The Pelican Bride by Beth White

About the Book
It is 1704 when Genevieve Gaillain and her sister board a French ship headed for the Louisiana colony as mail-order brides. Both have promised to marry one of the rough-and-tumble Canadian men in this New World in order to escape religious persecution in the Old World. Genevieve knows life won't be easy, but at least here she can establish a home and family without fear of beheading. But when she falls in love with Tristan Lanier, an expatriate cartographer whose courageous stand for fair treatment of native peoples has made him decidedly unpopular in the young colony, Genevieve realizes that even in this land of liberty one is not guaranteed peace. And a secret she harbors could mean the undoing of the colony itself.
Gulf Coast native Beth White brings vividly to life the hot, sultry south in this luscious, layered story of the lengths we must go to in order to be true to ourselves, our faith, and our deepest loves.

My Thoughts
This was my first novel by Beth White and I really liked it! It was written in such a beautiful way and was rich with historical detail. I truly felt transported to another time and place. The characters were all well-written from the hero and heroine to the villain. I really liked both Genevieve and Tristan, they were both strong individuals who stood fast in their beliefs. The one thing I really wasn't a fan of was how little romance there was, there actually weren't all that many scenes of the two of them together and I just felt like it could have been developed more. That's not to say that I didn't like the romance, I did think they were great together, I just wanted a little more.

There were several plot twists throughout the story, some of which I guessed, others that took me by surprise. But everything was woven together beautifully to create a story well worth reading! I can't wait for book two to come out!

Meet 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. Visit www.bethwhite.net for more information.

I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.