This was a great book! I enjoyed the civil war setting. The two main characters drew me in and I couldn’t wait to see what ended up happening. Two people that shouldn’t have ended up together, thrown together in the worst circumstance. Can love win out?

What a stunning story that weaves the heartbreak of war and the fresh hope of love. The American Civil war is not something I know much about as a Brit, but McNear allowed me to understand how both sides truly believed in the cause.

The Rebel Bride is a slow burn romance taken place in Tennessee at the time of the Civil War. Pearl MacFarlane is a nurse and meets an amputee soldier. I haven’t read a novel surrounding this era before and i quite enjoyed it! This is also the first time i’ve read one of Shannon McNears works and i’m interested in read more in the “Daughters of the Mayflower” series.

I received a copy of The Rebel Bride from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I am enjoying the entire Daughters of the Mayflower series. Each book builds my knowledge of history and appreciation for our country. While each book stands alone, I eagerly look forward to each new installment.

The Civil War is not an easy subject. There is so much emotion (even still today) on both sides. The author did an excellent job presenting both sides. The protagonists struggled with the issues, but also presented their viewpoints to the other characters. I appreciated seeing the war through their eyes.

I’ve read other books set during the Civil War, but this one was one of the best. I have rated the other books in this series with a 3-4 star review. This one, I’m giving all five stars. I learned more about the Civil War than I’ve learned in others. And, of course, I enjoyed the story.

I follow the GoodReads rating system. Please note that this means even the 3-star books are ones I liked.
1 star – didn’t like it
2 stars – it was OK
3 stars – liked it
4 stars – really liked it
5 stars – it was amazing; I’ll read it over and over and/or it will impact my daily life.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Another excellent installment of the Brides series! This was a beautifully written account of a young woman, Pearl, who, as a part of a confederate family, is forced to take care of enemy wounded in her home. One of the wounded, Josh, befriends her, and at one point, protects her from unwanted attention. As their friendship grows, the war comes closer, and he has to return. Great story I couldn't put down!

A very sweet, slow romance between a Union soldier and a Southern young woman, “The Rebel Bride”, by Shannon McNear (Barbour Publishing), addresses the ravage and horrors of war and features a wounded soldier who wonders if he’ll ever have the chance of “a plain, ordinary life”.
Josh is a great character, solid, kind, level-headed. Pearl is an amazing heroine, too, her strength and braveness coexisting with her fears and vulnerability.
I liked the realistic way Josh’s amputation was handled, and the humor the leads showed sometimes about his injury, saying, for example, he could become a pirate.
I enjoyed their romance more in the beginning, all tentative and shy, and I thought afterwards it slowed down too much and it seemed nothing relevant or intense was happening in the romantic front.
I also liked the writing style and how the author tries to give voice to different and conflicting sides.
There is a group of good secondary characters, too; I especially liked Portius, with his powerful, beautiful voice, and young Clem.

Another entrancing novel in the continuing Mayflower Brides series, A Rebel Bride was a study in contrasts: North versus South, Union against Confederate, slave versus free, love against hate, foe or friend. Did God assign favor to the Confederates or the Federalists? How did a southern family find the strength needed to care for several wounded Union soldiers? Pearl MacFarlane pondered these many questions as she and her small family were forced to do just that from their home in eastern Tennessee. In her developing relationship with wounded Yankee soldier Josh Wheeler, Pearl had to decide if a future was even possible for two souls from opposing ideologies. The juxtaposition of contrasts throughout the story was thought-provoking and poignant and I could almost feel myself caught up in the characters’ struggles. Such an engrossing tale of loss and redemption, forgiveness, and a slow-simmering clean historical romance you don’t want to miss!

I do love a historical romance book and this one is the first one I ever read with confederate and union romance. I did enjoy it and liked the character development. Felt a little rushed in the last couple of chapters however.

This was my first time reading a novel by Shannon McNear, and I was pleasantly surprised! Her book centered around Pearl MacFarlane, a strong Confederate sympathizer who is forced to care for dying Yankee prisoners of war. Pearl has to decide whether to hold to her strong beliefs or allow love to soften her stubborn sensibilities. I greatly enjoyed this book!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Another captivating story in the Daughters of the Mayflower series! A grieving family is prevailed upon to harbor wounded enemy soldiers in their home near Chattanooga, Tennessee in the fall of 1863. Nursing the enemy challenges Pearl to put her faith into action in ways she'd never imagined.

“If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink...”
Great characters that grew in depth as the story progressed, and descriptive writing drew me into this interesting tale. I felt like I was there, watching and listening from the sidelines. Much more than a historical romance, the author's careful research of the time and complexity of the issues, is cleverly woven into the story. The extensive notes at the end were interesting to read, filling in details of the real events.
I like how questions of faith were a part of their struggle, and the use of scripture was used to bring hope and guidance. What an awful time that must have been with families divided, with so much grief and loss. The romance is a tender one and seemed believeable given the circumstances.
"Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart..."

Recommend for fans of Christian historical romances based on real events. 4.5 stars

The Rebel Bride
By Shannon McNear
This installment of Daughters of the Mayflower series hit my “sweet spot.” I have enjoyed this series as it travels through time following the same family line. The Rebel Bride is set in Tennessee where the locals are asked to house and care for the injured Union men following battle. Pearl MacFarlane is no exception despite already caring for her ailing father and younger brother. As Pearl adjusts to her new responsibilities, she struggles with remaining uninterested in the soldiers she is caring for. One solider in particular sticks out as he becomes both support to her and her family and sparks awareness in her heart. War is no place to be falling in love, especially with the enemy.
I was just visiting Antietam this weekend so I am in Civil war mode. I was quickly drawn into the plot and lost in the story. Shannon McNear did a history workout as she gathered information for this and it is illustrated across the pages.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

THE REBEL BRIDE by SHANNON McNEAR takes place in the South during the American Civil War It is a well written book in which the author not only shows the horrors of the war, but shows ordinary people dealing with it.
We see how Pearl MacFarlane copes with nursing enemy soldiers, in spite of the fact that she has lost three brothers in the war, seeing them as patients who have been entrusted to her care. In spite of exhaustion and shortages she does her level best to keep the men from dying. She is especially drawn to Josh Wheeler, whose hand has been amputated, and who she nurses through fever and infection, praying throughout that the Lord would not let him die.
I like the way the author describes the characters' emotions, which really gets us into the story, and the strong Christian message running throughout.
It is the first book I have read by Shannon McNear and it most definitely will not be the last.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Barbour Books.
The opinions in this review are completely my own.

I have enjoyed the Daughters of the Mayflower series immensely. With each book being a standalone story and often written by a different author, this has been a joy to follow.

And what a history lesson in the process! From the Mayflower's landing to the Civil War, I have learned much. In The Rebel Bride by Shannon McNear, we meet Pearl MacFarlane, who is forced to care for Union soldiers in her home. As the war drags on and injured men continue to arrive, Pearl struggles with her desire to not help the enemy with her willingness to obey the Scripture that says, "Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head." Being raised in a godly home, she obeys the Lord and finds herself seeing her enemy in a new light. Especially in one Yankee who steals her heart.

I loved the characters in this story and the questions it raised. Both sides prayed to God. Both sides had Christian believers, and yet only one side could win. On whose side was God? God does not involve himself in politics. But He does involve Himself in our lives and our hearts. How we respond to people who are against us, says a lot about our relationship with Him.

Our two main characters, Pearl and Joshua, find that true love conquers a lot of things, and when God's Word and His ways are uppermost in your mind, anything can happen.

I received this book courtesy of Barbour Publishing through NetGalley.

I've really enjoyed every book in this series, some more than others, but they've all been enjoyable and this one is no different! I love Shannon McNear's quality of writing. I'll admit books set during the Civil War are hit or miss for me, and this is a hit. This was set in the South in the form of Pearl nursing soldiers from both the North and South. She wants to stay out of it so to speak until she meets Joshua. Pearl and Joshua are fantastic who have excellent character arcs and a realistic for the time period growing relationship. This also portrayed some aspects of the Civil War realistically along with the everyday hardships that were depicted in this. As always, I can't wait for this series to continue!

Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 5
Pace: 5
Plot development: 5
Characters: 4
Enjoyability: 5
Ease of Reading: 5

Overall rating: 5 out of 5

This is a "MUST READ" book!! It is very well written and grabs you on the first page. This book is full of emotions and the author did an excellent job at describing the pain and heartbreak of war. The way this book is written you feel like you are there, it plays like a movie in your mind as you are reading. This book deserves more than 5 stars.
Thank you Barbour Publishing via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this awesome book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I've enjoyed most books from the Daughters of the Mayflower series, but particularly liked this one. I like how the author has shown the Civil War from the southern perspective that most southerners had....which is not how the history courses teach it in school. Like Romeo and Juliet, Joshua and Pearl come from opposite sides of the Mason-Dixon line and feel 'forbidden' feelings toward each other, but of course it works out. The author has taken great care not to sugar coat any of the events from the battle or the daily struggles that many families experienced, and addresses how a shared faith can bring people together in the harshest of circumstances.