March brings springtime and new beginnings. It’s a perfect time to try a new author or new sub-genre of historical fiction. You might even try one of these! Two Paper Lantern Writers have new installments in their series coming out the first week of March.
A Lady’s Resilience, by Edie Cay, (When the Blood is Up book #5) follows Jane Laurent as her family traipses into London so Jane’s older sister Emma can land herself a lord. The family celebrates when lovely Emma catches the eye of the handsome viscount Andrepont. But the night of the engagement ball, dependable Emma runs away with a soldier instead. The family panics and pushes Jane forward to fulfill the marriage contract with the older and oddly unsettling Lord Andrepont. How bad could he be that pragmatic, reliable Emma ran away?
The Land Girl on Lily Road, by Jillianne Hamilton (Homefront Hearts book #3) features pampered socialite Elsie Foster-Quinn who signs up for the Women’s Land Army. When she ends up at a Somerset dairy farm instead, Elsie immediately butts heads with the grumpy farmer she now works for. Being a land girl in a small town is far more than the city girl bargained for. Ben Grainger hates asking for help. When two land girls unexpectedly arrive on his farm, he quickly learns he can’t simply make them go away. He finds amusement in tormenting Elsie whose privileged life certainly didn’t prepare her for farm life. However, nothing could have prepared Ben for the feelings that suddenly emerge whenever the haughty little princess is near.
BEST COVER
The Love Remedy by Elizabeth Everett (March 19)
“With sharp wit and a keen eye for matters of social justice, Everett brings the period to life while making clear just how far women’s rights have come—and how far they have left to go. This frank, flirty outing will have readers hooked.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
So many beautiful covers this month! If you’ve been reading this blog, you know how much I love color. The picture has to stand out, too, though. My favorite, though, is The Love Remedy, The pretty swirl of the floral design, together with the bottles that hint at the apothecary, make this a book I will pick up right away. When a Victorian apothecary hires a stoic private investigator to protect her business, they learn there’s only one way to treat true love—with a happily ever after.
OTHER TOP COVERS
The Lady With the Dark Hair by Erin Bartels (March 26)
Thor’s Revenge by Donovan Cook (March 1)
To Slip the Bonds of Earth by Amanda Flower (March 26)
The Mystery of Haverford House by Rachel Burton (March 14)
The Devil and Mrs. Davenport by Paulette Kennedy (March 5)
BEST TITLE
The Triumph of the Lions by Stefania Auci (March 12)
“A blazing epic of countless twists and turns, detailing one of the most influential Sicilian dynasties of the last two centuries.” — Le Figaro
All of these titles would cause me to pick up the book and read the back. My favorite, however, is The Triumph of the Lions. It’s a powerful title. This novel explores the origins of one of Italy’s most powerful and notorious families, men and women whose ruthless ambition and caprice would chart the course of modern Italian history, It’s the basis for the Disney-produced series on Hulu The Lions of Sicily.
OTHER TOP TITLES
The Queen of the Platform by Susan Higginbotham (March 12)
Whispering City by Horace Brown (March 1)
A Home for Friendless Women by Kelly E. Hill
The Woman in the Sable Coat by Elizabeth Brooks (March 5)
The Girls We Sent Away by Meagan Church (March 5)
MOST INTRIGUING
James by Percival Everett (New Orleans 19th century, March 19)
“The audacious and prolific Everett dives into the very heart of Twain’s epochal odyssey…One of the noblest characters in American literature gets a novel worthy of him.” —Kirkus (Starred Review)
My current Work in Progress features Mark Twain as a supporting character, so James intrigued me. It’s a reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both harrowing and ferociously funny, told from the enslaved Jim’s point of view.
OTHER TOP MOST INTRIGUING
The Other Gwyn Girl by Nicola Cornick (London 1671, March 7)
Can’t We Be Friends by Eliza Knight and Denny S. Bryce (Hollywood 1952, March 5)
The Lighthouse Secret by Camel Harrington (Ireland 1953, Maine 2023, March 28)
The Great Divide by Cristina Henriquez (Panama 20th century, March 5)
The Tower by Flora Carr (Scotland 1567, March 5)
Need more historical fiction on your TBR?
See Paper Lantern Writers’ weekly round up in the Facebook group SHINE on Historical Fiction with Paper Lantern Writers. See even more new release titles at Historical Novel Society.
This post first appeared on paperlanternwriters.com
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