turquoise

by M. Ashley Anderson

I turned slowly, and he was there watching me, an amused smile playing on his mouth, his blue eyes dancing. He was casually leaning against the doorframe that connected the kitchen to the living room. My heart started racing and the butterflies that had disappeared long ago were there again fluttering in my stomach, like I was once again eighteen years old and no time had even passed.

More than twenty years ago, something terrible happened, and eighteen-year-old Allie fled her Nova Scotia home and all the people she knew and loved. But now her beloved grandmother is succumbing to the last stages of Alzheimer’s disease and Allie must go home to face those she left behind including her best friend, Amy, and JD, her first love, who told her when she left that he’d never forgive her for her part in what happened.

In a beautiful, maritime setting and peopled with complex and appealing characters, Turquoise moves back and forth in time between the life of the eighteen-year-old Allie and the world she now inhabits as a woman who’s forced to confront how her life went so terribly astray. As Allie finally faces those she left behind, what she is about to learn is that sometimes things need time apart to grow, to bend, and to break, but that ultimately, what’s meant to be will always find a way.

312 pages, Paperback

Published May 30, 2025

Reviews

[Adrienne Nickerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great love story that I could not put down. Little bit of guessing and a happy ending but a sad ending. Loved the authors writing and how she made the setting of the novel feel like home. Can’t wait for her next book. 😊👍❤️

[Patsy Irvine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written. Beautiful imagery.

[Kim Seay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this second chance romance! The characters were relatable and likable and it was easy to fall into this story and feel like you were really in it! Beautifully written and the actual physical book is stunning! I learned that the author does photography and she created the cover herself! I could completely sympathize with the FMC Allie as my own mother had Dementia and Allie had a grandmother with Alzheimer’s. This was very relatable to me! I’d highly recommend!

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Turquoise is a well written novel set in a beautiful maritime location. I loved the story alternating between the past and the present. It was written in a way that transported you to that time and place and you were there with the characters. When a novel makes me laugh, cry, get angry, all the emotions, I give it 5 stars. Can't wait for M. Ashley Anderson's next book!

[Alisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not my usual genre, but I quite enjoyed this book by a local author!

[Megan Atwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, written by a local author. A cozy read, felt like home

[Natasha Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author from my province and a story based on Nova Scotia, this was a no brainer for me. Then when I started reading it, I resonated with so much of the story, I couldn’t stop.
Allie comes home after being away for a long time. She left Nova Scotia because she felt she was no longer wanted here. The time has come, she needs to come back. Her gram gram is failing, she has Alzheimer’s and it’s progressing quickly.
This is a 2nd chance romance. Trust was broken and Allie has the opportunity to make it right with JD, her one true love.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely story

It was a sweet and sincere story that takes you along as if you were one of the family. Just enough suspense to make you turn the pages for one more chapter... and end up reading 3. As I'm not an avid romance reader I was afraid there would be extra spice but not enough story line. You have nothing to fear with this book.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very sweet & summery second-chance romance :)

[Darcie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never has a book felt more like home. From the setting, the southern NS charm, and the characters that you just can't help but love, this book will live rent-free in my mind for a long time.

If you're a reader and want to revisit summer days on the east coast with a strong dose of 1990s nostalgia, do yourself a favor and pick up "Turquoise" - especially if you've ever said you're from the point, down by the wharf, or a small coastal town. This book is for you.

Mel weaves themes of mental health, aging parents, first loves, and the pull for home throughout the book so authentically.

I can still smell the rose hip.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so beautiful my written… I love how the tests of there child hood tore them apart yet put them back together in the end… everything happens for a reason and grandma seemed so sweet. I love how she knew they were meant for each other …. Didn’t expect her to leave them the house like she just knew this would bring them together….

[Jessica Lambert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not into this genre at all, but I couldn’t put this one down. Loved the reference to seaside rural Nova Scotia too!

[Christie Macdonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet story of love, regret, and being brave enough to face your fears.

[Devon Stoddart]

Very easy read. Love the connections to the South Shore!

[Treena Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book, haven’t had one in a long time that made me feel this way!

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

M. Ashley Anderson writes in a heartfelt and captivating way that makes you feel like you can connect with the characters and their story on a personal level. The story has a homey feel, with different kind of life events that make it relatable for different kinds of readers. The more emotional topics are written so that it can be easily resonated with. The “then and now” format is written in a way that is unique and easy to follow. As someone who doesn’t read a lot of fiction, I enjoyed this novel!

[Koreen Swanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sweet, loving story about a woman and her bonds to her east coast home. Allie’s return to be with her Gram as she transitions is a journey of love and forgiveness, and realizing that running away isn’t the solution.

I loved this book because of the beautiful story, but also because the location, although fictional, is based on a town close to where I live. I was able to truly envision the little town and the lighthouse island.