West of Want (Hearts of the Anemoi, #2)

by Laura Kaye

Betrayal is all he's ever known, but in her, he'll find a love strong enough to be trusted...When Marcella Raines' twin brother dies, she honors his request to be buried at sea, never expecting the violent storm that swamps her boat. Though she's gravely injured--and still emotionally damaged from her recent divorce--Ella fights to survive. Zephyros Martius is the Supreme God of the West Wind and Spring, but being the strongest Anemoi hasn't protected him from betrayal and loss. Worse, he's sure his brother Eurus is behind it. When Zeph's heartbreak whips up a storm that shipwrecks a human, his guilt forces him to save her. Ella is drawn to the vulnerability Zeph hides beneath his otherworldly masculinity and ancient blue eyes. And her honesty, empathy, and unique, calming influence leave Zeph wanting...everything. When Eurus threatens Ella, she and Zeph struggle to let go of the past, defend their future, and embrace what they most want--a love that can be trusted.

• ISBN10: 1620610558
• ISBN13: 9781620610558
• Publish Date: 17 July 2012 (first published 1 January 2012)
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Entangled Select
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

[Angie]

If I ignored the plotholes, West of Want is pretty good. But I can't, so it's just okay. This time we're following Zephyros, the god of Spring, as he finds his one true love in Ella. Ella has taken her sailboat out to spread her twin's ashes when a storm hits. It's no ordinary storm. It's actually Zeph is his elemental form, and he's quite upset. The storm is raging and Ella is tossed from her boat. Of course, Zeph is drawn to her and rescues her. After getting her to the hospital, he sticks around to make sure she's okay, but there's something else keeping him in the human realm with this woman.

In addition to the romance, West of Want also has more plot than the first book. Zeph and his brother Eurus do not get along at all, and it's causing some major upheaving. Eurus stole Zeph's wife and had a child with her, whom he wants to get placed as heir of the west in place of Zeph. That is, unless Zeph can get an heir within the next week or so. Well, Ella is infertile, but Zeph wants her anyway! But then things happen and he believes she's in cahoots with his brother, and blah blah blah.

West of Want had a few moments that made me go huh? First of all, in the beginning Zeph feels really responsible for Ella getting hurt on her boat. But being a wind god, hasn't he caused many storms before? And don't people die in storms all the time? So why all of a sudden does he feel someone dying during one of his storms and has to rescue them? I highly doubt he attempts to save everyone who gets caught in his storms, or else, just don't cause huge storms! Then there's a scene of Elle and Zeph out for dinner, he eats something that's SOOO hot that he has to turn into his elemental form to heal. Seriously? That sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen, if crab dip is served so hot it nearly burns a god to death. This wouldn't be such a big deal, except it's the catalyst to the inevitable temporary break up.

So, West of Want was okay. The plot-holes were really distracting, and I don't feel like the romance was all that well developed. All in all, they probably spend like one day together total, mostly just having sex or apologizing to each other. Not really the kind of romance I want to read about.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[Cocktails and Books]

Laura Kaye's Hearts of the Anemoi series gets better with each release. Laura creates characters who have to overcome emotional hurdles, but also display a strength of character that has you loving them...no matter what they may have done. Zeph and Ella are not exception and the emotionally struggle they both struggle to get past have you cheering for them from the very first paragraph.

Ella, grieving the death of her brother, hopes to fina some lasting connection with him when she moves into his house. But all she finds is herself alone. When she's caught in the freak storm while scattering her brother's ashes, she figures she's on her way to join him. Once she opens her eyes in the hospital and spies the hot man in the scrubs, her life changes forever.

When Zeph is provoked (and it literally poking the bear) by his brother, he causes a storm in the Atlantic without realizing he's done so. When he comes to his senses, it to find a sailboat has suffered the brunt of his anger and hurt and more importantly, the female occupant of the boat.

Struggling between the chaos he's caused and the damage he's forced upon this woman, he breaks a few cardinal God rules by helping to heal her. But Zeph finds more with Ella. They share a sense of loss and an undeniable chemistry with each other. Ella doesn't shy away from Zeph, even after finding out what he is, but accepts him. While he has a mountain of emotional baggage due, and unjustly accuses Ella of doing what his lovers have done in the past, he knows that he can't lose the only woman who understands him.

Ella isn't sure what to think of the sexy man who offers to help her, but he makes her feel more than she has in a long time. When she discovers the's the Supreme God of the West Wind and Spring, she accepts who is because not matter who or what he is, they have a connection that grows the more they're together.

If you love your heros with emotional angst, this is definitely one to pick up. Zeph definitely has reasons for all the emotional baggage he carries, but he's got a pretty strong woman to help him weed through it all.