ARC Review: Sacrifice (Elemental #5) by Brigid Kemmerer

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: September 30, 2014
Publisher: Kensington Teen
324 Pages

Earth. Fire. Air. Water.

One misstep and they lose it all. For the last time.

Michael Merrick understands pressure. He's the only parent his three brothers have had for years. His power to control Earth could kill someone if he miscalculates. Now an Elemental Guide has it in for his family, and he's all that stands in the way.

His girlfriend, Hannah, understands pressure too. She's got a child of her own, and a job as a firefighter that could put her life in danger at any moment.

But there are people who have had enough of Michael's defiance, his family's 'bad luck'. Before he knows it, Michael's enemies have turned into the Merricks' enemies, and they're armed for war.

They're not interested in surrender. But Michael isn't the white flag type anyway. Everything is set for the final showdown.

Four elements, one family. Will they hold together, or be torn apart?

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Sacrifice: - an animal, person, or object offered

     -an act of giving up something valued for the sake of something       else regarded as more important or worthy

Not going to lie, based on those definitions I had a pretty clear idea of what was going to happen in this book. The book is called Sacrifice for Pete’s sakes! So, I was scared. I just knew in my heart that we were going to lose someone that I came to love. What I didn’t expect was the action packed rollercoaster that had the pages turning on their own (and truthfully, I should have expected that).

 Michael has always been the aloof brother for me. He’s there in every book almost in the background – offering advice, discipline, playing the dual role of father and brother. We never really got to see how it affected him, we only saw him through the eyes of the boys. So by the time I started reading Sacrifice I was ready to know Michael Merrick. 

Oh how this book pulled on my heart strings. From the first chapter until the end, the action is non-stop and so is the heartache. Michaels brothers and Hunter all think that Michael has everything put together, everything figured out, but inside he’s fighting this war with himself. He doesn’t know what he’s doing and all these new problems that are being thrown at him are pushing him to the breaking point. 

Michael broke me. I felt for him. Everything he does, he does for his brothers. There is not one selfish bone in his body and when the boys are blaming him for everything going wrong, I just want to hide him away and give him cuddles. Kemmerer writes loss of hope and feelings of failure so realistic that I felt as if I was going through the motions with Michael. 

My only issue with the book was the love story. I wasn’t a huge fan of Hannah. Her relationship with Irish in the beginning had me fuming and I was like she better not be another person to screw over Michael. I admit that I grew more warm toward her as the book went on and she explained herself better, but she was never the one for Michael – at least not to me. 

The action, the drama, the emotions – all of it just led up to that insane and gut-wrenching finale. One full of twists and surprises that kept me awake to finish this book in one sitting. And who would have thought I would like Tyler? (This actually started in the last book and held over through this one.)

But honestly, these books are driven by the relationships between the boys. That’s the reason I read them and that’s what keeps me hanging on. I know this is listed as the final Elemental book but I can’t help wanting more! Brigid Kemmerer, I adore you and thank you for creating these boys. You have a solid fan in me and I will read anything you put out there.

I received a copy of this book via the publisher in return for an honest review.

Cover Reveal: Sacrifice (Elemental #5) by Brigid Kemmerer

I have been waiting for the release of the cover for what felt like years. When Brigid asked if any bloggers would like to join her in releasing the cover for the fifth and final installment in her Elemental series, I jumped at the chance.

Sacrifice (Elemental #5) by Brigid Kemmerer

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: September 30, 2014
Publisher: Kensington Teen
432 Pages

One misstep and they lose it all. For the last time.

Michael Merrick is used to pressure. 

He’s the only parent his three brothers have had for years. His power to control Earth could kill someone if he miscalculates. Now an Elemental Guide has it out for his family, and he’s all that stands in the way. 

His girlfriend, Hannah, gets that. She’s got a kid of her own, and a job as a firefighter that could end her life without a moment’s notice. 

But there are people who have had enough of Michael’s defiance, his family’s “bad luck.” Before he knows it, Michael’s enemies have turned into the Merricks’ enemies, and they’re armed for war. 

They’re not interested in surrender. But Michael isn’t the white flag type anyway. There will be blood on the ground tonight…

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I'm sorry, Emily cannot come to the blog right now. She is too busy drooling and staring lovingly at the handsome man on this cover. But really? I am so excited to read this one, and am much happier with this cover than I was with Secret's. Is it September yet?

Big thanks to Brigid for letting me join in the reveal!

ARC Review: Secret (Elemental #4) by Brigid Kemmerer

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release date: January 28, 2014
Publisher: Kensington Teen
352 Pages

EARTH. FIRE. AIR. WATER.

Nick Merrick is stretched to breaking point. He's trying to keep his grades sky-high or he won't get in to college. He's trying to keep his brother's business afloat or the Merricks will be out on the street. He's trying to keep the secret of where he's going in the evenings from his twin brother Gabriel - or he fears he'll lose his family. And he's trying to keep his mind off the hot, self-assured dancer who is his 'girlfriend's' partner.

And then Quinn takes to hanging around his sworn enemy, and an Elemental Guide is counting the hours until he can try again to kill the Merrick brothers. Storms are brewing. On all sides.

SECRETS IN THE WIND. DANGER IN THE AIR.

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It’s not a secret how much I LOVE this series. These boys, these are my boys. All of them (including Hunter). When I received an ARC of Secret, I may or may not have danced around my kitchen clutching the book to my chest. Think Kristen Bell and the sloth excited.

Source

Yes, I was that excited. 

Secret is Nick Merrick’s story. Nick is an Air Elemental, he’s the responsible one, always does the right thing…but he’s hiding a secret that is starting to destroy him from the inside. He enlists the help of Quinn to keep up his façade but even that begins to crumble quickly as Quinn is dealing with her own troubles. 

What I adore about these books is the relationships and bonds between the brothers and Hunter. I look forward to their interactions more than anything and I love seeing how they grow from book to book. Nick and Gabe have always held a special interest because of the fact that they’re twins and feel almost everything that the other is feeling. They can sense when the other is in danger, etc. However, Nick is terrified to reveal to Gabe his true self. 

Gabriel knew how to cut to the quick, and this felt so fragile and untested that Nick was afraid to bare skin in the face of that blade. 

What’s worse is that Gabriel knows that Nick is hiding something. From past books we know that Gabe doesn’t always handle things correctly and the brothers come to blows here in a scene that just rips out my heart. I don’t like it when my boys fight with each other. 

Each book also has to have the female counterpart, and in Secret, that’s Quinn. Let me just start off by saying that Quinn is broken. So utterly and completely broken. There’s a line early on that describes her life perfectly:

It seemed fitting that the best relationship in her life would be just as dysfunctional as all her other ones.

Basically, every relationship Quinn has is a lie. She’s Nick’s fake girlfriend. She’s not talking to her best friend, Becca. Her mother is abusive and her brother is a druggie. In the beginning, I felt for her. Her situation is messed up. But as the book progressed, I really wanted her to grow up. She becomes this petulant child who pouts and moans about every little thing being unfair. She complains how nobody knows what she’s dealing with and they don’t care, but she never tells them anything. How are they supposed to know??? And her constant fishing for compliments was annoying. Honestly, she’s the reason why this book wasn’t 5 stars.

There are two additional characters added in this book: Adam (Quinn’s dance partner) and Tyler (who we’ve met in other books). They were both brilliant additions. Adam was gentle and kind, and balanced out Nick’s neurosis perfectly. Their relationship was a slow burn, but extremely worth it in the end. Nick’s confusion about what was going on was so real that you couldn’t help but root for them to make it. 

And then there’s Tyler. Tyler who we know from other books as always trying to hurt/kill the Merricks because of their pasts. Kemmerer really delved into his character and as we got to know more about him, I began to actually like him. Yeah, I know. I was shocked too. He was still a dick to the Merrick’s but I loved the way he dealt with Quinn. He called her out on her bullshit and made her face reality. 

Aside from all the drama in their everyday lives, there’s also the issue of the Guides. And believe me, they aren’t forgotten here. This ending had to be the most nail-biting, suspenseful and heartbreaking one yet. Not gonna lie, I legit screamed at one point. I cannot wait to see where Kemmerer takes it next, but I know that I won’t be disappointed. 

Brilliant. 

I received a copy of this book via the publisher in return for an honest review.

ARC Review: Down on Love by Jayne Denker

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: November 21, 2013
Publisher: Kensington
274 Pages

When it comes to love, she's a professional skeptic. Is it too late for a career change?

If there's one thing Georgiana Down is an expert in, it's bad relationships. That's what inspired her blog, Down on Love, where she gives snarky advice--usually along the lines of "dump him." In fact, George is abstaining from men all together. At least that's the plan--until she makes a trip back to her tiny hometown in the Catskills, where meddling is an art form. . .

George loves helping out with her new baby niece, but she's counting the days until she returns to Boston. Then she runs into Casey Bowen, her high school crush. The boy she once loved is now a handsome grown man--and suddenly George needs a little advice of her own. She's in the right place, because when she drunk posts on her blog, everyone in Marsden has something to say about George and Casey. It's like high school all over again--but maybe this time she'll get things right.

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What happens when a lover is scored? She turns to the internet to blog about it, of course. And that's exactly what Georgiana Down did. Her blog, Down on Love, started as an outlet for venting about her loser of an ex, but has turned into an advice blog of sorts. When Georgiana (George to her friends) gets called back to her hometown to help out her sister's family, she runs into Casey Bowen, her high school crush and old feelings resurface.

The love story between George and Casey was at times adorable. They had witty banter and played off of each other nicely. I liked them together - but separately was another story.

I adored Casey. He was smart, funny, charming, and admitted when he made mistakes. He admitted to George that he screwed up in the past, but he wants a chance to make up for it - to make it up to her. I also liked how much he loved his hometown. He went to college after high school, took a job in London, but ultimately realized his love was restoring his family farm into a tourist stop.

On the other hand, I did not really like George. I get that she had been hurt in the past, and yes, that does affect how you view future relationships, but George let it control her every move and though. Years ago, Casey kissed George at a high school party then he immediately freaked and left. George continues to hold this against him even though he's apologized and told her the reason why he left. Casey is constantly putting himself out there to prove his feelings for her, and all George does is whine and complain and tell him to go date his ex-girlfriend (to which she gets upset when she thinks he does). Ultimately I wanted Casey to not end up with her because she was so immature.

Then there was George's sister, Sera. While I loved her wife, Jax, Sera was another story. What exactly was her point here? Oh yes, to be that annoyingly rude sister. Obviously, because it wasn't like she was actually a mom to her daughter. The minute George arrived back home, Sera just handed off her baby. Feedings, diaper changes, naps, middle of the night wake up calls, everything George did. Then Sera had the nerve to get mad when her daughter reached for her aunt instead of her mother. Umm, maybe because you weren't acting like one?

The author did a great job of showing off the perks of living in a small town, however, it soon turned into Gilmore Girls x1000 with everyone assuming your business is theirs and they have a say in who you marry. There were times I enjoyed the town and times I wanted to pull my hair out and shout "MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!".

 Also, was there a reason that the female protagonist had a masculine name while the male protagonist had a feminine name? This did nothing for me expect to make me cringe every time I read George. Because while Casey is a fine name for either boy or girl, the name George is not very flattering on a female and it definitely took me out of the book a few times.

Overall, I enjoyed the writing and Denker has a way with male/female banter that had me laughing out loud at many scenes. But I feel like in a romance novel, I should root for the couple to be together, and I just didn't feel it here.

I received an e-copy of this novel from the publisher for my honest opinion and review via Netgalley.

Book Review: Breathless (Elemental #2.5) by Brigid Kemmerer

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:

Release Date: April 30, 2013
Publisher: Kensington Teen
65 Pages

Too many secrets. Not enough time.

Nick Merrick is supposed to be the level-headed one. The peacemaker. Since it’s just him and his three hotheaded brothers against the world, that’s a survival tactic.

But now he’s got problems even his brothers can’t help him survive.

His so-called girlfriend, Quinn, is going quick as mercury from daring to crazy. Meanwhile, Quinn’s dancer friend Adam is throwing Nick off balance, forcing him to recognize a truth he’d rather shove back into the dark.

He can feel it—the atmosphere is sizzling. Danger is on the way. But whatever happens next, Nick is starting to find out that sometimes nothing you do can keep the peace.

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Nick. Is. My. Favorite.

He has been my favorite of the Merrick brothers since the very beginning of the series, and I was literally bouncing to get this tiny insight into his secrets. (Can we talk about how much I love this secret, too? I may have scared Jenn with my flailing over it.) My excitement for this novella was not misplaced. Nick's wonderfulness did not change with this story, but actually, fans may grow to love him even more. 

He's a very lost boy. While reading this, it will be impossible for readers to not ache for Nick. He's such a good person (fictional as he may be). He just needs some direction, and the strength to be true to himself. Hopefully his love interest, his friends, and his family can show him how unconditional their love for him is so he can finally be happy. I must be honest, though, I still don't like Quinn and I don't see that changing any time soon. I hope she can help Nick, but she's low on my list of characters to care about.

This is the first novella of this series that I've enjoyed, even though I consider myself a big fan of Elementals. I can't really figure out why I enjoyed this one so much--I know for a fact it wasn't just because Nick's da bomb. I think Kemmerer's writing has beautifully progressed. She has gradually made herself an insta-buy author of mine, and a favorite as well. She's so talented and I can't wait to see what she does with the rest of this series, as well as her future novels.

Now I'll just be rocking over here in a dark corner for a full-length book about Nick. I can already taste the drama that's to come… It's gonna be good.

Blog Tour: ARC Review: Spirit (Elementals #3) by Brigid Kemmerer

Today we are happy to be a part of the Spirit Blog Tour hosted by The Midnight Garden Blog Tours. 

Find the other tour stops HERE.

Spirit (Elementals #3) by Brigid Kemmerer

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: May 28, 2013
Publisher: KTeen
301 Pages

With power comes enemies. Lots of them.

Hunter Garrity just wants to be left alone. He’s learned the hard way that his unusual abilities come at a price. And he can’t seem to afford any allies.

He’s up to his neck in hostiles. His grandfather, spoiling for a fight. The Merrick brothers, who think he ratted them out. Calla, the scheming psycho who wants to use him as bait.

Then there’s Kate Sullivan, the new girl at school. She’s not hostile. She’s bold. Funny. Hot. But she’s got an agenda, too.

With supposedly secret powers rippling to the surface everywhere around him, Hunter knows something ugly is about to go down. But finding out what means he’ll have to find someone he can trust…

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This review is spoiler free for the Elementals series.

I'm obsessed with this series. I have to admit, we had a rocky beginning, but after reading the first book? I was willing to offer my firstborn son. Now, after reading Spirit, the third book in the Elementals series, Brigid Kemmerer can have my soul.

Hunter's life is in the gutter. His friendships have fizzled after the events in Spark. His grandparents have made it clear that they couldn't care less about him. His mother is negligent and sick with grief over the death of Hunter's father. The boy is alone, his abilities make sure of that. The new girl, though, has caught his eye. It's obvious that she's hiding something big, but Hunter thinks he's found someone who understands, someone he can trust. 

I was not expecting a book from Hunter's point-of-view and was a bit taken aback when I realized that's what Spirit was. Hunter was not my favorite character, but I was definitely curious to learn more about him. His past was still pretty unclear after the first two books. We knew very little about Hunter, but his role in the series has grown a lot since the beginning so getting a chance to learn about him was necessary. 

The author continues to portray phenomenal storytelling. Her writing style is addictive, making her books "unputdownable." The plot moves very steadily. I had trouble putting it down! There's just something about this series that sucks in you in and doesn't let you go even after you finish the journey. It's like crack. Book crack. (And the withdrawal symptoms come after the end as well.) 

The emotional aspect of this series also rose in this novel. The level of intensity is almost overwhelming sometimes. I was surprised that Hunter's story was able to provoke a lot of emotions from me. Kemmerer handed out angst like it was candy in Spirit. I teared up more than once. This book pulls out other feelings as well. There were moments of frustration, of anger and some hilarious parts that will have readers laughing out loud. 

The characters… Sigh… These boys. I love them all. Nick may be my favorite, but I've come to love them all--even Michael, which was kinda shocking. (After you read this book, you will get what I mean.) While Hunter has been a character with many ups and downs, getting into his thoughts and emotions was really insightful. Reading from his point-of-view will give the audience a better understanding of why he has done what he has done and what he's learned from his actions. Who didn't I love? Hunter's love interest, Kate. I couldn't stand her and never grew to like her. Though her character definitely develops as the story progresses, she never made a place in my heart. If you read it, I'm sure you would at least understand why I feel this way. From the moment she is introduced to the very end, I thought Hunter deserved better. 'Cuz by the end of the book, my lukewarm feels for the boy turned red hot. (Insert awkward giggles.)

So would I recommend this series? Yes times ten billion. It's a fantastic series, and Spirit, although not my favorite, is a great addition to it. I'm eagerly awaiting (see: dying for) the next book in the series, as Nick is my favorite brother! Brigid has made a true fan out of me, and if you give it a shot, I'm sure she'll be able to hook you in as well!

I received an e-copy of this novel from the publisher for my honest opinion and review via Netgalley. Big thanks to Kensington Teen and The Midnight Garden Blog Tours for allowing me to join this tour!