Under a Gilded Sky
Imogen Martin
Published 15 September 2023, Read 2024
4.5 Stars


Thank you NetGalley and Publisher Storm Publishing for my copy of Under a Gilded Sky by Imogen Martin. I have not received any rewards or compensation for this review and therefore all views and opinions are of my own, the reviewer.

In summary: Historical romance set in the late 1800’s

1874 a male stranger is found near Snow Farm injured and almost succumbing to the weather when Ginny’s sister Mary Lou bring the man, Lex, back to the homestead to convalesce. Both women attend to the farm left to them after the passing of their father. A slow burn romance begins between Lex and Ginny. Lex is soon better and offers to help around the farm. All too soon Lex has left the farm.
Ginny and Mary Lou visit their aunt and uncle for assistance to save their farm. The bank is about to foreclose on their farm and unable to raise the money needed, the bank was about to close the deal when the women are thrown an anonymous lifeline.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and the romance was well developed. The characters were well written and thought out with a satisfying ending.

This novel is broken into 4 parts. I thoroughly enjoyed parts 1 and 2. Parts 3 and 4 were fairly predictable. Overall it's a quick read for those interested in historical fiction. Hardship, history, and a love story are all inclusive.

Set mostly in Missouri in the years following the Civil War, Under a Gilded Sky is a historical romance novel that highlights the contrast between the realities of living in the wide open spaces of Missouri, and life in the city. Ginny and her sister Mary-Lou are trying to hold on to the family farm after the death of their father, but it is hard work for two women on their own, even ones as capable and self-reliant as the Snow sisters. When Mary-Lou finds Lex Carlton injured during a snow storm, they have no choice but to take him in and look after him as he would not survive otherwise. By pretending that their father is ill in bed upstairs, they don’t feel quite so vulnerable. There is an air of mystery surrounding Lex, he seems more cultured than the other ranch hands, and Ginny has her suspicions, but he gives very little away.
Ginny and Lex have a believable connection, but will have to overcome their misunderstandings, her pride, and his family in order to have a future together. The story is told from both points of view so we have some idea what they are thinking, but there are still surprises to be revealed along the way. The characters are well drawn, and the settings vividly described. Under a Gilded Sky is impressive for a debut novel and I look forward to reading Imogen Martin’s next book very soon. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for a digital copy to review.

A heart wrenching historical read, this isn't usually my type of genre but I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet, gentle romance. It was beautifully written and transported me to 19th Century Missouri with lots of lovely historical detail. Clearly the author has done her research. It was clear from the start that cowboy Lex wasn't all that he seemed and some of what came later did seem a little predictable - hence 4 stars rather than 5 - but it didn't completely spoil the story for me. The ending was a little rushed. I loved the parts set on the ranch in Missouri more than the later section of the book but all in all, an enjoyable read.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. It was very different from my recent reading experiences. A love story set in rural America after the civil war. Ginny and her sister Mary Lou were young girls struggling to continue farming after the death of their father. Kindness led to them looking after an injured man who was not as he appeared. The story unfolds as Lex leaves them to return to his family.
The characters are well presented and the circumstances in which they live well described. The reminders about the plight.of the poor and coloured people at the time.of this story are covered sensitively.
A good read.

This is a love story, set in the wilds of Missouri and in a glamourous Boston. When a wounded stranger arrives on a farm in Missouri what will happen and how will, will love blossom for one of the sisters on the farm?

I don't usually read too many love stories but this was a lovely and easy to read story. The characters are wonderful and the love story builds throughout the story/book. I love the setting and love the strength and courage of the two sisters (Ginny and Mary-Louise). This is just an all-round, feel good book and one I quite enjoyed. 3 1/2 stars for a lovely read.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

A complete departure from my usual choice of book, but so glad I decided to download. A wonderfully entertaining read. First and foremost it's a love story, one which builds gently from that first moment Ginny's sister discovers a wounded stranger near their ranch. Lex and Ginny come from totally different backgrounds and their love faces many challenges, not only the opposition from his wealthy family but also Ginny's own misgivings concerning the sacrifices her own mother made for love. It was an absorbing read, one I found very difficult to put down.

Under a Gilded Sky by Imogen Martin

Sweet, charming, old fashioned, love story that reminded me of books I read in high school that made me fall in love with this genre.

What I liked:
* Genevieve “Ginny” Snow: older sister, responsible, caring, hard worker, raising her sister since the loss of her father two years before, musical, educated, trying to keep her parents’ legacy alive
* Mary Louise Snow (Mary Lou): fourteen years old, skilled cook and housekeeper, kind, hardworking, loves her sister, wise, friendlier than Ginny
* Lex Carlton: drifter, secretive, hurt and taken in by the Snow girls, fought in the Civil War, went to college, falls for Ginny, much more than what he appears to be
* That this book drew me in and made me care
* The setting, plot, pacing, and writing
* That I think it would be perfect for YA readers
* The family histories of the main characters
* That the supporting characters did support the story and the small town community feel
* Reading a debut author’s work that I feel has a brilliant future

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about how difficult life must have been during slavery, after the Civil War, and also for women without family to depend on

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC – this is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

Wow. What a breath of fresh air this book was. It was sweet and innocent. There was nothing to not love about this book. It was a good wholesome family friendly romance.

Breath-taking and a novel
Under A Gilded Sky by Imogen Martin is a beautifully written historical fiction and romance novel. It is set on a homestead in 1874 post-Civil War Missouri. The book is the story of two sisters Ginny and Mary-Louise who have lost both their parents. Ginny works hard to keep their farm going from day to day and Mary-Lou does all the cooking and chores inside.
One day Mary-Lou finds a stranger (Lex) in the snow, whose ankle is broken, and she brings him back to the ranch. The sisters both take care of Lex getting to know him a little as they nurse him back to health. Lex then shows his gratitude and comes back to the farm and helps repay the sisters by working for them on the ranch but eventually he must leave.
Lex has found he has started to have feelings for Ginny and Ginny although she is fearlessly independent worries at her own misgivings concerning her feelings for Lex due to the sacrifices her own mother made for love.
Shortly after Lex leaves and after all the challenging work the sisters have put into the ranch since their parents died Ginny finds out that the farm is going to be sold by the bank due to a farm debt from years ago that is now being called in. But can the sisters hold onto the farm, or will they lose it at the auction? After the auction Ginny finds out that a mystery buyer bought the farm and wonders what this means for both sisters and their future.
Without giving any more away the book which celebrates the determination and courage of women who have learnt to rely on themselves. The book is a slow-building romance, with plenty of twists and turns. It has plenty of heart-warming moments and family bonds, passion, and the pursuit of integrity throughout. I absolutely loved the story the Author Imogen Martin brings the characters alive with beautifully written tales of Missouri, Jefferson City and Boston in the 1870s. Both Ginny and Mary-Lou's characters were easy to like, Lex was intriguing, strong, and determined. Under a Gilded Sky is an excellent read which I highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a story of family, resilience, strength, secrets, and love. I was drawn into the lives of Ginny, Mary Lou, and Lex from the very first page. The author paints a picture of life in the 1870’s, from farm life in a remote town in Missouri to the lives of the aristocracy in Boston, all told with such detail I was able to envisage the scenes as if watching a movie. I loved the strength of the characters and enjoyed each character’s journey. The budding romance, family dynamics and the day-to-day happenings were all very believable and I found myself rooting for Ginny as she endured some very uncomfortable situations. I found it hard to put this book down and look forward to reading more from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and Imogen Martin for the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As a new author this is a very good start and I hope she goes on to make a great career with her writing. A very deep story but one that I didn't want to put down. Well worth 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

Under a Gilded Sky was a debut novel by Imogen Martin. I started listening to this at first and didn’t love the narrator so I switched to the book version. I thought it was a good debut novel and enjoyed the writing. The narrator sounded too young to me and I wished for more romance. But overall enjoyed it.
Thanks Storm Publishing via NetGalley.
3.5⭐️

I absolutely adored this book! What a wonderful, feel good western romance. Although the plot was more predictable than I was hoping for, this book was expertly written, almost lyrical. I will absolutely be reccommending this to all the historical fiction lovers I know!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Storm Publishing for the advanced reader copy of. “Under a Gilded Sky” by Imogen Martin. This is the first story I have read by this author and I enjoyed it.

Ginny and Mary-Louise are sisters on their own running a small(ish) farm in Missouri in the time of Reconstruction. Their father, dead two years, was an abolitionist who married a high society sugar plantation socialite because they fell in love. She was forsaken by her family (except for her sister, who inherited everything) and so she and her husband raised their two girls on this farm. The girls have been alone for two years struggling to make an ends meet. Ginny is older than Mary-Lou (I wasn’t clear on her exact age) and Mary-Lou is fourteen. Ginny does most of the farming anchored out help for things like cattle driving. One evening, Mary-Lou find a stranger (Lex) in the snow, ankle broken, without food, having been thrown from his horse three days prior. The girls, who their mother raised to have manners, decorum, culture, arts, take care of him. Throughout his stay he finds out more about the beautiful Ginny and sweet Mary-Lou.

There are many twists and turn in the story, some predictable, all satisfying. Lex isn’t who he seems; cowboys sign on to help Ginny but have ulterior motives; the bank calls in the loan; Lex leaves to god knows where.

This book’s pacing was good, sometimes a little slow, but mostly pulling the story forward. I loved reading about the towns and cities and especially the clothing, books and music. The author clearly did her research. This was a delightful story. Those looking for sex scenes or lots of sexual tension will be disappointed. This is a PG13 book with sweetness, some sexual tension, but mostly about love: love of family, place, and the one person you didn’t know you needed.

Passion and divided family loyalties combine in this historic romance set on a homestead in 1874 post-Civil War Missouri and Gilded Age Boston. An evocative read, author Imogen Martin brings her characters alive with strengths and flaws I easily related to and pictured staring across the wide open plains of MIssouri and in the high society drawing rooms in Boston.

Thank you to the author, Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. I enjoyed reading this and am happy to give this book four stars. It's a very good read.

Who doesn't love a good love story. Set during a time after the civil war, it was very romantic. I really enjoyed the watching as Ginny and Lex's love and she let him in.

Ginny and Mary Lou are running there farm in Missouri after there father's passing two years ago. One day Mary Lou brings in a drifter that she found injured outside. They nurse him back to health while telling him that there father is asleep upstairs. When he leaves Ginny realises that she misses him and has developed feelings. Later on she faces a hardship which may threaten to take the farm. Will she be able to save her home and find her love? A beautifully designed and written book with interesting people and meaningful words that I absorbed.

With its stunning atmospheric cover and intriguing blurb, I could not wait to read ‘Under a Gilded Sky’. I knew from the first page, I was in for a reading treat! Set at the time of the Gilded Age, I was captivated by this beautifully written story. The charcterisation is a particular strength. Ginny is a strong, resilient young woman, determined to cope at all costs under hard conditions. She runs a homestead in Missouri with only her younger sister, Mary-Lou’s help. There is a close relationship between the siblings. When a badly wounded Lex arrives on the scene, the reader is witness to the conflict of emotions Ginny feels, always mindful of what is proper for two young women living alone. Throughout the book, there are stark contrasts - the hardship Ginny endures running the farm as opposed to the refinement of her skill as a pianist and her love of literature; the sweeping plains of Missouri are so different from the high society of Boston. The sense of time and place is so effectively evoked that I felt I was there with the characters who stayed with me long after I finished reading. I thoroughly enjoyed this superb historical romance and have no hesitation in recommending it. Thank you to Storm Publishing and to Net Gally for an ARC.