Title: The Mayflower Bride
Author: Kimberly Woodhouse
Series: Daughters of the Mayflower, #1
Genre: Historical/Christian Romance
Era: 1620s (Pilgrims)
Setting: England and then New England, 1620
Publisher: Barbour Books
Source: from NetGalley (in exchange for honest review)
Time Taken to Read: seven days (during NaNoWriMo, too!)
Overall Rating: 4.5/5 stars
The Mayflower Bride by Kimberly Woodhouse
Mary Chapman boards the Speedwell in 1620 as a Separatist seeking a better life in the New World. William Lytton embarks on the Mayflower as a carpenter looking for opportunities to succeed—and he may have found one when a man from the Virginia Company offers William a hefty sum to keep a stealth eye on company interests in the new colony. The season is far too late for good sailing and storms rage, but reaching land is no better as food is scarce and the people are weak.
Will Mary survive to face the spring planting and unknown natives? Will William be branded a traitor and expelled?
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This novel is a lovely read about the Pilgrims of Plymouth. I enjoyed it quite thoroughly and would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in this era.
It was so much fun to read it in the days leading up to Thanksgiving even though the first Thanksgiving didn’t happen on-page. Got me in the stuff-myself-to-death mood with all the starvation and what-not. *shudders*
It was a light, clean historical romance read – though the romance thread wasn’t too heavy. Not the best I’ve ever read … but quite sweet.
PLOT: 4/5
At times, it did seem like it just wouldn’t get to the point. It was always quite interesting, and I never was exactly bored, but still. I kept waiting and waiting for something to happen out of the ordinary going-to-Plymouth of history (lol) … and it was forever until something did!
I also take issue with the title. What bride? She was no longer on the Mayflower, per se, by the time she became a bride – at the very, very end of the book. This book should be The Mayflower Single Girl. 😉
None of this is to say that I didn’t enjoy the book! It’s just easier to list the negatives than the positives. It was a really good book, and I’m happy to have read it.
CHARACTERS: 5/5
All very well-done! I liked them a lot, and they all seemed well-developed. The author plainly took time to create them all individually.
There were quite a few characters, but it was never confusing. Don’t let that long list at the beginning deter you! They were all individualistic. I loved the way they all got along together and cooperated on the Mayflower and then when they finally arrived at Plymouth.
Mary was a sweet, brave girl. I just want to give her a hug! Poor angel … she had to bear so much in her life. I really got to understand her feelings and thoughts as the book progressed. It was like being right there with her!
William was also cool. I mean, he wasn’t exactly swoon-worthy, but he was still a neat, upstanding guy. It was cool to see him grow close to Christ. His backstory was so sad, poor baby. *gives him lots of chocolate*
SETTING: 5/5
Very well done! I was surprised by the depth of the research. I know a lot about this era and these people (got a little obsessed when I was younger – or rather my mom did, haha), and I was deeply impressed.
A fellow reviewer has mentioned some historical errors. The first is that pneumonia was not diagnosed until the late 1800s (this article contains more details) and the second that washing a person’s mouth out with soup as a punishment for swearing wasn’t used until later.
But … honestly, I didn’t even notice – nor do I care – and it didn’t decrease my enjoyment one whit. Still, if you’re a super history buff, I guess that’s something to think about.
WRITING: 4/5
I really appreciate that the author chose to use slightly more modern speech. I love Shakespeare as much as the next gal, but I don’t want to have to unravel what people are saying when I’m reading a just-for-fun novel!
Still, it definitely wasn’t too modern. Modern enough to be understood – but not slangy or full of contemporary terms.
The book was fairly well-written overall. There was a time or two when I thought sentences could have been improved upon, but these were few and far-between and more a matter of personal preference than anything. *is a writer who edits peoples’ books in my head* *shrugs*
CONTENT: 1/5
Language: n/a
Violence: people fear that the local Indian tribe may attack
Sexual: brief mentions of childbirth and pregnancy
Other: passengers on the Mayflower are ill a great deal and many die, lots of hunger
Squeaky clean! Probably 13+ for reading level, but no objectionable content.
OVERALL: 4.5/5
I really did love this book! I haven’t delved in the Pilgrims’ lives in forever, and I was so glad to have the opportunity to do so again! Definitely a book I’d recommend to anyone interested in or studying this era or simply historical romance/adventure readers looking for their next novel.
Review by Kellyn Roth of Reveries Reviews
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p.s.
Do you enjoy reading about the Pilgrims? What are your thoughts on historical accuracy in novels? Do you read books seasonably sometimes? ALSO – this is the first book I got from NetGalley that wasn’t presented to me by the author. *dances*
