Swoon Thursday # 54 - Spirit by Brigid Kemmerer

The fabulous girls over at YA Bound created this super HOT meme.

Here's how it works. From the book you're currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering.

Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag#YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button above and share it on your blog!

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My Swoon for this week comes from:

Spirit
(Elementals # 3)

by

Brigid Kemmerer

First - The Blurb:

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…





Second - My Swoon:

Hunter tasted like cinnamon and smelled like the woods, pine and bark and something very male. His mouth was so sure, and when his tongue brushed hers, a sound escaped her lips. He did it again, letting his thumbs trace over her breasts so lightly that she found herself arching into him. Suddenly she wished they were somewhere else, somewhere private, with curtains and less clothing and....


Please don't blame me. I didn't cut it off there. The author did.


Third - My Thoughts:

Spirit is the third book in the Elementals series by Brigid Kemmerer. It digresses from the Merrick brothers and focuses on Hunter - a Fifth. (A Fifth is someone who has control of all four elements and is usually trained to be a Guide).

Experiencing a very rough patch in life, Hunter suddenly finds himself without family or friends - or so he thinks. Not sure who to trust, he eventually decides to trust no one, and in doing so, complicates his life even further.

Enter Kate. Also a Fifth training to be a Guide, she latches onto Hunter. At first he doesn't know what to make of her. However, as their friendship grows and her secrets are revealed, he finally learns to trust her. Unfortunately, not everything turns out well.

Although the story was entertaining and well written, I didn't find it quite as enjoyable as Spark. (Go Gabriel). But it was still good.

My Rating: 4 out of 5

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Okay, so what do you think?

If you liked my Swoon, please leave a comment below!

Teaser Tuesday # 53 - Spark by Brigid Kemmerer

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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My Tease for this week comes from:

 

Spark
(Elementals #2)

by

Brigid Kemmerer

First - The Blurb:

EARTH. FIRE. AIR. WATER.

He could feel flames coming through the floor, looking for him. Sparks and ash rained down. He wasn't going to make it. He was going to fail. Again. Then a hand closed over his wrist and pulled, hard.

Gabriel Merrick plays with fire. Literally. Sometimes he can even control it. And sometimes he can’t. So when an arsonist wreaks havoc on his town all the signs point to Gabriel.

Layne is strangely drawn to him. Layne understands family problems, and she understands secrets. She has a few of her own.

Gabriel can’t let Layne know that the danger that’s right at his heels. But there are some risks he can’t help taking.

THE FUSE IS LIT…



Second - The Tease:

"Just me and the horses. Plenty of privacy." She flushed, realizing how that sounded. "I mean..."

His hands found her waist, hard through the thin material of her jacket. "I know exactly what you mean."

She sucked in a breath, but then he was kissing her.

When his lips touched hers, it was like lighting a match: a quick flare of heat, a burst of light, and then a slow burn. Her body melted into his, letting him support her again. His hands slid under the edge of her jacket, and even though there was a turtleneck there, she froze anyway.

His hands stopped.... but his kisses didn't. They slowed, his mouth drawing at hers carefully, his tongue brushing hers until he'd coaxed small noises from her throat and the heat in her body was everywhere, not just near his hands or his mouth. This time, when his hands slid under her jacket, she let him.



Third - My Thoughts:

Spark moves on from where Storm left off, only this time, Gabriel is the focus. For those of you who haven't read this series, I should point out that there are four brothers in total. Chris, the youngest who we met in Storm. Gabriel and Nick, the twins. And Michael, the oldest brother who is in charge of the other three.

In Spark, we get to learn a whole lot more about Gabriel. Like Chris, he is an Elemental and can control fire. Although he appears rough around the edges, he quickly captures your heart. He is most definitely my favorite of the four.

Enter Layne. She is a girl with a secret. Constantly bullied by a fellow student who one day takes things a little too far, Gabriel suddenly notices her. Drawn to each other, the two of them begin to form an unlikely friendship which soon blossoms into more.

I have to say, I liked this book slightly better than the first. It's well written and it is easy to become emotionally involved. There are parts to the story where your heart just goes out to these two characters.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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Okay, so what do you think?

If you liked my Swoon, please leave a comment below!



From the TBR Pile # 12 - Existence by Abbi Glines

My good friend Sharrice from Reese's Reviews: My Addiction to Fiction came up with the idea of 'From The TBR Pile'.

If you want to join in the fun, then just do the following:

From your book shelf or your e-reader, pick a book that you own that is still on your TBR list. Post it however you want to, then leave a link below so others can see what's waiting to be read.

This week for me its:

Existence

(Existence Trilogy #1)

by

Abbi Glines

What happens when you're stalked by Death? You fall in love with him, of course.

Pagan Moore doesn't cheat Death, but instead, falls in love with him.

Seventeen year old Pagan Moore has seen souls her entire life. Once she realized the strangers she often saw walking through walls were not visible to anyone else, she started ignoring them. If she didn't let them know she could see them, then they left her alone. Until she stepped out of her car the first day of school and saw an incredibly sexy guy lounging on a picnic table, watching her with an amused smirk on his face. Problem is, she knows he's dead.

Not only does he not go away when she ignores him, but he does something none of the others have ever done. He speaks. Pagan is fascinated by the soul. What she doesn't realize is that her appointed time to die is drawing near and the wickedly beautiful soul she is falling in love with is not a soul at all.

He is Death and he's about to break all the rules.

I read a review on this one that really got me intrigued so I put it on hold at the local library. Hopefully there will be a copy available soon.

SO NOW IT'S YOUR TURN!

On your blog (and be sure to leave a link) tell me what's waiting on your TBR pile.

Book Boyfriend of the Week # 4 - Jude from Crash by Nicole Williams

This is a meme created by Reading and Things for bloggers to talk about there book boyfriends and tease the readers with things they've said.

Want to participate?

Then all you have to do is:

1) Pick a book boyfriend, it can be from the book your currently reading or from one you've already read.

2) Write what kind of boyfriend he is, and if you want, say why you think that.

3) Pick a quote from his book, long or short, that proves he is the kind of boyfriend you said he is.

4) Make sure the quote, and the explanation DO NOT give away anything from the book (we want all of the twists and plot surprises to remain surprises).

5) Share it! And shout it out using the #Reading and Things.

My Book Boyfriend for this week is:

Jude Ryder (Jamieson)

Jude is one hell of a bad boy but he has a vulnerable side which calls out for him to be loved. If you haven't had a taste of Jude then I highly recommend that you do.



Southpointe High is the last place Lucy wanted to wind up her senior year of school. Right up until she stumbles into Jude Ryder, a guy whose name has become its own verb, and synonymous with trouble. He's got a rap sheet that runs longer than a senior thesis, has had his name sighed, shouted, and cursed by more women than Lucy dares to ask, and lives at the local boys home where disturbed seems to be the status quo for the residents. Lucy had a stable at best, quirky at worst, upbringing. She lives for wearing the satin down on her ballet shoes, has her sights set on Juilliard, and has been careful to keep trouble out of her life. Up until now.

Jude's everything she needs to stay away from if she wants to separate her past from her future. Staying away, she's about to find out, is the only thing she's incapable of.

For Lucy Larson and Jude Ryder, love's about to become the thing that tears them apart.




Here's a little taste:

He leaned back, his face victorous. "So that's a yes?"

"Jude," I said in between trying to catch my breath, "that was a hell yes."

Brushing a quick kiss on my cheek, he headed out into the hall. "It will be one hell of a night, Luce. I'm glad I'll get to spend it with you."

Homecoming with Jude Ryder.

There was so much wrong with that, it had to be right.


Jude and Lucy are an unsual couple but they work well together. I really love this series.

Okay! Now it's your turn. Who's your current book crush for this week? Please leave a link below.



Feature & Follow # 52

Feature & Follow is a blog hop hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. The purpose is to meet new people and gain more followers in the book blogging community. If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers. But you have to know, the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

This week's question:

Book Selfie!
Snap a picture of you and your current read.

I'm currently reading the Elementals series by Brigid Kemmerer

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So what's your FF?

To play along visit Parajunkee & Alison Can Read
 

Follow them, follow their Featured Blogs and then visit as many blogs as you can, posting your answers.
 

And don't forget to leave your link in the comments section below!

Teaser Tuesday # 52 - Storm by Brigid Kemmerer

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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This week's Tease comes from:

 
Storm

(Elementals #1)

by

Brigid Kemmerer

First - The Blurb:

Earth. Fire. Air. Water.

When Becca Chandler saves Chris Merrick from being beaten-up in the school car park, she has no idea how dramatically this one action will change her life. Chris is no ordinary guy and neither are his three older brothers. The Merrick boys are Elementals. Hot. Powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death.

Then there's Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time. With her life at stake, Becca doesn't know who to trust or whose secrets she should keep. and with two boy vying for her affections, and pressure rising all around her, will she find out in time who's hiding the most dangerous truth of all?Take Cover.
The storm is coming!

 

 

Second - The Tease:

 

He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers, just for a heartbeat, maybe a moment more. His mouth felt warm and dry, very sure. He only drew back an inch, weighing her reaction.

 

 

Wow! I actually managed to keep this weeks tease brief. Hope you liked it.

 

 

Third - My Thoughts:

 

Becca first appears as a normal teenage girl, but as the story unfolds, you soon discover that she has a lot going on in her life. Some of it not so pleasant. After rescuing Chris from a beating she forms a friendship with him and quickly discovers that he is not just a normal teenage boy. He is an Elemental who draws his power from water. Although an attraction starts to develop between them, neither of them acts.

 

Enter Hunter - the 'New Kid'. He takes in instant liking to Becca and begins to form a relationship with her. However, it turns out he has his own secrets and is not as innocent as he first appears to be.

 

As the two guys rival for Becca's attention, more and more is revealed. Some twists you can see coming. Others you can't.

 

After seeing this book/series featured on several other blogs, I felt that I had to read it. It's not a book filled with swoon worthy moments but the story is captivating and keeps you entertained right to the end.

 

 

My Rating: 4 out of 5

 

 

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If you liked my tease, PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or if you don't have a blog, then please leave your ‘teasers’ in the comment section below!

 

 



From the TBR Pile #11

My good friend Sharrice from Reese's Reviews: My Addiction to Fiction came up with the idea of 'From The TBR Pile'. If you want to join in the fun, then just do the following:

From your book shelf or your e-reader, pick a book that you own that is still on your TBR list. Post it however you want to, then leave a link below so others can see what's waiting to be read.

This week for me its:

 

Half-Blood

(Covenant #1)

by

Jennifer L. Armentrout

 

 



The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi pure bloods have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals--well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

 

I've had this one on my list for quite a while now. Just discovered that my local library has the entire series so Iput it on hold. Unfortunately, I'm 6th in the cue so it might take some time before I can collect the books.

 

 



SO NOW IT'S YOUR TURN!

On your blog (and be sure to leave a link) tell me what's waiting on your TBR pile.