Review: The Pirate Bride by Kathleen Y'Barbo

About the book:

 Can a former privateer and a determined heiress find lost treasure in 1725?
A brand new series for fans of all things related to history, romance, adventure, faith, and family trees.



Pasts Collide in New Orleans when a Treasure Goes Missing
The last time New Orleans attorney Jean-Luc Valmont saw Maribel Cordoba, a Spanish nobleman’s daughter, she was an eleven-year-old orphan perched in the riggings of his privateering vessel proving herself as the best lookout on his crew. Until the day his infamy caught up with them all and innocent lives were lost. Unsure why he survived but vowing to make something of the chance he was given, Jean-Luc has buried his past life so deep that no living person will ever find it—until a very much alive and very grown up Maribel Cordoba arrives on his doorstep and threatens all he now holds dear. 



 Join the adventure as the Daughters of the Mayflower series continues with The Pirate Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo.



More to come in the Daughters of the Mayflower series:
The Mayflower Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse – set 1620 Atlantic Ocean (coming February 2018)
The Pirate Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo – set 1725 New Orleans (coming April 2018)
The Captured Bride by Michelle Griep – set 1760 during the French and Indian War (coming June 2018)
The Patriot Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse – set 1774 Philadelphia (coming August 2018) 
The Cumberland Bride by Shannon McNear – set 1794 on the Wilderness Road (coming October 2018)
The Liberty Bride by MaryLu Tyndall – set 1814 Baltimore (coming December 2018)

My rating:
3.5 stars
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Review: Sadie's Secret by Kathleen Y'Barbo

About the book:

From bestselling author Kathleen Y’Barbo comes Sadie’s Secret, the third book in The Secret Lives of Will Tucker series. These historical novels capture the romance of the South mingled with adventure and laced with secret identities and hidden agendas.

Louisiana, 1890―Sarah Louise “Sadie” Callum is a master of disguise, mostly due to her training as a Pinkerton agent but also from evading overprotective brothers as she grew up. When she takes on a new assignment with international connections, she has no idea her new cover will lead her on the adventure of a lifetime.

Undercover agent William Jefferson Tucker is not looking for marriage―pretend or otherwise―but his past is a secret, his twin brother has stolen his present, and his future is in the hands of the lovely Sadie Callum. Without her connections to the world of upper-crust New Orleans, Jefferson might never find a way to clear his name and solve the art forgery case that has eluded him for years.

Only God can help these two secret agents find a way to solve their case and uncover the truth about what is going on in their hearts.

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Review: Millie's Treasure by Kathleen Y'Barbo

About the book:

From bestselling author Kathleen Y'Barbo comes Millie's Treasure, the second book in The Secret Lives of Will Tucker series, a new set of novels involving romance, adventure, and hidden identity.

Memphis 1890―Bookish heiress Millie Jean Cope is as clever as she is beautiful. Unfortunately, though adept at solving puzzles and cryptograms, she doesn't realize her new fiancé isn't who he claims to be, but instead is a charming scoundrel. The infamous Will Tucker is presenting himself as a British gentleman, Sir William Trueck, though in reality he is a crafty criminal looking for a hidden map to a secret treasure.

Pinkerton agent Kyle Russell has been on Tucker's trail for years. At last Kyle believes he has Tucker cornered, but he is uncertain whether the lovely woman on the con man's arm is an unsuspecting victim or willing accomplice. Finding reasons to spend time with Millie is easy. Keeping himself from falling in love with her is another issue entirely.

A fun and entertaining story of how God can shine the light of truth on the most cryptic circumstances.

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3-Year Blogoversary Party ~ Interview with Kathleen Y'Barbo and Giveaway!!

Welcome to Christian Bookshelf Reviews, Kathleen! Thanks for celebrating my blog's 3-Year Blogoversary with us! Will you tell us a little about yourself? 

I’m a wife, mother, lover of Christ, and a writer. I’ve won awards for my writing, and I’ve written a lot of books. My bio tells more about me than that, of course, so you might want to go take a peek at www.kathleenybarbo.com to get the details. That pretty much sums it up!

What is your current series, The Secret Lives of Will Tucker, about and what inspired it?

The Secret Lives of Will Tucker is about taking chances and learning to wait on God. Three different women think they’ve found the solution to problems only to discover that the Lord had His own plans and did not need their help. I didn’t have to look any further than my own life to find inspiration for that. Waiting on God? Great in theory but very difficult in reality.

To add a little more detail on this series, the central character is Will Tucker, a charming and intelligent con man who is more than happy to court but never quite makes good on his claims. I will say that readers who have met him in FLORA’S WISH (Feb 2013) and MILLIE’S TREASURE (Aug 2013) will be surprised to see what Will does in SADIE’S SECRETS (Feb 2014). Actually, it’s an action that I never saw coming—and I’m the writer!

What is something the average reader wouldn't know about you?
I was once proficient at the Indonesian language of Bahasa Indonesia thanks to 5 years living in Jakarta. However, my skills are quite rusty now.

What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
Oh my…truly I have a difficult time deciding that anything about me is interesting. However, I think those who live with me would say that my inability to work in a messy environment is probably the most pronounced issue I have in my writing life. Always I straighten up before I write, sometimes because it’s truly bothering me to write in a mess and other times because I’m either procrastinating or plotting. Either way, the result is the same, I suppose.

Where do you like to write?

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Review: Flora's Wish by Kathleen Y'Barbo

Flora's Wish by Kathleen Y'Barbo

The Secret Lives of Will Tucker: Book One

Harvest House / 2013

Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

About the book:

From bestselling author Kathleen Y'Barbo comes a brand-new series of romance, adventure, and hidden identity.

May 1887--Flora Brimm is determined the fifth time is the charm. Back home she has a reputation as "Fatal Flora," a woman whose previous four fiancés died in untimely accidents. Flora is desperate to marry, because producing an heir is the only way she can keep her family's estate. She's confident this visit to Eureka Springs with her grandmother will help her land a husband.

Pinkerton detective Lucas McMinn is hot on the trail of Will Tucker, the thief who broke his sister's heart. When he discovers the slippery fellow with Flora, he thinks they are in on the devious plot together. Will Flora be able to convince Lucas of her innocence? Will Lucas catch the elusive Mr. Tucker?

And, more importantly, will Lucas survive if he pursues Flora's heart?

An engaging story of how God can move circumstances to bring love, joy, and lasting fulfillment to the most hopeless heart.

My rating:

My thoughts:

Flora's Wish is the fourth book I've read by Kathleen Y'Barbo and another great read! I loved the whole Pinkertons aspect in the story. I always seem to enjoy books with those types of agents (or really just any detective agents) in it.

I loved the main character - Lucas McMinn! I thought all of the gadgets/inventions he had were really cool. I also liked how, at times, he held his ground with Flora - though she did tend to do things her own way which led to some funny scenes.

While I did like Flora Brimm, she did annoy me a little when she kept things regarding Will Tucker to herself and didn't tell Lucas. I also got a little frustrated with her when she blatantly went against what Lucas told her to do. So my favorite character was definitely Lucas and my second favorite was either Kyle or Flora's grandmother.

The ending was so good! It did kind of have a cliffhanger, which just makes me want to read the next book in this series, Millie's Treasure, ASAP - though it doesn't release until August of this year.

Overall, Flora's Wish was a great read that I really enjoyed. The story was a little slow at times, but nothing too bad. I recommend it if you enjoy historical books with some suspense/mystery. 

*I received this book for free for my review. I was not required to write a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*

Was my review helpful? If so, please click "yes" on Amazon. Thanks!

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The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck: A Novel by Kathleen Y'Barbo

The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck: A Novel by Kathleen Y'Barbo

My Rating: 


One thing I loved when reading Kathleen Y'Barbo books ('The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper', 'Anna Finch and the Hired Gun', & 'The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck') was seeing how the characters' stories unfolded. It is sad to see the "Women of the West" series (as Kathleen Y'Barbo dubbed these books in her acknowledgments) come to an end.

The first time I "met" Charlotte Beck she was a spoiled, trouble-making child, but in this book she's now a young lady getting ready for adulthood.

On her journey, she still gets into some trouble - including getting a man pummeled in the face, stealing that man's pocket watch, breaking a telescope, and performing in a wild west circus show!

At her 'unofficial' debut into proper society, Charlotte meets a highly irritating man, Mr. Hambly. When she tells her Uncle Edwin Beck something less than truthful, Mr. Hambly ends up with a black eye.

Edwin Beck had been itching to punch a Hambly for years. At least since the day Martin won Edwin's favorite polo pony in a race Edwin claimed was fixed. It wasn't, of course, but the younger Beck brother had never been a good sport or a good loser. That Alex had been the one to offer an excuse for fisticuffs irked him almost as much as the slight to the Hambly name. - Page 21


Alex Hambly has enough trouble without Charlotte Beck. His family is in debt, and he is the one responsible to help fix that. One of his many options is to marry a rich American lady, although the thought doesn't sound pleasant to him.

Charlotte wants to go to college and then join her father's company, but he has a stipulation: agree to marry Alex Hambly and I will allow you to go to college and after you graduate, having a four year engagement, you will marry Alex Hambly.

"Papa!" Charlotte rose. "You're not serious. You wouldn't dare trade me for some silly title. You've got one of your own. Why add another? Especially his."
    "I assure you, Charlotte, my interest in seeing you yoked to the viscount has nothing to do with nobility." Mr. Beck laugh held little humor. "It is because I've never seen anyone handle you and your outrageous behavior as well as Alex does." - Page 162

'The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck' was really good. I continued reading it well into the night, until I had to stop. I really liked Alex's and Charlotte's characters and how their relationship blossomed. I found myself laughing when reading this book - some of the situations were just very humorous.

One of the only things I didn't like was how quickly the book covered some topics. I felt that had I not read the other books, I wouldn't have known what Charlotte's father was talking about when he mentioned her birth certificate. Also, I would have liked an epilogue that showed a couple of years later, how things unfolded. I hope there will be a book in the future featuring some of the same characters - I just don't want to say goodbye to them yet.

I liked this book so much that I will probably reread this in the future. I recommend this if you enjoy reading romance novels with a western theme mixed in!

* I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I've expressed are my own.*


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• Author's Website: www.kathleenybarbo.com
• Author's Twitter: twitter.com/KathleenYBarbo
• Publisher's Website: waterbrookmultnomah.com

The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck (Chapter 1 Excerpt)

Product details:

Price: 13.99

Format: Trade Paperback

SBN: 9780307444820

Categories: Fiction - Christian - Historical

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Anna Finch and the Hired Gun: A Novel by Kathleen Y'Barbo

Anna Finch and the Hired Gun: A Novel by Kathleen Y'Barbo

My Rating: 

Soon after I finished 'The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper', I started 'Anna Finch and the Hired Gun'.


I was pleased when I saw that many of the same characters from 'The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper' made an appearance in this book (Jeb Sanders, Anna Finch, Charlotte Beck, and Daniel Beck - to name a few).

There was about a 5 year gap between books (1880-1885), but it didn't feel like that much time had passed.

'Anna Finch and the Hired Gun' gave me a completely different view of Anna Finch. When I read 'The Confidential Life of Eugenia Beck', I kind of thought that she was just a wealthy woman seeking to find a husband - mainly Daniel Beck. Now I see that it was really her father that wanted her wed and that her dream was to be a reporter.

"When a female of marrying age is no longer amenable to remaining under the guidance of her father, it is my opinion she should be handed off to a husband who can perhaps do a better job of it." His eyes, the color of her own, narrowed. "And you, Anna Finch, have proven by your audacious behavior today and, I daresay, on many as-yet undiscovered occasions in the past, that you are well beyond any control I might have over your person and behavior." - Page 16

I was shocked, relatively early in the book, when I found out an interesting fact about Miss Anna Finch. I'm not going to say what it is, because I feel it would spoil both books if I did, but I will say that it was unexpected!

Anna Finch first met Jeb Sanders when she accidentally shot him (he was hidden in a log that she was using for target shooting). She at first thought that he was an outlaw - little did she know he worked as a Pinkerton Detective Agent and that her father would end up hiring him to be her hired gun.

He saw her socializing with Wyatt Earp and outlaw Doc Holliday, and formed opinions of her that weren't true. He longs to see justice for Ella, the woman he loved and thought Doc Holliday murdered, but now that he's a believer, he knows that vengeance is the Lord's, not his.

I loved how there were history facts mixed in with a ficticious story. This book kept me entertained and wanting more. I found 'Anna Finch and the Hired Gun' comical, romantic, and (at times) adventurous.

This book was just as good, in my opinion, as 'The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper'. I loved 'Anna Finch and the Hired Gun' and I recommend it! The next book I'm going to read is - 'The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck' by Kathleen Y'Barbo.

• Author's Website: www.kathleenybarbo.com
• Author's Twitter: twitter.com/KathleenYBarbo
• Publisher's Website: waterbrookmultnomah.com

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Anna Finch & The Hired Gun by Kathleen Y'Barbo (Chapter 1)

Book trailer for 'Anna Finch and the Hired Gun'

Product details:


Price: 13.99
ISBN: 9780307444813
Categories: Fiction - Christian - Historical

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The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper: A Novel by Kathleen Y'Barbo

The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper: A Novel by Kathleen Y'Barbo

My Rating: 


I'm going to be reading 'The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck' soon, so I decided to read 'The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper' by Kathleen Y'Barbo first and then I plan to read 'Anna Finch and the Hired Gun' by Kathleen Y'Barbo.


This is the first book that I've read by Kathleen Y'Barbo, but it reminded me of 'A Lady Like Sarah' by Margaret Brownley which I've recently read. Both books have a historical/western theme.


'The Confidential Life of Eugenia "Gennie" Cooper' is a historical romance book set around 1880. Gennie enjoys reading Mae Winslow, 'Woman of the West' dime novels, but she has to read them under her bed covers for fear that her parents will find out.


'Someday, if Gennie ever had the nerve, she'd just head west down Fifth Avenue and keep walking until she reached South Dakota or Wyoming. Colorado maybe, where she could pan for gold or dig for silver. Maybe save some hapless child or even a whole town from whatever evil preyed upon it. Gennie smiled. Wouldn't that be an adventure?' - Page 3


Finally that day has come.


When Gennie's new chambermaid, Fiona McTaggart, tells Gennie about how Fiona's sister has to leave the man she loves before they can wed - to be the governess of Miss Charlotte Beck - Gennie gets an idea.


Since Gennie will be leaving New York for a month to go visit relatives in Boston, while Gennie's family is on a ship for their silver anniversary; why can't Gennie instead of going to Boston go to Denver, Colorado to be the Charlotte Beck's Governess and get the adventure she's dreamed of. Then once Fiona's sister is married and arrives in Denver, go back home to New York with her need for adventure filled.


The beginning of every chapter begins with a portion of a Mae Winslow 'Woman of the West' story. I found this interesting, because it was like reading two books in one. Mae Winslow story as well as Gennie's story.


Upon arriving in Denver, Gennie realizes that Charlotte Beck is not the sweet child she thought she would be. Instead she's a trouble-maker and thief. Gennie soon realizes this "job" won't be as easy as she first thought.


I found the entire story very charming, humorous, and captivating. Gennie and Daniel Beck's relationship had such depth and layers that I didn't want to stop reading 'The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper'.


I loved how the story unfolded and had many twists that I didn't expect. I am very much looking forward to reading 'Anna Finch and the Hired Gun'. I highly recommend 'The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper'.


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• Author's Website: www.kathleenybarbo.com
• Author's Twitter: twitter.com/KathleenYBarbo
• Publisher's Website: waterbrookmultnomah.com

The Confidential Life Eugenia Cooper by Kathleen Y' Barbo (Chapter 1)

Book Trailer:

Book Details:
Price: 9.99
Format: Trade Paperback
On Sale: Jun 2, 2009
ISBN: 9780307444745
Categories: Fiction - Christian - Historical

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