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Sisters of Mercy Flats #3
Amelia and the Captain
"Amelia had turned out to be one colossal nuisance. And the last thing Captain Morgan Kane needed was another headache."
The three wily and beautiful McDougal sisters can swindle a man in less time than it takes to lasso a calf. But their luck is running out, and they're about to be hauled off to jail. When the wagon carrying them falls under attack, each sister is picked up by a different man.
Fortunately for Amelia, she finds herself hanging on for dear life to the dashing figure of Union Captain Morgan Kane. But when she confesses she's running from the law, he drops her off in Galveston, only to come to her rescue later, in more ways than one.
No sooner does Amelia arrive at the Port of Galveston than she falls into the clutches of a shadowy villain intent on selling her to the highest-bidding privateer. Taken aboard a ship with ten other female captives destined for slavery, can Amelia count on the cunning Captain Kane to swoop in and save her...again? And if she somehow survives, what becomes of her heart?
Only God has the answers that Amelia seeks, but is her faith strong enough?
To discover what happens to the other two McDougal sisters, read The Sisters of Mercy Flats and My Heart Stood Still, the first two books in the Sisters of Mercy Flats trilogy.
197 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 2, 1994
99 people are currently reading
780 people want to read
About the author
Lori Copeland
195 books532 followersLori Copeland was born on 12 June 1941. She had a relatively late start in writing, breaking into publishing in 1982 when she was already forty years old. Over the next dozen years, her romance novels achieved much success, as was evidenced by her winning the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award, The Holt Medallion, and Walden Books' Best Seller award. She has been inducted into the Missouri Writers Hall of Fame.
Despite her success in more mainstream romantic fiction, in 1995, she decided to switch focus. Her subsequent books have been in the relatively new subgenre of Christian romance. She has also collaborated with authors Angela Elwell Hunt or Virginia Smith on a series of Christian romance novels.
Lori and her husband of over forty years, Lance, live in Springfield, Missouri, surrounded by the beautiful Ozarks. They have three grown sons, three daughter-in-laws, and six wonderful grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters. She and her husband are very involved in their church, and active in supporting mission work in Mali, West Africa.
Despite her success in more mainstream romantic fiction, in 1995, she decided to switch focus. Her subsequent books have been in the relatively new subgenre of Christian romance. She has also collaborated with authors Angela Elwell Hunt or Virginia Smith on a series of Christian romance novels.
Lori and her husband of over forty years, Lance, live in Springfield, Missouri, surrounded by the beautiful Ozarks. They have three grown sons, three daughter-in-laws, and six wonderful grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters. She and her husband are very involved in their church, and active in supporting mission work in Mali, West Africa.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
February 2, 2023
A very generous 3.5 stars. Who doesn't love wagon chases? Boat races? Gruff handsome heroes and a happy heroine who gets herself into trouble all the time??
December 24, 2016
It takes a lot for me to dislike a book, but this one did it. Part of it may come from the fact that the first two books in the series I read were the republished Christian versions and this was most definitely not Christian fiction. So if you are against books that are more on the racy side I would highly recommend waiting for the 3rd book to be re-released.
However, it wasn't so much that. I was expecting that and the lack of talk of God (although I didn't find that message overpowering in the first two books either) knowing it was a secular writing. But the character of Abigail herself was one of the worst I've ever read about. I found myself almost wishing Captain Morgan would just forget about her and let the stupid woman suffer her own consequences. By the end of the book she wasn't as terrible, but she didn't redeem herself enough to save the rating of this book.
It was a disappointing end to an otherwise pretty decent series. If I can remember I may go back and read if and how the story changes when the Christian version is made available.
However, it wasn't so much that. I was expecting that and the lack of talk of God (although I didn't find that message overpowering in the first two books either) knowing it was a secular writing. But the character of Abigail herself was one of the worst I've ever read about. I found myself almost wishing Captain Morgan would just forget about her and let the stupid woman suffer her own consequences. By the end of the book she wasn't as terrible, but she didn't redeem herself enough to save the rating of this book.
It was a disappointing end to an otherwise pretty decent series. If I can remember I may go back and read if and how the story changes when the Christian version is made available.
June 21, 2018
This is by far the worst book in the series. The plot holes are so big you could drive a car through them! The story jumps around and there is no fluidity to the story. At one point I thought that the chapters were shuffled in the book and put together wrong because the story shifted so quickly with no build up. The love story is lacking and boring, nothing like the first two books in the series. I finished the book but only barely. This book was definitely a disappointment.
January 27, 2018
Quite possibly the dumbest book I have ever read. The heroine was a brainless ninny with dialogue that sounded more appropriate for a pre-teen. The number of inconsistencies and storyline mistakes encountered was appalling. I may have lost brain cells.
April 4, 2017
Silly, this book is very silly. Maybe it was because I read this book fast, but I thought the plot had some holes... it seemed to skip over stuff.
November 13, 2017
Don't bother.
October 20, 2024
I enjoyed reading this book! There are some plot holes, but I found that it didn't really take away pertinent information from the story.
Amelia is kind of ditzy about certain things. She's street smart for sure but pretty naive about issues that could cause harm to others and herself. Morgan is a saint! His good nature is put to the test many times. Izzy and Henry are my favorite! Their genuinely kind and caring.
There are several heartbreaking moments. Women are captured to be sold into slavery, and other women tell of their painful pasts. I like how the book ended with all of the women finding peace and a home.
Amelia is kind of ditzy about certain things. She's street smart for sure but pretty naive about issues that could cause harm to others and herself. Morgan is a saint! His good nature is put to the test many times. Izzy and Henry are my favorite! Their genuinely kind and caring.
There are several heartbreaking moments. Women are captured to be sold into slavery, and other women tell of their painful pasts. I like how the book ended with all of the women finding peace and a home.
August 16, 2022
Perfect ending for the 3 McDougal sisters from Mercy Flats
May 14, 2017
The conclusion of the Sisters of Mercy Flats series. Here we see the youngest sister's adventures with her rescuer--the main thing I remember--she was a flighty brainless female and that she liked bacon. She annoyed me.
The series as a whole was entertaining--but don't expect anything deep. Also, I didn't like that the sisters never faced any kind of punishment for their stealing. They didn't need to hang--but to not have to have punishment? Besides feeling bad?! Just didn't work for me.
The series as a whole was entertaining--but don't expect anything deep. Also, I didn't like that the sisters never faced any kind of punishment for their stealing. They didn't need to hang--but to not have to have punishment? Besides feeling bad?! Just didn't work for me.
May 8, 2017
This book had so many plot holes that I thought I was accidentally skipping pages or chapters. It was mostly ridiculous. Definitely not Christian fiction. Yikes.
July 20, 2019
Don’t bother wasting time reading this. So many blaring issues and the heroine is so underdeveloped and immature.
June 7, 2017
About the Book:
"Amelia had turned out to be one colossal nuisance.And the last thing Captain Morgan Kane needed was another headache."
The three wily and beautiful McDougal sisters can swindle a man in less time than it takes to lasso a calf. But their luck is running out, and they're about to be hauled off to jail. When the wagon carrying them falls under attack, each sister is picked up by a different man.
Fortunately for Amelia, she finds herself hanging on for dear life to the dashing figure of Union Captain Morgan Kane. But when she confesses she's running from the law, he drops her off in Galveston, only to come to her rescue later, in more ways than one.
No sooner does Amelia arrive at the Port of Galveston than she falls into the clutches of a shadowy villain intent on selling her to the highest-bidding privateer. Taken aboard a ship with ten other female captives destined for slavery, can Amelia count on the cunning Captain Kane to swoop in and save her...again? And if she somehow survives, what becomes of her heart?
Only God has the answers that Amelia seeks, but is her faith strong enough?
To discover what happens to the other two McDougal sisters, read The Sisters of Mercy Flats and My Heart Stood Still, the first two books in the Sisters of Mercy Flats trilogy.
My Review:
We find ourselves at the third book in the Sisters of Mercy Flats series. This series has been such a fun filled one. These ladies are so much fun! These sisters are about to met their doom. 'Course you can only play this so long before you get shut down and these girls know that your time is running out. They have played the general public for fools long enough. But their lives have never been boring so we get another chance to tag along and see what they are up to.
Amelia has found herself in within the clutches of love's awesome grasp. Just like her sisters, Amelia is picked up by a different man and these girls can sweet talk just about anyone right out of their shirts, if need be. They are that good at their craft. As soon as Amelia lets the handsome Captain Kane know of her fate, he drops like a hot coal. But soon she is on the verge of danger and the handsome Captain shows up again.
I loved seeing the way this addition ended. Will Amelia let the Captain love her? Does she trust him enough to let him in? And the Captain, what is he going to do with this beautiful bundle of energy he has seem to fallen for?
**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the author. All opinions are my own.
"Amelia had turned out to be one colossal nuisance.And the last thing Captain Morgan Kane needed was another headache."
The three wily and beautiful McDougal sisters can swindle a man in less time than it takes to lasso a calf. But their luck is running out, and they're about to be hauled off to jail. When the wagon carrying them falls under attack, each sister is picked up by a different man.
Fortunately for Amelia, she finds herself hanging on for dear life to the dashing figure of Union Captain Morgan Kane. But when she confesses she's running from the law, he drops her off in Galveston, only to come to her rescue later, in more ways than one.
No sooner does Amelia arrive at the Port of Galveston than she falls into the clutches of a shadowy villain intent on selling her to the highest-bidding privateer. Taken aboard a ship with ten other female captives destined for slavery, can Amelia count on the cunning Captain Kane to swoop in and save her...again? And if she somehow survives, what becomes of her heart?
Only God has the answers that Amelia seeks, but is her faith strong enough?
To discover what happens to the other two McDougal sisters, read The Sisters of Mercy Flats and My Heart Stood Still, the first two books in the Sisters of Mercy Flats trilogy.
My Review:
We find ourselves at the third book in the Sisters of Mercy Flats series. This series has been such a fun filled one. These ladies are so much fun! These sisters are about to met their doom. 'Course you can only play this so long before you get shut down and these girls know that your time is running out. They have played the general public for fools long enough. But their lives have never been boring so we get another chance to tag along and see what they are up to.
Amelia has found herself in within the clutches of love's awesome grasp. Just like her sisters, Amelia is picked up by a different man and these girls can sweet talk just about anyone right out of their shirts, if need be. They are that good at their craft. As soon as Amelia lets the handsome Captain Kane know of her fate, he drops like a hot coal. But soon she is on the verge of danger and the handsome Captain shows up again.
I loved seeing the way this addition ended. Will Amelia let the Captain love her? Does she trust him enough to let him in? And the Captain, what is he going to do with this beautiful bundle of energy he has seem to fallen for?
**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the author. All opinions are my own.
November 29, 2017
"And the good Lord knew everyone would rest easier now that they'd gotten those three feisty gals settled."
That's the final line of this book. Which, uh. You know. I have some Issues about. The whole end kind of brought the Issues to the forefront, really-- the word "obey" is still in the wedding vows, it's presented as "right" that a man should propose, etc.
But! This was an updated version of a novel the author wrote before she found Jesus and retrofitted Christian themes into books that already existed, and remnants of the original, sinful romance novel that was remain. Amelia, for instance, is very proactive, and when the characters forget to moralize for a moment they sometimes share something genuinely charming.
And the book is short. That seemed like a selling point when I picked it up, but I do somewhat wonder if it really worked to the book's favor at times. For instance, a lot of broad moral strokes are painted-- I know, what did I expect-- that seem to rely on inferences on the reader's part. Amelia is joyfully stealing at the beginning of the book, but after one conversation in which a man defines "integrity" for her, she changes her ways; other than the most basic "stealing is bad" messaging Copeland is hoping we all learned as children, her turnaround and newfound remorse are difficult character decisions to reconcile and remain unexplained.
I won't go back and read the stories starring Amelia's two sisters. For one thing, they don't follow the naming scheme (the Avon True romances of my teenage years trained me well! all I want is a book called "Woman'sName and the OneWordDescriptorOfMan"!). For another, although this book tells the story of a noble Union officer courting the ethically-ambiguous but sweet Amelia, one of the others involves a Confederate spy, which is very hmm.
Still, if you are comfortable in a gentle romance and want an easy ride, you could do worse.
That's the final line of this book. Which, uh. You know. I have some Issues about. The whole end kind of brought the Issues to the forefront, really-- the word "obey" is still in the wedding vows, it's presented as "right" that a man should propose, etc.
But! This was an updated version of a novel the author wrote before she found Jesus and retrofitted Christian themes into books that already existed, and remnants of the original, sinful romance novel that was remain. Amelia, for instance, is very proactive, and when the characters forget to moralize for a moment they sometimes share something genuinely charming.
And the book is short. That seemed like a selling point when I picked it up, but I do somewhat wonder if it really worked to the book's favor at times. For instance, a lot of broad moral strokes are painted-- I know, what did I expect-- that seem to rely on inferences on the reader's part. Amelia is joyfully stealing at the beginning of the book, but after one conversation in which a man defines "integrity" for her, she changes her ways; other than the most basic "stealing is bad" messaging Copeland is hoping we all learned as children, her turnaround and newfound remorse are difficult character decisions to reconcile and remain unexplained.
I won't go back and read the stories starring Amelia's two sisters. For one thing, they don't follow the naming scheme (the Avon True romances of my teenage years trained me well! all I want is a book called "Woman'sName and the OneWordDescriptorOfMan"!). For another, although this book tells the story of a noble Union officer courting the ethically-ambiguous but sweet Amelia, one of the others involves a Confederate spy, which is very hmm.
Still, if you are comfortable in a gentle romance and want an easy ride, you could do worse.
June 6, 2017
Amelia McDougal was on a prison wagon, bound for jail, when Comanche attack. She's rescued by Captain Morgan Kane, while her two sisters, Anna-Marie and Abigail are hauled off by two other men. They all go their separate ways, not sure if they'll see each other again. But the three of them are dressed as nuns. When Amelia confesses, Morgan is livid. Especially when he finds out her and her sisters are swindlers in disguise! He drops her off in Galveston, tells her to go book passage back home, when she lands in trouble. Captain Kane rescues her. Again. And again. But in the end will Amelia convince Morgan they are meant for each other? And will she find her sisters, safe and sound?
I loved this book! Amelia was so fun to read about! And I enjoyed reading the end where everything was wrapped up, and you got to read about the end of the other two sisters stories. Amelia learned many important lessons and Morgan learned to loosen up, enjoy the simple things. I do wish we could have had more of Morgan's POV, but the book was still great. I do recommend reading the series in order though.
I loved this book! Amelia was so fun to read about! And I enjoyed reading the end where everything was wrapped up, and you got to read about the end of the other two sisters stories. Amelia learned many important lessons and Morgan learned to loosen up, enjoy the simple things. I do wish we could have had more of Morgan's POV, but the book was still great. I do recommend reading the series in order though.
September 14, 2017
I won this book as a FirstRead.
When the jail wagon carrying the MacDougal sisters is attacked, each woman is rescued by a different man. Amelia MacDougal is rescued by Morgan Kane, a captain in the Union army. When Morgan gives Amelia money to buy passage back to her Mercy Flats convent, she spends the day looking through shops and misses her opportunity to buy passage on a boat. Amelia ends up getting deceived into boarding a ship transporting women to be sold in Louisiana, and Morgan again comes to not only her rescue but also the rescue of the other women on the ship. However, the man holding the women on the ship is hot on their tails with revenge on his mind.
This book was apparently originally a secular book and has now been re-written to be Christian fiction. The Christian bits were not well-integrated into the story; you could tell they seemed added as an afterthought. None of the characters are fleshed-out except the main character; the good guys are good and the bad guys are bad. Unfortunately, the main character's transformation went from stubborn and annoying to not as annoying. I would not recommend this book to others.
When the jail wagon carrying the MacDougal sisters is attacked, each woman is rescued by a different man. Amelia MacDougal is rescued by Morgan Kane, a captain in the Union army. When Morgan gives Amelia money to buy passage back to her Mercy Flats convent, she spends the day looking through shops and misses her opportunity to buy passage on a boat. Amelia ends up getting deceived into boarding a ship transporting women to be sold in Louisiana, and Morgan again comes to not only her rescue but also the rescue of the other women on the ship. However, the man holding the women on the ship is hot on their tails with revenge on his mind.
This book was apparently originally a secular book and has now been re-written to be Christian fiction. The Christian bits were not well-integrated into the story; you could tell they seemed added as an afterthought. None of the characters are fleshed-out except the main character; the good guys are good and the bad guys are bad. Unfortunately, the main character's transformation went from stubborn and annoying to not as annoying. I would not recommend this book to others.
November 12, 2024
Amelia and the Captain by Lori Copeland is a delightful conclusion to her Sisters of Mercy Flats series, wrapping up the trilogy on a high note. As the third and final book, it delivers an engaging, heartwarming story with plenty of adventure and romance. Amelia's spirited personality and Captain Morgan Kane's rugged charm make for a memorable pairing, sparking humor and chemistry as they face the dangers of the frontier together. Copeland’s lighthearted style shines through, providing a satisfying blend of laughter, drama, and romance that fans of the series will love. It’s an enjoyable ending that brings the trilogy to a close with warmth and a touch of excitement.
November 11, 2018
I thought for a while this might be my favorite in the series because of how different it was starting out, but by the time I got halfway through the characters felt so childish. I guess they technically were children, but it seemed a little much. And there were times I felt like I was missing something. Regardless, I have enjoyed my Lori Copeland marathon, and look forward to reading more from her.
February 23, 2024
I read this out of order- this was book 3. It was a short story that happened during the Civil War. Amelia was raised in convent with her 2 sisters. All three were caught stealing and were saved by 3 separate men going in different directions. Amelia traveled with Morgan Kane to Galveston, TX. While there she accidentally walked into her own kidnapping.
Amelia’s character is a chatter box and a bit childish. Overall her character grows a bit as the story progresses.
Amelia’s character is a chatter box and a bit childish. Overall her character grows a bit as the story progresses.
September 7, 2025
I think I like the previous books in the series a little better for some reason I don’t know why. But I did like this one as well, and I thought it rounded out the series very nicely. I gotta say the ending was a little more sappy than I usually prefer, but I certainly understand that it was basically combining three stories Endings together. I like this author a lot and plan to continue to read her novels.
March 15, 2018
Of the three Sisters of Mercy Flats series, this one was my favorite. It could be because I read it first and then paused before the last chapter to read the other two sister's stories so that I could finish this book! But, I did love seeing Amelia change throughout the book and Morgan's heroics and character. I truly enjoyed the end of the book when all the stories were wrapped up.
May 16, 2017
I really like Lori Copeland and my disappointment with the book has nothing to do with her writing or the book itself. Amelia and the Captain is book #3 in the series and not #4 as indicated above, but it was so long since I read books #1 and #2 that I had mostly lost interest in the storyline.
February 8, 2018
I had forgotten how flighty the McDougal sisters are at the beginning of the books. But it's cool to see their characters develop and see them become women of "honor and integrity" by the end of the book.
October 10, 2020
Spies adventure ships and twits
I enjoyed this after I got past Amelia acting like a dim witted twit. Morgan was dreamy the other females were interesting and I loved the action on the river. I appreciated the winding up of loose ends as well.
I enjoyed this after I got past Amelia acting like a dim witted twit. Morgan was dreamy the other females were interesting and I loved the action on the river. I appreciated the winding up of loose ends as well.
April 28, 2021
Like the last one I read—interesting, yes. But surface level, way to physical, and a horrible male lead? Yes. Also a few theology issues with this one. Thankfully we got to see a union side soldier this time. Overall the love story—or lust story?—was rushed, fake, and way to crazy for my taste.
January 22, 2025
Besides my dislike of books that have women making bad decisions without regard for facts and consequences, this book is just an outright horrible read! No cohesion, some parts didn't make sense and jus didn't flow. It was painful to read.
May 10, 2017
Definitely my least favorite in the series.
September 15, 2017
This book deserves more than 5 stars. If you like a Christian historical romance with a lot of action then this book is for you. Plus it's makes you smile.
January 20, 2018
Book 3 of 3
DNF. ~50%
DNF. ~50%
February 10, 2018
Cute, goofy ... a fun read, but not a classic.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews