Every Word

Darn it! I do not know there's a fan-bloody-tastic <b>CLIFFHANGER</b> in this book!!!!!!

<b>4.5 Stars</b><br /><br />In <b>Every Word</b>, James Mycroft and Rachel Watts are back for more Sherlock Holmesesque sleuthing. We’re eight weeks in time past the first book. Mycroft and Rachel are young and in love with Rachel settling more into Melborne, and Mycroft working at a forensic pathology lab. When news comes through of a carjacking/murder with similarities to his parent’s accident in England, Mycroft flees in the night with just a short text message to Rachel saying <i>‘Going to UK with Walsh. Don’t’ be mad. Will stay in touch.’</i> <br /><br />Rachel is understandably panicked because Mycroft has been known to go off the rails when anything comes up about the death of his parents. She knows he’s haunted and obsessed with conspiracy theories and determined to get to the bottom of their murder. Rachel’s also very hurt that he would just up and leave without breathing a word to her beforehand. It’s a punch to the gut, and I couldn’t help but feel her pain. In a spur of the moment decision, Rachel hops on a plane and journeys to the UK knowing full well Mycroft probably won’t be happy to see her. Tough, she’s going to be there to support him no matter what. <br /><br />I was ticked at Mycroft at first, but as you get his side and see how the memories just gut him, it was hard to be mad. Thankfully, their strong bond carries them through some tough times. Even with everything going on, their romance was hotter than ever! Their chemistry would spark and ignite with just a touch or a glance! <br /><br />Ellie Marney has a beautiful way of writing, talented in making you feel her characters love, lust, pain, and despair profoundly. There was a surprising amount of emotion and depth considering this was an action/mystery/suspense novel, but it made the characters come alive for me. <br /><br />I adored the relationship Rachel had with Mike, her brother. He’s supportive, sweet, and protective. I’m happy to see how his relationship is developing with Alicia. I’m again a little put off by Rachel’s mother, although, I guess I shouldn’t be too judgmental, because I’d probably be pretty upset if I were in her shoes. But hey, after everything that happened I’d like to think I couldn’t hold a grudge like that.<br /><b><br />Every Word</b> was <i>more</i> than Every Breath in so many ways. In a good way, Rachel and Mycroft’s relationship became more intense and, by the end, rooted. But it was also more heart wrenching, raw, and brutal in parts! Man these two were put through the ringer, and I know they’ll have a tough time dealing with the fallout. I’m looking forward to finding out (hopefully soon) how it all plays out in <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/18516682.Every_Move__Every___3_" title="Every Move (Every, #3) by Ellie Marney" rel="noopener">Every Move</a>. <br /><i><br />A copy was kindly provided by Tundra Books in exchange for an honest review.</i><br />

<br />If I am true blue, hand-over-heart in love with a book, I <i>draaaaag</i> my feet through the pages. I don’t want it to end. I read 30 or 40 page doses to feed and tease my imagination. I want to stay in the words, mood, and world as long as possible. *sigh* And boy-o-boy did I dawdle here with Mycroft and Watts. <br /><br />Book two in Ellie Marney’s Every series takes our genius Sherlock &amp; Watson like detective couple, James Mycroft and Rachel Watts, off to London on a dangerous journey and case with possible links to the loss of Mycroft’s family. Mystery, murder, theft, kidnapping, and more! We have it all! Mycroft is back on his old London stomping ground. But is he home? The pains of his past threaten to consume his heart and head. And mine! He…*deep breath* his struggle with the death of his parents is so heartbreakingly realistic and raw. It reminds us all that moving on is easier said than done. Sometimes the pain is too heavy. But if we are lucky, someone comes along who can show us how to live again. Can Rachel keep James safe and focused on the present though? Can Mycroft find the truth and maybe, maybe begin to heal? These two have to stay alive first and foremost though. And the way they both tend to throw themselves into danger is stupendously idiotic and insane! Haha…Trouble always finds them. Or do they find trouble? Jump in and find out.<br /><br />Once again I have to shout out huge props to Ms. Marney for her words and descriptions. London came alive on the page with smells, weather, food, pubs and people. I loved it! But the true star of the show for me was the emotion. Suspense, fear, pain, and passion! The emotions captured in this story are HUGE and intense. Mycroft and Rachel vibrate with intelligence and attraction. Raw and honest. They spark off each other! Inspire, push and pull at one another. Their banter and touches and time on the page together can be fun one minute, sexy the next, and BOOM! heartbreaking all in a blink! You have to pay attention to them. Watch every move. Listen to every word. At times, I was so locked into their intensity and electric blue-eyed pools of swoon that I *jumped* out of my skin when someone stepped into my reading bubble to inch by me on the train or say hello. Marney can describe a city, sky, room, and touch in a way that makes you feel a part of the action. I was there with them in the misty rain, fear, or memory. I could see and almost feel the soft chocolate curls blow in the breeze. Those curls!!! :)<br /><br /><b>“My hands fill up with the feel of Mycroft, the softness of his curls. I catch his taste on my tongue, inhale his scent. The room is vibrating with the heater’s buzzing breath and the murmur of our wanting sounds, until it’s just one complete sound.”</b><br /><br />Just one of my favorite parts of this series is how the many jagged points and complexities of love and life are on full display. Marney does not shy away from violence or passion. Death, survival, hurt, and forgiveness are not easy, cut and dry issues. Hurt simmers. Forgiveness doesn’t come right away. And somehow, someway guilt and death are wrapped up together in life. So many questions are left unanswered. Others are…well…you’ll see. I LOVED one development. <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="8a89eb87-21e5-469d-a444-266a98616748" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="8a89eb87-21e5-469d-a444-266a98616748"> MORIARTY!!! Gah! </label> <br /><br />Anyway….I’m off to re-read some of my favorite Mycroft and Watts moments and wait. Wait, wait, and WAIT for book three. For some reason, getting your hands on Aussie releases is hard in the States. Someone in the book world needs to change that right now. <br /><br />Highly recommended series. Go find it! <br /><br /><br /><u>My blink away tears moment:</u><br /><br /><b>“Making him understand the tongue-tied helplessness I’ve had since I came back is hard. ‘It’s like…I used to be able to talk to Mum and Dad. Explain things. And they’d <i>get</i> it. They’d get <i>me</i>. But I don’t know if that’s true anymore…’<br /><br />I wonder if I’m losing the easy vocabulary I had when I was a child that explained things to my parents. Maybe I’ve changed so much that I’ve got a whole new set of words my parents don’t understand.”</b><br /><br /><br /><u>My favorite description:</u><br /><br />”home-smelling and warm”<br /><br /><br />

Oh my friken god.<br /><br />This was bloody amazing. This was everything I wanted it to be and more and oh my god I am dying right now because this was so good and Ellie marney is God and James Mycroft is everything and someone dear lord help me because I have lost it and this is definitely going to be one of my favourite series ever and I really didnt know it would be this good and what are even sentences mate.<br /><br />❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Sexy, snappy and filled with mystery and crime, I adored <i>Every Word</i> just as much as the first book. There's just so much chemistry and sexual tension between Mycroft and Rachel, and I love how their personalities balance each other out so well! Mycroft is a teenage genius but he's also impulsive and rash, while Rachel brings forward an intelligent, calming nature about her. I love how both of them aren't afraid to shy away from murder investigations and autopsy scenes. <br /><br />As a genius teenager hell bent on solving his parent's car accident, Mycroft flies over to London to investigate a similar accident - and stumbles upon a theft of Shakepeare's Folio. While Mycroft can be ever so frustrating with the way he can drop everything on a hunch, I liked how Rachel jumped in to support him, even though not telling her family would get her in deep trouble. This was a painful book - the two fall into danger and even get hurt, there's a lot of big baddies, but they also make a lot of headway with their investigation. <br /><br />Their relationship is written so well - they are friends before they're a couple, and they support each other. They have raging sexual tension that does come up every once in a while, although sometimes at the most inopportune times - like in the middle of an autopsy and while they're hiding from baddies. I also loved the relationship between Rachel and her brother Mike - he's someone that looks after his little sister but she can also confide in him, even though he knows their parents won't agree with her actions.<br /><br />I love how this series is grounded in its Australian roots without being too "outback" - even though most of the book is set in London, Rachel often laments about what she's learnt from living in the country and her observations when it comes to living in Melbourne. <br /><br />Looking forward to the last book in the series! Check out <a href="http://www.happyindulgencebooks.com" rel="nofollow noopener">Happy Indulgence Books</a> for more reviews.

As much as I had loved these characters in book one, book two is where Wattscroft took it upon themselves to m u r d e r me. Also, yes, I'm going to thief from my original review a bit, which I didn't do for the first instalment, because it pretty much sums up my feels to this day.<br /><br />EVERY WORD is everything that EVERY BREATH was but turned up to eleven. The stakes, the action, the mystery, the scorching heat, the violence, the heartbreak.. everything.<br /><br />Swoony hearts in eyes expression aside, this book definitely went a bit dark and my stomach fell to my feet multiple times. Not just because of Rachel and Mycroft but because Marney does not pull any punches. The vividness of the autopsy scene, the startling savagery of torture, the isolation; it was just as awful and as real as when our two heroes are stumbling along to understand each other, navigating both their relationship and the horror of Mycroft's past. And how Marney handled this was just.. fantastic. There were so many things I think I appreciated more this second time around with how she unravelled Mycroft and his processing -- or lack thereof. That turning point, once we finally get it, was just (chefs kiss). And the strangeness of how Rachel feels, knowing he has something new, and scarier, to fixate is just.. yeah, really well done.<br /><br />Knowing what extremes and dangers these two faced, and that not having been the ultimate confrontation, I can only imagine what's to come next.<br /><br />---<br /><br />This review can also be found at <a href="&lt;br /&gt;https://atakefromtwocities.home.blog/2022/07/10/every-word-by-ellie-marney/" rel="nofollow noopener">A Take From Two Cities</a>.

Wow -- loved this. During the first half of the book I was pretty worried that this felt like the standard YA middle book in which the love interest pushes the protagonist away for her own good, yada yada. There was some of that, but Rachel wasn't about to be let herself pushed away.<br /><br />I also loved that this features a very interesting and very well-crafted mystery that ties in Mycroft's past, lets Rachel be a full participant and not just a Watsonian sidekick, and involves a puzzle that can be solved by a reader with attention to detail. (I did put the final piece together before the very end, but not that much before.)<br /><br />While I'm a huge fan of books set in Australia, I loved that the action moved to London and surrounding area and that the Sherlock Holmes museum played a small part.<br /><br />I'm still on the fence about book three. I do want to see how everything works out but I'm afraid of this interloper guy I'm hearing about...

<i>I don't always read mysteries, but when I do I read Ellie Marney.</i> Every Word is a great young adult mystery. I love that its possible to guess at some of the resolutions, but there are not so many hints that the answer is obvious. There is a good balance of logic and mystery and nothing feels out of the blue. I did prefer the previous book more however due to Watts' recklessness, which I found to be annoying. <br /><br />Recklessness is never attractive in a main character for me, you can't keep referring to someone as brilliant and yet have that same person never think ahead. On the other hand these characters are young so I'll let it slide. Some people may find their behavior realistic. To be honest the only truly unrealistic thing about the book was the fact that no ones parents ever get called! Other than my minor qualms I found this to be a fun and engaging read. <b>3.5/5</b><br /><br /><b>Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Borrow</b><br /><br />Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

This series is <b>so, so good.</b>

I absolutely loved this. Read it even though I was super tired and went to bed early but then couldn't put it down to actually go to sleep. It's action-packed and tensely suspenseful. I didn't find a SINGLE THING about the plot believable, not one bit (even though it's very well written and APPEARS believable) BUT I DIDN'T CARE because the relationships in this book make everything else irrelevant. Mycroft and Watts are utterly gorgeous and the way Marney writes the chemistry between them is perfect. And it's not just them. The friendships Rachel has with her brother and also Alicia (and their own relationship too -- so sweet!) are also completely real and leap off the page. So the fact I don't think a 17 year old could book a flight to London at four hours notice and the fact it's unlikely the situation they go to London in would actually ever exist mean nothing to me -- I was still white-knuckled with anticipation at the twists of the plot and I am so in love with these characters that I don't care. <br /><br />It's awesome. Go read it.