Edit: You can now watch a Rachel-Annette-Reasons-Why-You-To-Read-No-Limits video (in which I giggle a lot) here:

https://thetometravellers.wordpress.com/2017/08/18/nine-reasons-why-you-need-to-read-no-limits-by-ellie-marney/

Well wasn't this goddamn brilliant. I FELT SO MANY FEELINGS it was most uncomfortable 

Here's my review:

HARRRRRRRRISSSSSSSSS DEEEEEEEEERWENT

That's it, that's my review.

... Okay nah there might be something comin on that dear ole blog of ours once Annette's read it too. But mates, you gotta preorder it okay cos preordering is good and you need this book in your life. The links will be available from August 1st so pass it on.

I'M JUST SO HAPPY THAT THE WORLD IS GETTING THIS BOOK. PRAISE BE FOR ELLIE

Ellie Marney can do no wrong.

At least with this series.

I loved Every Breath, but Every Word….I think it is even better.  This book was so well crafted in every aspect that I’m just going to go all fangirl for a minute.

Okay, I’m better.

But seriously, if you haven’t checked out this series you NEED to pick it up.  Not only does it have a very swoon worthy ship, BUT Marney doesn’t sugar coat things when it comes to the action and the mystery.  While I only have a vague recollection of the mystery in Every Breath, the mystery in Every Word was really wow.

I really enjoyed the climax it reminded me a lot of one of my favorite shows Burn Notice.  Except of course, Mycroft is more like Sherlock than Michael Westen.

But still.

That was complete awesome.

Also, it probably helped that this book featured London.

I love London it’s like on top of my cities to see before I croak.  So anytime a book features that city, I HAVE to read it.

It was extremely interesting-to me as an American-reading the story from the perspective from an Australian visiting the country for the first time.  Especially seeing how an Australian enunciates a British accent, quite different from the way I hear it as a native Texan.

Every Word is a very dark book.  It had really a gloomy almost Batman-y like feel to it. I think would be the best way to describe it.  There are dark backstories to be explored.  The characters go to  some dark and twisty places.  And some bad things happen to them.

But I absolutely loved it.  Besides, even though there were a lot of dark things that happened in this novel, there were still many swoon moments and there were a couple of times where you would get a laugh or two.

Though, overall it is a thriller and a very good thriller.

As for the Sherlock and Watson nods, their still in this one but it’s much more subdued than in the previous installment.  They’re still there, but at the same time Rachel and Mycroft are developing as characters themselves.

Seriously, if you haven’t picked up this series do it now.  I’m tempted to pay the extraordinary price in shipping just to read the last installment already.  But my OCness in matching covers and having hardback covers is going to make me wait till the US releases the next one.

Overall Rating: An A+ definitely one of my favorites and in my top ten for the year.

***This review has also been posted on The Social Potato

I read and loved Every Breath last year and I was really looking forward to reading Every Word.  I am happy to report that this book was every bit as awesome as Every Breath if not more so and it reminds me why I love Aussie lit so much!

Going into this book, I was a little worried about how Rachel and James’ relationship would fare given that he just hopped on a plane and left but I needn’t have worried because Ellie knows what she is doing.

First of all, can I just talk about the amazing dynamics of Rachel’s family? I absolutely adore reading about them. They are a complex family and things are not always happy dandy but they make it work. Rachel’s parents are realistic. They adore Rachel but don’t always let her get off the hook for things she does. Also Mike, her brother, is a fantabulous creature. I love how supportive he is of Rachel and I love their bond. HE IS SO ADORABLE.

Rachel is also a great female lead to head the show. I love her determination. When she flies half way across the globe to help James, she knows he won’t be happy but she doesn’t let that stop her because she knows that whether or not things will be okay between them, James does need help getting through this. I also love that her intelligence is not downplayed when she is with someone like James. She can pick up on things he cannot. Rachel is a very realistic character and I love that while she is brave, she is not abnormally so. When it comes down to it, she'd rather live than die. LIKE MOST PEOPLE.

James was a little bit of a douchecanoe in this instalment but he gets his shit together and then he becomes the same old lovable James. The thing is that his actions are understandable, and Rachel knows that he needs time. Visiting the past that has haunted him for years is hard for him. He is, quite understandably, a wreck. So I decided to forgive him. Plus, he totally redeems himself at the end of the book.

Rachel and James have a fantastic relationship. They, like most teenagers, are full of hormones and therefore tend to have a tendency to make out at inappropriate moments (NOT THAT I AM COMPLAINING.) But their entire relationship is not based on the fact that they are attracted to each other. They are a good couple. They work together as a team and always support one another.

This isn’t the end of it though. Ellie also manages to write amazing mysteries. The plot was amazing and I love that it isn’t too farfetched. When Rachel decides to hop onto a plane, it isn’t completely unrealistic. Things like Visas are mentioned (because you cannot always just hop onto a plane and travel last minute.)The mystery is well thought out and I love how things come together. I love that this book isn’t just a bunch of teens deciding to investigate and that there are people in charge. Also that bit towards the end of the book gets gruesome but I enjoyed that! It upped the stakes and really highlighted that this book isn’t some fluffy mystery, things can get bad REALLY quickly!

Before I conclude my review, there is one very important thing I’d like to discuss. I want to discuss breath that smells like the minty toothpaste someone used over 12 hours ago. WHERE CAN I PURCHASE THIS MAGICAL EVERLASTING TOOTHPASTE? I want my breath to smell nice all the time without having to pop mints or gum!

Silliness aside, this was a fantastic read. Ellie Marney has proven herself yet again. She knows how to weave stories that will capture your attention and make you desperate for more.

Note: I recently read some reviews for Every Move that mention a love triangle-y situation. I was pretty annoyed, but I do think that if anyone can make me get behind this, it would be Ellie. Hopefully everything will be a-okay!

Note that I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Rachel Watts lives two doors down from the brilliant, troubled and eccentric James Mycroft, the most intelligent boy in school. What he has in abundance in the IQ department, he lacks in social smarts, and as his closest friend, it seems to be Rachel's job to try to keep him out of scrapes with other students at school (who he will frequently inadvertently or purposefully insult) or from getting suspended for breaking school rules. She also tends to bring him food, as he has a tendency to forget to eat when left to his own devices. While he lives with his aunt Angela, they barely speak and seem to have a mostly antagonistic relationship.

Mycroft, who likes to compare himself to his fictional namesake, Sherlock Holmes' older and allegedly smarter brother, has a passion for forensic pathology and frequents message boards online and writes articles, even occasionally consulting on cases, under the name Diogenes. Watts helps him proof-read and edit the articles. When the teenagers find "Homeless Dave", a man they regularly visit and bring food near Melbourne zoo, murdered not far from his local sleeping spot, Mycroft uses everything he knows of forensic experience to document the scene before the police arrive. He later persuades Watts to be his side-kick in earnest, determined to investigate the death that the police undoubtedly won't care much about, as the victim was a homeless nobody.

Rachel used to live with her parents and older brother Mike on a sheep farm in the country. Financial difficulties forced them to sell the farm and relocate to Melbourne, where Rachel's parents and brother work hard to make ends meet. Rachel wants to study agriculture and move back to the countryside, she feels uprooted and unsettled in her new urban surroundings. With her academic achievements, her family want her to go to college and get a proper degree, though. Previously home schooled and used to a solitary life, the bustling corridors of her new high school and the constant stress and noise of the city is making Rachel miserable. Having made good friends in Mycroft and the fierce Mai Ng, as well as Mai's boyfriend Gus, makes her existence more bearable, but she's still not happy in Melbourne.

James (who always goes by Mycroft) is English and lost both his parents in a horrific car crash that left him scarred both physically and emotionally. His aunt Angela is his legal guardian, but they may as well be strangers just living in the same house for all the time they spend together. Mycroft is constantly skirting the edge of having social services investigate his living situation, which while not idyllic, is at least better than a foster home. Mycroft loves mysteries and is a keen observer of everything around him. While fiercely intelligent, he's also low on social graces and frequently pisses off his class mates or gets into trouble with the school management. He's obsessed with finding out the cause of his parents' accident, and frequently emotionally unstable, with Rachel, sometimes aided by Mai and Gus, doing her best to keep him from getting beaten up or expelled.

Rightly surmising that the police are unlikely to expend too many resources on trying to solve the murder of a homeless man, especially one who appears to have been killed for sport, Mycroft insists that he and Watts need to do their best to figure out who's behind the murder. Rachel initially refuses, but is unable to resist the lure of the mystery or Mycroft's charismatic persuasion for long, and soon the two teens are using everything they know of forensic pathology to identify the killer of their homeless friend. Hunting killers is a dangerous hobby, though, and before long Mycroft and Watts are courting danger and find themselves in near-death situations of their own. 

I'm sure it comes as no surprise to anyone that there is also a romantic sub-plot in the book, which is very well done, for all that I'm not sure Rachel should involve herself with someone who is clearly not the most emotionally or mentally stable person (I speak from experience here, Watts). Both Rachel and Mycroft are very engaging protagonists and there is a good supporting cast in the book - Rachel's parents and Mike, her brother, as well as Mai, their loyal friend who more than once uses the legal knowledge she's picked up in school, and Gus, her sweet and funny boyfriend.

I really liked this book, and am going to do my best to track down an e-book store which will legally sell me the sequels online, so I don't have to wait for the US release of the next two books before I can read them.