Official Review: The Measure of Ella by Toni Bird Jones

Brenda Creech · Post by **Brenda Creech** » 05 Mar 2021, 10:30

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Measure of Ella" by Toni Bird Jones.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Ella Morgan was a natural when it came to sailing the deep seas. Her father had taught her to sail at a young age. After he passed away, Ella moved from Rhode Island to Florida. Her dream was to open a restaurant somewhere in the Florida Keys. She found the perfect property and was waiting to sell her father's tug boat so she could purchase it and start working on her restaurant. She had been crewing on ships, but the money was not enough to fund her restaurant. After battling a fierce storm at sea on her latest job, the ship captain offered her another run—but this time, it was different. The offer was to crew on a drug-smuggling run. The pay for the one-week job was twenty-five thousand dollars. Ella immediately turned it down. When the proposal for her father's tug boat fell through, she was devastated. The survey showed the ship was in a state of considerable disrepair and would not sell. She felt her dream sinking in front of her eyes.

When Ella learned pirates attacked her boyfriend's ship and he was killed, she lost all hope. She remembered the offer to crew on the drug run. Against everything her father had taught her, she went back to the captain and accepted the position, never suspecting one trip would turn her life upside down. Ella would find herself thrust deep into mayhem, surrounded by pirates, deception, murder, and heart-rending betrayal within the drug smuggling community. Could Ella survive this trip and escape the madness of the smuggling business? Or would her life be spent as a criminal on the run?

In the exciting fictional novel The Measure of Ella by Toni Bird Jones, the reader will meet the strong female protagonist, Ella Morgan, and sail with her on the high seas of the Caribbean, in a story that is sure to keep the reader engrossed to the end. This book is the author's first novel, and Bird has excelled in every way. The characters are realistic and relatable to the reader. I felt as though I knew them personally—especially Ella. My emotions rolled like the waves in the ocean with every part of this story. It held me in suspense and left me wanting more when I reached the final page.

My favorite part was Ella's ability to maneuver a sailboat as well as any man. She could hold her own with the best. The presence of a strong female protagonist who could fight to keep the boat going during a major storm at sea and have the crew's trust to handle it was a positive feature of this book. Although there is graphic violence, strong profanity, and a few mild sexual situations in the book, I did not see that as a negative feature in this instance. When there are pirates and drug cartels, there will be profanity, violence, and sex. Therefore, I have to say I could not find anything that I disliked about The Measure of Ella.

The book was professionally edited and error-free. Due to the excellent writing skills of Toni Bird Jones, the action and suspense, and the compelling storyline with all the features of a superb fiction thriller, my rating can be no less than 4 out of 4 stars. I highly recommend this book to adult readers who enjoy a fast-paced adrenaline-pumping thriller. I would not recommend it to anyone under eighteen or those disturbed by graphic violence or strong profanity.

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The Measure of Ella
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Kennedy NC · Post by **Kennedy NC** » 08 Mar 2021, 15:20

Sometimes, unfortunate circumstances increase our sorrow, make us unstable and susceptible to make bad choices. Great review.

shreyagupta · Post by **shreyagupta** » 08 Mar 2021, 22:51

This review has me hooked. I love the concept of pirates and the book sounds like an interesting read. Thanks for the review.

Heidadela · Post by **Heidadela** » 09 Mar 2021, 01:17

Ellah's story sounds like an interesting one and I would love to read it. Thanks for a wonderful review.

Jennifer Aldo · Post by **Jennifer Aldo** » 09 Mar 2021, 01:37

You sound like you really enjoyed reading this book. I'm sure I will too. Thanks for the review.

Rayah Raouf · Post by **Rayah Raouf** » 09 Mar 2021, 04:48

A very well-written review. Thank you. You have piqued my interest in the book. I do like pirates.

Naaya123 · Post by **Naaya123** » 09 Mar 2021, 12:40

I love strong female leads, they make the entire book even more exciting and interesting. Lovely review!

NetMassimo · Post by **NetMassimo** » 12 Mar 2021, 05:59

This looks like a suspenseful thriller that can be fantastic for people who like sea stories. Thank you for your great review!

Post by **Diana Lowery** » 13 Mar 2021, 09:34

Well, this line pretty much sells the book: "a fast-paced adrenaline-pumping thriller." Great review!

Vivian Jabeya · Post by **Vivian Jabeya** » 13 Mar 2021, 10:23

I have always loved books which have strong female protagonists. I would love to read about Ella's voyage in the high seas.

Brenda Creech · Post by **Brenda Creech** » 13 Mar 2021, 12:42

diana lowery wrote: ↑13 Mar 2021, 09:34 Well, this line pretty much sells the book: "a fast-paced adrenaline-pumping thriller." Great review!

Thank you! Thanks for commenting.

Brenda Creech · Post by **Brenda Creech** » 13 Mar 2021, 12:43

Vivdija wrote: ↑13 Mar 2021, 10:23 I have always loved books which have strong female protagonists. I would love to read about Ella's voyage in the high seas.

I think you would enjoy it!

Brenda Creech · Post by **Brenda Creech** » 13 Mar 2021, 12:45

NetMassimo wrote: ↑12 Mar 2021, 05:59 This looks like a suspenseful thriller that can be fantastic for people who like sea stories. Thank you for your great review!

Thank you, and thanks for stopping by!