, demure, and soft so Wren does everything she can to protect her. Every so often, the immortal God, North Wind (Boreas), visits from the Deadlands to choose a mortal bride from Edgewood to take back with him to never return. When Elora is chosen, Wren goes in her place and returns with the Boreas where she is intent on killing him.

Boreas is the bored, cold, dark-haired MMC that despises mortals and takes a long time to warm up to Wren. It's only as we learn of his past, we start to understand him and he begins to soften. It takes quite a while before Wren and Boreas begin to even tolerate each other, let alone like each other and the moderate spice in the book doesn't come into play until around 75% of the way through.

The world-building is pretty decent but I have liked more as my preference is fantasy with a side of romance but this is definitely more romance with a side of fantasy.

I look forward to reading the next installment based on The West Wind. ☺️

I'll be posting further content on my Tiktok account (@leigh_travers) and Instagram (@leightravers) soon

The North Wind is a beautiful, creative hybrid of the Hades and Persephone myth and the Beauty and the Beast fairytale.
From the first pages, detailed descriptions lay the foundations of solid world building. I love how Wren and Boreas learn lessons from each other simply by letting their guards down accidentally. It's particularly satisfying every time Boreas gets the better of Wren, since she is a very coarse character at first, but becomes more likable as the book progresses as her insecurities are laid bare. The character and relationship development flows naturally. All this set in such a vivid world filled with darkness and danger, but also beauty.
This is an incredibly immersive read if you enjoy romantic fantasy, and I would particularly recommend to those who love fairytale/myth retellings/adaptations. Please note some chapters contain moderate violence and sexual scenes, and there is a theme of (conquering) alcoholism throughout.

eARC provided by Simon & Schuster UK via NetGalley.

Fantastic debut, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read the rest of the Four Winds books.

A slow burn romance, enemies to lovers romantasy, perfect read for fans of the ACOTAR series..

As a big Disney fan, I love that this is a dark take on the Disney classic Beauty and The Beast.

4/5 and would highly recommend.

I just reviewed The North Wind by Alexandria Warwick. #TheNorthWind #NetGalley

A Hades and Persephone x Beauty and the Beast retelling featuring Wren and Boreas.

On the whole I enjoyed this book. The pace is fairly gentle and there is little spice until near the end. I am a fan of less rather than more spice so this worked for me.

I enjoyed Boreas as a character more than Wren who I found rather overly stubborn. I’m not sure I entirely bought their eventual relationship and the depth of his feelings for her.

The alcohol addiction was an interesting addition which is rarely explored in this kind of book.

The ending was my least favourite part of the story but I won’t spoiler it.

A solid 3.5 stars rounded up to 4

I’m not normally one to go for retellings but I enjoy the story of Beauty and the Beast and Hades and Persephone so I thought I’d pick this one up. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review.

The main characters in this story, Wren and Boreas, are interesting yet at the same time a little 2-dimensional. I didn’t really believe in their love story and I didn’t really… feel much emotion for either of them. There wasn’t a moment where I was edge-of-my-seat flipping the proverbial pages to find out what happened next and I really didn’t care for their wellbeing. If anything, I found Wren to be too stubborn for my liking… which is a rare phenomenon when it comes to what I like in my heroines. Too many times I thought “for Pete’s sake, here we go again”.

Boreas was more pleasurable to read about, more up my ally in terms of misunderstood bad guy who is really good. He was well done and I enjoyed the language used to describe him.

This book deals with some dark themes. I thought the discourse around alcoholism in particular was well done. This is a sensitive topic for many and I appreciate it can be hard to do well. It was understated yet present enough, so I applaud Alexandria for this.

Overall I didn’t love it, the characters are my strongest draw to a book and I was disappointed about that but the plot was engaging and I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys retellings of the stories I have already referred to.

In a fantasy world where gods exits, Wren lives with her twin sister in the lands ruled by the North Wind, the King of Frost. For centuries the land has been covered by ice and snow. However, once in a while, the king makes his way to her village to pick a woman to sacrifice, or so everyone believes. When the king chooses Wren's sister, Wren disguises herself and ends up married to the king. While the two don't get along, the more time Wren spends with the King, aka Boreas, the more she gets to know him and the truth behind the way he behaves.

This is a perfect book for fans of romantasy and enemy-to-lovers. I loved how badass Wren is and how she's not afraid to speak her mind. I also hurt for her and for what she had to go through growing up. I'm glad she realised it and how she worked to heal herself. I didn't like Boreas at the beginning. He wouldn't listen to anyone and he his heart was frozen. It was thanks to Wren's bravery (or stubbornness?) that he opened up and find a reason to live. I can't wait for the next book in the series...I need to see the West Wind suffer after what he has done in this book!