Cover Image: The Cumberland Bride

The Cumberland Bride

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Once again this is a wonderful addition to the Daughters of the Mayflower Series. I was not familiar with Shannon McNear's writing, so I did not know what to expect. Within the first few pages she takes you on an unforgettable journey. Her description of the territory, terrain and the hardships faced, places you right in the middle of Thomas and Kate's adventure.

Ms. McNear develops her characters so well, you feel as if they were real people you want to get to know. I found both Thomas Bledsoe and Katarina, “Kate”, Gruener to be perfect heroes. She is a strong, beautiful, brave young woman, that does not realize her own beauty or charm. Yet she is not perfect, She tends to talk to much and ask too many questions, “only a silly, chattering female”. Thomas makes a wonderful “next book boyfriend”. He is smart, strong, good looking with a secret side to him. He becomes very tender and protective over Kate.

The story, has tender moments as well as lighthearted ones. One of my favorite lines in the novel comes towards the end. “Do you two wish to marry today, or would you rather simply admire each other?” came the older man's voice. Sharing a laugh, both of them blushing a little, Kate took Thomas's hand more firmly and stepped forward to face the preacher.”

I enjoyed Ms. McNear's book. I appreciated the way she brought faith and family morals alive throughout her story. It is quit obvious of her love for history. The research that she has done must be phenomenal. I learn so much from these Historical Romance Novels. Ms. McNear gives us great detail and more information at the end in her credits. If this is an interest of yours, do yourself a favor and take the time to read it. I find myself on the internet researching further.

I received a copy of this book from Barbour Books through NetGalleys. The opinions expressed in this book are my own.

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The Cumberland Bride is the fifth book in The Mayflower series, which follows the descendants of the Mayflower throughout historical American events. Each book is written by a different author, and this one is by Shannon McNear.

It takes place on the Kentucky Wilderness Road in 1794, a time of great unrest between the frontiers and native Indians. Kate Gruener’s dad is ready to settle his family in the west, where he can get a piece of land. His family and two other families are coming too, and they are being led by Thomas Bledsoe, a quiet scout with many secrets. Kate is the opposite: she loves to get to know people and to find out their stories. Will Thomas be able to resist her persistant prodding when it is acompanied by huge innocent eyes? And there are more dangers down the road...

If I had the time to finish it in one sitting, I would have! The story is very addictive, you just need to know what happens next! Kate is a wonderful character, she is really brave, curious, strong in her faith and adaptable. She can be happy in any situation which is truly a gift. The road has many dangers, and she haa to trust on others a lot, especially Thomas. The romance is a slow burn, set in the time span of many weeks. I absolutely loved it! Thomas slowly opens up and comes to care for this girl, but he has to face his past first before he can truly care for someone. His story arc is very well done and believable. The story of the Indians is woven into this book and I loved that it’s not us versus them but that it is much more complex - and I love that complexity! All in all, I loved this book and I can recommend it very much.

I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

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I love books about history. I usually read Regency/Victorian England romance, but i am so glad I started reading Daughters of the Mayflower series. This book is the best so far in my opinion. The descriptions of the land, Indians, pioneers trying to forge their way were incredible. I worried i may become bored by the length, but i was glued to the pages. This story draws you into the lives of all the people in the book and the locations. I am so glad i got this copy to read. Thanks to the author and netgalley.

I was given a copy through netgalley free to read and the opinion i have expressed is my own and freely given.

I will also post reviews on other sites, but was unable due to timing.

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The Cumberland Bride is a fabulous addition from the Daughters of the Mayflower series. This fifth installment takes the reader on the Wilderness Road to Kentucky. I enjoyed being taken back in time and experience what it was like for the new settlers the. The danger and adventure was intriguing. I enjoyed getting to know Thomas and Kate and I had to keep reading to find out what would happen to them.
The Cumberland Bride is so far my favorite of the series. I will be looking for more by this author in the future.
I recommend this clean historical and give it 5 stars.

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If you have ever dreamed of going back in time to travel west through the Cumberland Gap, then you should read The Cumberland Bride by Shannon McNear.  From near drownings to kidnappings to daring escapes from Indians, be sure to prepare yourself for adventure before you read this book. And you should read it because it's an adventure you don't want to miss. Here the top reasons why I recommend this book.

It's very fast paced. You're just escaping one danger with the characters when you find yourself in another danger. 
The descriptions of the areas the group is traveling through is absolutely beautiful. The author gives just enough detail that you can see it without slowing the story down.
The historical aspects of the Shawnee culture, the construction of the Cumberland Gap and traveling west before it was settled are all interesting.
So, pack you bags for the trail, but pack lightly. Only so much will fit on your pack horse.  

I would recommend this book for people who enjoy adventures, especially adventures that take place in historical times. I would also recommend this for those who enjoy sweet romances.

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

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This book was incredible. I loved every word of it and will be telling friends about it. I'm so glad I requested this book to read. I definitely will be looking for more books from this author. It's been a while since I've read a book that I just had to stay up and read to "find out what happened".

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The Cumberland Bride is a must read.I do a lot of reading and this book stands out.If you like historical romance with feeling and detail this is the book to read.You will not be dissapointed!

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This book is book five in the series and continues with another descendant of the Mayflower, Kate Gruener. It is the late 1700’s and Kate’s family is traveling the Wilderness Road with a guide, Thomas Bledsoe. Through difficult situations, Kate and Thomas get to know one another. Will they become more than friends? Will they be able to face their hardships and survive through this difficult journey to free land? I have really enjoyed this historical series! This book doesn’t disappoint! I highly recommend you read this book and the entire series if you have not read the others. The book was very entertaining and provided the reader with historical content from that time period.
***I was given a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher. This is my honest opinion. Even though I received this copy free, this is my own opinion.

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With all of the historical research we've come to expect with a strong dash of Last of the Mohicans, we fall in love with Kate and Thomas.

Thomas has his foot in both worlds. A white man sold and adopted into the Shawnee he doesn't quite belong anywhere. Kate is smart as a whip, enjoys writing, and is incredibly brave--well beyond her time.

The action in the book is about the first treks west as settlers began making their way across the Appalachian mountains to Kentucky. How lucky am I to continue on this generational tale of wholesome, Christian romances?! I cannot wait for more.

The Cumberland Bride is one of my favorites in this series. Sweet with just the right amount of romantic tension, it's the perfect rainy weather romance.

Thank you to NetGalley, Shannon McNear, and Barbour Publishing for this free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Having read a story about a young girl captured by Indians when I was younger, I was curious to read this new Christian romance about another young woman whose family is travelling to Kentucky through Indian territory.

Given the topic, there was plenty of action and suspense as Kate Gruener and her family, along with other settlers navigate the dangerous route to their new home. Thomas Bledsoe, a reticent but experienced post carrier and scout captures Kate's eye as they travel together. Thomas is captivated by Kate's beauty but is reluctant to be drawn into a friendship.

A sweet little romance that could easily be enjoyed by both YA and adult readers.

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This is the first book I've read in the Daughters of the Mayflower Series and also the first time to read a book by Shannon McNeer, it was an excellent book. You felt like you were right there with the characters of the book. I stayed glued to this book until the very end, it will have you laughing, crying, holding your breath and cheering. I felt she stayed very true to history and I really enjoyed reading the Author's Note at the end of the book. I look forward to reading more of the books in this series and more by this author. I received an ARC copy of this book from Barbour Publishing via NetGalley. The opinions in this review are my own.

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Having gone to college in TN and being familiar with the Cumberland Gap, I found the setting and history to be interesting and well done. The cover is gorgeous, as all in this series have been. The writing itself was good, the author having a firm grasp on craft. However the story started slow and didn’t really pick up until 60% in. There wasn’t much to set it off in way of uniqueness either, but, then again, I’ve read so much that it is hard to find a story that is truly unique. Overall, this is a well-written story and fans of this series will really like this addition.

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Another wonderful historical adventure romance in the Mayflower series! One of my favorites in this series so far, this epic road trip begins in 1794 Tennessee and ends in Kentucky as the group travels along the newly expanded Wilderness Road through the Cumberland Gap.

This well written tale pulled me in and had me holding my breath at times, as the tension mounts later on with perilous situations. The romance is a slow build to a sizzling, sigh-worthy one, well worth the angst. I fell a little in love with Thomas, the strong, brooding sacrificial hero. He was a bit of a Joseph type whose past was the key to the present needs of the moment. A flawed hero whose faith struggles move from doubt to hope and trusting in God as "the Way, the Truth and the Life."
Kate was a sweet, lovely, courageous young woman whose own faith grows through her ordeal, as she clings to the promise that God is with her and never abandons His children. The history is seamlessly threaded throughout the story without any dry narrative. I enjoyed reading the author's notes at the end with research highlights.

Historical Christian romance fans will probably enjoy this book. Recommend!

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The Cumberland Bride is a book in a series of books by Barbour Publishing called The Daughters of the Mayflower. I have thoroughly enjoyed this series. This is a new to me author and I loved this story. The historical aspects of the frontier and the dangerous plot kept me glued to each page. I felt as if I was there enjoying the beautiful scenery of the Cumberland Gap. The romance however, was what kept me turning the pages. It was so well done and oh so precious, that I wanted the story to continue. As I said, this is a new to me author and I am thrilled to have found her. I can't wait to read more from Ms. McNear.
*This book was given to me by Barbour Publishing. I was not under any obligation to leave a review. This is my honest opinion.

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The Cumberland Bride is book five in the Daughters of the Mayflower series. I have enjoyed each book in this series. I think that each author has done ample research of historical facts upon which to base her novel. This book had a good story line in a period of history and a setting with which I was only vaguely familiar. ( I appreciated the author's notes on where she did her research. )

Shannon McNear created a believable novel about Katarina Gruener's family and the small band of settlers that followed their guide, Thomas Bledsoe, into new and dangerous territory. The preparation was difficult, the travel was difficult, the dangers they faced were at times terrifying, the interpersonal relationships were often challenging, but they all lead to a happy ending.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Barbour Publishing.

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I absolutely adore this series! (I'm not-so-secretly hoping they add some more to the list as well). I love how the series has been laid out in a way that each of the authors contributing are able to create their own stories that both stand alone, and fit together at the same time. I've been able to read stories from author's I've read in the past, along with being introduced to some that are new to me. Shannon McNear is one of them. Her writing style fit in very well with the series, but it's also peaked my interest to look into more by her.

One character that had me really intrigued throughout the story though was Thomas Bledsoe. His connections (both physical and emotional), to both the "whites" and the Indians really added another layer to the whole story. If his past hadn't been what it was, it would have literally changed the whole book. Often when children learn about history, they hear one side of the story--the one that won out for space in their history books. An entire people can be misunderstood and essentially demonized simply because their side is never considered. Shannon shares some more about this in her author's note at the end, but she shares that she felt it was more important to share something more historically accurate than modernly accepted. I can really respect this. I also was able to learn from it too!

I really felt bad for Kate's character because of how injury-prone she appeared to be throughout the story.  As Shannon shared in her notes at the end, there were a whole lot of dangers and illnesses that travelers faced on their journeys. It certainly wasn't a trip to be taken lightly. Shannon shared that each of the events she had in the story really happened to other travelers, though not all from one story. It's a good thing Kate was a strong young woman, because I would not have enjoyed her journey!

I really enjoyed The Cumberland Bride and I'm curious to see what's next, both for the series and for Shannon McNear! Although the books can easily be read as stand-alone novels, I'd suggest starting at the beginning and reading all of them anyways simply because it really is a great series. I hope you enjoy them too!

*I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to share a positive review. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.

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