Could not get into this one, I am sure people who love historical fiction will enjoy it, not my cup of tea.

This is the second book I have read in this series, and I enjoyed both of them! This story mostly takes place on the high seas, and involves a lot of twists and turns in the plot Through no fault of her own, Maribel Cordoba ends up on a ship when she is still a teen-ager. That is the first time she meets the Captain, Jean-Luc Valmont. Through a series of events, she ends up in a convent and is raised by the nuns. Years later (when she is all grown up) she meets her Captain again and the romance begins. I enjoyed this book and plan to read more in this series!.

I love reading about stories about the Mayflower.. this book was interesting.

What a fun “pirate” book—set in 1725 New Orleans. I found the dialog humorous and was constantly rooting for Maribel and Jean-Luc to “find” each other. When to book ends, you’ll still be wishing for more.

Not my usual type of read but this was fast and fun. Purists should know that Maribel presents as a much more modern woman than one of her era but that was ok with me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

A dauntless redhead, pirates, a fearless captain, high seas and a mystery.  "The Pirate Bride" by Kathleen Y'Barbo has all the elements to captivate readers. It's the second book in "The Daughters of the Mayflower" series featuring the great-granddaughter of Mary Elizabeth Chapman, whom we met in the first book, "The Mayflower Bride" by Kimberley Woodhouse.

Maribel Cordoba, the daughter of a Spanish ship captain, is captured and taken aboard a French ship.  She knows all about being a privateer, but has two things against her.  She is a girl and she is only twelve, nearly thirteen.  She and her

fellow captive, thirteen year old William Spencer, both make good cases as to why they are needed onboard, but French Captain Jean-Luc doesn't agree. Bantering continues throughout this book and I found the dialogues as charming as the story itself.

There is so much to like about "The Pirate Bride".  The characters are diverse with interesting personalities and the relationships among them are unexpected. The storyline is exciting and moves quickly, making it a book I couldn't put down. There were twists and turns that intensified the mystery, and the settings (some, of which, are the ships) are describe in such a way that I could easily imagine the swaying and the breeze. This is a very clean book with faith content relevant to the story and without being preachy.

There were a few scenes that I wished had lasted longer only because I enjoyed  how the characters interacted. They seemed like my friends and I wanted to see what  choices they made and how it would affect their lives.

I would easily recommend this book to ages thirteen and older and would especially recommend it to those who enjoy high sea adventures.

Note:  I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Personal Rating: 4.52              Star Rating: 

Title: "The Pirate Bride"
Author: Kathleen Y'Barbo
Publisher: Barbour Publishing
Published: April 1, 2018
Series: "The Daughters of the Mayflower"

I really wanted to like this book. I adore M.L. Tyndall's Christian pirate and seafaring adventures. Unfortunately this book just felt bland to me. I had a hard time with the age difference between the main characters, it just felt weird to me. For the majority of the book the main character was a child, and her know-it-all attitude got on my nerves, it did not come across as wit or spunk to me. I could not care for her. The love interest seamed incredibly rushed and left me asking "why". Soooooo that being said I love the settings and history that was included in the story. I was disappointed.
So I am giving this book a three star rating because it was okay, but not for me.

Book Review

“The Pirate Bride” is the second novel to release in a new, multi-author series – The Daughters of the Mayflower – being published by Barbour Publishing. Release date is April 1, 2018. For me, the main female character, Maribel Cordoba, is a mixture of the plucky, inquisitive Anne from Anne of Green Gables and the more determined, [and let’s face it, pirate-fixated] Elizabeth Swan from Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean series. I happen to love both of those story-lines, so Maribel was rather a fun character.

This book is very clean, and is not at all preachy. For these reasons I believe both a Young Adult reader and the average Christian fiction reader would enjoy it. I also believe it is aimed at a female reader more than at a male reader. Though there is some high-seas drama involving cannon ball fire etc. the motivation to follow the story through until the end is primarily via the point of view of the female lead. And … as the title’s inclusion of the word ‘bride’ gives away – it is a bit of a romance. Not that there isn’t any adventure too …

I’m rating this one 4 out of 5 anchors.

Cover Review

The trend of the closely cropped main character filling the cover space has grown on me. I used to be a little bothered by it to be completely honest. After much examination I think it’s tied closely to the fact that I’m of a certain age … and cutting off people’s heads in photos was a big no-no when cameras still required the use of film. [And my ten-year-old just wandered into the room and asked me why they were showing the lady’s back? ha ha] But it’s 2018 … and now that this trend has been around a few years to grow on me I find this style to be artistically expressive.

I am free to picture the rest of the character on the cover – much the same as I do the other characters when I’m reading the novel itself. The beautiful blue color of her dress against the elegant white lace, and white text is both eye-catching and effective. I would be drawn to this novel if I spotted it on the shelf or saw it for sale in my favorite online store. The only negative I still harbor is that without the text I would have no idea it involved pirates. I feel like there is room in the skyline for at least the faintest hint of a ship’s mast on the horizon? It could be extremely subtle, but right now … on first glance, I only know it’s a historical due to the style of the dress.

I’m rating this cover 4.5 anchors out of 5.

Please note: I received this title from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Pirate Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo had a very good plot. Unfortunately there was not a lot of development. There was very little transition to various points in the story. I was left wanting so much more. I really did like the storyline but it could have been so much better. Thank you Net Galley for this advance copy.

I liked The Pirate Bride much better than I liked the first book in this series, The Mayflower Bride. Maybe it's because I'm less familiar with this time period/region; maybe it's because there was more action.
The blurb for The Pirate Bride is a bit misleading. There is a lot that happens before the events described take place. The first half of the novel tells the story of Maribel, a twelve year-old Spanish girl who is traveling with her father when their ship is boarded by French privateers. The second half occurs eleven years later in New Orleans.
The pace, although not at all slow in the first half, really sped up in the second half. Towards the end, it felt a bit rushed.
I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!

The dialog is overwrought, there is too much telling instead of showing and the opening three chapters had me confused and repeatedly flipping back to try to see where I'd missed information.

The Lytton family saga continues with the great-granddaughter of the original couple to come over on the Mayflower. I found The Pirate Bride more enjoyable that the first book in the series, The Mayflower Bride. In the Pirate Bride we meet Maribel Cordoba & Capitan Jean Beaumont. Who are thrown together and separated by acts beyond their control. Each of them deal with their own life and death situations and a sacrifice is made to save Jean. They are thrown into dangerous and complicated situations that you as the reader believe are settled but surprises arise in their lives as family secrets come to light and the people who are thought dead but are not including Maribel and Jean. Secrets are kept to protect both Maribel and Jean and their families only to be revealed when the circumstances bring them back together. Between the alleged death of Maribel's family and her reunion with her Capitan enough time has elapsed for her to grow into a young woman. In the meantime Jean has loved and lost and continued with his life under his real name. Maribel is reunited with her family which brings her into Jean-Luc's life once again. Both are stunned that the other lives and begin to work together to bring an old enemy to justice even though he has a family connection. A misunderstanding threatens the happiness of Maribel and Jean. Kathleen Y'Barbo weaves a story of intrigue, love and separation and reunions, and all in God's intended time line.

Enjoyed this clean, historic adventure! This is history and fiction very well done. It's about a love that began on the high sea, she was a child, he was a grown man. As fate would have it they were separated for 11 years, met again and she no longer a child. Pirates, Privateers, New Orleans, the French and the Spanish. Loved it all, and the fact that God was a part of it made it even better. A must read and keeper!

Such a fun book. I loved the young Maribel dedicated to becoming a pirate and her love of reading books in trees. Adventure on the high seas is a dream of many young boys, but seldom of the girls. Maribel’s love of her pirate book was quite endearing to me as an ex-tree climbing reader.
The story unfolds in such a carefully planned plot to drag the reader into the admiration that Maribel carries for “her captain” Even the ending was quite a surprise. I won’t spoil this delightful read by giving away too much of the plot. Please don’t miss this one.

I also really enjoyed the authors note at the end of the book about some of the historical background of the book she authored. I rarely read those so congratulations on holding my interest there as well.

You will quickly be drawn into this exciting and mysterious story full of secrets. Take a journey with Maribel and her captain to find adventure, romance, danger, and secrets revealed at last.

The Pirate Bride was the second book in the Daughters of the Mayflower series. The story is set in 1725 New Orleans and covers piracy and the tensions between the French and the Spanish. Maribel Cordoba is an 11 year old girl on board her father's Spanish ship when the ship is seized by a French privateer vessel. Maribel befriends the young captain, and enjoys the sailing life until she is washed overboard in a storm. She ends up being taken in by a covent orphanage believing her family is gone. Years pass, Maribel receives a letter revealing that her mother and grandfather have been looking for her, and she journeys to New Orleans to be reunited with her family. In New Orleans, her path crosses again with the mysterious French captain of her past, and she learns of his double identity. Read The Pirate Bride for a tale of adventure, mystery, and love!

This is the kind of book, that I call a treat. Well, romance is always a snack- and if it's got shifters, then it's a delightful snack, but this was indeed a guilty and fun pleasure!
You've got pirates, sorry...I mean privateers, and a young girl called Mirabel with green eyes and red curls and a whole lot of spunk! If you're looking to delve into some historical fiction that has witty characters who surprise you when they make a turn in their lives, then this would be a great story to snack on. There's also the author's way of touching on the rivalry between the French and the Spanish and slave trade that's cleverly woven into the tale. Thank you NetGalley for the eARC.

The Pirate Bride was a wonderful and delightful read. Join Jean-Luc and Maribel on the adventure of a lifetime. Their journey together and apart is filled with excitement, growth, and romance. This’ was my first book by Kathleen Y’Bardo but not the last.
I received this book as ARC from netgalley , however the review is my honest opinion of the book. ( Which I throughly enjoyed and would highly recommend!

Maribel Cordoba is the daughter of a Spanish ship captain named Antonio Cordoba. When their ship is taken over by Captain Jean Beaumont and his men, Maribel (Red) instantly annoys the captain with her insubordination and chatter about pirating which she says she learned from the book The Notorious Seafaring Pyrates and Their Exploits by Captain Ulysses Jones. He informs her that he is a privateer not a pirate, and it’s different because he is working under the authority of the French king. Yet while the young girl irritates the captain, he also develops a soft spot for her. When tragedy strikes the ship and Maribel is thrown overboard, Captain Beaumont and his men search for her until they are attacked and the captain himself is injured and (thanks to a lie by one of his crewmen), is returned to his family.

A few of his men are able to rescue Maribel and she is sent to a convent orphanage to be raised. They vow not to inform their captain that she has survived in order to protect their lives due to a bounty out for the captain’s life. However eleven years later after she receives a surprising letter, Maribel is off to New Orleans to be reunited with family she believed to be lost. Shortly after she arrives she learns of devastating money issues with her family and she goes off in hopes to fix it herself. While attempting to see if she can do anything to help, she discovers Captain Beaumont (real name Jean-Luc Valmont). The dynamic they had before remains, except now Maribel is a grown woman and Jean-Luc finds himself desiring her. Can they solve her family’s money problems before it’s too late?

I’m a bit torn with how I feel about this book. I honestly feel if it were lengthened a bit some of the holes could be filled in more. I thoroughly enjoyed the first part of the book, but I felt that the second part was lacking. When Maribel and Jean-Luc are reunited it’s as if they are instantly engaged without any romantic pursuing or understanding of how their relationship exists as it does. The last time Jean-Luc saw Maribel she was only 12, so a different type of relationship should have formed between them instead of “wow you’re alive I missed you! We have a problem to fix, let’s do it, and oh by the way will you marry me?” I can honestly say the romance was clean but really only because there wasn’t any. I feel like more attention should have been given to them forming a bond instead of instantly deciding to wed. With exception to the romance piece however, I enjoyed the rest of the story.

Since I don’t believe I have come across this before, I feel it is important to note that each of the books in this series (Daughters of the Mayflower), is written by a different author. So while this is second book in the series, it’s the first by this author. Although new to me, I think it can be a good experience to see how multiple authors are able to work together and have their creative differences come together to form a single series.

*I received a complimentary advanced copy for an honest review from NetGalley and the publisher. Opinions expressed in this review are mine only.

*At the time of this posting this book has not yet been released. The expected release date is currently April 1, 2018.

The Pirate Bride, by Kathleen Y'Barbo - Daughters of the Mayflower, book 2








The Pirate Bride
The Daughters of the Mayflower - book 2
Kathleen Y'Barbo
www.kathleenybarbo.com


256 pages
Barbour Publishing
Coming April 1, 2018









Can a former privateer and a determined heiress find lost treasure in 1725?
A brand new series for fans of all things related to history, romance, adventure, faith, and family trees.

Pasts Collide in New Orleans when a Treasure Goes Missing
The last time New Orleans attorney Jean-Luc Valmont saw Maribel Cordoba, a Spanish nobleman’s daughter, she was an eleven-year-old orphan perched in the riggings of his privateering vessel proving herself as the best lookout on his crew. Until the day his infamy caught up with them all and innocent lives were lost. Unsure why he survived but vowing to make something of the chance he was given, Jean-Luc has buried his past life so deep that no living person will ever find it—until a very much alive and very grown up Maribel Cordoba arrives on his doorstep and threatens all he now holds dear.

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

More to come in the Daughters of the Mayflower series:
The Mayflower Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse – set 1620 Atlantic Ocean (coming February 2018)
The Pirate Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo – set 1725 New Orleans (coming April 2018)
The Captured Bride by Michelle Griep – set 1760 during the French and Indian War (coming 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)



Months ago, I was initially drawn to this series by the beautiful book covers and the premise of the series appealed to me so I was looking forward to reading my first story from the Daughters of the Mayflower. Although this is marketed as a series you don't need to have read The Mayflower Bride in order to thoroughly enjoy The Pirate Bride. I am reading The Mayflower Bride now, having read The Pirate Bride first.

I have never read anything written by Kathleen Y'Barbo and I have to say I found this story to be quite enjoyable. The Pirate Bride is a fun, entertaining story that I would categorize as "light reading". I really enjoyed Maribel's banter and how she just never. stops. talking. The story has a strong emphasis on faith, forgiveness, and the power of prayer. I wished that the story had been a little longer and has eased into the romance component and lingered there for a while.

If you are looking for a light hearted read that is satisfying and adventurous, then The Pirate Bride is the book for you! It will be available for purchase from your local or online book retailer on April 1, 2018

Thank you Barbour Publishing and Net Galley for the free e-copy of The Pirate Bride to read in exchange for my honest review.