The Gilder by Kathryn Kay

I received a copy of The Gilder in exchange for an honest review. I will be honest – at first glance, I wasn’t real excited to read this book. Both the cover and the title were a bit on the boring side for me, but that’s why we can’t judge on image, right? I ended up really enjoying this book. The main character is Marina Nesmith, an art restorer who on the outside seems to have a pretty terrific life. But Marina has been carrying around a secret for too many years – and one that is about to catch up to her when she heads to Florence. Marina visited Florence years ago, and that is where she met Thomas and his wife Sarah. She learned her trade as a gilder, formed friendships, and was awakened to a whole new world. But her time in Florence wasn’t all good. Now Marina must decide whether she will face the past and finally start revealing the truths, or continue to cower in her lies.

I daydream about visiting Florence at least twice a month, so I had a really fabulous time reading all the beautiful descriptions Kathryn Kay offered up. There was a lot of a mystery aspect which I am always a fan of, and I had a great time going on Marina’s journey with her. It was a lot deeper, more complex, and simply just…different from what I was expecting – but in a good way! Sometimes the writing was a bit heavy for me, and it seemed everyone Marina met had a “cherubic” face, but otherwise I thought this was a very interesting read and one that I would recommend.

[Rating: 4]