As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Looking for some entertaining Spring book recommendations? Check out this round-up of historical fiction great reads!
Spring Book Recommendations
April is here which means we are somehow already a quarter of the way through the year! I swore I’d make it a goal this year to offer quarterly round ups of book recommendations. And so far, 2023 brings a bunch of new great offerings to the market. I’m super excited by a few of the books I’ve seen so far. So, what are some of my best historical fiction Spring book recommendations to read?
Let’s check it out- my first historical fiction book round-up of the year! Spring Books to Read!
The Mitford Affair by Marie Benedict
I love Marie Benedict. If you follow me on social media you’d see that I was just loving on one of her other recent books, Her Hidden Genius, as well. I also loved The Mystery of Mrs. Christie. In general, I just find her rendering of off-beat female characters to be superb!
And once again in The Mitford Affair, Benedict is taking on a formidable set of female protagonists.
Between the World Wars, the six Mitford sisters―each more beautiful, brilliant, and eccentric than the next―dominate the English political, literary, and social scenes. Though they’ve weathered scandals before, the family falls into disarray when Diana divorces her wealthy husband to marry a fascist leader and Unity follows her sister’s lead all the way to Munich, inciting rumors that she’s become Hitler’s mistress.
As the Nazis rise in power, novelist Nancy Mitford grows suspicious of her sisters’ constant visits to Germany and the high-ranking fascist company they keep. When she overhears alarming conversations and uncovers disquieting documents, Nancy must make excruciating choices as Great Britain goes to war with Germany.
Probing the torrid political climate in the lead-up to World War II and the ways that seemingly sensible people can be sucked into radical action, The Mitford Affair follows Nancy’s valiant efforts to stop the Nazis from taking over Great Britain, and the complicated choices she must make between the personal and the political.
The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner
Ah, Sarah Penner. I have been reeling from the ending of The Lost Apothecary since 2021! That book just stuck in my craw! And now Penner is back with another bewitching read. This one even more fantastical!
1873. At an abandoned château on the outskirts of Paris, a dark séance is about to take place, led by acclaimed spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire. Known worldwide for her talent in conjuring the spirits of murder victims to ascertain the identities of the people who killed them, she is highly sought after by widows and investigators alike.
Lenna Wickes has come to Paris to find answers about her sister’s death, but to do so, she must embrace the unknown and overcome her own logic-driven bias against the occult. When Vaudeline is beckoned to England to solve a high-profile murder, Lenna accompanies her as an understudy. With shared determination, the women find companionship that perhaps borders on something more. And as they team up with the powerful men of London’s exclusive Séance Society to solve the mystery, they begin to suspect that they are not merely out to solve a crime, but are perhaps entangled in one themselves…
Written with intoxicating suspense and sultry prose, The London Séance Society is an entrancing tale that blurs the lines between truth and illusion, and reveals the grave risks women will take to avenge the ones they love.
Good Night From Paris by Jane Healey
I found Jane Healey in 2021 for her other WWII spy thriller, The Secret Stealers. I enjoyed that one immensely and am excited to see she’s back with another thrilling adventure.
In Nazi-occupied France, an American film star takes on the most dangerous role of her life in a gripping novel about loyalty and resistance, inspired by a true story, from the Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Secret Stealers.
Paris, 1939. Hollywood actress Drue Leyton, married to Frenchman Jacques Tartière, lives as an expatriate in love. But when her husband is dispatched to Brittany to work as a liaison for the British military, Drue finds herself alone with her housekeeper, adrift and heartsick in her adopted city. With her career and fame forty-five hundred miles away, Drue accepts an opportunity that will change her life forever.
Befriended by seasoned wartime journalist Dorothy Thompson and urged on by political operative Jean Fraysse, Drue broadcasts radio programs to the United States. Her duty: shake America from its apathy and, as Nazis encroach and France is occupied, push for resistance and help from the US. As Drue and Jean fall under suspicion, Hitler sends his own message: when Drue’s adopted country is conquered, she will be executed.
In a Paris that is no longer safe, Drue’s political passion is ignited. She’s prepared to risk anything to fight the enemy no matter how dangerous it gets—for her, for everyone she loves, and for everything she’s fighting for.
Are you following me on Goodreads? Follow me today and you’ll be the first to see everything I’m reading and get further book recommendations!
I hope you enjoyed these Spring Book Recommendations. Make sure you check out my other BookLists for more reading ideas!
Find more ways to spoil your inner bookworm!
Check out the Amaryllis Co. Shop, fully stocked with custom designs perfect for every book loving Amaryllis Girl! From shirts, mugs, wine glasses, and more, I have curated a shop with all of my favorites! SHOP HERE! You can also find my collection of bookish merchandise on Etsy.
