Arrow's Wind

by Gina Manis

An emotional journey to overcome tragic events and following your heart.

Jenna
The king’s new law says I must marry two men by my twenty-first birthday, but I am not sticking around for that. I am leaving Star Kingdom and my family behind, heading for the mountains to live a life in solitude for a change. No more dodging the brushes of men in the crowded streets of busy city life.
That is what I want until Arrow shows up and follows me. He knows what I’ve been through and unlike others, he has always kept his distance. The more I am with Arrow, the safer I feel, but the nightmares from my past never go away. They continuously feed my fears of getting close to a man.

Arrow
I never intended to stay in Star Kingdom as long as I did. That is until one night my friend welcomes me into his home, and I meet Jenna. Instantly my soul takes to her, but Jenna will have nothing to do with me. When I find out why, I vow nothing like that will happen again.
The new law pushes Jenna to leave. My home village is where she seeks to start over, and it is time for me to return as well. Along the way, I hope I can show her how to let go of her fears. That I will stand by her, protect her, and if she can let me in, love her.

Bran
I grew up deaf but when I came into my powers of wind and fire, they merged to form my gifts. The cries of the broken haunted me until I learned I could help them. With just a whisper of my new voice, they are enchanted and flock to my healing abilities.
Jenna is no different at first, but the more time I spend with her in our dreams, I can’t help but fall in love with her. The problem is, as she heals, I fade away. She will forget me, and I wonder who will heal me once I no longer can enter her dreams.

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

308 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 17, 2020

About the author

Gina Manis grew up in South Alabama, where country living is a way of life. She has a small farm with lots of animals, and she is proud to live a simple life with her family.
She writes fantasy romance novels that are full of adventure and laughter, emotion, and the ever pleasurable heat. The worlds she builds in her books is almost as good as the characters themselves.
You can find out more about Gina Manis on her website. www.ginamanis.com

Reviews

[Lucie V. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley (thank you BooksGoSocial). All thoughts and opinions are my own.

✅🆗 Original concept
🆗 Characters
🆗 Pace
🆗 Plot
🆗❌ Execution / writing
🆗❌ Romance

2.5 stars
Some parts are good and worth 3 stars, but some details or events are bugging me, making the whole book good, but not that good.

WARNING : mentions of rape

This book is about Jenna’s journey of healing, and acceptance. Her life is shadowed by a traumatic event, and we follow her as she slowly learns to trust others and to love and open herself. I like that this story is about mental strength, healing, compassion, and hope, and I adore the fact that Arrow (a family friend who’s had a crush on Jenna for a while now) is so patient and kind with Jenna.

The ideas are there, but the book lacks a little finesse, and some parts were quite lengthy. The dialogues are jerky at times, the descriptions are very basic, and the plot (and the characters too at times) lack depth. We are given the basics, and whatever information we need to understand the story and the characters, but nothing more. It was hard at first to see the bigger picture, we had just enough information to understand the basic story. It got better as the story progressed, and there were flashbacks that helped us understand Jenna, but I still had trouble getting attached to her.

Because of a mysterious illness that killed many females a few years ago, every girl in the kingdom has to marry a first time when they are 19 years old, and a second time before they reach the age of 21 years old. Jenna is a single young woman living with her sister Beth, her husband Thomas, and their three children. Jenna doesn’t want to have anything to do with any man (except Thomas that has been a fatherly figure for her), especially after she was raped by three men, so the idea of having two husbands is a nightmare for her. Decided to take her fate into her own hands, she leaves her town, hoping that she can find a peaceful and quiet life in the mountains, only to discover a few days after she left that Arrow is following her because he promised Thomas to look after her and that he won’t leave her until he is sure that she is safe and well settled in her new life. While traveling, Jenna and Arrow will also meet Bran, an elemental with a special set of skills that will allow him to help Jenna heal.

The storyline is okay, but overall not that impressive. The ideas are good, but the execution is lacking. The whole “healing” thing between Jenna and Bran (an elemental that she meets while traveling) was weird at first honestly. She can’t stand the touch of a man, even one she’s known for years, but she suddenly decided to trust him because he knew what she went through and the name of the man who betrayed her. It seemed rather convenient, and out of character that she would just blindly follow him, even though she explained that she had no idea why she trusted him so easily. I am not a fan of Bran, so I was also not that satisfied with the ending of the book, even though it is a happy ending for Jenna.


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[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an awesome story! I was granted an ARC of this book from the author.
The female MC suffers a terrible tragedy when she is only 14 years old. As a result, she cannot stand to be around any man except her sisters husband. At 15, she is noticed by her brother in laws friend. He waits for her, staying friends with Thomas for three years.
At 18, she has decided she wants to be on her own and adventures to the mountains. She doesn't know she is followed by Arrow. She is also unaware Arrow is in love with her. He teaches her survival skills.
She meets someone that helps her heal in a dream world.
This story does end with an HEA.

I really don't want to say more about this story as I don't wish to spoil it. The story is amazing and must be read to appreciate all her struggles!

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (1/31/2021)! 🎁

[spectacular.readsby_ m · Rating 3 out of 5]

''Learning to trust is the beginning of a long road, but I am determined to live again.''
As soon as I started the book it got me wandering and curious to find out what was happening. Then, I got impressed by the way the author chose to narrate the story, moving us from one point of view to another also providing flashbacks in a smooth and nice way that literally made me cry by how touching they were.
I loved the fact that the author shed light on a sensitive topic in our real world and managed to join it to fantasy regarding women being raped and the destructive effects it has, and was able to describe and share the journey of Jenna's healing with the help of Bran and Arrow.
While reading, I really felt every emotion the author was trying to deliver and felt sorrow for all the women out there that might have suffered at least one third or more of what Jenna has suffered from always being cautious about her surrounding to losing trust in the opposite sex, and not being able to love .However, the most important thing is finding it impossible to heal when always being haunted by nightmares. But at the end, Gina refuses to set Jenna as a weak girl and shows that her challenging past made her a fighter and a survivor.
I adored the relationship between Arrow and Jenna especially the way he earned her trust by being patient when he waited three years for her to turn eighteen and then kept his distance from her through their journey. Moreover, by caring for her with simple gestures. For example, when he used to save her the berries she loved.
There are a lot of romantic and touching scenes in the book but, I felt sorry and annoyed for Arrow by the way Jenna was attached to Bran at the beginning and that the attraction didn’t stop even after she healed. Furthermore, I felt it was wrong to have Bran at the same level as Arron.
This story got me emotional and I was looking forward to the ending but was surprised by the twist the author added to the story at the end and although some found it a happy ending I didn’t.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Journey of Healing

I loved the concept of the book and the journey she went on to heal from certain events of the past. I thought I was going to love this book and I did but I hated the ending. I didn't realize that she would have two signficant others and I was disappointed that she did. I understand that Bran helped her heal but I didn't like that she also ended up with him. This is a personal preference and one of the only problems I had with the book. Other than that, this is a wonderful book of healing, learning to trust, and finding love.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story for the most part, but way to lengthy... And the ending with Bran didn't really fit.

[MariaIsoldde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arrow's Wind by author Gina Manis published by BooksGoSocial a book about healing and self-discovery

Arrows Wind is the story of Jenna who is trying to escape her past by going on an adventure to start a new life. And the two men (Arrow an air elemental who wants to love Jenna and be part of her life forever and is willing to work hard for that love.) and (Bran also, an air elemental who can heal people of their emotional trauma and dream walk.) that are trying to heal her from her wounds so she can love again. (This book does contain topics of polygamy and rape.)

Where do I start? I guess the first problem that I have with this book is that you don't know the Aesthetics of the world that the author has created. So I'm not quite sure how everything looks. All that I'm aware of is that there is no electricity and plumbing is not a given. It felt very Renaissance meets Appalachian Mountaineers.It left me very unquenched with my curiosity. The author doesn't go into detail as well about Elementals. Are they human or are they not human? Where do they get their abilities to control a particular element that they are tuned to? You don't get the mythology or the mystery of what they are, they just "ARE" in the book. When the book does go into anything about the Elementals it's very vague and quick. I believe that it is a standalone based on a particular world that the author created. So I suppose the reason she didn't go into detail is that she assumed that most of the readers are fans of her main book series and would know all the details to all the questions that I have. I think the ending is the only thing that I truly dislike about this book but the rest I could live with. I truly feel that the character of Arrow was cheated out of all the work that he had put into helping Jenna through her trauma. The character of Bran was not that exciting. I felt like he was just a bridge for Jenna to get through her pain and the author made him something that I don't think he was ever supposed to be.

I really enjoyed this book because of Arrow and Jenna's relationship and how it grows and becomes this intense and beautiful love affair. The love and understanding that Arrow shows Jenna throughout the book is wonderful. I was just in love with him. The author really concentrates on their relationship and building trust between them. Though there is a lack of explaining what the Elementals are I did enjoy and did find it fascinating how Bran DreamWalks and would like to know more. I was very surprised and satisfied that the author showed what real trauma is with what happened with Jenna. Some authors have a tendency to downplaying it or overplaying it. Which usually makes the character unrealistic. The way that Jenna reacts to her trauma is realistic and heartbreaking.

I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars. Jenna's journey through healing her trauma is very raw and real which really gave this book a lot of depth. The Story between Jenna and Arrow is beautiful and it really made this book great. But the ending really ruined my view of their relationship and lessened the love that I felt they had in the book.

Arrows Wind is a beautiful book about overcoming trauma and opening yourself up to possibilities after losing yourself. With a touch of fantasy and a lot of romance, this might be the book for you. This book has a very beautiful love story that deserves to be read.

[Becca Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a new author for me and I got the chance to read the book for free so I wanted to give it a go.
I feel there was a book before this one as things were mentioned, referring to something that happened previously without going in to much detail. However, saying this it did not affect the story or plot at all.
The one thing that confused me about this book was the need for a woman to have two husbands because an illness reduced the female population. It was not explained why there was this law. If there was a reduction of men I could understand if they had to have multiple wives as they could have multiple children at the same time. A woman can only be pregnant once at a time, maybe having two husbands increases the chance of children if one is unable to have them?
Other than that I really enjoyed the book. Normally stories with a romance where one is constantly hot and cold towards the other does not catch my interest as it gets repetitive. This was not like that.
Although Jenna did go hot and cold towards Arrow, every single one of her thoughts were explained. How she felt, how she wanted to be different. Her story was so heart wrenching and it was beautiful to watch her become a strong woman.
It was the same with Arrow, each one of his thoughts and feelings were explained when he did something. Like how he was jealous of Bran but wanted her to be happy.
I liked being in their heads, it made them relatable and likeable characters. It was well written and it flowed well.
The lion scene in the bluebell field I will admit got a surprised laugh from me. We knew the lion was around, but like the characters I had forgotten about it as I was so engrossed in the story. Which was excellent writing.
I am intrigued by the elements and how they are chosen and which element they have, I also want to know what a guardian is and what their role is. All good reasons to keep reading.
Overall I enjoyed it and would read more from this author.

[Ines · Rating 5 out of 5]

Years ago Jenna lost all faith in men, keeping them at arm's length ever since. Young and beautiful from the outside, but hurt and scarred on the inside, she doesn't believe in the possibility of healing anymore. As a way to find some inner peace, she decides it's best to leave the city and go out to live on her own in the mountains, surrounded by nature and far away from people. But three men refuse to let her go alone; one as a protector, one as a healer, and one as a threat...

This book is all about healing and overcoming one's past to find a way to live in the here and now again, and to believe in the future. I absolutely loved Arrow; I think he's one of my favorite characters from Gina Manis so far (next to Brier). He's such a realistic character: strong and loving, but also a bit headstrong and not without mistakes of his own. I believe I enjoyed reading about his inner growth even more than Jenna's, probably because he showed he really learned from his mistakes and made a concious effort to be the man Jenna needed. The relationship between Bran and Jenna was really original, from the start to the epilogue, and I liked to see how his powers also came with responsabilities.

This book was a wonderful standalone MFM, with beautiful characters and as always some amazing character building.

[Navss (read.yourbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔, 𝑱𝒆𝒏𝒏𝒂, 𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒐 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒆,” 𝑰 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒇𝒕𝒍𝒚, 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅. “𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖."

This is a story of trust, hope, emotional strength, mental strength and patience. The things Jenna faced is enough for her to break but she instead moves away, lives her life and tries to become that Jenna she was before. The journey of love is mentioned in the beginning of the story and how it changes from one sided to three sided is shown beautifully here.

Initially, I felt like Jenna was too focused on Bran and I honestly did feel a bit sad for Arrow but then as the story continues, the focus shifts, or we can say balances. Arrow is genuine and his feelings are too and so are Brans. Each character has their own past chapter but together they are one.

Is it worth reading? --Yes it is!

••••••••••••••••••••••••
I've recieved an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Elizabeth McDaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenna had been through a terrible experience as a child and left for dead, having nightmares, hating and being scared of men because of it. Arrow/Aaron was in love with Jenna, had the gift of air and guardian plus he was keeping a dark secret. Bran was deaf and mute, had the gift of air, fire, shift and a special healing. Jared is waiting for his place at the kings table when his father dies, had the gift of fire and an obsession with Jenna. As Jenna feels more threatened by her surroundings, she leaves her town and journeys to where Arrow is from. Jenna and Arrow meet again on the journey and their interesting relationship encounters intrigue, danger, fun, love, healing, friendships, frustrations and a lot of understanding and patience as time passes and Jenna, Arron and Bran realize the significance of their real relationship to each other. Good read with complicated emotional traumas.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains a mystical journey towards the acceptance of oneself in a world of trauma. Emotion collides with the shadow of memories for the female protagonist where help comes from surprising sources.

In a fantastical realm, Jenna is a character who must first learn to love herself before she can love anyone in return. Her interactions with Arrow were really sweet while her encounters with Bran had a mysterious edge to them. With the help of these two characters, Jenna's healing process took her to unimagined heights where love flourished along with desire.

Gina Manis has created an amazing story dealing with loss in an interesting way with certain paranormal twists and turns. Overall, I loved this book. I can't wait to read more books from this author.

[Elle Whyte · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a beautiful story. It takes place in the world of the elementals and the Elemental Queen, but is only loosely connected and can absolutely be read as a stand alone. It explores the topics of rape and PTSD respectfully and imaginatively. I fell in love with Jenna and Arrow.

It's also Gina Manis's best novel yet. I've read all of her works and can see such growth. As always, she's an incredible storyteller, but she takes that a step further and tells that story with skilled prose. Recommend!

[Christinaraven · Rating 5 out of 5]

While the subject matter/ background was a bit dark, the story itself was really about hope and overcoming darkness with a light and paranormal twist. It was a bit hard to put down as I had to see how Jenna would overcome her past as the book opens years after the trauma. I loved watching her take control of herself and life and make a grab for happiness. I did laugh a few times and groan. The characters and their world was interesting and made me want to read more about them and others. A few scenes were outright hysterical. Well worth reading and written well.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really lost for words, I can't say that I enjoyed this book, because it was MORE than I enjoyed this book.
I can't say the characters were great, because they were MORE than that.
I'm even lost for words at how to explain how the author made me feel when reading the book.
Just know I will be along with this author on her writing journey, and that I'm grateful to have found an author that is not afraid to bring not just the passion in her books, but the dark side of a character also.
Thank you Gina, I can't wait to join you in your journey.

[Nora · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best work of Gina's work so far if you ask me. It is set in the world of the elementals but you can totally read is as a stand alone. There is a trigger for some since it mentions PTSD and rape so be aware of that. This story is darker then most books I've read so far but since I wanted to know what happens with Arrow and Jenna I kept reading. It is a good book and the pace of the story feels natural and I can only highly recommend this book!

[Cherry London · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was definitely was an eye-opener, I would love to say this has been a great read, but I can’t. I didn’t enjoy this story one bit, it disgusted me, the way this storyline went, and the characters, my goodness, they were like monsters to attack a young girl like that, disgusting.

[Mary Boehm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love at all costs

Arrow and Jenna have troubled pasts to overcome. Jenna’s troubles are still around but arrow is a patient man and letting her deal with it until Bran comes to help.

[Jens_Book_Cubby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What an inspirational and emotional journey! I loved every single solitary second of this book! From the wonderful characters, to the fantastic storyline, Gina Manis brings us an incredible story! I would definitely recommend this book!

[K. Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazingly well written story, with a full myriad of emotions throughout...The characters' development throughout the story line is perfection as well... well done!

[Kimberly K. Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book! Really enjoyed it!

[Brenda Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emotionally invigorating Book

Wow- I was pulled in many directions reading this amazing story. Actually feeling the depths of anguish and love that the story portrayed. 😍

[Beth Weaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book!!

I loved this book from the beginning to the end. It really drew me in and I just had to keep reading more. I wish it had a sequel!!

[Jessica Barnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

so good

This story pulled me right in. The character development is awesome. The spice is just right. Love the why choose at the end.

[TipseyBookReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenna is trying to make a new life for herself. She has run away to escape a new law that says she needs to marry two guys and also a guy who is basically stalking her. Arrow is older and her brother-in-laws friend. I liked how Arrow pushed Jenna, but was also supportive of her. Along they way they meet Bran who has some special skills. For me this story really focused on Jenna and Arrow. Because of the kind of visits she has with Bran. I felt like their relationships wasn’t as deep. Overall, in enjoyed the story and will be checking out other books by this author.