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Marlie
Unlucky in love, Marlie flees a bad relationship. She accepts a teaching job in the remote Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii). The beauty of the islands and the rugged challenge of northern living enthrall her. A good-looking artist has his eye on her. The perfect gentleman. Or is he? And what about that handsome fisherman? Is he just a bit too real for her with his hunting and fishing? Just as Marlie hopes that her life has made a turn for the better, disaster strikes. She is shocked to see her life spiraling downwards yet again. How could she have made such an error in judgement—an error that sets more bad luck in motion?
Not willing to lose control, Marlie takes a deep breath and sets out to get her life back on track. But can she do it alone?
Set in the remote islands of coastal British Columbia, Marlie is a heartfelt romance of love and loss and love again.
Experience the fears and joys of northern island living and delight in a second chance at true love.
Not willing to lose control, Marlie takes a deep breath and sets out to get her life back on track. But can she do it alone?
Set in the remote islands of coastal British Columbia, Marlie is a heartfelt romance of love and loss and love again.
Experience the fears and joys of northern island living and delight in a second chance at true love.
ebook
Published December 5, 2017
1 person is currently reading
About the author
Anneli Purchase
7 books10 followersCanada's west coast is a scenic adventure playground. Here, with close ties to the fishing industry, Anneli Purchase became acquainted with many colourful characters who lived and worked on the coast. They have inspired her to write The Wind Weeps. This page turner is followed by the sequel, Reckoning Tide, and then by a third related novel called Marlie.
Her novel, Orion's Gift, is set in Mexico's Baja peninsula. Romance, suspense, and treachery will have you turning pages.
For a heart-wrenching love story set in the aftermath of war, check out, Julia's Violinist.
Purchase continues to write from her home on Vancouver Island.
Her articles on coastal life are published in Canadian magazines.
Her novel, Orion's Gift, is set in Mexico's Baja peninsula. Romance, suspense, and treachery will have you turning pages.
For a heart-wrenching love story set in the aftermath of war, check out, Julia's Violinist.
Purchase continues to write from her home on Vancouver Island.
Her articles on coastal life are published in Canadian magazines.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 3, 2021
Who hasn’t wished to restart their life with a fresh slate? In Anneli Purchase's romantic drama, Marlie (Aquiline 2017), Marlie Mitchell does just that, in the village of Skidegate in the northernmost of the Queen Charlotte Islands. Marlie takes a teaching job at the elementary school in the town of Masset, a place where the people and culture are about as different from what she's accustomed to as possible.
"Some things about this small place annoyed her and the lack of a proper bank was one of them, but it was another one of those situations she had no choice about if she was going to live here."
That suits her fine. She has had a string of bad luck mostly she attributes to her own bad choices. Here, in this secluded island community, she hopes to leave all of that behind her. It starts out wrong when she has a flat before she even arrives at the trailer that is to be her new home. The spare tire is buried beneath everything she owns in her trunk and it's about to rain. A hunk of a fisherman--Brent--stops to help her and I get a bit of an insight into her own responsibility for her past problems when she calls him a killer after seeing the dead deer in the back of his truck. In fact, I didn't like her much--saw her as inflexible, unaccepting of other life styles, judgmental about anything not like her norm, wanting to view her new world through the lens of the life she fled rather than a new opportunity.
"She remembered Bob’s stained T-shirt the day he let her into the trailer."
"She considered herself a realist and had to admit she wasn’t sure how she would manage when the novelty of Haida Gwaii wore off."
xx
"Everyone was working and no one seemed to care about how they looked. She guessed they had different priorities from city people."
But then, I got to know her. As usual, nothing is as it seems. Throughout the story, Marlie faces problems with strength, a desire to make things better, and a refusal to jump to conclusions.
As we travel with Marlie in this story, we see ourselves in her. Could we start over in a world so different from our norm? Could we put the bad decisions of the past behind us, in favor of the right ones for the future? Highly recommended for those who enjoy romantic stories with happy endings.
"Some things about this small place annoyed her and the lack of a proper bank was one of them, but it was another one of those situations she had no choice about if she was going to live here."
That suits her fine. She has had a string of bad luck mostly she attributes to her own bad choices. Here, in this secluded island community, she hopes to leave all of that behind her. It starts out wrong when she has a flat before she even arrives at the trailer that is to be her new home. The spare tire is buried beneath everything she owns in her trunk and it's about to rain. A hunk of a fisherman--Brent--stops to help her and I get a bit of an insight into her own responsibility for her past problems when she calls him a killer after seeing the dead deer in the back of his truck. In fact, I didn't like her much--saw her as inflexible, unaccepting of other life styles, judgmental about anything not like her norm, wanting to view her new world through the lens of the life she fled rather than a new opportunity.
"She remembered Bob’s stained T-shirt the day he let her into the trailer."
"She considered herself a realist and had to admit she wasn’t sure how she would manage when the novelty of Haida Gwaii wore off."
xx
"Everyone was working and no one seemed to care about how they looked. She guessed they had different priorities from city people."
But then, I got to know her. As usual, nothing is as it seems. Throughout the story, Marlie faces problems with strength, a desire to make things better, and a refusal to jump to conclusions.
As we travel with Marlie in this story, we see ourselves in her. Could we start over in a world so different from our norm? Could we put the bad decisions of the past behind us, in favor of the right ones for the future? Highly recommended for those who enjoy romantic stories with happy endings.
October 17, 2018
To escape a poor relationship, Marlie moves to one of the isolated Queen Charlotte Islands off the Pacific coast of Canada. An elementary school teacher, she loves the children and the rugged beauty of the islands and sea, but it’s not a gentle life when it comes making friends or trusting men.
The book’s characters reflect nature’s gentleness and harshness. For Marlie, things go wrong very quickly and dramatically. Readers who are triggered by sexual violence will hold their breath, but the story isn’t about Marlie as the victim as much as it is about her taking control of life and standing up for herself. As the perpetrator’s threats and harassment increase, Marlie becomes more determined to fight back.
That’s what Brent, a handsome fisherman, finds so attractive about her – her strength, enthusiasm, and can-do attitude. Only at the end, when her dreams are about to come true, does ambivalence and fear stop her in her tracks. Fortunately, Brent’s persistence is more robust than his confusion.
Purchase writes beautifully about the Queen Charlotte Islands and clearly is knowledgeable about the lives of fishermen and the struggles faced by isolated communities. I found the descriptions vivid and engaging. Marlie and Brent are both likable and well-rounded characters, and their relationship – from its rocky start to its satisfying conclusion – felt authentic.
The pace kept me engaged, and I had a hard time putting this book down, particularly when Marli was in danger. I recommend the book to readers who enjoy some romance mixed in with a lot of suspense and action.
The book’s characters reflect nature’s gentleness and harshness. For Marlie, things go wrong very quickly and dramatically. Readers who are triggered by sexual violence will hold their breath, but the story isn’t about Marlie as the victim as much as it is about her taking control of life and standing up for herself. As the perpetrator’s threats and harassment increase, Marlie becomes more determined to fight back.
That’s what Brent, a handsome fisherman, finds so attractive about her – her strength, enthusiasm, and can-do attitude. Only at the end, when her dreams are about to come true, does ambivalence and fear stop her in her tracks. Fortunately, Brent’s persistence is more robust than his confusion.
Purchase writes beautifully about the Queen Charlotte Islands and clearly is knowledgeable about the lives of fishermen and the struggles faced by isolated communities. I found the descriptions vivid and engaging. Marlie and Brent are both likable and well-rounded characters, and their relationship – from its rocky start to its satisfying conclusion – felt authentic.
The pace kept me engaged, and I had a hard time putting this book down, particularly when Marli was in danger. I recommend the book to readers who enjoy some romance mixed in with a lot of suspense and action.
December 16, 2018
I knew nothing about the islands and little about this part of the world, one of the reasons why I had downloaded Marlie. Anyone who has found themselves with a new career in a place where they are the stranger in town will find Marlie's story resonates. We may not have met a bear, but islands and remote places anywhere in the world can be surrounded by space and the illusion of freedom, but also have an insularity. On Marlie's new island there are the locals and the original people and then there are the incomers, most of them 'getting away' from their previous life. Everyone knows everyone else, except of course Marlie who has no idea who to trust or how to avoid upsetting anyone. As for any young single woman, dating is a complicated game and it is easy to make a mistake. Enjoy the beauty of an island and the seas, but this story will also have you on edge as Marlie faces the elements and some sinister characters. I would like to read more of the authors novels.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews