This book had all the elements for me not to like it - historical background, religion, and romance. And yet I decided to give it a chance and I really liked it. I think what fascinated me was the fact that it is a mix of fiction with real facts. It was actually interesting learning about the pioneers aboard the Mayflower and how history (potentially) unfolded. The fictional characters of Mary Elizabeth and William are pretty relatable - you can suffer with them, and also be happy and get sad with them. From start to finish, you just want to know how the journey went and what will happen with each of the characters. And it turns out that religion was a large part of what helped them through this journey, so I could understand it in the historical context where the book takes place.