The Cumberland Bride: Daughters of the Mayflower - book 5

Shannon McNear

Oct 2018 · Daughters of the Mayflower Book 5 · Barbour Publishing

About this ebook

Thomas Bledsoe and Kate Gruener are traveling the Wilderness Road when conflicts between natives and settlers reach a peak that will require each of them to tap into a well of courage.
A brand new series for fans of all things related to history, romance, adventure, faith, and family trees.
Love and Adventure Are Discovered on the Wilderness Road
In 1794, when Kate Gruener’s father is ready to move the family farther west into the wilderness to farm untouched land, Kate is eager to live out her own story of adventure like he did during the War for Independence and to see untamed lands. And she sets her sights on learning more about their scout, Thomas Bledsoe. Thomas’s job is to get settlers safely across the Kentucky Wilderness Road to their destination while keeping an ear open for news of Shawnee unrest. But naïve Kate’s inquisitive nature could put them both in the middle of a rising tide of conflict. Is there more to Thomas’s story than he is willing to tell? Is there an untapped courage in Kate that can thwart a coming disaster?

Join the adventure as the Daughters of the Mayflower series continues with The Cumberland Bride by Shannon McNear.

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)
 

Ratings and reviews

Once again this is a wonderful addition to the Daughters of the Mayflower Series. I was not familiar with Shannon McNear's writing, so I did not know what to expect. Within the first few pages she takes you on an unforgettable journey. Her description of the territory, terrain and the hardships faced, places you right in the middle of Thomas and Kate's adventure. Ms. McNear develops her characters so well, you feel as if they were real people you want to get to know. I found both Thomas Bledsoe and Katarina, “Kate”, Gruener to be perfect heroes. She is a strong, beautiful, brave young woman, that does not realize her own beauty or charm. Yet she is not perfect, She tends to talk to much and ask too many questions, “only a silly, chattering female”. Thomas makes a wonderful “next book boyfriend”. He is smart, strong, good looking with a secret side to him. He becomes very tender and protective over Kate. The story, has tender moments as well as lighthearted ones. One of my favorite lines in the novel comes towards the end. “Do you two wish to marry today, or would you rather simply admire each other?” came the older man's voice. Sharing a laugh, both of them blushing a little, Kate took Thomas's hand more firmly and stepped forward to face the preacher.” I enjoyed Ms. McNear's book. I appreciated the way she brought faith and family morals alive throughout her story. It is quit obvious of her love for history. The research that she has done must be phenomenal. I learn so much from these Historical Romance Novels. Ms. McNear gives us great detail and more information at the end in her credits. If this is an interest of yours, do yourself a favor and take the time to read it. I find myself on the internet researching further. I received a copy of this book from Barbour Books through NetGalleys. The opinions expressed in this book are my own.

Hope to read more by this author!! The Cumberland Bride is fifth in the multi-author series, Daughters of the Mayflower. It is an exciting, delightful, faith-filled series following the descendants of a woman who met the love of her life on the Mayflower in 1620. The authors bring to life the early days of American History. In this novel, there are three families going through Cumberland Gap and the Wilderness Trail. It is 1794 and Karl Gruener is moving his family from Tennessee to Kentucky. Two other families are traveling with them. They share the pack leader, Jenkins, and his crew. Karl hired Thomas Bledsoe, a scout, to help protect his family from the constant threat of Indian attack. Kate, Karl’s oldest daughter; walks near the back of the column. As there are not enough horses for everyone, children and mothers with infants have priority. The only traveler behind her usually is Mr. Bledsoe. He is always alert, not relaxed like the other men. Even though fearful of attack, Kate turns it over in prayer and appreciates the beauty of the mountains, trees in bloom, and other signs of spring. Her first accident is when she misses her footing while crossing a creek and startles the horse carrying her youngest brother and sister, forcing Bledsoe to catch the horse and address her injured, bleeding feet. He is frustrated with her continued accidents, yet continues to be watch for her safety, especially when young Jacob Hughes begins to pay unwanted attention to her. Their verbal sparring has a positive result. They begin to like each other, but neither would admit it, for when this job was done Bledsoe would move on. Bledsoe does not plan to ever marry. Kate and her family are Christians, evidenced by her fervent prayers throughout. Bledsoe is uncertain of God’s existence; it seems like God did not answer his prayers through the hardest times his family faced. Then came the true test. Kate and Bledsoe disappear, and from the few clues left behind, including Bledsoe’s gun, the travelers could assume only one thing – Indians had taken them captive. And the one secret Thomas Bledsoe had tried to keep from people his whole life is about to be uncovered. I like Kate, especially for her love of learning and writing people’s stories. Thomas is an enigma, professional in his dealings but closed off from sharing his story and had only begun to tell little bits and pieces of his life to Kate. Kate’s family is interesting, and I would love to know more about her parents’ backgrounds. Kate and Bledsoe are people who became hard to leave when the last page was turned. This novel of faith is very well-written and tugged me gently into the journey at the very beginning. I wasn’t sure, when meeting Thomas and watching him for a time, if he would be a safe person for the journey or someone Karl would regret hiring. This is a gripping novel of the history of the turn of the 18th century, and I loved the descriptions of where they travelled and the authenticity that rang through the pen of a talented author who loves this era. This is stunning and fast-paced, and I was satisfied with every aspect of the ending. I highly recommend this to Christian women of all ages, including mid-to-late teens, who appreciate historical Christian novels. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

About the author

Transplanted to North Dakota after more than two decades in Charleston, South Carolina, Shannon McNear loves losing herself in local history. She’s a military wife, mom of eight, mother-in-law of three, grammie of two, and a member of ACFW and RWA. Her first novella, Defending Truth in A Pioneer Christmas Collection, was a 2014 RITA® finalist. When she’s not sewing, researching, or leaking story from her fingertips, she enjoys being outdoors, basking in the beauty of the northern prairies. Connect with her at www.shannonmcnear.com, or on Facebook and Goodreads.