Review: South of Surrender – Laura Kaye

She’s the only one who can see through his golden boy façade to the broken god within…

Chrysander Notos, Supreme God of the South Wind and Summer, is on a mission: save Eurus from his death sentence and prove his troubled brother can be redeemed. But Eurus fights back, triggering vicious summer storms that threaten the mortal realm, dangerously drain Chrys, and earn the ire of the Olympic gods who ordered Eurus dead.

Laney Summerlyn refuses to give up her grandfather’s horse farm, despite her deteriorating vision. More than ever, she needs the organized routine of her life at Summerlyn Stables, until a ferocious storm brings an impossible—and beautiful—creature crashing down from the heavens.

Injured while fighting Eurus, Chrys finds himself at the mercy of a mortal woman whose compassion and acceptance he can’t resist. As they surrender to the passion flaring between them, immortal enemies close in, forcing Chrys to choose between his brother and the only woman who’s ever loved the real him.

Series: Hearts of Anemoi #3
Release Date: May 28, 2013
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Source: Publisher Provided
Reviewer: Iris
Rating:

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Reviewer’s Thoughts

Every once in a while you read a story filled with characters that touch you and makes you want to care. This is one of those stories. Ms. Kaye has a fantastic way with words that draws the reader in from the very beginning and will not let you go. With a unique world building ability she has created the world of the Anemoi, the gods of the North, South, East and West and the women who give them back their humanity. Here we have the story of Chrys, God of the South Wind. Chrys is portrayed as the golden boy, all warmth, sun and everything that is golden. But everything is not what is seems. Underneath Chrys is broken and it take a special kind of woman to see through the façade and heal the man underneath.

Chrys has his hands full trying to corral his brother and stop his destructive bent. Unfortunately, after an especially difficult battle with his brother he ends up crashing through Laney’s barn, hurt and unconscious. Nursing him back to health, Laney finds herself drawn to the mysterious man who keeps disappearing on her just when things get interesting. With a degenerative disease, which is stealing her eyesight though, Laney has trouble believing what little she does see.

I have to admit that I loved the characters in this book. Laney isn’t physically perfect. She’s essentially blind, what little eyesight she does have doesn’t really help her much. Still, she insists on being independent and taking care of herself. Chrys is far from the perfect god. He is a broken man with a touch issue. He has anxiety attacks if anyone gets too close. This to me makes them perfect.

This is not to say that this story is not without it’s shock and awe. If anything it came on so strong that was surprised to find myself brought to tears with emotion and wishing I had thought to have tissues handy.

Although book 3 in the Heart of Anemoi series, South of Surrender can easily be read as a standalone novel. With cameo appearances by the characters from the previous books and an action packed story line that seems to begin in the second book, you will definitely want to read the previous 2 books.

Cocktail Recipe

Hot Summer Breeze

3 oz Ginger Ale

3 oz Orange Juice

1 oz Vodka

Mix together in a glass with crushed ice. Garnish with mint leaves.