This is the first novel by this author that I have read. I was attracted to the book - honestly - because of the cover and the interesting title. I did find that it was a little hard to get into but I did enjoy the over all story. I am not into sticky overly romantic books with lots of gushy mushy love story stuff and this one did not have that element. This author did an excellent job of fleshing out a love story without a lot mushy scenes.

Genevieve and her sister board a boat that had a course set for the religiously free American colonies after her father was murdered for his anti-catholic practices. I found this to be a nice look into this particular era of history and Christian persecution. The name of the boat was Pelican - thus the name of the book. The last thing young Genevieve was looking for was a love story but that is precisely what she finds. Not only love but excitement and mystery and a little bit of danger. Secrets are never a good thing, and sometimes one's past sometimes pops up in the most unexpected ways and demands to be dealt with - this is what the characters in this book face.

Thanks to Revell for this review copy. ( )

There is history, romance, danger and secrets to be had in this book. An adventure from 1700s. Genevieve and her sister arrive in the New World with a promise to marry one of the men. They do not find it as they hoped. Tristan tries to avoid helping the French settle the colony yet keeps getting asked to aid. There are secrets in both Genevieve's and Tristan's lives. True love cast out fear. It brings hope and faith.
A book hard to lay down. ( )

This book holds so much in it. There is mystery, romance, intrigue, and history. Beth White creates vivid characters with rich opportunities to move beyond their comfort zones. Some I cherished and others disdained. What adds to the mystique of the book is there are many threads that weave throughout and come together in the end which is very satisfying. Suffering and joy flow next to each other and keep you wondering how people in the past could live such difficult journeys in search of freedom of expression and religion. One special romance shines all throughout and lifts hope into the often dark occurrences. I enjoyed The Pelican Bride and highly recommend it. ( )

They say do not judge a book by its cover. I picked up this book because of the lovely cover and I liked the title. I was pleasantly surprised as soon as I started to read it. It is not your usual Christian romance novel. My favorite type of book is historical romance and this did not disappoint. I love the way Beth has interwoven rich historical detail into the romance novel. I felt I was getting the benefit of two books in one. The storyline was filled with intrigue and romance. I found it a great read and would recommend it to anyone who likes a historical Christian romance. ( )

I read a lot of historical fiction, and I have not yet read a story in the 1600s set in Louisiana and that location in general attracted me as well as broadening my experience through the ages. I'm not familiar with Beth White, and I believed that this is her debut book in the historical markets that I roam around in filling my imagination with stories; however, I have since discovered that she does in fact have some Love Inspired Historicals as well as many contemporary novels published as Elizabeth White. After this novel, I definitely will be looking for the rest of the Gulf Coast Chronicles series as well as other stories to come from Beth White in the future. (According to Goodreads, there is more than one author by this name, so be aware of which one you're looking for.)

The first thing, this book, The Pelican Bride has going for it is cover beauty. The model chosen for the bride image has breathtaking eyes and the dress is so detailed with accessories that imagining it staying crisp and clean in the watery-muddy setting of the Louisiane is fascinating on it's own. While not a fast paced story, this is an intriguing and entertaining story that can make a reader really think about their opinions on the matters that our dear Genevieve Gallian faces as well as our hero Tristan Lanier. Like most books these days I have an opinion of how I want to have things end up for our characters, but so many things in this plot kept me interested and in full desire to turn the pages on-going. For a bit I was curious about the Alabaman Indian wife Niki and her tough situation wondering how she would fit in to the rest of the characters' world... yet I kept trekking in the novel and enjoyed it as I did so. This is a lovely story on the cover and the page. ( )