The Golden Bride

Kimberley Woodhouse

Apr 2019 · Barbour Publishing

About this ebook

Can Olivia survive the crime and Gold Rush fever of 1849...and the countless marriage proposals?
A series for fans of all things related to history, romance, adventure, faith, and family trees.

The Daughters of the Mayflower series continues when Olivia Brighton finds herself widowed and working her brother’s restaurant in San Francisco during the height of the rush for gold. Even though she receives at least twenty marriage proposals a day, she will never marry a gold miner. Her brother’s friend Joseph Sawyer has gotten caught up in local politics and the plight of Chinese in forced labor. The more Joseph gets pulled into investigating crime in the city, the less Olivia sees of the compassionate man. And just when she thinks she could love again, a fire threatens to steal all hope.

"Woodhouse’s love story rises above other historical romances with its engrossing setup of virtue resisting rampant sin."
-Publishers Weekly

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 Battle of the Alamo (February 2019)

Ratings and reviews

This is my favorite novel so far in the Daughters of the Mayflower series – I love it! The characters are extremely likable, the mystery is intriguing, and the historical research and setting is fascinating. This is a San Francisco that few of us imagined before many worked together for governance and safety in the California territory. It is 1849. Olivia’s parents died, and she sold their farm to pay the debts. She then married a man she just met to help with debts and head toward her beloved brother’s home and restaurant in San Francisco. Her bridegroom changed his mind almost daily on what quick-money deal he wanted in on. Finally, he purchased gold mining equipment with their last dollar, leaving them no money for food. Hezekiah Brighton died while trying to hunt something for dinner and Olivia carries the guilt for his death like a huge sack of boulders. San Francisco was not what Olivia expected. She traveled through miles of tents and shacks to get to her brother’s place. Livvy’s brother Daniel was thrilled to see her and welcomed her into his home over the restaurant. Since it was not safe for her to go anywhere alone in the city, Livvy was happy to work at his restaurant. Then she met some of the men who dined there. One man was a little too friendly and she delivered his pie directly to his face. Daniel’s best friend Joseph saw it and was immediately attracted by her feisty personality. Daniel sees San Francisco as the mission field the Lord led him to, and Joseph was one man he ministered to. They grew into a close friendship and fellowship. Now they discuss what they can do to shine their light in the city teeming with evil. They begin a Bible study group during the afternoon at the restaurant and Olivia meets a remarkable woman. Together they seek the source of the adult and child slave trade in the city while Joseph works with the city council to get good police and fire departments. Joseph is interested in Olivia, but she believes Hezekiah died because of her complaining and poor attitude, vowing to never marry again. Livvy begins to read the journals of her ancestors, including the woman who came over on the Mayflower more than 200 years earlier. As she reads their histories and returns to reading her Bible, her heart changes. Upcoming events will call upon every attribute she gains from the Lord and her ancestors’ writings, as their lives will soon be at stake. The characters are very well defined. I really like and empathize with Olivia. She is interesting, genuine, and has challenges with grace and receiving God’s forgiveness. Daniel and Joseph are strong in their faith; the three learn from each other even as Olivia gets back to her relationship with the Lord that can change her from the inside out. What I appreciate most is the faith portrayed by Daniel, Joseph, and Olivia, and the transparency of Olivia with her faith struggles. This sets it apart from many Christian novels, as the witness of faith from Joseph and Daniel are powerful. I also appreciate Olivia’s new friend, Julia, who may not be accepted by society, but she certainly helps the three friends with their quest to find the slave traders to free the adults and children, no matter the cost. I highly recommend this fabulous novel of God’s love, second chances, and learning from the past to have a better future. From a grateful heart: I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley, a positive review was not required.

About the author

Kimberley Woodhouse is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than twenty-five fiction and nonfiction books. Winner of the Carol Award, the Holt Medallion, The Reader’s Choice Award, Selah Award, and Spur Award. A popular speaker and teacher, she has shared her theme of “Joy Through Trials” with more than two million people across the country at more than two thousand events. A lover of history and research, she often gets sucked into the past and then her husband has to lure her out with chocolate. Kim and her husband of thirty years have two adult, married children. She is passionate about music and Bible study and loves the gift of story. You can connect with Kimberley at www.kimberleywoodhouse.com and at www.facebook.com/KimberleyWoodhouseAuthor.