The newest addition to the Daughters of the Mayflower series has plenty of action, interesting history and courageous characters. The author does a thorough job of reminding readers of the family's history, connecting back to characters from her previous book in the series, The Pirate Bride. The introduction and historical notes at the end fill in the blanks about the real people and events mentioned in the text, showing her careful research. This made me curious and had me looking up names like Jean LaFitte, Sam Houston, and William Claiborne, and their connections to Andrew Jackson.

“He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust.”
Both Ellis and Clay take great comfort in reading the Book of Psalms, focusing on Psalm 91, Trusting in the Lord for help and comfort, and doing what they believe to be right was an important theme throughout. In a time of war that can be tricky, especially when helping wounded soldiers who appear to be spies or possible enemies. Ellis is brave, and seems to willingly serve others with her knowledge of 'doctoring' using herbs. She seems to carry the burden for her family a lot. It was unclear what Clay was hiding from his past, and didn't seem to matter in the end. The idea of a possible treasure hunt was intriguing.

Readers who enjoy stories based on real historical events, with a clean romance, may like this latest addition to the series. They all easily read as stand alones. The Pirate Bride will fill in more of the backstory alluded to here about Maribel Cordoba.

I absolutely love this book! It is full of history, action, drama and a perfect ending. This is a very well written book that once you start reading it you can't stop. I highly recommend this book. Thank you Barbour Publishing via NetGalley for ARC copy of this wonderful book. This is my honest opinion.

THE ALAMO BRIDE by KATHLEEN Y'BARBO is a historical romance novel which takes place in 1835 at the time of the Alamo. It is an interesting and exciting story with a good Christian message, based largely on the promises of protection in psalm 91.
Ellis Valmont finds a nearly dead soldier in a canoe, pulls him to safety, and, together with her mother, nurses him back to life. Unfortunately Clay Gentry, a soldier with the Greys, has lost his memory. This makes for an exciting story, tied in with the fight between the Texians and the Mexicans for Texas, with Ellis and her family not being sure which side their mysterious lodger is really fighting for. I won't tell you any more as I do not want to spoil the read for you.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Barbour Publishing. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you read The Pirate Bride, you will recognize Maribel's descendants in this story. First off Kathleen Y’Barbo is a talented author, who integrates her love for history and detail into a well-written tale of the time of the Alamo. The plot is well-paced and stirring. I appreciated the author’s ability to tell a historical tale with authentic characters and strong themes of faith, family and love.
My favorite quote: “No buts,” Grandfather said. “Trust does not allow for any buts. We pray for their safe return until the Lord shows us proof that was not His will.”
A powerful message of trusting God even when we are unsure of the future and to pray unceasingly.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley. This review is my honest opinion.

The latest in the series “The Daughters of the Mayflower”, takes place in 1836 when Texas is fighting for their independence from Mexico. The Alamo is an 18th century Franciscan Mission in San Antonio, Texas where many battles were won and lost.

The New Orleans Grey, were a group of soldiers out of New Orleans that came to help Texas fight for their independence. In one of the beginning scenes Ellis Dumont finds Clay Gentry, a Grey bloodied, unconscious and raging with fever. Ellis' mother is a healer and has been teaching her the art.

This, like all of the other Mayflower bride series is full of history, action, suspense with a little romance included. The Alamo Bride can be read as a stand alone book, but this series is so well done you will not want to miss any of them. For me it adds so much when the authors revisit some of the main characters from previous books. Not so much that they are retelling the whole story. But they tie in all lose ends, just in case you may have forgotten who has descended from whom.

Fans of Christian historical romance will not be disappointed with Kathleen Y'Barbo's new book. This book had me at the heartstrings right from the start. I found it to be a very well written, exciting story. I enjoyed the history so much, I had to further research the Alamo and Texas gaining their independence.

I received a copy of this book from Barbour Books through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I have read and enjoyed each of the previous books in the Daughters of the Mayflower series. The Alamo Bride is a wonderful addition! It takes place, obviously, in Texas and is filled with history, adventure, suspense and romance.

After seeing him be sworn into service to the Grays, Ellis Dumont finds Clay Gentry unconscious, bloody, with a terribly fever in a stolen boat. She knows he couldn't have stolen it because of the timing of his arrival, but wants to help him recover from his bullet wounds and discover if he is friend or foe to the state of Texas.

This story will keep you turning pages and waiting to see what comes next! I am greatly looking forward to the next book in the series...and to see what's next from Kathleen Y'Barbo!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I have been reading the Daughter's of the Mayflower series from the beginning, and The Alamo Bride by Kathleen Y'Barbo is the seventh book in this eighteen book series.

Ellis Dumont finds Clay Gentry unconscious and bleeding badly from bullet holes. As the story progresses, we learn more about Clay and his mission, and as he rambles incoherently with a raging fever, Ellis writes down everything that comes out of his mouth. Which leads her to worry about where his loyalties lie - with Mexico or Texas?

Being Canadian, I didn't know much about The Alamo. I didn't know why it was important or what happened there. I did not know that Texas had to fight for its freedom from Mexico which makes this story very intriguing given the times we live in.

I did like that the two main characters seemed to live by the same belief system, trusting that if God allowed something bad to happen, He could then turn it around for their good. Both characters also seemed to cherish the same Scripture verses which made their growing interest for each other (even though Clay couldn't remember who he was) sweet.

While this book is in a series, I have found that it (along with all the other books in the series) can be read as a stand-alone. If you like romance and history, you will enjoy this latest addition to the series.

I really enjoyed reading this book! The setting was one I was not familiar with so it was intriguing to me.
Ellis came from a line of extremely courageous ancestors. Being in a Texas during war time without any men must have been a daily struggle for safety for Ellis and her family. I really liked that she and her mother were herbal healers! I love how Ellis was able to save Clay's life with her herbal treatments. Reading about Clay's unconscious ramblings while he was healing made me feel like I was right there in the story!
It showed great character and dedication for Clay to not follow through with his original mission, but to adopt one that included the well being of Ellis and her family.
All in all, a wonderful historical story with much courage and faith.
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley, but this in no way influenced my review.

I have read and enjoyed all of the Daughters of the Mayflower books, and just knew this one would be wonderful too. It did seem to start out a little slower than the other books I had read, but once I got to about 1/3 of the way through, I found myself constantly referring to the first part of the book! It was so engaging, and so many adventurous things happening, that I was racing through to see what would happen next! I truthfully enjoyed the characters that Kathleen Y’Barbo created, and didn’t find there to be any dangling strings throughout the book. Such an incredible time in history to peek into! I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, but was under no obligation to post a review.

To be honest, The Alamo is the first historical event in this amazing series, The Daughters of the Mayflower, of which I had preconceived ideas and, as such, I cracked The Alamo Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo open with hesitation. If I could read with my eyes closed that would have been how I tackled this one. At the same time, I don’t like skipping a book in a series, and thank goodness I don’t, this one is a gem! Sit back and enjoy it with the knowledge that, despite it’s historic setting, the author creates a beautiful story and the ending is a good one!

My knowledge of the Alamo was limited to the disaster and massive loss of life but this book expanded my horizon to the context, the people and complexity of the conflicts. Ellis is headstrong, independent and empathetic. Claiborne is, through his own behaviours, trying to work out who he is and where he stands in the war raging around them. For the most part, the discoveries are made from Ellis’ home through storytelling and reflection.

I thoroughly enjoyed it, five out of five on the en-JOY-ment scale and can’t wait to tuck into the next in the series! If you haven’t started reading this collection, don’t hold back, it’s fabulous!

The Alamo Bride was fantastic! Kathleen Y'Barbo knows how to write adventure filled historical romance that will keep the pages turning! This book was filled with action, danger, and adventure and of course a bit of romance!   I loved it!  The Alamo Bride kept me on the edge of my seat, yet still managed to have plenty of warmth and humor from the characters.  I loved Ellis and Clay!  Ellis had a strong and feisty spirit that worked well with this story and the circumstances and Clay was loyal, driven and had a great sense of humor despite his circumstances.  I loved that this book actually mentioned Ellis's ancestors from The Pirate Bride.  It allowed me as a reader to connect the characters and feel more invested in Ellis, by knowing a bit of her family's past.  The plot itself was intriguing and really kept me anxious and guessing what would happen next!  I would definitely recommend this book to historical fiction fans!  This book was a great addition to The Daughters of the Mayflower series!

I confess that all I remember from history class regarding this time period was the ending to the story of the soldiers at the Alamo. So I wasn’t sure if I was prepared for heartbreak. Thankfully, the author did a good job weaving a story into this period of history without leaving me despondent at the ending. I liked the book and it was a relaxing read (other than during a scene with some snakes where I shuddered and tensed up.)

I appreciate how this series moves through the history of the USA. I also like that I am introduced to authors I might not have read before. And, most importantly, as I’ve only read two of the series, I am thankful that each book can stand alone. (The rest of the series is on my TBR list.)

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.

An enjoyable read from a time in history when Texas was still fighting for it's independence. I enjoyed getting to know the main characters, Clay, Ellis, and her grandfather. While there are links to some of the famous characters in this time in history, because of the title of this book, I would have liked to hear more about what was going on in the Alamo and have some kind of connection with more of those historical figures. I also felt too much of the book was used in this interim period where Clay has lost his memory only to have a quick mention of major events tacked on at the very end instead incorporating them better into the story. The author does a good job of describing the times in Ellis lives and gives insight into what it was like to remain constantly alert of danger and enemies.

This book was an excellent read. I had a hard time getting into the book to start with, but I'm very glad that I kept reading. I had to keep reading to find out what would happen next. Ellis was a strong independent woman that had a compassionate, loyal heart. I loved how she stood up for what she believed in and kept her head in dire circumstances. Clay was a man of many secrets. His story and character unfolds throughout the book. I enjoyed watching all the characters grow in the book. The action in the story kept me reading just-one-more-chapter. I did feel like the ending was rushed and gave a sense of what's-happening-next versus an awwww feeling, but it was still satisfying. Overall a very good book. I recommend to those that like historical romances with a strong woman character.

The Alamo Bride by Kathleen Y'Barbo is a historical romance that takes place during the time of the Alamo and is wonderfully Christian-based. It has a powerful message that deals with trusting and believing in God and trusting God when one is unsure of what the future holds.

I found the book hard to put down once I started. It is a well-written novel by this author and was filled with an abundance of history, action, drama with a tremendously lovely ending. Highly recommend the read.

I received a copy of This book by Barbour Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions contained herein are my own.😊

4.5-Stars

This is a wonderful, inspirational romance set against the backdrop of the Texas Revolution. The historical details are accurate, and Y'Barbo's prose is descriptive and flows beautifully. Ellis, the heroine, is a gentle and compassionate soul, beautiful on both inside and out. The hero, Clay, has a mysterious background due to amnesia. This is a trope which I've frequently encountered, and at times it comes off as contrived and rather ridiculous. However, in this case, it was believable and woven into the story seamlessly. One thing I like about ACCURATE Historical Romances is that I usually learn something new. A case in point: dogtrot house. That was a new one on me, and compelled me to read more on the subject. Y'Barbo is a gifted storyteller. I love the Brides of the Mayflower series. I started in the middle of the series but plan to read the first three soon. One of them, "The Pirate Bride", was also written by Y'Barbo.

I've enjoyed all of the Daughters of the Mayflower books so far, and The Alamo Bride was no exception. The action started right away, and kept up throughout the book (which is something that doesn't always happen in historical romance!). I liked both of the main characters and Ellis's family. I wish there would have been more about his family or his memories pertaining to them as he recovered him. Overall, I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next book in the series!

I just finished reading The Alamo Bride by Ms. Y'Barbo and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The plot involved Texas History and was very believable. I love visiting the Alamo in San Antonio and I can honestly say I have never read a book in this genre of Christian fiction that utilized this setting. The battle for Texas Independence involved so many brave people and I loved getting to read about several of those here. The characters were genuine and the plot was well developed. Knowing that so many people risked their lives for the fight for independence made me nervous about which character might be sacrificed in the book! I love the family bond between the Valmont family, especially between Ellis and her grandfather. I am enjoying this historical series! Thank you for letting me read this book to review.

Love this series, loved this book and this author. I was so happy to be able to read this. And the story was so good and I loved the Christian feel to the book. It was hard to put this one down. I loved the trust and whole feel of the story.

I received an ebook copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts are my own,

While The Alamo Bride didn't steal my heart like the author's prior book in the series The Pirate Bride, it was a well written story. I especially enjoyed the way the author painted a picture of the geography. I could easily visualize in my mind the setting.

Ellis is a lovely name and a compelling leading character. She has spunk and stubbornness like her grandmother along with a love for family and Texas.

This series continues to be such a wonderful journey through history.

It's fun to visit all these different historical times through this series. I liked how gallant and gentlemanly Clay was. He still had his inner character even when he had nothing else.

That ending was suspenseful!! I had no idea what to think. I mean, surely Clay was alright, wasn't he? Oh, and the plot twist with Rose I didn't see coming. Very well done.

Kind of cool how both Ellis and Clay had pirates in their family. At first I was thinking that they had a shared ancestor, but apparently Jean Paul is a common pirate name.

A fun, new installment to the Daughters of the Mayflower series.

Claiborne Gentry walked the streets of New Orleans, La. in 1836 with much on his mind. Mr. Gentry was a man of prominence whose grandfather was the notorious pirate, Jean Lafitte and his uncle, William C.C. Claiborne, the first man to serve as governor of Louisiana. Gov. Claiborne first came to Louisiana to facilitate the transfer of land according to the Louisiana Purchase. Mr. Gentry was also friends with many prominent political figures of the time, including Sam Houston and Andrew Jackson. Claiborne Gentry helped raise money for the benefit of the Texians ( residents of Mexican Texas) who were trying to gain independence from Mexico. He was in New Orleans, in route to deliver the funds in Texas when he was robbed and assaulted. The beautiful, Ellis Dumont finds Mr. Gentry and attempts to nurse him back to health. She then is faced with the important decision between the future of the Texas Republic and her own feelings. I appreciate and relish an author who delves into historical stories and can produce their own story that has a basis on facts with fictional embellishments. I have long appreciated Kathleen Y'Barbo as an author who writes rich historical fiction. I believe that those who are lovers of history and a good Christian story will really enjoy this book.

The Alamo Bride by Kathleen Y'Barbo will be published February 1, 2019 from Barbour Publishing. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

Another very good entry in the series! Not my favorite in the entire series, but I think it had far more to do with the location and time period being different than my "typical" read. The characters were very well developed with great interactions and relationships and the historical details were fantastic (see the author's note about some changes to history). Overall a lovely message in the book and an enjoyable read.

I absolutely adored this novel! The author is brilliant at setting a scene, and masterful at creating a plot that sets the imagination on fire. I so loved the characters, who are human, raw, flawed and wonderful. I was absolutely heart-invested in their lives as I devoured each chapter. Just ridiculously good. A definite recommend.

Dear Kathleen Y'Baro,

I need everything you've ever written!

Love,

Stacie

Kathleen Y'Barbo is back with another wonderful Daughters of the Mayflower book. I loved 'The Pirate Bride', and was excited to read her latest 'The Alamo Bride' that involves descendants of the beloved characters from The Pirate Bride! After Clay Gentry is robbed of the money from important players in American history, intended to help the cause of Texas in the war with Mexico, he joins the New Orlean's Greys in the hopes of finding his Grandfather's hidden treasure. What could possibly go wrong? Come along for another fascinating ride through history with strong and totally likeable characters!

This is another book in The Daughter's of the Mayflower series. I have read some of the books, but not the one previous to this. It didn't really matter but would have made the book a bit more entertaining if I had. I recommend reading them in order.

The characters were quite well developed and easy to understand. The plot was original and had history along with the fiction. It was an advanced reader's copy and not the final edit so there were errors but not a lot. There were not enough to dim the enjoyment I had in reading this book.

I have enjoyed all the books I have read written by Kathleen Y'Barbo and this is the same. I did enjoy it very much.

I asked for a review copy from Netgalley and was granted one. The review is voluntary and my own opinion. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

A beautifully written story! Wonderful characters that draw you into the story with feisty personality and love for their land. The author did a excellent job at tugging at the heart strings of the reader. While the horror of war was downplayed the sacrifice and fear was not. Faith in God and family was a strong attribute to the story . A strong commitment to love and land brought this story to full circle amongst the characters,. This is a story full of emotional strength that will leave readers wanting more.

I absolutely loved this story! The writing is fantastic and made the characters so relatable. With the vivid descriptions, it made me feel like I was a character in this wonderful story. I was a little worried when I got to what seemed to be the end of the story, but I love that the author gave the after story and it was such a wonderful ending.

I recommend this story for history buffs and for those looking for a good, clean read.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

This book follows Ellis and Clay as they work together for each others cause. Ellis is looking and hoping to find out if her Dad and Brother are alive. Clay is trying to heal after being caught trying to find his treasure. Ellis takes notes of what Clay is speaking during his induced sleep. After he has healed enough her Grandfather keeps him around to help on the land her Dad owns. They get word her Dad and Brother are alive and make plans to go find them. She and her grandfather accept Clay at his word to go and get her brother who is being held prisoner. He also is trying to remember a mission he is supposed to assist with. Ellis finds herself going with Clay and staying in a mission while he works on finding her brother.. She becomes a healer there while waiting on Clay to return. This book is a great read. I have enjoyed reading The Mayflower Bride books. They each connect and it is nice to see characters remembered in each book.

The Alamo Bride was filled with action, adventures filled with danger, and a little romance! I was totally surprised at who the Alamo Bride was and the ending… loved it! This adventure is filled with the historical background of the Alamo, it certainly kept me turning the pages!

“I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a review.” My review is voluntary.

This is such a great series. I love that Kathleen Y'Barbo wrote two books in this series, The Pirate Bride, and this latest installment about a granddaughter of Maribel Cordova (who was the pirate bride), Ellis Valmont. The story has a rich family history and Ellis's life is centered on faith and family. (And, like most of the ladies of this series, she is strong-willed and independently minded).
I always learn something new from books in this series, this one being no exception. The story centers around Clay Gentry who signs up with a military unit, known as the New Orleans Grays, that was sent from New Orleans out to Texas to fight for independence against the Mexicans. It was neat seeing the historical detail and obvious research that went into Clay's story as a New Orleans Gray. They actually sailed in and swore citizenship to Texas as they came off the boats.
The story kept my attention, and despite knowing that there's a happy ending (it is called the Alamo Bride after all) it still kept me guessing as to how things would end up, you still got that heart clenching feeling when something went wrong. I love seeing the characters in the book grow in their faith, and that their faith in God is ultimately what unites them in the end.
This is a wonderful series, I've enjoyed every book and will keep reading!

The Alamo Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo is set 1836 Texas (book seven) in the series Daughters of the Mayflower. February 2019.
I often wish my ancestors, who came to America in the 1600 - 1700’s left diaries of their lives. This book and series allows us to see how they may have lived. In this book Kathleen Y‘Barbo mentions ˋˋ history nerd ´´ if you are one you will enjoy The Alamo Bide and series. Constant action with struggles for Texas independence, romance and life in an untamed territory. The characters share their relationship with the Lord and his intervention in their daily lives. The Alamo Bride storyline is well connected with her earlier book The Pirate Bride. I hope that the authors and Barbour Publishing continue this or a similar historical series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, learn, enjoy and review this book.

The Alamo Bride is the second book in the Daughter's of the Mayflower series written by Kathleen Y'Barbo. She also wrote The Pirate Bride which was an exceptionally fun read and one of my favorites in this series. I have only read one other book by Kathleen Y'Barbo (The Pirate Bride) which set the bar very high and caused The Alamo Bride to have a high standard to measure up to. The Alamo Bride was a good story, but in my estimation, it did not surpass The Pirate Bride.

Ellis Dumont is like many other of the women in her family: stubborn, strong, faithful, courageous and full of an adventurous spirit. Ellis was an apple that did not fall far from the tree. Her great grandmother was Maribel Cordoba, from The Pirate Bride, and I enjoyed the references and connections to Maribel through the trunk of treasures stored in the bedroom. A major theme that runs through this story is trust. Trusting God for our protection and trusting in His love and His promise of salvation. Portions of Psalm 91 were often repeated by the main characters and the promises found there were planted in my heart. I enjoyed reading about this portion in America's history as I had not read much about it before and didn't really know anything beyond the phrase "remember the Alamo". Overall I found this to be a story that flowed nicely, kept my attention and was entertaining and adventurous with lovable characters. If you like clean romance and adventure then you will enjoy this series.


The Alamo Bride will be available for purchase from your local or online book retailer February 1, 2019.

Thank you Barbour Publishing and Net Galley for the free copy of The Alamo Bride. The opinions expressed here are my own.

The Alamo Bride by Kathleen Y'Barbo is the seventh book in the Daughters of the Mayflower series and is full of action and adventure. There is betrayal, buried treasure and romance. After Clay Gentry is deceived and then robbed he joins the New Orleans Greys in hopes of finding hidden treasure in Texas. After being shot he is found by Ellis Valmont who then has to decide if he is a friend or a spy for the Mexicans. Adventure and danger follow as they strive to help Texas towards its independence. I enjoyed this book in the series and learning more about Texas history. And am looking forward to more books in the Daughters of the Mayflower series!

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

The Alamo Bride by Kathleen Y'Barbo is the next installment in the Daughters of the Mayflower series. As a lover of history, I really enjoyed this story set in the struggle for Texas independence. Full of research, yet told with adventure and suspense, Y'Barbo leads her readers through the pages with skillful prose and realistic characters. I especially loved the gentle reminders of God's faithfulness and the encouragement to trust even in the midst of desperate darkness.
I think readers will fall in love with the hero and heroine. This is a story to be enjoyed, full of inspiration, compassion, and adventure.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Loved the history mixed in with this great romantic novel. Y'Barbo's characters are so easy to love and you really get to know them in depth. Like other books in this Brides of the Mayflower series, this keeps your reading and interested from start to finish. I loved the main characters, Ellis and Clay and appreciated their clash in personality that came together in such a sweet and believable way. I would recommend this book to any fan of Christian Fiction from teens to adult.

This is the seventh in the series but can be read as a stand-alone. Rich in history, readers will be transported back into the time of the Alamo. The two main characters, Ellis and Clay are both very likeable. I like that Ellis was determined to help Clay even though he may have been the enemy. Readers wanting to learn about history of Texas in a fictionalized way will enjoy reading this story. Recommended!

Making the Impossible choice… After Clay is shot on a secret mission, Ellis slowly nurses him back to health. While he is burning up with fever Ellis writes down his phrases about treasure and meetings. This book focuses mainly on the growing relationship between Ellis and Clay. Ellis worry is whether they should trust Clay. Ellis and Clay might be faced with an impossible choice. I received a free copy of this book from the author. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. After a slow start, I enjoyed reading this book. Since the book is mainly written about the period leading up to the Alamo, there is limited suspense in the book. Even though I didn't enjoy this book as the previous ones in the series, it was still an interesting read.

" Matters of trust, subterfuge, loyalty, and love muddy the waters as they weigh their contributions to the greater good against their individual desires, hopes, and dreams. " reviewed for Hope By The Book magazine's online bonus content

Ellis Valmont, a headstrong young lady of Spanish and French descent, finds herself nursing a handsome young bilingual soldier back to health. He has been shot before seeing duty in Texas against Santa Ana. As Ellis nurses him, she discovers the soldier may hold very important secrets- but on which side does his loyalty lie?

This novel hit the sweet spot for me with frequent references to Ellis’s great-grandmother, Maribel Cordoba. Maribel’s story was told in The Pirate Bride, a wonderful story, also by Y’Barbo. Every mention of Maribel’s name brought flashbacks of that vicarious adventure and how much I enjoyed it. This, in turn, increased my enjoyment of The Alamo Bride. Still, I think this novel can stand on its own if one hasn’t read Y’Barbo’s previous tome.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship development between Ellis and Clay. Ellis is quite the spitfire (like her great- grandmother, Maribel) when she decides that she wants to do something. We see that same personality trait as Ellis deals with her beloved Grandfather, as well.

I was really impressed with what a frightening time in the Texians’ history this would have been to live. Y’Barbo kept me feeling off-balance right along with her uncertain characters.

Quotes:
“I don’t believe in luck... The Lord takes care of us in His own way. If we manage to have something go our way, we figure it’s because it is His way.”
“In times of war, not all friends were truly friends. And sadly, not all family escaped the title of enemy.”

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinions, for which I am solely responsible. I was not required to leave a positive review.

Another fun book in the Daughters Of the Mayflower series. Ellis and Clay craft an intriguing story set against the backdrop of the Alamo. I am not nearly as familiar with this time period, so the historical details were very helpful to my understanding of the story. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing, Inc. through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Ellis Dumont’s family had moved from New Orleans to Texas and now her home was preparing for war with the Mexicans. Ellis was a healer like her mom and when she found an unconscious man dressed in a New Orleans Grey uniform suffering from gunshot wounds, as well as a head wound, she knew she couldn’t just leave him to die regardless of where his allegiances lay. She discovered that his name was Claiborne (Clay) Gentry. She nursed him back to health and helped him to heal. During his unconscious and feverish state, sometimes he would mutter strange things that didn’t make any sense but she began to write them down. When he finally came to, he couldn’t remember who he was or what his mission was.

Ellis was confused as to who she could trust and while she wanted to trust Clay Gentry she wasn’t sure if he could be trusted. The more time she spent with him, though, the more she saw that he was a good man wanting to protect her and her family and the country that she loved. When Clay’s memory returned, would he be the man Ellis imagined him to be or would be be a traitor to Texas and her heart?

3.5*

I've enjoyed this Daughters of the Mayflower series a lot. I have two that I need to catch up on and am looking forward to them.

Kathleen Y'Barbo wrote a previous book in this series, The Pirate Bride. I thoroughly enjoyed it and her writing style. That was my first time reading a full length novel by this author. I did enjoy reading, The Alamo Bride, but it didn't capture my attention as much as, The Pirate Bride, did. It was fun though that the main character, Ellis, in this book was talked about being similar to her great grandmother, the main character from, The Pirate Bride. That was fun to have that connection again.

For me the story really picked up once Ellis and Clay had their first meeting. It was a good amount into the story. But there was some different setting up that the author had to achieve before they could meet and interact. I loved Ellis as she was trying to help and heal Clay, especially with trying to interpret his delirious ramblings when he was unconscious. I did skim a little bit here and there. Not necessarily because of the story or the writing but with my busy schedule and wanting to see what happened with these characters' story.

The ending was great. It came full circle and I loved the sweet family reunion. There is a strong sense of family throughout this book and I really liked that aspect a lot. If you haven't picked up any of these books yet, you can definitely read any of them as stand alone novels. If you read them in order you will understand the family history that is written about throughout the different novels. The authors do a good job at making sure you can understand the family history and allow these to be stand alone novels. So if you're worried that you won't be able to make sense of who is who, no worries, you can.

Content: Clean. These can be labeled as Historical Christian fiction. The characters think and look to God for guidance yet I didn't feel like it was over the top or preachy. It was a good balance, especially thinking about how people would have thought and been at this time period. There are some moments of peril. Some blood and battles but not overly graphic at all. I would recommend this book for older YA readers and up.

I received a copy from the publisher, Barbour Books, via NetGalley. I also won a kindle copy in a Goodreads giveaway. Yay! All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

Another “Daughter of the Mayflower” series, I have liked this one the best! Written with intelligent dialog, wonderful facts about history that I hadn’t really considered before, and a story line that was captivating, I was hooked from the beginning. I loved Kathleen’s use of scripture throughout the book, how it tied the storyline together and even sparked my desire to look up some of the passages.

Clay has the best of intentions for Texas, but Ellis comes to the rescue and the story is off. A nice romance develops even as the story of the Texians and their history is revealed. I would have loved to see this novel given more writing as I would have enjoyed even more behind it.

The entire “Daughter of the Mayflower” series has been delightful. Thank you to the publishers for believing in these writers and giving us some worthwhile reads. I was happy to read an advance copy from Barbour Publishing and Net Galley – which in no way influenced my five star rating for Kathleen Y’Bardo and The Alamo Bride. Well done!

This book is number seven in the Daughters of The Mayflower series. I have read and enjoyed all of them and this book is no exception. All the covers on these books are beautiful and  a promise of what is to come on the inside.....This is a wonderful, inspirational romance set against the backdrop of the Texas Revolution, and of course the Alamo as the title suggest. I loved reading about the young Texas and even some about New Orleans.  Amidst the war and battles there is romance, we even have the hero, Clay Gentry, with a case of amnesia after being attacked. Much of the story is about remembering who he is and why he is in Texas. A young feisty woman, Ellis Durmont, with the aid of her grandpa helps him to heal from the attack and also in remembering.              My thanks to Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel. I am please to leave a review.

The breathtaking sixth in the Daughters of the Mayflower multi-author series, The Alamo Bride is exciting and stirring. The historical research into Texas and the era is shared in a way that is fascinating, almost as if one is there. This is a beautifully-written Christian action and romance novel that fits well into the series and can easily be read as a standalone.

Ellis Valmont loves living in Texas, even though she could have enjoyed family wealth in New Orleans. She is happy with her life as a healer, a woman who uses herbs and training to help others who are ill, injured, or ready to give birth. Her ancestry is of Spanish noblemen and French privateers; she is a strong and loving young woman. Her father, Boyd, and older brother Thomas have gone off to fight the war for the freedom of Texas. Ellis, her mother, and her younger brothers are trying to keep the chores done and the land cared for until Papa’s return. Her grandfather lives nearby in Velasco, across the Brazos river from her home in Quintano.

One day Ellis and her younger brothers are out; her brothers find a canoe in the reeds at the river’s edge. The man inside looks severely injured, so she sends her brothers to find their mama to help. He is taken, in the pirogue, to their barn where a bullet is removed and they treat his fever, other gunshot wounds, and head wounds. They don’t know whether he will survive; all they know is that he is wearing the uniform of a New Orleans Grey, troops from Louisiana who will fight against the Mexican army.

As the soldier suffers, unconscious, with fever and pain, he murmurs various bits and pieces of the special mission he is on. Fascinated, Ellis writes down some of the unusual things he says while being unsure of whether he is friend of Texas or an enemy. He claims at one point to be working for President Jackson, but whose side is he really on? Finally, Clay regains consciousness. He remembers almost nothing, not even who he is, only that there is something important he is supposed to do. The primary connection they have when he is awake and recovering is Psalm 91, which Ellis was trying to memorize while she was watching over him, and Clay’s mother used to read to him.

The character definitions are impressive; I like Ellis for choosing to live where she can participate in life rather than relax in luxury. Even when she may be inconvenienced, she will not turn aside someone in need of medical care or ready to deliver a baby. She and Clay made a journey together when looking for her father and brother, and their faith in the Lord and respect for each other improved their friendship. I enjoy seeing the people of faith and prayer, also, including Elli’s grandfather.

This is an impressive novel on many levels – showing people of faith in less than favorable, even tragic wartime circumstances, the extensive history, and the plot and surprising twists. There is so much I have forgotten since those long-ago history classes that I appreciate a quality author weaving her research effortlessly in an appealing novel and as part of a series. I highly recommend The Alamo Bride to those who appreciate Christian historical fiction, learning more about 1800’s Texas, and romance.

From a grateful heart: I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

A Romance During Texas’ Fight for Independence

Clay Gentry is in New Orleans. He has been entrusted with a mission for Andrew Jackson, but somehow he has been betrayed. Hating that he was unable to accomplish his mission he enlists in the New Orleans Grays to get to Texas and try to complete his mission.

Ellis Valmont and her family live in Quintana, Texas. Clay only gets as far as the Valmont property. He’s wounded and when Ellis finds him he’s feverish and out of his mind muttering about his mission. When he wakes up he can’t remember who he is, and with Ellis’ help they try to piece his story together.

Although the era of this novel was filled with action: armies clashing, and, of course, the Alamo, the story has little action. Much of it is taken up with talk between Clay and Ellis trying to solve the puzzle of who he is and what he was doing in Texas. If you like action, this story may not be for you.

However, the novel is well written. Historical detail is usually accurate, although as the author points out in her discussion at the end, she has taken liberties with the time line. If you enjoy history, I highly recommend reading this section.

The characters are well done. Ellis is brave and headstrong wanting to play her part in history. Clay is a more vague character. He doesn’t know who he is and finds out through his conversations and stories with Ellis. I particularly enjoyed Ellis’ grandfather. He made the book memorable.

I received this book from Barbour Books for this review.

The Alamo Bride is the seventh book in The Daughters of the Mayflower series, and the second penned by Kathleen Y'Barbo. It is the story of Ellis Valmont, great granddaughter of Maribel Cordoba from The Pirate Bride. Ellis is the adult daughter, the only girl with three living brothers, of Boyd and Sophia Valmont. She is learning the healing skills of the time from her mother, skills that possibly save her own life as well as the lives of others, including Claiborne “Clay” Gentry. Clay is on a secret mission for President Andrew Jackson, one that might have great influence on the Texas war for independence from Mexico. The circumstances that bring these two together may make their cooperation essential.

As always Y'Barbo's notes enlighten the readers as to the realities of the time period she is writing about. Being a self-described “history nerd” helps to breath life into her characters. This is a wonderful series and Y'Barbo's contributions to it are exceptional. I am grateful to have received a copy from Barbour Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I was under no obligation to write a positive review, and received no monetary compensation.

This is the first book of this series that I have read and I loved it! I now must start with book 1. The Alamo Bride was filled with historical detail and I appreciate the research this author did. Ellis is a strong character and I enjoyed reading of her adventure. Thanks to Barbour Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow, this is my favorite of the series! And not just because I have visited the Alamo on many occasions (as well as Andrew Jackson's home). The writing was excellent, and the story maintained my interest throughout. It was pretty right-on, historically, and I appreciated the review of our history with Mexico. I, especially, liked the tidbits that the author tacked on at the end about her research. This has been a great series!