REVIEW: Every Word (Every #2) by Ellie Marney

James Mycroft has just left for London to investigate a car accident similar to the one that killed his parents seven years ago...without saying goodbye to Rachel Watts, his 'partner in crime'.

Rachel is furious and worried about his strange behaviour - not that Mycroft's ever exactly normal, but London is the scene of so many of his nightmares. So Rachel jumps on a plane to follow him...and lands straight in a whole storm of trouble.

The theft of a copy of Shakespeare's First Folio, the possible murder of a rare books conservator, and the deaths of Mycroft's parents...Can Watts help Mycroft make sense of the three events - or will she lose him forever?

Sparks fly when Watts and Mycroft reunite in this second sophisticated thriller about the teen sleuthing duo.

My Thoughts:

I have seen the aftermath of death, the incredible mechanism of the body laid bare, and I know now that each person is a kind of miracle. A spark nestles like a bird inside our chests, so deep that we can't find where it lives, but it is everything. It's what makes us dream and think and feel and laugh and sing. And it is a mystery, and it is mundane, and, above all, it is fragile. Any moment could be our last.

I actually finished reading Every Word a few months back but didn't post a review because I was just so blown away and couldn't find the words to adequately express my love for it. And now, months later, I still don't have the right words to sum it up. But the story is so fantastic that I have to say something, even if those words could never do the book justice. Just please, excuse my rambling and scattered thoughts.

When I read the first book in this series, Every Breath, I was immediately drawn into the story and when I got to the end I was so satisfied and happy to have discovered the writing of Ellie Marney. When Every Word came up for review I eagerly put up my hand. Little did I know what I was stepping into and how much this book would impress me and mess with my emotions. 

Every Word picks up a little way after Every Breath, and it doesn't take long for things to quickly heat up. Mycroft suddenly jumps on a plane to London to investigate a case very similar to the accident that killed his parents. Rachel is shocked, confused and angry since Mycroft failed to inform her that he was leaving. But after a little thought and investigation she decides to follow Mycroft and offer him whatever help and support he needs. 

I'm struck, in this moment, by the sheer Englishness of him. I mean, I knew he was English, but now it hits me - his height, his wild hair, the leanness of his body, the black jeans and the scuffed shoes, hid red-and-white striped jacket...

I adore James Mycroft. I love him with everything that I have. There is something about a broken boy that I'm immensely attracted to. I can't help it. He carries around this past that is full of heartache and it tortures him. It's so heavy and the weight of it drags him down. It's like he doesn't believe he deserves happiness and love. He broke me in this book. My heart ached for his pain.

The thing that I love about Rachel is her strength and her loyalty. They are such wonderful qualities to possess and she has them in spades. She is so supportive of Mycroft. She puts aside her feelings to be what he needs her to be. Yes, she can be impulsive at times, but that's also a part of her charm. In this book she is amazing and brilliant and strong and loyal and caring. I was just blown away by her.

A look, a word, a scent - I'm like a tuning fork that resonates to one deep-thrumming pitch. The sound of Mycroft's voice is enough to send wings through my insides, make my skin go nuclear. And a touch, even a gentle one...

Ellie Marney portrays Rachel and Mycroft so expertly. Teenagers are impulsive. They make rash decisions. They swear. They are raging hormones. And we get all of those in this series. Their chemistry is amazing. Not just in the physical sense, which is scorching, but they click so well on every level. 

The tension, the suspense, the mystery, the action... It was perfect. Absolutely perfect. And can I say chapter eighteen!! Oh. My. God!!! The emotions that I went through just in that one chapter alone. I was a mess!! But it was also more than that one chapter. I found this book to be much more detailed and descriptive than the first one. Everything seemed heightened to me. The violence, Mycroft's pain, Rachel and Mycroft's attraction... I loved every minute of it.

I love this series. I love this author. I want Ellie Marney and her books to have all the high praise and all the accolades that they so richly deserve. Beautifully descriptive and detailed, without being overly so. It's the easiest thing in the world to picture exactly what the author is describing. Every Word, is without a doubt in my top ten books read in 2014. Heck it could even be in my top five.

"You're in the centre, Watts. Right here." He touches his chest, over his heart, with his other hand. " You're always in the centre."

5/5 James Mycroft Stars

A huge thank you to Allen & Unwin Australia for providing me with a paperback copy for review.

REVIEW: Cooper Bartholomew is Dead by Rebecca James

Cooper Bartholomew's body is found at the foot of a cliff.

Suicide.

That's the official finding, that's what everyone believes.
Cooper's girlfriend, Libby, has her doubts. They'd been
happy, in love. Why would he take his own life?

As Libby searches for answers, and probes more deeply
into what really happened the day Cooper died, she and
her friends unravel a web of deception and betrayal.
Are those friends – and enemies – what they seem?
Who is hiding a dangerous secret? And will the truth set them all free?

A gripping new novel from the author of Beautiful Malice and Sweet Damage. 

Purchase: The Book Depository 

My Thoughts:

That was the thing about people like Cooper. They were so noticeable to us, they loomed so large and bright on our social radars, and yet to them we were barely blips. We knew stuff about them, we talked about them and watched them. We dreamed of being invited to their stupid parties. But they knew nothing about us. Not our names, not even our faces. They were indifferent. They made us feel small and boring. They made us feel invisible.

I had been wanting to read a Rebecca James book for the longest time, and when I saw Cooper Bartholomew is Dead I was immediately intrigued and excited to read it. I then saw that a trusted blogger friend gave it a glowing five star review so I was even more determined that this was going to be the first delve into this authors work.

The title alone tells you that this book is not going to be one that has you laughing and feeling all kinds of happy vibes.  And once you read the synopsis, you're left in no doubt as to what the book is about. But in saying that, this book is full of mystery and intrigue. Even though I knew that Cooper was going to die, I was engrossed from start to finish.

The story is told from multiple perspectives which allows for a complete picture of what everyone is thinking and feeling. It also moves from past to present. Normally, that in itself would be daunting as you try to work your way through a story, but the author worked it perfectly. At any one stage I suspected someone of foul play or sinister motives. And when I thought that I had things all figured out, something would happen and I'd have to throw everything I thought out the window. For me, that was the best part of the story. I was constantly kept on my toes and guessing what had happened and who was involved. And that was the case right up till the very end. It was mysterious and intriguing the whole way. 

All of the characters were complex and well fleshed out. They all had issues that could have impacted on Cooper and his death. Their relationships with Cooper were all complex, and each was different. There was never any doubt how much Cooper was loved, but there was a whole lot of jealousy and anger mixed in with that. 

And though I’d read the books and seen the movies and talked about and dreamed of it endlessly, I’d never realised that love could be so intense and so magic, so completely and utterly consuming. 

I’d never realised that life could be so sweet.

The one downfall for me was the relationship between Cooper and Libby. For some reason I just wasn't completely on board with it. I'm not sure if it felt rushed, or if it was just lacking in something, or maybe it was a combination of the two. I liked them well enough. In fact they were both great characters. And there were moments when I got their connection. But those moments were unfortunately fleeting. 

This being my first Rebecca James read, I was more than impressed with her writing, and that guarantees that I will be reading many more books from this author in the future. 

The world is simply less without him in it. And for me it will always be that way. Less colourful. Less magic. Less.

4/5 Wonderfully Mysterious Stars.

A huge thank you to Allen & Unwin for providing me with this review copy.

BLOG TOUR - REVIEW: Rebel (Reboot #2) by Amy Tintera

The sequel to the action-packed Reboot is a can't-miss thrill ride, perfect for fans of James Patterson, Veronica Roth, and Marie Lu.

After coming back from death as Reboots and being trained by HARC as soldiers, Wren and Callum have finally escaped north, where they hope to find a life of freedom. But when they arrive at the Reboot Reservation, it isn't what they expected. Under the rule of a bloodthirsty leader, Micah, the Reboots are about to wage an all-out war on the humans. Although Wren's instincts are telling her to set off into the wilderness on their own and leave the battle far behind, Callum is unwilling to let his human family be murdered. When Micah commits the ultimate betrayal, the choice is made for them. But Micah has also made a fatal mistake . . . he's underestimated Wren and Callum.

The explosive finale to the Reboot duology is full of riveting action and steamy love scenes as Wren and Callum become rebels against their own kind.

My Thoughts:

His eyes widened in surprise but I already had his arm in my grasp. I swung him around and yanked the arm back as quickly as I could.

I sort of liked the sound of bones breaking. It was like home.

Wow, wow, WOW!!! I loved the first book in this series, Reboot, and when I finished it, I jumped straight into Rebel and I have to say that I loved it even more than book one. So much so that I found myself wishing that this was a trilogy instead of a duology. Now I'm not saying that things weren't nicely wrapped up, because they were. I just find it hard to let go of characters that I've come to love sometimes and I found myself wanting to know more about what took place after the end of the book. But I was still incredibly satisfied with the way things finished. 

I loved that this book was different to Reboot, in that in was written with dual points of view from both Wren and Callum. While these two are pretty crazy about each other, their views on things are at times quite different, and it was such a bonus to get an insight into each of their thoughts and feelings.

"He's crazy about you, you know," she said softly.

"I see other girls looking at him sometimes, and he doesn't even notice. He only sees you."

Both Callum and Wren really evolved as characters during their journey in this book. They were so well rounded. Their journey was fraught with danger and sacrifices and tough decisions, but they handled each step beautifully. And as I said earlier, they didn't always agree on things, but I loved the way that they handled those differences of opinion. They were so grown up and mature, but still maintained a real sense of youth. The romance between Wren and Callum developed so nicely and was a real partnership all the way. Besides the physical attraction that they had, I really loved their admiration of each others strengths. They really developed such a beautiful relationship amongst all of the desolation.  

Micah, how much did I despise you at times! But then there were quite a few characters that I hoped would get there just deserts throughout the story. Rebel had such a range of characters and my feelings for them was just as broad. There was so much good, but then also so much evil.

The action during this book was really stepped up a notch. Or two! It was action packed on almost every page. The pacing... The perfect, on the edge of your seat, page turning pacing. It was really spot on for me. I never felt that things were two rushed or were ever dragged out. I was eager to know what was going to happen but desperate to prolong the ending. 

Rebel was at times heartfelt and emotional, and that threw me a little bit. I really didn't expect how the impact of events would get to me. But it really should have been expected given how much I had come to love these characters. 

I am now such a huge fan of Amy Tintera, and I really hope that the wait isn't too long before I'm able to again immerse myself in the wonderful writing of this author. 

"Is it awesome being you? Do you just sit around and revel in your awesomeness?"

4.5/5 Action Packed Stars

A huge thank you to Allen & Unwin for the opportunity to read and review Rebel.

Author Bio: 

Amy Tintera has a Bachelor's degree in Journalism, a Master's in Media Arts and is a member of SCBWI. She currently works in the film industry in Los Angeles.

Author Links:

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