My imagination and my heart were captured and swept out to sea on a Pirate (cough, clears throat, errr) Privateer ship! I enjoyed the action and the drama in the story. I was a greedy book dragon devouring every word! These fantastic characters will take captive of your heart.

In the beginning, I felt sad for Maribel, orphaned at a young age. Yet I cheered for her as she quickly rose above the devastation and we got to see her fiery personality and spunk. She is such an endearing character and one that will stay with you long after you finish the story.

Jean-Luc is a strong and dashing hero. Watch out ladies, he may just abscond with your heart!

This delightful, fast-paced story is sure to entertain and delight. I highly recommend you find a copy of this energetic 5-star adventure to enjoy for yourself as soon as you are able.

(I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own.)

This is the second book in this series, however, the only thing really connecting the two is the family tree, so you could pick this one up and not be lost at all.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was so good. I was surprised how long we were with Maribel as a child and not an adult, pretty much half of the book was her very young. But I understood why the more I read. It really established the relationship between Jean and Maribel.

That being said, I couldn’t wait for them to meet again when she was an adult and it did not disappoint.

This was a quick read for me because it was so engaging.

I can’t wait to read the next book (all books are by different authors).


A copy of this book was given to me through Netgalley.com. All opinions are my own.

Such a fabulous read!! It truly is an adventure story - orphans lost at sea, pirates, mistaken identities, smugglers! This is such a rich setting in the Caribbean and New Orleans, and the characters are well-developed over the course of the story. The story takes place over an 11-year time span, but the plot never lags. I loved that there's a touch of romance to the story, but it's not the focus.
Without spoiling the plot, I was sucked in completely through the cases of mistaken identity and "ships passing in the night", quite literally. My heart went right out to the characters just begging and hoping they would find one another.
I would also like to thank the author for characters of faith. The characters rely on God and their faith is a significant guiding force in their decisions. This is such a fantastic story. I'm really enjoying seeing that the books in this series are written by different authors, but with some common characters and themes. Each of them bring their own style to the characters, creating an intriguing series. Looking forward to reading more!

From the moment I started the story I was swept back in time in the early 1700s where we find pirates and privateering going on. I loved the swashbuckling scenes and felt myself on the ship as it swayed back and forth. What would you do if you found yourself on a ship that was being overtaken? I know I would be fighting for my life or maybe hiding so no one could find me.

Maribel is everything I wanted to be as a child. She is very brave and knows exactly what she wants. It doesn’t matter that girls are not allowed on ships. So what if everyone thinks girls are back luck . Maribel wants to sail the seas and be a pirate. Those sound like wonderful dreams but unfortunately things turn out differently for her. When the ship she is on is attacked, she finds herself suddenly in the brisk water trying to survive. Will the captain save her before she drifts off too far from the ship? Her last thoughts before everything becomes dark is where is Captain Jean-Luc and his men? Why are they allowing her to be lost at sea?

As the story moves forward we are reacquainted with Maribel who has lived at a convent for many years. She has snippets of her past surface and still remembers being on a ship. Jean-Luc is a distant memory but something is about to change in her life. I loved Jean-Luc and his bravery. He was a fierce person to be reckoned with. What will happen when he sees Maribel after all those years she was left behind swimming for her life? The adventure and history is epic as the story is filled with danger, secrets and a bit of romance. The author really had me on the edge of my seat as Maribel and Jean-Luc see each other after so many years. I know I would be little upset to see the person who left me in the deep sea and never looked back. Can Maribel and Jean-Luc work things out? What secrets have Jean-Luc been hiding all these years? I can't wait to read more books from this series. Don't miss the captivating historical facts the author includes at the end of the book.

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

The Pirate Bride is the second book in The Daughters of the Mayflower series. Each book in this series, which tells the story of Mary Chapman, William Lytton and some that number among their descendants, is written by a different author. This story recounts the adventures of Maribel Cardoba, Mary and William Lytton’s great granddaughter. Maribel’s mother left the Colonies and her family to marry Spaniard, Antonio Cordoba. She soon realized that Cordoba was not a man of integrity, but fortunately his father was because she needed his support once Antonio kidnapped their daughter only to lose her at sea. Maribel, always one to romanticize adventure was thrilled to end up as an unlikely crew member about a privateer’s ship until she was once again lost at sea.
Those of us who are avid readers will feel a kinship with Maribel whose favorite pastime is to get lost in a book in out of the way places. This book is one that will make one want to do just that. Maribel’s forthright nature makes her all the more endearing as does her ability to cheerfully adapt to her circumstances. Her refreshing honesty and spirit are not lost on the crew of the privateer’s ship or on its captain, resulting in relationships that stand the test of time and of hard times.
Y’Barbo did a wonderful job of developing her characters, and of whisking her readers into the various settings within this story. My only concern was that the ending felt a bit rushed, as if Y’Barbo had spent a great deal of time developing her plot and all of a sudden realized she was running out of pages. That said, I would still recommend this well-researched book to friends and family who love historical fiction and quirky characters. I thank NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for providing me with a copy of The Pirate Bride in exchange for an honest review. I received no monetary compensation.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was an exciting adventure that was hard to put down. I found Maribel to be a delightful character, and I loved reading her story. The reason that I did not give the book five stars was that I felt the end wrapped up a bit too quickly and easily. I wish a few parts had been fleshed out a bit more. Overall, this was a fun read, and I look forward to reading more in this series.

In the second book of the Daughters of the Mayflower series, readers are taken back to the sea. This time in the waters of the Caribbean with threats of pirates and privateers to travelers.

Eleven-year-old Maribel Cordoba is fearless when it comes to experiences on the water even though all of her knowledge has come from books. When she joins up with Captain Beaumont’s privateers, her favorite place on the ship is up high as the lookout. The precocious girl charms the crew and eventually wins over the captain.

Kathleen Y’Barbo’s The Pirate Bride is a bit different from many historical romance reads out there in the fact that the hero and heroine are separated for much of the book. The romance portion is minimal up until the last quarter of the book.

Don’t let that deter you from reading this one, though. Maribel is a girl you are immediately drawn to and as she becomes a young woman, that doesn’t change. The Captain’s air of mystery, as well as his uncertainty regarding one former member of his crew who was lost to him, will keep you reading these pages.

Y’Barbo’s portray of life on the high seas, on a Caribbean island home to children and the nuns who care for them and the fledgling city of New Orleans are descriptive and picturesque.

The Pirate Bride raises the bar set with The Mayflower Bride.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Sweet Christian Adventure… Maribel Cordoba is an independent resourceful 12 year girl, who is not afraid to speak her mind. Maribel loves to read and believes that she know everything there is to know about pirates. When the ship that she is traveling on is captured by privateers, she wants to join the crew. After some initial resistance, her job is to man the crow's nest looking for ships. The privateer ship is run by Captain Beaumont, who splits the loot fairly with the French Crown and the crew. Maribel is held in high affection by both the Captain and the crew. Due to misfortune, Maribel is separated from the ship and ends in an Orphanage. Eleven years later, Maribel has grown into a beautiful, unconventional and strong woman that can take care of herself. Her life reflects scenes from the adventure book that she loves to read. I loved Maribel and this book and plan on reading more of the series. This book was given to me by Barbour Books through Net Gallery. This is my honest and voluntarily given review.

Do you like adventures sailing the high seas?  Especially ships captained by pirates, lonely island thrown in, then this book is for you. The Pirate Bride will capture your attention from the first page and will keep you turning them.  Our first glimpse in this exciting book is through the eyes of a precocious, wise-beyond-her-years  twelve year old. We also get to see a very young New Orleans and some of the wealthy elites of the era. Ships captured, slave trading and so much adventure in this thrilling novel and even romance to keep you reading.  I was gifted this book by the publisher and was happy to leave a review.

Wonderful, wonderful story! So exciting and interesting! So much so I kept looking at the progress of the book, expecting to be near the end as so much had happened and only being 25% or 50% done, then being very disappointed when suddenly it was finished! Then I still wanted more! I got so attached to the characters and I must say am disappointed with romance novels that they usually end when things finally work out. I always want to see more of the romance between them and how their life ends up... but that would be far too long of a book I guess. Read the book in less than 24hours! Great morals and depth of characters. Highly recommend :) Just realized I started out with book two in the series and can't wait to read the other two books!

Swashbuckling pirate adventures aplenty, endearing characters, plot twists, and faith. A keeper!

Maribel Cordoba loves to read... especially a certain book about pirates. When her much-absent father spirits her away on the sea, they are discovered by none other than the Ghost Ship. So the thrilling times begin.

I just loved this book about a forbidden love. Maribel is such a sweet tomboy, fiercely independent, and determined to prove she can hold her own.

Conflicting times cause confusion in roles, self-identity, and safety. With twists and turns like the rolling sea, I wasn’t ever sure exactly on which shore many of the characters would land...literally and figuratively.

Notes are reserved for the end of the book, thank you. Highly recommended imagination of history. I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. No positive review is required and all opinions expressed are solely my own responsibility.

I wasn't aware this was a Christian book when I requested it. It was okay, but not my genre of preference (I'm Jewish). If you're looking for a sweet romance and a fun tale, I'd check it out.

I had fun reading this grand adventure story. It’s a sparkling, swashbuckling tale of ships, pirates, rescues, and romance. The heroes were brave and noble; the villain was cunning and dastardly; and the heroine was feisty and wise. What more could you want in an adventure story? To make it even better, this is a sweet, clean Christian fiction book with no bad language or embarrassing scenes to spoil the story.

Although all the characters in the book were great, it’s the character of Maribel Córdoba that gives this book its energy. The storyline follows Maribel from the age of 11 to 22. It’s great fun following Maribel as she grows up to solve the mystery of who she really is and finding her happily-ever-after. There are unexpected twists and turns in the storyline to keep your interest to the end of the story.

My only drawback to this book is that I wish it could have been a full length 300+ page novel and filled in a little more of Maribel’s childhood and the happenings with the family in New Orleans.

This book is the second book in a series. You will not have had to read the first book as there’s only a couple of brief references to the first book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review. This is my honest opinion of the book.

This book captured me right from the beginning. I liked the characters and the time line was great. I enjoyed following Maribel through her life. That was very interesting. I liked the setting in New Orleans.
I would definitely recommend this book.

This book is a wonderful read. It has adventure, danger, and love. Maribel's father takes her away from her life with her mother and grandfather. He is not a good man and doesn't care who he hurts just to have what he wants. She is an avid reader and is interested in the sea and pirates. She meets a young man on the ship and teaches him to read. They become friends during this voyage. Their ship is attacked by pirateers not to be confused with pirates. This is where she meets her Captain. He lets her stay on boat with her young friend. They have several journeys until they are taken over themselves. During this Maribel is lost in the water with several people searching . After being found she is taken to an orphanage where she lives and grows up. She is found by her family and taken home. After several events realizes who her captain is. Loved this read.

The Pirate Bride, Kathleen Y'Barbo ***/5

Another light, fun read.
I enjoy pirate/privateer stories so this was a fun dip into that genre. Ms Y'Barbo skims very lightly along anything historical so if you know anything about this period of time don't expect to learn anything, but if you don't its a fun introduction

I gave 3/5 stars because it felt like it started as a longer book, was too long for quota and entire scenes were yanked and no bridge made to smooth the transition.

Would I read it again? Sure. Would I hand a copy to you to read? Sure!
Do I highly recommend it? Unfortunately no. But I would be interested in reading the expanded edition after ms Y'Barbo has a new editor.

I was honored to receive a e copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wasn't for me. The premise seemed hard to believe and the characters didn't intrigue me. I kept getting confused about characters and the timeline of events before eventually giving up. One thing it seemed to have going for it was it didn't seem to be following my expectations.

The Pirate Bride by Kathleen Y'Barbo is second in the Daughters of the Mayflower series. It appears the tie-in to the historical novels of the series is that the characters in each book are from the same family tree and the books are standalone stories written by different authors. And this author writes a great pirate story set in the Caribbean Sea and Louisiana during the early 1700s! There is action, intrigue, and romance enough to keep the pages turning quickly. Not wanting to put the book down, I pretty much read the book in one day. Maribel and Jean-Luc meet when she is just a preteen girl, feisty with a bit of an attitude and enamored with pirate stories. And oh, the adventures they go on, both together and separately. When they meet again years later, the sparks still fly. These two main characters and others as well have depth and reality, and their emotions, strengths, and foibles resonate well with readers. The historical background of The Pirate Bride is a great story in and of itself and seeing it through these fictional characters is fantastic. Y'Barbo does a good job of bringing this era to life with scenes that I felt as if I was right there in the midst of the action. I loved this story and am looking forward to the rest of the books in this series. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions are my own.

Like her great-grandmother who journeyed to America aboard the Mayflower, twelve-year-old Maribel Cordoba leaves her Spanish home to travel with her father to Havana. This is the most time she has spent in his company, for he rarely had time for her until he announces that her beloved mother and grandfather are dead. But even at sea he often ignores her. Her only solace is her friend, cabin boy and lookout William Spencer, and her cherished book that recounts the exploits of real pirates like Anne Bonny and Blackbeard.

Maribel loves to climb aloft to read or to join William in searching for other vessels. When sails are sighted, he thinks it might be the Ghost Ship whose captain and crew materialize out of thin air to attack Spanish vessels. They take no prisoners, leave no witnesses. Then they vanish. Still, Maribel hopes to finally meet a pirate. William vows to join the Frenchmen, if they’ll let him. Although she scoffs at the idea that the strange ship is a ghost, she decides to join too.

Captain Jean Beaumont takes pride in the legends surrounding him and his men, even if they’re not all true. At twenty-five he holds a privateering license from King Louis XV and even though they attack France’s enemy, Jean never takes his share from the captured prizes. On this particular voyage, he seeks a particular Spanish vessel – the one that carries Cuba’s new Consul General, Antonio Cordoba. The last time their paths crossed twenty years ago, Jean barely survived after Cordoba ordered the captured ship sunk with all hands and passengers on board.

Falling debris knocks Mirabel unconscious during the battle between the two enemy vessels. When Jean boards, he ignores the colorful lump on the deck. He seeks only one outcome – vengeance for the deaths of his mother and baby brother. But his second in command, Isaac Bennett, attempts to dissuade Jean because revenge belongs to the Lord. With Jean’s attention momentarily averted, Cordoba fires a hidden pistol and the bullet strikes Israel. Enraged, Jean attacks his nemesis and the two men fall overboard. Cordoba sinks into the depths of the ocean.

Only after Jean returns to his ship does he discover that his crew has brought aboard the wounded Mirabel. Children, especially females, are forbidden, but he has never harmed an innocent and doesn’t intend to do so now. He would ransom her, but since she claims her family is dead, he’s left with the question of what to do with her. Mirabel, of course, has the perfect solution. She knows all about pirates, so she should join his crew. Following orders, however, is not her strong suit, which lands her in the brig after kicking Jean. He soon discovers that this brazen girl has wormed her way into the stalwart hearts of ne and his men and, before long, is one of the crew – a temporary inconvenience only.

Contrary to what her father told Mirabel, her mother and grandfather still live. When her grandfather discovers his granddaughter is gone, he vows to find her no matter how long or how much money it requires. On learning that his son is dead and that French privateers have taken Mirabel, he wields the full power of his influence within French circles to have Louis XV declare Jean Beaumont and his men pirates.

Still at sea, Jean remains ignorant that he is now considered an outlaw and that French and Spanish warships hunt the Ghost Ship. They attack another vessel and during this engagement, Mirabel is swept into the sea. Only later is it discovered that she is missing. After an exhausting day of searching for her, Jean retires to his cabin while Israel and his longboat continue the hunt. He eventually finds an unconscious Mirabel, but can’t return to the ship because it’s under attack. The warship is the victor, and they imprison the pirates and take the Ghost Ship with them to New Orleans. With nowhere else to go, Israel sails to an island so the nuns there can nurse and raise Mirabel. In the years that follow, Mother Superior tells her that she only dreams about pirates, but Mirabel knows they are really memories. One day she hopes to reunite with the handsome pirate captain and her pirate friends.

The Pirate Bride is the latest installment in the Daughters of the Mayflower series and takes place in two parts. The first recounts Mirabel’s sea adventures, while the second half takes place eleven years later after she grows up and reunites with her family. Part one, which sets the stage for the romance and underlying mysteries that unfold in part two, interweaves adventure with humor and heartache, and includes several unexpected twists. The characters capture our hearts, much like Mirabel manages to do with the privateers, and transport us back to 1724. The subsequent half of the story provides an intriguing study of how someone raised on an isolated island reenters a world governed by strict rules, proper etiquette, and specific social orders. There are times when the reader feels almost as left out as Maribel did when she left Spain. Her reunion with her family isn’t fully explored. We never get a sense that she’s really in danger and the mysteries are too easily solved. Employing the slave trade and its ties to piracy as a means of bringing Jean and Maribel together again is historically accurate and a refreshing theme from usual romances of this type, but the subplots of the second half are told more than shown, which prevents readers from becoming fully involved. As an inspirational romance, The Pirate Bride is a pleasing tale into which the religious aspect is subtly knitted. The author’s note provides a good summary of the political relations between France and Spain during this time period, which helps explain how a privateer could be deemed a pirate even if he never violates the law.

What I loved: I loved the high seas adventure aspect of this book. I grew up loving books like Treasure Island, Three Musketeers and the such, so there were parts of this book that threw me back to my childhood and I relished the danger and adventure. 

Favorite Character: Israel, the African man rescued from a slave trade vessel. He was a strong Christian figure and full of wisdom. He cared for both Jean and Maribel to a high degree and his loyalty was like no other. 

Further Thoughts: While this book is a romance it doesn't really have a ton of romance in the traditional sense. Half of the book occurs when Maribel is twelve and the rest when she is an adult. Their shared history made the spark happen very quickly, but it still didn't feel fully romantic.

Who would like this:  Anyone who loves adventure with a touch of romance. 

Rating and Why: I gave this a four-star rating because while I did really enjoy the story, it was not really a mystery like the blurb tends to make you think and the romance aspect was cute but not fully developed as they entered the adult stage. 

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher/author. I was in no way required to leave a review, and the above review is my sole, honest opinions.