I have enjoyed each of the books in the Daughters of the Mayflower series. We are now in the 1880's and the next generational descendant of the Mayflower daughter is Eliza Gentry. She lives in central Texas, and her father owns a large cattle ranch. Her best friend is Wyatt Creed; and they both are fascinated by stars and planets and love to joke and prank. They are also both friends with Ben Barhart the son of the local judge. Even though they are young, both boys are crazy about Eliza.

Filled with witty banter, sweet romance, a wonderful cast of characters, and and vaudevillian suspense, this story kept me up way past my bedtime. Eliza's parents, although wealthy, were down to earth people who wanted the best for her. Wyatt grabbed at his second chance at life and became an honorable, hard working man. Justine was a perfect pre-teen with all her nosiness and wishes to grow up and wear fancy ball gowns and beautiful hats. Ben was a typical spoiled brat who thought everything he wanted should be his with no concern for anyone else and would do anything to get what he desired.

Wonderful continuation of the series, and I look forward to the next book.

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

Excellent addition to the Daughters of the Mayflower series! The story reads quickly and easily, likely because the characters were so well written! Eliza loves her family, deeply and fiercely, but she also values her freedom and independence. Determined that her way is better, she makes a reckless decision that sets the ball rolling to steep consequences. Years ago, another reckless decision mapped a new life course for all involved. When these paths of consequences converge, no one is left out and justice will be served. A must read for fans of this series, although it also stands alone as a great book. A well written clean, historical, inspirational romance.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and all opinions offered are my own and freely given.

I have read every one of this series of books and they are all good. This book was no exception!

A memory of events that happened while on a cattle drive with her father has not been forgotten by Eliza Gentry. The book then moves forward to a later time in her life when romance and adventure become a part of her life. Making some mistakes in her choices of men is a subject that she often contends with her father about.

The story is really interesting and a page turner for me. I loved reading it and found it to be quite entertaining. It was a good addition to the series!

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

As I read I saw the percentage quickly rise in the bottom corner of my Kindle screen and knew this book would end much too quickly. The Chisholm Trail Bride is the story of Eliza Gentry, daughter of the wealthy rancher, William Gentry, and Wyatt Creed, son of an alcoholic Texas Ranger. An unexpected and deadly event during a spring trail ride on the Chisholm Trail left their friendship fractured and filled with deceit. Nine years later they continued to live with the ramifications.

I really enjoyed this story although I will admit I wish it had ended on July 27, 1889. I won't spoil the story by telling you why. I do highly recommend this book and series. Each contributing author to the series is a stellar storyteller and accomplished writer. I am very grateful to have received a copy of the book from Barbour Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review and received no monetary compensation.

A Headstrong Girl Finds Love and Adventure in the Old West

Thirteen-year-old Eliza Ward wants to go on the cattle drive along the Chisholm Trail with her father. Her mother thinks she should go to her family in New Orleans where she could learn to be a lady, but Eliza can get what she wants from her father so she’s on the cattle drive. Her best friend and partner in crime, Wyatt Creed, is also working on the drive as is his arch rival Ben Barnhart.

Ben vows to marry Eliza, but Wyatt has different ideas, and Eliza doesn’t want anything to do with Ben. Before the cattle drive ends, Wyatt and his father have a life changing altercation, and he’s gone from Eliza’s life possibly forever.

As a young lady, Eliza forgets her distaste for Ben and against her father’s wishes vows to marry him. This headstrong action to get back at her father brings calamity to the whole family.

This is a delightful romance filled with action and adventure. I particularly enjoyed the scenes of the old west along the route of the cattle drive. The plot sometimes seems contrived because Eliza is so bent on having her own way. I didn’t particularly like her character. Wyatt is a strong character and a true gentleman. He was my favorite character in the book. Ben makes a suitably detestable villain. All together it was a fun read.

This is the twelfth book in The Daughters of the Mayflower Series. I have enjoyed all books. Some are more focused on the history of the period. This one is more action and adventure, but all are worth reading.

I received this book from Barbour Books for this review.

(4 stars) - a western-flavored romance

This is an enjoyable story with likeable, well developed characters. It's a little more romance than historical, but I don't mind that 😁

The beginning is a look at the seeds of the story that were planted when the protagonists (& antagonist) were youngsters in their early teens working a cattle drive headed up by Eliza's dad on the Chisholm Trail.

Then it moves forward in time to their young adult years & the sticky predicament a rebellious Eliza has managed to get herself in. And the mysterious cowboy her dad has assigned to guard her from harm

The story is interesting, & at times, amusing. I like the way the author writes.

The plot has some weaknesses.
***SPOILER ALERT***
I couldn't help but wonder how Ben could recognize Wyatt so quickly, but Eliza, who knew him far better, did not. Wyatt had enough slips to have recalled him to her memory. She also should have known her father better.

I was surprised that Eliza didn't understand that her dad did what he did to save Wyatt from having to defend himself against a charge of murder & possible hanging.
***END SPOILERS***

However, while these questions brought my rating down slightly, and the ending is a tad convenient, they didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the story at all, & I still recommend it!

*Clean romance level: sweet kisses, nothing graphic

“The stars at night were big and bright. Eliza Gentry sighed. Was there any more beautiful sight?” - Opening lines of The Chisholm Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo

The Chisholm Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo is a fabulous new addition to the Daughters of Mayflower series. Set in the Wild West of the Chisholm trail in 1880, we join Eliza as she travels with her father and his team moving their cattle. She is capable cowgirl but this drive had ramifications which play out for her life.

We then skip forward nine years, in trouble with her father, Eliza is sent from the farm to New Orleans to do the season! She’s horrified, in danger and under the protection of a Pinkerton man, Wyatt. He has his hands full with her trying to break away from the structure around her.

The two set off on a great adventure working through the problems of the past which have risen again, fight off bandits, herd cattle and ride horses. It’s a delight from start to finish, full of fun and mystery.

If you enjoy historical romance with Christian insights, this one is for you. I highly recommend it, it’s a five out of five of enJOYment.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Chisolm Trail Bride is the twelfth (and last?) in the Daughters of the Mayflower series, and the second I’ve read. And while I liked the previous book, this one felt more underwhelming, and it could be down to the fact that I gel with this author’s style less, although it is hard to make that call with just the one book.

One thing I did really enjoy is the Y’Barbo’s way of recreating the setting. Given she lives in Texas, I love that she’s introducing her home state to readers who live across the country (maybe even the world?) and educating them about its places and history.

A lot is great in theory. the central conflict of father and daughter over her disobedience works. And the relationship between childhood friends Eliza and Wyatt is nice. I don’t find it particularly memorable, but it was a sweet relationship, and there’s decent stakes.

But even though there was a great setup, I didn’t feel like it went anywhere interesting, especially with an attempt to add suspense to the narrative that wasn’t suspenseful and relied mostly on convenience.

This one was mostly not for me, but I do see why it would appeal to people more withbin the target demographic of more devoted Christian Fiction readers. If you love that genre and have an interest in Texas, I think this book may be right up your alley.

Y'all I can't even begin to describe how sad I am to close the cover on this book. I have been with this series right from the beginning and loved every single one of them. I sincerely hope that Barbour decides to continue it further, as there's still plenty of time in history left to cover.

I loved how the romance was developed in this one. I get that romance is often rushed in order to fit within the allotted number of pages for a book, but that can also make it seem more unrealistic to me. I am a big fan of there being a past friendship or connection prior to the story so that their relationship will feel more genuine from the start. This one gets bonus points for how well this was all worked out and woven in.

And Wyatt Creed? Oh, is he wonderful. You'll love him, but I won't spoil him for you. You'll have to discover him for yourself.

With likable characters and intense energy, the author did a fantastic job of maintaining just the right balance of mystery and action to keep the pages turning. It didn't take me long to devour this one at all despite my desire to make it last longer. This one met all the right criteria for being another solid installment into what has become one of my favorite series of all time.

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

Historical Fiction is my favorite genre to read. I've enjoyed the Daughters of the Mayflower series that takes a look at various aspects of American History. Kathleen Y'Barbo also wrote The Pirate Bride and The Alamo Bride, and now The Chisolm Trail Bride. She has a beautiful way of writing that places you right in the story. I really enjoyed this story beginning with a young Wyatt and Eliza on a cattle drive where Wyatt's father is shot in cold blood. This experience haunts Eliza for the next nine years. Could she actually marry the shooter? I highly recommend this visit to the cattle drive on the Chisolm Trail. And stay tuned at the end to learn more about the real history in the book!

Another great installment in this multi-author series. These books are all stand alone stories connected through genealogy and can be read in any order. Eliza Gentry is the only daughter of a wealthy Texas cattle rancher. She loves nothing more than going on cattle drives with her brothers and father on the Chisholm Trail. When the story opens, Eliza is 12 years old and on what will be her last cattle drive for a very long time. It ends tragically, and afterwards her mother tries to turn her into a proper young lady in New Orleans high society. Eliza considers accepting a forbidden suitor from her past but really just wants to go home to Texas to study the stars and try not to think of her childhood best friend Wyatt Creed whom she hasn’t seen in 10 years. The thwarted suitor ends up being quite a villain with a powerful family. To protect those she loves, Eliza must deceive everyone. When the situation spirals out of control, Wyatt must step in to protect the only woman he has ever loved and to face the truth of what happened on the Chisholm Trail. There are some great twists to keep the story moving though I was somewhat surprised in the convenient resolution. The story is well written and well paced, and I enjoyed it.

The newest release of The Daughters of the Mayflower will keep you turning the page until the very end. The Chisholm Trail Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo is full of suspense and twists that the reader may not see coming. Exciting from page one, I had a hard time putting this one down to go to sleep.
Eliza is a likeable, if not head strong character, who tends to get herself in less than ideal situations. The story opens with her as a twelve year old girl helping her rancher father move cattle through the Chisholm Trail. Two young men, completely opposite in character, vie for Eliza’s attention. But one night on the trail, all of their young lives will change forever.
Fast forward ten years and Eliza is still the decisive type. Engaged to someone not of her parents choosing, Eliza eventually learns the truth of what happened in surprising ways.
There are characters to love and characters to hate in this story.
Politics, scandal, good-old fashioned detective work and secrets that spiral out of control fill the pages of this enjoyable read, that keeps the reader engaged until THE END.
I received an ecopy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

The latest installment in the Daughters of the Mayflower series is full of action and history. Author Kathleen Y’Barbo did an excellent job incorporating bits of history throughout the story without making it read like a history textbook.
I had a few issues with the story, namely that it was really difficult to like Eliza Gentry’s father, when the reader was supposed to like him. The background story of the heroine and hero (Eliza and Wyatt Creed) was very interesting and I did like most of that premise, but I think it could have been dealt with differently. There were some character inconsistencies as well, but Y’Barbo’s dedication to the history and storytelling kept the reader engaged and interested. Eliza was also a very likable heroine and full of depth, while Wyatt, although less deep, was a classic frontier hero, with the added appeal of being a detective.
3.5/5 stars

Ms. Y'Barbo has added another awesome book to the Daughters of the Mayflower series. In this historical fiction story you meet Eliza and Wyatt when they are young. After a fateful event while pushing cattle down the Chisholm Trail, Eliza loses the best friend she ever had. Years down the road, events lead to a meeting with another man on that ride is making his promise to make Eliza his wife but Eliza does not agree. Through twists and turns, faith in God along with some help from Eliza's father, things work out as they should. Loved it! Cannot wait to read more in this historical fiction series. Thanks to Ms. Y'Barbo, Barbour Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this awesome book!

Will their past mistakes and tragedy catch up with them ...

Wyatt is a good man, he paid a heavy price for a tragedy not of his making. Still, he rebuilt himself.
I can understand his attachment to his childhood friend, but the woman she turned in, is rather a spoiled fickle one.
He tried at every turn to prevent her from running into disaster, and she is lucky he has a talent for rescuing people, or else she would still stuck in a predicament of her own making.

I am not sure I liked Eliza, for a stubborn, clever young woman, she is one to fall in every trap set for her. She is blind and deaf, unable to recognize her long lost friend and unable to listen to the voice of reason.
Like acting rebellious by deciding to elope with the one man everyone warned her to avoid just to spike her father?
Quite stupid.
Even more when years earlier she swore she would be marry him.
And with danger lurking around her, she continues her old habits to sneak away or is unable to stop to think for two seconds before acting.
Her deeds unsettled me, I was mostly upset by her then when she found some stamina to fight back, I rooted for her, then she would belittling it by a silly act right after.

But I might praise the author for the villain, he was someone I loved to hate. Awful to the roots. A prefect characterization of a despicable person. Still I found the resolution a bit rushed, hopefully the lovely epilogue made up for the end.
Why the 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

I was granted an advance copy by the publisher Barbour Books, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

This is in a tie for my favorite book of this entire series...
I LOVED the premise of this book! Who doesn't want a romance that could only be orchestrated by God across decades and distance?
Eliza is fiery and independent, forever breaking the mold of what others want her to be. Wyatt is as steadfast and loyal as they come, a man of his word no matter the cost. Their story is incredible.
All of Ms .Y'Barbo's characters are rich and detailed, even the side characters. I especially enjoyed Cookie and Justine. The historical detail is excellent.
I have loved this series, beginning to end. Know that they can be read as stand-alones, and pretty much in any order. All the ladies in these books are connected across generations, but often there are multiple generations between books and the stories aren't dependent on one another.
Wonderful sweet, historical romance.

The Chisholm Trail Bride
By
Kathleen Y'Barbour


Synopsis - Eliza gentry pursuit of marriage to the son of her family's sworn enemy has cost her greatly. Not happy with her choices, her father sent her on a cattle drive. She is also watchful eye of Wyatt Creed

My thoughts - what a great addition to 'The daughter's of the Mayflower". "The Chisholm Trail Bride" is full of adventure, romance, intrigue and a great story line.I fell in love with Eliza attitude of standing up for herself. She's a strong women!
The character's are very amiable. The story was greatly written and was easy to follow. You will find adventure, romance and drama.

I'm giving this book a 5 out of a 5 rating

I will love to recommend this book to friend and family on Facebook.

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

4 stars- This was another intriguing tale to add to the collection of stories in the “Daughters of the Mayflower” series. Even though the characters in this series are all descendants of the same original couple that traveled on the Mayflower, they tend to branch off into many different, distant branches.
This series is written by many different authors, but I like how the same authors have written several books within the series. This allows for their branch of the original family tree to continue and be connected throughout their specific books. In this book, Eliza Gentry is the granddaughter of the main characters from book #7 “The Alamo Bride” and also directly descended from the main characters in book #2 “The Pirate Bride”. I enjoy reading about the connections of the characters and revisiting past characters in later books.
Eliza Gentry is not a typical girl. She loves the stars, the cattle trail and being her own person. Wyatt Creed is her best friend and partner in crime. The opening chapters, along the Chisholm Trail, that set up the remainder of the story, were heartfelt and really drew me in to Wyatt’s story. I liked Eliza and Wyatt and thought they had a good connection. They were both strong characters, although with the events in the beginning of the book, I was a little dubious of Eliza’s close connection to another character in the story.
I thought Eliza’s cousin Justine was a fun addition to the story. I felt sorry for the sweet girl and loved her indomitable spirit and fashion sense. I think my favorite fashion choice was the silverware in her hair. =)
I have enjoyed the different stories in this series and reading about different times and events in history. I look forward to checking out the remaining books in the series. It is hard to believe that the series is close to coming to an end.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Chisholm Trail Bride is part of a 12 book series, The Daughter’s of the Mayflower. This can be read as a stand alone book. I have read and loved two of the other books in the series, but I just couldn’t get in to this one. I really wanted to love this, being out west and the time period. Unfortunately, the writing and plot fell flat for me.

I loved how this 12th novel of the Daughters of the Mayflower Series begins...with the main characters Eliza and Wyatt as young teens. Their strong of friendship with a dash of fighting was a great background for their relationship years down the road.

While I enjoyed the entire novel, the first 2/3 of the novel were especially delightful. There was the banter of Eliza and Wyatt and then later on the addition of young and feisty Justine. My favorite scene in the novel was Justine, a pre-teen, schooling Eliza on how to properly eavesdrop on a conversation.

The time spent in Austin was especially dear to this former 30 year Austinite. Fun to read about places I am familiar with.

This is a great series through American history and I look forward to the next one.