Showing posts with label Ellie Marney. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ellie Marney. Show all posts

{ARC Review} Every Move by Ellie Marney

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Title: Every Move
Series: Every #3
Author: Ellie Marney
Published: 1st March 2015
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Urban Mystery Romance
Source: Paperback ARC provided by publisher for fair & honest review
Rating: 5/5

BLURB:
The sequel to Every Breath and Every Word.After the dramatic events of London, a road trip back to her old home in Five Mile sounds good (in theory) to Rachel Watts, with her brother Mike in the driving seat. But when Mike picks up his old buddy – the wildly unreliable Harris Derwent – things start to go south. Back in Melbourne, Rachel’s ‘partner in crime’, James Mycroft, clashes with Harris, and then a series of murders suggest that the mysterious Mr Wild – Mycroft’s own personal Moriarty – is hot on their tail. When tragedy strikes, Rachel and Mycroft realise they’ll have to recruit Harris and take matters into their own hands…

A Sherlock inspired, urban crime thriller with realistic characters and a passionate romance, what's not to love?!

REVIEW:
The story:
In this dramatic climax to this action packed series, Mycroft and Watts (Wattscroft) are back and ready to solve the mystery of Myscoft's parent's deaths once and for all. But their investigation will be anything but easy. Rachel is struggling to deal with their near death experience in London. Plagued with nightmares and unable to cope with being hugged, it's clear Rachel's fears stem from PTS. Her response is completely natural, as was Mycroft's, who blames himself for dragging Rachel into this mess. He hates seeing her in pain and struggles with his fear of something bad happening to her. And things are only getting more dangerous for these two. Mr Wild is closing in on them, and even the Police can't track him down. Wattscroft are joined by Rachel's brother Mike and his friend Harris as they try to outsmart the elusive criminal. In a heart pounding series conclusion, can these teenagers outmanoeuvre the twisted mastermind of 'Moriarty'?

The characters:
Rachel Watts is the kind of female heroine YA needs more of. She's strong and selfless, but she's not unrealistically invincible. After all the things she's gone through in the past few months she she struggles to deal with everything, and has to dig deep to overcome her fears. I previously said I wanted to be best friends with Rachel, but I've changed my mind, I want to BE Rachel.

Mycroft has always been good at compartmentalising. He's usually so focused on solving the mystery in front of him, that all the 'real life' stuff doesn't really register. But we see a new side to Mycroft, a more vulnerable side, and it was beautiful to see him learn to deal with new and unfamiliar emotions, especially when it came to Rachel. He's trying to understand his feelings for her and protect her at the same time. Simply put, I love him.

The romance:
The romance between Mycroft and Rachel is one of my favourite in all YA books. Their relationship started out sweet and innocent and has grown into something deep and passionate. We get to see them take their romance further and yes there are some little sexy times to be hand - which Marney handled just beautify with the perfect mix of awkward, sweet and sexy.

The writing:
I have loved the writing in all three books in this series, but in this last book Marney's writing was flawless. All the characters have their own individual voices, with Rachel's country slang shining through. The prose was just stunning, with such beautiful language;


"It's about five am, when the night still cups the world gently In its hands and the air feels cold and damp, like the insides of clouds."

"...we have no more permanence than water, and I am just one of the many animals absorbed by the minutiae of my life under the cold finger of the moon."

"There's a glow beyond the windows: sunrise here is like a miles-distant explosion, radiant pink and orange bleeding over the sky."


I also loved how Marney has taken a realistic approach to her characters' behaviour, in particular Rachel's struggles with PTS. So often we see so called 'normal' teenage characters go through traumatic experiences only to come out the other side all happy and unaffected. To see both Mycroft and Rachel deal with their fears was refreshing and gave a raw honesty to the story.

FINAL WORD:
This is one of my all time favourite series and I just love that it's by an Aussie author and set in Australia too! A Sherlock inspired, urban crime thriller with realistic characters and a passionate romance, what's not to love?! Every Move is the perfect conclusion to this stunning YA series!

CONTENT:
Sexuality: medium-strong / discussions of sex, fade to black sex scene
Violence: medium-strong / descriptions of dead bodies, autopsies, gun violence and murder
Language: medium / several f words
Drugs & alcohol: medium / main character is a smoker, some underage drinking

{Review} Every Word by Ellie Marney

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Title: Every Word
Series: Every #2
Author: Ellie Marney
Published: 1st June 2014
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Mystery Romance
Source: Paperback provided by Allen & Unwin Australia for fair & honest review
Rating: 4.5/5

BLURB:
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.

This series is a cross between Sherlock & Veronica Mars!! 
A sexy and intelligent story with gritty & heart stopping action!

REVIEW:
The story:
For starters, you know any book that has the heroine playing roller derby is going to be great, and it was!

In this 2nd instalment, we go on another crime solving adventure with Mycroft and Watts, and this time we get to travel to Mycroft's homeland, England. Mycroft may be there to consult on a murder case of a rare book conservator, but he's interest in the case runs much deeper. Believing there is a link between it and the 'murder' of his parents, Mycroft will stop at nothing to find any clue that can lead him to the truth. But dredging up all the painful memories of his parents is harder than he anticipated and it's not until Watts turns up that he realises just how much he needs her support. 

Together they follow the clues to solve the murder case and uncover and new leads over his parent's deaths. But the people their dealing with are even more dangerous than they could have imagined and they'll have to work together in order to stay alive.

The characters:
Mycroft is a wonderfully complex character. He's past has had a huge impact on his life and has changed the way he looks at the world. After seeing his parents die, he believes he's got all these horrid thoughts and images in his head, that he starts to doubt what he can really offer Rachel. He desperately needs someone to help him see how wonderful he truly is.

Rachel is such a 'regular' relatable girl. She may not have super powers or a supernatural ability, destined to save the world. But she possesses an inner strength that I envy. She's strong and committed and is a loyal friend and sister. I kind of wish I had of had a friend like her when I was in school.

And Mike, oh he is an awesome older brother and I simply loved how adorable he was with his girlfriend. I will admit it, I have a little crush on Mike <3

The romance:
The relationship develops beautifully in this sequel. I loved the innocence of their relationship and the sometimes awkward moments that I think most people can relate to. But now they know how each other feels, they start to explore the attraction between them, and boy do things get all nice and steamy! They are also challenged by the extreme and often dangerous situations they find themselves in. Overcoming those challenges together is what makes their relationship stronger.

The writing:
Marney's writing is so naturally and just flows so beautifully. The dialogue in particular, was excellent. Each character has their own 'voice' and their personality shines through. I can hear Rachel's country roots in how she talks, and I'm not sure how, but I swear I can hear Mycroft's accent!

FINAL WORD:
A fantastic sequel to this brilliant urban mystery romance! Every Word is a sexy and intelligent story with gritty and heart stopping action!

CONTENT:
Sexuality: medium / some heavy kissing & some references to sex
Violence: medium-strong / descriptions of autopsy
Language: medium / some f words
Drugs & alcohol: medium / main character smokes regularly & some minor underage drinking

Have you read many YA crime/mystery novels?

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY!!

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So today is January 26th, Australia Day and I thought I would celebrate with a special post about my favourite Aussie authors, and some Aussie slang just for fun!!

AUSSIE SLANG/PHRASES YOU NEED TO KNOW
Fairy Floss - cotton candy
Maccas - McDonald's (as in the fast food shop)
Bogan - basically someone who is trashy. The closest translation would be 'white trash'
Mozzie - mosquitoe
Cozzie - swimming costume
Sunnies - sun glasses
Brekky - breakfast
Ute - utility vehicle aka pick up truck
Tosser - an idiot
Devo - devastated
Budgie Smugglers - speedos, mens bathers
Pash - short for passionate kiss aka snogging, making out ;)

AUSSIE AUTHORS I lOVE

Not only one of my favourite Aussie authors, but Jessica Shirvington's books sit proudly on my top shelf, right next to Harry Potter...need I say more?!

I absolutely loved her debut novel co-written with Meagan Spooner and can't wait to read more from Amie! And it's also just been announced that it has just been picked up as a possible TV series!


Her debut book Every Breathe came out last year and I can't wait to continue to series. And in exciting news Every Breathe is set to be published in the US later this year!

I read my first book by Melina back in high school and have loved her books ever since. They always have really beautiful messages woven into them.

I absolutely love how Rachel waves her Aussie flag with an Australian MC in her New Adult series. And with plenty of Aussie slang and cultural reference too!

David McRobbie
David's books where the reason I first fell in love with YA stories, after reading See How They Run when I was about 11 or 12. I still love rereading his books!

Vanessa Garden
Vanessa's debut novel Captivate has just been released and can't wait to start reading it in the next couple of weeks!


And I can't talk about Australian literature without mentioning the incredible Mem Fox! One of the most popular Australian picture books would have to be Possum Magic! Although one of my first memories is my Mum reading me Koala Lou - the line "Koala Lou, I do love you. I always have and I always will" is one of my favourite lines ever written and will always have a special place in my heart.


While there are of course many many other talented Aussie authors, these are just some that I have personally read and loved.

Have you read any of these books?
Are there any other Aussie authors that you love?

Swoon Thursday #31

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Swoon Thursday is a weekly event hosted by YA Bound.This is how it works:

From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag #YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button above and share it on your blog.

This week, I’m SWOONING over:

Title: Every Breath
Series: Every #1
Author: Ellie Marney
Published: Sept 2013
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Mystery Romance
Source: ARC copy provided by Allen & Unwin Australia for fair honest review
Rating: 4/5

"Are you going to move back to the country?"…
"Well I'm just not sure now. It's confusing. There are other reasons."
"What other reasons?"
"Oh, uni maybe, and…" I meet his eyes. "Don't you know?" I push a hand through my hair, making a shaky laugh."Here's me, thinking you're some great detective, and you don't even~"
What cuts me off is Mycroft pulling on my sleeve. He pulls at me until I'm off-balance, leaning closer to him than is gravitationally possible, so I have to put my hand out to stop myself falling. My hand comes to rest on his knee, and I'm pretty sure that was his intention all along, but I don't have time or inclination to say anything about it because he's leaning forward to kiss me.
It's a soft, sinking kiss, as though we're tasting honey on each other's lips. It's nothing like I imagined, nothing wild and uninhibited. It's delicate, and gentle, and delicious. Once again I'm caught up in the wonder how how velvety his lips are, how full, the sensation of the kiss and the taste of him, and this time I don't fight it.…

Sorry to stop it there, but you'll just have to read to book to see the rest of the scene…Mwahaha!!

There was a more passionate scene than this, but I chose to feature this one because I just loved how innocent they both are.

I haven't read many YA crime or mystery books before, but I really enjoyed it. Lots of suspense and plenty of teen romantic angst! Mycroft and Rachel share some really sweet and sexy scenes!

So what's making you swoon this week?

{Review} Every Breath by Ellie Marney

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Title: Every Breath
Series: Every #1
Author: Ellie Marney
Published: Sept 2013
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Mystery Romance
Source: ARC copy provided by Allen & Unwin Australia for fair honest review
Rating: 4/5

BLURB:
Rachel Watts is an unwilling new arrival to Melbourne from the country. James Mycroft is her neighbour, an intriguingly troubled seventeen-year-old genius with a passion for forensics. Despite her misgivings, Rachel finds herself unable to resist Mycroft when he wants her help investigating a murder. And when Watts and Mycroft follow a trail to the cold-blooded killer, they find themselves in the lion's den - literally.

A night at the zoo will never have quite the same meaning again...

REVIEW:
The story:
Rachel Watts, the country girl who has just left the only home she's ever known behind for the big city, is feeling lost and homesick. The one small light in her new life is her growing friendship with James Mycroft. One night her new city life, turns even more frightening after stumbling across the murder scene of their friend, Homeless Dave. Mycroft is intent on solving the murder himself - believing that the Police will have little time for solving a murder case of a man with no family to speak of. 

Together they follow clues across the city, with some additional help of their two friends Mai & Gus. There are several suspects, but without hard evidence, the Police ignore their efforts to solve the crime, labelling it as 'sport-killing' - that Dave was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

But Myscroft & Rachel don't give up their investigation. Slowly they get closer to solving the crime, but in doing so are they marking themselves as the killer's next target?

The characters:
Firstly I must say I absolutely loved the diverse range of characters in this book; young, old, boys, girls, indigenous, asian, country & city etc. The best part is that they are not just token characters or stereotypes, they all have a place in the story are a represented realistically & honestly.

James Mycroft, with his Sherlock Holmes type behaviour was a very interesting character. Despite loosing his parents and living with a mostly absent aunty he's incredibly strong & intelligent. However he does have a tendency to get himself into a bit of trouble and is quite impulsive. He also have some very interesting relationships with people around the city - obviously with Homeless Dave, but also tram drivers, cafe owners etc. It gave the impression that he craves friendship and closeness - something he doesn't get at home.

Rachel has quite the opposite personality, growing up in the country it's where she feels at home, the city is too big & too noisy and she misses the open space of the county. But she's slowly adjusting to her new life, with the help of her new friends, Mai, Gus & Mycroft. Rachel is a very independent character, able to look after herself, while also looking out for Mycroft too. She's more emotional than him and has a slightly innocent naivety about her - but I liked that quality in her.

I also loved Rachel's family, while they're far from perfect and certainly had their problems, I felt they represented a normal family. Yes they fought, but when it came down to it, they where all there for each other. It was quite refreshing to the normal YA families that are so often uncaring or simply absent from the story.

The romance:
The relationship between Mycroft and Rachel was a nice mix of sweet & sexy. I loved the innocence of the romance as it slowly built over the course of the story, making it all the more believable. There were also a couple hot & heavy make out sessions that added a little fire to the romance! I look forward to seeing more from their romance in the next books too.

The Writing:
This book has a setting that reminds me a lot of David McRobbie's books, especially Eugene Sandler P.I. (which I absolutely loved!). It's not so much the story, but the overall 'feeling' I got reading Every Breath - the mystery & adventure and the urban environment.

I also loved that Marney doesn't 'dumb down' her teenage characters, they're intelligent and each have their own strengths and weaknesses. She also didn't water down the story for a teenage audience, but respects her reader's intelligence.

FINAL WORD:
I really enjoyed this story, while I did work out who the murderer was before the characters did, it didn't detract from the story and the ending still had a strong impact. I can't wait to continue following Watt's & Mycroft's story in the next two books!

CONTENT:
Sexuality: medium / some heavy kissing & some references to sex
Violence: medium-strong / descriptions of bloody murder scene
Language: medium / some f words
Drugs & alcohol: medium-strong / main character smokes regularly & some minor underage drinking

Stacking The Shelves #8

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Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves.

These are all the beautiful books I got over the past week!

ARCs for Review:

Hold Us Close by Caisey Quinn
This is the sequel novella to Keep Me Still, which I absolutely adored! Thank so much for this one Caisey!

Stir Me Up by Sabrina Elkins
Thanks to HarlquinTEEN via Netgalley

If I Return by Sawyer Bennett
This is part of The 12 NA's of Christmas series! Thanks for sending this one Sawyer!

Every Breath by Ellie Marney
Thanks so much to Allen & Unwin Australia for posting me a copy! I can't wait to read this YA mystery romance!!

FREE on Amazon (Woo Hoo!!):
Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover

Purchased:

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
How could I resist this gorgeous exclusive Australian Hardcover Limited Edition, and it's signed!! I tried to get a photo that showed the beautiful metallic finish, but it still doesn't do it justice! 
These are being sold exclusively through Dymocks Bookstores (they do ship internationally, so check their website for details! But hurry as there is only limited stock!!)

Well that's what's new to my bookshelf - what about you?
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