historical fiction – Page 2 – She Just Loves Books

The Book Woman’s Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson

Published on May 4, 2022April 27, 2022 by shejustlovesbooksLeave a comment

"Historical Fiction" genre card with glasses and book photo

Oh this book…I loved this one so much! I loved being back in Troublesome Creek with these Troublesome women! The story is beautiful, the writing is descriptive and vivid, and you’ll want to sit for the day and just absorb yourself in this book.

This is the follow-up book to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, and I would highly recommend reading it before reading this one. It’s also a five-star read, and I think it will help to set the stage for The Book Woman’s Daughter.

Honey is 16, and her parents are heading to jail for being married and of two different colors. One blue and one white. Honey’s blue skin is only in her hands and feet, and her mama sends her off to live with Retta in Troublesome Creek while her parents serve their sentence.

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The School for German Brides by Aimie K. Runyan

Published on May 1, 2022May 1, 2022 by shejustlovesbooksLeave a comment

This World War II story brings the lives of three women together in unexpected ways. It was beautifully written with surprising moments and wonderful characters, and I loved it!

Taking place in the early days of WWII, we are introduced to three women, but hear the story through the perspectives of two of them. These three women’s struggles are lived separately but come crashing together as the war intensifies.

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The Mad Girls of New York by Maya Rodale

Published on April 26, 2022April 14, 2022 by shejustlovesbooks1 Comment

Nellie Bly is by far one of my favorite historical people. I love reading about her, and when I heard about this book, I knew I needed to read it.

The Mad Girls of New York blew away my expectations in the best way! Maya Rodale did a fantastic job of bringing Nellie to life. She was bright and bubbly, strong-willed, and a genius! I loved her spontaneity and her compassion for others. Nellie’s career was filled with amazing stories to help get the stories of women heard, but her 10 days in the madhouse is probably the most famous. I loved getting a play-by-play view of this experience. It was so well-written and basically impossible to put down.

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The Unknown Beloved by Amy Harmon

Published on April 19, 2022April 9, 2022 by shejustlovesbooks1 Comment

"Mystery" Genre card with dark woods and light in the distance

I am thoroughly convinced that Amy Harmon can write anything. She is an author that can jump from genre to genre with such ease and agility, and I am HERE for it every time!

In The Unknown Beloved, we are taken to the 1930’s for a murder mystery. I didn’t realize this until over halfway through the book, but the serial killer, and many of the characters were real people, and that made me love this book even more! Dani is a fictional character, but she is a fantastic MC, and as Harmon hinted at in the author’s note, I agree…more stories of her and Mike would be awesome!

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American Blues by Polly Hamilton Hilsabeck

Published on April 4, 2022April 2, 2022 by shejustlovesbooksLeave a comment

Book Genre Block - "General Fiction" Person holding book

This is such an impactful story that I hope many people will read. It brings the terrible lynching of a black man in the 1970’s to the pages in a way that involves the reader in the story. Alongside this murder is the story of a woman in a man’s world, studying theology to become ordained in the Episcopal church. I felt like I was right in the pages of this story thanks to amazing writing by author Polly Hamilton Hilsabeck.

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Scarlet Carnation by Laila Ibrahim

Published on April 1, 2022March 30, 2022 by shejustlovesbooksLeave a comment

This book is a continuation of a family saga series that I just absolutely love! It starts with Yellow Crocus, set in the 1800s and follows the life of two women, Lisbeth, a white plantation daughter, and Mattie, a slave and wet nurse. Each book after that one continues to follow those women and their descendants. I would absolutely recommend that you start at the beginning of this series, but I think you could read this as a stand-alone if you really wanted to.

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Sister Stardust by Jane Green

Published on March 28, 2022March 27, 2022 by shejustlovesbooksLeave a comment

Wow, this was such a fun book! I really loved the ’60s setting, and I enjoyed learning about Talitha Getty!

We start this story with Claire, a young woman who, after fighting with her stepmother, moves to London and then to Morrocco. She quickly lands herself in a wild, partying lifestyle, and we get to be by her side for all of it!

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The Valet’s Secret by Josi S. Kilpack

Published on March 19, 2022 by shejustlovesbooksLeave a comment

Book Genre Tag "Romance": A couple kissing

I really enjoy secret identity stories, and this was a great one! When Kenneth and Rebecca meet, Kenneth tells her he is a valet, rather than the heir to an estate and Countship.

The two characters in this story are more mature than many historical romances I have recently read, and I liked it! They have both loved and lost, making them a bit hesitant. When Rebecca discovers that Kenneth is not who he said he was, she struggles with the idea of the two of them being together. The society rules of the time would look down on a match such as theirs. I liked that the entire story wasn’t about the secret, but that it followed the indecision after finding out as well.

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The Tsarina’s Daughter by Ellen Alpsten

Published on March 18, 2022March 17, 2022 by shejustlovesbooks1 Comment

Book genre block - "Royalty" two small crowns

I really enjoyed this book. After reading Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten, I was really excited to get my hands on this one, and I wasn’t disappointed! The beginning recaps the end of Tsarina, but I would recommend reading Tsarina before starting this one.

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Grace Among Thieves by Kari Bovee

Published on March 16, 2022March 15, 2022 by shejustlovesbooksLeave a comment

I am so happy to be back with Grace and her investigations! I’ve read the previous two books in this series, and this one lives up to the previous two! While the series is fantastic, if you want to read this as a stand-alone, you absolutely can.

Grace is not an investigator by trade, but she certain is great at it, and she seems to always find herself in a situation where she gets to put her skills to use! In this story, Grace’s father is involved in the theft of a Russian artifact. There’s an abduction of his wife as well as the murder of an actress, and it’s all just a lot for Grace!

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A Perfect Equation by Elizabeth Everett

Published on February 13, 2022 by shejustlovesbooksLeave a comment

A Perfect Equation is a great blend of romance, smart, strong women, and problems to solve!

Letty is our female love interest, and she’s such an interesting character. She’s so closed off from others, and she doesn’t “NEED” help from anyone. I enjoyed watching her evolve and grow. As she finds herself in charge of the Athena’s Retreat, a place for women scientists (and a secret), we get to see her grow and change.

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Beyond the Wire by James D. Shipman

Published on February 12, 2022 by shejustlovesbooksLeave a comment

Book Genre Block - "Emotional" Person standing between bright earth and desolate earth

When I can get a chance to learn about another story in history that I haven’t heard before, I love it! I think that there are so many heroic, amazing people, and when I can hear their story, their memories live on.

Beyond the Wire is a historical fiction that takes an amazing true story and brings it to life with excellent research and storytelling. This one, like all the WWII concentration camp books I review, is an emotional read. Following the story of Jakub and Anna, both prisoners in Auschwitz-Birkenau, this book takes us through a plot to liberate Auschwitz. The bravery, danger, and utter terror that these people went through will bring tears to your eyes, but it will be worth the read.

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