Balancing Act

Battle Ground #6

by Rachel Churcher

Corporal David Conrad has life figured out. His job gives him power, control, and access to Top Secret operations. His looks have tempted plenty of women into his bed, and he has no intention of committing to a relationship.

When Ketty Smith joins the Home Forces, Conrad sets his sights on the new girl – but pursuing Ketty will be more dangerous than he realises. Is Conrad about to meet his match? And will the temptations of his job distract him from his target?

Balancing Act is a tie-in novel in the Battle Ground Series, revisiting the events of Darkest Hour, Fighting Back, and Victory Day from Corporal Conrad's point of view.

330 pages, Paperback

Published May 28, 2021

About the author

My new standalone UKYA novel is here, and gathering five-star reviews and award nominations! Angels is the LGBTQ+ YA story you've been waiting for: friendship, identity, attraction, disasters ... and finding your wings.

Available now!

All seven books of my near-future #UKYA dystopia series are available now on Amazon! Download Book One, Battle Ground , Book Two, False Flag , Book Three, Darkest Hour , Book Four, Fighting Back , Book Five, Victory Day , Book Six, Balancing Act , and Book Seven, Finding Fire and Other Stories for Kindle. Paperbacks are also available, and you'll find all seven books on Kindle Unlimited. For help with international downloads, visit the Taller Books website.

For a FREE tie-in novella, Making Trouble, and bonus short story, Lost Cause , visit freebook.tallerbooks.com.

Award-winning YA author and passionate YA reader. Always looking for the next great YA novel, whether it's a dystopia with an awesome female lead, a historical adventure, or a contemporary High School drama.

SF and dystopia are my comfort zones, but I'll step outside my happy place in pursuit of a good story. I have a book-buying habit, and a large library at home (I think of it as a portal to other worlds). I love physical books, and curling up in front of the fire to read. I firmly believe that there is no such thing as too many books - just not enough book shelves.

Reviews

[Paperbacks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Balancing Act is a welcome return to the Battle Ground series and an interesting change of narrator. Corporal Conrad was the perpetual thorn in Ketty's side and his side of the story is wonderfully told. The final 3 books are condensed well and the change of location for much of Conrads tale makes this book so much more than an companion point of view. Whilst Ketty and Bex played their game of cat and mouse, Conrad's foray into the resistance began and it was both captivating and page turning, The way the stories wove together were wonderfully crafted and the momentum was steadily building throughout, if you've read the earlier books you'll know whats coming but it still comes together in a wonderfully surprising way.

Conrad is not a likeable character, he is utterly conceited, so blinded by his own good fortune in the gene pool the idea that someone could get one over on him was unthinkable, the other side of his interactions with Ketty were interesting to read, I just wish I could remember more of Ketty's narrative at that time. Despite making him a womaniser and all round awful human being, Rachel Churcher almost made me think to feel sorry for him at one stage, he was very well written in this book and his own overinflated voice and the confidence he projected in his power over women was a little consuming at times, because as the authors note says, sadly most women have experienced a David Conrad in their lives.

If you're a fan of the series you will love this additional insight which really helps to round out the story and also gives us a bit more Ketty, which can only be a good thing.

[Julia Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

A companion novel to the excellent Battleground series, Balancing Act is the same story but told from an opposing viewpoint. Corporal David Conrad thinks his life is sorted. Holding a position of power within the Home Forces, his devastating good looks and charismatic manners are weapons used by his superior to gain trust and information. Shallow to the point of being two-dimensional, David’s world is tilted off its axis by the arrival of Ketty Smith.

She’s sharply intelligent and David is uncomfortably aware that she probably sees right through him. Still, he is intrigued by her. As his interest becomes a powerful obsession, David feels his perfect life slide out of control. Desperately trying to keep all his plates spinning at once, he knows it’s only a matter of time before his balancing act ends in disaster.

Beautifully written, the prose is sparse, and the dialogue is crisp and clever, and I confess this is my absolute favourite book of the series. Grittier, harsher, and altogether more adult, it’s an intense read that will have you turning the pages long after bedtime.

David Conrad is the type of anti-hero you love to hate and end up hating to love. He’s not an evil person, but he ended up on the wrong side and is too weak to change team mid-game. I wonder how many of us would have the strength to swim upstream if we suddenly discovered we were the bad guys.

An easy five stars from me, but to appreciate the book thoroughly and avoid the spoilers it is littered with, I highly recommend you read the rest of the series first.

[M.T. McGuire · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK first up a word of warning ... do NOT read this book until you have read the rest of Rachel Churcher's Battleground Series as there are spoilers. This concentrates on a series of events in the second half of the series but looks at them from a different character's point of view.

What I have loved about reading this series is how the writer's style has developed since the first book. They just get smoother and slicker and more impressive with each one. This one is a cracking piece of writing, the pace is great but at the same time, we get to see inside the heads of the characters involved and discover a whole back story which isn't in the main series. What I particularly enjoyed was the fact that the main protagonist in this book is, to all intents and purposes, a total git. Yet despite his gargantuan gittery I felt real sympathy for him by the end of this book. He doesn't take any responsibility for his actions, or at least, not in the right way but at the same time, I wanted him to prevail almost as fervently as I wanted him fried while reading about him from other characters' points of view in the main series. Not that I'm fickle, or anything.

You need to read the series first but ... seriously ... do it, even if only so you can read this one. Although you will love the others anyway. This is a belter of a book. Definitely recommended.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Balancing Act by Rachel Churcher is a tie-in novel in the Battle Ground series, so it is important to read the rest of the books to really get the most out of this story.

When I heard Rachel Churcher was releasing a new Battle Grounds book, I jumped at the opportunity to read. I’ve absolutely loved this series up to this point. Good news, this far exceeded my expectations!! I’m in love with the writing style and pacing. I was hooked from the beginning and didn’t set this down until I finished the last page.

Balancing Act is told from a different perspective than the previous novels, but we revisit events from them. I thought this was really clever. Reading from Conrad’s perspective was interesting. He’s cocky and knows what he wants. I thought his point of view was intriguing to read.

Overall, Balancing Act was an excellent addition to one of my favorite dystopian series. I highly recommend the entire series, and if you’re caught up, don’t skip Balancing Act. It is well-paced, wonderfully written, with a new look on familiar events. Check it out!

Thank you to author, Rachel Churcher for the copy of Battle Ground to honestly review. All opinions are my own and unbiased.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

After five books narrated by Bex and Ketty, Rachel Churcher provides an insight into the Battle Ground world narrated from a different perspective. There's every so much not to like about Conrad. He has few of Ketty's or Bex's redeeming features, but he makes for a very compelling read. Once you've read the rest of the series, this one makes for a great dive into what makes those at the top of things in Churcher's version of Britain tick.

Conrad is cocky, he's certain, he's well-placed, and he's sexy. And anything more I say about what he does is bound to introduce spoilers. This is a worthy entry in this very cool series and I recommend it highly.

(Note: I received an advance copy in return for an honest review.)

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Think you know everything about the characters and events from the Battle Ground series? Think again! This book is from the perspective of Conrad, one of the characters you meet in the series, but not a major player when compared to Bex or Ketty. This story gives a totally different perspective on the events in the later books of the series. It digs into the motivations and actions of a character who is really key to the events as they unfold. If you like reading books with characters you love to hate, this one is a must!

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must for anyone who has enjoyed the Battle Ground series. We've met Conrad before but now his true character and motivations are revealed. It explores his side of the story we've followed in the previous books. Another captivating read.