This was a really good book and follow up to the previous one. I liked Grace and her strength thru difficult times. All the women were strong and determined. It was fast moving and kept my attention to the end

What a brilliantly written story. I loved it!
The Mountain Between Us is a story set in the gold rush era around San Francisco and California in the 1800s.
Grace Randolph and her husband, James, have just travelled far, to get to her brother's home in Oregon hoping to settle when news comes of gold being found.
Eager to be among the first, James plans to leave to join the Argonauts already there, and Grace accompanies him, begrudgingly leaving her brothers to be with her husband.
The tale details the hardships they face along the way, the successes they savour and the tragedies.
They forge new friendships ,and unfortunately make new enemies, as well as welcoming faces of old.
During one period of hardship, Grace is left alone, with another woman and her family, as the menfolk go to find more gold to support their families, and James is captured.
It is not the story of just one woman's bravery, but of several, in their own way, forging a path that rescues the captured men, and begins to create justice in a lawless society.
Grace is a tough woman, who I admired.
Ling Mei, a Chinese immigrant, brings her own calm and knowledge to their story.
And I did love Cora, one of a pair of French sisters, originally brought over as courtesans to work in a saloon, but who show their own strength of character as they build their own business.
I read this pretty quickly, eager to know how it ended, and I'm mighty glad that there is already a book detailing how James and Grace met, which I was unaware of.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an ARC.

I loved this book about a woman looking for her husband as she travels to California
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review book

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: 02/18/2025

The Mountains Between Us takes place during the California gold rush. As a California girl myself, I just had to request this book! My husband also pans for gold in our local rivers, so I was excited to get accepted for this ARC.

James and Grace Randolph journey to California from the Oregon Trail in hopes that rumors of Gold are true. In the beginning, they had great success until other “forty-niners” started to make their claim. James and Grace hoped for a better future, but lawlessness was something they did not expect.

I enjoyed this story and loved that Imogen Martin accurately described the process of gold panning. I can tell she did a lot of research for this book. I wanted to know the origins of James and Grace, but I found it lacking. I wanted more! This novel can be read as a stand-alone even though it’s part of a series. I would’ve enjoyed it better if I would’ve known.

What a gripping tale. Being British, this is a period of history I know nothing about. This novel brought it to life for me. What a blockbuster of a read. Absolutely fabulous!

After meeting Grace and James in "To the Wild Horizon" I was excited to get to see what happened after their trip on the Overland Trail. This novel brings them to California during the Gold Rush. San Francisco is a bustling gold mountain town that is growing bigger each day. They face many trials, some natural disaster, and some inflicted by others.

I really enjoyed this book and loved the historical descriptions. There was romance and suspense. Plus the women were head-strong.

#NetGalley #ImogenMartin

A poignant and exciting story about a husband and wife who met on the Oregon trail and are caught up in the madness of the California gold
rush. I really like them and their close friends who support them. The scenes of how unruly and lawless San Francisco was at that time are
chilling. We also learn about how gold prospecting was done and how entrepreneurs like Grace and James could establish themselves in this
environment.

There is both tragedy and hope in the story and although it is not my usual genre of historical novel, I am glad I read it. I like the writer's style and
I will probably look up her earlier book.

The Mountains Between Us by Imogen Martin

First time read by this author , and finding this was another instalment to a story already started made me wonder how I'd get on.
I wasn't disappointed in reading it , a lovely book and a great story that I didn't feel distracted from not reading the first.
I knew nothing about the goldrush, and the characters and premises of the book added to the enjoyment.

This is very touching story of a woman traveling alone to California. It is during the Gold Rush and she is looking for her husband. I read several hours at a time to find out about her adventures. Imogene Martin is one of my favorite authors. I loved it.

Easy and delightful read. Interesting setting of new California and what the early settlers experienced. Pacing was good through but the ending lagged some. I had not read the first book of Grace and the travel west, but easily followed this one without that. I enjoyed it so much I just downloaded To the Wild Horizon, so I can discover the beginning of her story. I really enjoyed the strong female characters and loved that they were the ‘heroes’.
If you like stories about settling west, strong women and faithful love, you will enjoy this book!

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

The next installment of Grace and Tom's story, THE MOUNTAINS BETWEEN US opens with the couple finally reaching Grace's brother's farmstead in rural Oregon. However, despite the peaceful surroundings and promise of a good farming life, Tom is haunted by his dishonorable dismissal from the US Army and something else he's not sharing with his beloved wife; and for herself, Grace struggles with infertility and her longing for a child. The decision is made to strike out towards California, where whispers of gold-filled mountains have begun luring men to the unsettled valley from around the world.

The promise of financial security and the thrill of adventure spurn the couple onward, but the road is long and paved with blood, sweat, and tears.

While I had not read the first book in their series, it wasn't strictly necessary to enjoy this story. I do believe, however, my enjoyment of the character development of Grace and Tom would have been deeper had I known the beginning of their stories. This book was an approachable fictionalization of the wilds and lawlessness of California during the gold rush, and while it gleaned over some of the harsher realities <spoiler>such as the senseless practice of killing and scalping Native American's for reward money</spoiler>, Martin took care to allude to the practices without discussing the horrors-- which would make this an appropriate choice for a reader with more delicate sensibilities. I was impressed with Martin's attention to detail in depicting life in early San Francisco and the practice of gold mining; and I also enjoyed the characters.

Grace's character especially had a difficult line to walk; Grace was so obviously a fiercely independent and capable woman, but, as per usual during the 1800s, she held deference for her husband (even when he was making bad decisions for the couple). As a member of a more modern audience, I applaud Martin's ability to create and sustain a character than embodied these rather conflicting personality traits. Tom, while not my favorite character in the book, was memorable in the realism in which he was portrayed; a war veteran struggling with not only PTSD (not diagnosed in the book, which is historically accurate), but also the weight of caring for his family and no idea how to do so.

I was pleasantly surprised with THE MOUNTAINS BETWEEN US, and I look forward to exploring some of Martin's other books in the near future!

THE MOUNTAINS BETWEEN US by IMOGEN MARTIN tells an exciting story that takes place in 1848 in California during the Gold Rush.
James Randolph is no longer the confident captain that Grace married after something happens to him in Mexico that leads to his discharge from the army. ….
James and Grace have good success in panning for gold together until tragedy strikes ……
We see how brave and supportive Grace is when James is taken captive……
It is a story about courage in adversty, unconditional love and second chances.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Storm Publishing. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

Really good comfort read, the storyline was well done and characters believable. It was like cozying up with a cup of tea and a warm blanket to watch a few episodes of Little House on the Prairie. This skillfully done novel will have you falling in love with Grace and Randolph and the challenges they faced in this historical non-fiction romance!

Anything involving western style stories I can’t wait to get my hands on it. I enjoyed this so much. I loved every second of it. Highly recommend it to anyone who wants to read it. 10/10

What another amazing, riveting, brilliant read from Imogen Martin! A wealth of historical research has been mined and utilized extremely well in The Mountains Between Us. If you have not read To The Wild Horizon, I highly recommend you do as although the current novel can stand alone easily, the previous novel covers the initial meeting of this couple, James and Grace, and provides a wider picture of the challenges they endured and the accomplishments they achieved. The next instalment of their journey after marriage, provides a moving picture, too. Grace’s initial strength continues to blossom in the face of adversity. She is determined to be with her husband wherever he goes. Her strength knows no bounds—for love is behind her every step. James, on the other hand, has changed due to war experiences. Reading both books provides the full arc of his career: his previous commanding heights as a Captain to his current downward spiral. But thankfully, this dip is momentary!

As mentioned, The Mountains Between Us focuses on the continued saga of James and Grace Randolph. It centres on their lives for two years during the California Gold rush (1848-1850). And oh my, what harrowing adventures this novel showcases. We are plunged into the hazards, pitfalls and disappointments connected to gold prospecting and the hard earned victories that are sometimes swept away in a blink of an eye! We see this couple endure some of the most horrendous experiences and separations imaginable: caused by fire, theft, imprisonment, slave labour, remoteness— just to name a few. We certainly get to see what these two are made of as they navigate a maze of memories, forge new paths and try to establish businesses during their new life in the west. There are plenty of surprises and twists on the road to success. A few failures, too, but overall these two are to be admired for their courage and tenacity. Reading this novel gave me a close up view of what it must have been like for US settlers in the mid 1800s who desperately tried to make a living in new unprotected territory.

The Mountains Between Us highlights Grace’s resilience, strength, skill, resourcefulness and devotion. She is a woman determined to succeed even when her husband is not quite there with her in spirit and form. She is most definitely the star of this novel. She clearly outshines her husband for a good portion of this story. But although he falls to the self-pitying pits of despair for a season after he is discharged from the army, he heads to California to start anew. He comes up with some good ideas that make finding gold less laborious and the couple have some happy moments in their wilderness haven. But peace doesn’t last long. Conflicts begin and with each downward swing of luck, James falls a little lower in confidence. Grace, though, manages to pull him back up eventually. But there are walls between them. He never wants to talk about his painful army days— until he must endure a terrible fate. Then kickstarted by advice from a friend, he starts to open up to Grace (who harbours her own secret). It is not until they both share, that wonderful healing begins to happen.

I love this couple. They had their ups and downs but their love remains like a shining golden seam between them. James’ depression is more forgivable when we learn why. Grace is able to understand his emotional and physical pain when he reveals himself. So yes, this is a relationship story—one about enduring love. It also covers the history of California—when it became the 31st state in 1850. Part of it is about the pursuit of gold and how it changed people. Many travelled there seeking economic and social freedom and opportunity. The pursuit of gold, though, drew out thieves, fuelled envy and created some dangerous times. I don’t want to give anything away so I am dancing around the events but this novel is a wonderful tribute to the gold fever age.

The Mountains Between Us is a moving story. I truly felt I walked in Grace’s shoes and was transported to that wild landscape. I also felt James’s despair as the author gives us his perspective as well. The roller coaster emotions of these two characters affected my own. I definitely became deeply engrossed in the story, action and events that surrounded these two and their wonderful friends who add striking colour to the plot. There is a great cast of characters. And yes, some nasty villains that you truly wish would leave the scenes! And Grace’s skill with a gun had me in awe. I can picture this strong fearless woman from Imogen’s excellent descriptions. How her love for her husband fuelled her courage. She would go anywhere and do anything to save him.

This is without doubt my favourite novel I have read in the new year. It is so well written and grabbed my heart from the start and held me to the very end. I am happy that good things eventually happen for this couple. I closed the book satisfied, sighing and uplifted by the outcomes. A stunning masterpiece that is beautifully rendered! 5 glowing Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC.

This was a beautifully done novel and enjoyed getting to read this romance during the California Gold Rush. The characters felt like they were supposed to be there and worked with the storyline going on. Imogen Martin has a strong writing style and thought the characters were everything that I wanted.

"The Mountain Between Us" by Imogen Martin is the third book in this series and is a captivating historical fiction novel set against the backdrop of the American Gold Rush.
It is a story of adventure, suspense, romance, and the human spirit in the face of adversity. It is an enjoyable read that offers a glimpse into a fascinating period in American history. The plot twists and turns, keeping the reader engaged. The book includes a strong and resourceful female protagonist, a conflicted lawman, and a charismatic but dangerous outlaw. The story is amazing as Imogen Martin has captured the setting and the characters beautifully. I was captivated from the beginning as you get swept into the story as Grace and Randolf embark on their adventures into the hills where gold is being panned. Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy to preview. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I absolutely loved this book. Imogen Martin always does such a great job at painting a picture. From the first page it was like a movie had started as I continued to read. My heart saddened when James took off back to the gold mines without Grace. I felt all the emotions in this book. Easily one of my favorites. Imogen Martin has also become one of my favorite Authors. I was so pleased to see this book after reading Into The Wild. I had wondered where life had taken James and Grace. Truly a five star read for me!

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I had enjoyed the previous book, To the Wild Horizon which told the story of Grace and her brothers journey across America to Oregon and meeting with Captain James Randolf. This sequel follows up on that dtory as they go in search if a new life in the gold fields. Much has happened since the first story and this is a difficult journey both emotionally and physically fir them. It is good to read how their characters develop. Grace becoming a stronger, more determined young woman. James has his demons to contend with. California is still a lawless state, so many challenges have to be faced.
I look forward to reading more of their lives in the next book. This is a recommended read for those who enjoy historical fiction..

The Mountains Between Us by Imogen Martin was a slow start for me. I was about to put it aside and not finish. However, I stuck to it and the ending was worth it. There was one open door scene between Randolph and Grace (husband and wife) that I felt could have been handled closed door. The struggle to tame the new world was very real and the strength of the women who helped settle it was critical. Grace showed that strength and was a great MC.

Releases Feb 18th. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.