Top new historical-fiction books in July 2025
Last updated:
July 31, 2025
July 2025 featuring new releases by Ellen Marie Wiseman, Riley Sager, Luanne G. Smith, Benjamin Wood, Carolyn Dasher, Elly Griffiths, Meg Waite Clayton, Beatriz Williams, Lidija Hilje, Eva Kaminsky, Amy Barry and many more.
-
The Lies They Told by Ellen Marie Wiseman
In rural 1930s Virginia, a young immigrant mother fights for her dignity and those she loves against America’s rising eugenics movement – when widespread support for policies of prejudice drove imprisonment and forced sterilizations based on class, race, disability, education, and country of origin – in this tragic and uplifting novel of social injustice, survival, and hope for readers of Susan... -
![With a Vengeance by Riley Sager]()
With a Vengeance by Riley Sager
One train. No stops. A deadly game of survival and revenge.In 1942, six people destroyed Anna Matheson’s family. Twelve years later, she’s ready for retribution.Under false pretenses, Anna has lured those responsible for her family’s downfall onto a luxury train from Philadelphia to Chicago, an overnight journey of fourteen hours...mystery · historical-fiction · fiction · historical · thriller · psychological · horror · suspense · supernatural · book -
![The Golden Age of Magic by Luanne G. Smith]()
The Golden Age of Magic by Luanne G. Smith
Against the backdrop of 1920s Hollywood, a young fairy godmother on a mission is embroiled in malicious magic, mystery, and murder in a thrilling historical fantasy by the bestselling author of The Vine Witch.Celeste is about to become one of the thirteen Fées Gardiennes, a centuries-old sisterhood of fairy godmothers...fantasy · historical-fiction · fiction · mystery · magic · historical · audiobook · magical-realism · fairy-tale · myths -
![Seascraper by Benjamin Wood]()
Seascraper by Benjamin Wood
Tom lives a slow, deliberate life with his mother in Longferry, working his grandfather’s trade as a shanker. His heart is in his music, but these ambitions seem far away from the dreary town around him...fiction · historical-fiction · literary-fiction · audiobook · historical · coming-of-age · season-winter · 21st-century · book · adult -
![American Sky by Carolyn Dasher]()
American Sky by Carolyn Dasher
Three generations of indomitable women navigate life on their terms in an epic and inspiring historical novel about love and war, family secrets, and mothers and daughters finding the freedom to fly.It’s 1943. The war rages. The newly launched WASP program is recruiting. And barnstormer fan Georgeanne “George” Ector’s dream is to take to the skies...north-america · usa · oklahoma · historical-fiction · fiction · ww2 · historical · audiobook · war · action-adventure -
-
![The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths]()
The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths
Some murders can’t be solved in just one lifetime.Ali Dawson and her cold case team investigate crimes so old, they’re frozen—or so their inside joke goes. Nobody knows that her team has a secret: they can travel back in time to look for evidence...mystery · time-travel · fiction · crime · historical-fiction · fantasy · sci-fi · audiobook · historical · industrial-era -
![Typewriter Beach by Meg Waite Clayton]()
Typewriter Beach by Meg Waite Clayton
A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 2025 SUMMER READ: "Irresistible.”A LIBRARY READS TOP 10: "Sure to be a big summer hit...romance · historical-fiction · historical · fiction · season-summer · female-mc · 20th-century · friendship · book · adult -
![Under the Stars by Beatriz Williams]()
Under the Stars by Beatriz Williams
When a daughter and her famous mother return to Winthrop Island to confront their complicated past, they discover a secret trove of paintings that connect them to a mysterious woman who vanished on a luxury steamship two centuries earlier.From the New York Times bestselling author of Husbands & Lovers comes an epic tale of family legacy, love, and truths that echo down generations...romance · historical-fiction · fiction · mystery · historical · audiobook · female-mc · family · book · adult -
![Slanting Towards the Sea by Lidija Hilje]()
Slanting Towards the Sea by Lidija Hilje
Spanning twenty years and one life-altering summer in Croatia, Slanting Towards the Sea is at once an unforgettable love story and a powerful exploration of what it means to come of age in a country younger than oneself.Ivona divorced the love of her life, Vlaho, a decade ago. They met as students at the turn of the new millennium, when democratic Croatia was alive with hope and promise... -
![Seven Brides for Beau McBride by Eva Kaminsky, Amy Barry]()
Seven Brides for Beau McBride by Eva Kaminsky, Amy Barry
9 hours, 54 minutes From the beloved author of Kit McBride Gets a Wife and Marrying Off Morgan McBride comes a ‘sweet, hilarious and totally delicious’ love story (Hannah Grace). Beau McBride wants a wife, and his meddling little sister Junebug is itching to find him a mail-order bride. But why stop at just one? Beau McBride reckons he’s ready for marriage...romance · historical · western · historical-fiction · audiobook · humor · small-town · comedy · fiction · enemies-to-lovers -
![The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia]()
The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Three women in three different eras encounter danger and witchcraft in this eerie multigenerational horror saga from the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic.“Back then, when I was a young woman, there were still witches”: That was how Nana Alba always began the stories she told her great-granddaughter Minerva—stories that have stayed with Minerva all her life...horror · historical-fiction · fantasy · witches-wizards · historical · fiction · paranormal · gothic · dark-academia · mystery -
![The View From Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani]()
The View From Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani
From the beloved New York Times bestselling author Adriana Trigiani, a “dazzling” storyteller (Washington Post), and a “comedy writer with a heart of gold” (NYT), comes a novel about one woman’s quest to build her own life before it’s too late. Jess Capodimonte Baratta is not living the life of her dreams. Not even close. In blue-collar Lake Como, New Jersey, family comes first...north-america · usa · new-jersey · romance · fiction · contemporary · season-summer · family · womens-fiction · historical-fiction -
![Alice with a Why by Anna James]()
Alice with a Why by Anna James
Return to Wonderland in this extraordinary reimagining of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by one of our most brilliant storytellers‘Spectacular!’ Kiran Millwood Hargrave‘An absolute masterclass’ Hannah Gold‘I absolutely loved it’ Katie Tsang‘Beautiful and witty’ Pari ThomsonEngland, 1919... -
![The Paradise Petition by Carolyn Brown]()
The Paradise Petition by Carolyn Brown
In nineteenth-century Texas, two tough-minded women dare to challenge the status quo in a warm, witty, and adventurous historical romance by New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown.Daisy Lindberg and Lily Boyle traded a colorful past for a fresh start as seamstresses in Autrie, Texas, and their aim to spark a women’s rights movement is raising eyebrows among the town’s dumbfounded men...romance · historical-fiction · audiobook · historical · fiction · womens-fiction · western · friendship · christian · second-chances -
![Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs]()
Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs
From New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs, a wrenching but life-affirming novel based on a true story of survival, friendship, and redemption when six girls come together in a Catholic reform school in 1960s Buffalo, NY. Perfect for fans of Before We Were Yours, Orphan Train, and The Berry Pickers... -
![The Last Wizards' Ball by Charlaine Harris]()
The Last Wizards' Ball by Charlaine Harris
#1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Charlaine Harris returns with the sixth and final installment in the critically acclaimed Gunnie Rose series as sisters Lizbeth Rose and Felicia must face their fates at the last Wizards’ Ball...romance · fantasy · urban-fantasy · magic · alternate-history · fiction · western · paranormal · audiobook · historical-fiction -
![Les secrets de Bow Street by Lisa Kleypas]()
Les secrets de Bow Street by Lisa Kleypas
Une femme aux portes de la mort repêchée dans la Tamise. Une lady bien décidée à devenir l’assistante du juge Ross Cannon. Le malfrat le plus dangereux de Londres à la poursuite d’une jeune fugueuse... -
![There Will Be Bodies by Lindsey Davis]()
There Will Be Bodies by Lindsey Davis
The queen of Roman crime gives us her most gripping case yet.Ten years after the eruption of Vesuvius, the surrounding countryside lies buried and barren. But the destroyed cities and luxury villas on the Bay of Naples are not utterly lost.Flavia Albia and her husband Tiberius Manlius are tasked with restoring one villa and identifying any surviving remains.What they unearth is beyond disturbing...historical-fiction · mystery · historical · fiction · crime · roman-empire · ancient-civilization · fantasy · audiobook · female-mc -
-
![A Bookseller in Madrid by Mario Escobar]()
A Bookseller in Madrid by Mario Escobar
Books will always be a refuge.Madrid, 1934. The winds of change are blowing in the Spain of the Second Republic when Bárbara, a young German woman who has managed to flee Berlin after the victory of the Nazi party in the elections, opens a small bookstore...europe · south-europe · spain · historical-fiction · fiction · audiobook · historical · ww2 · war · missing-people -
![Broncos and Ballads by Jody Hedlund]()
Broncos and Ballads by Jody Hedlund
The bad boy feels the McQuaid legacy of love is out of his reach. Maybe it’s closer than he realizes.After a bad breakup, country music star Brock McQuaid finds his ratings tanking as fans begin to question whether he’s really experienced the love he sings about so passionately...romance · christian · contemporary · fiction · western · historical-fiction · audiobook · new-adult · slow-burn · love-triangle -
![Grave Birds by Dana Elmendorf]()
Grave Birds by Dana Elmendorf
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires meets Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil in this twisty, fresh take on a Southern gothic that follows a mysterious, charming bachelor as he makes his way into a small town, bringing a plague and the devil with him, from GMA Buzz Pick author Dana Elmendorf...horror · fantasy · gothic · paranormal · magical-realism · supernatural · fiction · audiobook · mystery · urban-fantasy -
![Road Trip with a Rogue by Kate Bateman]()
Road Trip with a Rogue by Kate Bateman
Mistakenly holding up the coach of the man who broke her heart is bad enough, but having to endure his sinfully alluring company all the way to Scotland is Daisy Hamilton’s worst nightmare . . . and her most secret desire.A midnight mishap.Daisy Hamilton’s new mission for King & Co., London's premier private investigation firm, is simple: stop heiress Violetta Brand from eloping... -
![A Tartan Love by Nichole Van]()
A Tartan Love by Nichole Van
Two ancient rivers, twin brothers, and a Scottish king who divided them. Welcome to life in the shadow of Cairnfell.Lady Isla Kinsey knows that the animosity between her family, the Dukedom of Grayburn, and their distant kinsmen, the Earldom of Northcairn, is the stuff of legends—six generations of duels fought, ladies ruined, and gentlemen betrayed...romance · historical-fiction · historical · industrial-era · regency · fiction · forbidden-love · military · enemies-to-lovers · humor -
![A Proposal to Wed by Kathleen Ayers]()
A Proposal to Wed by Kathleen Ayers
Lucy Waterstone is being bartered.Gerald Waterstone, her father, is drowning in debt and would never sell his precious horse farm. He’d much rather trade his lisping spinster of a daughter to Lord Dufton in return for being made whole. But it isn’t Lucy Dufton wants, rather the estate attached to her skirts. Marsden. She has no idea why Dufton covets Marsden or even what it is... -
![Last Stop Union Station by Sarah James]()
Last Stop Union Station by Sarah James
Murder, movie stars, and mystery await those who climb aboard this cross-country train, inspired by the real-life history of the Hollywood Victory CaravanHollywood, 1942. Jacqueline Love's acting career is flailing. Suddenly on the wrong side of 40, parts are drying up, directors are calling her "difficult," and Humphrey Bogart has definitely stopped taking her calls... -
![Dovetails in Tall Grass by Samantha Specks]()
Dovetails in Tall Grass by Samantha Specks
As war overtakes the frontier, Emma’s family farmstead is attacked by Dakota-Sioux warriors; on that same prairie, Oenikika desperately tries to hold on to her calling as a healer and follow the orders of her father, Chief Little Crow. When the war is over and revenge-fueled war trials begin, each young woman is faced with an impossible choice...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · indigenous-mc · war · racism · audiobook · new-adult · literary-fiction · poc-mc -
![His Illegitimate Duchess by Daria T. Rowan]()
His Illegitimate Duchess by Daria T. Rowan
Elizabeth Hawkins, a duke's illegitimate daughter, gets a second chance at being a part of her late father's family when she meets her half-brother Nicholas.All she has to do now is prove she can be part of polite society, and the best way to do so (of course!) is by behaving like a proper lady and marrying well... -
![Angel Down by Daniel Kraus]()
Angel Down by Daniel Kraus
The critically acclaimed author of the “crazily enjoyable” (The New York Times) Whalefall returns with an immersive, cinematic novel about five World War I soldiers who stumble upon a fallen angel that could hold the key to ending the war...horror · historical-fiction · fantasy · fiction · historical · ww1 · war · sci-fi · angels · mystery -
![The Original by Nell Stevens]()
The Original by Nell Stevens
In a grand English country house in 1899, an aspiring art forger must unravel whether the man claiming to be her long-lost cousin is an impostor.An unwanted guest of her uncle’s family since childhood, Grace has grown up on the periphery of a once-great household. She has unusual predilections: for painting, particularly forgery; for deception; for other girls...historical-fiction · wlw · lgbtq · historical · mystery · fiction · family · young-adult · literary-fiction · industrial-era -
![The Highland Heist by Pepper Basham]()
The Highland Heist by Pepper Basham
Grace Storms a Scottish Castle to Save her SisterLord Astley surprises his wife with a trip to America to see her family before they end their honeymoon adventures. But just as they arrive, they find Grace's sister, Lillias, is the prime suspect in her husband's murder...romance · mystery · christian · historical-fiction · historical · suspense · fiction · womens-fiction · family · killer -
![A Spinster for the Cold Duke: A Historical Regency Romance Novel by Daphne Byrne]()
A Spinster for the Cold Duke: A Historical Regency Romance Novel by Daphne Byrne
“Do you wish to see what I’m capable of, my lady? To have you trembling, gasping my name in surrender?” Duke Henry has one unwavering his daughter. So when he discovers the teenager at a questionable book club, reading an inappropriate novel, he demands consequences.For spinster Lady Annabelle, the book club is her only sanctuary. She won’t let an infuriatingly proper duke destroy it...romance · industrial-era · regency · fiction · historical · religion · victorian · historical-fiction · spirituality · book -
![To Sketch a Scandal by Jess Everlee]()
To Sketch a Scandal by Jess Everlee
Forbidden love is an art all its ownLondon, 1886 Barkeep Warren Bakshi is happy with the secrets that he keeps—those of the patrons he serves at underground queer club The Curious Fox, and his own. But when Warren’s long-lost brother returns, bringing unexpected wealth to the Bakshi family, his elevated status requires more dignified pursuits...romance · historical-fiction · lgbtq · historical · audiobook · mlm · fiction · found-family · mystery · asian-mc -
-
![After the Disabled War God Became My Concubine 残疾战神嫁我为妾后 by Liu Gou Hua, 刘狗花]()
After the Disabled War God Became My Concubine 残疾战神嫁我为妾后 by Liu Gou Hua, 刘狗花
According to a popular legend, the famous God of War of Great Liang, Huo Wujiu, was once captured by an enemy country. He had his meridians severed and both his legs broken before he was thrown into the prison. In order to humiliate him, that incapable ruler of the country gifted him to his cutsleeve brother as a concubine.General Huo suffered a great deal of humiliation...romance · fantasy · lgbtq · historical · mlm · military · fiction · royalty · enemies-to-lovers · historical-fiction -
![His Haunted Duchess: A Historical Regency Romance Novel by Emma Linfield]()
His Haunted Duchess: A Historical Regency Romance Novel by Emma Linfield
“You are mine now, Duchess. No one will dare hurt you again…” Desperate, scarred, and haunted, Caroline knows the cruelty of gossip. So she never expected to be defended, let alone by the most eligible bachelor of the Season…Duke Frederic never intended to marry...romance · historical · fiction · historical-fiction · religion · industrial-era · victorian · regency · spirituality · book -
![A Governess for the Damaged Duke: A Historical Regency Romance Novel by Sally Forbes]()
A Governess for the Damaged Duke: A Historical Regency Romance Novel by Sally Forbes
Scars run deeper than skin, but some secrets leave wounds that refuse to heal… Miss Liliana Wakefield rides into storm‑lashed Thornvale Abbey armed with wit, steel independence, and a vow never to bow to the aristocracy that ruined her family. Her mission is reach the Duke’s silent, shattered niece.She expects a cruel, distant guardian...romance · historical · fiction · historical-fiction · religion · industrial-era · victorian · regency · spirituality · book -
![The Chief's Wild Promise by Jayne Castel]()
The Chief's Wild Promise by Jayne Castel
It started with a knife to the throat … When a young clan-chief travels to meet his bride-to-be, their violent first encounter ignites a tempestuous relationship—one that risks ending in tragedy. High stakes collide with epic romance in Medieval Scotland.Makenna MacGregor is about to slit a man’s throat, when she discovers he’s not one of the hated Campbells but her betrothed...romance · angst · historical-fiction · action-adventure · medieval · fiction · historical · book · adult -
![Win Me, My Lord by Sofie Darling]()
Win Me, My Lord by Sofie Darling
Their fairy tale failed…Ten years ago, Lord Branwell Mallory was young and in love with the perfect future ahead of him. Now he’s an injured and scarred ex-soldier with a future he barely knows how to build. The past, however, isn’t quite finished with him yet…But when they meet again…Once upon a time, Lady Artemis Keating believed in true love...romance · historical · female-mc · soldiers · forced-proximity · angst · historical-fiction · industrial-era · victorian · disability -
![Lavender & Gin: A Sapphic Historical Romance by Abigail Aaronson]()
Lavender & Gin: A Sapphic Historical Romance by Abigail Aaronson
Taking on her brother’s identity has given Kasia almost everything she money, power, a gang to call her own in Prohibition-era Detroit. Until a new police chief threatens to destroy everything she’s worked for, and a beautiful woman tempts her to expose her secret.After a decade disguised as her missing twin brother, Kasia leads a gang running liquor for the most powerful mob in the city...romance · wlw · historical · historical-fiction · lgbtq · fiction · lesbian-mc · organized-crime · 20th-century · crime -
![Fulvia: A spellbinding story of female ambition set in the world of Ancient Rome by Kaarina Parker]()
Fulvia: A spellbinding story of female ambition set in the world of Ancient Rome by Kaarina Parker
She was a woman who took no interest in spinning or housekeeping. She wanted to rule a ruler and command a commander -- PlutarchFulvia is the daughter of a wealthy but unimportant Roman family. Raised in the countryside, she longs for a life of intrigue and influence. When her father dies and her inheritance is threatened, Fulvia makes her way to the city of Rome to secure her future...historical-fiction · historical · myths · fiction · audiobook · roman-empire · ancient-civilization · book · adult
