Michelle Griep’ s The Captured Bride

Mercy Lytton, a scout with keen eyesight raised among the Mohawks, and Elias Dubois, a condemned traitor working both sides of the conflict, must join together to get a shipment of gold safely into British hands.
A brand new series for fans of all things related to history, romance, adventure, faith, and family trees.

A War-Torn Countryside Is No Place for a Lady
Mercy Lytton is a lady like none other. Raised amongst the Mohawks, she straddles two cultures, yet each are united in one cause. . .to defeat the French. Born with a rare gift of unusually keen eyesight, she is chosen as a scout to accompany a team of men on a dangerous mission. Yet it is not her life that is threatened. It is her heart.  Condemned as a traitor, Elias Dubois faces the gallows. At the last minute, he is offered his freedom if he consents to accompany a stolen shipment of French gold to a nearby fort—but he is the one they stole it from in the first place. It turns out that the real thief is the beguiling woman, Mercy Lytton, for she steals his every waking thought.   Can love survive divided loyalties in a backcountry wilderness?

Five Reasons You Should Read This Book

1. Mercy Lytton. I will admit that I struggle with heroines who are self-identified “strong” women. Especially in historical novels. I’m not saying that there weren’t strong women back then, but I think authors often struggle with making them strong for their times vs. strong for our times. Mercy is a woman strong in any time and she’s got the resume to back it. She often made mistakes but she would be the first one to call herself on it and fix it. I enjoyed Mercy. She’s a bit prickly, but she’s smart, sensitive, kind, and fierce without ever feeling like she didn’t fit. She was the kind of heroine a reader could trust.
2. Elias Dubois. There’s nothing like a really great hero and Elias was a truly fascinating hero. He’s got the mysterious, hidden past without any of the darkness. Usually it’s the heroine who is the “light” in the book. But not so in this one. In spite of his situation, there’s something very lighthearted about Elias that made him a hero that was a bit unique. He is the perfect foil to Mercy. Which leads me to…
3. The Romance. Due to the nature of how Mercy and Elias meet, there’s not a whole lot of trust on each side. But watching the two of them get to know each other and learn to trust was truly entertaining. Especially since personality-wise they are very different. While I wouldn’t classify this under the banner of “friendship” romance, I would definitely classify it under “partnership” romance. They worked together and where one was weak, the other was strong.
4. Historical accuracy. Okay, to be fair I can’t say whether this book is historically accurate, but it felt accurate. Everything from the way the characters dressed to the way they spoke or even thought had me convinced the author knew her stuff. I felt completely immersed in the 1760s. Not one thing happened in the book that pulled me out of that era. Also, the book felt incredibly realistic. Half of the time I was on the edge of my seat worried about my characters. Those were some dangerous times and the littlest thing could get you killed.
5. Spiritually, the novel dealt with the need for salvation and how it can change the course of your life. But the book also referenced how a walk with God is a walk of strength. It may not look like it on the outside, but it is.

Overall, in case you can’t tell, I thoroughly enjoyed this book!