Historical fiction at it's best ! Set at the height of the Klondike Gold Rush in 1897, it follows the lives of Northwest Mounted Policeman Ben Turner and 19 year old Liza Peterson, who is making her way to Dawson City. Well written ,engaging story that brings Canadian history to life,
Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3 stars: Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced digital copy of this book in return for an honest review.

The author's detailed research showed in the story. This book includes lots of things I love - history written by a Canadian author - but it is also a romance which I don't always love. The book is told in alternating points-of-view and while I liked the main female character, I did not like the main male character and since half the book was written from his POV, it was not as enjoyable for me as it could have been.

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

The description of the book sounded interesting but I just could not get into it and I did not even finish reading it.

In 1897, Liza Peterson’s father uproots the family from their home in Vancouver to head to the Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush. He plans not to mine for gold, but to set up a store in Dawson City to sell supplies to the miners. Twenty-year-old Liza is apprehensive but embraces the adventure.

Meanwhile, Ben Turner, newly minted constable with the North-West Mounted Police, heads to the Yukon to help maintain law and order in rough-and-tumble Dawson City. When his path crosses Liza’s, he’s undeniably attracted to her, but tragedy seems to strike Liza every time Ben is near. Can she move past the negative memories Ben stirs up? And can Ben overcome the pain of his past and allow himself to be vulnerable?

At the Mountain’s Edge follows a typical romance novel plot, which should satisfy fans of the genre. Unfortunately, there are a few places where events fall flat because Graham doesn’t make the reader feel the characters’ emotions. In one scene of great tragedy where Graham does wrench the reader’s heart, I couldn’t lose myself in the sorrow because the physics behind the scene didn’t work out.

Where this book shines, however, is in its exemplary research and setting descriptions. I was already aware of the basic details of the Klondike Gold Rush, but I had never before appreciated the true difficulty of the journey to Dawson City. Despite reading this novel in Florida in May, I felt cold. Graham uses two actual events as major scenes in the novel, and she wove them together deftly to bring the storyline full circle. I’ve not studied much Canadian history, and while At the Mountain’s Edge didn’t stir my emotions, I’d be interested to seek out other books of Graham’s to learn more.

At The Mountain’s Edge
Genevieve Graham

Graham once again takes readers deep inside pivotal Canadian history through the tormented eyes of her unsinkable never give up characters. In this historical story she covers both the Yukon gold rush and the rockslide that almost wiped out the Canadian mining town of Frank and the importance of the Canadian Mounties.

My favorite way of learning history is through the pages of a historical novel one that accurately records the happenings of the time while telling an unforgettable story and At The Mountain’s Edge does all that and more. Genevieve Graham’s mixture of superior storytelling with a solid recounting of her beloved Canadian history is the perfect marriage for a great novel. There’s a dependable fast paced plot, fabulous characters that readers can really identify with even though they’re years and countries apart and genuinely depicting the devastation that these events caused in not only lives but lively hoods, plus that touch of drama that appeals to the romantic reader like me. So if you want your historical novel on the gritty side where the characters aren’t afraid of getting their hands dirty sit down on your favorite reading spot and prepare to be blown away by this latest Canadian historical marvel by an author who’s fast becoming a favorite of mine.

In 1897 the Peterson family gave up their civilized lives in Vancouver for a life in what is fast becoming the Canadian Wild West, loaded up every belonging with a dream of riches not from gold mining but from providing the miners everything they might need in the form of a general store. But getting there is treacherous and daughter Liza isn’t sure she’s up for the challenge.

New recruit Ben Turner wanted to be a Mountie all his life but he has to learn to control his temper, a unwanted souvenir he got from his always angry father. When he’s sent to the far reaches of the Yukon to keep the prospectors safe he finds more than he ever thought he would.

At the Mountain’s Edge has been one of my most anticipated releases from this year (2019). In fact I have been patiently waiting for any of Genevieve Graham’s books to come to the top of my TBR pile for quite some time now, as all of them have caught my interest. Needless to say I was very excited when I was accepted to read and review an ARC of this book via Net Galley.
I’ve always been a fan of historical fiction from various different eras, but I am especially intrigued by those that are set in my home country of Canada. This particular novel follows those who went north for the Klondike Gold Rush in the late 1800’s. This story was very much centered around the different settings including the journey from Vancouver to Alaska, the Chillkoot Pass and on to Dawson City. I appreciated how the author chose this approach as it interested me more than the Liza’s personal storyline. However I was fascinated by Ben’s career as a Mountie and the roles they played in the Gold Rush.
Unfortunately I didn’t fall in love with this book, like I thought I would and was disappointed by the dialogue. I thought it could have better represented the time period. Instead it came across as more modern.
Even though At the Mountain’s Edge wasn’t one of my favourite books I’ve read this year, it still kept my interest and I would recommend it. I still look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

The new trend in historical fiction seems to be turning the genre more into chick lit set in historical periods. This book was the latest. While adequately enjoyable, it was fluff nonetheless and I come away from it not knowing too much more about the Klondike gold rush. Instead, the focus was on the love story of Liza and Ben and all of the trials and tribulations Liza had to endure. That poor girl! If there are readers out there who want to read a historical fiction about a gold rush that has more substance, try John Jakes' wonderful CALIFORNIA GOLD.

I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was very excited to read this novel as I’ve read previous novels by this author and loved them. She usually does such a great job of recounting key events that happened in Canadian history and personlizes them. However, this was not my favourite. It didn’t have the same ebb and flow of her previous books for whatever reason. Even though it was an easy read, it was difficult to get into and I didn’t have the same connection with her characters.

It was a really interesting look into the gold rush and everything that represented, but it was just ok for me. That being said, that won’t stop me from reading more from Graham in the future.

I read 'At the Mountain's Edge' in one day because I could not put it down. I thought that the first half of the book was a solid 4 star read and the second half was a 2 star read (unfortunately). The first half did a tremendous job setting up the story and characters as well as the hardships they faced on the treacherous path to the Klondike settlement called Dawson City.

Unfortunately, the second half fell flat for me because it ended up being one disaster after another (both natural and man made) with little to no downtime in between, making me question why the main characters would stay there. We're told that there was a passage of time and the character decided to stay in Dawson City but after all of the issues there, I could not understand why and the author did not show me why.

Overall, I would recommend the book, simply because it is an engrossing read.

I received an unfinished DRC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

One of the things I enjoy most about blogging, is all the amazing authors that I get to interact with. I started corresponding with Genevieve Graham back in 2015 when Tides of Honour was first released. I read it and loved it!

Since then I have read just about all of her books and never come away feeling disappointed. She is a consistently solid writer and I find so much to love in all of her books.

When I saw that she had a new book being released that was set in the frontier, I was admittedly a little less than excited for the setting, as I am not a huge fan of the frontier. The books that I have read by Graham, have mostly been set during the World Wars….frontier life or the gold rush, just doesn’t appeal to me in any way as a backdrop. But as I said, she has consistently been a standout author for me, so I was eager to see how this story unfolded in a period that wasn’t really a favorite of mine.

Summary

In 1897, the discovery of gold in the desolate reaches of the Yukon has the world abuzz with excitement, and thousands of prospectors swarm to the north seeking riches the likes of which have never been seen before.

For Liza Peterson and her family, the gold rush is a chance for them to make a fortune by moving their general store business from Vancouver to Dawson City, the only established town in the Yukon. For Constable Ben Turner, a recent recruit of the North-West Mounted Police, upholding the law in a place overrun with guns, liquor, prostitutes, and thieves is an opportunity to escape a dark past and become the man of integrity he has always wanted to be. But the long, difficult journey over icy mountain passes and whitewater rapids is much more treacherous than Liza or Ben imagined, and neither is completely prepared for the forbidding north.

As Liza’s family nears the mountain’s peak, a catastrophe strikes with fatal consequences, and not even the NWMP can help. Alone and desperate, Liza finally reaches Dawson City, only to find herself in a different kind of peril. Meanwhile, Ben, wracked with guilt over the accident on the trail, sees the chance to make things right. But just as love begins to grow, new dangers arise, threatening to separate the couple forever.

Inspired by history as rich as the Klondike’s gold, At the Mountain’s Edge is an epic tale of romance and adventure about two people who must let go of the past not only to be together, but also to survive (summary from Goodreads).

Review

Graham is a well known Canadian author, so all the books I have read so far have a Canadian tie and this book is no exception, but I loved that this book brought us to the western side of Canada to the rugged region of Vancouver. Having visited Vancouver before and being a Pacific NW native, I was drawn to this setting, even if the time period initially wasn’t a favorite.

Quite quickly though, I became less interested in the period and more interested in the characters and their story. This author always does such a wonderful job adding historical detail and descriptions in her novels and this book is no exception. There was enough detail to create clear feel and understanding of the period, but wasn’t so overwhelming that you felt like you were reading a history book. And even though the gold rush and frontier aren’t really my favorite historical period, I am a historian after all, and growing up in the PacNW, there is a multitude of frontier history littered throughout the region so I am definitely not a stranger to the period.

Fun random fact completely non-book related, my Girl Scout troop camped in a covered wagon in Eastern Oregon on the banks of the Oregon Trail Snake River crossing when I was a kid and my dad was also really into frontier history so most of my childhood was spent vacationing to random ghost towns, Indian pow-wows, and abandoned mining camps. So reading in this book about the conditions these pioneers faced felt not only authentic but also very realistic.

Beyond the historical research and descriptions, this novel has a wonderfully written romance that I could’t get enough of. As I said, this was a book ultimately about characters. There was heart break and emotion but also the promise of better things and love. I was a little surprised that the romance came so late in the book, that was my only issue with this one. I had hoped for more romance from the beginning but in the end, I felt satisfied with Liza and Ben’s story. I loved Liza, she was such a strong character and made this book worth reading.

This author truly captured the adventure spirit and romanticism of the frontier in this book and then added her own signature style romance to create a truly unique book! I haven’t read anything like it and I was happily engaged in this one each evening. If you haven’t discovered Graham’s books, you should definitely put her on your TBR list! Every book I have read by her has been wonderful and this one is no exception!

Book Info and Rating

Kindle Edition, 368 pages
Published April 2nd 2019 by Simon & Schuster
ASIN B07GNVLF7J
Free review copy provided by author and publisher, Simon & Schuster, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and are in no way influenced.
Rating: 4.5 stars
Genre: historical fiction, romance

I apologize for being so long reviewing this book. However I have to admit, this book was a hard read for me. It was very hard to keep seeing everything that could go wrong go wrong. I have enough of that in real life! lol However, the book was well researched. I love historical novels, but I am afraid I could not really fall in love with this book.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based on my honest opinion.

What can I say about this book, Genevieve Graham is a wonderful writer, she has a way of transporting you in time and making a different time feel so real, it was almost like reading diaries from a historical period. Her characters have such oomph, Liza was such a strong woman who didn’t know how strong she was until she had to continue on on her own. I could not imagine life in the Yukon at the height of the gold rush in such a harsh and unforgiving climate. Great historical references, wonderful book. Making Canadian history more interesting is her forte. Cannot wait for her next book.

At the Mountain's Edge was a gripping story. GGraham once again takes on a period of time in Canadian history but one that is linked to American history as well. While I knew of the Klondike Gold Rush, I'd never given much thought to the treacherous conditions faced by the miners and merchants in chasing their fortune. Having read GGraham's account here, I'm quite certain I'd not have had the mettle to survive. ;)

Liza Peterson's family set off to Dawson City in hopes of prospering by opening a shop to sell supplies to the miners during the Klondike Gold Rush. Her father had sold the family on the idea of an "adventure of a lifetime", which turned out to be much more adventurous than any of them had bargained for.

Ben Turner, a Constable for the North-West Mounted Police, has been assigned duty at the Chilkoot Train - the location all travelers must negotiate on the way to the minefields. He thought nothing was scarier than what he'd experienced growing up. The Yukon proved him wrong.

GGraham did a remarkable job with conveying the perilous conditions people faced while attempting to make their way through the Yukon in search of gold. Her descriptions of the cold, the wet, the silence, and the rigor were all visceral. The way she depicted those brave, crazy, and/or greedy souls who attempted this trek was also authentic in feel. Her detail regarding the Mounties - their duties, requirements, chain of command, etc. - was fascinating. I'd never considered the dangers of building up towns around mining...and I live in Colorado! Not only do they contend with nature - snow, flooding, avalanches and rock slides - but also with the evil side of man.

Bearing witness to the struggles, sacrifices, and losses Liza endures...seeing her fortitude and tenacity was awe-inspiring. Especially considering she didn't realize her own strength. Seeing Ben battle the demons of his past as they affected his present made me sad and warmed my heart. These two not only persevered individually but also were generous of spirit and helped others. It was only natural they'd be drawn to one another. And I appreciated how GGraham accomplished it.

At the Mountain's Edge was educational, thought-provoking, and made me even more of a fan of GGraham's writing. My only complaints would be that they initial world building didn't grip me immediately and towards the end I felt the pace was choppy. Therefore I had a little difficulty immersing myself in the story to begin with and I was taken out of the story at times near the end. But overall it was riveting, emotional, and wholly satisfying.

It’s 1897 and thousands are making the trek to the Yukon in search of gold and great fortune. For Liza Peterson and her family the adventure soon turns to tragedy. Ben Turner is a member of the NWMP. He and Liza soon cross paths and he is there for her when she needs it most. As nature brings forth the worst, will they survive long enough to have a future together? This novel intertwines history, adventure and love. It brought me out of a reading rut, as I was continually drawn into the story and the character’s lives. This was a page turner. Highly recommended. 4/5 stars.

This is a first time author for me, and I must say I am impressed with the amount of attention to detail and research in this book. I knew next to nothing about Royal Canadian Mountain Police, but now I do. This book is fascinating and left me in awe about the Klondike Gold Rush back in 1800's. Not only did this book take me by surprise but it took the characters by surprise too. The story revolves around a small family who moved to follow the fathers dream. Enter a young, green Mountie, with spirit and heart and hope. And while he had other traits that he wanted to overcome you can't help but understand his actions.

He meets our heroine Liza, who never wanted to leave behind a comfortable life back Vancouver, but her father sees his chance to have an adventure and takes it on whim to move his family to the Yukon. Reality slaps her in the face, but along the way she meets Ben, our hero who shows her that life is what you make of it.

I was no prepared for the emotional thrust that the other gave me. But that means that this books impact his HUGE. And I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to see exactly how hard life was back before any modern technology, that we as a society have come to take for granted!

Thank you to the author, Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC for an honest review!

Oh, but I loved this. What a great look into a very interesting time in Canadian history. I don't usually like books that have a lot of focus on grueling trek's through wilderness (mostly because I don't like overly descriptive books), but this was so full of adventure, bravery, mishap, and hope. I loved Dawson city and all it's riff raff. The mountie side of the story was interesting and I loved Ben's noble character. It mostly lost a star because I didn't like some parts of the romance at the end.

...SPOILER...

I really liked the bit of romance at the end until Ben moved away and was ready to just give Liza up. I would have liked it better if it had have been Ben that sent that letter to Liza letting her know where he was, instead of Thompson. Just something to show he regretted giving her up so it wasn't all on her to bring them back together.

I am such a sucker for historical stories and this particular story yielded so much vivid detail, I felt I was actually there alongside Liza. I truly felt grounded in a sense of time and place.

Despite the amazing research—I did have a hard time with this story since it relies heavily on catastrophic plot points to carry it forward. Literally every awful thing you can imagine happening hits Liza. Parents dying, losing all of her possessions, avalanche, burning buildings, heartbreak, robbery, physical assault. It was tough to breathe in between these hectic moments.

At the Mountain's Edge is a nice mix of historical fiction and romance, heavier on the historical fiction. The book revolves around Liza and Ben, a shopkeeper and a Mountie, during the Klondike Gold Rush. The story is told in alternating POV chapters giving you insight into each characters life. When they meet Liza is in the process of losing everything and Ben is a broken man. While it is not until the end of the story that they get together it feels more real in a way. They are two characters who learn their own worth over the four years of the book and end up knowing what the deserve.

If you are looking for the steamy historical fiction romance novel this is not for you. It is more of a triumph over hardship and find love in the end novel. I might go read some other Genevieve Graham novels and experience other major Canadian historical events/times.

In 1897 people from all over North America were “crating” their belongings and hauling them up the Chilkoot Trail in the Yukon to ultimately reach Dawson City and try their luck panning for gold. Author Genvieve Graham began to research this unique period in Canada’s 🇨🇦 history and the result is her latest book At the Mountain’s Edge. In the book, the Patterson family of Vancouver decides to sell everything to get rich in the Gold Rush. Ben Turner, a newly minted Mounted Police Officer, signs up to keep the peace ☮️ in the Yukon. Ben and Liza Patterson’s lives begin to intersect, and the result is an exciting romance based on true historic events. This was really a fun read, that will be in stores 🏬 this week. Pick it up! 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️’s.