Gypsy by Lesley Pearse

When tragedy takes away Beth Bolton's parents, she and her brother Sam set off for a new life in America, leaving their baby sister in the arms of an adoptive family. Aboard the steamer to New York, Beth and Sam cross paths with charismatic gambler, Theo, and sharp-witted Londoner, Jack, and the four forge an invaluable friendship.Beth has always dreamed of playing her fiddle to large audiences and when Sam finds a job in a bar, she entertains the crowds, who nickname her Gypsy. But the foursome fall foul of gangsters and are forced to flee to New York. And when they are again hunted out of Philadelphia, the only option is to head for Canada.As they trek across the country, word escapes that gold has been found in the Klondike. They embark on a dangerous journey, navigating snowy mountains and treacherous rapids to reach Dawson City. Who will break first? Theo, the handsome yet greedy bounder with claims on Beth's heart? Dreamy Sam, so easily influenced by others? Practical Jack, a man devoted to his friends? Or Beth, the woman with the gypsy in her soul, who cares more for music than gold?

“The only thing she could be absolutely certain about was her own self. But that was a lonely,chilling thought.”

How do I even start...lemme see..so I wasn't even 10 pages in and I was soo close to sobbing! Beth who is the protagonist finds herself orphaned with her brother Sam and her Sister Molly. The book kept me hooked from the 1st page and when I felt like it was getting slow and boring Lesley Pearse dropped the biggest twist/ surprise (idk what to call it lol) and I was engrossed in it once again. I knew that the twist was coming coz I accidentally read a spoiler on goodreads but when it came I was so surprised.

Throughout the book you start to care for the characters and you feel like you are on a journey with Beth, going through all the difficulties & problems she faced. But even with all those hardships we find her in the end a very strong and independent woman. You know there's this saying, “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.” and I felt that this was so true in Beth's case. I felt like every bad thing that could possibly go wrong went wrong and just when you think things are looking up for them..something bad happens and your heart ends up broken with Beth's but the fact that she came out so strong in the end shows how strong she was on the inside.
Also another thing I love abt the book is how every character is very realistic (cheaters, money mindedness, gamblers, thieves, etc.)
However I do feel like the ending was a bit rushed, like I felt that the author wanted to wrap the story up quickly. Because if the story had been for another 100 pages or so and if it had been wrapped up properly I would have definitely given this a 5 star rating.