The Patriot Bride

Woodhouse sets this enjoyable fourth installment in Barbour’s Daughters of the Mayflower series at the onset of the Revolutionary War. Orphaned and then widowed, Faith Lytton Jackson has grown into an independent and wealthy woman. Her lifelong relationship with George Washington places her in a position of trust with the Patriots, and she rallies the women of Boston to do what they can for the cause. Matthew Weber worked with Washington during his surveying years, but it’s his close relationship with Benjamin Franklin and his son William, the royal governor of New Jersey and a Loyalist, that puts him in a unique, albeit risky, position. When Faith and Matthew begin working together to secretly deliver a letter, they quickly develop a personal attachment. Dangerous liaisons, clandestine meetings, and covert missions add a dash of intrigue to Faith and Matthew’s quaint love story. A smarmy would-be suitor complicates the situation and puts both Matthew and Faith in further jeopardy. Woodhouse stays true to the historical images of Washington and Franklin, lending credence to the fictional liberties she takes with these well-recognized Founding Fathers. Woodhouse’s fun, faith-filled book will please fans of historical romances. Agent: Karen Ball, Steve Laube Agency (Aug.)