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 … 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.
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)
more
This is an awesome book set during the California gold rush. Kim is a phenomenal author who gives so much attention to detail and historical accuracy. I know many of my readers are already familiar with her, but for those of you who aren’t, I highly recommend you pre-order this March release.
Kimberley Woodhouse is a master at historical romance. It’s nearly impossible to find her equal.
Kimberley Woodhouse is a must-read for me! Her grasp on historical fiction is delightful, and the stories she weaves leave me eagerly anticipating her next tale!
I have loved Kimberley Woodhouse books for years. THE GOLDEN BRIDE is part of The Daughters of the Mayflower series. It gives an authentic peek into the very early days of San Francisco, at the beginning of the gold rush in 1849. I love the characters who fought against the darkness and evil and helped turn the town into a place where settlers could be safe and free.
Another installment in the Daughters of the Mayflower series, like all of them this is a standalone, although the others are definitely worth reading too.
Author Kimberley Woodhouse gives us a descriptive look at San Francisco during the Gold Rush Era. While I knew about the roughness of the miners during that time frame, I wasn’t aware of the slavery that went on. I found the history of it quite interesting.
Woodhouse’s characters are not only well developed but they are true to life with their ups and downs; life’s challenges. I especially liked seeing Olivia’s spiritual growth as she sought God.
With suspense, light romance, and lots of drama, if you enjoy historical fiction I highly recommend The Golden Bride.
I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.
My Review:
Genre: Historical, Christian, romance, fiction.
My Rating: 4 stars.
My Recommendation: 13 up.
My Favorite Character/s: Joseph was so surprisingly deep with a kind and sweet attitude. He was so kind and yet tough without being boring or too overprotective.
My Verse for Joseph is Mark 4:31
It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: (King James Version.)
Olivia was a sweet heroine and I really liked her reaction with the pie.
My Verse for Olivia is Proverbs 3:5
5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (King James Version.)
Then there’s Daniel! He’s the kind, protective, Christian, older, kinder brother. He’s also the comic relief . . . The guy that also picks the wrong time to interrupt — on purpose.
My Verse for Daniel is Proverbs 17:22
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. (King James Version.)
My Thoughts: The books in this series have been so interesting! The history and feeling in this book was so spot on and I liked the plot though the ending was a little fast for me. And as of now Kimberley Woodhouse is a need to read author, I’ve enjoyed each of her books that I’ve read and look forward to reading more!
Warnings: There is some human-trafficking, and a boy is beaten by a man, as well as slavery.
I received this book in exchange for my honest review and am truly happy to provide it!
*4.5 Stars
The Golden Bride, by Kimberley Woodhouse, is the 8th book to be released in The Daughters of the Mayflower series. Set in San Francisco during the Gold Rush in 1849, this stand-alone novel offers a truly satisfying story of history, courage, love, faith and second-chances.
Well-written and well-researched, The Golden Bride abounds with rich characterization, a thoroughly compelling plot, and fascinating historical details. In a city overrun with danger, lawlessness, greed, and selfish-ambition, the main characters shine brightly as they inspire others with their selfless bravery and generosity. They are authentic and multifaceted, and their fears, hopes, desires, convictions, and choices make them heart-warming and relatable. Though they struggle with their own insecurities and doubts, they endeavor to press on in their desire to help others and make a difference in their community. As their outreach grows, their personal hope and faith are strengthened considerably.
Ms. Woodhouse skillfully balances moments of a budding romance and life in a fledgling city with scenes of brief action and mild peril that move the plot along at an enjoyable pace. Themes of faith, purpose, service, courage, forgiveness, and redemption resonate as the characters grow and mature by facing various challenges and overcoming personal struggles. Shown in all its unflattering truth, the harsh realities of life in the early and wild San Francisco setting add a danger and an intrigue to the story while also drawing attention to a time and place in history that has faded into memory.
From beginning to end, The Golden Bride is a truly memorable novel and a pleasure to read. I eagerly recommend it to all readers who enjoy historical fiction that is engaging, moving, and inspirational.
*I was given a copy of this book from the publisher. A review was not required. The review I have written contains opinions that are entirely my own.
The Golden Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse is a novel with a mixture of history, romance, mystery and faith. Throughout the story and with each character we learn how wonderful our Lord is. It is evident in every character‘s life, how God works with and in each individual. I learned some of the history of San Francisco and the gold rush of 1849. The Daughters of the Mayflower is a series that is enjoyable to read and from a Christian perspective are written by authors who love to tell the story of Jesus. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book.
Great book. I enjoyed it immensely and I loved the characters. Also I loved the spiritual aspect of the story. Well researched and very well written.
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.
Kimberley Woodhouse’s commitment to historical integrity, paired with her luminous storytelling, makes her an author to both trust and cherish. Any book with her name on it is a book I need to read.
In The Golden Bride, Kimberley Woodhouse continues the next book in the Daughters of the Mayflower series. Based in the mid-1800, this book is set in San Francisco during the gold rush. At the beginning of the book, you meet Olivia Brighton. Olivia’s goal is to reach San Francisco to find her brother. He owns a restaurant there in town. After several trials, she finally makes it to this new town that has been waylaid by men looking for gold. They all have one goal and that is to become rich. However, she gets to know her brother’s friend, Joseph, who is not like all of these other men. He does own a gold mine, though, and she is hesitant at first to be around him because of this. In this book, the reader will be reminded of Olivia’s ancestors and will get brief glimpses into the past. This historical novel continues down the family line for this one family. This is a unique and interesting series. Each book introduces the reader to a new time period. The books can be read alone, but I would recommend all of the books in the series. I highly recommend this book and believe you will not be disappointed!
***I was given a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review. This is my honest opinion. Even though I received this copy free, I have purchased her books before.
Another great book in the Daughters of the Mayflower series. Olivia has been dealt with many sorrows in her life. Her brother left for California and after falling ill, her mother and father died. She needed to save the farm so she married a man she did not know because he offered to pay her debt. Then came the Gold Rush and her husband used their money to buy panning material, tent, and supplies. On the trip to California, her husband unexpectedly dies and she finishes the trip on her own. Upon arrival, things were definitely different than what Olivia thought. She reunites with her brother and with his help, journals passed down through the generations and the grace of God, Olivia begins to heal. It does not help that she has met Joseph, her brother’s best friend. As things come to light in the city, the health and safety of the city are being changed. It will be up to them all to figure out how to beat the beast and get the city back on its feet. I love the historical factors of the Gold Rush and the San Francisco fire included in the book by Ms. Woodhouse. Cannot wait to read the next book. Thank you to Ms. Woodhouse, Barbour Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This is a wonderful historical romance!
I loved all three of the main characters. As soon as I met Olivia Brighten my heart broke for her and all of the grief that she was carrying. I can’t imagine losing both of my parents at the same time. That fact that she carried on and dealt with the trip to San Francisco to join her brother Daniel was amazing. She definitely needed time to heal from all of the loss.
One of the things that I really liked about Joseph Sawyer was that he was willing to take things slowly and build a friendship with Olivia. I also enjoyed the strong emphasis on prayer and trusting God that was displayed by Joseph, Daniel, and Olivia throughout the story.
The historical content was great. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area but most of what I learned about the Gold Rush in school has been lost over the years. It was nice to get a look at the attitudes of the men in San Francisco at this time through the eyes of a god-fearing woman.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All of the opinions expressed are my own.
Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion – which I’ve done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*
Like I said, WOW!
I love historical romances and this is definitely an incredible one!
I love it when not everything is centered around the romance and we get to see the real context and issues people lived in that era. This is the Golden Rush in San Francisco in 859. I didn’t know about this historical period with detail, but Kimberley Woodhouse made me immerse and almost feel as if I was there! The evil and greed, the hardship, the slavery and abuse, but the hope and kindness in the good and sacrificing people who wanted to do their contribution of good for a better world!
After being widowed, Olivia has a hard time until she finally finds her brother Daniel. She starts working for him in his restaurant in San Francisco. After what she sees, and all the marriage proposal she gets, she knows she’ll never marry a gold miner.. Those men are not what she envisions in what she wants in a husband. That is until she meets Joseph, Daniel’s friend. Joseph is involved in mining, but he’s not greedy as the others, and he is now interested in political causes to help the helpless, like the chinese forced into labor. Olivia sees he’s different, he’s compassionate and cares about the less fortunate welfare. But behind the crime they discover, and a fire that threatens the city, will they be able to have a chance at love? Will what they do make a change, even if small, in the city of San Francisco?
This was a beautiful and touching story. There’s sweet romamance, but as I said, there’s so much more. It’s an inspiring story and I admired how Ms Woodhouse weaves the faith elements in a natural and non preachy way. I loved how Olivia, Joseph and Daniel studied the Bible and tried to find God’s message for them.
It’s a book that captivates, that has so much to learn, that inspires and also very enjoyable, in spite of the hardship and difficult themes.
I loved the characters, they are deep and compelling, realistic, and loveable. Daniel too! Hope he has his story!
I totally recommend this book! Ms. Woodhouse is a wonderful author. I want to read all of her books.
I received a complimentary copy from the Publisher via NetGalley and this is my voluntary and unbiased review.
I have been thoroughly enjoying the Daughters of the Mayflower series and this one certainly does not disappoint! Young Olivia is on her way to join her brother Daniel in San Francisco, where he owns a restaurant that feeds many of those who have come for the Gold Rush. The circumstances that have brought her to the city are ones that she finds impossible to forgive. Will the time spent learning from the journals of the past bring healing into her life? Can she learn to believe that God has a plan for her, He is with her and won’t ever leave her?
In 1849 San Francisco was a lawless city, with drunkenness, debauchery, slavery and murder. How was one to be a light for the Lord in such darkness! Was it possible that a Bible Study after lunch in the restaurant might reach into that wickedness and start to change lives?
The author has given great historical detail of what life was like during the Gold Rush particularly in this city. I appreciated the notes at the back of the book that gave even more detail as to the history of that time.
I received this ARC through NetGalley. The impressions and opinions are my own.
This was a wonderful story that brought in loss and grief, guilt and redemption, faith and strength, and sweet and clean love. The characters are wonderful, the story informative, unique, and interesting. And I love happy endings! I definitely recommend it!
I received a complimentary copy of the book. All opinions are my own and are expressed voluntarily.
Ive enjoyed all the books Ive read in this series. I haven’t read them all, or in order, but it doesn’t really matter.
They are written by different authors (Kimberley Woodhouse has written four in the series) and they follow different women from the family in different times in history.
This particular book is set in San Francisco during the gold rush. It was interesting and an informative read. It was the “preachiest” so far of the books that I have read, too much for my taste.
It is fairly predictable but still an enjoyable read.
Warning: there is mild talk of prostitution and some violence/human slavery.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40738373-the-golden-bride
The Golden Bride (2019) by Kimberly Woodhouse is the eighth novel in the Daughters of the 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 seven-year-old, this book took me three days to read. I received a review copy of this novel in eBook form from the publisher, Barbour Publishing, via NetGalley. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. I give The Golden Bride 2 STARS. This novel is a Historical Christian Romance.
I have enjoyed every novel in The Daughters of the Mayflower series so far. They have all been excellent adventures full of interesting historical detail. While I enjoyed aspects of The Golden Bride, I do have to admit it is not my favorite book in the series. I personally struggled to connect to any of the characters, and I feel the Christian elements in this book were heavy-handed. Rather than flowing naturally from the characters as the plot moves forward, the Christian themes and discussions often feel like “We now interrupt this regularly scheduled program to bring you this important message” soundbites where Christian truths are lobbed at the reader. To me, this makes the characters appear extremely superficial (hence why I could not relate), and the interruptions often took me out of the storyline, which meant I could easily put this book down.
WARNING: Spoilers are about to happen. If you plan to read this book, scroll down to my final paragraph.
I also took great issue with the villain. I mean GREAT issue! For 99% of the novel, the villain is an unknown, unnamed man. The reader is given moments where we see this unnamed, unknown man interacting with a minion of his, and we do get small, superficial glimpses into his current psyche, but these are meaningless details because he is a nothing character. As the reader, I made ZERO connection to the antagonist. He never ever interacts with a single main character in our story except for his minion. I have no reason to really hate this character because he’s not really there. I can get mad at the idea that bad guys exist in this world and do bad things to good people. Yes, that stinks. But this abstract concept (bad things happening somewhere) has ZERO bearings in my everyday life. When I’m invested in a protagonist and I see how the villain is working against him, then I am excited when the bad guy loses. But, when a bad guy is not part of the main character’s actual story, when the bad guy is so far removed from actual life, when he goes down it’s rather anticlimactic. When evil loses in The Golden Bride, I could have cared less. I have to admit that this is THE most frustrating part of this story. It feels like I wasted three days to read a book.
Overall, I am not a fan of this storyline. I do appreciate some of the thematic topics discussed in general in this novel, but I do not feel the delivery is well done. And, my issues with the superficial nature of the characters and the way the villain is used in this story left me greatly unsatisfied.
The Golden Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse is book 8 in the Daughters of the Mayflower series by Barbour and is set in San Francisco in 1849 during the gold rush.
I sympathized with Olivia Brighton from the start. She has lost her parents to a disease and her husband of six weeks. She is a determined and hardworking girl, on her way to find her brother Daniel in San Francisco where he owns a restaurant. He and his friend Joseph Sawyer are some of the few Christians in town. They are trying to minister to the many people who have begun pouring into town to find their fortunes in the gold mines.
Olivia and Joseph are growing fond of eachother as they seek the Lord’s guidance. The author presented their ministry and Bible Study in a very natural way. I especially liked the way she tied this book to others in the series by having Olivia read journals from women in her family. The excerpts were enjoyable reading. Olivia learned a lot about her history and sought to emulate her ancestors. She even starts her own journal to hand down.
There is danger and intrigue, bringing to light the evil and corruption of the beginnings of the city. Ms. Woodhouse takes a few real instances such as the devastating fire and puts a few real people in the story. You can tell she has done extensive research for this interesting book.
What isn’t told in the story, the author helpfully puts in the end notes. She provides links to additional information. One was a fascinating map of the bay, where many ships were hidden under landfill.
This book and whole series is well worth the reading. Barbour did a great job coming up with this concept.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing. I was not obligated to leave a favorable review. All opinions are my own.*