Book Review: Every Word (Every #2) by Ellie Marney

Goodreads Description: 

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.

Title: Every Word (Every #2)
Author: Ellie Marney
Genre: Conteporary, Thriller, Mystery, Crime, Romance
Format: paperback

Pages: 340 pages
Publisher:  Allen & Unwin
Source: purchased from Dymocks

 

If you have not read Every Breath (Full Review) warning as there are spoiler!

My thoughts for this book is all over the place! Prey that I make sense in this review!

Its been 8 weeks since the event of Every Breath. Rachael parents are keeping under 'house arrest', a murder that might be link to Mycroft's parents death has occur along while the Shakespeare Folio that the murder victim, a librarian was looking after is missing. When Mycroft suddenly leaves to follow Professor Walsh to London to investigate the murder, Rachael, worried for her boyfriend rushes to catch the next plane to London to find him before more trouble can occur.

The last book was set in Melbourne. This time we follow Rachael and Mycroft around London. I love how the author describes London and the places they visit especially the Sherlock museum!

The premise of the story was great and paced out really well! Its one of those books where it churn your braincells connection the dots, figuring out the mystery. The suspense and action sequence were a heck lot better compared to Every Breath. I love how the big 'WTF' moment came sooner instead of later and left me I was on my edge of my seat at 2 am reading it!

 
If you guys read the book or attended the 'Every Move' launch, three fingers Ellie... THREE FINGERS!!! I have read alot of book, played some games and seen a lot of show/movies intense and the intensity of this book has made it to my top three list along with Telltale's Walking Dead Season 2 video game and James Dashner's The Scorch Trials!  IT WAS SO GOOD BUT AND SO FLIPPING INTENSE!

The writing, no words to describe apart from how well written it is (I am terrible at discription!). Its darker and intense, not a bed of roses though there were some sweet heart warming moments. Also I love the book is well researched and reading the science aspect of the book.

I love the character development in this book! While we briefly meet Rachael's parents and friends Mai and Gus, we get some great character and relationship building from out main duo along with meeting some new and familiar faces.

Rachael was such a great, kick ass and strong minded character though like in the previous book she makes some decisions that makes shout 'NO! STOP! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!' she has her reasons and her quick thinking manages to get her out of trouble.

Mycroft... my feels for this boy are all over the place! There were times where he was just out of control that he needed to get his SHIT together and there were times where I wanted to hug the poor guy! He is an angry character with A LOT of issues and baggage. We get to know more about his past, his parents and the accident seven years ago. We also learn the reason of his obsession for forensic. Though insane, there is this charm in Mycroft that makes me swoon! I keep thinking of him as a darker version of Augustus Walters from TFIOS mixed with the Tenth Doctor from Doctor Who. I swear he is gonna grow to be a charming but mad scientist/doctor!

I looked forward to reading more of Rachael and Mycroft's relationship in this book and the development of their relationship is to a whole new level though sit tight as its a bumpy ride! I love how their relationship takes a lot of twists as they sort out their emotions and feelings for each other in the early stage of their relationship. I naww at the sweet moments between them and devoured the moments when things starts to heat up! This is one unique duo and partner in crime! Opposite yet similar, they balance and keep each other sane!
 
I love reading Rachael and her brother Mike's relationship even though it was brief, its still as strong as the previous book. As mentioned in my Every Breath review, this is one of the best and realistic brother-sister relationship! I need more YA with relationship like this!

In the last book we were introduced to Alice, a nurse at the hospital that Mike now works at and also his girlfriend. I love reading about Alice and her relationship with the Watts siblings (in two totally different ways). She was very sweet with Mike and a great 'big sister' role for Rachael! I kinda want a story on Alice and Mike. *hint *nudge *wink to the author 

The 'Big Bad' aka Villain of the book caught me off guard! Not gonna say much but as I mentioned IT WAS INTENSE!

A couple of things that I was not a fan of in the book, Rachael managing to get a ticket THAT CHEAP hours before flying off to London... I had a hard time believing that so I had to knock my head and remind myself its fiction! Also I find it convenient the fact that Mycroft and Rachael coincidentally have all the tools they will need to make that big *boom* moment or the part where they manages to find a van and the key is conveniently there.

The book ended with a BANG literally. I like how it wraps up the London arc nicely without any loose ends and cliffhangers and has a great set up for the last book Every Move!

Overall the Every Word was gripping and addictive! A great story where crime and mystery meets swoon romance!

 

I just finished reading Every Move aka the final book in the series and will have a review of that up soon! All I can say is FEELS! A LOT OF WTF MOMENTS AND I DON'T WANT THIS TO END!

My feels are on a rollercoaster! Nuf say.. JUST PICK UP THE FLIPPING SERIES!

Book Review: Girl Online (Girl Online #1) by Zoe Sugg and Siobhan Curham



Goodreads Description:

I had no idea GirlOnline would take off the way it has - I can't believe I now have 5432 followers, thanks so much! - and the thought of opening up to you all about this is terrifying, but here goes...

Penny has a secret.

Under the alias GirlOnline, she blogs about school dramas, boys, her mad, whirlwind family - and the panic attacks she's suffered from lately. When things go from bad to worse, her family whisks her away to New York, where she meets the gorgeous, guitar-strumming Noah. Suddenly Penny is falling in love - and capturing every moment of it on her blog.

But Noah has a secret too. One that threatens to ruin Penny's cover - and her closest friendship - forever.

Title: Girl Online (Girl Online #1)
Author: Zoe Sugg and Siobhan Curham
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Format: Hardback

Pages: 352 pages
Publisher: Atria / Keywords Press
Source: Purchased from Popular Bookstore

So before I get into the review, I'm sure most of you guys know who's Zoe Sugg aka Zoella. If not look it up :P

Also if any of you guys follow the bookish news you'll know that there is a bit of controversy around this book thanks to the wonders of ghost writer.

Anyways I'm not gonna go into too much details about the issue as that's another blog post for another day but basically I'm am not surprise that she has a ghost writer on the side since though she is a professional blogger, she's not a professional writer as well as the fact it fits the timeline on how fast it took for her to write the book so she does need help.

I've read a couple of 'celeb published' books in the past that has been written with the help of a ghost writer and though she is not the first to do so, she's not the last. I do however wish that they did the disclaimers at the start credited the ghost writer on the cover or say its co-written, that way it would 1) be fair to co author and 2) cause a bit less controversy.

Anyways, ghost writer or not I'm still pick up cause the premise is something up my ally. Also Zoella is one of my favourite youtuber and blogger (DUH!) so of cause I want to support her and her book. I've learned a lot from her blogs/vlogs as it has help me not only with fashion and beauty but also help me feel more comfortable with myself!

Okay for first off  I usually don't talk about book covers but I flipping love the cover especially with the fairy lights and pictures hung around! Its cute and suits the book but also screams ZOE!

The story follows 15-year-old Penny who has an anonymous blog under the name Girl Online where she shares her life like school drama, boy problems and her klutz incidents. When an embarrassing video of her goes up and viral, Penny's parents whisk her to New York on a business trip where she meets a mysterious guitarist named Noah who takes her on an adventure around New York but also helps Penny trough her anxiety issues.

~Characters~

There were a great cast of characters though my feelings for each of them is very torn as one moment I'm loving them then the next I'm annoyed or hating them and I'm back to loving them again. They all have their strengths and flaws which makes them realistic and relatable.

Our main character Penny was such a sweetheart to read about. Fun loving, clumsy and quirky, she is at that awkward teenage stage where she has a lot of issues like boy and friends problems. On top of that she has anxiety issues after a car accident that shaken her. There were times where she didn't have the confidents to stand up for herself whether if its to her friends or the internet but with the help and advice from her family and best friend she grows in confidents and manages her issues. Also she was a bit too innocent and naïve for her own good but she eventually grows and mature making some really good choices at the end. I connected with Penny from her personality to her love for blogging as (DUH! once again) I love blogging and putting my thoughts on the internet though for Penny its about life and for me is about BOOKS.

I love the family aspect of the books and its great reading about Penny's parents especially on how involve they were in her life on top of helping her trough her bulling problems at school.

Also her brother Tom, though I did wish we got to read more about him, its refreshing reading a book where we see a strong and realistic brother-sister relationship as that's something I rarely (for an odd reason) see in YA. I really like how he goes all PROTECTIVE BIG BROTHER on Penny and how he helped her over come most of her problems.

Elliot was one of those characters where I was very torn with as one moment I love the guy and the next I hated him then I figured out his problems and love him again. There were times he was a bit of a jerk to Penny but most of the times he is loyal and always there for Penny as well as to be her voice of reason. I like how his is a gay character but they didn't aggregate the stereotype. Also his smart walking wiki mind and sass made the book for me!!!


Noah aka mysterious New York guitarist was a hit and a miss for me. While I like his character and how he was all romantic and charming from the start, I found him very unrealistic and almost too perfect. Even when his secret is revealed I still was not that big of a fan of him.

I was a big fan of Noah's little sister Bella and am currently thinking of a way to adopt the adorable kid!

As for the side characters in Penny's school, I hated them the more I read about them especially Megan and Ollie! Will leave it to Elliot to put the mega self-absorbed Fishing Beaches in their place!

~Plot~ 

Okay so the plot is where I had some issues. The first third and the last third of the story were really good and well paced out but the middle was a drag and so messy!

The while I like the concept of the story was very predictable down to the plot twist. Also there were some parts where its not really realistic but ah well its a work of fiction.

One thing I love is how the book tackle the issues that Penny and her friends faces like being true to yourself, friendship, bullying, homosexuality, anxiety, facing fears and cyber bullying.

I also love the traveling aspect and how the book is set in the UK and in New York.

~Writing~

This is my least favourite part of the book! I was not a fan of the writing style. Its cute to say the word 'cute' the first five times but after a while it gets a bit VERY ANNOYING!

Words like 'AWESOME' and 'CUTE' were overused to the point I was planning an espresso drinking game where I take a shot for every 'awesome' or 'cute' words written. Yah I'll be a goner one third into the book... 

I L-O-V-E cute cheesy happy fluffy contemporary romance that makes me feel all good and mushy in the inside but this book just taught me there is a limit as though it was cute, it was too cute (in a not good way).

At times the way some characters talk came out odd or awkward especially guys... I'm pretty sure they don't talk like that in real life (in my opinion).

The writing was inconsistent, too simple and young-ish for me. Its more suitable for younger teens/ YA readers which is definitely not me as I'm now in the New Adult age range.

I'm okay with the exclamation marks and all that jazz, I cringe at the grammar mistake! Now I'm not a grammar snob and I'll usually shake it off but this book is published by a MAJOR publisher with the help of a professional writer who should have at least someone to revised trough the grammar!

Another thing I cringe over is there were too many descriptions. I wish they tone it down and let the reader's mind to imagine.

As for the blog, I enjoyed every bit of it! I like how every few chapters we get to read about Penny's blog entry. Its honest, personal and simple.

~Romance~

I was okay with the romance... didn't love it, didn't hate it.

It was insta-love and I am not a fan of insta-love. I did however L-O-V-E the captain obvious of them pointing out that this is an insta-love!

At the start they were actually adorable to the point that I found myself giggling at the couple. But after a while it just become too perfect and mushy passing my limit for the fluff.

I wanted to like the romance but it was too cliché not swoon worthy enough.

~Morals/Lesson~

The lesson of the story is so good, strong and inspiring!

In plot I covered how the book handles the issues faced really well. 

This book handled most of the issues really well especially on cyber bullying as if ANY of you guys love blogging (which I assume most of you are bloggers or blog lovers), you might have encountered one of two or A LOT of troll incident whether its a hate comment or someone attacking you online.

Penny goes through a phrase where she gets cyber bullied. Not many books tackle that issue and the way that this book did came out really well and realistic. 

The family aspect as mentioned is very strong and Penny learns that  at the end of the day, family will always be there for you. 

Also I like how Penny uses her blog like a diary to express herself and when she does it she’s fun, down to earth and honest.

The issues highlighted were realistic. This is great especially for the younger YA readers out there who are facing trough the beauty of teenage awkwardness but also inspiring to the bloggers and aspiring bloggers out there.

~Ending~

Though it was predictable, I adored the ending! I also love how Penny becomes comfortable with herself and who she is, tackled her issues, face their fear and demons.

Its definitely one of those whimsical fairy tale ending but it fits the book really well.

And yes I was smiling like an idiot at the ending.


Overall I had a bit of mix feelings about this book. I feel like it could have been better but I still adored it (when it was not too mushy).

Its a great book for readers who (like a lot of us) look up at Zoella for inspiration and on tackling realistic issues like fear and anxiety.

Happy go Lucky, light and fluffy reads.

If you are a fan of Zoella you will like this book as it screams her!

Also apparently there is a sequel to Girl Online coming out later this year. Not exactly sure when as we don't have a released date, title or cover but its on Goodreads so check it out.

I get personal here so skip this part so if you're not interested in another quick story time. Gosh now I feel like Girl Online! lolz

Like Penny in the book I found an outlet where I can be my honest myself  and express myself even if it took me a while to find the right one.

In case most of you guys don't know, I used to make 'beauty tube' and have a beauty blog which I've stop doing and switch to book blogging as I went trough a point where I got a bit too many negative comments especially on tutorials which I've taken down most of them.

The hates were on my appearance which made me really insecure and I went trough a phrase where I had low confidents in myself could not look myself in the mirror. Even though most of my subscribers and followers were very supportive and nice, the negative trolls outnumber them to a point I had to pull the plug and stop.

I've past that phrase and moved on with life, filling in the hole of beauty blogging with book blogging. Though I do miss blogging about my new favourite eye shadow or lipstick, for the better I'm glad that I stop 'beauty tube' and found the book blogging world.

Book blogging has been my new happy place .

I did a month ago encountered a 'hate troll' on my booktube channel who did nothing but put rude negative comments and suddenly become nice when I 'changed a bit' of my look (oh the power of Benefit Cosmetic's Brow bar and personal grooming... didn't think it was that mighty powerful lolz ), I blocked the idiot and is one viewer I'm glad I have less.

shake it off guys :P

So yah a quick shout out to all of you awesome peeps who made book blogging freaking enjoyable for me and something that I can be proud of! :D

 

Book Review: Love, Lies and Lemon Pies by Katy Cannon

Goodreads Description:

Love, Lies and Lemon Pies, the debut YA novel from Katy Cannon, is the perfect summer read for fans of Sarah Dessen and Louise Rennison. With a Bake Club recipe at the start of each chapter, this book perfectly captures the current appetite for all things baking!

Lottie, our narrator, captures the experience of a young teenage girl navigating the world of school cliques, difficult teachers and new romance, creating a world that young readers are sure to recognize. Since her dad died, life hasn't been the same for Lottie - it was easier to push her friends away than cope with their awkwardness. But when the school suggest she joins Bake Club to get her back on track, Lottie reluctantly agrees. But Lottie's uncertainty about Bake Club melts away as she rekindles her love of baking and gets caught up with Mac, the school rebel and another unwilling Bake Club member.

Both Lottie and Mac have secrets to keep, and as Bake Club progresses towards an end-of-year competition, the tension rises between the Bake Club members.

Can Lottie keep up the facade of her perfect life without the others finding out what's really going on at home? Can Mac keep his demanding, heavy-handed father off his back - not to mention the school counsellor who's written him off as a no-hoper? And can their bubbling romance survive the pressure?

Title: Love, Lies and Lemon Pies
Author: Katy Cannon
Genre: Contemporary,
Format: Paperback

Pages: 329 Pages
Publisher: Stripes Publishing
Source: Purchased from Dymocks

I devoured this book in two sitting (well I was on a bus and a plane so what do you expect me to do for 2 + 4 hours)! In a nutshell, 'Love, Lies and Lemon Pie' is like a mash up of devouring blueberry muffins, an addictive BBC drama, the breakfast club and a marathon of Nigella Lawson cooking show.

As the title says love lies and lemon pie, expect great friendship, romances, lots of drama and mouth watering recipes.

I picked this up randomly at Dymocks with no clue about the book a part from the title and cover screaming foodie YA, this major foodie (the prove is on the instagram on the side bar *hint *nudge *wink) had to get it!

Set in the UK, each chapter starts out with a recipe of the food they are making and trough the story we follow Lolita and her friends as they work out baking skills for a baking competition and a chance to win an internship in Paris at a French bakery.

The cast of characters were amazing! Its interesting to see how the different characters mingle with each other and it works so well.

Lottie has a lot of issues with the fact she recently loss her dad in an accident. Cause of that her grades has been dropping and her mum has a problem with hording. Pestered by the school's principal to join an extra curriculum, she joins the bake club where she re discover her passion for baking, make new friends and finds love.

I enjoyed reading about Lottie. Caring and sweet, she is also intelligent and passionate with doing what she loves. Even so she is not a perfect person and have some flaws. Insecure with her mum's hording, she keeps it a secret and try's to hide it from her friends and teachers.

I adore her relationship with Mac through the book! I also love her courage of dating Mac even though all her teachers disapprove of their relationship as they don't want a 'good girl' fail in life cause she was dating a 'bad boy' situation in their hands and enjoy watching proving to them that she can 'change' Max. Also I love how as their relationship progresses,

On the outside, Mac looks like the typical 'Mysterious Bad Boy' who is always into trouble but once you get to know about him and his secrets and issues he's just a misunderstood guy. He is one of those complex characters as the book progresses we see many layers of him unfold.

Apart from Lottie And Mac I really enjoy the character Jasper and Ella and I really want a book bout those two.

Apparently there is a sequel coming out in February called 'Secrets, Schemes and Sewing Machines' based off Much Ado About Nothing following thecharacter Grace. I was not a fan of Grace in this book and I HATE SEWING but I'll still pick it up as the romance here one of those love-hate relationship (aka my favorite kind of romance). 

I like how its cute and fluffy yet it managed to deal with some serious issues in a light hearted way like getting over loosing a love one and mental illness.

This book is sweeter than fiction.

Check this book out this sweet book if you love foodie YA and cute fluffy romance with a hint of drama and lots of baking!

Also, have a book friendly snack (or a meal) with you you as you might get hungry when reading the chapter about chocolate chip cookies, apple pie or even ginger bread!

Book Review: Picture Perfect (Geek Girl #3) by Holly Smale

Goodreads Description:

"My name is Harriet Manners, and I'll always be a geek." It's the hilarious third book in the bestselling award-winning GEEK GIRL series! Harriet Manners knows more facts than most. She knows that New York is the most populous city in the United States. She knows that its official motto is 'Ever Upward'. She knows that one in thirty-eight people living in the US lives there. But she knows nothing whatsoever about modelling in the Big Apple and how her family will cope with life stateside. Or 'becoming a brand' as the models in New York say. And even more importantly, what to do when the big romantic gestures aren't coming your way from your boyfriend...Does geek girl go too far this time? The laugh out loud follow-up to award-winning debut GEEK GIRL and MODEL MISFIT will have you in stitches!

 

Title: Picture Perfect (Geek Girl #3
Author: Holly Smale
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, YA
Format: Paperback

Pages: 400 pages
Publisher: Harpercollins Children's Books
Source: Purchased from Big W

Harriet Manners and the gang are back!  

Picture Perfect is the third book in the Geek Girl series and like the previous books Harriet is back with her random facts as she sweep us into the world of modelling.

Picking up about six weeks since the last book ‘Model Misfit’ life for Harriet is changing... FAST! She's left modelling, is starting A-Levels, got a new baby sister, is turning 16 really soon and to top that her family moves across the pond to New York due to her dad, Richard's new job.

I had Welcome to New York playing in my head while reading this!

I adore reading about Harriet and this book is no exception! At first I found myself a bit frustrated with Harriet on how she acted a bratty and naïve but then I look back to my 16-year-old self and realised that’s probably how I’ll react in a situation like that (sorry Mum and Dad for being a pain in a neck if you’re reading this LOL).  It’s fun watching Harriet acting her age and actually rebelling as she was kind of a goody-two-shoes in the first two books and the start of this book.

Harriet is a head strong and intelligent girl though there were times where she was naïve and clueless in this book and the part that made me cringe was her giving into ‘peer pressure’. (Looking back 16-year-old me was freaking naïve and did at one point give into peer pressure… which is why I’m cringing as it’s a BAD mistake! *sigh* 21-year-old me is face palming at the memories). 

She goes trough a lot in this book like understanding her relationship with Nick, moving to a new country, dealing with a tutor that she hates as well as adjusting to her family's new situation. Harriet eventually handles the situations faced in Picture Perfect and matures trough the book with the help of her parents and Nick.

Speaking of her parents, they were absent through most of ‘Model Misfit’ so it was great to see them more involve in this book. Both Richard and Annabel were great to read about and though they were out of place and forgetful in some parts of the book as well as neglecting Harriet at some points, I don’t blame them as they just moved to a new country and had a new baby. Even so they managed to redeem themselves and help Harriet (and themselves) to their problems. 

Though we get to see Nat and Toby, they weren’t as involve in this book since Harriet moved to New York.

We see some familiar faces in this book including the fabulous Wilbur who gives Harriet a modelling assignment where she meets Cal and Kendrell. 

Cal started out as a charming character that I hated the more I read about him. Same goes for Kendrell, the more I read about her the more I wanted to jump into the book and push her away from Harriet (and tell her to stay FAR AWAY). 

This is how I feel about Cal and Kendrell!!! ALL LIMA HEIGHTS ALA SANTANA ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY TRY TO BREAK UP HARRIET AND LION BOY AND CORRUPT HARRIET'S HEAD!! GAHHHHH!!!

Both Cal and Kendrell had this ‘charm’ in them that manages to influence (aka peer pressure) Harriet to the opposite direction. It sounds like a good idea at first but the more you learn about their motive the more you hate the idea. Even so their influence did teach Harriet a heavy lesson on being true to herself and being comfortable with who she is. 

Picture Perfect is more romance heavy compared to the previous two books as we explore Harriet’s relationship with Lion boy aka Nick. I like how the romance was paced out and it was sweet and fluffy reading more about the two of them. We also got to know more about Nick’s life which I got to know a lot of unexpected things.

This is probably the more ‘heavier’ Geek Girl book with its coming of age theme but it was still light hearted, hilarious and fluffy. 

I love the geek girl series and it gets better with each book (SO KEEP IT COMING HOLLY SMALE!!)  

The ending of the book was very unexpected but was still sweet heart-warming and had me a huge smile on my face. 

I highly recommend the Geek Girl series as they are just one of the best feel good books out there!

Not so sure how many more books are in this series but I’m looking forward to reading more of Harriet’s fun facts and adventures in the next book ‘All That Glitters’

Also a song I'll recommend when reading this book (apart from Welcome To New York) is Charity Vance's 'Picture Perfect'! :D