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Sunfire #9
Marilee
One man will love her, one protect her, one understand her. Whom will she choose? From the calm of England to the wilds of the new colony, Marilee is torn between three loves...
Until her father dies, Marilee lives a peaceful life in England. Suddenly she must cross the ocean to Jamestown, Virginia, to join her brother and his new wife. She is little prepared for the jealous resentment of her sister-in-law, the constant threat of Indian attacks, or so many suitors. Ship's officer Philip Soames is kind and attentive but often at sea. Michael Braden is dashing by mysterious; and Timothy Reeves, indentured servant to her brother, is insolent but charming. Thrust on her own in this forbidding land, Marilee must follow her heart to find the one she truly loves.
Until her father dies, Marilee lives a peaceful life in England. Suddenly she must cross the ocean to Jamestown, Virginia, to join her brother and his new wife. She is little prepared for the jealous resentment of her sister-in-law, the constant threat of Indian attacks, or so many suitors. Ship's officer Philip Soames is kind and attentive but often at sea. Michael Braden is dashing by mysterious; and Timothy Reeves, indentured servant to her brother, is insolent but charming. Thrust on her own in this forbidding land, Marilee must follow her heart to find the one she truly loves.
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
3 people are currently reading
230 people want to read
About the author
Mary Francis Shura
42 books22 followersMary Francis Young was born on 23 February 1923 in Pratt, Kansas, the daughter of Jack Fant and Mary Francis (Milstead) Young. When she was very young, her family moved to the Pacific Northwest, where she raised. She studied at Maryville State College. On 24 October 1943, she married Daniel Charles Shura, who died in 1959. They had two children: Marianne Francis Shura (Spraguc) and Daniel Charles Shura. On 8 December 1961, she married Raymond C. Craig, they had a daughter Alice Barrett Craig (Stout), before their divorce.
Since 1960, she wrote over 50 books of various genres: children's adventures and teen-romances as Mary Francis Shura, M. F. Craig, and Meredith Hill; gothic novels as Mary Craig; romance novels as Alexis Hill, Mary Shura Craig and Mary S. Craig; and suspense novels as M. S. Craig.
Her children's novel "The Search for Grissi" received the Carl Sandburg Literary Arts Award in 1985, and she also was nominated to the Young Hoosier Book Award. In 1990, she was elected president of the Mystery Writers of America.
She lived in Hinsdale, Illinois, where her apartment burned on 13 December 1990. At 67, she died of injuries suffered in the fire on 12 January 1991 in Loyola University Medical Burn Center in Maywood.
Since 1960, she wrote over 50 books of various genres: children's adventures and teen-romances as Mary Francis Shura, M. F. Craig, and Meredith Hill; gothic novels as Mary Craig; romance novels as Alexis Hill, Mary Shura Craig and Mary S. Craig; and suspense novels as M. S. Craig.
Her children's novel "The Search for Grissi" received the Carl Sandburg Literary Arts Award in 1985, and she also was nominated to the Young Hoosier Book Award. In 1990, she was elected president of the Mystery Writers of America.
She lived in Hinsdale, Illinois, where her apartment burned on 13 December 1990. At 67, she died of injuries suffered in the fire on 12 January 1991 in Loyola University Medical Burn Center in Maywood.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 29, 2008
(See my review of Amanda for my general review of the series.)
I've actually owned Marilee for years, so I've read this one more than a few times. It's not perfect, but it's always been a favorite Sunfire.
Recently orphaned Marilee Fordham arrives in Jamestown, Virginia, to settle with her brother Matthew and new sister-in-law, Abigail. On the voyage, she attracts the romantic attention of Philip Soames, a ship's officer. However, it's made pretty clear early on that Marilee only appreciates him as a valued friend. (Which is kind of a shame, because Philip is a real peach.)
Lucky Marilee instead gets to choose between total looker Michael Braden, a dashing man who gives off a bit of a dangerous vibe, and Timothy Reeves, her brother's indentured servant, with whom Marilee actually grew up back in England.
But Timothy unfortunately doesn't seem to like Marilee all that much, and Michael doesn't have the greatest reputation in Jamestown... what is our hapless heroine to do?
Plenty, as it turns out. Since the gently meandering romance plot takes its time, we have plenty of time to watch Marilee adjust to the rough frontier ways of Jamestown, make a few loyal friends, show off her handy healing skills by tending to wounded colonists, and try to figure out what in the world bitchy Abigail's problem is.
Abigail is an underhanded, manipulative, really fun villain, whose successful attempts to turn Matthew against his sister are only the first of the evil deeds lurking behind her big fake doe eyes. Every time I read this book, I feel sorry for poor, deluded Matthew. At least he wised up a bit before the end.
Although clever, witty Marilee doesn't seem the type to be taken in by the oily charms of Michael, she has enough naivete and sweetness in her to make it rather believable that she might. Mary Francis Shura- whose work I appreciate so much more as an adult - has a habit of pushing her heroines into surprising, but very believable romantic choices. And poor Marilee makes a *really embarrassing oopsie* before she gets her head on straight. I cringe for her every time, but man, do I buy it.
And for those of you- you know who you are- who love to see villains justly punished, are going to dance, sing, and shoot rainbows out of your fingers when you find out what happens to Michael and Abigail. It is, to put it mildly, appropriate.
Shura's dialogue is well-written for the most part, and downright delightful in places. As usual, the details of time, place and culture all blend seamlessly into the narrative. Marilee is relatable and worthy as a heroine, and peripheral characters, particularly Philip and Maggie, are well drawn. And I enjoyed having a woman as the primary villain.
My quibbles are minor, but exist they do. Late in the story, Marilee learns something about Michael's past - is it a shocking secret? Er, no. It's a matter of public record and was something everyone in town would have known about. I do not find it believable that Marilee *never heard of it from anyone,* even in casual conversation. Especially annoying because it's what makes her finally realize Michael's a jerk, and there was no reason for anyone not to tell her before. It felt a little "jerkus ex machina," and it bugged me. Shura can do better.
And while the romantic storyline is well-done and realistic, I am for some reason not entirely sold on Marilee's suddenly realized love for Timothy. I think they'll do just fine together, and I don't know why I don't buy it completely. Maybe I just like Philip too much.
The verdict: The quibbles above each subtract half a star. But I adore this book, and I would recommend it to collectors.
I've actually owned Marilee for years, so I've read this one more than a few times. It's not perfect, but it's always been a favorite Sunfire.
Recently orphaned Marilee Fordham arrives in Jamestown, Virginia, to settle with her brother Matthew and new sister-in-law, Abigail. On the voyage, she attracts the romantic attention of Philip Soames, a ship's officer. However, it's made pretty clear early on that Marilee only appreciates him as a valued friend. (Which is kind of a shame, because Philip is a real peach.)
Lucky Marilee instead gets to choose between total looker Michael Braden, a dashing man who gives off a bit of a dangerous vibe, and Timothy Reeves, her brother's indentured servant, with whom Marilee actually grew up back in England.
But Timothy unfortunately doesn't seem to like Marilee all that much, and Michael doesn't have the greatest reputation in Jamestown... what is our hapless heroine to do?
Plenty, as it turns out. Since the gently meandering romance plot takes its time, we have plenty of time to watch Marilee adjust to the rough frontier ways of Jamestown, make a few loyal friends, show off her handy healing skills by tending to wounded colonists, and try to figure out what in the world bitchy Abigail's problem is.
Abigail is an underhanded, manipulative, really fun villain, whose successful attempts to turn Matthew against his sister are only the first of the evil deeds lurking behind her big fake doe eyes. Every time I read this book, I feel sorry for poor, deluded Matthew. At least he wised up a bit before the end.
Although clever, witty Marilee doesn't seem the type to be taken in by the oily charms of Michael, she has enough naivete and sweetness in her to make it rather believable that she might. Mary Francis Shura- whose work I appreciate so much more as an adult - has a habit of pushing her heroines into surprising, but very believable romantic choices. And poor Marilee makes a *really embarrassing oopsie* before she gets her head on straight. I cringe for her every time, but man, do I buy it.
And for those of you- you know who you are- who love to see villains justly punished, are going to dance, sing, and shoot rainbows out of your fingers when you find out what happens to Michael and Abigail. It is, to put it mildly, appropriate.
Shura's dialogue is well-written for the most part, and downright delightful in places. As usual, the details of time, place and culture all blend seamlessly into the narrative. Marilee is relatable and worthy as a heroine, and peripheral characters, particularly Philip and Maggie, are well drawn. And I enjoyed having a woman as the primary villain.
My quibbles are minor, but exist they do. Late in the story, Marilee learns something about Michael's past - is it a shocking secret? Er, no. It's a matter of public record and was something everyone in town would have known about. I do not find it believable that Marilee *never heard of it from anyone,* even in casual conversation. Especially annoying because it's what makes her finally realize Michael's a jerk, and there was no reason for anyone not to tell her before. It felt a little "jerkus ex machina," and it bugged me. Shura can do better.
And while the romantic storyline is well-done and realistic, I am for some reason not entirely sold on Marilee's suddenly realized love for Timothy. I think they'll do just fine together, and I don't know why I don't buy it completely. Maybe I just like Philip too much.
The verdict: The quibbles above each subtract half a star. But I adore this book, and I would recommend it to collectors.
October 19, 2015
These books were the best! This was my fave.
Read
July 6, 2018My informal project to revisit some of my beloved Sunfires continues with one that I enjoyed but that was never a favorite like Emily, Caroline, and Jacquelyn. It's not at all subtle, even I think for young readers. The characters are almost entirely virtuous or villainous, with little to no complexity. Marilee herself is just about too perfect, aside from having a temper, which in the world of Sunfire usually comes across as spirit. And, to be honest, most of her flashes of temper are directed at people who deserve it, so it's satisfying to watch.
I always enjoyed the romance in this once, as it seemed like she really had two excellent choices, and one outright horrible one whose horribleness is flagged almost from the get-go. (One problem with the book is that Marilee seems too smart to be taken in by the scoundrel, but she is, and I kind of liked that she was open about her feeling.) The slow-growing affection between her and her eventual choice is nice, and their early sparring shows them to be equals, although I did find some of his treatment of Marilee early on to be off-putting and petty. Her earliest suitor really seems the best choice, both as a person and a partner. But I suppose the pragmatic choice is not the romantic one.
The fact that the historical backdrop includes the 1622 Indian attack makes for some uncomfortable reading today, but Shura includes some dialogue early on that presents the Indians' desire to fight as a legitimate choice, and the settlers' claim as more than a little preposterous. The Jamestown settlers themselves are shown as simply fighting to survive. I also chuckled a few times at the home descriptions. How many rooms did the Fordham house have? Unless I've got my history wrong (possible!), there are about three too many, plus a hallway. (The fort also seemed too big in the book, but there have been a lot of archaeological discoveries since 1985, when the book was written.)
Anyway, this was a fun book to revisit, but mostly for the nostalgia factor. I don't know that I would recommend any of these books to modern adults who don't have fond memories of them.
I always enjoyed the romance in this once, as it seemed like she really had two excellent choices, and one outright horrible one whose horribleness is flagged almost from the get-go. (One problem with the book is that Marilee seems too smart to be taken in by the scoundrel, but she is, and I kind of liked that she was open about her feeling.) The slow-growing affection between her and her eventual choice is nice, and their early sparring shows them to be equals, although I did find some of his treatment of Marilee early on to be off-putting and petty. Her earliest suitor really seems the best choice, both as a person and a partner. But I suppose the pragmatic choice is not the romantic one.
The fact that the historical backdrop includes the 1622 Indian attack makes for some uncomfortable reading today, but Shura includes some dialogue early on that presents the Indians' desire to fight as a legitimate choice, and the settlers' claim as more than a little preposterous. The Jamestown settlers themselves are shown as simply fighting to survive. I also chuckled a few times at the home descriptions. How many rooms did the Fordham house have? Unless I've got my history wrong (possible!), there are about three too many, plus a hallway. (The fort also seemed too big in the book, but there have been a lot of archaeological discoveries since 1985, when the book was written.)
Anyway, this was a fun book to revisit, but mostly for the nostalgia factor. I don't know that I would recommend any of these books to modern adults who don't have fond memories of them.
September 27, 2008
Not my favorite Sunfire book, but definitely worth the read. Pilgrams. I liked Merrie better.
March 13, 2009
Another light, cheesy read I enjoyed as a teen.
April 13, 2009
I liked this one, however, I could so do without people writting about Martin's Hundred. It is just too sad.
April 16, 2009
'The' book that started my love of the romance novel.
January 17, 2024
Could have been more closely edited. None of the love interests were particularly ideal, and I felt like her choice was second best.
August 9, 2016
3.5 stars
November 27, 2022
I loved all these Sunfire historical romance books when I was a teenager. I specifically remember this one because of the protagonist's unique name.
June 26, 2017
As I reread this book, I realized that it, too, is one of my favorites from this series. I first learned of hot cross buns from this book. It pulls in just enough information from history to be interesting even beyond the characters which are well wrought and engaging. It's quite a sweet little romance.
September 25, 2014
This has always been my favorite Sunfire romance since I read it as a teenager many years ago, not the first go around that the books had, I found them all at a used paperback exchange store. A fun read for anyone that enjoys some historical romance.
July 14, 2012
Continuing my reads down memory lane of the Sunfire books. I didn't actually read this one when I was young though... This one started out a bit slowly for me. Historically, it was fascinating and romantically, I love where it went.
August 3, 2010
One of my favorite books from my youth. The story of a 16-year-old girl who comes to live with her brother in Jamestown 1622. A coming of age story.
July 6, 2015
Classic cheesy 80's romance novel and I loved every second of it.
April 27, 2018
Reading Challenge 2018: A book with a love triangle,Nostalgia Read. This was my favorite book from the Sunfire series about your women through history. Each girls has two men to choose between but Marilee has three! I always felt the writing was good in this book. Marilee is kind and good and has a beautiful spirit. There is sadness and joy in this book and the characters are multi faceted. It was fun to revisit this old fav.
January 30, 2018
We all knew she would end up with the guy with Smoky eyes. Close enough to gray.
October 17, 2021
Found this book quite entertaining as well as a page-turner, especially as I neared the end. Also if you're looking for a good, clean romance this is a good choice.
April 14, 2020
4-14-2020 (Quarantine Day 27)
So, I'm lying awake last night thinking about this book formulating what I'm going to say in this review. And ya know, not much happens in this book. I've read it many, many times and it has always been one of my favorite Sunfires, but in this re-read, I'm seeing that there is not a lot of action. There is only one "action" scene, and even that our main character isn't apart of it.
There is a whole lot of, dare I say it, TEA. (And now I've officially dated this review, as if the Coronavirus mention didn't already do that.)
Like, this entire book relies on gossip. All of the plot, all of the scenes, all of the character development, hinges off of gossip and drama. Why does Matthew yell at Marilee? Because of rumors. How does Marilee get the backstory of two out of three suitors? Because of secondhand exposition. How does Matthew learn the true nature of his wife? Because of a letter. How does Marilee find out a character has been lying to her eventual man? Because of a hidden document. It never ends.
Marilee is a nice enough main character. She's sweet, wise beyond her years, and super cheerful. Not much to say about her; she's your typical romantic lead. I don't like how she kind of get's walked all over by most of the characters. She doesn't have much of a spine and she's a bit naive.
Yeah. This book is pretty good. Lot's of drama, very much like a soap opera. I'll probably read this book again in the future, and I suppose it's worth hunting down. It's a upper tier Sunfire book. Just don't expect too much.
So, I'm lying awake last night thinking about this book formulating what I'm going to say in this review. And ya know, not much happens in this book. I've read it many, many times and it has always been one of my favorite Sunfires, but in this re-read, I'm seeing that there is not a lot of action. There is only one "action" scene, and even that our main character isn't apart of it.
There is a whole lot of, dare I say it, TEA. (And now I've officially dated this review, as if the Coronavirus mention didn't already do that.)
Like, this entire book relies on gossip. All of the plot, all of the scenes, all of the character development, hinges off of gossip and drama. Why does Matthew yell at Marilee? Because of rumors. How does Marilee get the backstory of two out of three suitors? Because of secondhand exposition. How does Matthew learn the true nature of his wife? Because of a letter. How does Marilee find out a character has been lying to her eventual man? Because of a hidden document. It never ends.
Marilee is a nice enough main character. She's sweet, wise beyond her years, and super cheerful. Not much to say about her; she's your typical romantic lead. I don't like how she kind of get's walked all over by most of the characters. She doesn't have much of a spine and she's a bit naive.
Yeah. This book is pretty good. Lot's of drama, very much like a soap opera. I'll probably read this book again in the future, and I suppose it's worth hunting down. It's a upper tier Sunfire book. Just don't expect too much.
July 3, 2017
I originally read this series back in the 80s, checking them out from my elementary school library. Having re-read them as an adult I think they stand the test of time and are still relevant as far as historical fiction is concerned.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews