Historical Fiction Book Reviews

Review: Marianne by Alice McVeigh

Marianne by Alice McVeigh

Expertly adding to her expansion of Jane Austen’s ouevre, Marianne by Alice McVeigh is the fifth thrilling piece of an impressive historical fiction series.

Marianne, recently widowed but prone to unreasonable love, is offered condolences as often as invitations from the endless supply of eager new suitors in London, but her heart is distracted by the presence of her first true love. Navigating this new and overwhelming world of social climbing only becomes more complicated when her firecracker of a younger sister, Margaret, arrives on the scene to stir up trouble and swoon at the resultant drama.

Bouncing between the […]

2025-10-23T14:56:00+02:00October 22nd, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: |

Review: Clinging to Hope by Glynda Howard McClure

Clinging to Hope by Glynda Howard McClure

A character-driven drama from the dawn of the 20th century, Clinging to Hope by Glynda Howard McClure is a meticulously crafted novel of loss, loyalty, and rugged survival against impossible odds.

When the sweltering East Texas summer is shattered by the horrific Galveston Hurricane of 1900, Willie Ann and her husband Gilbert are ill prepared for the deluge of disasters that lay ahead for their family. With their farm destroyed, the Wards are literally torn asunder, forced to rely on the kindness of community as they stubbornly rebuild. However, the loss of a home is just the first calamity for […]

Review: Vandemonian Spirit by Missy Birch

Vandemonian Spirit by Missy Birch

An intense period drama laced with the timeless theme of love lost and found, Vandemonian Spirit by Missy Birch is a powerful tale of feminine resilience and the relentless pursuit of joy in the face of systemic indifference.

After a selfless act of desperation to save her sister’s life, Hannah Fearn lands in the hands of the law, and she is sentenced to seven years of servitude in Van Diemen’s Land, the colonial name for present-day Tasmania. Forced to leave her life of squalor, she hardens herself to the inevitable cruelty of the years to come as she sails to […]

2025-09-30T11:56:07+02:00September 30th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: |

Afghani by Brendon Patrick

Afghani by Brendon PatrickDelicately exploring the dark legacies of war in the Middle East, Australia, and beyond, Afghani by Brendon Patrick is a relentless historical novel following two warriors on parallel journeys.

Lacking a clear path in life, Patterson reluctantly joins the Australian Army, but is soon shipped off to Afghanistan in support of America’s post-9/11 retribution, going to war against his own family history. Meanwhile, a century earlier, a well-traveled Afghani cameleer flees to Australia to escape a Khan’s wrath, only to find himself oppressed by new forms of xenophobia and systemic injustice. These alternating timelines reflect eerily similar themes of identity, […]

Review: The Summer of Haight by George Petersen

The Summer of Haight by George Petersen

Mesmerizing, deviant, and steeped in counterculture madness, The Summer of Haight by George Petersen is a psychedelic thriller that dares readers to interrogate their animal nature, and even question their grasp on reality. Set against the legendary backdrop of 1967, this Summer of Love story follows a tangled trio as they navigate existential dilemmas and psychedelic schemes across the highs and lows of San Francisco.

Jonathan St. Amour is a secretive psychiatric researcher and a snake-loving socialite who appears to be spiraling into a midlife crisis, despite his debonair attitude and lavish dinner parties. Longfellow is his loyal friend, lawyer, […]

She Rises by Dorianne Ashe

She Rises by Dorianne AsheA bold take on time-slip fiction that shines with timely insight, She Rises by Dorianne Ashe is a family drama that stretches across the centuries, presenting a fearless reflection of America’s lingering ghosts.

When Georgia is inexplicably invited to the reading of the will of a reclusive real estate titan, it redirects the course of her life overnight, and infuriates some very powerful people. With her precocious daughter Violet, Georgia explores her new estate and meets her new neighbors, before being mysteriously hurled into an enslaved past by those who would prefer to rewrite history, rather than face it. Aided […]

Review: Disconnected and Drifting by Flo Dombey

Disconnected and Drifting by Flo Dombey

The tragic echoes of war shake the foundations and faith of a small coastal town in Disconnected and Drifting by Flo Dombey, the prelude piece of her tenderly gripping Willow Chronicle series.

In Lewes, Delaware, a horrific accident and the cover-up shatter the fragile peace of a community still living under the shadow of segregation and post-war suspicion. Chief Meyers, an ex-Marine with a haunted past, investigates the gruesome murder of a young Black boy, but none of the clues make sense, and his eyewitnesses are anything but reliable. With grieving parents on one side and vengeful townsfolk on the […]

2025-09-04T11:17:08+02:00August 7th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Smoke on the Wind by Syvila Weatherford

Smoke on the Wind by Syvila WeatherfordAn exceptional sequel to Blessings from the Four Winds, which asks timeless questions about our sense of belonging and the many risks we take for family, Smoke on the Wind by Syvila Weatherford is a riveting trip into the past.

Life on the Applegate Ranch settles into some kind of normalcy for the new couple, but with a baby on the way, and shared feelings of separation from sacred traditions, emotions are running high. As the country continues to rapidly evolve, conflicts bubble over into everyday life, and Niabi makes the decision to bring her family back together in […]

2025-07-18T11:56:16+02:00July 18th, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |
Go to Top