Finding Marnie

Heartless Few #4

by M.V. Ellis

Their love is a legacy of broken hearts and shattered dreams. Can they find each other without losing themselves?

He is everything I want but know I can never have.
Every fiber of my being has ached for Luke from the very first moment we met. However, with my parents’ legacy of toxic obsession woven into my DNA, I know love is pain and should be avoided at all costs. I'm unloved and unlovable. Still, in moments of weakness, I allow myself to imagine what it would be like if I was the kind of woman who deserved the love of a man like him.

She is hiding in plain sight, waiting for me to find her.
Marnie has had my heart from day one, and always will. It's just a shame I couldn’t muster the words to tell her so when we first locked eyes. It's a failing I will live to regret for years to come. However, I'm determined to make things right, even if it takes me a lifetime. I need her to know she is enough. In fact, she is more than that. She is everything.

342 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 12, 2019

About the author

MV ELLIS knows what it’s like to fall head over heels in love with a badass musician. She moved from London to Sydney after a steamy holiday romance with a sexy bass player in sultry Brazil. Twelve years, two children and a dog later, and she’s still smitten. All this with a guy she sat next to on a bus for 36 hours!

Ellis’ love of romance began when she was 11 years old, after a summer spent secretly reading her auntie’s books. She’s been a sucker for an alpha hero and strong heroine ever since. Following a career spanning advertising, marketing, and social media, she finally wrote Catching London in 2017.

You can check out what she's up to here:

Website: www.mvellis.com
Instagram: Instagram.com/authormvellis/
Instagram: Instagram.com/arloandlondon/
Facebook: Facebook.com/authormvellis/
Twitter: Twitter.com/authormvellis
Pinterest Pinterest.com.au/authormvellis/

Reviews

[Mary Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This journey surprised me. Having read the other books about Arlo and London, I really wasn’t a fan of Marnie but from their viewpoint, well, she doesn’t get a great reputation. But now, we got to peel back the layers and learn who Marnie is, what makes her tick, what tragedies shaped who she is and it is truly tragic. She has an amazing resiliency, no matter what happens she keeps pushing forward but at a great cost as she guards her heart and herself from rejection. She met Luke first and found someone that seemed to get her but this also scared her. Luke loved Marnie from the moment he met her but he is the shy twin and never revealed his feelings. Then Marnie and Arlo started their casual relationship which kept Luke on the sidelines. This book digs into both Marnie and Luke’s insecurities and fears as these two amazing individuals work to realize that they both deserve that great love that consumes you and makes you whole. I voluntarily read an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.

[Gladys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marnie and Luke's story really surprised me. If you have read the other books in this series these characters will be familiar to you, if not you, I feel you could read this book as a standalone but you will be seriously underinformed about what has happened with Marnie so far. Now, as for me being surprised. I can't say that the previous books made me a fan of Marnie but with this book we pull back the curtain, peel back the layers and get a much deeper understanding about her and what makes her tick and for me it was an eyeopener. There were also some interesting developments with Luke's character that changed how I saw him. The story itself was packed with drama, emotional turmoil an steam. This is my independent, impartial review.

[Wendy Livingstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fourth book in this awesome series, and is a perfect finale to this series. Marnie struggles with issues from her tragic past, and Luke tries to help her whenever he can. This is a well written story which is filled with angst, drama, tension, and is an emotional roller coaster from beginning to end. I cannot wait to read more form this talented author, whose work I highly recommend for all readers.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glad I binge read the series and read this one because Marnie's story helped explain her. And Luke.

I didn't like how Luke did a few bad Arlo moves. Luke deserved his own story and to not be his brother or brothers shadow.

Yeah Marnie was worth a story. A shame a few secondary characters didn't get more time. Probably could of used chapters of Marnie hiding into exploring mom grandpa, Justin, Jake And Stevie....

And who did send the sex tapes????

[Mona williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was the fourth book in this series! it was really good. i just felt like it was repeating other books. she has always wanted him but knew she couldnt have him. he has always wanted her. fate seems to bring them together but for how long? read to find out.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this storyline...I'm not usually into the Rocker stories but this was much more. Lots of emotions...lots of love

[Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent HEA ending to The Heartless Few series. Having read the previous books in the series I would urge other potential readers to do the same. They are all very good books and it helps tie up two two important background figures into their own very significant story. If you enjoy a turbulent love story with plenty of angst and hot scenes this is the book for you. I look forward to further books from MV Ellis.

[Bibliophile Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marnie’s Story was Perfect!

When I started reading this series, I like I am sure a lot of readers, didn’t like Marnie very well. But as we could see in the first books we saw Arlo and London’s view of her and no matter what there are two sides to every story.

Ms. Ellis performed a small miracle with this story. She made me not only changed my way of thinking, she made me respect the heck outta Marnie! Marnie was a complicated character and Ms. Ellis brought a real, raw and flawed character and gave her some really redeeming qualities.

Oh and let’s not forget Luke! Even when I wanted to kick him in the figurative butt for waiting so long and wanting to sometimes smack him or used some industrial strength duct tape for his mouth, he came through brilliantly. He “found” Marnie, he was the one who could truly “see” her and it was beautiful to read.

I have really enjoyed all of Ms. Ellis books so far and and I can’t wait to see what she comes out with next!

Well done!

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Marnie & Luke's story taking place around the time Arlo meets London. For a better understanding of her story I would suggest reading the previous ones first. Luke has always had feelings for Marnie but as Arlo was the more outgoing of the twins he hooked up with her, more as an escape for both of them, as they have serious baggage. I can't say I was a fan of Arlo as he was just so awful to her during this time & extremely self centred. A few devastating events, combined with her past, send Marnies life into a tail spin. Luke tries to get through to her but most times to no avail. As with previous stories there is a lot of drama & angst in play. We deal with a lot of her inner thoughts & there is a lot of tension. She is also struggling with an issue which affects a lot of young women. Eventually her life takes a turn for the better but we only hope that Luke is there with her on the rest of her journey. While I did enjoy this I felt she was more a secondary character as Arlo still dominates more of the story. However it was good to see her role in Arlo's life & how she too found her HEA. I received a complimentary copy for an honest review.

[Samantha Love HEA Romance Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows along with a bit from Arlo's stories. We catch glimpses into what it was like for Marnie in the situations that arose. I love the fact that this book was duel view points. I like seeing what things are like for each of the characters and how they felt as some things went down.

Marnie is broken, she is so sad. her life hasn't been the best, and I really felt for her. Luke is the shy twin but definitely the one I am more drawn too. He is such a sweet guy and I loved what he did for Marnie, although there were a few bumps along the way.

This story is a little angsty, a little sad and a whole lot emotional. I enjoyed reading it and would highly recommend it to those who love those unrequited love stories as much as I do.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was so glad to get Marnie's story to find out who she really is, seeing as that she's not portrayed in the best light in the previous books, and I gotta say that after learning about everything she's been through, my heart broke for her. And how could I not want to give Luke a big hug, given his feelings for Marnie, and having to watch from the sidelines while she was with Arlo. I loved seeing the layers peeled back for both Marnie and Luke and seeing not only their fears and insecurities, but how they learned to deal and possibly overcome and be happy.

[Mariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great finish to the series! We get to meet Marnie and Luke and hear the story from their points of view. It was a really good way to delve into Marnie and actually change my opinion of her. I didn’t think it would be possible, but her past is described and her interactions with London and Arlo are explained. While I always believed Luke to be sweet the story shows this and some conflict that we were unaware of already.
The story can be read as a stand-alone but it really rounds out the series and I would recommend reading it last in the sequence.
I really enjoyed this story, and will read again after refreshing my memory of the previous stories.

I received this as an ARC from the author.

[Christine Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

it has its ups and downs Marnie has been wanting to be loved since she was young n found her parents overdosed. he is in love with her but she has been his twin brothers play thing for years. but when his twin finds the one for him she is tossed out like trash. it was awesome

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overly descriptive and repetitive

[Brandy Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh this book!
Funny, feisty, serious all while drawing me in!

[charly & raine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic read only this one was filled with more angst and heartache, proving that this author can deliver a fantastic story, this one being a friends to lovers genre.

Everyone has a story and it is our story that defines us as humans. What cards we have been dealt in life can be a huge contributor to how we deal with relationships. Marnie had kept hers a secret. She hadn’t told a sole.

I had been anxiously awaiting this book having devoured the first three in the Heartless Few series. Arlo was a Rock God but I fell hard for Luke his twin. The shy reserved quiet one who couldn’t quite find his voice. Marnie had held his heart from day one. I loved his character; he was the reliable go-to guy there for everyone, extremely talented in his own right, he was every bit as hot as his brother. (insert “drool” emoji)

This book was a mix of everything, this author delivers some great lines with her sense of humour but, it was also a real heart-wrencher addressing some very real life issues for some. I wanted to hug Marnie.

“I curled myself into a ball next to Luke, hugging my knees to my chest. Fuck, he made my heart hurt. In fact, he made all of me hurt. No, that wasn’t right. He made me ache. All of me ached for him.”

The one thing that really made this book exceptional was the playlist. The soundtrack to the book was just perfect, listening to the lyrics made this experience the ultimate.

This is a beautiful story about how Luke managed to make himself be heard and break down her barriers to find Marnie.

[Tanja OMGReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you'd told me that I'll be falling for Marnie based on how I've met her in the first book of this series I would have thought something was wrong with that person. But here I am sitting after finishing this book and I can honestly say I love her.
She had so much problems to which she didn't respond correctly most of the time. While reading you could just feel how much she just wants to be loved and free from her past. The love Luke had hot her was overwhelming. I felt bad for him for staying on the sidelines and watching her (almost) self destroy. But I loved how by the end they both managed to conquer their fears and FINALLY fall into each other's arms.

***Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads Blog***

[Rowena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wanted satisfied!

I wanted a story about Marni and what a story it is. Marni’s character wasn’t well liked from the previous read but what the author gives us with this newest release brings a whole new light to her character. And with her relationship with Luke only made Marni more likable. I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this book more than Arlo and London’s journey. A definite must read that is filled with drama, surprises and love.

[Quincey Conway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marnie and Luke finally have their story, both wanting to be with each other but never working in their favor. Fate now place a role and brings them together but will it last. this book gives us everything. we finally get to see the real Marnie and Luke. in this book. will they have their happy v=every after or will fate keep them apart?

[Karolina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m so happy I’ve read this book. Marnie wasn’t my favorite in the previous books. Now I know her story, why she was acting like a selfish b... However she’s like London. She wants Luke but is afraid, she loves him but can’t have him. Luke needs to push her to make her believe in future with him.

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

Okay so ‘Finding Marnie’ was my first read by MV Ellis and I am so pleased with it!

I don’t normally do rockstar romance but for some weird reason this book just pulled me in and didn’t let go until the end!!

Marnie and Luke are just amazing! They are funny, weird, hot, sexy, moody, stubborn and secretive but they manage to make it work.

This is not a 100% a happy story, in fact, there are some parts that will make you cry and break your heart but don’t give up! It is all worth it.

Marnie has been through hell and back and she’s used to putting up a happy mask with everyone and just forces herself to be tough at all times. But all of this changed when she met Luke.

We first meet Luke when he’s still a shy and quiet young boy but he knows from the first moment he sees her, that there’s something about Marnie she’s trying to hide from everyone.

Years pass and despite their growth and adult lives, nothing has changed. Not Marnie’s feeling not Luke. And definitely not Luke’s feelings for Marnie.

Fate brings them back together when they most need each other and it is just beautiful to read how they fall in love with each other!

Just an amazing story to read, especially if you like rockstars and broken characters that against all odds manage to find their HEA!

[Linda Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Nobody had ever wanted me, not in the real sense of the word. Sometimes people wanted to use me. They wanted me for what I could do for them, or what I could bring to them. They wanted me for the doors I could open, or the ways in which I could make their lives easier. People wanted me for what I had. Scrap that. They wanted what I had. Nobody wanted me for me. Except Mia and Luke.”

Finding Marnie was written from Luke and Marnie’s POV’s. A book about the redemption of two people who stood in the shadows instead of rising from the ashes. You could argue that they were both standing in the limelight, but they were hiding in plain sight. Luke and Marnie could see each other from their initial meeting fifteen years earlier. He was too shy and Marnie was protecting her heart. As each layer of their lives were revealed, I found myself falling in love with them both. Somehow Ms Ellis had me do a backflip, I went from Arlo and London’s corner to Luke and Marnie’s. My heart broke for Marnie as she learned to trust her battered and bruised heart.

[Joy Westerfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very moving, emotional read!

Wow! Just incredible! My heart is beating and I’m a bit of an emotional mess after reading this story about Luke and Marnie. Luke is part of his brothers band and Marnie is a woman who grew up with them. Marnie had a tragic childhood and when she met Luke, she knew they would be best friends as he was so kind to her. Luke has always been behind his brothers shadow until one day things change and he finally comes into himself. Luke and Marnie are two souls who truly belong together but they have many hurdles to get thru first. Can they make a go of a relationship? I certainly hoped so throughout this entire story. These two characters have completely ingrained themselves into my heart. This story was very moving, very emotional and I definitely needed tissues. I loved every word and really didn’t want this to end. Please do yourself a favor and read this fantastic story!

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. If you have read the Heartless Few Series you know Luke's brother Arlo was front and center. I loved Arlo until this book. I can't remember ever reading about another character in a series that made me hate the original one. But I guess Luke was also to blame. He had always been in his twin brother's shadow, happily so until Marnie. I didn't like how Arlo treated Luke and Marnie in this one and how nothing was really resolved between Marnie and Arlo at the end. Luke was a great character, almost too good for what he put up with. Loved his relationship with the others in the band. Marnie, who was very misunderstood in the previous books doesn't get the respect due considering her history with Arlo. As Luke stated - It took two.

[Phi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very surprising for me, if you've read the past books then you'll know that Marnie isn't the most loveable character. She has many flaws and can come across selfish however, having read this story and her background her selfishness comes with reason. Personally, this wasn't my favourite book as I was looking for a happy, quick, easy and fun read although having said this, this is the perfect book for those looking for a raw, honest book about the ups and downs of stardom.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book #4 from a series I have fully enjoyed reading. We met Marnie previously. She hasn't been a favorite character for me. Marnie has endured a lot in her past and it has shaped her into who she is today. This is a suspenseful story that was well written. So many ups and downs with my emotions. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book!

[Laurel Nilsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Marnie is book 4 in the Heartless Few series. When will Marnie every be enough? Her whole life she feels as is she has alway been the one who is left behind. Luke has always followed in his twin brothers footsteps as he is painfully shy but he has loved Marnie from the day he met her in school. This book will have you feeling a little frustrated but also have you thinking can one person take more. Luke and Marnie’s story is not pretty but they come out the other side ok. Loved this book had me on the edge of my seat till the end. 5 star 🌟 read.