To the Wild Horizon by Imogen is a captivating story set along the Oregon Trail. In a storyline filled with resilience, determination, and love, Martin brings the hardships of rugged frontier to life. The novel strikes a beautiful balance between romance and survival.

To the Wild Horizon is perfect for fans of historical fiction who are drawn towards stories of love in the face of adversity.

Kind thanks to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and the author for an advanced reading copy of To the Wild Horizon. All opinions expressed are my own.

I haven't read many books about or based in the USA but as a person who was born there and has recently been back to visit I have a general interest in stories from my home country. This one caught my attention as it is historical adn I do love a good historical fiction.

Set in Missouri in 1846 the story of a women who has to make decisions and be strong and courageous in this wild and crazy place and time. This is a story that will captivate you and your heart, as it did me and I loved reading Grace's story. The characters of this book really are what makes it so real and readable as you can picture them, hear them and feel them on the pages. Well written and a great book to read.

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

Imogen Martin has written a great out west, wagon train, love story. Her characters really take charge in this story and you can see the action. A great read if you love western historical ficition.

A great story about love, hardships and friendships along the western trail. A book that I really enjoyed! Will look forward to more books by this author.

Fantastic story! Loved the strong female lead and great story telling. Really kept me engaged right from the first page. Thank you netgalley and publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

A Captivating Journey That Touches The Heart.

I absolutely loved this book, and it is beautifully written and an amazing story that draws you in from the first page as you follow the story of Grace Sinclair in 1843.
Grace is a single woman on her own and is responsible for her ten-year-old brother Tom after both their parent died the year before. Grace Sinclair needs to leave Independence, Missouri in a hurry, after she shot her landlord who broke into her home late at night and tried to rape her. It is not safe for Grace and Tom to stay so they quickly packed their meagre belongings and sign up for a wagon train leaving the next day, heading along the wild and desolate Oregon trail to join their brother Zachary. Grace must tell a small white lie to Captain James Randolph about her marital status because they do not let single women travel to Oregon alone.
The long journey takes many months over wild and rough terrain. Both the army and settlers having to spend months together battling the terrain and weather. They must cross many rivers, some small, some wide and fast flowing which can damage the wagons or sweep people to their deaths. Illness also sweeps groups, and along the journey they encounter hostile Indians. Along her journey Grace becomes friendly with Lillian Hollingswood and finds her to be a great confident.
There is a lot more to this story that I will not divulge but it is well worth a read. The story is amazing as Imogen Martin has captured the setting and the characters beautifully. I was captivated from the beginning as you are swept into the story from when Graces begins her journey to the finish. I Highly recommend this historical novel and the story will stay in your heart for an exceedingly long time. 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 .

"Missouri, 1846: In the frontier town of Independence the sound of a gunshot shatters the night. As the pistol drops from her hand and clatters to the ground, Grace knows she has no choice but to leave. Now." ~~ from the description.

What would you have done? It’s 1846 in Independence, Missouri. You are a single woman with a little brother to raise and you just shot someone. Never mind if he deserved it. He did deserve it. He’s dead. And if she is arrested what will happen to her little brother? Independence Missouri was the jumping-off place for wagon trains west. Would you do what Grace did? You just might.

Thus starts To the Wild Horizon. You might think “Yet another Oregon wagon train book” and yes it is. This is a good ‘un. The characters are outstanding and some grow on ya. Grace lives in fear that someone will discover what happened in Independence.

You have to admire Grace when she steps up to the table to apply to travel with the wagon train to Oregon. She is single. She has a little brother (and he is little). But she buffs her way onto the train. She answers the questions honestly.

Grace has courage, more than even she realizes. And the men in charge of the train notice. She is a contributor, not a whiner. And she has an ability that surpasses most of the men on the train. All the men are surprised but most accept it. A couple are envious because she’s a woman. She shouldn’t oughta be able to do that!

The story has a challenge in it that most “Oregon Trail” books don’t. What happens when someone steals on the train? Or a man pursues a woman — doesn’t matter whether she is married or single — and has only one thing on his mind. To the Wild Horizon addresses issues like these.

I liked this book until the very end. The next sentence does not give away the plot.
But why on earth was there a descriptive sexual scene at the ending? It wasn’t needed. It wasn’t expected.

To the Wild Horizon is on Kindle Unlimited at the date of this review.

I received a complimentary DRC (digital review copy) of To the Wild Horizon via NetGalley from the publisher, Storm Publishing. A positive review was not required; the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Rating: 4 stars
Cover: Good
Pages: 393
Publish Date: 7 Feb 2024
#TotheWildHorizon #NetGalley #ImogenMartin

This book was Wild West at its best! Brought me memories of childhood with Oregon Trail .

The main character, Grace, was a feminist before her time. Faced with trials and tribulations, she made the most of it all and kept her promises to her family. After an eventful night and some difficult choices, she finds herself telling lies to get on the first wagon train west. Unfortunately, this is led by a stern captain who holds unrealistic expectations for women on his trip. The story unfolds as they journey through hardships and unexpected challenges. It is difficult not to fall in love with all of the characters and their story arc.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for providing me an early copy to review.

"To the Wild Horizon" by Imogen Martin is the first surprise find of 2024 that I am glad I didn't miss out on. Many of the historical fiction I had come across are set in World War 2 and very few have I seen that happen in the time when people had started to travel to the west of America in search of a new start.

The female protagonist of this story Grace and her little brother Tom set out on the treacherous Oregon trail after the sudden death of both their parents hoping to start a new life with their older brother who is amongst the first people to settle there. Having to dissuade her landlord from his unwanted advances using her pistol, Grace and Tom sets out of Independence, Missouri to Oregon sooner than they had planned.

Of the many trials and tribulations they both have to face during the 6 months long journey in a dangerous and taxing terrain, the first and biggest obstacle in their way is Captain Randolph who never allows female travelling alone in his wagon train. Grace bluffs her way through him and joins the wagon train as mother and son. Seeing that his opinion of the fairer gender is of the lowest, owing to his past experience with a fickle female, Randolph is on the look out for the smallest excuse to leave them in the next resting station.

How will these wounded people fare in this pull and push between them? Will Grace find much more than the better life she had anticipated at the end of this dangerous journey? The answers to these questions can be found in this engrossing and poignant tale of resilience and second chances by Imogen Martin.

Martin, through her narrative, manages to immerse her readers into the wild and primitively beautiful place United States of America was during 1846. This setting serves as a great backdrop for the thrilling elements of the story. One could almost envision the wagons full of families making their way through the hard terrains and several rivers to reach Oregon. Without being too blatant, the story sheds light on the place of women in society during those times and also is a social commentary on the financial standing of a large number of people who thought this arduous journey will be much better for them that what they had at home.

I loved the way Grace and Randolph's growing relationship has been written. It was sweet, heartwarming and touching all at the same time. Theirs is a bond forged amidst obstacles and hardships that is sure to stand the test of time; a fact that is sure to make any romantic easy to love them. Do not miss this book and believe me, if you do choose to read it, you will not regret it.

While the writing in the book was somewhat basic and at time disjointed, the story overall was entrancing. Grace was a strong determine female main character, one that was relatable and likeable. Randolph is stubborn, hard and to a point dashing. I think the author did a wonderful job of describing the paternal nature of 19th century society, as well as depicting the grit and determination of the women who made the choice to go west into the danger and unknown. I also appreciated that she didn't try to hid the more disturbing nature of the journey, from disease, the brutality of nature of other humankind.

I really enjoyed this one, and would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for stories about westward expansion. Thank you for the opportunity to read this for an honest review.

✨My Thoughts✨
Grace has done a terrible thing but she acted in self defence so it’s justified but she doesn’t hang around to find out.

Grace and her younger brother Tom set off on a perilous journey to Oregon because she knows they will be safe once they reach it. But will they both survive the most dangerous journey they will ever take?.

I was absolutely spellbound by this epic story it had me gripped from the first page.

From Grace and Tom’s journey and all that happened on the trail to Grace and Randolph’s journey it was the easiest 5 star review I’ve given this year.

I’ve read two books now by this author and could read a 100 more!.

This book by Imogen Martin was fantastic. It portrayed the wagon train to the west with a vivid level of realism that was simply mind blowing. I loved the depth of the details, imagery, and relationships demonstrated In this book.

Thank you, NetGalley and Storm Publishing, for allowing me this privilege of reading this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book y’all!!
If I was a pioneer woman I would want to be like the FMC Grace Sinclair! She was selfless, courageous, smart, with a fiery personality & strength in her convictions. She was practical, but giving. Strong but tender hearted. She was so much more than what was expected of women at that time & had no qualms standing up for herself and the “weaker sex”.

James Randolph, the guarded, regimented Captain, was responsible for those making the journey west, this included the travellers themselves as well as the military who accompanied them. He was known for being a strong leader but aloof & firm. He had no idea how meeting “Mrs.” Sinclair would enrage & exasperate him, nor how much she would change him.

This story was about so much more than the hardships people faced when they decided to homestead in the west. It was about sacrifice for the greater good, finding your voice, compassion, perseverance, community, as well as opening oneself up to humanity & love, and being changed by it all.

This book was an easy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me. Thank you NetGalley, Storm Publishing for allowing me to read an advanced copy. And to Imogene Martin, well done & thank you for sharing your gift of writing with us.

It was a sweet story about hardships , friendships and love on the Oregon trail. It gave me westward women vibes. It was a good read. Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I very much enjoyed it. The story is an easy read about a group of early settlers as they cross America to start a new life, the dangers encountered and relationships formed. No real surprises in the storyline but enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read the advanced copy of Imogen Martin's book, To the Wild Horizon. It is a saga of both military and farmers in their journey on the Oregon Trail.

I loved the character of Grace and her fierce indomitable spirit. Fleeing the east and then the mid west, this young woman embodied the spirit and strength of frontiersman - but a woman. Grace was definitely a spirit to be reckoned with and easily fit into the role of both man and woman.

I looked forward to each leg of the journey west and the unique problems faced by these strong pioneers.

Oregon Trail historical romance

It is 1846 and Grace Sinclair and her 10 year old brother Tom need to leave Independence, Missouri immediately. Grace talks them onto a wagon train leaving the next day along the Oregon Trail, heading to where her older brother has settled in Oregon Territory. The only problem is she has to lie to the Captain leading the wagon train to get the last place on the train for her and her brother.

I enjoyed this historical romance, with lots of historical bits about the Oregon Trail journey itself and about camp life. The romance was slow building and this was a HEA.

Trigger warning: rape scenes

I received this Digital Review Copy from Storm Publishing through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review. This is that review.

This is one I was excited about and wanted to love. I was kept engaged the whole time, but some parts seemed a bit cheesy or unrealistic. For me personally, I appreciated no bad language, but didn’t care for the sec scene before they got married.

This book brought me back to the days of playing Oregon trail. I loved the story. The romance was peppered throughout the story, but it didn’t read like a typical romance book, which I loved. I did have an issue with the problematic way the Native Americans were portrayed in this story, which is my reason for giving it a lower rating. Sincere thank you for Imogen, storm publishing, and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC.

BOOK: TO THE WILD HORIZON
AUTHOR: IMOGEN MARTIN
PUB DATE: FEBRUARY 2024
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REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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Everyone who's ever had the courage to travel through a wagon train is just admirable. It's uncomfortable, long(this went on for 6 months) and dangerous, and you might even die. I can not imagine taking such a huge risk, I'd have been so scared.
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Our FMC, Grace Sinclair was nothing short of amazing. Trying to survive in a patriarchal world and a wagon train when it's just two of them on the wagon. I admire the chances she took to protect herself and her little brother, Tom. I also liked how brave she was on the trail. I'm so happy she got the HEA she deserved. Through her, I saw how badly women were treated just for being women. I saw so many instances of such misogyny
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Randolph, our MMC started as someone who saw females as frivolous people who are not capable of thinking of something else except fashion, yeah right. I was annoyed at his character just because he had been burnt once. But, I liked that his character had developed by the end of the book.
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I also liked the side characters on the wagon train. They were very nice and brave when push came to shove, especially the women.
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The book was very good, fast paced and amazing
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