Renée Rosen is the author of Windy City Blues, White Collar Girl, What the Lady Wants, and Dollface, as well as the young adult novel Every Crooked Pot.
The Colony Club (2024) Shelley Noble "This is the ultimate female empowerment story. Shelley Noble has unearthed a delicious sliver of history that will delight her readers. Fashioned after the exclusive men's clubs of the day, The Colony Club explores the formation of the first women's social club in Manhattan during the Gilded Age. Despite commissioning the project to the celebrated architect, Stanford White (later involved in the Murder of the Century), it's the women who triumph and make this dream a reality. Noble's cast of iron-willed heroines take up the charge with astounding passion and determination that shines on every page."
Mademoiselle Eiffel (2024) Aimie K Runyan "Two remarkably strong women - one under siege during the War of 1870 and the other struggling in the aftermath of WWII - both find strength and hope within the walls of a tiny Parisian bakery. With meticulous attention to rich historical detail, heartfelt characters and a page-turning tale that's peppered with recipes, Aimie Runyan has the perfect ingredients for a most satisfying work of historical fiction."
The Windsor Conspiracy (2024) Georgie Blalock "Georgie Blalock returns to the Windsors, this time taking sharp aim at the Duke and Duchess as they stand on the brink of WWII. Through the fresh eyes of Wallis Simpson's cousin and personal secretary, we get a unique and intimate portrait of this couple in all their entitlements as well as their alliance with Hitler and the Third Reich. Spellbinding tale, impeccably researched, The Windsor Conspiracy is a must read for fans of the Royals and historical fiction alike."
All You Have to Do Is Call (2023) Kerri Maher "Such a courageous undertaking, Maher handles this delicate subject matter with great wisdom and a self-assured hand. Her meticulous research brings 1970s Chicago to life and reminds us of how far we've come and what's at stake for us now."
A Beautiful Rival (2023) Gill Paul "Gill Paul brings Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein to life on the pages of her new historical novel, A Beautiful Rival. Exposing the raw, ugly side of the beauty industry, Paul delivers two headstrong, passionate women, willing to do whatever it takes to build their empires. With meticulous research and Paul's signature skillful storytelling, readers will be swept up in this fascinating, and intimate portrait of these cosmetic titans."
Starring Adele Astaire (2023) Eliza Knight "Long before Ginger Rogers came along, Fred Astaire;s dance partner was his sister Adele who positively dazzles in Eliza Knight's latest work of historical fiction. We follow the spirited Adele from New York to London and beyond as she takes a young dancer under her wing. As their friendship grows, the women learn to juggle fame, love, loss and the devastation of war. Knight's fan will surely appreciate how she once again seamlessly weaves her research into this rich tale, delivering another winner!"
The Last Lifeboat (2023) Hazel Gaynor "A harrowing tale of one woman's survival in the Mid-Atlantic and another's refusal to accept the unacceptable news of her children. Hazel Gaynor brings us two courageous heroines in a gripping, historical pager turner, beautifully told with great heart and such vivid detail, you can practically taste the sea salt in the air. And the children--the children will stay with you forever as will this marvel of a novel."
Her Lost Words (2023) Stephanie Marie Thornton "Stephanie Thornton once again delivers a compelling story of two women ahead of their time, bound by their words and their blood. Though Mary Shelley lost her mother Mary Wollstonecraft at birth, she had her feminist writings to sustain and shape her. One would be hard pressed to find two stronger or more significant female writers and both are brought back to life with elegant prose and wisdom under Thornton's skillful hand, making her one of my favorite historical novelists."
Daughters of Nantucket (2023) Julie Gerstenblatt "A fascinating look at an island ahead of its time, where women exercised privileges often reserved for men and where Blacks shared in the civil liberties of their white neighbors. At its heart, this is a story of love, loss and redemption."
The Woman with the Cure (2023) Lynn Cullen "In this all-engrossing and poignant historical novel, Lynn Cullen expertly brings this unsung heroine's story to the forefront with her portrayal of a fearless woman whose accomplishments largely eclipsed those of her male colleagues and helped save a generation of children. The research that must have gone into this novel is mindboggling and yet Cullen delivers it with the skill of a masterful storyteller. I was rooting for Dorothy the whole way through. Her journey will inspire and stay with readers long after the last page is turned."
Well Behaved Wives (2022) Amy Sue Nathan "Fans of Amy Sue Nathan's previous four novels will be delighted with Well Behaved Wives. Nathan introduces us to a group of women who come together in the name of friendship and who each find the courage to stand in their own truth."
The Invincible Miss Cust (2022) Penny Haw "A gripping story of one woman's unrelenting quest to treat and care for our four-legged friends. Readers will be rooting for Aleen as she comes up against and triumphs over a mountain of obstacles. A must-read for all animal lovers."
The Winter Orphans (2022) Kristin Beck "Impossible to turn away from . . . an engrossing and heart wrenching tale of courage and survival. This novel solidifies Beck's place among the best of today's historical fiction authors."
Mademoiselle Revolution (2022) Zoe Sivak "A bold and daring look at identity, sexuality, rebellion, and racism as told through the eyes of a remarkable woman.... Zoe Sivak has brilliantly woven her exquisite writing together with her meticulous level of research to create a masterful and highly relevant novel."
The Forty Elephants (2022) Erin Bledsoe "On the very first page, I was transported to the gritty and dangerous streets of 1920s London. Fierce protector of her family and her turf, Alice Diamond is one tough broad, made even more intimidating when she joins forces with a band of female pickpockets. Fans of first-rate historical fiction will love this book."
A Dress of Violet Taffeta (2022) Tessa Arlen "Tessa Arlen delivers a fascinating tale based on the real-life fashion icon, Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon, who went up against a male dominated industry and revolutionized it. Her daring designs were worn by royals, aristocrats, and the celebrities of her day. Be prepared to Google your way through this captivating novel, filled with its glorious ensemble cast of characters. Rich and atmospheric, Arlen's descriptions of haute couture are simply breathtaking. A must read for fashion fans everywhere."
The Lunar Housewife (2022) Caroline Woods "From page one you know you're in the hands of an immensely talented novelist. Caroline Woods takes on the 1950s Cold War era by spinning a historical thriller filled with censorship, espionage and danger that leaves both the narrator and reader wondering who and what they can trust. A sheer delight from start to finish."
The Last Dress from Paris (2022) Jade Beer "An unexpected trip to Paris starts this journey of discovering lost fashion treasures while uncovering a tale of forbidden love. In The Last Dress from Paris, Jade Beer's gorgeous prose brings Dior's fashions to life as she deftly weaves together a novel that is part homage to fashion and part romance as well as a celebration of mothers and daughters. Readers will eat this one up!"
Our Last Days in Barcelona (2022) (Cuba Saga, book 5) Chanel Cleeton "Impeccably researched, Cleeton once again strikes that perfect balance between historical fiction and the kind of love story that appeals to the romantic in all of us."
The Last Grand Duchess (2022) Bryn Turnbull "From Saint Petersburg to Siberia, sweeping back and forth in time, Bryn expertly weaves together an all-consuming story of The Russian Revolution and the fall of the House of Romanovs. The Last Grand Duchess features a true heroine who displays courage and grace in the face of war, making sacrifices of the heart in the name of family and country loyalty. Historical fiction fans will devour this one!"
At Summer's End (2021) Courtney Ellis "Readers will be captivated by this stirring debut of love, family secrets and human frailties. Told with wit and tenderness, this story is as unique as its characters, Bertie and Julian Wakeford, an earl like no other. Ellis deftly captures the devastation of war and what it means to be comfortable in one’s own skin."
Sisters of the Resistance (2021) Christine Wells "Sisters of the Resistance has it all! A richly researched historical novel filled with the glamor of the 1940s fashion world, page-turning suspense and romance, all wrapped around a cast of courageous and unforgettable women... I was under the spell of this novel from page one!"
The Personal Librarian (2021) Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray "From the opulent gilded age ballrooms of New York, to the fiercely competitive auction houses of Europe, The Personal Librarian is a poignant story of race, class and one woman’s struggle to live authentically."
The Women of Chateau Lafayette (2021) Stephanie Dray "This is by far one of the grandest novels I've read in a long time. A masterpiece of historical fiction. Stephanie Dray has created an all-encompassing saga spanning three wars with three unforgettable women at its core. The immense scope of research, so seamlessly infused into Dray's stunning prose, is mind-blowing. I simply can't say enough good things about this brilliant novel."
Lana's War (2021) Anita Abriel "Filled with danger and romance, Lana's War is the story of a courageous woman waging her own battle against the Nazis while defending her loyalty to a Jewish girl she meets in Nice. Anita Abriel’s tender, yet fast paced novel deftly juxtaposes the beauty and opulence of the French Rivera against the atrocities of WWII. Cinematic in scope, this novel will keep readers turning pages with twists and turns that lead to an unforgettable ending."
The Lions of Fifth Avenue (2020) Fiona Davis "With The Lions of Fifth Avenue, author Fiona Davis proves she is the master of the duel timeline! Once again she illuminates another New York City landmark—the New York Public Library—and expertly creates two rich, mysterious worlds which she deftly braids together into a compelling, page-turning read. This is a novel for all who treasure books."
The Kids Are Gonna Ask (2020) Gretchen Anthony "Totally original, filled with quirky and heartfelt characters that leap to life off the page. The Kids Are Gonna Ask explores the complexities of familial love and the search for a biological father that quickly escalates into a national controversy. Gretchen Anthony has her pen on the pulse of today's social media culture and delivers a page-turning novel that could very well go viral."
Summer Darlings (2020) Brooke Lea Foster "A fresh new voice in historical fiction! Brooke Lea Foster spins a delicious tale of a young girl from Brooklyn who spends a summer rubbing elbows with the rich and famous on Martha’s Vineyard. Filled with 1960s nostalgia and a host of deftly drawn characters, this is a novel that gives us an intimate look at the world of privilege, proving once again that money does not buy happiness."
Bringing Down the Duke (2019) (League of Extraordinary Women, book 1) Evie Dunmore "Evie Dunmore’s Bringing Down the Duke delivers the best of two worlds—a steamy romance coupled with the heft of a meticulously researched historical novel....Readers will be entranced watching Annabelle, a woman ahead of her time, bring the sexy Duke to his knees."
Murder Knocks Twice (2019) (Speakeasy Murders Mystery, book 1) Susanna Calkins "A page-turning romp through Prohibition-era Chicago! This first book in Susanna Calkins’ new mystery series set in the 1920s will be a real treat for her fans. Filled with bootleggers, speakeasies, intrigue and murder, you’re in for a wild ride once you step inside Calkins’ action-packed world at the Third Door."
Finding Dorothy (2019) Elizabeth Letts "More than just a behind-the-scenes pee at the making of The Wizard of Oz, Finding Dorothy is a heartfelt look at the origins of a beloved story told, through the eyes of the woman closest to its creator. From capturing the pioneering spirit of a family settling out West to the fight for women's suffrage, and the vulnerability of a young Judy Garland on the threshold of stardom, Finding Dorothy is filled with pitch-perfect wonderment."
