Oh my stars! I was so happy to revisit Green Gables and see what life was like before Anne got there. All the characters from the story were introduced and their backgrounds revealed, including of course the most prominent, Marilla, because without her there would be no Anne. Rachel and Thomas and William and Matthew were all introduced and my favorite-Gilbert Blythe!
There was a lot of sadness in this story which would probably be a trigger for some people, but it really did a good job of building up the storylines that lead to the famous books. I especially liked that it helped to explain why Marilla was always so cold and unsupportive if you’re a fan of the books or the show, you’ll enjoy this. I’ll definitely be purchasing this to add to my collection.

Thanks to Nimbus Publishing and Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for my review.

I received an advance copy of, Marilla Before Anne, by Louise Michalos. I really liked this story, it was great to be in Marilla and Matthew's world again. I love Avonlea and Anne of Green Gables.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. I remember watching Anne of Green Gables many years ago. This book is about Marilla when she was eighteen. Marilla who gad endured many things when she became an adult. The decisions she made, led to many challenges. I enjoyed this book.

🌸Marilla Before Anne🌸
Author: Louise Michalos
To be Published: May 24, 2021

I was gifted this copy from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Do you love Anne Shirley of Green Gables? Then you probably have a soft spot for one Marilla Cuthbert. For me, she is a profound but subtle character that grew on me without me realizing it.
When I had the chance to read a book about Marilla as a girl, to find out the reasons she became who she was when they got Anne, I couldn't pass it up.
And what a book it was! Reading this book allowed me to experience Marilla beginning at 18 up until the time she first meets Anne. Her loves, passions, heartaches, growing pains, and regrets touched me deeply. Such a full-bodied book about loss and hope and family.
I was so sad when it ended that I think it might be time for me to return to Green Gables soon.

Also! This book releases soon! If you are an Anne enthusiast, just want to know more, or are a sucker for a back story, pick up a copy! You'll be glad you did.

This is an adult fiction book with some scenes not suitable for children/young adults. This exquisite, heartbreaking work of historical fiction takes readers on a journey back in time, to the Green Gables where Marilla Cuthbert lived, loved, and learned, long before Anne. A fantastic read one which I enjoyed more than I expected! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book, would of preferred a download copy for the kindle however.

The characterisation of Marilla in Marilla Before Anne doesn't quite line up with the character in Anne of Green Gables, but the story was intriguing. Marilla has always been one of my favorite characters, and it was interesting to have a glimpse of her early life. This may not be for purists, but as a seperate story, I definitely recommend it.

Anne of Green Gables is one of my favorite books and to be able to revisit this world is just beautiful. I really appreciated how the author stuck to the universe and was true to LM Montgomery's work. I fell in love all over again.

I don’t know how I can write a review that could truly express how much I loved this book. I can’t thank Nimbus Publishing and NetGalley enough for allowing me to read this ARC.

I have always been an avid reader and growing up in a small village with no extra income the majority of books I read were borrowed from the library at our small school. That meant rereading a book if I liked it. I have read the entire series of Anne of Green Gables several times and they always made me laugh out loud, cry and feel like anything was possible. Marilla Before Anne has left me with the exact same feelings.

I was so moved by this book and knowing Marilla and Matthew, I felt like I was reuniting with old friends. The author did an amazing job of creating a believable and truly heartbreaking yet heartwarming back story for Marilla. Everything that happened in this book was totally in line with the character that we came to love in the Anne series. It gave me a story that does not alter the Anne books in any way and in fact is a perfect accompaniment to the series. The author did justice to each of the characters and I like that Gilbert was even mentioned, in passing.

I was nervous to read this book as I didn’t think anyone besides Lucy Maude Montgomery could rightly do justice to these characters but I believe that Louise Michalos has done a wonderful job of creating her version of Marilla’s life. For a day, as I read this nonstop, I was reunited with some of the characters that filled my mind for hours on end as a child.

This is very well written and I hope to be able to finish it .... however, the Marilla I met in the first chapter was not the Marilla I thought I was going to meet. I’m going to have to prepare myself to have all preconceived notions of who Marilla is as a character, flipped on their head.

For lovers of Anne of Green Gables you will no doubt need to read this book to find out what could have made Marilla the character that she is in LM Montgomery's beloved books. In my head I thought I could predict what might have happened in her early life but I was wrong. Even though this clearly isn't the work of Montgomery I thought it was a real success and would encourage the many Anne fans out there to give it a try, you won't regret it!!!

I was given an ARC of Marilla for an honest review.

If you loved Anne of Green Gables, you will love this book, which gives you the chance to read about Marilla in her younger years. It was an awesome book! You can travel with Marilla and her loves, heartaches, regrets and much more. This book will make you want to read Anne of Green Gables again since you now understand more of what made Marilla the way she is.

As someone who loves the Anne of Green Gables series, this book was very enjoyable in that it gave a look at what made Marilla the person she was and how the events in her life shaped her and led to her later attitudes. It is such a good book!!!