The Chisholm Trail Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo

TEXAS! The stars…big and bright! Oh, my. Be still my heart. Kathleen Y’Barbo writes about Texas in a way that makes me feel like I am back in my adopted home state.

The Chisholm Trail Bride introduces us to the main characters, who are all in their early teen years. There is Eliza Gentry, daughter of a prosperous cattleman; Wyatt Creed, son of a retired Texas Ranger, who is also an alcoholic; and Ben “Benjy” Barnhart, son of a Texas judge. The narrative begins as they are about to set out on the Chisholm Trail to deliver cattle to buyers in Kansas.

The trail ride brings joy and deep heartbreak along the way, and this ride becomes the three’s last trail ride. Ben, unlike Eliza and Wyatt, creates his own problems due to his selfish and wantonly cruel ways.

Years later, we find Eliza living in Louisiana with her mother. Life has not been the same for her since the trail ride, and it looks like it never will be.

Y’Barbo writes a mesmerizing and captivating tale, melding mystery, murder and kidnapping, along with love and forgiveness. Her portrayal of the trail leaves you wishing you were under the stars, too, etching the story in your memory. She draws such wonderful pictures of Texas, Louisiana and all the happenings between the two states that I was often left breathless. (I also never guessed the ending, which is something that almost never happens to me. It is stunning and surprising!)

The Author’s Note at the end is a do not miss portion of the novel, as there is a plethora of fascinating information about the Chisholm Trail.

I received this book from NetGalley. However, I was under no obligation to write a review.

#NetGalley #The ChisholmTrailBride #KathleenY’Barbo

Publisher’s Summary

A Series for Lovers of History, Adventure, Romance, and Ancestry

Barbour Publishing offers a series for fans of all things related to history, romance, adventure, faith, and family trees.
 

Stubborn Hearts Clash on a Cattle Drive

Eliza Gentry’s pursuit of marriage to the son of her family’s sworn enemy has cost her greatly. Furious at his daughter’s choices, her father sends her off with the cattle drive heading toward Fort Worth and the Barnhart ranch, but under the watchful eye of Wyatt Creed, a Pinkerton man he has hired to see to her safety. With danger at every turn—not the least of which to his heart—can Wyatt Creed keep his focus with Eliza Gentry around? Is the Chisholm Trail a place for falling in love or a place to die at the hands of cattle thieves?

Join the adventure as the Daughters of the Mayflower series continues with The Chisholm Trail Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo.

More in the Daughters of the Mayflower series:
The Mayflower Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse – set 1620 Atlantic Ocean (February 2018)
The Pirate Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo – set 1725 New Orleans (April 2018)
The Captured Bride by Michelle Griep – set 1760 during the French and Indian War (June 2018)
The Patriot Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse – set 1774 Philadelphia (August 2018)
The Cumberland Bride by Shannon McNear – set 1794 on the Wilderness Road (October 2018)
The Liberty Bride by MaryLu Tyndall – set 1814 Baltimore (December 2018)
The Alamo Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo – set 1836 Texas (February 2019)
The Golden Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse – set 1849 San Francisco (April 2019)
The Express Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse – set 1860 Utah (July 2019)
The Rebel Bride by Shannon McNear – set 1863 Tennessee (December 2019)
The Blizzard Bride by Susanne Dietze – set 1888 Nebraska (February 2020)

#NetGalley

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The Captured Bride: Daughters of the Mayflower – Book 3 by Michelle Griep

My Review

I so enjoy historical fiction, and Michelle Griep’s book, The Captured Bride, captured my attention and didn’t let go!

Mercy Lytton is a scout and tracker for the government when she is tasked with ensuring she gets a traitor, Elias DuBois, to a nearby fort. Against her better judgment, she agrees to pose as his wife.

As I read the story, I was so engrossed in it, I didn’t even realize I had read through the night (granted I didn’t start until a little after midnight, but still…!)!!

As Matthew, a ranger and fellow scout, and Mercy set out on the journey to deliver Elias, I became completely engrossed in the setting. The journey, fraught with peril, left me breathless at times, and calmer at other times.

Many times, as Mercy sets out on her scouting expeditions, I could feel the ground beneath her feet, the wind stirring the tree limbs and the birds calling to each other as she listened intently in order to separate normal sounds from those made by man.

Exhilarating, alacrifying and at times breath-taking, The Captured Bride, is a must-read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction!

The Captured Bride is the third book in the Daughters of the Mayflower. However, it stands-alone as I didn’t even realize it was a sequel until I was writing the review.

The story also captured my imagination because I have Native American heritage, and cousins with the last name of DuBois.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

***********************Caution*********************

There are some scenes of violence.

Publisher’s Review

Mercy Lytton, a scout with keen eyesight raised among the Mohawks, and Elias Dubois, a condemned traitor working both sides of the conflict, must join together to get a shipment of gold safely into British hands.
A brand new series for fans of all things related to history, romance, adventure, faith, and family trees. 

A War-Torn Countryside Is No Place for a Lady
Mercy Lytton is a lady like none other. Raised amongst the Mohawks, she straddles two cultures, yet each are united in one cause. . .to defeat the French. Born with a rare gift of unusually keen eyesight, she is chosen as a scout to accompany a team of men on a dangerous mission. Yet it is not her life that is threatened. It is her heart.  Condemned as a traitor, Elias Dubois faces the gallows. At the last minute, he is offered his freedom if he consents to accompany a stolen shipment of French gold to a nearby fort—but he is the one they stole it from in the first place. It turns out that the real thief is the beguiling woman, Mercy Lytton, for she steals his every waking thought.   Can love survive divided loyalties in a backcountry wilderness?