The Mayflower Bride

Mary Elizabeth is wary of the future. Standing on the deck of the ship Speedway in 1620, she reminisces about her life in Holland and is worried about her trip to the New World. Holland wasn't home but it was where her mother had taken her final breath, and having to leave her behind is gut wrenching for Mary Elizabeth, her little brother David, and their father. They are hoping the New World will also mean a new and better life away from persecution. A new beginning.

Mary Elizabeth and her family are members of the Separatists, a religious sect who had chosen to break away from the Church of England, in pursuit of spiritual freedom. This choice has made them detestable in their land and so they fled to Holland to break free from show more religious persecution. Now a number of their congregation are headed to the New World to help start a new settlement where they can freely worship and live for the Lord.

William is also ready for a fresh start. He is an orphan who has had a hard knock life thus far, being kicked out of his foster home at the tender age of nine, and was on the streets barely able to survive. This is until a kind-hearted gentleman took him in and taught him the trade of carpentry. He is on the Mayflower, the ship that is to sail alongside the Speedway, loaded with supplies for the New World.

The Mayflower Bride tells this harrowing story of the trip across the Atlantic through the eyes of Mary Elizabeth, William, and several other inhabitants aboard the Mayflower. Your hopes rise and fall with the characters, who deal with a ship that almost sinks, bouts of seasickness and scurvy, and such severe illness that it brings with it death. Intermingled with the sadness there is also the beautiful story of love, friendship, finding inner strength, and living by faith and faith alone.

This is the first book in The Daughters of the Mayflower series and I believe it to be an incredible beginning. What I really enjoyed the most was the Note to the Reader at the end of the book where the author explains in greater detail the genealogy of several of the characters that were actually on the Mayflower and connecting them to famous figures that we all know and love today! Ms. Woodhouse was even able to trace her own lineage to Virginia in 1659!

There are a few historical inaccuracies which the author does explain both at the beginning and ending of the book, but in my opinion they do not hurt the integrity of the actual story of the Separatists or the circumstances of the Mayflower voyage whatsoever. I highly recommend this book for those that love history and appreciate the plight the early settlers had to endure to create the freedom we have today. show less

Mary Elizabeth Chapman, along with her father, younger brother, and other Separatists, prepare to sail to the New World aboard the Speedwell, companion ship to the Mayflower. On the latter ship, William Lytton is a carpenter looking for a new life in the New World, but before departure, he's hired to keep an eye on the colonists and report back to the company that is financing the journey. When the two ships are funneled onto one, Mary Elizabeth and William have a chance to get to know each other, but the trip across the ocean will be long and difficult. And reaching the New World is just the beginning.

There was a lot going on in this book that never quite seemed to mesh into a coherent, interesting story. The main female character got show more on my nerves right away because even though her dad and brother, as well as her best friend and family, were going on the journey as well, she was unhappy and lonely. She'd somewhat recently lost her mother, which I get would affect her, but it was leaned into a little too much, given what she did have, and she spends a lot of time moping. Plus, later in the story, she made some stupid decisions that I really doubt a woman in her position would have made given the circumstances. Then when we meet the main male character, his story starts off ambiguously. The whole side plot about him "spying" for the Company was weak, and that was clear from the moment it started. I don't understand the inclusion of that arc at all, nor the fact that the POV switched to a "villain" now and then that was part of that arc. The POV also switched to Mary Elizabeth's little brother a few times, which also seemed unnecessary to me.

While the historical details of the voyage were interesting, most of the plot involving the trip to the New World and attempts to find a place to start their colony seemed fairly shallow. They were often viewed through the lens of the budding relationship between the two MCs, which I felt was portrayed in a way that was not likely very accurate to how it would have been for two people in their time period, especially with one of them being part of a religious congregation like Mary Elizabeth was. Personally, I don't need the author to interject unlikely physical contact to add to the romance; for me, the mental aspect of a developing romance is much more important anyway. But their initial attraction was mostly physical, considering they were both instantly drawn to one another after an interaction that involved no real conversation.

As the book that kicks off a series of historical romance novels set in different time periods, I had hoped for a stronger start. This book, unfortunately, did not whet my appetite for the rest of the series. However, since the series has various authors, I still plan to continue on to see what the next one holds. show less

Having been to Plimouth Plantation and seen the replica of the Mayflower II, I was quite interested in reading The Mayflower Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse. Woodhouse has done a great job with the history and setting of this story. The reader feels like they are right there in the middle of the scenes. The mix of fictional characters with historical figures makes the story interesting and authentic. The sweet romance between Mary Elizabeth and William is engaging and delightful to watch unfold despite secrets and differences. The characters are vivid and lovable and their growth and maturity throughout the story is realistic. The Mayflower Bride is replete with information about the history of our nation and the struggles the passengers show more of the Mayflower endured. The author makes the story intriguing with some suspense as to the outcome of the passengers and to William in particular. And with a strong thread of faith in God throughout, the book is also inspirational as the reader can see how God's hand is at work in the lives of the individuals. I'm looking forward to reading more in this Daughters of the Mayflower series.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions are my own. show less

This is a good book, but probably not one that I would read again. There's nothing wrong with the story, but I just felt that the dialogue wasn't grabbing me enough and at times, the pace felt too slow.

But the author took the time to provide some wonderful historical information in the back of the book. I can't imagine being one of five women to survive the first winter in the New World. Think about how big the country has grown since then and the number of people who can trace their lineage back to the Mayflower. All because of these five women!

On a more serious note, I remember reading the story of the Mayflower in the history books. It always felt like another "Once Upon A Time" story: A mean king persecuted the Separatists for show more their Christian beliefs. They left England for the New World just so they could worship freely. The Indians befriended them and helped them fish and plant corn. They lived happily ever after. The End. Admit it, we like that story, but the reality is different from the story. Kimberley Woodhouse does a dynamite job in showing that this historic voyage was a living nightmare. Ship leaking, storms tossing the ship to and fro, people getting seasick or dying of serious maladies. If someone died, your body was wrapped up and tossed overseas to be seafood for marine life because you can't keep diseased bodies on a ship because of the stench and there's no place to bury a body properly. And I can't imagine birthing a baby in these traumatic conditions either. Having said all this, I do thank Ms. Woodhouse for bringing these facts to life because I felt sorry for what these people endured. There were times in this book that I was tearing up because it's so heartbreaking.

But back to the story! Mary Elizabeth is a good woman. I felt at times she underestimated her own strength and faith. David is a boy on the cusp of manhood. He still has his moments where he just wants to be a kid (and I don't blame him). Being cooped up on a ship would drive a person nearly crazy. Losing both parents in a short time span is tough.

William Lytton is a good character. He adds to the strength of the story. His willingness to help others is admirable. His newfound faith is wonderful. His love for Mary is beautiful.

All in all, it's a great story and one that you'll probably enjoy. I hope to find the second book of the series soon. show less

Putting faces to the story that we have known about forever, or at least we thought we did, this sure was not an easy ride, and from the beginning with three tries to leave England, we commence on the long journey,
When I first considered reading this book, I remembered that Priscilla Mullens and John Alden are my children’s ancestors from my husband’s side of the family. So, I tried to make this personal as to what it felt like on that life changing move.
Such struggles, and with so much death, you realize how very brave these people were, they struggled before they got on the ship because of their strong Christian beliefs, and then suffered immensely on the voyage.
There is a sweet romance here, along with a bit of espionage, but show more these people live their faith, and I found myself walking in their shoes. I loved putting faces to these historical people and walking in their shoes through the eyes of author.
Once I started the pages flew, and when finished I am now waiting for the next book in this series.

I received this book through the Barbour Reviewer Program, and was not required to give a positive review. show less

The Daughters of the Mayflower series begins aptly with “The Mayflower Bride” by Kimberley Woodhouse. A few months ago I read Rebecca Fraser’s “The Mayflower: The Families, the Voyage, and the Founding of America”, which provided a detailed, if rather dry, account. While the hero and heroine are fictional, “The Mayflower Bride” draws upon true events and sticks mostly to the historic timeline of occurrences. It offers a very good glimpse into the lives of the Separatists and the faith and beliefs that led them to venture to the New World, and their interactions with the Strangers (those outside their beliefs) further exemplifies their code of conduct. A poignant love story blossoms amidst the manifold hardships and show more tragedies that afflict the voyagers, with most of the narrative taking place aboard the Mayflower. Enough particulars about the decisions leading up to the journey and the arrival in the New World are given to flesh out the story, however, adding to the element of faith. This is a very well-written, clean book that explores America’s colonial beginnings from a Christian viewpoint. show less

What a pleasure to be able to read the first in this new series. My husband and I have been tracing our ancestry back as far as we can. In each instance, we would love to have a journal or something that belonged to our people so that we can understand their journey and know more about how they lived. Stories like this are so helpful to us. The author did a LOT of research before writing this story. I still find it fascinating how an author takes facts, creates new characters to illustrate, and fills in an individual’s day to day thoughts and actions to tell the tales. Kimberly is another great author who brings history and the people to life.

The two main characters of the book had their trip on the Mayflower decided for them. They show more both grew in strength and learned how to live in faith. And found each other to share their troubles, individual thoughts and fears.

I bookmarked two of the passages, the first a quote from scripture, that go to the heart of this story:
“. . . Count it exceeding joy when ye fall into diverse temptations, knowing that the trying of your faith bringeth forth patience. And let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing. “
And
“…but it wasn’t until I found salvation through Jesus Christ and my new faith that I was able to let go of the past.”

All of the passengers on the Mayflower (and that of other immigrants after) went through exceedingly hard times. It’s a wonder that any from this voyage made it at all, or that others still kept coming afterward. Timing is everything, and theirs was not good yet it's God who directs all of our lives, and uses many of us in one way or another to help and shape the lives of others.

Mary Elizabeth is carried along on the journey by her father and her best friend. They are very enthusiastic about the opportunity, but she would rather stay where they are in Holland. Yet the Separatist community they lived in felt that this was getting to be as bad as what they had left in England, so it was decided to emigrate.

William was orphaned as a baby and given to relatives to raise, who used him as a slave then kicked him out at 9 years of age. He lived on his own, working as he could to live, until a man found him, took him in and taught him the trade of being a carpenter. His mentor purchased a share on the Mayflower and a place in developing the new colony in America – so his path was set for him. A good and honest person, he had developed an excellent reputation – but because he was an orphan he would never have a social standing if he stayed in England. However, that early life had shaped him too, and fed his fears. He knew something was missing in his life, and found it when he sailed to America with the Separatists.

This is an excellent read that makes you wish you could learn even more about this time and the people who lived through it. I highly recommend it!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Bethany House Publishers - Netgalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html. show less