I found The Rebel Bride by Shannon McNear to be a wonderfully romantic war-based read. The war between the North and South in the United States was wondrously depicted by this author. The pull of what was going on with both sides. The mandated help called upon and the internal tug-of-war to truly want to make well. I enjoyed that she penned the coming together of a person of the North with a person of the South. She also includes another marriage of sorts that was tough stuff back in the day. I couldn’t put this one down until I reached the last page. I highly recommend this romantic read.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.



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This is another easy read from the Mayflower series. During the civil war in the United States of America when the Unionists clashed with the Confederacy, Pearl MacFarlane from Tennessee, daughter of a farmer, ends up tending to soldiers from both sides of the divide on her family's farm. Joshua Wheeler is one of those injured, who loses a limb and knows he can no longer fight for the Union but still continues to champion their cause while holding a flame for Pearl all of the time. While there were no tough storylines to get my teeth into, it flowed well and was easy to pick up and leave down. The characters were likeable and the story was easy to follow. Another enjoyable Mayflower instalment.

WOW! I truly loved this novel! After Reading “The Cumberland Bride” this is the second novel I read by Ms Shannon Mc Near, and I think this one could have surpassed the previous one, even though I also loved it! Ms Mc Near is a excellent author, and I can tell in her stories, that shes a meticulous researcher. Even if I’m not a Civil War Era expert, I can tell… The Mayflower Brides Series is excellent. I can’t praise this series enough. So much history, though it’s never dragging, there’s a lot of action, sweet and clean romance and an inspiring message. And this book was not the exception.

Pearl Mac Farlane is taking care of her family farm in Tenessee, while tending to his ailing father, mentally and phisically, which tears at Pearls heart. Suddenly, her cousin brings to their door a wagon full of Unionists, all badly injured, so Pearls falls into the struggling task of nursing her enemy to health. But is the war just Confederate versus Unionists? I learned a lot from this book, especially that things during this war where nor black and White, and that there where confederates who didn’t support slavery, like the Mac Farlands who didn’t own a slave. But taking sides sometimes dependes on the side of America you were born to. In any case, these men were enemies for Pearl and she struggled to treat them as her equals. Her heart told her to, and God speaks to her through Bible verses, so that her vision of these people gradually changes. These men are, like her, children of God. And they don’t deserve what they are going through.

Josh Wheeler, a now war amputee, is one of the man needing of her care. He’s not very conscious at first. But when he comes to, he’s surprised by this feisty, strong and hardworking woman who is selflessly tending to them, the enemy at her own house. There’s a beautiful friendship that starts to develop between them, that will gradualy turn into something more. But can their love be more impossible than two enemies in survival mode? The romance was really tender and swooning. I loved Josh’s protectiveness of Pearl. And the way he admired her and saw her, especially after the days wore on, and he could be of more help to her and to the other wounded.

I loved Pearl’s love and care of her Pa. It was heart-wrenching for her to see him deteriorate. But she was strong. And I loved how her faith sustained her during the whole trial. And how her faith inspired Josh and many more.

The story flowed, never dragged, and I was captivated by the characters and how they confronted the ugliness of the war.

This was a beautiful read I vividly recommend. I book I will definitely reread! It left me feeling inspired and humbled.

I received a copy of this book from the Publisher vía NetGalley but wasn’t required to post a positive review. This is my honest and unbiased opinion

This series, The Mayflower Bride series, are stories that are fictionalized history to make it come alive for the reader. This book, The Rebel Bride by Shannon McNear, is set during the Civil War years in Tennessee, 1863.
For those that know my love of historical fiction, know that the accuracy of the story matters to me. In this case, the details are accurate. We get a true sense of misery and the high expectations of people with low supplies and food. The story is told with heart and soul throughout the book.

The characters are believable and have great depth. We truly understand the plight of Pearl, who is nursing her cousin's soldiers and taking care of her father who has failing health. The conflict is engaging and meaningful, and it is difficult to determine what "side" you should be supporting. Brilliantly written.

Even though the book is a romance novel, the author did not romance the war. We read about the pain and suffering, the lack of supplies and food, and what one might do to get either. The author touches on the causes of the Civil War and they may be different than what you learned in your high school history book.

I consider Pearl, the main character, a hero. She is forced to give the enemy food and shelter and medical care. She relies on prayer to help her get through the awfulness of each day. She learns that al mankind is worth saving. This is an excellent read and one that will have you questioning your own thoughts about the Civil War.

Shannon McNear loves losing herself in local history. A Midwestern farm girl who lived in Charleston, South Carolina, for more than two decades before being transplanted to North Dakota, she's a military wife, mother of 8, and a member of ACFW and RWA. When not cooking, researching, or leaking story from her fingertips, she enjoys being outdoors, basking in the beauty of the northern prairies.

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This is my favorite novel in the Daughters of of Mayflower series. The civil war is my favorite era for historical fiction. I love the chemistry between Pearl and Josh. Also there’s something about the bonds forged between regular people and the soldiers they cared for during the war that just warms the heart, especially considering the circumstances.

The Rebel Bride is another great book in the stand alone Daughters of the Mayflower series. I started this book while my husband and I were quarantined because of being exposed to Covid19. Pearl’s story, based in facts that many families lived during the Civil War era, brought new perspective to the relative inconvenience of the hardship I was facing. I was really moved by the way the difficult realities of this time in history are told. I loved the book. The story line was interesting and moved along smoothly. The Rebel Bride is one of my favorites in this series.

I’ve read quite a few books set during the Civil War time period, and I like the author’s setting and characters for this book. It’s not about a plantation or wealthy people. It’s a look at the “common” families and men who were prisoners-of-war. Those folks were placed in a situation that almost seems unbelievable, except that we know the facts are true. This author did a great job of showing how good, faithful men ended up fighting for both sides, and how many of those men who were believers in Christ acted on that belief in humane ways across enemy lines. There’s a romance that develops between Joshua, a Union solider, and Pearl, a Confederate young woman who finds herself taking care of the Yankee wounded. There’s a very strong faith element in this book that transcended the politics of either side.

There are so many differing viewpoints on this war. I thought this author took the high ground of faith and in the process, gave us a wonderful story. I also enjoyed the author’s notes on the research she did for this book. This book is not intended to be a historical text, but to help us understand the emotions of the people of that time and some of the hard decisions that had to be made.

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

I loved the book. A Historical fiction novel with a bit of everything! Thank you, Author and Publisher, for the incredible book!

I read an advance readers' copy of The Rebel Bride, by Shannon McNear, courtesy of NetGalley and publisher, Barbour Books, in exchange for an honest review. This is the 10th book in the Daughters of the Mayflower series, a historically accurate series that follows fictitious descendants of the Mayflower through American history. I have read and reviewed eight of them, and thoroughly enjoyed each one, but then, I am a serious history buff.

The story is set during The War Between the States during the time surrounding the Battle of Chickamauga, near Chattanooga, Tennessee. When the Rebels conscript local homes to be used as hospitals for injured prisoners of war, Pearl McFarlane, finds herself caring for Yankee prisoners. One of them, Joshua (Josh) Wheeler, is desperately ill, and Pearl is drawn to the handsome Yankee. In fact, she can’t seem to take her eyes off him.

I was especially impressed that, through the voices of Pearl and Josh, Ms. McNear expressed the views of both sides on the issues surrounding the war. Most Southerners were too poor to own slaves. The McFarlane family was not poor, but chose not to own slaves, and Pearl made her views known, much to the dislike of the obviously bigoted local minister. For historical accuracy, I give the author an A+.

One thing that bothered me while reading is the voice of the narrator frequently referring to Portius as “the Negro”. Once it had been established for the reader that Portius was black, free, and that he stayed to help around the farm by choice, no further mention of his race was necessary.

I believe The Rebel Bride may be one of the best, if not the best book so far in this series. If you are a history buff, or a lover of historical fiction and romance, you will thoroughly enjoy this wonderful book.

What made The Grumpy Book Reviewer grumpy?

• Verb tense disagreement within a sentence;
• A lot of split infinitives;
• Confusing further with farther;
• Replacing go with come.
Look for me online as the Grumpy Book Reviewer.

I really enjoyed this book from the Daughter of the Mayflower Series. It is a good stand-alone. There were a couple of things that seemed to be far fetched for this time period but the author did a good job explaining her reasoning in the notes at the end. This story follows a Southern family that must take in injured Union soldiers. Both sides learned from each other. I liked that the author didn't just make the Southerners all out to be pro slavery as it's common to do but innaccurate. Overall it was a sweet romance set in the Civil War.
Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to review this book for my honest opinion.

The Rebel Bride is the latest from the Mayflower Series and it did not disappoint. I enjoy the historical aspects included in this book. As in each from the series to date, I generally look up a few of the historical facts they share, and they're always right on. These facts are set beautifully in a believable and moving story that draws you in. I can't put these books down. I look forward to the next one!#TheRebelBride #NetGalley

I received an ARC from Barbour Publishing, via NetGalley this review is my personal opinion

I had mixed feelings about this book. So far I’ve have enjoyed the series, but I’ll confess I’m not a fan of the Civil War story. When I read the author’s note, I feel this book was a good one( And I was right!)

In chapter one we first start in a battle on September 20, 1863, on the battle of Chickamauga, northern Georgia. And how the main character (Joshua Wheeler) of the story receives an almost deadly wound and suffer the amputation of one of his arms. He is taken captive by the Confederacy army, but instead of being taken to prison, he is delivered in the house of Pearl McFarlane, when we find her amid sorrow and dealing with grief due to the death of her siblings, mother and the illness of his father. It is interesting here, and I did ask myself what we have done in her place?. She has to take care of this group Yankee soldier and nurse them to health, with almost no help, and small supplies, she struggled with attending these men that so far in her eyes are the enemy.

I like that her father, with love and patience, remained her about what the bible says about serving them they all are husband, fathers, and brother of someone else and what the bible says about our enemies. Little by little we see how Pearl even with her reservations she start to taking care of them and we can see the improvements on both character. Shannon Mcnear did a great job with this novel, all the elements work. All do we are in the midst of the war, we also get an opportunity to see another important aspect in it. The questions that the characters made between each other. How to trust when you are afraid?. How do you keep going?. We have interesting and human characters, faith, family, and romance all this mixed in the middle of the war. And like I said before, it works well!.

If you like a good Historical Christian fiction this book is a great choice, I recommend you to read the whole series of the Daughters of the Mayflower.

A Tennessee girl is thrown full force into the Civil War being expected to care for injured soldiers from both sides injured in battle close to her home. This author has brought the Civil War to life with the descriptive and real life situations this family is put through. You will feel the struggle in the minds of both sides not wanting to be near the other side and the young girl trying to be neutral and do her best in caring for all of them. A story that tells a bit of history that needed to be re-told.

This was my first book by this Author, but it is a great addition to the series and was not to be missed.

When I receive an email from NetGalley that practically asks me to read and review a book; more often than not, I’ll jump at the chance. When The Rebel Bride appeared in my inbox, I was more than thrilled! Another book in The Daughters of the Mayflower series? Ecstatic, I downloaded the book!

I didn’t read the summary of the book, so I had no clue what the title meant. As I started to read, I learned that the timeframe of this story was during the Civil War. With many mentions of historical names and places, I realized this is exactly why I love historical fiction. History was one of my favorite subjects growing up!

Primarily it was the Union versus the Confederacy. The Rebel Bride brings readers into the 1860s and the possibility of what living in a home in this time was like. The home most of this story takes place in is of Pearl Macfarlane and her family. Pearl’s cousin Travis brings a handful of Yankee wounded for her to tend to in addition to her father and younger brother, Clemson.

Without summarizing the entire amazing story, let’s just say one of Pearl’s charges is a handsome Yankee, Josh, who steals her heart. He helps her out and defends her when some of the other men want more than just shelter, food, and healing. Josh wins the trust of her father and Clemson.

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres. It puts into perspective what the life of every day people might have been like. History is more than just the facts in history books that were taught in school! I enjoyed the perspective of what it might have been like for a family back during the Civil War.

The Rebel Bride was provided complimentary in exchange for an honest review. I give this lovely book 5 out of 5 tiaras! If you’re looking for an easy read with historical events and a fictional family, this is the book for you! #bookslattesandtiaras

This is a beautifully written tale of love, war and opposing views. Set during the Civil War this book deals with the views of the North and the South in a very compelling way. Joshua Wheeler is fighting for the North when he is wounded in battle. He is taken to the field hospital where his lower arm is amputated. He is then taken to a home that has been conscripted to treat the prisoners of war. The home is Pearl MacFarlane's family home. Her 3 older brothers have been fighting for the South and have lost their lives. She lives with her younger brother and her Father. The battle between compassion and views is real. I would highly recommend this book to any that want a slice of what this war was about.

This is book ten in the Daughter of the Mayflower series.
This is a unique story during the Civil War. Pearl McFarlane has lost a lot to the war and now must turn her home into a makeshift hospital for the prisoners of war. And to this Confederate girl the Yankees are truly the enemy. Joshua awakens to find himself a recent amputee and in stead of a prison he is in the home of southerner. Josh and Pearl both learn a lot about each other, themselves and what really matters. If you enjoy historical romance you will enjoy this book.

Written during the Battle of Chickamauga, Pearl MacFarlane, along with her brother, Clem, and father, are trying to keep the farm running. Three brothers are already presumed lost to the war and their mother has been gone. When their cousin, Travis, brings a bunch of wounded soldiers to their home, their home becomes a hospital. Pearl does her best to tend to the wounds and healing but a certain soldier, Josh, becomes special to her and her to him. When choosing sides, which one prevails and can they put aside their differences to create a home. With father ailing and the battle coming closer, Pearl feels like everything is closing in on her. Josh is healing and trying to help as much as possible. As they tend to the ailing, Pearl and Josh become noticeably closer. If you have to choose a side, which do you choose? When you have to choose between head and heart, which do you choose? Another great story in the Daughters of the Mayflower series. Thank you to Shannon McNear, Barbour Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Another great installment in the Daughters of Mayflower series. This is the first book I've read by Shannon McNear but it won't be the last! I've always loved stories set in the Civil War time period and this was no exception. I quickly became invested in the lives of Josh and Pearl and her family. This is a clean romance and Shannon works to stay historically accurate. I loved her notes at the end and the extra reading suggestions as well.

It's up to Pearl MacFarlane to keep what's left of her family together. She must keep her wondering younger brother in check, keep an eye on her ailing father, and find enough food to feed the three of them. Joshua Wheeler is injured during battle. He's taken to a local farm to convalesce and then return to the fighting. Pearl and Joshua must come together to thwart danger. A truce between enemies just might turn into her being his Rebel Bride.

Pearl MacFarlane is trying to figure out how to feed her family with what little they have left. A secret stash under the barn is the only thing getting them through the war. A visit from her cousin has her forced into taking in the wounded enemy. In the first group of soldiers is Joshua Wheeler who was badly wounded in the most recent battle in the area. Pearl isn't happy about taking in the enemy and must come to terms with her feelings about the whole situation. With help from her father and younger brother they take care of the wounded with what little supplies the military gives them along with what they have on hand. Joshua arrived unconscious and finally awakes to find that he's lost his hand. He believes its his duty along with the other prisoners at the farm to escape as soon as possible. When more wounded arrive and are put in the barn. Joshua must decide on how to spend his internment either at the farm helping or in a camp. He begins helping Pearl to take care of the wounded. Pearl grudgingly starts to show sympathy for the soldiers. Her ailing father starts to get worse and when he wonders off it scares Pearl. She asks her sister-in-law to come and help take care of the wounded. As they work together and get to know each other Pearl and Joshua begin to have a friendship that turns into more. They think that there is no way that they can have a future together. Pearl receives a marriage proposal from her cousin. An unexpected family member returns with news of a upcoming battle. Pearl must make a decision on whether to help the man she loves return to the war. Joshua becomes like a member of the family. Her father last bout with his ailing health has him not recovering. Pearl is left alone at the farm with the wounded that are left. Danger comes when the battle has soldiers fleeing past the farm. When a group of union soldiers are about to burn the farm Joshua shows up to save the day. He returns to the war and when its over comes back to the farm for Pearl. Pearl and Joshua are married and talk of moving west where they can build a life without the stigma of being from the north or south. A local preacher marries them along with her brother and his wife.

The Daughters of the Mayflower series moves into the Civil War years by bringing together to supposed enemies and showing them that it doesn't matter your affiliation you can find true love together. Their circumstances have them thinking that they can't have a future together but between love and God they'll find a way with determination and love to come through the danger and tumult of a war. The Rebel Bride story shows that a strong family of women through generations can tackle historical events and hardship with their determination and faith in God and find love when they least expect it.