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
Captive Dreams Window 