Brilliant series! Cannot wait to read the rest! ( )

A good story engages the brain. A great story engages the heart. I’ve lost my heart to the Anemoi.

I am reading these books out of order, but the stories are so well-written and conceptualized that each one can stand on their own without the reader getting confused or lost. In fact, I would be surprised if a reader didn’t itch to get their hands on the rest of them regardless of where they jumped in.

Now that I have read all three, I think this story is my favorite so far, for a few reasons. First, whether Ms Kaye is describing the weather, the Realms of the Gods, or the human dwellings on earth, she always describes every detail with great clarity and nuances that make you feel like you are actually there. Second, both Zeph and Ella have been through a lot of similar emotional turmoil. I loved that they both had “real people problems”, and by that I mean Zeph’s status as a God hasn’t exempted him from experiencing the same emotions as us humans: love, betrayal, deception, grief and paranoia. Third, the men in these stories have a huge responsibility and a very long life span to see things come and go. They love and they fight, but underneath it all, they are all still missing a piece to make them whole. They’re empathetic and just want to be loved for who they are. More than any of the other books, this one spoke to me the loudest.

My heart went out to Zeph and Ella from page one. Connecting with either one of them wasn’t hard at all, and falling in love with them was effortless. Zeph finds himself uncommonly attracted to the human woman he nearly got killed and ultimately rescued. At first it appears to be just superficial. He hangs around to watch her recovery and passes his strange behavior off on his guilt. He wants to “fix” her. When he gets the chance to heal her, he’s ready to remove himself from her presence, but then she asks him if he’s okay. That right there is when you really get a sense of how vulnerable he really is. He is so stunned that someone actually cares enough to ask about his well-being. How sad is that? The tenderness and caring that flowed back and forth from that point on was so very touching. The more time they spend together, the more attracted and attached they become. One of the biggest gripes I usually have in stories is the “more sex, less talk” approach to build a connection. Praise the gods, the opposite was the case here. It’s nice to actually see the bond forming and strengthen outside of the bedroom as well as in. When the climax hits, you feel like you got kicked in the gut. Ms Kaye didn’t toy around with pansy stuff either; she went all in. I white-knuckled my Kindle and had to wipe tear drops off the screen. There was great character development, a few interesting surprises and observations, the pace never slowed down, there were no unnecessary “fillers”, and no cliffhanger. A stellar read from start to finish. I will be re-reading this series for years to come.

Like other great authors before her, Ms Kaye is a wonderful storyteller with engaging characters and exciting plots. Her Supreme Gods may be able to control the elements and the seasons, shift into animal or elemental forms and whisk clothes on and off, but it is the compassion and their “humanity” that grabs you hook, line and sinker. If you love Showalter, Cole, Ione, Adrian and Ward, and others alike, you will undoubtedly be adding Kaye to that list as well.

Favorite moments:

“A god. A god. I can’t believe it. Well”—she chuckled, a slightly hysterical sound—”I can believe it. I mean, come on, light comes out of your hands, and you healed me, and you poofed in here.”

“He quirked an eyebrow. “Poofed?” I don’t poof.”

~*~

He pressed in beside her and rinsed off. When he looked up, eyes full of relief and accomplishment and need, Ella couldn’t resist. She grabbed Zeph’s shoulders and launched herself at him.

~*~

Zephyros clenched his eyes and absorbed her words into his heart, his soul. By the gods, this woman appealed to parts of him he thought long gone, long buried away, or broken to pieces by ancient betrayals. ( )

This second installment of the Anemoi was absolutely wonderful. Zephyros and Ella's story immediately drew me in. I wanted to hug them both and help ease their pain, to soothe both of their savaged hearts and shelter them from the storms of betrayal that they both had to endure. And the sex? Oh yeah...that was some good stuff! I enjoyed the lovely little twist near the end and while the ending was a teensy bit predictable, it was still very satisfying since I do so love my HEAs! I am very much looking forward to the next tale of the Anemoi that Miss Kaye will weave - these Gods are just all so delectable!! ( )

I really liked this book. I love how the gods interact and what their different abilities are. Zeph and Ella were a wonderful couple. They had both been through painful heartbreak and had trust issues and perhaps that's why they worked so well together.

I thought Zeph's history was really interesting. From the last book, I thought he was going to be angrier or more bitter than he actually was. He was more of a lonely lost soul type. I liked him but not as much as Owen from [b:North of Need|12387745|North of Need (Hearts of the Anemoi, #1)|Laura Kaye|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1348200498s/12387745.jpg|17368699] who I found utterly delightful.

Naturally I was thrilled to see Owen and Boreas again, but I was most excited about Chrysander. I already love him, which is going to make waiting for the next book that much more difficult.

Overall, this was a really good book with a lot of twists and turns and a few unexpected developments as well. I really enjoyed it and can't wait for [b:South of Surrender|13453574|South of Surrender (Hearts of the Anemoi, #3)|Laura Kaye|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1330017982s/13453574.jpg|18980209]. ( )

Stories about gods are hot and West of Want is just that. Just like North of Need, Kaye sucks you into their godly world and holds you there until you finish the book.

I will say that I was surprised with the story line that Kaye presented. I was expecting something along the lines of the first book in the series but I was pleasantly surprised when more drama and action was added.

As for the characters, the problems that they both face made each character multidimensional.

I loved Zeph. He just seemed exactly how I would picture a god to look and act. Zeph is fiercely protective, and rightfully so, of Ella after the pain that he has unintentionally caused her; the storm that ripped apart her boat and then left her injured and then his brother, Eurus, who vowels to hurt Zeph in any way possible. Zeph was so serious at times but was able to let that go and just laugh; which was greatly needed after you learn about his life.

Ella’s character surprised me in the sense that she really thought hard about a certain situation. Normally, writer will make it to where the woman character just complies because she is in love but Ella really thought about what everything meant and how it was affecting those around her (this is after the restaurant scene.) I know that this all sound cryptic but I don’t want to give anything away; so I hope that you all know what I mean when you read the book.
~BookWhisperer Reviewer MC~ ( )