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.