historical fiction | fivedirectionspress

Books We Loved, Jan. 2026

Books We Loved in January 2026, by Jennifer Ashley, Sandra Freels, and Wally Lamb—historical fiction and contemporary novels

Five Directions Press

Jan 154 min read

A woman in a blue dress and a tiara, carrying a purse marked E II R with a crown above it, looks over her sunglasses andholds a camera in one hand. At her feet are a pair of Corgis; cover of S.J. Bennett's The Queen Who Came In from the Cold

Books We Loved, Dec. 2025

Books We Love at Five Directions Press in December 2025, by S.J. Bennett, Uzma Jalaludin, and Emily Stone

Five Directions Press

Dec 17, 20255 min read

Two young women in turquoise, their hair pulled back into buns, are seen against an abstract background of pink and turquoise; cover of Elyse Durham, Maya and Natasha

Books We Loved, Nov. 2025

List of three books we loved in 2025, historical novels by Elyse Durham, Rachel Louise Driscoll, and Lucy Pick

C. P. Lesley

Nov 19, 20253 min read

A dark mansion, lit from within against a blue backdrop ringed by leaves and purple flowers; cover of Chrystal Schleyer, A Rather Peculiar Poisoning

Books We Loved, Sep. 2025

Books We Loved in September 2025, by Liana de la Rosa, Katie Kitamura, and Chrystal Schleyer

Five Directions Press

Sep 17, 20255 min read

A huge wave of water against a stormy sky, with a teapot floating amid the rocks; cover of Carys Davies' novel Clear

Books We Loved, Aug. 2025

Books We Loved in August 2025, by Carys Davies, R.F. Kuang, and Lucy Pick

Five Directions Press

Aug 14, 20255 min read

Two women in Regency dress, one wearing a top hat and red jacket and smiling at the other; both positioned against a pond, a house visible in the distance and a spade and chest of gold behind them; cover of Joanna Lowell's A Rare Find

Spotlight Interview with Joanna Lowell

Spotlight on Joanna Lowell, whose latest historical romance, A Rare Find, came out earlier this year from Berkley Publishing

C. P. Lesley

Jul 30, 20258 min read

Two women of color in Victorian-style hoop skirts and a biracial man in a suit against a backdrop of multicolored flowers; cover of S. Isabelle's YA romance The Great Misfortune of Stella Sedgwick

Books We Loved, July 2025

Books We Loved in July 2025, by S. Isabelle, Ali Rosen, and Sarah Winman

Five Directions Press

Jul 16, 20255 min read

A white house isolated on a grassy landscape against a cloudy sky, all shaded with a bright orange-red; cover of Tana French's The Hunter

Books We Loved, June 2025

Books We Loved in June 2025, by Tana French (contemporary), Laurie R. King (historical mystery), and Lea Ypi (memoir)

Five Directions Press

Jun 16, 20255 min read

A tufted chair back and seat shaded in scarlet; cover of Emma Donoghue's The Paris Express

Books We Loved, May 2025

Books We Loved in May 2025, historical fiction novels by Emma Donoghue, Kate Foster, and Karen Swan

Five Directions Press

May 14, 20256 min read

The standing figure of a woman is visible behind the backlit window of a house; cover of Ashley Elston's First Lie Wins

Books We Loved, Apr. 2025

Books We Loved in April 2025, contemporary and historical fiction by Ashley Elston, Elise Hooper, and Alka Joshi

Five Directions Press

Apr 16, 20254 min read

Against a backdrop of sea and clouds, a brown-haired woman in a long blue cape follows a man in a top hat and knee-length coat; cover of Andrea Pickens, The Banished Bride

Spotlight Interview with Andrea Pickens

Spotlight Interview with historical romance writer Andrea Pickens, who also publishes mysteries as Andrea Penrose

C. P. Lesley

Mar 31, 20255 min read

Two ballerinas in tutus against a swirling background of turquoise and pink; cover of Elyse Durham's Maya and Natasha

Books We Loved, Mar. 2025

Books We Loved in March 2025: historical and contemporary fiction by Elyse Durham, Rachel Kushner, and S. G. Maclean

Five Directions Press

Mar 14, 20255 min read

Books We Loved, Feb. 2025

Books We Loved in February 2025, by Ryan Graudin, Heather McBreen, and Andrea Pickens

Five Directions Press

Feb 14, 20254 min read

Books We Loved, Jan. 2025

Books We Loved in Jan. 2025, by Fiona Davis, Claire Keegan, and Jodi Picoult co-writing with Jennifer Finney Boylan

Five Directions Press

Jan 15, 20255 min read

Books We Loved, Dec. 2024

Books We Loved in December 2024, by Diana R. Chambers, Claudia H. Long, and Breanne Randall

Five Directions Press

Dec 16, 20243 min read

Books We Loved, Nov. 2024

Books We Loved in November 2024, by Natalie Brianne, Sebastian Junger, and Julia Park Tracey

Five Directions Press

Nov 15, 20244 min read

Books We Loved, Oct. 2024

Books We Loved in October 2024, by Magda Alexander, Hernan Diaz, and Percival Everett

Five Directions Press

Oct 15, 20246 min read

Spotlight Interview with Minrose Gwin

Spotlight on Minrose Gwin in this interview by Five Directions Press author Joan Schweighardt about Gwin's new novel "Beautiful Dreamers"

Joan Schweighardt

Sep 30, 20246 min read

Books We Loved, Sep. 2024

Books We Loved in September 2024, by Christina Dodd, Emily L. Finch, and Paul Murray

Five Directions Press

Sep 16, 20245 min read

Books We Loved, Aug. 2024

Books We Loved in August 2024, by Emilia Hart, Kristen Loesch, and the cowriting team of Lynn Morrison and Anne Radcliffe

Five Directions Press

Aug 14, 20245 min read