This post first appeared on paperlanternwriters.com

September is the gateway to the holidays. Days are getting longer, trees are starting to turn color even in California, where I live, and nights are cooler even if days are still hot. And September brings my wedding anniversary (41 years this year!) Like every month, September is a good time to read. Here are some picks for new historical fiction coming out this month.

BEST COVER

Beneath the Bending Skies by Jane Kirkpatrick (September 6)

“Mary Sheehan Ronan is the kind of gal I want in my corner. And Jane Kirkpatrick did a stellar job of bringing her back from the grave and onto the pages of Beneath the Bending Skies. A story that will linger in your thoughts and heart for years to come.” ~Carmen Peone, award-winning author of Lillian’s Legacy

I love covers with color, and this month’s pick was difficult. There are a LOT of beautiful covers! This one is a Christian historical romance in which a dutiful daughter must learn that “Honor thy father” has limits. 

BEST TITLE

An Indiscreet Princess by Georgie Blalock (September 27)

“An Indiscreet Princess is a fascinating and intimate portrait of the life of Princess Louise, Queen Victoria’s fourth daughter. Blalock powerfully depicts Louise’s passions, struggles, and triumphs while effortlessly immersing the reader in the royal household and their personal lives. A glittering, poignant story.” ~Chanel Cleeton, New York Times & USA Today bestselling author 

Princesses are taught discretion at all costs. A title referring to an indiscreet princess promises a woman who is independent and maybe a troublemaker. Stories about British royals are a guilty pleasure for me, and this one promises to have it all.

MOST ANTICIPATED

Hardland by Ashley E. Sweeney (September 13)

“Open the pages of Ashley Sweeney’s wonderful new book, Hardland, and you’ll find yourself in an 1899 Arizona Territory town so authentic you can smell the dust and feel the hot wind that brings it. As Sweeney’s charismatic and resilient character, Ruby Fortune, says, you ‘have to grow scales to survive here.’ Ruby is as vivid and unforgettable as characters come, and you’ll find yourself turning page after page as her life unfolds—because in Sweeney’s hands, Ruby’s life becomes as real as your own.” ~Susan Lang, WILLA Literary Award-winning author of Small Rocks Rising 

I very much enjoyed Ashley Sweeney’s previous book, Answer Creek, so I’m looking forward to this one. Ruby, formerly on the Wild West circuit, is recently a single mom who now runs a roadside inn to help support her four sons. I love the idea that in 1899 a woman is strong enough to end her husband’s abuse and date an African-American man. 

MOST INTRIGUING

Jacqueline in Paris by Ann Mah (September 27)

“From the bestselling author of The Lost Vintage, a rare and dazzling portrait of Jacqueline Bouvier’s college year abroad in postwar Paris, an intimate and electrifying story of love and betrayal, and the coming-of-age of an American icon – before the world knew her as Jackie.” ~from the book description

This novel tells the story of Jackie Kennedy before she became the icon we remember. As Jackie Bouvier, she spends 1949 in Paris as a break from the expectations of family and society in New York. An interesting look at the early life of an influential favorite person.

AFTER THE WAR

Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson (September 27)

A Bend of Light by Joy Jordan-Lake  (September 6)

WORLD WAR II

The Winter Orphans by Kristin Beck (September 13)

Escape from Amsterdam by Lauralee Bliss (September 1)

WOMEN’S 

The Deception by Kim Taylor Blakemore (September 27)

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell (September 6)

’Til All These Things Be Done by Suzanne Moyers (September 13)

 

LGBTQ+

The Lost Century by Larissa Lai (September 20)

MYSTERY

Fenian Street by Anne Emery (September 13)

A Treasonous Path by C. P. Giuliani (September 30)

Murder at Union Station by David S. Pederson (September 13)

Back to the Garden by Laurie R. King   (September 6)

ROMANCE

Something in the Heir by Suzanne Enoch (September 20)

A Child of the Dales by Diane Allen (September 15)

A Gem of Truth by Kimberley Woodhouse (September 20)

JEWISH 

An Affair of Spies by Ronald H. Balson (September 13)

The Matchmaker’s Gift by Lynda Cohen Loigman (September 20)

Three Muses by Martha Anne Toll  (September 20)

AFRICAN AMERICAN

On the Rooftop by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton (September 6)

Cora’s Kitchen by Kimberley Garrett Brown (September 20)

The Attic Child by Lola Jaye (September 6)

RENAISSANCE

The Mapmaker’s Daughter by Clare Marchant  (September 1)

BIOGRAPHICAL

The Color Storm by Damian Dibben (September 6)

The American Adventuress by C. W. Gortner (September 20)

ANCIENT HISTORY

 

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

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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