Hard. Painful. Tragic. This is what my life has become – purgatory. Floating in the middle of what could’ve been and what’s never going to happen. My past dictates my future. Every step forward, guarantees ten steps back. Regret entwined with an addiction to bad decisions, living in the moment, and neglecting the consequences has become a way of life.Ignoring all the warning signs, I didn’t see … warning signs, I didn’t see him coming. He was supposed to be a distraction, a bit of fun amidst all my chaos. But Elliot Ramzy turned out to be all that, and so much more.
Deviate is a spin off novel and can be read as a complete standalone. The characters in this book are originally featured in Devastate
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Reviewed by Donna Elsegood on behalf of KFF
Wow, this is the second offering from Marley Valentine and again, right from the first page I was drawn in. My heart began to pound knowing that Valentine can shake out every emotion with her written word.
This story is about Courtney or Court as we know her from the previous story, Devastate. And of course, how could I possibly forget the handsome Elliot! Theirs was a very palpable attraction or so I thought, but feelings begin to run deeper than that. Courtney’s built a stone wall around her which she’s masked with her quirky personality and her need to have physical attention from Elliot.
Elliot is honest and hard working with feelings that run deep. He has a tough exterior, but his sensitive side shows through; especially where Courtney is concerned. However, he realises he needs to chip away to get closer than just the physicality of their relationship if he wants more.
Courtney hides a tragic past so well and it is only a matter of time before it starts crumbling around her. She has been so strong and dependable for such a long time, she forgets about her own feelings. Court dives into everyday life and not giving a clue to anyone there is a problem. Her friendship with Evie is still as strong as ever, and to think that she helped Evie come out of her shell is ironic considering she behaves like a closed book. Joking and confidence being her armour.
The story does have humour as well as the hard-hitting element and I loved the interactions with Elliot, Court, Lior and Evie. There are a few other side characters that add a touch of lightness to something so hard hitting. Deviate has everything, heartache and steamy passion to keep the reader entertained.
Valentine draws you in and cuts you deep with Deviate. She certainly makes you sit up and realise there is probably an element of her characters within us if you have suffered personal tragedy. Always so relatable. Especially Courtney’s plight of keeping the secret of her pain in order to be strong for others. This book gives the realisation that it’s ok to feel your own pain and share your grief and that you’re never alone.
I enjoyed this book from the first page right until the last. It had my heart beating with the overwhelming anticipation of Courtney and Elliott getting to where they needed to be. I was rooting for them all the way. There’s also a very enjoyable playlist to accompany Deviate which I can’t stop listening to over again. It makes me think about the book to the point I know I’ll have to do a reread. Marley Valentine is certainly a talented storyteller and I look forward to future works. I’m hoping Valentine will revisit these characters as I would love to know how life is for them after the rollercoaster surrounding their tragedies are concerned. I’m sure it will show that even in their adversities of life, time with the right kind of support can help them move forward, not just get over anything…simply learn to breathe.
So to be honest, this wasn’t my favorite story from Marley. However with that being said, I still give it 4 stars, because this is just a personal opinion and has nothing to do with the story or the writing in general. I still loved her writing.
Courtney and Elliot were introduced in Devastate. Elliot is Evie’s live in brother in law and Courtney is her co-worker and best friend. Courtney pulled Evie out of her depression by making her step outside of her comfort zone. Courtney is outspoken and unfiltered, but she uses this persona to hide her pain! She’s been having a friends with benefits relationship with Elliot. Elliot wants to build a real relationship with Courtney but she pushes him away. Courtney knows that real relationships involve getting to really know one another. She likes to keep her secrets well guarded and close. Elliot is patient in the hope that she will confide in him. Then one night everything unravels and her secret is out. Is it too much for Elliot to accept can he forgive her for not telling him? An emotional roller coaster!
Geezus get the tissues out before you even begin because the emotional ride you’re going to be on is intense. This book hits you right in the center and stays there, you’ll feel as though you’re best friends with Courtney and right there with Elliot the entire time. Courtney has the weight of the world on her shoulders and keeps so much to herself as much as Elliot can relate and they can be there for one and understand exactly what she’s feeling. I love the man he is and how determined he is to be with her and show that he is not going anywhere. Beautifully written and an absolute page turner. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.
When I heard about this story, I got very excited because I didn’t expect that it would be more about these secondary characters, besides I was really curious of where Marley would take the story.
I’ll start with the main characters. I loved Elliot!!!! He was totally different from the first book, you can really see a different side of him and you see his growth that poor Elliot really needed. He was absolutely cute, patient, romantic and sexy, I really enjoyed reading him.
Courtney was someone I enjoyed reading in the first book, here I had a love-frustration relationship with her. This doesn’t mean she was a bad character or that it was horrible to read her, because it wasn’t, but with everything that was happening I felt she was sabotaging all the good things that were happening to her, hence my frustration. But because of all the emotional baggage she carried, watching her grow and take the reins of her life was something beautiful. It was nice to see the characters from the first book, and I actually liked them more here than in the previous one.
The story was beautiful, Marley really took us in a love, heartbreak, fighting struggles, and nostalgic journey filled with emotions that left you wanting to read more. I started reading it at night and when I stopped to go to sleep; I thought I had read so little, imagine my surprise when I realized I was already halfway through, that’s how addictive and good it was.
I would’ve liked more depth into the characters’ pasts, but in a way I understand that if she would, the story would’ve been a bit more depressing and I know this depends on the reader’s angst level preference. But she did show us what these characters went through in their sad pasts. She made me cry with the simplest of things that made me love the book even more.
I think it’s obvious I enjoyed this book much more than the first one; I felt this story was developed better and Marley took us by our hands through this beautiful journey. The climax and finale were beautifully developed as well, with the right amount of drama. I loved that she touched a very tough and painful subject but in a deep and neutral way.
In conclusion, this is a very good story that I enjoyed very much and that even though it touches delicate subjects, it didn’t feel that much heavy. The romance was so cute and the main characters caused more impact to me than the ones from the previous book. I’ll absolutely keep reading more books by Marley and I’ll be impatiently waiting for what she’ll bring us next.
Deviate was my first book by Marley Valentine, I’m captivated by her words, the detail the emotion and the heartbreaking storyline had me addicted.
Marley has a way of capturing each of the characters and the emotion behind them. In Deviate we get the story of Elliot and Courtney who me meet in Devastate – this is their story and it’s an emotional roller coaster of Love, Laughs, Loss and Life. I think the world needs more Elliot’s he is drop dead gorgeous, patient and now one of my favourite Book Boyfriends.
All Elliot wants is for Courtney to lower the walls she has built around herself so he can see the real her. What is she hiding, why is she holding back? Is she worth the wait or was it good while it lasted? Could these two souls heal each other? All of these questions and so much more will be answered throughout the book.
“She taught me you can’t love without life and you can’t live without love.”
This scene was quite a powerful and emotional one, it was Raw,Emotional, Intentional and Soul Soothing.
I cannot recommend Deviate enough it was such a fantastic read, prepare yourself for the tears.
Bad habits and codependency bring two people together intimately. Grief and sadness pull them apart emotionally. Marley Valentine’s Deviate touches on sensitive subjects and the coping mechanisms that are used to deal with or avoid the reality of a situation.
“I’m addicted to an endless pattern of poor decisions, unmet standards, and unexpressed ambitions.” –Courtney
Courtney ends her purely physical relationship with Elliot after she has a scare that forces her to confront her life and feelings. She makes a choice not to let the tragedy in her past take away the happiness of her future. She begins living for herself for the first time. If only she could forget her feelings for the man who was only meant to be a distraction.
“I can’t seem to remember the moment he and I changed. The moment my escape turned into my newest nightmare, and everything light and fun turned into hot and heavy.” –Courtney
Elliot has his own tragic past and while they started out as distractions for each other, he now wants more. He is willing to take it as slow as she needs until she can see that they are meant to be more than f*** buddies, meant to be more than just friends. Lucky for him their nosy friends Loir and Evie think the same and instigate various ways to get them together.
“His cologne, mixed with the alcohol and the exhilarating rush of the smoke, has me weak. My resolve is breaking and every rule, every excuse and every reason I’ve been avoiding him fades. Because tonight, I’m flying high and feeling free. Tonight, whatever he wants, I’ll do.” –Courtney
I love it when the best friends and other various secondary characters get their own story. The tragedies in both Elliot and Courtney’s pasts play a significant part in their romance. Add to that Elliot’s highly unattainable standards and Courtney’s vulnerability, they need to work harder than most for their happy ending.
Courtney was a character who I really felt emotionally. She is so passionate and caring, especially with her mother. Both were on a cycle of destruction and my heart still feels the heaviness of why. I have not been personally affected by suicide or depression, and I hope that I never am, but I have friends that have dealt with one or both. The emotional drain and guilt that comes in the aftermath is devastating to watch. One line that caught me and had tears in my eyes was when Courtney’s mother told her, “Make sure you check in on your sister before you go to bed.” It is just a simple sentence but the meaning had so much impact on me.
I really enjoyed this book and it wasn’t all sadness. Tardy Tina and mentions of infamous romance characters Eva Tramell and Anastasia Steele brought a smile to face. Not to mention the steamy scenes between Elliot and Courtney that brought a flush to my face. I am giving Marley FIVE stars for yet another emotionally charged read.