This is a part of the Daughters of the Mayflower series as it follows the family of William Lytton as the years proceed from the Mayflower sailing to the Pony Express days. This has been a great series and I have followed it from the beginning of the series. I don't want to quit reading them as they are very interesting and I love the historical content.

I love when a book takes place in an area where I have either lived or visited as does this one in the Utah territory. Jack,as she is nicknamed, takes good care of her Pony Express stop after the death of her father. She's a woman doing a man's job in a man's world and does a great job at it.

The book has history, genealogy, and romance and western excitement! This is a wonderful addition to the series! The characters are wonderful!

I really enjoyed this story and highly recommend it!

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

Kimberley Woodhouse is such a wonderful author. I have enjoyed all her books that I have read. The Express Bride is another great book that is part of the Daughter's of the Mayflower collection and the forth one written by Woodhouse. It is full of excitement, danger and romance in the old west. The characters are well developed and we get an interesting look into a part of our history to see how the pony express worked. Jackie is running the station after her father died. Elijah is on a quest looking for his employers heir. They are both asked to give their help to the Government, but not to let anyone know that they are, even each other. Who are the people you can trust? Who are the counterfeiters? Is is a great story and I hope there will be more in this collection.

I received this book from NetGalley and all opinions are my own.

Das Buch startet im Prolog mit einer Frau auf der Flucht vor ihrem Ehemann, einem Alkoholiker und Schläger. Mit ihrem Baby auf dem Arm kann sie per Kutsche entkommen. Angetrunken und zornig erwischt er sie fast noch. Mit dem kostbaren Schmuckstück, das sie von ihm zur Hochzeit geschenkt bekommen hat, will sie ihre Flucht und einen Neubeginn finanzieren. Als sie von ihrer Schwangerschaft erfuhr, begann sie mit den Vorbereitungen. Im Oktober 1834 dann ist sie schon einige Monate mit einem Ochsenkarren auf der Flucht in den Westen, begleitet von zwei weiteren Familien. Sie wechselt zum Schutz immer wieder ihr Aussehen und ihren Namen. Ihre Begegnung mit Indianern und wilden Tieren sind zum Glück freundlich verlaufen. Sie hat inzwischen gelernt über Feuer zu kochen, zu waschen und zu schießen.

Die Erzählung wird dann 26 Jahre später in Kansas City fortgesetzt. Elijah Johnson und sein plötzlich erkrankter 50-jähriger Chef und Millionär haben eine große Aussprache. Er will, dass Elijah nicht weiter Single bleibt. Zusätzlich will er ihn zum seinem Partner machen. Doch zuvor muss er unbedingt noch versuchen für ihn seine Frau mit Tochter zu finden, die damals vor ihm weggelaufen sind.

Leider konnte mich das Buch nicht fesseln. Die Protagonisten bleiben mir fern und die Geschichte ist zu vorhersehbar. In den ersten Kapiteln wird schon klar, wie die Handlung weiter verlaufen wird. Der Zufall des Aufeinandertreffens ist mir einfach zu groß und unglaubwürdig. Jacqueline und Elijah sind sofort von einander eingenommen. Es gibt kaum Spannung und auch kein Wachsend er Gefühle. Eigentlich hatte das Buch eine gute Idee zur Grundlagen, die mich hätte ansprechen können. Mit einer Frau auf der Flucht vor ihrem gewalttätigen Ehemann und der Geschichte um eine Pony Express Sation.

Another in the popular The Daughter of the Mayflower series, Kimberley Woodhouse has written a great read, one I couldn’t put down! The author has cleverly woven a story based on the Pony Express, which ran for only about a year and a half during the 1860’s, and laced it with some familial mystery and a little romance. The use of old ledgers, letters, and journals help develop the story and lend to the interesting plot twists. I fell in love with both Jackie and Elijah and found the strong yet humble female characters to be inspiring.

I received a copy of this book from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley and was under no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Such an enjoyable series! I love that you could actually read these books in any order, but they are all connected through family trees. Everyone eventually traces back to book 1, The Mayflower Bride, but there are typically multiple generations in between each book, so there aren't any spoilers if you read them out of order.
This book finds "Jack" (Jacqueline) Rivers holding down the fort at a stage stop and Pony Express Station in the wild west. The grief of her father's death still raw mere weeks after his passing, Jack considers it her duty to him to uphold their station and make sure the Express continues to run smoothly. She commands a host of young riders she considers her family, and manages guests at the stage stop. Her life is turned upside down with the arrival of Elijah Johnson and the mysterious Mr. Crowell. Both men are asking for her help - one in finding a missing person and one in busting a forgery ring for the US Treasury.
The best part about this series is seeing characters lean on the legacy of their family's faith when times get rough. For Jack, a letter left by her father guides her to information about her past, and a journal from her mother gives her the courage to dig deeper into her history, and find forgiveness to grant for past mistakes.
As Jacqueline and Elijah work to unravel their own mysteries, they come to discover they have more in common than they thought possible, most importantly their faith in God. Just as their friendship appears to be turning into more, life-or-death circumstances threaten to tear them apart. On top of single-handedly running a business, finding out there's more to your past than you've ever known, and working a side job for the US Government, It's almost more than a woman can bear!
Kimberly Woodhouse obviously did her research regarding our nation's history at the time. I found myself reading and thinking, That can't be true... and fact checking it only to find it is! Turns out it did cost the equivalent of about $144.00 in today's currency to mail something by Pony Express... I recommend this read to any historical fiction fans, especially of the wild west, fans of Christian fiction and Hallmark movies alike, and anyone looking for a clean romance. The entire series is completely clean, with no objectionable content. I'm sad to see it coming to an end... I think the next book is the last.

For the past few months, I have been reading the novels in the Brides series. The Express Bride is my favorite so far.
What first made me pick up this book was the cover. With the bright red wrap the model is wearing,
The writing style was just plain enjoyable. It never hitched and flowed very well throughout the whole novel.
As for the plot - I was hooked. It kept at a fast pace throughout the whole novel with tamer bits mixed in every so often.
The only thing I was a little disappointed about was about how calmly Jacqueline accepted the truth. Otherwise, I would say that this novel was a great example of historical fiction.

Rating: 4.5 Stars
Content: 3.5 Stars

*I received a complementary copy of this novel from the publisher. A positive review was not required and all thoughts are my own.

I had never read a story by this author before, but I was intrigued by the description. It was a wonderful story! I have always been fascinated by the Pony Express, considering I live in Kansas and near the route that the riders took. Loved this story!

I honestly do not have the words to describe how much I love this series! I am a huge historical fiction fan, but I will admit that I fall into the habit of reading books from the same specific time periods. I'm not complaining about this, but I appreciate this series because it takes me to times and places I probably wouldn't have traveled otherwise. Even though the books can each be read as a standalones, the knowledge that the characters are connected through lineage breeds a unique appreciation and respect for the history of our nation.

Although he may have just been a smaller supporting character, I really adored Michael, who was Jackie's adopted little brother. In the story he's 14, but he'd been with her family since he was 7. It was clear just how much he loved Jackie and looked up to her, even when he called her "bossy, bossy" like a pesky little brother. He was a fierce protector of her, and was the kind of side-kick we all wish we could have.

One of the strongest messages in this novel was the power of forgiveness. Not only between people, but between us and God. Has there ever been a person that you looked at and thought they were too far gone or undeserving of God's forgiveness? Or have you ever felt that way about yourself? Charles' story of redemption in this novel is powerful but also a lesson in the knowledge that there is no one too far separated from God that He cannot redeem them and turn their hearts away from evil. It was also heartwarming to see that instead of judging him as unchangeable, the people in his life prayed for him, and what a testimony that was in and of itself!

Another thing I really enjoyed in this story was the witty humor. It was lighthearted and often subtle, but it truly warmed my heart to the characters and their friendships with one another. Personally humor in a relationship is an instant captivator for me. Seeing two people laugh with one another in a kind-spirited way, instantly made me connect with and adore them more deeply.

As I've mentioned in the past, one thing I admire about Kimberley's writing is that her love and respect for history is clearly visible in each of her works. As with any historical fiction piece, I always appreciate reading the author's notes at the end to help separate some of the fact from fiction. Even though the majority of the characters may be completely fictional, Kimberley makes every attempt to recreate the setting and events as respectful to historical accuracy as possible. She is also known to throw in actual historical figures, and I enjoy seeing if I can figure out who some of them are as I'm reading. I love it when a book is able to awaken an interest for me to look deeper into historical events and time periods.

I have read each of the books in this series from the beginning and I look forward to reading more as they release. I honestly can't recommend this series enough!

*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.

This is among my favorites of the Daughters of the Mayflower series for several reasons. First, I knew very little about the Pony Express and learned so much from the novel. For some reason, I thought the Pony Express existed for many years when, in fact, it only lasted 19 months. Second, Woodhouse has a magical way of making her characters so believable, rich and complex. Finally, the spiritual content is so deep and fulfilling that I finish her books with a renewing of my own faith.

Jackie aka Jack is a wonderful heroine. She's feisty, caring, grounded in faith, and very determined. She has lost both her parents who ran the Stage stop and Pony Express station in Carson Sink, Utah Territory (now Nevada). She is bound and determined she is going to keep it going for the sake of all the Pony Express riders who stayed there and whom she had come to feel were family. Elijah Johnson has come to Carson Sink in search of his boss's heir. His boss has become like a father to him and Elijah is determined to find his missing daughter. Filled with action, adventure, and suspense, this book was riveting from start to finish. I loved the camaraderie between all of the people who made their home at Carson Sink. A wonderful small town feel like I remember growing up. I also liked that Sunday church was important for everyone who was there; and even if they got stopped by an express rider change, they went right back and finished their service.

This entire series has been a delight, and this book definitely shines among them.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.

Once again Kimberly Woodhouse has impressed me with her research. The Express Bride is based in the time of the Pony Express and Ms Woodhouse wove an engaging story of intrigue and adventure, scattered liberally with tidbits of information about the Express riders. I can imagine this was a challenging book to write as so much is known about the Express, but even yet, Ms Woodhouse was able to surprise me with a few new facts, and came through as expected with a fun, informative story.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

The author did a brilliant job of capturing the time period in this novel. The characters and plot were also well written. This was a great piece of historical fiction!

Another great addition to this captivating series. I loved this book. It is well written and touches on forgiveness, grace, and the power of love. Enjoyed getting to read about the Pony Express, definitely an interesting time in history.

I have read several books in the Daughters of the Mayflower series and enjoyed them all but this was my favorite. Loved the characters almost immediately. Interesting details about the Pony Express I did not know. Loved the strong theme of forgiveness and redemption. Just a wonderful story.

Express Bride by Kimberley
Full of adventure, romance, crime, murder and knowledge about the workings of the Pony Express in the late 1800.
A Christian Story. I didn’t want to stop reading because the characters were so likable. Jackie, called Jack by her friends, ran the Pony Express after her father died. Elijah, sent by her real father to find her because he had changed and Jackie’s mother and his wife had fled from his abuse and found refuge in the West with Mr. Rivers, who became her adopted father.

I thank the author and Barbour Publishing for allowing me to receive this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own

Romance and Adventure with a Christian Background at a Pony Express Station

Jacqueline (Jack) Rivers is mourning the death of her father. He ran a pony express station in Carson Sink. With her father’s death, she’s afraid she’ll lose her home if someone else comes to manage the station, so she’s trying to convince the owners to allow her to continue. The station is also a stopover for the stagecoach.

The stagecoach arrives with two visitors, Elijah Johnson who is searching for his partner’s lost daughter, and Mr. Crowell who is trying to locate forged Indian bonds for the government. Jack and Elijah feel an immediate interest in the other. Crowell enlists them both in his search for the forged bonds creating an adventure for Elijah that he didn’t expect.

This is the ninth book in the Daughters of the Mayflower series. I found this one of the most interesting from the plot standpoint. There is the mystery of the missing daughter, the forged bonds, and the excitement of catching the conman responsible for the forgeries. The book is heavily laced with Christian background. Some readers may find it too heavy, but I thought it fit the time period and characters well.

Jack is a strong female character. She feels bereft without her father, but is sure she can take on his responsibilities. Elijah is likable. He has a strong sense of loyalty to his partner and strives to do the right thing in all circumstances.

Each book in the Mayflower Bride series is a standalone story. If you enjoy historical Christian fiction, you may enjoy this book.

I received this book from Barbour Books for this review.

I get so excited every time I see that there is a new book coming out in the Daughters of the Mayflower series, doubly so when the new book is authored by Kimberley Woodhouse. Each book in the series works well as a stand-alone read. So you can jump into the series wherever you like and expect true reading pleasure.

In this book, the ninth in the series, Jacqueline, under the nickname of Jack, is running a Pony Express station and way station for the stagecoach line, assuming her late father's duties and responsibilities. Raised by her dad following her mother's death when she was quite young, Jacqueline loved her family made up of the Pony Express riders, her foster brother, and their only neighbors in this out of the way place. Little did she know how much her life would change with the arrival of Mr. James Crowell and Mr. Elijah Johnson o the stagecoach on October 12, 1860.

The Express Bride includes some intrigue and suspense along with historical romance, making it all the better. Woodhouse includes important spiritual truths without sounding preachy. Faith is so woven into the lives of these characters that their living out of that faith, even while struggling, seems as natural as breathing. Loving and forgiving are a foregone conclusion,not a decision, because as Christians they seek to live like Christ, an example to all readers of this delightful story.

I am grateful to have received a copy of The Express Bride from Barbour Books via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review and received no monetary compensation.

The Express Bride by Kimberly Woodhouse is the next book in her “Daughters of the Mayflower” series. The story begins in March 1834 with Anna Vines leaving her abusive husband and traveling west to begin a new life. Would she find it in the barren west? Fast forward to 1860 and Jacquelyn Rivers’ father has passed away and she has taken over the running of the stage and Pony Express stop as well as serving meals and offering overnight accommodations to the travelers. She sent an express mail to the owners signing it Jack as that is the name her father always called her and also because it would be unheard of for a woman to run the station on her own. What will happen when the owners learn that Jack is a woman? I there a connection between Jack and Anna? When a mysterious guest appears, who is working for his employer strange things come to light. As mysteries unfold will faith in God see them all through safely?
This is another hit for Kimberly Woodhouse. I couldn’t put it down once I started reading. The characters are so well described they come alive on the page and you either love or hate them depending on their character. The main characters have a deeply held conviction of their Christian faith and follow God to the best of their ability. Kimberly Woodhouse’s style of writing keeps the reader engaged and there are lots plot twists and surprises along the way to a logical conclusion. I give this book 5 of 5 stars.
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Pony Express comes alive in this latest installment of the Daughters of the Mayflower. Rich in history, this book was a delight to read. Highly recommended!

After her father's death, Jacqueline "Jack" Rivers took over management of his Pony Express station, thriving in her work but worried that the company would not allow her to continue in the position once they realize she's a woman. She is still grieving her dad when Elijah Johnson arrives looking for information about someone that may have passed through the area twenty-some years ago. Jackie and Elijah quickly strike up a friendship and Elijah decides to stay at the station for awhile, awaiting further instructions from his employer. Another guest at the same time is a government official who approaches both Jackie and Elijah about helping him gather information about counterfeiters operating in the Utah territory.

Elijah's employer, Mr Vines, commissioned him to follow the trail of the wife and daughter that left more than twenty years ago. Anna Vines had escaped her husband's abuse with her infant, and had covered her tracks very well, but Vines is a changed man and his failing health has motivated him to make one more attempt to reconnect with his daughter. Elijah doesn't have much information to go on but some cryptic entries in the guestbook at Jackie's station seem to match up so he sticks around to find out more. As he puts the pieces together, he begins to suspect that Jackie may actually be the long-lost daughter and heir of his employer. And if she is, how will she take that news? Will she believe that Elijah is genuine in his growing affection for her, or will she think he is trying to get access to the fortune she could inherit?

The novel opens with the prologue of Anna Vines and her desperate bid to escape her drunken and abusive husband, and keep her infant daughter safe. So the reader has some inside information that Jackie is almost certainly the long-lost daughter of Charles Vines. Jackie and Elijah are both engaging sympathetic characters, and an older and wiser Mr Vines is as well. The historical detail and background of how the Pony Express station operates creates an intriguing backdrop for the whole story, and I quickly found myself hoping that Jackie and Elijah would discover the truth about her identity and looking forward to a joyful reunion with Jackie's biological father. However, the subplot about the counterfeiting operation seemed disconnected from the main story right from the start, and I felt like it was there only as a device to add an element of danger. It also added some suspense when Elijah was gravely injured in a stagecoach attack and because he was unconscious for quite some time, he and Jackie were unable to exchange any information. But in my opinion, the storyline about the counterfeiting operation was an unrelated aside and purely coincidental. It didn't take away from my enjoyment of the main story, but I felt it was a rather contrived added layer.

I received a digital ARC of this book from Barbour Publishing/NetGalley for the purpose of this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Express Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse

I have enjoyed almost all of the “Daughter's of the Mayflower” books, especially the ones written by Kimberley Woodhouse. She has a unique knack for bringing whatever time period she sets her stories in to life. Maybe it's the extensive research she delves into (and it shows), or maybe it's the way she fleshes her characters out, or perhaps it's the exciting scenery she drops the reader into. Whatever it is, she does it well!!

The Pony Express has been one of the most fascinating industries in history and I can't seem to get enough books to read about it. Living in the 21st century, I can't imagine when mail had to be delivered by horse across county taking a couple of weeks to get there! I really love seeing how it plays out in the riders Woodhouse has chosen in this story. One rider said he had to go 75 miles in one day pushing his horse to go as fast as he can, all while looking out for danger in the form of robbers or savage Indians! I just can't wrap my head around that! I also love Jacqueline—or Jack for short—who runs the station in such an efficient manner, making sure everything runs smoothly. Her late father was station master & taught her all she knows. She has no idea her world is about to come crashing down around her in the form of Elijah Johnson; sent to find his employers long lost daughter. An immediate spark develops between these two but must be tempered while also trying to capture forgers of stolen Indian bonds. Since I don't want to spoil it for other readers, I'll just say this is quite an adventurous story that has so much going for it! It stands out to me as being a favorite of mine. I think one thing that I really liked about it was how the romance developed between “Jack” and Elijah. He never had a good living example of what love between two people really was & she had parents (though both deceased) who loved her unconditionally and showed her what it really meant. They both also had strong faith in the Lord and it showed, Woodhouse didn't skimp on the faith thread and made it feel a natural part of the story. Be sure to read the “Note from the Author” at the end where she talks a little about her research & how she incorporated it into her story, it really is intriguing!

I think if you've enjoyed the other books in this series, you will enjoy this one too! These all can be read as stand-alone and can be read in any order, that's the nice part. Maybe you just might find a “favorite” author or two for yourself!

*I received a complimentary copy from Barbour Publishers and was under no obligation to leave a review. All opinions are my own. *