The Queen of Roses by Julia Kelly ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Spanning the ballrooms of Pasadena and the sunlit gardens of Altadena, a new novel of love and sacrifice.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

The Crossword Murders by Helena Dixon ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

A crossword that’s tricky to crack, a hot cup of coffee… and hidden clues? Can Jane Treen work this mystery out?

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Mrs. Endicott's Splendid Adventure by Rhys Bowen ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Blindsided by betrayal in pre-WWII England, a woman charts a daring new course in this captivating tale of resilience, friendship, and new love.

Amazon affiliate links are use on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

The Last Train from Paris by Suzanne Kelman ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

Paris, 1943: Charlotte clutches the children tightly to her as they board the train. "Don't worry," she whispers to them softly. "I will get you to safety, I promise..."

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.  A free book was provided for an honest review.

The Hanford Necklace by Shannon St. Hilaire ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

Dual-timeline family saga, set in a Manhattan Project town, about a granddaughter who uncovers her grandmother’s nuclear-age secrets and her own toxic inheritance.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.  A free book was provided for an honest review.

Library of Forbidden Books by Mario Escobar ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

In a world of burning books, one woman will risk everything to keep stories alive.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

A Thousand Painted Hours by Barbara O’Neal ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

 

In the shadow of the London Blitz, artist Elsie Turner clings fiercely to her canvases, refusing to let war dim the colors that define her. The bombs test her nerve, but the struggle also stirs memories of her golden youth in India and of the long-lost love of her life.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.  A free book was provided for an honest review

6 Unforgettable Historical Novels That Celebrate Female Resilience and Equality

August 26, 2026 marks the 106th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women in the U.S. the right to vote. The fight didn't end there, as women continue to fight for social equality, professional equality, and healthcare equality. These 6 works of historical fiction highlight the women who broke institutional barriers, subverted societal expectations, and reshaped history on their own terms, and are perfect reads for Women's Equality Day.

The Bravest Hour by Anna Lee Huber ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

British Intelligence Agent Verity Kent managed to survive four years of The Great War, slipping in and out of German-occupied Belgium and northeastern France, dodging serious consequences or capture. But as she faces her most dangerous—and devastating—challenge yet, her luck may have run out. Hopefully, her resilience has not . . .

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

With Her Baby on Her Back by Suzette D. Harrison ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

Will she ever see freedom for her babies?

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.

Summer of Love by Kerri Maher ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

 

In this moving novel about the transformative power of storytelling, three women make life-changing decisions set in motion by the 1967 Summer of Love in San Francisco, shaping the legacy of their family’s Napa Valley winery forever.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.  A free book was provided for an honest review.

An Infinite Love Story by Chanel Cleeton ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

 

When an astronaut is lost in space, his wife relives their epic love as she attempts to unravel what truly happened to him, in this sweeping love story set against the backdrop of the 1960s Space Race.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.  A free book was provided for an honest review.

2 New Historical Fiction Novels Featuring Strong Women

by Susan Roberts

Way back when I was in school, we never learned about real women who made contributions in the past.  Historical Fiction is changing that, and many of the newest books feature strong women who made a difference in wars and in the American way of life.  Today, I have two reviews of stories about women who made a difference – the first is about an Irish woman who emigrated to America after the potato famine in Ireland. The second is about a woman who worked as a spy during World War II. 

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.  Free books were provided for honest reviews.

Lost in the Summer of '69 by Eliza Knight ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

 

An epic story in which a soon-to-be empty-nester’s mother goes missing, leading her on a road trip with her daughter to track grandma down at a series of music festivals that popped up across the country in the summer of '69. 

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Mini Reviews ~ May Libby Library Borrows

by Donna Huber

I mostly read advance reader copies (ARCs) that I get through Netgalley or directly from the publisher/author, but I also get books from my library. Sometimes that means my brick-and-mortar library, but most of the time it means my digital library through Libby. It is usually my 2 book club reads for the month, but I also listen to a lot of audiobooks - more than I get through Netgalley. It is a way for me to catch up on older titles and sometimes to catch up on the ARCs that I didn't get to before they were published. I don't usually review the older titles or book club reads, but I realized I'm missing out on telling you about the great reads that are probably available at your library with little to no wait. Let me know if you enjoy this feature and I'll keep doing it monthly.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.

The Lost Passenger by Frances Quinn ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Marrying above your social class can come with unexpected consequences, as Elinor Coombes discovers when she is swept into a fairy-tale marriage with the son of an aristocratic English family. She soon realizes that it was the appeal of her father’s hard-earned wealth rather than her pretty face that attracted her new husband and his family. Curtailed by rigid social rules that include being allowed to see her nanny-raised infant son for only moments each day, Elinor resigns herself to a lonely future. So a present from her father—tickets for the maiden voyage of a luxurious new ship called the Titanic—offers a welcome escape from the cold, controlling atmosphere of her husband’s ancestral home, and some precious time with her little son, Teddy.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

When No One Else Will by Amanda Skenandore ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

Based on the true story of an illegal women’s clinic at the center of a high-profile trial in 1940s Chicago and the nurse who risked her safety and freedom to work there, a thought-provoking, powerfully timely novel of courage, sisterhood, and women’s healthcare.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.  A free book was provided for an honest review.

The Forgotten Midwife by Laura Anthony ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

Set in the dual timelines of present-day and 1950s Ireland and based on real historical events, a powerful, poignant novel of feminism and resilience that follows the life of a young woman consigned to work in a home for “fallen girls” who quickly realizes she must risk everything to protect them.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Coming Back to Home by Elaine Stock ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

Is it ever too late to find the one place meant to call home?

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.  A free book was provided for an honest review.

The Moonshine Women by Michelle Collins Anderson ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

From a well-camouflaged still in the moonshine-slicked mountains of Prohibition-era Missouri, to the drink order of a Hot Springs gangster, and even the hidden depths of her own heart, a Strong woman knows how to keep a secret…

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.  A free book was provided for an honest review.