Our Love Is Elemental

Published: March 27th, 2012
Elemental (Elemental # 0.5)
By: Brigid Kemmerer
Kensington Teen
ASIN:  B006MLKZAG

Earth, Fire, Air, Water – they are more than you dream.

As an air Elemental, 17-year-old Emily Morgan doesn’t have much power. That’s okay—she knows what happens to kids who do.

Like Michael Merrick. He’s an earth Elemental, one with enough power to level cities. Which makes him sexy. Dangerous. And completely off limits. At least according to Emily’s family.

But her summer job puts her in close contact with Michael, and neither of them can help the attraction they feel. When forces of nature like theirs collide, one misstep could get someone killed. Because Emily’s family doesn’t just want her to stay away from him.

They want him dead.

Review

   In a world that harbors people with power linked to the elements, Michael Merrick shouldn't be that unusual.  But given that he has enough power to probably level the entire town if his emotions get out of control, he's different from the other earth Elementals.  His parents have made a deal with the rest of the Elemental community that as long as he doesn't use his powers, they'll allow him to stay alive - but that doesn't mean they're going to stop trying to provoke him into slipping up.  Emily Morgan is an air Elemental from a wealthy family and has been told her entire life that Michael is dangerous and off-limits.  She never questioned it, until her brother came home with a black eye and she found out that he got it from jumping one of Michael's younger brothers.  Now, working at the batting cages/driving range where he goes twice a week after work, Emily is frightened at first to be around him.  But soon he has her questioning the truth of her life, her family and the very definition of danger.  Can they bridge the gap that hate has caused between their families?  Or will their story have a tragic ending?  I have been hearing so much about this series lately, about 99% of it glowing praise, that I decided to take the plunge into reading it sooner rather than later.  I absolutely loved this short story!  I don't usually read them, but after hearing that it made Michael seem more sympathetic than book # 1 (Storm), I chose to read in sequence including the short stories.  I like that the story manages to showcase the differences between Michael and Emily's family lives in such a short period of time.  He loves his family and they want the best for him, trying to protect him at every turn.  Her family is more distant and cold, stiffling in their protectiveness.  I appreciated that Emily, as much as she was desperate to escape her life, had never realized until meeting Michael just how sheltered and inclusive she really was.  Emily thought she was so different, but had instinctively believed eveything her parents and brother Tyler told her.  When Michael and Emily truly begin to interact it turns intense pretty fast.  I love the initial standoff with Em wielding the golf club.  It made me crack up.  My main complaint is that Brigid got my heart racing and my mind going crazy, only to end on a cliffhanger!  Then book # 1 picked up years later, with a different brother as the focal point!  What the h-e-double hockeysticks HAPPENED???  Now I have to read all of them just to find out!  I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys paranormal romance with some snarky attitude and awesome characters - but do yourself a favor, and have the next one on hand to read immediately afterwards!

VERDICT:  4.25/5  Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available online.  I purchased my copy at Amazon.com*