A historical whirlwind romantic suspense!

This fast paced story with a horrific beginning is one I am glad to say, I love.


I voluntarily received and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. ( )

This is book 12 in The Daughters of the Mayflower series from Barbour Publishing. It is a multi-author series and this is the third book by Kathleen Y’Barbo in the series. She is a tenth-generation Texan and writes Texas fiction. I think this is my favorite book of her’s so far. I absolutely loved the story of Eliza Gentry. Eliza grew up on a ranch in Texas. She was an independent spirited girl and loved going on the Chisholm Trail cattle drives with her father. Her favorite part was lying in bed at night and studying the stars.

Once Eliza became an adult she became betrothed, against her parent’s wishes, to the son of a judge. The son, Ben Barnhart, was a boy that Eliza had grown up with. He was a hot tempered pushy man who thought he was above the law because of his family. He was seeking a career as a politician and was working his way up the ladder to run for the governor of Texas. There was a rift between the Gentry and Barnhart families because of something that happened in Eliza and Ben’s childhood. Eliza’s father did not trust Ben so he hired a detective and protector for Eliza named John Brady to shadow her and keep Ben away from her. It would prove to be more of a challenge than anyone could have imagined.

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Title: (The Daughters of the Mayflower #12)
Author: Kathleen Y’Barbo
Pages: 256
Year: 2020
Publisher: Barbour Books
My rating is 4 out of 5 stars.
Wyatt Creed had a rough childhood with his mother dying when he was young. His father turned to alcohol in his grief, which led to him beating Wyatt. On a cattle drive on the Chisholm Trail with his best friend, Eliza Gentry, a tragedy occurs that will change Wyatt’s and Eliza’s life. The result is that Wyatt isn’t around anymore.
Eliza Gentry wants to go to college someday and study astronomy. She loves nothing better than to lay under the stars and gaze upon their beauty. She does miss her best friend Wyatt and mourns his loss. A few years later, her attention is garnered by Ben Barnhart. He has vowed that she will be his wife no matter what. He made a similar statement years ago while accompanying Eliza and Wyatt on the same cattle drive. There are rumors that Ben might be involved in something illegal, too. Eliza realizes her heart has always belonged to Wyatt, but he isn’t a part of her life now. She refuses Ben’s offer of marriage, which leads to Ben becoming more aggressive in his pursuit of her. Her father hires a guard to keep an eye on her and something about him seems familiar.
One thing I really liked about Eliza was her continuous wonder and awe of God’s creation, especially the constellations. I found this a good reminder for myself to appreciate God’s gift of beauty in nature. I also liked the teasing nature of Eliza and Wyatt’s relationship. The author did a good job of painting Ben as the “bad guy” with his sneaky and underhanded ways. I absolutely enjoyed all twelve books in this series and would recommend them all. They can be read in any order as the characters don’t carry over from novel to novel. The time period advances with each novel, however. I hope that the publisher will do another project like this as it was such fun reading about different time periods in history.
Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility. ( )

Title: The Chisholm Trail Bride (The Daughters of the Mayflower #12)
Author: Kathleen Y’Barbo
Pages: 256
Year: 2020
Publisher: Barbour
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
If you enjoy a tale that has romance, mystery, intrigue and adventure, look no further as this novel has all that and more! There are 12 books in the series with different authors contributing their talents to tell wonderful stories based in history. The series books in order are: The Mayflower Bride, The Pirate Bride, The Captured Bride, The Patriot Bride, The Cumberland Bride, The Liberty Bride, The Alamo Bride, The Golden Bride, The Express Bride, The Rebel Bride, and The Blizzard Bride. While you can read each book individually, it has been a joy to me to read them in order as they were published.
In the latest installment of the series, a budding friendship grows as Wyatt Creed and Eliza Gentry look at the stars while on the Chisholm Trail. When readers open the pages, these two main characters are counting falling stars and naming constellations when most of the riders are asleep. During the last ride on the trail, a tragedy occurs that sets these two friends’ lives in opposite directions.
Now, nine years later, they are going to meet. The antagonist in the tale is named Ben Barnhart. Ben and Eliza were at one time engaged, and Ben is determined to make it a reality again. Ben is an odious character whose plans and schemes are bound to make his future less than what he envisions. All three characters’ lives are intertwined from start to finish in the book. The ending was out of this world!
Travel with Eliza Gentry and her family from the trail dust to the halls where balls are legendary in Louisiana! See how danger is avenged or averted, romance and dreams could come true in the latest tale of The Daughters of the Mayflower series!
Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility. ( )

TEXAS! The stars...big and bright! Oh, my. Be still my heart. Kathleen Y'Barbo writes about Texas in a way that makes me feel like I am back in my adopted home state.

The Chisholm Trail Bride introduces us to the main characters, who are all in their early teen years. There is Eliza Gentry, daughter of a prosperous cattleman; Wyatt Creed, son of a retired Texas Ranger, who is also an alcoholic; and Ben “Benjy” Barnhart, son of a Texas judge. The narrative begins as they are about to set out on the Chisholm Trail to deliver cattle to buyers in Kansas.

The trail ride brings joy and deep heartbreak along the way, and this ride becomes the three’s last trail ride. Ben, unlike Eliza and Wyatt, creates his own problems due to his selfish and wantonly cruel ways.

Years later, we find Eliza living in Louisiana with her mother. Life has not been the same for her since the trail ride, and it looks like it never will be.

Y’Barbo writes a mesmerizing and captivating tale, melding mystery, murder and kidnapping, along with love and forgiveness. Her portrayal of the trail leaves you wishing you were under the stars, too, etching the story in your memory. She draws such wonderful pictures of Texas, Louisiana and all the happenings between the two states that I was often left breathless. (I also never guessed the ending, which is something that almost never happens to me. It is stunning and surprising!)

The Author’s Note at the end is a do not miss portion of the novel, as there is a plethora of fascinating information about the Chisholm Trail.

I received this book from NetGalley. However, I was under no obligation to write a review. ( )