carolinekreads 's review for:

The North Wind by Alexandria Warwick

3.0

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Standard Romantasy. I was immediately intrigued by this book’s promise of a fairytale retelling, and it delivered shades of Beauty and the Beast, Hades and Persephone, and (unsurprisingly) ACOTAR. That said, I never fully connected with the characters; something about them felt off, which left me mostly uninvested. Refreshingly, the romance was well developed. Instead of relying on the overused "fated mates" trope, it actually showed the relationship growing organically. The writing itself was beautiful - probably the main reason I kept reading - though I did find the occasional modern phrasing jarring in a fantasy setting (though that’s more of a personal preference). Where the book really fell short for me was in its plotting. Several intriguing threads were introduced, but many were left unexplored or unresolved. The logic behind certain events felt shaky, and the glaring plot holes made it hard to stay fully immersed. I needed more answers and tighter storytelling to truly enjoy it, but unfortunately, didn’t get that here. It wasn’t for me, but could be for you if you’re just a vibes girlie. I’ll probably read the next book eventually to see if I can get more answers, but I won’t be prioritising this.