The Express Bride (Daughters of the Mayflower #9)

Title: The Express Bride (Daughters of the Mayflower #9)

Author: Kimberley Woodhouse

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publishing Date: July 1, 2019

Length: 256 pgs

About the Book:

The Wilderness Is a Great Place to Hide 
Jacqueline Rivers manages a Pony Express station in 1860 Utah territory after her father’s death. There are daily stresses placed on her in this unconventional role—and now a government official is asking her to sniff out counterfeiters. When Elijah Johnson passes through on the stage while on an exhausting quest to find his boss’s heir, he doesn’t want to leave the beguiling station manager. In fact, he may never leave when caught in the crossfire of the territory’s criminal activities. Can she remain strong when secrets of the past and present are finally unearthed?

Join the adventure as the Daughters of the Mayflower series continues with The Express Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse.

More in the Daughters of the Mayflower series:
The Mayflower Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse – set 1620 Atlantic Ocean (February 2018)
The Pirate Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo – set 1725 New Orleans (April 2018)
The Captured Bride by Michelle Griep – set 1760 during the French and Indian War (June 2018)
The Patriot Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse – set 1774 Philadelphia (August 2018)​
The Cumberland Bride by Shannon McNear – set 1794 on the Wilderness Road (October 2018)
The Liberty Bride by MaryLu Tyndall – set 1814 Baltimore (December 2018)
The Alamo Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo – set 1836 Texas (February 2019)
The Golden Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse – set 1849 San Francisco (April 2019)
The Express Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse – set 1860 Utah territory (July 2019)

My Review:

I honestly do not have the words to describe how much I love this series! I am a huge historical fiction fan, but I will admit that I fall into the habit of reading books from the same specific time periods. I’m not complaining about this, but I appreciate this series because it takes me to times and places I probably wouldn’t have traveled otherwise. Even though the books can each be read as a standalones, the knowledge that the characters are connected through lineage breeds a unique appreciation and respect for the history of our nation.

Although he may have just been a smaller supporting character, I really adored Michael, who was Jackie’s adopted little brother. In the story he’s 14, but he’d been with her family since he was 7. It was clear just how much he loved Jackie and looked up to her, even when he called her “bossy, bossy” like a pesky little brother. He was a fierce protector of her, and was the kind of side-kick we all wish we could have.

One of the strongest messages in this novel was the power of forgiveness. Not only between people, but between us and God. Has there ever been a person that you looked at and thought they were too far gone or undeserving of God’s forgiveness? Or have you ever felt that way about yourself? Charles’ story of redemption in this novel is powerful but also a lesson in the knowledge that there is no one too far separated from God that He cannot redeem them and turn their hearts away from evil. It was also heartwarming to see that instead of judging him as unchangeable, the people in his life prayed for him, and what a testimony that was in and of itself!

Another thing I really enjoyed in this story was the witty humor. It was lighthearted and often subtle, but it truly warmed my heart to the characters and their friendships with one another. Personally humor in a relationship is an instant captivator for me. Seeing two people laugh with one another in a kind-spirited way, instantly made me connect with and adore them more deeply.

As I’ve mentioned in the past, one thing I admire about Kimberley’s writing is that her love and respect for history is clearly visible in each of her works. As with any historical fiction piece, I always appreciate reading the author’s notes at the end to help separate some of the fact from fiction. Even though the majority of the characters may be completely fictional, Kimberley makes every attempt to recreate the setting and events as respectful to historical accuracy as possible. She is also known to throw in actual historical figures, and I enjoy seeing if I can figure out who some of them are as I’m reading. I love it when a book is able to awaken an interest for me to look deeper into historical events and time periods.

I have read each of the books in this series from the beginning and I look forward to reading more as they release. I honestly can’t recommend this series enough!

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

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