Several months ago, someone recommended Michelle Griep’s The Captive Heart and it was such a great story about colonial America, native relations and indentured servants. It resonated with me and reminded me of other great reads from the period. So when I got the opportunity to review The Captured Bride, I was looking forward to it. I’ve been hearing so much about the Daughters of the Mayflower series, and wanted to know what all the fuss was about – which if you don’t know, it’s a newly released series that follows a family through the generations as they experience different moments in American History, featuring several authors. The first book is The Mayflower Bride.

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?

Personally, this wasn’t my favorite book, and getting into it was very tough. Based on the way Elias was introduced, I expected something different to happen and I was hoping for more cute and bumbling moments where Elias and Mercy would have to “play the part” they’ve been assigned. Though, when they do, it was quite cute. Still, the story felt very formulaic and doesn’t pick up until about a quarter of the way through the book, and I felt rather confused about the characters for some time. Though this might be due to the fact that I haven’t read The Pirate Bride? But I was hoping that perhaps the books were semi stand-alone.

On the other hand, for being such an American History buff, I wasn’t very familiar with the French and Indian War before reading this. So I have learned a thing or two, which is always nice when reading Historical Fiction. Bonus Points.

For readers who enjoy books involving journeys, characters with questionable histories, and prose filled with flowery description, similes, and colonial American history, this might be a really great read for you. I’m looking forward to seeing how Kimberly Woodhouse picks up the next installment in the series with The Patriot Bride.

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 (coming August 2018)​
The Cumberland Bride by Shannon McNear – set 1794 on the Wilderness Road (coming October 2018)
The Liberty Bride by MaryLu Tyndall – set 1814 Baltimore (coming December 2018)

 I received a free copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own.