scarlettg12's review
4.0
Thanks to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for an ARC of this book!
This series is great for a not too serious, easy to read, clean, historical love story. I enjoyed an earlier book in the series, [b:The Pirate Bride|35658894|The Pirate Bride (Daughters of the Mayflower #2)|Kathleen Y'Barbo|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1519630322s/35658894.jpg|57113791], and enjoyed this one just as much. Each book takes place during a different time period with different main characters so they can be standalones.
This book takes place during the War of 1812 and I found the historical aspect to be really well done. You can tell the author did a lot of research and dropped these fictional characters into some real historical events. I also thought the premise was really good - Owen and Emeline are both loyal to the Americans, but for different reasons pretend to be loyal to the British. So on the surface, they appear to be on the same (British) side, while inwardly thinking they are each other’s enemy, while in reality they are secretly and unknown to each other on the same (American) side. It was a really good dynamic and made the story interesting and at times frustrating in all the right ways.
The ending was satisfying, and getting there wasn’t quite as straightforward as I was expecting which was nice. Several obstacles and little twists kept getting in the way.
I’ve enjoyed both books in this series I’ve read so far so I’d definitely be interested in reading more of them!
This series is great for a not too serious, easy to read, clean, historical love story. I enjoyed an earlier book in the series, [b:The Pirate Bride|35658894|The Pirate Bride (Daughters of the Mayflower #2)|Kathleen Y'Barbo|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1519630322s/35658894.jpg|57113791], and enjoyed this one just as much. Each book takes place during a different time period with different main characters so they can be standalones.
This book takes place during the War of 1812 and I found the historical aspect to be really well done. You can tell the author did a lot of research and dropped these fictional characters into some real historical events. I also thought the premise was really good - Owen and Emeline are both loyal to the Americans, but for different reasons pretend to be loyal to the British. So on the surface, they appear to be on the same (British) side, while inwardly thinking they are each other’s enemy, while in reality they are secretly and unknown to each other on the same (American) side. It was a really good dynamic and made the story interesting and at times frustrating in all the right ways.
The ending was satisfying, and getting there wasn’t quite as straightforward as I was expecting which was nice. Several obstacles and little twists kept getting in the way.
I’ve enjoyed both books in this series I’ve read so far so I’d definitely be interested in reading more of them!
nicole1's review
5.0
I think that this book was my favorite in the series!
High seas adventure, spies traitors and romance! In my opinion it had it all.
I was swept into the turbulent time of the war of 1812 and was flipping the pages to see what would happen next. The plot never grew dull and tension between the two main characters was engaging too. I appreciate how this author always draws the story of salvation into the narrative, and gives the believer of many years things to think about.
Highly recommended, for all lovers of war time and high seas romance.
I was provided a copy of the book from the author ( and Netgalley) and was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.
High seas adventure, spies traitors and romance! In my opinion it had it all.
I was swept into the turbulent time of the war of 1812 and was flipping the pages to see what would happen next. The plot never grew dull and tension between the two main characters was engaging too. I appreciate how this author always draws the story of salvation into the narrative, and gives the believer of many years things to think about.
Highly recommended, for all lovers of war time and high seas romance.
I was provided a copy of the book from the author ( and Netgalley) and was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.
bellesmoma2021's review
5.0
A GREAT NOVEL!!!
The Liberty Bride (2018) by MaryLu Tyndall is the latest novel in the Daughters of Mayflower series published by Barbour Publishing. This novel comes in all forms including eBook, and is 256 pages in length. With a full-time job and a very lively six-year old, this book took me two days to read. I received a review copy of this novel in paperback form and in eBook form from the publisher, Barbour Publishing. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. I give The Liberty Bride 5 STARS. This novel is a Historical Christian Romance.
Are you bored? Need something AWESOME to read? Then run to your nearest bookstore, or click over to an online store where books are sold, and purchase a copy of The Liberty Bride by MaryLu Tyndall today. This book is so good I could not put it down.
The Liberty Bride is highly engaging on two fronts: the dramatic irony is superb and allows the pacing of the story to flow really well, and the history is fascinating — why didn’t I learn about the War of 1812 in high school? I enjoy a novel that tells its story via the hero AND heroine of the book. I am a big fan of knowing as much information as I can possibly get. Dramatic irony is when the reader knows info that characters do not. In this book, dramatic irony is used so well. Because I know all the info about Emeline and Owen but they don’t, I was constantly in suspense. When will Owen get it? Will Emeline ever learn what I know and change her actions?! These questions kept me turning pages late into the night way past bedtime. And the history! I am ashamed to admit it, but I know very little about the War of 1812. I have not had good history teachers, which means I have had to teach myself via the historical fiction novels I read and the Google searches I’ve performed. The Liberty Bride is a treat in that I learned a ton of history about the War of 1812, and was never once bored. Why couldn’t my former history teachers ever teach me like MaryLu Tyndall has?! It is clear that the research in this novel is excellent and Mrs. Tyndall had a great time writing this book.
There is a moment in The Odyssey where Odysseus is so close to home he can almost touch it, but one of his ship’s crew members does something that causes Odysseus to become VERY far from home in the blink of an eye. It’s one of the saddest moments in all of The Odyssey. In The Liberty Bride, Emeline has spent the past two years living in England with her great-aunt. When her aunt dies she is put on a ship and sent back to America, but before she can reach home — literally right at the coast — Emeline’s ship is overtaken by a British warship. Emeline was initially excited about leaving her home in Baltimore because she wanted to experience a fantastic adventure away from home and away from the strict rules of her father, but things change with time. In the present day, being stuck as a prisoner on a British war ship miles from her homeland’s coast, Emeline realizes that home is precious, and one needs to be grateful for what she has before it is stolen away. This is a fantastic reminder especially as we enter into this holiday season. Now is not about what we have and what we don’t, or who we want to be with or who we don’t. Now is about celebrating Jesus, His birth and sacrifice, and appreciating all He has given for us. Put away the small stuff and appreciate what you have. You never know when you might not have it anymore.
Emeline has a poor relationship with God because of her earthly father’s model. Emeline’s father, as stated above, was a strict one. He was a man of steadfast rules and guidelines, and Emeline did NOT meet with his rigid expectations. Because of this, Emeline has ALWAYS felt like a failure. She can do no right, and God is the One who punishes her harshly every time she breaks one of her earthly father’s rules. When one is raised by an earthly father who is more involved in what he wants than what God asks, and then bad things keep happening to the child, it is really hard to see God as a loving, caring, nurturing Father. BUT God IS a GOOD, GOOD Father. There’s a fabulous moment in the novel when Hannah, Emeline’s friend and companion, scolds Emeline a little by stating, “God is not like your earthly father, my dear. The sooner you believe that, the sooner you will find peace” (100). This is TRUTH! This is not to say all earthly fathers are inherently bad. But, all earthly fathers are just that — earthly. God is NOT earthly. He can do abundantly more than all we ask or think. Knowing this, admitting this, and separating God our Father from our earthly fathers will bring about His great peace, something Emeline eventually comes to realize.
The Liberty Bride is a fantastic novel. The plot is fast-paced and highly engaging, the characters are excellently illustrated, and the history is fascinating. If you are looking for a book filled with adventures, a dashing hero, and a brave and never-boring heroine then I highly recommend The Liberty Bride. This is a fun book not to be missed.
The Liberty Bride (2018) by MaryLu Tyndall is the latest novel in the Daughters of Mayflower series published by Barbour Publishing. This novel comes in all forms including eBook, and is 256 pages in length. With a full-time job and a very lively six-year old, this book took me two days to read. I received a review copy of this novel in paperback form and in eBook form from the publisher, Barbour Publishing. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. I give The Liberty Bride 5 STARS. This novel is a Historical Christian Romance.
Are you bored? Need something AWESOME to read? Then run to your nearest bookstore, or click over to an online store where books are sold, and purchase a copy of The Liberty Bride by MaryLu Tyndall today. This book is so good I could not put it down.
The Liberty Bride is highly engaging on two fronts: the dramatic irony is superb and allows the pacing of the story to flow really well, and the history is fascinating — why didn’t I learn about the War of 1812 in high school? I enjoy a novel that tells its story via the hero AND heroine of the book. I am a big fan of knowing as much information as I can possibly get. Dramatic irony is when the reader knows info that characters do not. In this book, dramatic irony is used so well. Because I know all the info about Emeline and Owen but they don’t, I was constantly in suspense. When will Owen get it? Will Emeline ever learn what I know and change her actions?! These questions kept me turning pages late into the night way past bedtime. And the history! I am ashamed to admit it, but I know very little about the War of 1812. I have not had good history teachers, which means I have had to teach myself via the historical fiction novels I read and the Google searches I’ve performed. The Liberty Bride is a treat in that I learned a ton of history about the War of 1812, and was never once bored. Why couldn’t my former history teachers ever teach me like MaryLu Tyndall has?! It is clear that the research in this novel is excellent and Mrs. Tyndall had a great time writing this book.
There is a moment in The Odyssey where Odysseus is so close to home he can almost touch it, but one of his ship’s crew members does something that causes Odysseus to become VERY far from home in the blink of an eye. It’s one of the saddest moments in all of The Odyssey. In The Liberty Bride, Emeline has spent the past two years living in England with her great-aunt. When her aunt dies she is put on a ship and sent back to America, but before she can reach home — literally right at the coast — Emeline’s ship is overtaken by a British warship. Emeline was initially excited about leaving her home in Baltimore because she wanted to experience a fantastic adventure away from home and away from the strict rules of her father, but things change with time. In the present day, being stuck as a prisoner on a British war ship miles from her homeland’s coast, Emeline realizes that home is precious, and one needs to be grateful for what she has before it is stolen away. This is a fantastic reminder especially as we enter into this holiday season. Now is not about what we have and what we don’t, or who we want to be with or who we don’t. Now is about celebrating Jesus, His birth and sacrifice, and appreciating all He has given for us. Put away the small stuff and appreciate what you have. You never know when you might not have it anymore.
Emeline has a poor relationship with God because of her earthly father’s model. Emeline’s father, as stated above, was a strict one. He was a man of steadfast rules and guidelines, and Emeline did NOT meet with his rigid expectations. Because of this, Emeline has ALWAYS felt like a failure. She can do no right, and God is the One who punishes her harshly every time she breaks one of her earthly father’s rules. When one is raised by an earthly father who is more involved in what he wants than what God asks, and then bad things keep happening to the child, it is really hard to see God as a loving, caring, nurturing Father. BUT God IS a GOOD, GOOD Father. There’s a fabulous moment in the novel when Hannah, Emeline’s friend and companion, scolds Emeline a little by stating, “God is not like your earthly father, my dear. The sooner you believe that, the sooner you will find peace” (100). This is TRUTH! This is not to say all earthly fathers are inherently bad. But, all earthly fathers are just that — earthly. God is NOT earthly. He can do abundantly more than all we ask or think. Knowing this, admitting this, and separating God our Father from our earthly fathers will bring about His great peace, something Emeline eventually comes to realize.
The Liberty Bride is a fantastic novel. The plot is fast-paced and highly engaging, the characters are excellently illustrated, and the history is fascinating. If you are looking for a book filled with adventures, a dashing hero, and a brave and never-boring heroine then I highly recommend The Liberty Bride. This is a fun book not to be missed.
fiction_aficionado's review
3.0
I liked the basic plot of this book, but I didn't really click with these characters, which made it hard to become fully invested in the story. Emeline often came across as weak and wishy-washy in her thoughts, obsessing over what a "proper lady" would do and believing that God had brought all this calamity on her because she "wasn't good," yet her outward behaviour was that of a strong, confident woman—albeit also brash and naïve at times. The two didn't mesh to create a believable character for me, and at times one or the other was emphasized (or repeated) to the point where it became annoying.
Owen didn't do much for me as a hero either. He's supposedly a womanizer, although we see little evidence of that beyond numerous references to his appreciation of the sight and scent of the heroine. Nevertheless, I couldn't really see what attracted Emeline to him on an emotional level. He was so hot and cold with her, and all because he believed she was his enemy! I love stories where the hero and heroine begin as enemies but then learn to see beyond that; this couple never got to that point.
There was a strong spiritual thread running through this story, with both Owen and Emeline needing to discover that God was not simply a divine rule-maker and -enforcer, but this growth happened a little too suddenly after much resistance for it to truly convince me.
In the end, this one wasn't my cup of tea, but readers who read more for plot and setting may still enjoy this one.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.
Owen didn't do much for me as a hero either. He's supposedly a womanizer, although we see little evidence of that beyond numerous references to his appreciation of the sight and scent of the heroine. Nevertheless, I couldn't really see what attracted Emeline to him on an emotional level. He was so hot and cold with her, and all because he believed she was his enemy! I love stories where the hero and heroine begin as enemies but then learn to see beyond that; this couple never got to that point.
There was a strong spiritual thread running through this story, with both Owen and Emeline needing to discover that God was not simply a divine rule-maker and -enforcer, but this growth happened a little too suddenly after much resistance for it to truly convince me.
In the end, this one wasn't my cup of tea, but readers who read more for plot and setting may still enjoy this one.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.
julesg's review
3.0
The story of Emaline and Owen is about how people who are hiding something and find each other through finding their trust in God again.
It was a bit too Christian for me.
It was a bit too Christian for me.
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