Laura Wood

In 1929 in a sleepy Cornish village, aspiring writer Lou Trevelyan, age seventeen, is introduced to the glamour and secrets of high society by summer neighbors Caitlin and Robert Cardew.

A Sky Painted Gold

A gorgeously dreamy coming-of-age romance set against a stunning Gatsby-esque backdrop, this is perfect for fans of I Capture the Castleand Eva Ibbotson.Growing up in her sleepy Cornish village dreaming of being a writer, sixteen-year-old Lou has always wondered about the grand Cardew house which has stood empty for years. And when the owners arrive for the summer - a handsome, dashing brother and sister - Lou is quite swept off her feet and into a world of moonlit cocktailparties and glamour beyond her wildest dreams. But, as she grows closer to the Cardews, is she abandoning her own ambitions... and is there something darker lurking at the heart of the Cardew family?

Nica

The thought of leaving, of somehow making my own path, seemed a daunting impossibility. I was the follower, not the leader, and I truly had no idea where to go next.

Ian Brakspear

Anna 

Tuhle recenzi dělám asi měsíc po přečtení, takže se omlouvám, pokud budu občas plácat pátý přes devátý... 
Líbilo se mi to. Beru to jako takovou přípravu na četbu Velkého Gatsbyho, který mě čeká. Líbila se mi ta atmosféra, ta zlatá aura, kterou jsem kolem sebe měla, když jsem knížku četla. Celkově byla atmosféra asi to nejlepší, co v té knize je. 
Děj jako takový byl zajímavý, ale musím říct, že velice předpokládaný, a to mě zklamalo. Doufala jsem, že Lou bude tajně zamilovaná do Caitlin, ale tak bohužel :Ddd. 
Sečteno a podrženo, přečtěte si to. Sice vám je už od začátku knihy jasné, jak to dopadne, ale ta atmosféra tam je velice hezká. A nahlédnutí do života smetánky ve dvacátých letech minulého století je taky velice zajímavé.
✩
4*/5*

Fran Gutiérrez

3.5 Stars

This book was really enjoyable, quick and fun! I ADORED Wood’s “Under A Dancing Star”, so going into this I was expecting some of that descriptive, atmospheric summer romances, and to some degree, it delivered.
While the book was really enjoyable in part due to it’s amazing description and imagery, there were a few things that fell short for me. 

In the first place, I was expecting a bit more romance. Robert, being the main love interest, appears shockingly sparsely throughout the book, and Robert and Lou only have a few scenes together. The romance was present, but a little too subtle for my taste once you consider the book is marketed as a romance.
Second, there isn’t really much plot. It’s got lavish descriptions and beautiful scenery, but nothing much happens throughout the book except for Lou musing about her life and comparing herself to her sister. There’s nothing wrong with introspective monologue, but at some point it felt a bit too repetitive and there wasn’t much happening. 
It also felt a bit loose in it’s themes? It tried to talk about alcoholism and ptsd/mental health, while also adding subtle commentary on racism and I think it would’ve been a stronger novel if these issues had actually been discussed in depth and shown within an actual conclusion.
Lastly, some grammatical choices sucked me out of the story, (Saying “Realllyyyyy” instead of just making the word italics, or adding a random square of actual dialogue, as in “Lou: (insert text here)” which just felt out of place and ultimately had no purpose.) Nothing wrong with these choices but the did suck me out of the story a few times here and there.
However, I did love the slow burn, the setting, the swoon-worthy descriptions, and the main arch of the story (Lou finding out where she belongs) and I really enjoyed Wood’s writing, so…
Bottom line: I found this enjoyable and fun, albeit a bit empty. I definitely preferred “Under A Dancing Star”, and I can’t wait to see how Wood’s writing improves with her new release “A Snowfall of Silver”.

Aditi

soph <33

‘“𝐌𝐦𝐦.” 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐝𝐬. “𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧. 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞.”

“𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮…𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞?” 𝐈 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐲.

“𝐘𝐞𝐬.” 𝐇𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐥𝐛𝐨𝐰𝐬. “𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐈 𝐦𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐈𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧.”’

——————

Robert. Fucking. Cardew. AHHHHHHHHH!! I loved this book SO MUCH, so the rating is probably a 4.5 rather than a 4, but the ONLY reason it isn’t a 5 is just because I wish the ending lasted longer, I want more of themmmmm!! This was such a refreshing read for me (and I don’t know why, it just was) and the pacing was fast and the prose was elegant and I could picture everything beautifully (save for the occasional clothing items etc whose names were unfamiliar to me and I was too lazy to google). God, I really really wish this book had an epilogue! Definitely one I’d like to reread at some point in the future :)

Aditi Verma

Lou has always dreamed of being a writer. Growing up in a sleepy Cornish village, she has always wondered about the Cardew House which has been empty for years. From time to time she sneaks in to eat apple from their trees and read books from their library. When the Cardews arrive back one summer, Lou is swept off her feet and into their world of champagne, elegant dresses, and glamorous parties beyond her wildest dreams. A Sky Painted Gold is a dreamy and romantic coming-of-age story set in the 1920s full of glamour and parties and a journey of self discovery for Lou.

A Sky Painted Gold was a Magical delightful read. It was sophisticated, dreamy, and intoxicating. I adored the atmosphere and the 1920s glamour and parties full of champagne, pearls, and dancing. It was extravagant.

It’s a coming of age story that is set in a small Cornish village. The book itself has a large focus on Lou discovering herself and figuring out what she wants to do with her life, Working out to how to make her dreams come true as well as working out that despite the differences between her and her sister and what they want in life their ways are no less valid from each other 

I don’t know how my Laura Wood has this way with words that just turn anything she writes into pure escapism. The vivid Descriptions, The Magical way with words to make every single detail come to life is like watching a movie play out in my head and that is why I will always be in love with Wood’s writing. 

A Sky Painted Gold is a refreshing and romantic read which I highly recommend to those looking for an atmospheric and glamorous read. 

Alice

A Sky Painted Gold was cute, mostly fluff, but the pacing was a little bit off. It's an uncomplicated book that won’t make you think too hard, nicely written and easy to read, with some occasional humor and a satisfying conclusion.

⋆ 1920s
⋆ coming of age
⋆ rags-to-riches
⋆ Weasleys-meet-the-Marchs family
⋆ romance
⋆ the rich people aren't mean (yasss)

Triggers: Alcohol, mental health issues, mention of death/suicide, arranged marriages

Rep: mixed-race relationships, bisexual side character, gay SC

Narration: first-person POV

I've talked about it in more depth over here.

Blog | Twitter

Elizabeth Raines

“If you live in a sleepy little village, I have found that you have to adept at creating your own drama.”- A Sky Painted Gold, Chapter Two, Page 30.
Louise, ‘Lou', has always been fascinated by an old Georgian mansion that was set on an island, right outside of her small Cornish village. So fascinated, that she has even snuck there when the tide was low. The house belongs to the Cardew family, they haven’t visited the estate in many years after the father of the family had passed away.
 The Cardew siblings, Robert and Caitlin, are often talked about in the London press, and plastered in the magazines. The magazines, that Lou and her sister, Alice, enjoy reading. The Cardews want to get out of the limelight and the stressful city life for the summer. This takes the two siblings and their whole array of friends to the old Cardew estate in Cornwall. Lou comes across one of their parties one night when she is sneaking around the house. She becomes swept away in all the glitz and glam of their party lifestyle in the roaring summer of 1929.
“Then, finally, when I can’t watch any more, I fall asleep underneath a sky painted gold.” -A Sky Painted Gold, Chapter Nine, Page 142.
Laura Wood’s first young adult book is a three-star read for me. This book is a good summer read, and I encourage you to read it this time of the year. We all know that I love an English setting, so this one did it for me in that regard! I don’t think that I have read a book, other than The Great Gatsby, that is set in the 1920s, I think it is an interesting time period and I don’t know much about what was happening in England at this time. The parties in this book were very atmospheric, I wish that I could witness something so grand! 
My main complaint about A Sky Painted Gold, is that I felt like nothing really happened until the last three chapters. Yes, the party scenes where fabulous and I do enjoy a good slow burn romance, but I feel like there was no real plot here. I do think Louise was a bit annoying and naïve, but we must remember she is only seventeen and this is her first time getting to see what life is really like outside of her village. Some things about the main character were a bit repetitive, such as Lou constantly worrying about never finding love or comparing herself to Alice. Two plot points I found rather predictable, but they were still entertaining!
“People are just people, Lou. Wherever you go.”- A Sky Painted Gold, Chapter Six, Page 80.
Overall, I do think this was an enjoyable read but don’t go into this thinking you’re going to get a great plot. Towards the end of, A Sky Painted Gold, I felt like it was almost like a 1920s version of the movie Almost Famous, my favorite movie, I won’t get too much into that because I feel like it could be a bit of a spoiler. 
Read my original blog post here: https://wordpress.com/post/izzyreads....

everlinet

Lisa Beasley

I adored this! I read Laura Wood's other book thanks to it's relation to Much Ado About Nothing and liked it a lot so thought I would try her other book and I fell hard for it. I loved the characters, the storyline, the setting, everything was just perfect. Very much a welcome surprise to this reader.

A Sky Painted Gold

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