The Liberty Bride (2018) by MaryLu Tyndall is the latest novel in the Daughters of Mayflower series published by Barbour Publishing. This novel comes in all forms including eBook, and is 256 pages in length. With a full-time job and a very lively six-year old, this book took me two days to read. I received a review copy of this novel in paperback form and in eBook form from the publisher, Barbour Publishing. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. I give The Liberty Bride 5 STARS. This novel is a Historical Christian Romance.

Are you bored? Need something AWESOME to read? Then run to your nearest bookstore, or click over to an online store where books are sold, and purchase a copy of The Liberty Bride by MaryLu Tyndall today. This book is so good I could not put it down.

The Liberty Bride is highly engaging on two fronts: the dramatic irony is superb and allows the pacing of the story to flow really well, and the history is fascinating — why didn’t I learn about the War of 1812 in high school? I enjoy a novel that tells its story via the hero AND heroine of the book. I am a big fan of knowing as much information as I can possibly get. Dramatic irony is when the reader knows info that characters do not. In this book, dramatic irony is used so well. Because I know all the info about Emeline and Owen but they don’t, I was constantly in suspense. When will Owen get it? Will Emeline ever learn what I know and change her actions?! These questions kept me turning pages late into the night way past bedtime. And the history! I am ashamed to admit it, but I know very little about the War of 1812. I have not had good history teachers, which means I have had to teach myself via the historical fiction novels I read and the Google searches I’ve performed. The Liberty Bride is a treat in that I learned a ton of history about the War of 1812, and was never once bored. Why couldn’t my former history teachers ever teach me like MaryLu Tyndall has?! It is clear that the research in this novel is excellent and Mrs. Tyndall had a great time writing this book.

There is a moment in The Odyssey where Odysseus is so close to home he can almost touch it, but one of his ship’s crew members does something that causes Odysseus to become VERY far from home in the blink of an eye. It’s one of the saddest moments in all of The Odyssey. In The Liberty Bride, Emeline has spent the past two years living in England with her great-aunt. When her aunt dies she is put on a ship and sent back to America, but before she can reach home — literally right at the coast — Emeline’s ship is overtaken by a British warship. Emeline was initially excited about leaving her home in Baltimore because she wanted to experience a fantastic adventure away from home and away from the strict rules of her father, but things change with time. In the present day, being stuck as a prisoner on a British war ship miles from her homeland’s coast, Emeline realizes that home is precious, and one needs to be grateful for what she has before it is stolen away. This is a fantastic reminder especially as we enter into this holiday season. Now is not about what we have and what we don’t, or who we want to be with or who we don’t. Now is about celebrating Jesus, His birth and sacrifice, and appreciating all He has given for us. Put away the small stuff and appreciate what you have. You never know when you might not have it anymore.

Emeline has a poor relationship with God because of her earthly father’s model. Emeline’s father, as stated above, was a strict one. He was a man of steadfast rules and guidelines, and Emeline did NOT meet with his rigid expectations. Because of this, Emeline has ALWAYS felt like a failure. She can do no right, and God is the One who punishes her harshly every time she breaks one of her earthly father’s rules. When one is raised by an earthly father who is more involved in what he wants than what God asks, and then bad things keep happening to the child, it is really hard to see God as a loving, caring, nurturing Father. BUT God IS a GOOD, GOOD Father. There’s a fabulous moment in the novel when Hannah, Emeline’s friend and companion, scolds Emeline a little by stating, “God is not like your earthly father, my dear. The sooner you believe that, the sooner you will find peace” (100). This is TRUTH! This is not to say all earthly fathers are inherently bad. But, all earthly fathers are just that — earthly. God is NOT earthly. He can do abundantly more than all we ask or think. Knowing this, admitting this, and separating God our Father from our earthly fathers will bring about His great peace, something Emeline eventually comes to realize.

The Liberty Bride is a fantastic novel. The plot is fast-paced and highly engaging, the characters are excellently illustrated, and the history is fascinating. If you are looking for a book filled with adventures, a dashing hero, and a brave and never-boring heroine then I highly recommend The Liberty Bride. This is a fun book not to be missed.

How many remember the war of 1812? I know I wished I had paid more attention during history class in school! The British invasion of both Washington D.C. and the attempt on Baltimore to takeover the cities was a brutal and devastating time in American history. Marylu Tyndall brings it all to life in the pages of “The Liberty Bride”. Starting off with the capture of a privateer ship containing the captains daughter Emeline Baratt and crew, mostly taking place on the HMS Marauder, where we meet Lieutenant Owen Masters. They both must hide their alliances in order to save their country and themselves from treason...or worse. Tyndall is known for her swashbuckling pirate adventures on the high seas so she knows how to transport the reader on board a ship, making them feel like they are in the middle of it all. Though this story is heavily steeped in historical detail so the thrill-a-minute isn't the same, but still has that high tension feel to it. I've read every “Daughter's of the Mayflower” story and this has to rank among my favorite! The author does a nice job in making this reader wonder how exactly both Owen & Emeline hide who they really are from those who have the power to expose them as traitors. It certainly kept the tension up for me as I read deeper! The other thing I loved the most was the witty banter between these two characters. It seems they both bring out the snark in each other and I had to chuckle in many places. This line for example set a smirk on my face:

~“It's all right for a man to rescue a woman, Miss Baratt. You are free to express your gratitude.”

“Oh, am I, indeed?” She finally gazed up at him. A spark of irritation had replaced the fear in her eyes. “Would you prefer I stand and cheer for your as you crew did earlier?”

“That would be acceptable, yes.” He grinned. (page 89)~

These two cracked me up at times, breaking up the tension within the story. Though danger is all around, they still managed to fall in love with one another, without actually realizing it until they could no longer deny it. The author did a fantastic job of bringing to life a piece in history I'm sure we all learned about in school. She also included a section in the back entitled “Author's Historical Note” where she gives factual details about this period and where it sparked her story. To say I loved it falls so short of how much I enjoyed reading this, I could hardly put it down. Owen & Emeline where my favorite characters and I felt like I journeyed right along with their adventures. Definitely a story to get lost within it's pages!

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

I am really enjoying this series and the addition of this book is a wonderful story set during the War of 1812. It is a scary time as the Americans and the British are at war. Emeline is on her way home when an attack on her father's ship finds her in danger. I think I would have to do some fast talking myself in order to be spared by these men.

Soon Emeline finds herself telling the men she is really a spy for the British army.Will First Lieutenant Owen Masters believe her? She is taking a big risk but desperate times call for desperate measures.The author skillfully takes us aboard the ship as we sail across the waters. Now that Owen thinks Emeline is a spy, that puts him in a little quandary. He has a secret of his own that could change everything.

I enjoyed the wisdom that Emeline's father has shared with her over the years. He has always told her to be a good and proper lady. It is getting hard for her to do that when she resorts to lies . Living on the ship is hard at times when the men on board are not exactly respectful of women. Eealine and Owen are starting to have a love/hate relationship but will that change when secrets are found out? I loved how the author showed how Emeline depended on her faith and was distraught when she felt she went against God.

The story is full of mystery and find Emeline and Owen on working together. Will they be able to get word to the Americans before the British come? Can Owen trust Emeline with his secret? It's a great story that captures a time when war was at hand at the enemy was close by to attack.

I received a copy of this book from Barbour Publishing . The review is my own opinion.

I have somewhat mixed feelings about this book. There were parts of it that I enjoyed, while other portions weren’t my favorite.

For the most part, I liked the heroine, Emmeline. There were times when her character didn’t leap off the page at me, but then there were other times when I did like her and found her to be a relatable character. I empathized with her for the depression she was suffering from, but appreciated that she learned to stand up for herself and make her own choices.

I did not care for Owen. I don’t care for the whole womanizer thing he had going on. While I appreciate the message of redemption portrayed for him, he just never made his way into my heart.

I did like that there was a consistent thread of faith throughout the novel. Characters were continually pointed to God for help throughout their trials, a message I really appreciate.

All in all, I thought The Liberty Bride was a pretty good book. Perhaps not a favorite, but there were some good elements in this novel. If you enjoy historical Christian romance with a good dose of adventure, you might want to add this to your to-read list.

All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Thank you to Barbour Books and NetGalley for the chance to read this swashbuckling tale of grace and redemption.

Emeline Baratt has a reserve of strength of character beyond anything she thought that she possessed. Her friend, Hannah Keate, saw what was dormant within Emeline, and had the unique ability to bring it to life. The character traits that Emeline's father seemed to most dislike, the ones she tried hardest to squelch, were the ones that were most needed when she, Hannah and the crew of her father's ship were taken captive by the British man-of-war Marauder.

Owen Masters had received a commission into the British Royal Navy eight years ago. For those eight years he had served well with no one realizing that he was an American spy. Eight years living under the rules of the Royal Navy was a very long time to wait for a valuable piece of intelligence, one important enough to deliver to the Americans and to earn the ship of his own promised by his uncle. Now his time had come, but things were complicated by the presence of Emeline Baratt.

MaryLu Tyndall addresses the importance of having an accurate view of God. Both Emeline and Owen believe there is a God, but have difficulty forming a relationship with Him because they view Him as a strict father just waiting to punish anyone who breaks one of His long list of rules. God hasn't given up on them, and lovingly teaches them of His care and mercy.

I do recommend The Liberty Bride to fans of historical fiction and to those who seek to find the loving, forgiving side of God's personality while keeping His holiness in clear view. I thank NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review and received no monetary compensation.

Absorbing Story.
Set against the War of 1812, this has an authentic feel to it (though knowing very little about this period in American history I cannot say that it is, or is not, historically accurate). The characters were engaging and the story absorbing. Well written with lots of detail and interest. I would read more by this author.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love this book just as much as I love the rest of the series, even given the various historical periods and different authors. I started reading this one planning on just getting a few chapters in...hours and less sleep later, I finished the book, it was difficult to put down! Set during the War of 1812, Owen and Emeline were fantastic characters and the plot was both heartwarming and adventurous. Loved it!

This is another of the novels of the Daughters of the Mayflower Series and a fine one at that. Strong woman character, Emeline, is taken captive aboard a British ship on her way home to America. She convinces the captain of her loyalty to Britain that she just left in order to try to help her home country. Meanwhile, she fights against her growing feelings for the majorly attractive lieutenant Owen. Unbeknownst to each other, they are on the same side but there are many adventures until that comes out.

There is very little Christian sharing until later in the novel. Even then, tasteful for those not versed in Christianity and finding their way. Plucky heroine, she saves her man. A little history moment at the end that I would have liked to know more about: Ft. Henry and the battle there.

Although no the scope of this book, it could have easily continued on a bit to what happened with Emeline and Owen. Yes, it was that good. Worth the read.

I received a free copy courtesy of Barbour Publishing and Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review. Thank you both!!

MaryLu Tyndall writes a fairly good story. The premise is very good, the characters are well-developed. The love is not forced or rushed. Motivations in this story are well done for the most part. However, once again, like others in this series, it is too modernistic. Why are authors running away from historical facts and historical realisms. It is so sad that we have to water down history so much in order for "younger" readers or rather "modern" readers to get into the stories. If you don't mind reading a modern romance set in historical Revolutionary War time, then this one is for you.

The Liberty Bride by MaryLu Tyndall is another in the fabulous Daughters of the Mayflower series. This historical fiction series follows a family tree linked by the daughters across American history from the landing of the Mayflower through the events of World War II. In the Liberty Bride readers are introduced to Emeline, a young woman returning from England to America during the War of 1812. The ship she is on is taken by the British and the story begins and what a delightful story it is. There is action, intrigue, and romance enough to keep the pages turning quickly. The characters are vibrantly strong and believable--artists, adventurers, rebels, spies, loyal Americans and loyal Brits, birthing mothers and dying fathers. The history of the War of 1812 is a great story in and of itself and seeing it through these fictional characters is fantastic. Throughout the story, the author has woven a thread of faith in God the Father and what it means--it is a gift and no matter how much good you do, you cannot earn His favor. I cannot wait to read the next book in this fantastic historical romance series.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from Barbour Publishing and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.

Yet another great book in this series! MaryLu Tyndall has made American history come alive through this well-written Christian historical novel. The storyline is suspenseful all the way through the book and the romance that builds between Emeline and Owen is a sweet and clean one. Emeline is quite the heroine. She’s impulsive, compassionate, loyal, and intelligent. As she bravely faces being held as a prisoner on a British ship, she puts her intelligence to use as she poses as a British loyalist in order to gain information to help the American cause. As she and Owen slowly come to trust each other, they’ll find themselves risking their lives to save the city of Baltimore. The ending to this book is perfect. This is a story that I’ll go back and read again.

There’s a spiritual emphasis all throughout this story about the freedom we have when we trust Christ as our Savior. The author did a lovely job of sharing this through the lives of Emeline, Owen, and Hannah.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

A trip home from England to Maryland in 1812 finds Emeline Baratt a captive on a British warship and forced to declare her allegiance between the British and Americans. Remaining somewhat politically neutral on a ship where her nursing skills are desperately needed is fairly easy—until she starts to have feelings for the first lieutenant who becomes her protector. However, when the captain sends her and Lieutenant Owen Masters on land to spy, she must choose between her love for him and her love for her country.

Emeline has preconceived notions about what a proper Christian lady should act like. She feels like she has fallen short all her life in acting the proper lady. When her dad calls her home from England he sends his privateer ship after her. On the way back they are attacked by the British and she is taken captive.

I enjoyed reading this book. I can't say there was a lot of suspense but there is lots of actions. I don't remember reading any books by Ms. Tyndall but I will looks for her other books from now on.

I was given this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.

What would a proper lady do?

Poor Emeline was convinced that the bad things in her life were happening because she was not behaving as a proper lady should. That God was somehow punishing her for wanting to pursue her art instead of being trapped in a marriage of servitude. For not doing enough. For not being enough.

Despite serving in the British navy for eight years, Owen was still a rebel set on getting all the adventure in his life that he could. He scoffed at his friend Ben’s faith in God, convinced that if there was a God, He would do well to simply abandon mankind.

Oh my! It’s hard to know where to start. The Liberty Bride is full of adventure, humor, faith, and love. It was such an experience to be on the ship with Emeline as the British attacked it, feeling the ship rocking and reeling against the cannon blasts. And then caring for the sick and wounded and experiencing the fear that caused her to pretend she was something that she was not. . .

The author told such a beautiful story which fully engaged me. I loved the characters, the plot, and the spiritual journey. There was a funeral scene that was simply amazing. I don’t want to spoil anything, so that is all I’ll say about it. It was quite clever how she used Emeline’s concepts of what a proper lady would do throughout the story. The descriptions used for some of the people were delightful. Here are a few examples:

“she was definitely a fluffhead”

“he resembled more an old piece of rope than a man”

“the poor lieutenant was halfmast shy of a ship’s complement”

“with a bulbous nose, arms as thick as masts, and a whitecap of hair atop his head”.

It’s hard to believe this is already the sixth book in the exciting Daughters of the Mayflower series. While the characters in these books have common ancestors, each story stands alone. I have enjoyed each of them and am so looking forward to reading the rest as well.


This review was originally posted on Among the Reads


I was given a copy of this book for free. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.

This is Outstanding Story tells Owen & Emaline's romance, set against the American War of 1812. MaryLu Tyndall's novel: "The Liberty Bride", is part of the "Bride's of The Mayflower" Historic, Christian, Romantic Suspense series, by Barbour Publishing.
Owen is a Officer on a British Naval ship that's blockading Chesapeake Bay. Emaline is almost home to Baltimore on her father's ship, when it's defeated by Owen's British Blockade ship. Owen meets & is attracted to Emaline, when she convinces the Captain that she's a British supporter.
But is that really Emaline's true feelings? Is there more to Owen than meets the eye? Why does Emaline take over in Sick Bay? Does Emaline ever make it back to American soil? How do Emaline & Owen Fall in love, in the midst of the war? You'll have to read MT's Wonderful, Engrossing Novel to find out! Thanks to NetGalley, I can Highly Recommend you do so.

The Daughters of the Mayflower series has had some hits and misses for me. It just depended on who was writing the story. Even if I did not necessarily enjoy the writing, each book has had fabulous historical settings. This book was interesting in that it included ships and spies. A good combination!

MaryLu has written another most interesting book. Of course it has ships in it, which she writes about so eloquently.  This book picks up during the War of 1812. Emeline is headed home to America from England on her father’s ship. The ship is taken captive by the British.  She cannot believe this has happened. She never thought to be a spy but then she pledges that she is loyal to the British, and she is allowed to have her freedom aboard the ship, while all the others are put in chains below.  On the ship she meets Lieutenant Owen. Owen is a British solider. Secretly he is an American spy. Both have issues with trusting one another and feel that they are enemies. Yet they both feel a great attraction to one another.  When they near American shores, they are sent on land to spy out the land and report back to the captain of the ship. Then the danger and suspense begin. Tyndall’s story is filled with adventure, romance, and the quest to know what is right and do it even to the risk of being hung as a traitor.  You will be captivated from the very first chapter........I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, via netgalley and was not required to write a review.

“The Daughters of the Mayflower” series has produced some fantastic novels and some that, while interesting, are less than spectacular. You don’t know what you’re getting until you try each different book, written by different authors about different times of conflict in our country’s history. I have read several of MaryLu Tyndall’s books and really enjoyed the adventure and the Christian message. The Liberty Bride seems to lose some of the adventurous feeling as it gets weighed down by the message Tyndall is trying to impart. The Liberty Bride takes place during the War of 1812. I enjoyed meeting Emeline Barratt, who upon returning from England, finds herself in a position to spy for the Americans. Then there is her counterpart, First Lt. Owen Masters, who both intrigues and annoys her to no end. Emeline doesn’t understand the love of the Heavenly Father but equates God’s love with the punitive love of her own father. She is quite worried that God might be punishing her for any past disobedience. Only doing right will bring God’s approval, she believes. “I’m definitely going to Hell!” So says Emeline about all the deception, lying, and spying she has been doing for the Americans. Emeline’s character is actually very full of mercy and grace, what she needs to learn about God Himself. In short, I loved the action, the themes were good, but the conversation got heavy and preachy. Maybe others will not see it so. I was given a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. I am not required to leave a positive review, and all opinions are solely my own.

The Liberty Bride takes place during the War of 1812, near the end of the battle. The story follows Emmeline Barratt who is returning to America from a two year visit with a wealthy aunt in England. She is aboard her father’s private vessel when the ship is commandeered by the USS Marauder, a British military ship. In order to survive, Emmeline convinces the crew that she is a British loyalist, though she hates herself for the deception. Lieutenant Owen Masters, a secret American spy, is waiting for the chance to find a key piece of information to relay back to the American’s on his uncle’s behalf (who is a significant political figure in Washington). As Emmeline and Owen keep up the deception, they begin to question each other, and eventually find themselves along a faith journey they never bargained for.
The story was well paced, and Emmeline’s character managed to get herself caught in unusual predicaments, yet had a heart for helping others which made a difference in the end. She is strong-willed, that’s for sure!
I liked Owen’s character. He was trustworthy and patient, and struggled with his predicament since he was a spy in the enemy camp. He realized that his enemies were people like him too, and had made friendships with some crew members who influenced his faith journey.
I was enjoying reading the story up until Owen’s “God-experience”. At this point in the story, he’d been sent ashore with Emmeline and two other crew members to discover information about the Americans that would be useful for the British to win the battle. While onshore, they stop at a pastor’s farm which had been ransacked by the British. The pastor was injured and eventually died. When he does die, Owen is with him, and he sees the pastor’s spirit rise from the bed, hover above his family and then make its way to heaven. A beam of light shines on the family at the burial and a dove descends. Throughout the last half of the book, Owen audibly hears God speaking to him. Emmeline, in the last half of the story also hears God speaking to her directly.
The spiritual experiences are referred to again in later scenes.
This is where the author totally lost me. There’s theology in those scenes that are better dealt with in works of non-fiction.
Except for these references, I enjoyed the plot and love story of Emmeline and Owen.
I received an ecopy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Love every book by Mary lu, and thisnone is no exception! Has it all and I loce the romance in this novel!! Worth the read!!!

I really loved this book and was sad every time I had to put it down! It's my favorite of the Daughters of the Mayflowers series. With action, suspense, emotion, romance, history and spirituality, what's not to love! It reinforced what I've learned in the past about that period of American history and renewed my gratitude that I am not under British rule.