The Captured Bride: Daughters of the Mayflower - book 3

I am loving this series. Michelle Griep is one of my favorite authors. What a beautiful different way she uses her words. I whole heartedly give this book five stars. It has something for everyone. There is history, intrigue and excitement, adventure with twist and turns. Throw in a budding romance and you have The Captured Bride. Our main character and heroine is Mercy Lyntton. What a brave, strong, intelligent and beautiful women. Mercy is a scout with an usually keen eyesight. She was raised by the Mohawk's and is struggling between her two cultures. Her male counterpart is a condemned traitor, Elias Dubois. He is offered his freedom if he helps transfer a shipment of French gold across the war torn countryside to the fort. This was a story that kept me guessing until the end and left me wanting more. I received a copy of this book from Barbour Books Publishers through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Of the books I have read by this author so far, this is my favorite! Her talents are evident in this outstanding novel of action, adventure, intrigue, and romance, wrapped up and tied with a bow of gentle, yet strong, faith in the Lord. Third in the Mayflower Brides series, it continues with the history of America before it became the United States. This multi-author series can be read in order, or each novel as a standalone. Mercy Lytton, daughter of a Mohawk leader and a Christian woman kidnapped by another tribe, has a gift of sight, with regards to being able to focus on what might be a mile or two away. She has been a scout for Captain Matthew Prinn for a few short years as he seeks intel on the French and the Wyandot during the French and Indian War, 1759. This mission would see them from upper New York to Boston to deliver the gold that a French traitor, Elias Dubois, had stolen from the French. They were undercover, taking the gold, covered by household goods, in their wagons, joined by the son of a general. Mercy would act as Matthew’s daughter, and…Elias Dubois, acting as her husband. If done well, his life would be spared and his sentence reduced to prison time. It is hard to imagine what men and women in 1700’s America went through to travel. This little “family” crossed swollen rivers that could sweep a man away. Rockslides, mudslides, cold weather and being unable to build a fire so as not to attract enemies. Broken wagons and enemy attack. Only God could help them make this journey, and while Elias and Matthew are men of faith, Mercy sees believing in God as weakness. She respects Matthew’s faith as she does the man, but chooses to not share it. In this rugged, unforgiving land, one cannot live well without God, especially when one after another event happens, then the worst possible things occur. While Mercy wanted to be as tough, she wasn’t prepared for the Lord to work in heart. The characters are highly developed, so well that this reader could appreciate Matthew, Mercy, and Elias to the fullest. I understand Mercy’s cynicism and the struggle going on within her to turn to God. She is a strong woman physically, emotionally, and ethically, fit and able to do many things I could only dream of. Matthew is a Christian, and of an age where he is ready to settle down and give up the life of a ranger. Elias is a man of many secrets, secrets that would cost countless lives should they be shared. He also has a strong faith in the Lord, despite a very uncertain future. This is a complex adventure, yet easy to follow. The first chapter invited me to come in and sit a spell, not letting go until the final sentence. This drama includes some factual events and people, and brings to life how challenging the wilderness and the war was. There are plot twists that change the mission and the people; the trip was anticipated to take a hard two weeks but was much, much longer. One of the secrets Elias has is concealed in one of the crates of gold; in the wrong hands, it will be deadly. The absolute best part of this fabulous novel is what faith in the Lord looks like when walked out through a series of tragedies. This is a must-read novel for anyone who enjoys Christian historical fiction; I highly recommend it! I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

Already love this series and only three books in....