Top new historical-fiction books in July 2024
Last updated:
July 31, 2024
July 2024 featuring new releases by Donna Jones Alward, Jessica Anthony, Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, J. Courtney Sullivan, Kate Quinn, Kevin Barry, Taffy Brodesser-Akner, Marjan Kamali, M.T. Anderson, Jean Grainger and many more.
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When the World Fell Silent: A Novel of the 1917 Halifax Explosion by Donna Jones Alward
A story of loss, hope and redemption against the most impossible odds. 1917. Halifax, Nova Scotia.Nora Crowell wants more than her sister’s life as a wife and mother. As WWI rages across the Atlantic, she becomes a lieutenant in the Canadian Army Nursing Corp. But trouble is looming and it won’t be long before the truth comes to light...romance · historical-fiction · fiction · historical · audiobook · ww1 · war · family · drama · 20th-century -
![The Most by Jessica Anthony]()
The Most by Jessica Anthony
It’s November 3, 1957. As Sputnik 2 launches into space, carrying Laika, the doomed Soviet dog, a couple begin their day. Virgil Beckett, an insurance salesman, isn’t particularly happy in his job but he fulfills the role. Kathleen Beckett, once a promising tennis champion with a key shot up her sleeve, is now a mother and homemaker...north-america · usa · delaware · fiction · historical-fiction · literary-fiction · audiobook · historical · marriage · season-summer -
![Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio]()
Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
A year in the life of the unforgettable Catalina Ituralde, a wickedly wry and heartbreakingly vulnerable student at an elite college, forced to navigate an opaque past, an uncertain future, tragedies on two continents, and the tantalizing possibilities of love and freedomWhen Catalina is admitted to Harvard, it feels like the fulfillment of destiny: a miracle child escapes death in Latin... -
![The Cliffs: A novel by J. Courtney Sullivan]()
The Cliffs: A novel by J. Courtney Sullivan
On a secluded bluff overlooking the ocean sits a Victorian house, lavender with gingerbread trim, a home that contains a century’s worth of secrets. By the time Jane Flanagan discovers the house as a teenager, it has long been abandoned. The place is an irresistible mystery to Jane...fiction · historical-fiction · contemporary · literary-fiction · gothic · womens-fiction · family · season-summer · ghosts · horror -
![The Briar Club by Kate Quinn]()
The Briar Club by Kate Quinn
A haunting and powerful story of female friendships and secrets in a Washington, D.C. boardinghouse during the McCarthy era. Washington, D.C., 1950. Everyone keeps to themselves at Briarwood House, a down-at-the-heels all-female boardinghouse in the heart of the nation’s capital, where secrets hide behind white picket fences... -
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![The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry]()
The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry
Award-winning writer Kevin Barry’s first novel set in America, a savagely funny and achingly romantic tale of young lovers on the lam in 1890s Montana.October 1891. A hard winter approaches across the Rocky Mountains. The city of Butte, Montana is rich on copper mines and rampant with vice and debauchery among a hard-living crowd of immigrant Irish workers...north-america · usa · montana · romance · historical-fiction · fiction · western · literary-fiction · audiobook · historical -
![Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner]()
Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
From the Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of Fleishman Is in Trouble comes Long Island Compromise, a darkly exhilarating novel about an American family and its inheritance - the safety and wealth that they fought for, and the precarity of their survival that is their legacy...fiction · literary-fiction · historical-fiction · contemporary · family · audiobook · satire · humor · book · adult -
![The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali]()
The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali
From the nationally bestselling author of the “powerful, heartbreaking” (Shelf Awareness) The Stationery Shop, a heartfelt, epic new novel of friendship, betrayal, and redemption set against three transformative decades in Tehran, Iran.In 1950s Tehran, seven-year-old Ellie lives in grand comfort until the untimely death of her father, forcing Ellie and her mother to move to a tiny home downtown...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · literary-fiction · season-summer · poc-author · friendship · 20th-century · book · adult -
![Nicked by M.T. Anderson]()
Nicked by M.T. Anderson
From the award-winning and bestselling author of Feed comes a raucous and slyly funny adult fiction debut. Based on a bizarre but true quest to steal the mystical corpse of a long-dead saint, Nicked is a fantastical, genre-defying, and delightfully queer historical romp"Miracles, marvels, saints, sinners, love, plague, and treachery! M. T...historical-fiction · fiction · fantasy · historical · lgbtq · audiobook · medieval · horror · action-adventure · religion -
![Lilac Ink: The Knocknashee Story by Jean Grainger]()
Lilac Ink: The Knocknashee Story by Jean Grainger
1937.Two lives.Thousands of miles apart.One in Dingle, Ireland, the other in Georgia, USA.Grace Fitzgerald and Jacob Lewis are drawn together as the world seems to be on the brink of destruction.They should have nothing in common. Except they do. More than anyone could ever imagine or understand...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · audiobook · friendship · 20th-century · ww2 · female-mc · romance · book -
![The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish by Paula Brackston]()
The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish by Paula Brackston
New York Times bestselling author Paula Brackston returns with a new, magic-infused series about Hecate Cavendish, an eccentric and feisty young woman who can see ghostsEngland, 1881. Hereford cathedral stands sentinel over the city, keeping its secrets, holding long forgotten souls in its stony embrace...romance · fantasy · historical-fiction · paranormal · mystery · fiction · historical · magic · witches-wizards · ghosts -
![Hera by Jennifer Saint]()
Hera by Jennifer Saint
The enthralling tale of a powerful Greek goddess maligned in both myth and ancient history, as told by Sunday Times bestselling author Jennifer Saint.When Hera, immortal goddess and daughter of the ancient Titan Cronos, helps her brother Zeus to overthrow their tyrannical father, she dreams of ruling at his side...myths · fantasy · retellings · fiction · historical-fiction · historical · gods · ancient-civilization · supernatural · book -
![Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp by Michelle Moran]()
Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp by Michelle Moran
Maria von Trapp. You know the name and the iconic songs, but do you know her real story? This dramatic novel, based on the woman glamorized in The Sound of Music, brings Maria to life as never before.In the 1950s, Oscar Hammerstein is asked to write the lyrics to a musical based on the life of a woman named Maria von Trapp...europe · western-central-europe · austria · historical-fiction · fiction · historical · ww2 · audiobook · family · 20th-century -
![The Berlin Apartment by Bryn Turnbull]()
The Berlin Apartment by Bryn Turnbull
“Wholly immersive and impeccably researched, Bryn Turnbull’s tale brings the time vividly to life.” —Toronto Star on The Paris DeceptionFor fans of Kate Quinn and Kristin Hannah, this sweeping love story follows a young couple whose lives are irrevocably changed when they’re separated overnight by the construction of the Berlin Wall...romance · historical-fiction · historical · fiction · audiobook · mystery · ww2 · cold-war · family · war -
![Beyond Summerland by Jenny Lecoat]()
Beyond Summerland by Jenny Lecoat
New York Times bestselling author Jenny Lecoat has crafted a spellbinding story about secrets and lies in a small community recovering from war, and the two young women at the center of a volatile mystery.The German occupation is over. The Channel Islands, the only captured territory within the British Isles, are finally liberated. But the people of Jersey are left as scarred as the landscape...historical-fiction · fiction · ww2 · historical · family · audiobook · war · romantic-love · crime · mystery -
![The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia]()
The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
A young woman wins the role of a lifetime in a film about a legendary heroine — but the real drama is behind the scenes in this sumptuous historical epic from the author of Mexican Gothic .1950s Every actress wants to play Salome, the star-making role in a big-budget movie about the legendary woman whose story has inspired artists since ancient times...romance · historical-fiction · fiction · historical · mystery · drama · fantasy · latinx-mc · poc-author · retellings -
![Rosarita by Anita Desai]()
Rosarita by Anita Desai
A beautiful, haunting novel that explores memory, grief, and a young woman’s determination to forge her own path.A young student sits on a bench in a park in San Miguel, Mexico. Bonita is away from her home in India to learn Spanish. She is alone, somewhere she has no connection to. It is bliss.And then a woman approaches her... -
![The History of Sound by Ben Shattuck]()
The History of Sound by Ben Shattuck
A stunning collection of interconnected stories set in New England, exploring how the past is often misunderstood and how history, family, heartache, and desire can echo over centuriesIn twelve luminous stories set across three centuries, The History of Sound examines the unexpected ways the past returns to us and how love and loss are entwined and transformed over generations...fiction · historical-fiction · audiobook · literary-fiction · lgbtq · historical · romantic-love · anthologies · 21st-century · adult -
![Return to Wyldcliffe Heights by Carol Goodman]()
Return to Wyldcliffe Heights by Carol Goodman
Jane Eyre meets The Thirteenth Tale in this new modern gothic mystery from two-time Mary Higgins Clark Award–winner Carol Goodman, about a reclusive writer who is desperate to rewrite the past. Losing yourself inside of a book can be dangerous. Not everyone finds their way out. Agnes Corey, a junior editor at a small independent publisher, has been hired by enigmatic author Veronica St...gothic · mystery · fiction · suspense · psychological · historical-fiction · murder · crime · family · thriller -
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![The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness]()
The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness
Diana Bishop journeys to the darkest places within herself—and her family history—in the highly anticipated fifth novel of the beloved #1 New York Times bestselling All Souls series. Deborah Harkness first introduced the world to Diana Bishop, Oxford scholar and witch, and vampire geneticist Matthew de Clairmont in A Discovery of Witches...romance · fantasy · witches-wizards · fiction · paranormal · historical-fiction · vampires · dark-academia · magic · supernatural -
![Meet Me at the Starlight by Rachel Hauck]()
Meet Me at the Starlight by Rachel Hauck
Eighties supermodel Harlow Hayes seeks solace in a quaint Florida beach town to hide and heal from a heartbreak that shattered her entire world. To her surprise, she encounters Matt Knight--a Hollywood A-lister with a bad-boy reputation--who has returned to his hometown to help his plucky grandmother, Tuesday, save her century-old skating rink, the Starlight...romance · historical-fiction · christian · fiction · historical · audiobook · family · humor · multi-pov · small-town -
![The Windsor Conspiracy: A Novel of the Crown, a Conspiracy, and the Duchess of Windsor by Georgie Blalock]()
The Windsor Conspiracy: A Novel of the Crown, a Conspiracy, and the Duchess of Windsor by Georgie Blalock
Georgie Blalock, the acclaimed author of The Other Windsor Girl, delivers an enchantingly reimagined fictional portrait of Wallis Simpson through the lens of her cousin who is engaged to spy on the Duchess of Windsor for her alleged Nazi sympathies and finds much more than she bargained for!American Amelia Montague defied her family five years ago to marry the man she loved, but that decision...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · royalty · ww2 · espionage · audiobook · politics · 20th-century · female-mc -
![Fleeing France by Alan Hlad]()
Fleeing France by Alan Hlad
A WWII novel of sacrifice and rescue in the French Ambulance ServiceDriving an ambulance in France after the fall of Dunkirk, an American nightclub singer races to evacuate a British pilot and a Jewish orphan across more than 4,000 miles towards a precarious freedom in this emotional, action-packed story of sacrifice, hope, and devotion inspired by real wartime events...romance · historical-fiction · historical · ww2 · fiction · war · audiobook · military · medical · feminism -
![Viscount in Love by Eloisa James]()
Viscount in Love by Eloisa James
Two eccentric orphans bring together a grumpy viscount and the free-spirited heroine who steals his heart in the first novel in Eloisa James’s new Accidental Brides series, in which haughty aristocrats find themselves married to the wrong women. He wants a nanny, not a bride… Suddenly guardian to twins, Viscount Dominic Kelbourne is luckily betrothed to a suitable lady—until she elopes... -
![Le Fay by Sophie Keetch]()
Le Fay by Sophie Keetch
Lady Morgan surveys her life at an unhappy marriage and a vengeful husband determined to keep their son from his queen’s clutches, a true love she can’t be with, a jealous rival in magician Merlin who has the ear of Morgan’s half-brother King Arthur, and strange but wonderful powers of her own she is still exploring...fantasy · myths · historical-fiction · fiction · arthurian · audiobook · retellings · historical · magic · medieval -
![Meeting Her Match by Jen Turano]()
Meeting Her Match by Jen Turano
Miss Camilla Pierpont, a renowned matchmaker and influential member of the New York Four Hundred, has vowed never to marry after suffering a devastating heartbreak during her debut years ago. However, when she is nearly abducted along the Hudson River, she finds herself rescued by an annoyingly outspoken, albeit fascinating, gentleman who challenges her in a manner she wasn't expecting...romance · historical-fiction · christian · fiction · historical · audiobook · humor · family · comedy · mystery -
![Murder at the White Palace by Allison Montclair]()
Murder at the White Palace by Allison Montclair
In post-WWII London, the matchmakers of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau are involved in yet another murder.In the immediate post-war days of London, two unlikely partners have undertaken an even more unlikely, if necessary, business venture—The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. The two partners are Miss Iris Sparks, a woman with a dangerous—and never discussed—past in British intelligence and Mrs...romance · mystery · historical-fiction · fiction · historical · audiobook · cozy · ww2 · war · crime -
![Calder Country by Janet Dailey]()
Calder Country by Janet Dailey
1920s, Blue Moon, Montana. The small cattle town is alight with the excitement of cars, telephones, and airplanes. But as new inventions and new roles for women collide with Prohibition and the rising battle between gangsters and the FBI, Blue Moon finds itself—and some of its most infamous residents and powerful families—at a crossroads, and in battles of their own, between hearts and minds . .romance · historical-fiction · fiction · historical · western · small-town · family · military · 20th-century · industrial-era -
![The Duke at Hazard by K.J. Charles]()
The Duke at Hazard by K.J. Charles
Don't miss the second thrilling Regency romance in the Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune series by KJ Charles...The Duke of Severn is one of the greatest men in Britain.He's also short, quiet, and unimpressive. And now he's been robbed, after indulging in one rash night with a strange man who stole the heirloom Severn ring from his finger...romance · historical · lgbtq · historical-fiction · mlm · industrial-era · regency · journey · multi-pov · action-adventure -
![The Night the River Wept by Lo Patrick]()
The Night the River Wept by Lo Patrick
Everybody's got good and bad in them. In the end, it just depends which side wins out. Arlene has lived in a small town on the edge of nowhere Georgia her whole life. Now married to her long-time high school sweetheart, Tommy, Arlene is itching to start a family and become the mother she always dreamed of being...north-america · usa · georgia · mystery · fiction · contemporary · crime · drama · audiobook · historical-fiction -
![The End Crowns All by Bea Fitzgerald]()
The End Crowns All by Bea Fitzgerald
The second fierce, fresh and gloriously romantic YA Greek myth re-imagining, from Bea Fitzgerald, growing TikTok superstar and Sunday Times bestselling author of GIRL, GODDESS, QUEEN.Princess. Priestess. The most beautiful girl in Troy. Cassandra is used to being adored – and when her patron god, Apollo, offers her the power of prophecy, she sees an opportunity to rise even higher...romance · fantasy · myths · wlw · lgbtq · young-adult · retellings · historical-fiction · fiction · historical -
![The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love by India Holton]()
The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love by India Holton
Rival ornithologists hunt through England for a rare magical bird in this historical-fantasy rom-com reminiscent of Indiana Jones but with manners, tea, and helicopter parasols.Beth Pickering is on the verge of finally capturing the rare deathwhistler bird when Professor Devon Lockley swoops in, capturing both her bird and her imagination like a villain...romance · fantasy · historical-fiction · historical · fiction · urban-fantasy · industrial-era · victorian · humor · season-summer -
![Teddy by Emily Dunlay]()
Teddy by Emily Dunlay
Lessons in Chemistry meets Mad Men in this wildly entertaining debut novel, set in glamorous Rome in the late 1960s, which follows the free-spirited wife of an American diplomat as she desperately tries to contain a scandal of her own making... -
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![Grown Women by Sarai Johnson]()
Grown Women by Sarai Johnson
In this stunning debut novel, four generations of complex Black women contend with motherhood and daughterhood, generational trauma and the deeply ingrained tensions and wounds that divide them as they redefine happiness and healing for themselves. Erudite Evelyn, her cynical daughter Charlotte, and Charlotte’s optimistic daughter Corinna see the world very differently... -
![A Case of Mice and Murder by Sally Smith]()
A Case of Mice and Murder by Sally Smith
"I was immediately besotted . . . Brilliant." —Janice Hallett, internationally bestselling author of The AppealThe first in a delightful new mystery series set in the hidden heart of London’s legal world, introducing a wonderfully unwilling sleuth, perfect for fans of Richard Osman and Nita Prose...europe · british-isles · united-kingdom · england · urban · mystery · historical-fiction · crime · fiction · historical -
![Daughters of Olympus by Hannah M. Lynn]()
Daughters of Olympus by Hannah M. Lynn
A daughter pulled between two worlds and a mother willing destroy both to protect her...Gods and men wage their petty wars, but it is the women of spring who will have the last word...Demeter did not always live in fear. Once, the goddess of spring loved the world and the humans who inhabited it. After a devastating assault, though, she becomes a shell of herself...romance · myths · fantasy · historical-fiction · retellings · fiction · historical · paranormal · ancient-civilization · gods -
![A Scandal in July by Kate Bateman]()
A Scandal in July by Kate Bateman
A summer to remember. . .Charming bachelor Rhys Davies has absolutely no intention of falling for anyone with the surname Montgomery. The rivalry between their two families is legendary, after all, and despite all three of his siblings succumbing to the fatal attractions of the enemy, Rhys is convinced he’s immune. Until one night, when he meets Lenore Montgomery—and promptly loses his wits... -
![When Stars Fall at Midnight by Tess Thompson]()
When Stars Fall at Midnight by Tess Thompson
1921EstelleCast out and alone, I lost everything weeks before my wedding—my betrothed, my family, my future. With nowhere to turn, I accept the help of a compassionate stranger, not knowing it may lead me towards a path I swore never to tread.PercivalAfter my wife succumbed to a psychotic break, I placed her in an asylum, a decision that haunts me as I raise our daughter alone...romance · historical-fiction · fiction · religion · 20th-century · historical · spirituality · book · adult -
![Bloom Town: Genesis by Ally North]()
Bloom Town: Genesis by Ally North
June, 1852.A preacher’s daughter with a secret. An outlaw running from the gallows. A love story spanning oceans and deserts and years. When Abby Proctor is kidnapped from a train in the middle of the desert halfway to her new life in California, she makes a promise to herself—she will escape...romance · wlw · historical · lgbtq · enemies-to-lovers · historical-fiction · western · fiction · lesbian-mc · steamy -
![Cabaret Macabre by Tom Mead]()
Cabaret Macabre by Tom Mead
This latest puzzle mystery from the author of Death and the Conjuror and The Murder Wheel takes stage magician sleuth Joseph Spector to a grand estate in the English countryside. Victor Silvius has spent nine years as an inmate at The Grange, a private sanatorium, for the crime of attacking judge Sir Giles Drury...mystery · fiction · historical-fiction · crime · historical · audiobook · suspense · murder · law-enforcement · killer
