The Express Bride
by Kimberley Woodhouse
Book 9 in the Daughters of the Mayflower series
Rating:5/5

Let me just say that I lost sleep over this story. I am always so amazed the way an author can completely capture my attention and take me on an amazing journey to the past and make me root for the heroine and boo the villain.

After her father passes away, Jacqueline "Jack" Rivers desperately wants to stay in charge of the Pony Express station that she grew up on. Running the station has its challenges but she enjoys the work and doesn't know where else she'd go. When a government official asks for her help involving counterfeiters, she can't say no - even if it's dangerous. When the handsome Elijah Johnson arrives and also wants her help and company, she too can't say no. Elijah is searching for his boss' daughter with very little clues to go on. He is determined to find out what happened to her and decides to stay at the station before traveling on. Will Jack and Elijah find love in this 1860 story set in the Utah territory?

I loved this story so much. I learned so much about the Pony Express and living in the 1860s. I fell in love with all of the characters that lived at the station. The author brilliantly weaves a story of adventure and mystery into a historical romance. It's fast-paced but you still get to see the characters develop and get to see their faith in action.

Highly recommend this book! Even though the book is part of the Mayflower series, you can read the book by itself and not feel like you're missing something. Just read it!

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

The Daughters of the Mayflower series continues with the ninth installment in 1860s Utah where mail can make it from one coast to another in just 10 days by land.
Jacqueline “Jack” Rivers is grieving the loss of her father while maintaining the outpost of the pony express. Her future is uncertain and she feels the pressure of being a woman working in a man’s role, but there is no reason why she cannot continue running things as her father taught her everything she needs to know to keep the station running and the mail moving.
When two very different men arrive on the stage, they both bring news that will challenge Jack’s faith and the life she thought was hers.
Espionage, adventure, and buried secrets fill the pages of this historical novel.
Though the plot was interesting, I didn’t connect with the characters as I have with others in previous books to this series. I’m not sure why, but it almost felt flat to me and two dimensional for some of them. However, the setting descriptions and the historical details are done well.
I received an ecopy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Another wonderful story in the Mayflower Brides Series! In this book Jaqueline Rivers has recently lost her father and in his stead is running a Pony Express stop and boarding house. She's great at it and loves it, but when a couple men show up at her door step everything she knows comes into question. I enjoyed the characters in this book. They're authentic and quite likeable. The story moves along nicely. It's easy to read and full of interesting history about the Pony Express. I especially loved the spiritual content of this book! Very well done and moving! I really enjoyed it.

I received a complimentary copy of the book through NetGalley. A positive review was not required. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was fun clean romance. I thought the main characters were fun and had good chemistry. There was a great message of redemption throughout the book. This book has a very strong but not overbearing Christian element to it. My only frustration is how one of the main plot conflicts is "taken care of" outside of the normal narrative. It could have been an exciting part of the ending if it had been taken care of in front of the reader. But overall very entertaining read!

Jack (Jacqueline) is running the family business. Her father passed away and she is running The Pony Express in the Utah Territory. Her mom passed away years ago when she was a child. So she is on her on with the young men who ride and the gentleman and his wife who takes care of the horses. What she doesn't know is there is a gentleman looking for her. Charles made mistakes as a younger man and is trying to fix them. He is not the man he was then. Elijah is his right hand man and is loyal to him. He sends him out to find his wife and child. Charles has not been well for a while and wants to know they are alive and ok. After weeks of looking Elijah thinks he may have found the daughter but has to investigate. During this time he is drawn into helping out with another investigation. Helping with fake bills. Jack and Elijah are both ask to help and it turns into some serious business they should never have been in. As everything goes along Elijah has a lot of questions whether Jack is Charles daughter. Jack also has a lot questions about who she is after finding a letter from the only father she ever knew and a diary her mother wrote in.. I have enjoyed reading several of the books in this series and their historical significance.

“With shaking limbs, she climbed into the plush carriage awaiting her, the precious bundle in her arms, worth far more than money.”

Opening line of The Express Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse
Each time I pick up one of the Daughters of the Mayflower series I look forward to learning about a new element of American history whilst getting to know another generation of these delightful characters. The Express Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse is a fantastic addition to the collection focusing on the Pony Express. Once again, I’d never heard of it, and was fascinated to learn about the message and parcel conveyance business which ran from the West coast to the East coast of America.

Our cast of characters includes the wonderful Jack, a woman on the frontier who challenges the gender norms by managing her own station after the death of her father. Her grief is fresh and she comes to terms with the loss through studying scripture and the help of friends.

Elijah, a businessman, enters the station to learn information about his boss’s heir but learns more about living a Christian life in relationship with God in his observance of Jack and her friends.

Amidst this, two mysteries are afoot. Who is the missing heir and money is being stolen through forgeries on the route and both Jack and Elijah end up dangerous wrapped up in these investigations.

Beautifully written and interesting, I enjoyed it from start to finish. For the horse lover, who like me holds their breathe when they are central to the story, no horses are injured in the story – thank you Kimberley. It’s a five out of five on the en-JOY-ment scale and highly recommended.

This was a great book. I loved the development of the characters. The plot had a lot of twists and turns that kept me reading to find out what would happen next. A couple of mysteries were thrown in the book and made it more exciting to read. Jackie had a strength of character, tenacity and integrity that made her a strong female character. Elijah had integrity and a gentleman-like character. The couple looks to God and had a strong relationship with God throughout the book. This book has a redemption and forgiveness theme throughout.

The Express Bride

by Kimberley Woodhouse


Barbour Publishing, Inc.

Barbour Books

Christian , Romance

Pub Date 01 Jul 2019


I am reviewing a copy of The Express Bride through Barbour Books and Netgalley:



In 1860 Jacqueline Rivers manages a Pony Express Station, taking over after her Father’s death. Jacqueline deals with the daily stresses placed upon her after this unconventional role and now she has been asked by a government official to help find a counterfeiter.



After Elijah Johnson passes through the stage while on an exhausting quest to find his bosses heir he doesn’t want to leave the station manager. But he may never leave when he finds himself caught in the crossfire of criminal activities in the territory.



Jackie has trouble making up her mind if Elijah is friend or foe. Will she remain strong when the secrets of the past and present are finally unearthed?



I give The Express Bride five out of five stars!



Happy Reading!

What do you think of when you hear the words Pony Express? When I do I think of it as being larger than life. I do believe there are many misconceptions surrounding the Pony Express. I could not believe it only ran for roughly nineteen months. It does seem like it was so much longer than this.
A broken and bitter man finds his only relief in the bottom the bottle. His wife who will always love him because of memories of far better times they've had together flees for her life taking their newborn child with her.
Years pass and the man comes to know God and becomes a respectable man once again regretting with his whole being the terrible treatment of his wife.
A rich business savvy man he is and once again hires someone to find his heir. Will his quest be successful this time?
This beautiful young woman, his daughter is now running a Pony Express Station in 1860 in rural Utah Territory. Unknown to her, her father that just passed away is not her birth father as he has always treated her as his own.
This young woman does it all with her father's passing, run the station being responsible for the riders coming in on time,making the meals and takes care of the ragtag young men riders.
When a government official starts asking questions is she to discover her father was involved in illegal activities?
I very much enjoyed reading this and the ending was sweet and tender.
The Daughters of The Mayflower series, I've read and loved every one of them and have learned so much history with them taking place many different places and they are full of historical facts along with a sweet and tender romance. I can't wait to read more of them!
Published July 1st 2019 by Barbour Books
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

"she wanted love - real love, or no love at all. This longing infected her like a disease. She knew no cure."

Venice 1725 Historical Adult Romance. Two five year old orphans, Violetta and Milo, are growing up at an orphanage, wishing they had families. But not just any orphanage. The Hospital of the Incurables was a revered music school. The girls sang at the most famous house of worship in Venice. Violetta could sing well and she was taught, raised to sing at Mass, behind a grate. She became a famous "coro", and was made to sign an oath never to sing beyond its church doors. In the city at this time, the people were required to wear masks.

The orphanage was very strict, but these two snuck out to the roof to watch other people and escape the feeling of being imprisoned. She had seen Milo's mother when she brought him to the orphanage and left him there - he was asleep. Milo growing up there found a broken violin and repaired it, then taught himself to play. Something that he was not supposed to do, but it became his passion. The background unknown to Milo, the two children shared the song that his mother had sung when she dropped him off. It was a bond between them. The journey of their lives is complicated and not easy, with many struggles for freedom and security. The story unfolds and intertwines, not always in the expected way. It's also interesting to learn about Venice and the way of life there at that time. Keeps you engaged to the end. Passion, heartbreak, betrayal and the need that we all have to be loved. Mild sexual content.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
#TheOrphansSong #LaurenKate #NetGalley #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

This was such a marvelous addition to the Daughters of the Mayflower series! I knew very little about how complex the day to day operation of the Pony Express was, so I very much enjoyed the history lesson wrapped into the blossoming romance between Jackie & Elijah. I also loved the deep, abiding friendships & sense of kinship, which I’m sure was so precious in such a remote area. The underlying themes of forgiveness and unconditional love, as well as personal salvation, were woven in so effortlessly. An absolute joy to read!

The Express Bride took me on a delightful ride through the inner workings of the Pony Express. This is a time period I have not studied as much, and I really enjoyed learning more about the riders and the day to day operations. Jackie loves what she does; she loved her dad even more. Staying on in his place is a way for her to honor him and stay close to him and the only life she has ever known. She trusts the Lord to make her way straight, even though she does attempt to help out along the way. Thankfully, God’s plans are always bigger than what we can hope for or imagine, and she experiences this first hand. The book moved along at an enjoyable pace and kept my attention fixed all the way through. Fans of the Daughters of the Mayflower will not be disappointed by this next installment.
"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

The Express Bride, by Kimberley Woodhouse, is the ninth book in the Daughters of the Mayflower series that is written by a variety of authors. Although there is a thread of continuity in the books through a family tree, each of the books is easily read as stand-alone stories. Ms. Woodhouse has written three other books in the series, The Mayflower Bride (#1), The Patriot Bride (#4), and The Golden Bride (#8). She does a great job of bringing American history to life as she creates interesting and authentic scenes that make the reader feels like they are right there in the middle of the action. The Express Bride tells a story about the Pony Express and how it worked and some of the difficulties that were encountered by those who were involved with it. I enjoyed the family camaraderie between Jack and the Express riders. The sweet romance between Jacqueline and Elijah is engaging and delightful to watch especially as the secrets of the past are revealed and dangers and criminals turn up. The characters are vivid and lovable and their growth and maturity throughout the story is realistic. And with a strong thread of faith in God throughout, the book is also inspirational as the reader can see how God's hand is at work in the lives of the individuals enabling them to forgive and reconcile and even find love when they aren't looking for it. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions are my own.

The Express Bride is another fabulous addition to the Daughters of the Mayflower. This story involves the Pony Express. I found the books to be fun and engaging. It is not long and I had no problem having it read in just a few hours.
I give The Express Bride four and a half stars. I recommend it for readers who love clean, historical fiction. I loved it and believe it should not be missed.
I received this book from the publisher, but was not required to write a review. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

Forgiveness. Forgive others. Forgive yourself. This is not easy for anyone to do. But Jesus died on the cross to forgive our sins. Our sins, not his. We were forgiven by the ultimate sacrifice.

Jackie could have been devastated discovering the truth. But she pulled through by leaning on her True Father- he was there for here for guidance and comfort.

Elijah kept to himself. He worked hard. He didn't have time for a relationship. But God had other plans for him.

This book was a treat to read. I was anxious that Jackie would not be able to get over the uncovered secrets of her parents' past. It could very well make you angry, not able to trust and holding a grudge.

The background story was about the Pony Express. Sure doesn't sound like a job I would want!!!! I enjoyed the adventure but loved how the characters developed and of course, the ending!! I won't give it a away but you need to pick up a copy!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of The Express Bride from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I enjoyed this book. It was obviously very thoroughly researched and well written to reflect the historical truths about the Pony Express. I found it interesting, though I wished there had been a bit more romance.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

The Express Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse
The Wilderness Is a Great Place to Hide
Jacqueline Rivers manages a Pony Express station in 1860 Utah territory after her father’s death. There are daily stresses placed on her in this unconventional role—and now a government official is asking her to sniff out counterfeiters. When Elijah Johnson passes through on the stage while on an exhausting quest to find his boss’s heir, he doesn’t want to leave the beguiling station manager. In fact, he may never leave when caught in the crossfire of the territory’s criminal activities. Jackie can’t decide if Elijah is friend or foe. Can she remain strong when secrets of the past and present are finally unearthed? … from the publisher
This is another installment in the Daughters of the Mayflower series by Kimberley Woodhouse. The characters are relatable and the action well-paced. The romance is sweet and not over the top. Readers like a mixture in the reading will enjoy the romance, light mystery, and action. It can be read without having read any other titles in the series. It is a fast-paced historical fiction read. Readers looking for strong female characters and have an interest in the 1800 period will thoroughly enjoy this read. I highly recommend this title to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and a light mystery. The romance at least to this reader seemed secondary and add to the depth of the story.
I received an ARC ebook from Netgalley and the publisher, Barbour books, in exchange for an honest review.

I have read all the books in The Daughters of the Mayflower series. I love historical fiction and these books are so interesting. I don’t believe I have read anything about the Pony Express since I was in grade school. Woodhouse brought out interesting facts about the Pony Express and painted a word picture of how it operated. She did her research well. Our main female character is Jacqueline who is running the Express since her daddy died. She has always gone by the shortened version of her name, “Jack,” as they all call her. In a way she is being deceptive, but she doesn’t know what else to do as this station has always been her home. As there are no future husbands in her future, she will continue doing the only thing she knows to do. Then a man on a mission seeking to find a run away mother and child for his employer who is dying, comes to the Express station. This mystery makes a delightful read that will keep readers engrossed for hours. The novel has action, adventure, heart, romance and a beautiful story of forgiveness that faith in God brings about……..Thank you Barbour Publishing via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed the suspenseful pace of the book and the tangled web of family secrets, budding relationships, and dangerous circumstances. It was difficult to leave the book for long without wondering what clue Elijah or Jackie would find next in their quest to find the truth.
The cast of characters is unforgettable, and one of my favorite parts of the story was the family-like atmosphere of the station house. The young men of the Pony Express fit perfectly with Jackie and her motherly care of the boys. Their easy banter and care for each other made me wish I could sit at their table and try Jackie’s biscuits and gravy!
Jackie is a heroine I adore. Practical. Compassionate. Hard-working. Honest. It was just as easy to visualize her sitting in the parlor keeping company as it was sitting astride a horse and racing across the land to the next express stop.
Elijah is a kind and honest gentleman and his quiet adoration of Jackie is endearing. His consideration of her feelings over his own satisfaction makes him all the more attractive. You will find yourself rooting for him as you get to know him.
Overall, I thought the story was gripping and kept me turning the next page well past my bedtime. I enjoyed watching Jackie and Elijah’s lives intersect by more than chance, and I believe you will enjoy it, too!

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Another good book in this series and another intriguing story by Kimberley Woodhouse. I love learning more about the Pony Express and its brief, but important, time in the history of the United States. These characters were great and the author drew me into the story through them. There’s a strong theme of forgiveness which gives the story an inspirational purpose. You do not need to have read the rest of the books in this series to enjoy this one.

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