It is 1704 when Genevieve Gaillain and her sister board a French ship headed for the Louisiana colony as mail-order brides.
A setting I’ve never seen before plus a time period not often traversed make for an interesting read in The Pelican Bride. Add to the mix the fact that the heroine is essentially a mail-order bride–but the groom’s identity is yet to be determined!
This isn’t merely a mail-order-bride-must-find-love story, either. There’s political intrigue, religious unrest, and the conflict of a new colony at war with other groups trying to survive in the same place. Did I mention I rooted for Genevieve from the first page when she’s swinging off a ship?
As much as I liked her, I liked Tristan Lanier’s isolationist tendencies and stubbornness, his painful past (that complements Genevieve’s), and the fact that he loves her well. Sprinkle in some secondary characters with goals and gusto of their own and you have one satisfying read!
Well, I didn’t like that it ended.
To be honest, I didn’t like that it ended as quickly as it did. Everything wrapped up in a sort of a rush to me. I was hoping for more events to be resolved. But isn’t that the way life is? Happily ever after doesn’t always come in a neat package complete with a bow. For this reason, I think The Pelican Bride ended beautifully–with just a bit of angst like oh, it’s over and enough to make me smile and imagine the characters living on. This isn’t a book I’ll soon forget.
About the Author
Beth White‘s day job is teaching music at an inner-city high school in historic Mobile, Alabama. A native Mississippian, she is a pastor’s wife, mother of two, and grandmother of one–so far. Her hobbies include playing flute and pennywhistle and painting, but her real passion is writing historical romance with a Southern drawl. Her novels have won the American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award, the RT Book Club Reviewers Choice Award, and the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award.
Find Beth : Website // Blog // Facebook // Twitter
Disclosure: The publisher provided me with this book in exchange for an honest review. This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.
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