YA Contemporary Challenge 2014

I know, I know what you guys are thinking. I couldn't possibly need yet another challenge for this year. I'm already doing two as it is. And I realize this. So, let me explain myself.

Contemporary is a fairly new genre for me, but it is quick becoming my favorite. I realized that at some point, the books I was reading was not what I liked anymore. I didn't like paranormal at all anymore (I barely did in the first place) but fantasy was quick losing my attention as well. I was trying to figure out which books I gravitated towards, when I realized...it was contemporary. So I'm more using this challenge to discover new contemporary books that I will enjoy.

Second, I'm not exactly challenging myself. I will read and review books like I normally do, without actually thinking about it. Then, each month, in the tab above where I will keep my progress, I will simply list all the contemporaries I read each month, as well as link the review, if I reviewed it. I don't know yet if I will do an actual checkpoint/round-up post every month, or just keep a running list in the tab. It may depend on how many I read, or I may do it every few months instead of each one. I think it will just be interesting to see how many books out of what I read it actually contemporary.

The 2014 YA Contemporary Challenge is hosted by Katie's Book Blog and The Book Belles. There is still time to sign up, if you are so inclined!

(And if you want to see which contemps I've already read and reviewed in February, check the tab above!)

Fire and Flood {by Victoria Scott}

Title: Fire & Flood

Author: Victoria Scott

Series: Fire & Flood #1

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Purchase: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

A modern day thrill ride, where a teen girl and her animal companion must participate in a breathtaking race to save her brother's life—and her own. 
Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.
Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.
The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?

I wasn't sure what to expect with this one, as I have heard some mixed things. However, I am pleased to report that I actually did enjoy this book, even with the few problems I found with it.

Tella is a city girl, forced to move to middle-of-nowhere Montana. And she hates it. No internet, no friends, no mall. How is a girl to survive? Except they're there because her brother is dying, so she can't complain too much (she totally can). Until the day that she gets a mysterious box with a blinking device. At first, she thinks it's a prank, except for her parents freaking out about it. She sneaks her device back, and listens to the message--a message telling her about a race. A race that could save her brother's life. And so, she decides to join.

Tella was actually pretty annoying. Not enough to turn me off the book completely, though. She is a spoiled, bratty city girl. She has no idea what this race is, who is telling her this information, or if it's even true. She just leaves, without even telling her parents. She does realize she's not cut out to be traipsing through the jungle, but she does it anyway. She wants to be strong for her brother, which I can understand. However, she was so spoiled and bratty. She should have in no way survived. Seriously. She was not fit, she wasn't educated, she spent all her time wondering about her hair and her makeup and her body. I realize Victoria Scott wrote a post addressing femininity in YA, and I wholeheartedly agree. But someone like Celaena Sardothien can actually pull it off. Tella could not pull it off.

Thankfully, she meets a group of other Contenders who let her join them and the book starts to pick up a bit. I liked the other contenders, especially the twins, and Harper. Tella, upon meeting Harper for the first time, decides she hates her because she's pretty. Ooookay then. THEN, she sees stretch marks and gets a little gleeful because maybe Harper was fat at one time. WTF. I don't even...I'm just not going to go there.

And then there's Guy. Oh, Guy. I just don't understand. I wanted him so much to be the swoony guy, but he wasn't. First, he hates her. And then, he decides to join their group. And somewhere along the way, he...falls in love with Tella? And of course, Tella falls in love with him, and pretty much forgets the reason why she's even here. Oh, sure, her brother. She manages to remember about him every once in a while, but not nearly enough for someone who could be possible sacrificing her life for him.

And the plot. Finally, in the end, we get a few answers as to how this all came about. But it still wasn't enough. I still don't really know what's going on in their world. However, it was still pretty action-packed and kept me immersed until the end.

So, yes, I had many issues with Tella. Things were not explained, and some did not make sense. But I still enjoyed the book. I'm not going to compare it to the Hunger Games, because it's not really fair. Some elements are the same, yes, but some are unique. I will still be picking up the next book in this series.

I won an ARC in a giveaway held by the author. This in no way affects my opinions. 

This review can also be found on   

Victoria Scott:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

{Blog Tour} Solving for Ex Dream Cast!

Guys!! I am SUPER excited to be part of the blog tour for Solving for Ex. If you haven't noticed, I sort of LOVE this book. And I'm even more excited because I get to post the dream cast for the main characters in this book. I love dream casts, because I think it's so cool to see who the author envisions as her characters versus how you as a reader envisions them. So, here's Leigh Ann with her dream cast!

Dream Cast:

Hi Rachel Marie! Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog today to celebrate the release of Solving for Ex! I’m so happy you asked me to do a Dream Cast post, because I LOVE to write using pictures as inspiration. 

So here we go! 

I’ll introduce you to my main character first: Ashley. She’s one of those girls that has never thought she’s anything special to look at because she wasn’t popular, she was a math geek, and she has freckles. But in this book, the hottest boy at school is after her. Can you see why?

Meaghan Martin as Ashley

Next up! The boy-next-door, best friend crush. Brendan is one of those guys who has a particular type of hotness that some girls see and some girls might not be able to. What do you think???

David Henrie as Brendan

So that brings us to the hot new girl who tries to steal Brendan away. (Incidentally, I’m working on a followup book that’s all about her, that necessitates me writing about her without makeup. BIG difference.)

Victoria Justice as Sofia

And last but not least, Sofia’s twin brother, Vincent – the cutest boy at school, who wants nothing more than a date – and more – with Ashley. Every girl on two legs thinks he’s dreamy, and half the guys to boot. What do you think?

Lucas Till as Vincent

Thank YOU, Leigh Ann, for sharing your dream cast with us! What do you think of the characters? I will say, none of them really look like what I was thinking, but I love it. I never thought of David Henrie for Brendan, but it's actually perfect. And Lucas Till looks nothing like I was imagining Vincent, but I'm not complaining ;) For those of you who have already read Solving for Ex, who would you have cast as the characters?

Read my review of Solving for Ex here

The Book: 

Title: Solving for Ex

Author: Leigh Ann Kopans

Published: February 11, 2014

Purchase: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

1 crush on your best friend +

1 gorgeous, scheming new girl +

1 Mathletics competition =

1 big mess

SIMPLIFY.

Ashley Price doesn’t have much in life after being bullied so hard she had to leave her old school to live with her aunt and uncle in Pittsburgh. But the camera she borrowed from her best friend and secret crush Brendan, and her off the charts math abilities, make things a lot more bearable. Plus, since Brendan is the captain, making the school Mathletes team should be easy. 

But when gorgeous new girl Sofia rolls in and steals Brendan, Ashley's place on the team, and her fragile foothold on the Mansfield Park Prep social totem pole, it’s on. Sofia is everything Ashley left her old school to escape. The only thing Ashley didn’t count on is Sofia’s sexy twin brother Vincent.

Vincent is not only the hottest boy in school, he’s charming, sweet, and he’s got his eye on Ashley. He’s also not taking no for an answer. There's no real reason Ashley shouldn't like Vincent, but with the

battle lines being drawn between her and Sofia, Ashley’s not sure which side he’s on. Or which side she wants him to be on.

She does know Sofia is trouble with a capital T, and she’s determined to make Brendan see it.

SOLVING FOR EX is a YA contemporary romance that remixes Mansfield Park as Clueless meets Mean Girls in a crazy mix of high school society, mathletic competition, and teenage romance.

The Author:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads

Raised on comic books and classic novels, Leigh Ann developed an early love of science fiction and literature.  As an adult, she rediscovered her love for not only reading, but also writing the types of fiction that enchanted her as a teen.  Solving for Ex was born of her love for Jane Austen’s classics, and how they taught her that love stories could be funny and wickedly smart.

Leigh Ann, her husband, and four children live in Columbus, Ohio. When she’s not immersed in the world of fiction, you can find her obsessing over the latest superhero movie or using her kids as an excuse to go out for ice cream (again.)

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Thanks for checking out my stop on this tour! Leigh Ann is a super cool person, and I love this book, so I hope you check it out!

{Cover Reveal} The Lost One by Meg Collett

Hey guys! Today, I am excited to help reveal the cover for The Lost One, the sequel to The Hunted One by Meg Collett. Meg is just an awesome person, and I hope you check out The Hunted One before The Lost One comes out!

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The cover for The Lost One!

Title: The Lost One (End of Days, book 2)

Author: Meg Collett

Publisher: self

Release Date: March 2014

Add to Goodreads

They say some things must be broken before they can be fixed. But when Michaela hoped to cast doubt on the Aethere, she never thought things would fall apart like they did. Now the Aethere have turned their attention to the End of Days, and they won’t rest until they obtain the tools of Earth's final destruction: the Seven Seals. The world is falling apart at the seams, and Michaela finds herself clutching the threads. She alone understands what will happen if the Aethere ever get the seals, and it’s the one thing she will fight to the death to prevent if she has to. Even amidst the devastation on Earth, Michaela struggles to restore her faith in Gabriel. Together, they'll need to decide if their love is strong enough to erase the line she had fought so hard to draw between holy and fallen. Michaela said she wanted a war, but when the End is looming, what will she fight for?

Doesn't the cover look awesome? (The correct answer is YES.) Yeah, I can't wait for this one (and I haven't even finished The Hunted One yet...oops). 

Book 1: The Hunted One

Check out this guest post by Meg Collett! 

Meg Collett:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Meg Collett lives deep in the hills of Tennessee where there the cell phone service is a blessing and internet is a myth of epic proportions. She is the mother of one giant horse named Elle and two dogs named Wylla and Mandy. Her husband is a saint for putting up with her ragtag life. End of Days is her first series.

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If I Speak True {by Jessica L. Brooks}

Title: If I Speak True

Author: Jessica L. Brooks

Series: Flora #1

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Purchase: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Dahlia Kennedy's sixteenth birthday marks a decade of mysterious dahlias arriving and strange, lonely dreams of being in a forest. The only difference this birthday, however, is that for the first time, someone is there with her. And he's practically from a whole other era.
The more often Dahlia visits Rowan in his land of Ambrosia, the stronger their connection grows. But... is Ambrosia real? Is he real? What is going on between the two of them, exactly, and why does he insist that she keep it to herself?
As secrets usually go, however, it's only a matter of time before everything comes out. And when Dahlia finds out the truth of who Rowan is, who she is, and how he really feels -- it’s beyond anything she could have ever imagined.

Can I start by talking about the cover? I don't know what it is, but I just really love it. 

Anyways... If I Speak True was a unique, creative, and fun story. Dahlia is turning sixteen when the story opens. And like every year for the past ten years, a dahlia appears. She doesn't know from whom, she doesn't know why. But every year, it is there. That night, like most other nights, she dreams of a different world. A world she thought was just her overactive imagination...until Rowan appears. Now, Ambrosia is so much more than Dahlia ever thought. 

Since I liked this book, let's start out by getting the things I didn't like out of the way. First, the freaking out. I realize that all that's going on is pretty weird. I know that she said she's lived with her mother's paranoia for so long, it's affected her too. But there was a lot that seemed unnecessary and childish. 

Also, her mother. Some of it was explained by her going crazy after their father died, but some of it I just didn't understand. And her sisters. Did they like her? Not like her? Were they jerks? Not jerks? I was really confused as to the whole family dynamic here. 

Next, Dahlia. No, not her in general. But there were times when she was really immature and...annoying. I realize she's a sixteen-year old girl, but sometimes she would just get on my nerves. The whole getting-mad-at-Rowan-and-stomping-away act got old real fast. 

And the pacing could have been done better. The story lags a lot in the middle, only to pile information on at the end. I think it definitely could have picked up, explained more in the middle instead of what seemed like nothing happening.

But other than that, this was actually a very good story. The world-building in Ambrosia was done very well. The characters were well-portrayed, especially Rowan and the Queen. The banter between Dahlia and her Shaver friends was fun and humorous. I liked the relationships between the characters, both in Shaver and in Ambrosia. The characters were believable, because you could relate to them. (But can we get more Briscoe in the next book?)

Although it does have some flaws, If I Speak True was a very enjoyable read, one that I would definitely recommend.

Psst- check out Jessica's dream cast for the Ambrosia side characters!

I received an eARC from the author in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion in any way.

This review can also be found on   

Jessica L. Brooks

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Google+ | Pinterest | Goodreads

Heartbeat {by Elizabeth Scott}

Title: Heartbeat

Author: Elizabeth Scott
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Life. Death. And...Love?

Emma would give anything to talk to her mother one last time. Tell her about her slipping grades, her anger with her stepfather, and the boy with the bad reputation who might be the only one Emma can be herself with.

But Emma can't tell her mother anything. Because her mother is brain-dead and being kept alive by machines for the baby growing inside her.

Meeting bad-boy Caleb Harrison wouldn't have interested Old Emma. But New Emma-the one who exists in a fog of grief, who no longer cares about school, whose only social outlet is her best friend Olivia-New Emma is startled by the connection she and Caleb forge.

Feeling her own heart beat again wakes Emma from the grief that has grayed her existence. Is there hope for life after death-and maybe, for love?

I wanted to really like this one, because I had heard great things about this book and Elizabeth Scott's books in general. But I just could not get into it. There were quite a few moments when DNF-ing it would cross my mind, but the book was so short, it didn't seem worth it.

I will say, I do not regret finishing it. It did mostly redeem itself towards the end, and it was still a pretty good story. The issue I had was with the main character, Emma. 

I would also like to start off by saying, I could never imagine what Emma has gone through. Losing your mother, only to have her still there for the sake of the baby inside her. Seeing her, never getting closure. I can also understand why she would be so upset that Dan never asked her opinion on any of the choices made concerning her mom, because she was all her mother had until Dan came along. 

That said, I just couldn't stand how bitter and hateful she was towards Dan, the baby, the world. I tried to understand that she was coming from a place of grief, but it still didn't help things. She's so caught up in herself, she fails to see that Dan is grieving too. But now, instead of grieving just his wife, he's also grieving the family he once used to have, now that Emma has turned into who she is. The things she would say to Dan were, I felt, unforgivable. 

Most of the book was spent with Emma repeating the same things about how this isn't what her mother would have wanted, how Dan only cares about himself and the baby, how Dan only does what he wants, how no one understands, etc. But everything she said about her mother, how kind and loving she was, directly contradicts her firm belief that this isn't what her mother would have wanted. I felt that her mother would have wanted the baby to live, especially considering all she went through to simply conceive him. 

I realize that high school is a tough time. I realize that teenager's emotions are really screwed up. I can't even imagine what it would be like to have to go through what Emma did. But there were still times when I wanted to slap her. 

Caleb as the love interest was...okay. He wasn't particularly swoony or anything. He has his scars too, and I liked how he helped Emma with what she was dealing with, and she helped him. His family was pretty horrendous, and although I couldn't evoke much emotion for Emma, I could for Caleb.

However, the writing was very well-done. Even as much as I disliked the characters, I have to agree with that. It flowed very smoothly, and kept even me interested enough to keep reading. It is for this reason that I will definitely check out more of Elizabeth Scott's work.

This review can also be found on   

Elizabeth Scott:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | tumblr | Goodreads

Solving for Ex {by Leigh Ann Kopans}

Title: Solving for Ex

Author: Leigh Ann Kopans
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | author website

1 crush on your best friend +

1 gorgeous, scheming new girl +

1 Mathletics competition =

1 big mess

SIMPLIFY.

Ashley Price doesn't have much in life after being bullied so hard she had to leave her old school to live with her aunt and uncle in Pittsburgh. But the camera she borrowed from her best friend and secret crush Brendan, and her off the charts math abilities, make things a lot more bearable. Plus, since Brendan is the captain, making the school Mathletes team should be easy. 

But when gorgeous new girl Sofia rolls in and steals Brendan, Ashley's place on the team, and her fragile foothold on the Mansfield Park Prep social totem pole, it’s on. Sofia is everything Ashley left her old school to escape. The only thing Ashley didn't count on is Sofia’s sexy twin brother Vincent.

Vincent is not only the hottest boy in school, he’s charming, sweet, and he’s got his eye on Ashley. He’s also not taking no for an answer. There's no real reason Ashley shouldn't like Vincent, but with the battle lines being drawn between her and Sofia, Ashley’s not sure which side he’s on. Or which side she wants him to be on.

She does know Sofia is trouble with a capital T, and she’s determined to make Brendan see it.

SOLVING FOR EX is a YA contemporary romance that remixes Mansfield Park as Clueless meets Mean Girls in a crazy mix of high school society, mathletic competition, and teenage romance.

If you haven't already seen me flailing about this book, well, I don't know where you've been. I absolutely love this book. I love main characters who are nerds, so that was all I needed to know that I had to read this book. And I was not disappointed. (I have not read Mansfield Park. Or, um, any Jane Austen novel. So if this mirrored that, which supposedly it does...then cool. I wouldn't know.) 

Ashley has moved in with her aunt and uncle after being bulled in her old school. Brendan has been there for her since she moved, and Ashley realizes she has fallen in love with him. She decides this is going to be her year, to tell Brendan how she feels, and get on the Mathletes team. Until Sofia, that is. 

I definitely loved the characters in this one. Ashley was a main character that you could relate to. We all know how terrible high school can be. Usually, I have issues with female main character's because they annoy the heck out of me. Of course, Ashley had her stupid moments, just like any other teenage girl. But for the most part, she was sensible and fun to read about. 

Brendan. Oh Brendan. I wanted to smack him upside the head a few times. He is definitely your cute, sweet, nerdy boy but he could be quite dense. Then again, so are all teenage boys. I can understand some of his feelings and the actions that went with them, since Ashley had never told him she liked him and he had no way to know (he's a guy after all). He with all his faults and stupid decisions, he is still probably one of my favorite swoony boys.

Sofia. There isn't much to say except that she was your perfect, stereotypical preppy girl. I can only say that, even being part of the nerd crowd in high school, there were never really any girls like this that I had to deal with. Or if there were, they left us alone. I can't say I hated her or anything, but she did have plenty of really unlikable moments.

Although there is a love triangle, it was done very well. Usually I hate them, but not this time. I think it's also more because Ashley herself was never sure with Vincent. Wasn't sure whether to like him, to trust him, or to be suspicious of him. I wasn't ever sure what to think of him myself. I just didn't trust him either. He was just way too good to be true, which was Ashley's problem as well.

I also loved the setting, how normal everyday school activities were shown. Most of the time, books just gloss over that, unless it's lunch or talking in the hallway etc. It wasn't in a mundane way, but instead showcasing how teens really do act. I suppose the book being centered around mathletes helped with that. I also loved how the interaction with Ashley's aunt and uncle, who were actually a part of her life and not absent parents. 

The writing was very well-done. The book kept me intrigued and interested all the way through. Even though what happens at the end is pretty predictable, it was still very well executed. I'm not really a romance person, but I absolutely loved this book, which is definitely saying something. The little math notes throughout the book were so cute and just added to the overall effect of the story. (And I could figure most of them out! yay!)

But even all of that isn't suffice to really tell you guys how much I love this book. I just really, really...do.

So...yeah. If you haven't already realized, I love this book. So, so much. And I think every one of you should read it too. (Hey, it would make a great Valentine's Day read.) I also can't wait for the companion novel about Sofia, First World Problems. Definitely sounds like it's going to be amazing too.

Check out Leigh Ann's dream cast!

I received an eARC from the author in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion in any way.

This review can also be found on   

Leigh Ann Kopans:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads

The Dancing Master {by Julie Klassen}

Title: The Dancing Master

Author: Julie Klassen
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Leaving London, dancing master Alec Valcourt moves his mother and sister to remote Devonshire--but is stunned to discover that dancing is prohibited! He finds an unlikely ally in Miss Julia Midwinter, but her questions about his past are becoming harder to evade. Together, can they bring new life to this quiet village--and heal long-kept-secret scars?

I don't know if I've said before, but I do not read historical fiction. I do not read Regency romance. I do not read Christian historical fiction or Regency romance. It is just not my thing. But there is just something about Julie Klassen and her books. I've read every. single. one. of her books, and I've loved all of them. The Dancing Master was no exception. 

Julia is the daughter of the town's matriarch. She finds her mother to be strict, oppressive, and hiding way too many secrets for Julia's liking. Julia lashes out by being rebellious and reckless, and flirting with any man she can, trying to find someone who will take her away from this horrid place. Alec has moved to the tiny town of Beaworthy with his mother and sister when they were driven out of London by scandal. Except, he is a dancing master...and dancing is forbidden. Forbidden by none other than Julia Midwinter's mother, twenty years ago. 

I will say, Julia is probably one of my least favorite main characters, out of all Klassen's novels. She was immature, reckless, spoiled, and bratty. She refused to listen to anyone, belittled her mother for petty reasons, and was all-around pretty selfish. She complains about how her life wasn't as perfect as it seemed, but it mainly seemed so because she made it that way, because she wanted people's attention. She seemed like a petulant child for most of the novel, even though she's older than most characters you might usually see in this position (19). That said, she wasn't a deal breaker for the book. I suppose all of it was necessary to show just how much she changes by the end of the book. (In my opinion, not much.)

Because of this, I couldn't ever really figure out why Alec liked her so much. Alec himself wasn't too bad. I'll admit, he wasn't the most swoonworthy of Klassen's male lead characters, but he was noble. He was sweet and charming, although he could be a bit stuck-up, when it came to manual labor and such. (He's a gentleman after all.) 

I did love the secondary characters a lot. Patience, James, and Walter Allen were among my favorites. (I want a book about one of them. I don't care which, just one of the Allen's. Or all of the Allen's. Write ALL the things!) I loved the friendship between them and Alec and Julia. I also loved how they were as a family, their parents included. I liked Ben and Tess Thorne and all the other townspeople. And of course, Alec's mother, and sister Aurora. Some of them weren't the most developed secondary characters I've ever read, but they were a lot of fun and kept a smile on my face.

Lady Amelia, Julia's mother, was one of my favorites. I very much enjoyed the small scenes from her POV, as well as the flashbacks. They taught us so much more about the story. They also showed us that she isn't some overbearing, crazy strict mother as Julia would have us believe. She's been hurt by Julia nearly as much as Julia's been hurt by her. Not to mention, all the other hurt she's experienced in her life. Her and Julia may not act in the best way about their feelings, which is partially responsible for all the hurt that keeps piling up, but they eventually see the error of their ways and start fixing things between them.

The plot itself was also very much well-written. The book is slightly long, and in places seemed to drag, but other than that, it was great. The secrets and mysteries surrounding the characters will keep you guessing. Although some of the "twists" were predictable, that didn't take away (much) when you actually found out the truth. And there are some twists that you won't see coming, that will not go as you thought it would.

I will say, the religious aspect of this was sort of non-existent most of the way through, and then it was just...there. Slightly awkward placing, almost randomly. I feel that for it to have been more effective, it should have been immersed throughout the entire book.

Even with its few faults, I loved this book just like all her other ones, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is loves historical or Regency romances, clean romance, or Christian romances.

*This novel is Christian fiction

I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion in any way.

This review can also be found on   

Julie Klassen:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

{Cover Reveal} SACRIFICE by Brigid Kemmerer

Hey guys! I'm here to help reveal the cover for Brigid Kemmerer's SACRIFICE. If you've been here long enough, you know that I love this series. Seriously. Secret was the first cover reveal this blog has ever done, and the Elemental series is the first that I've actually reviewed all the books in the series for (except Secret...yet and one novella) (okay, except for the Throne of Glass series but we can't compare).

I gotta say...I love this cover. Michael is my favorite of the Merrick brothers, and I'm so so glad to FINALLY get his book! (Also, I definitely love this cover model a lot more than the one who is supposed to be Michael on the first three.) I liked how the first three were similar, which tied them to each other, but I also like how the last two were different. But I gotta say, I really do like this last one, and how different it is as well.

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Wait for it............................................................................
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It's coming..................................................................................
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And here it is!

Title: Sacrifice (Elemental, book 5)

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Publisher: Kensington Teen

Release Date: September 30, 2014
Add on Goodreads

The Elemental Series: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository / iBooks / IndieBound

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…

Um yeah. So this sounds (and looks) amazing. Also, I love the background on this. And although I am not yet ready to say goodbye to the Merrick brothers, I am super excited for Michael's story. If you haven't read this series yet...get on it. Like, now.

And for fun, here's the Australia/New Zealand cover.

The rest of the books in the series:

See my review of the books in the Elemental series: Elemental, Storm, Spark, Spirit, Breathless

Brigid Kemmerer:

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Brigid Kemmerer is the author of the Elemental seres, about a family of four brothers who control the elements, and their battle with those who want them dead. Storm, Spark, Spirit, and Secret are available now wherever books are sold. You can learn more about the Elemental boys at www.brigidkemmerer.com.