March is springtime for me, the perfect time to bring new life (new books) into the world! This month we have TWO Paper Lantern Writers with new releases in their historical fiction series. 

Jonathan Posner’s new book, The Lawyer’s Legacy, is the origin story for one of the characters in his Witchfinder’s Well series. (March 31)

We see how Robert Wychwoode first learns how to scheme and plan, and how he is set on the path to becoming the wily older lawyer of the later stories.

Edie Cay’s A Viscount’s Vengeance continues the story of her Regency boxers in her When the Blood is Up series. (March 1)

A brooding viscount carries the weight of his dead father’s misdeeds. An unassuming young woman who knows more than she lets on. A marriage of convenience that comes to blows in the boxing ring.

BEST COVER

Dust Child by Que Mai Phan Nguyen (March 14)

“From the internationally bestselling author of The Mountains Sing, a suspenseful and moving saga about family secrets, hidden trauma, and the overriding power of forgiveness, set during the war and in present-day Việt Nam. .” ~from the book description

I love bright colors on a cover, and I would pick up all of the books in the graphic to look at them more closely if they were on a table in front of me. Dust Child, though, appeals the most. I love the silhouetted tree with golden leaves. The silhouetted person tells me places the story in Vietnam, a culture I haven’t read much about. On further investigation, the novel is a dual timeline, the sixties and current, story about rural sisters in the city, American GIs, war and love, tragedy and joy, and destiny. 

BEST TITLE

Wild, Beautiful, and Free by Sophfronia Scott (March 1)

“Skillfully crafted…this evocative novel brings full circle the power of love and forgiveness. A worthwhile and insightful read that lingers in the mind long after the last page is turned.” ~Historical Novels Review

This one also has a gorgeous cover. Together with the title, it’s a powerful temptation. It’s the story of the daughter of a slave and a plantation owner who has a white daughter about her age. When her father dies, she is sold into slavery. She grows up struggling with doing what is expected of her or being her own person.

MOST INTRIGUING

Two Wars and a Wedding by Lauren Willig (March 21)

“Filled with vivid details, shocking truths, and two sly, strong women who bring panache and humor to every scene. I’m simply in awe of the masterful, magical way Lauren Willig makes history come alive.” — Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnolia Place

Initially, I assumed the two wars in this title were World War I and World War II, but they aren’t. This book is set in 1896 in Greece during a war with Turkey, then in 1898 in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. It is a story of a woman and her best friend thrown into nursing during the first war, and a painful rift that develops between them. To heal the rift, the woman follows her friend to Cuba.

MOST ANTICIPATED

The Perfumist of Paris by Alka Joshi (March 28)

“A stunning portrait of a woman blossoming into her full power…this is Alka Joshi’s best book yet!” ~Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye

This is the third book in the Jaipur trilogy by Alka Joshi. The first two books were so compelling and rich that I can hardly wait for this one to be released. It’s 1974 and Radha is working for a perfumer in Paris. She is sent back to Jaipur to work with her sister and courtesans in perfume. In the process, her past reaches out to ruin her present. 

20th CENTURY

Britain

The White Lady by Jacqueline Winspear (March 21)

Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash (March 21)

Daughter Dalloway by Emily France (March 14)

Letters to a Stranger by Sarah Mitchell  (March 9)

The Secrets of Pencarrack Moor by Terri Nixon (March 2)

America

The Farewell Tour by Stephanie Clifford (March 7)

Code Name Edelweiss by Stephanie Landsem (March 7)

The Campbell Sisters by Eileen Joyce Donovan (March 7)

The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis (March 28)

Strangers in the Night by Heather Webb (March 21)

Russia

The Last Russian Doll by Kristen Loesch (March 14)

Europe

Once We Were Home by Jennifer Rosner (March 14)

19th CENTURY

A Noble Cunning: The Countess and the Tower by Patricia Bernstein (March 7)

London Seance Society by Sarah Penner (March 7)

Daughters of Nantucket by Julie Gerstenblatt (March 14)

A Most Intriguing Lady by Sarah Ferguson (March 7)

A Tempest at Sea by Sherry Thomas (March 14)

Madame Pommery by Rebecca Rosenberg (March 21)

Never Sleep by Fred Van Lente (March 28)

The Portrait of a Duchess by Scarlett Peckham (March 7)

Infamous by Lex Croucher (March 21)

A Sinister Revenge by Deanna Raybourn (March 7)

Miss Flibbertigibbet and The Barbarian by Stephanie Laurens

Fields of Bounty by Lauraine Snelling

18th CENTURY

Her Lost Words by Stephanie Marie Thornton (March 28)

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Need more books on your TBR? See more new release titles at Historical Novel Society.

This post first appeared on paperlanternwriters.com.

Linda Ulleseit is the award-winning author of The Aloha Spirit and Under the Almond Trees. Her next historical novel, The River Remembers, will be published in 2023. To interact with her and other historical fiction authors and readers, join PLW’s Facebook group SHINE.

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