Title: Spirit (Elementals #3)
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Contemporary, Magic
Publisher: Kensington (I received an ARC from NetGalley)
Publication Date: May 2013 (Allen & Unwin are publishing Spirit in Australia in June 2013)
Pages: 301
Rating: 5 stars
Synopsis (from goodreads):
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…
My Review:
I don’t know how Brigid Kemmerer does it. With every word I read in the Elementals series – be it a full length novel or novella – I fall more in love with the stories, the series plot and especially the characters.
Spirit is Hunter’s story. He’s on the outs with the Merrick brothers, his mother is still weeping over his father’s death six months ago and his grandfather thinks he’s a delinquent – a theory that’s only strengthened when the headmaster rings home after Hunter is accused of assaulting another student.
And then he meets Kate. Sassy and strong, the new student makes Hunter feel like no girl ever has before. But as sexy as the mysterious transfer student is, she’s also secretive and may or may not have a boyfriend. Hunter’s father taught him to use everyone else before they use him but as Hunter gets to know the Elementals he’s starting to question everything he’s ever known.
I wasn’t expecting to love Spirit as much as I did. But I fell in love with how terribly life treats Hunter. He’s only sixteen but has been though so much. He survived a car accident that claimed the lives of his father and uncle, he’s somehow managing to cope with a withdrawn mother and grandfather who doesn’t know how to deal with his tattooed and pierced grandson. And I have to say it’s a fantastic thing for Hunter that he knows people who can draw on the elements to heal…
And through it all Hunter manages to pick himself up and try to carry on as he thinks his father would have wanted him to. His relationships with others are rocky and trust isn’t something that comes easily to the Spirit Elemental. But he evolves throughout the book. His romance with Kate was my favourite relationship to read so far in this series. They’re not conventional but somehow they work so well together.
The Merrick brothers and their other halves are brilliant in this latest instalment of the Elementals series. They add a spark of drama but in the end are there of each other (and Hunter if he lets them) when it storms. I really enjoy how Chris, Becca and Gabriel pop in and despite their happy endings, they aren’t over glamourized as characters. They have their faults and their finding love hasn’t completely changed their personalities.
This is my favourite book in what is quickly becoming one of my favourite series. I can not wait till early next year when the fourth book (Nick’s story!) is released.
Purchase the novel from:
— code for free download for the Elementals ebook (available on Kensington site only, through link below):
The promo code is: VCARD
It’s active until May 31st.
I’m delighted to have participated in the Spirit blog tour hosted by The Midnight Garden. I recommend stopping by and checking out the character interviews, exclusive content and giveaways!
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