The Blizzard Bride: DAUGHTERS OF THE MAYFLOWER #11

The Blizzard Bride Daughters of the Mayflower #11 by Susanne Dietze is a Christian Historical Mystery Romance. The crimes, characters and the scenes described are very realistic. Well researched details and the blizzard was based on a real blizzard. Lots of suspense and mystery from the first page until the last page. Christian values portrayed, as in no Christian is always perfect but God‘s Grace is perfect. The Gospel is shared with unbelievers. The Daughters of the Mayflower series reminds me of the old song that is seldom sung now America the Beautiful.‘‘ America, America God shed his grace on thee…‘‘ Read the whole series in any order and your heart will be blessed. I received a complimentary copy of this book. 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. 5 Stars

•°o•:*:•.Really Enjoyed Entire Book.•:*:• o°• This was a pleasant read for me. Late 1800s – Abigail and Dashiell (great name!) are forced to work together, undercover, to catch a counterfeiter. They haven’t seen each other in years; not since they were about to get engaged, but they harbor a variety of feelings for each other that only time and the good Lord can help them work through. I appreciated the mystery aspect of the story as well as the gentle working of the Lord to help them with forgiveness and trust, particularly Abby. Dash struggles with “word blindness” aka dyslexia, of which very little was known back then. He’s really hard on himself and lacks confidence. But, he is a strong hero in so many ways and others are able to help him recognize that as the story progresses. Mr. Yates was a very special character. His side story was exactly what I hoped it would be and knowing where he ended up was a tender moment for me. I also quite liked the school children and their, er, um, friend Stripey (smile). The historical notes about the actual blizzard (The Children’s Blizzard or The Schoolchildren’s Blizzard) were both tragic and interesting, particularly the way the storm hit; one moment a nice warm day, and suddenly snow and ice whipping at them and covering everything without warning as referenced in the story. Living in California, I have never experienced the likes of that! Quotes I enjoyed: *“Say your prayers, men, and keep your wits about you.” **Hildie poured some of the hot water into her floral teapot before dumping the remaining contents into a pitcher. ***Hildie had a teacup ready for her. “Something to invigorate the body and warm our hands.” ****These women had no idea how much their friendship meant to her. God knew, though. **************** I received an eCopy from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review with no further compensation or expectation. **************** So far in this series, twelve books have been written by varied authors so they loosely reference each other’s characters in the family tree, and therefore need not be read together or in order. You can read about them at DaughtersOfTheMayflowerDotCom.

I love this multi-author Daughters of the Mayflower series, and this novel in particular. I am amazed at how the author designed this exciting and thought-provoking plot based on real historical events in the years following the Civil War and in 1888. The characters are very well-developed, the mystery intriguing, and spiritual lessons beneficial. I also appreciated the sensitivity afforded Dash regarding one of his challenges. Abby is a school teacher in Chicago. Her father was killed four years ago at the bank he managed, and her mother died of pneumonia and a broken heart a year ago. After his death, they learned her father was distributing cash for a counterfeiter. When he told the counterfeiter he could no longer do so, the man killed him. She and her mother lost everything, including people they thought were friends. Mr. Welch, with the Secret Service, has been in contact periodically with Abby. Today he comes with an interesting proposition. The operative assigned to the case in another state discovered several new information. The counterfeiter, formerly known only as The Artist, is Fletcher Pitch. Pitch was married for about a year until his wife learned what he did for a living. She took their infant son and left. She died not long after, leaving their son in the care of her sister Katherine, with the promise she would never let Pitch near their son and a tintype of his likeness. Katherine changed her name and relocated to a small town in Nebraska. The schoolteacher there has a lung infection and is leaving. In need of a teacher, the Secret Service wants someone who might determine which of three “widows” with eight-year-old boys who moved to Wells in recent months is the woman with Pitch’s late son. They want to protect her and the boy and see the tintype of Pitch so they know what he looks like. Welch and his operative want Abby to go to Nebraska to teach and help determine who the woman and boy are. There’s one catch. The operative she will be in contact with is Dash Lassiter. He left Chicago six years ago without a word to Abby on the day they were going to announce to her parents their intention to marry, and she never heard from him again. Since her father’s death, Abby still believes God exists, but she is angry at Him, her father, the man who killed him, and Dash. She is bitter and unforgiving, wanting nothing to do with Dash – or even God. They only way she will work with him is if her contact is limited to sending a wire when discovering the right widow and son. At least until Dash learns Pitch knows where they are and will be on his way there to get his son. Dash moves to town. This novel kept my attention from beginning to end! While I did make correct guesses of certain events, I was unprepared for the depth of spiritual changes Abby needed or could encourage in others. The plot is beautifully executed. I am impressed with the historical research shared and learned something new. I highly recommend this to older teens and women who love Christian historical fiction set in the late 1800’s that includes intrigue, natural disasters, and a touch of romance. From a thankful heart: I received a copy of this from the publisher and NetGalley, and this is my honest review.