Category: Historical Fiction

An Exclusive Interview with Tessa Arlen, Author of A Dress of Violet Taffeta

From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: 

Happy Friday, dear readers. Spring is finally here in my neck of the woods. It is time of renewal, flowers, and new books!

I am pleased to have a special guest with us today. Author Tessa Arlen has a new historical fiction novel arriving in July that immediately caught my eye, A Dress of Violet Taffeta. Arlen is a favorite author of mine. I have enjoyed her Lady Montfort mystery series, and recently adored her In Royal Service to the Queen. Continue reading “An Exclusive Interview with Tessa Arlen, Author of A Dress of Violet Taffeta” →

13

The 12 Best New Historical Novels to Welcome Back Spring 2022

From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: 

My tulips are sprouting! Spring is on its way here in the Pacific Northwest along with a great selection of new historical novels.

Here is a curated list of my favorites for March, April, and May. The range of stories and settings are diverse: Georgian, Regency, WWII, and post war England to Gilded Age Newport and 1930s Hollywood. Continue reading “The 12 Best New Historical Novels to Welcome Back Spring 2022” →

7

The Magnolia Palace: A Novel, by Fiona Davis — A Review

From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress:

I often wonder how authors find inspiration for their novels. It is such an incredible skill to create a story from thin air. In the case of bestselling author Fiona Davis, she has made a successful career from reimagining stories surrounding iconic New York City buildings. In The Magnolia Palace she explores secrets, betrayal, and murder within the impressive Gilded Age mansion of Henry Clay Frick. The story is Continue reading “The Magnolia Palace: A Novel, by Fiona Davis — A Review” →

3

The Last Dance of the Debutante: A Novel, by Julia Kelly — A Review

From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress:

Once upon a time, every young lady who was anyone in British society was presented at court. It involved an official invitation from the Palace, the proper bespoke gown, and a steady, deep curtsey in front of their sovereign. The ceremony heralded in a new crop of debutantes and the official opening of the Season. In 1957, Queen Elizabeth II proclaimed that the ceremony would cease, and the final year of presentations would be 1958. In The Last Dance of the Debutante, bestselling author Julia Kelly follows the Continue reading “The Last Dance of the Debutante: A Novel, by Julia Kelly — A Review” →

3

The Christie Affair: A Novel, by Nina de Gramont — A Review

From the desk of Sophia Rose:

As many Agatha Christie fans become aware of sometime after they start devouring her books and the TV/Film Adaptions of them, her real life can read like the fiction she wrote. Two events stick with people the most. First, there is her husband’s affair and their subsequent divorce. This is followed by the mysterious eleven-day disappearance of Agatha in 1926 causing a national manhunt and great speculation that she never explained. In The Christie Affair, author Nina de Gramont bravely tackles both from the Continue reading “The Christie Affair: A Novel, by Nina de Gramont — A Review” →

6

12 Highly Anticipated Historical Novels to Ring in the New Year, 2022

From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: 

Happy news for historical book lovers. The selection of new novels available in the next two months is so exciting. From forgotten events in history, to deep dives into the social machinations of Gilded Age New York, to feisty heroines and swoon-worthy heroes, the selection is deep and broad and satisfying for those who enjoy being emersed in another era.

Here is my curated list of my favorites to entice you.

Best, Laurel Ann Continue reading “12 Highly Anticipated Historical Novels to Ring in the New Year, 2022” →

7

Austenprose’s Best Austenesque & Historical Novels of 2021

From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: 

Happy New Year’s Eve dear readers!

2021 proved to be a fabulous year in the historical book arena. From creative Austenesque variations, to Regency romances upending tropes, to reimagined gender-switched classics, to compelling historical fiction and mystery, we have been duly entertained and enchanted. A big thank you goes out to all of the authors and their publishers for keeping us supplied with so many stories to binge during these challenging times. Continue reading “Austenprose’s Best Austenesque & Historical Novels of 2021” →

16

The London House: A Novel, by Katherine Reay — A Review  

From the desk of Tracy Hickman: 

I have been fascinated with history since I was a child. Learning about people and events from the past has helped me better understand my own life and the world around me. While there can be a temptation to look back at a period of history and think that issues were simpler or clearer, for the people living those events there was no 20/20 hindsight, only uncertainty and struggle. For this reason, I was curious to explore the lives, past and present, touched by Katherine Reay’s The London House. Because I enjoy Continue reading “The London House: A Novel, by Katherine Reay — A Review  “ →

12

Every Word Unsaid: A Novel, by Kimberly Duffy — A Review

From the desk of Katie Jackson:

J.R.R. Tolkien once wrote that “not all those who wander are lost.” That is certainly true for some; for others, they have convinced themselves they are on a mission, all the while searching for a true purpose. It is this concept, as well as the topic of another of Tolkien’s classic lines— “Faithless is he who says farewell when the road darkens”—that is explored in Kimberly Duffy’s latest historical fiction novel, Every Word Unsaid.

In the America of the late 1890s, Augusta Travers is on a mission to prove to herself, her family, and Continue reading “Every Word Unsaid: A Novel, by Kimberly Duffy — A Review” →

3

A Bright Young Thing: A Novel, by Brianne Moore — A Review  

From the desk of Katie Patchell:

I have a question for you, fellow bibliophiles: Have you read P.G. Wodehouse’s Jeeves series? Written between 1915 and 1974, this series of short stories and novels is a sometimes biting (yet always fun) satire of Britain’s posh upper class. Starring wealthy and hapless Bertie Wooster and his much-put-upon butler, Jeeves, these stories dazzle with Wodehouse’s charming turn of phrase and list of characters with bizarre surnames. There’s a brilliant adaptation as well, starring Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry, that further Continue reading “A Bright Young Thing: A Novel, by Brianne Moore — A Review  “ →

9

A Preview & Cover Reveal of Bloomsbury Girls: A Novel, by Natalie Jenner

From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: 

Hello dear readers, I am so pleased to share a first look at a forthcoming historical fiction novel from bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society, Natalie Jenner. Bloomsbury Girls releases on May 17, 2022, and I am so thrilled to reveal the first details of the novel and its beautiful cover with you today.

I had the honor of reading an early manuscript of Bloomsbury Girls and I instantly fell in love with the story and its colorful, humorous, and feisty female booksellers determined to forge their way in business, Continue reading “A Preview & Cover Reveal of Bloomsbury Girls: A Novel, by Natalie Jenner” →

8

In Royal Service to the Queen: A Novel of the Queen’s Governess, by Tessa Arlen — A Review

From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: 

There is something about royalty that is so fascinating to me. What would it be like to be born into a world of privilege and power? How do they live? Who are their friends? What are their secrets?

The British royal family is my favorite, so I jumped at the chance to read In Royal Service to the Queen, by Tessa Arlen. Based on actual events and real people, the story is told from the perspective of governess Marion Crawford. Her charges were the royal Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Rose Windsor. What she Continue reading “In Royal Service to the Queen: A Novel of the Queen’s Governess, by Tessa Arlen — A Review” →

4

Website Built with WordPress.com.

Up ↑

%d bloggers like this: