February is a month known for romance, and Paper Lantern Writers has a brand-new historical romance for you! The Seamstress on Cider Lane, new from Lantern Jillianne Hamilton, will be released February 5 although it is available for preorder now. The Seamstress on Cider Lane is a lighthearted and hopeful romance, perfect for fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and The Last Bookshop in London. The novel features Nora Archer, a seamstress who opens a sewing shop just as clothing becomes rationed and scarce in Britain. Then along comes Jack, a sweet and bookish teacher.

 

 

 

 

 

BEST COVER

The Lantern’s Dance by Laurie R. King (February 13)

“The elaborate family lore King has constructed for Holmes impresses, and she pays longtime readers dividends with a number of satisfying disclosures about the detective’s past. Series fans are sure to be pleased.”—Publishers Weekly

To the Wild Horizon and A Wild and Heavenly Place made the list for their beautifully colored landscapes. The soft colors and blossoms of The Irish Matchmaker remind me of my own Under the Almond Trees. Medea and Alexander’s Legacy: Forging Kingdoms both do a good job of showing the ancient era they represent with strength. My pick for top cover, however, goes to The Lantern’s Dance. The silhouette, offset by the blue and orange coloring, is striking, and the lantern is right there in the back. This is the eighteenth book in a series about Sherlock Holmes and his assistant, Mary Russell.

OTHER TOP COVERS

To the Wild Horizon by Imogen Martin (Missouri 1846, February 7)

A Wild and Heavenly Place by Robin Oliveira (Seattle 19th century, February 13)

The Irish Matchmaker by Jennifer Deibel (Ireland 1900s, February 13)

Medea by Eilish Quin (Ancient Greece, February 13)

Alexander’s Legacy: Forging Kingdoms by Robert Fabbri (Ancient Greece, February 6)

BEST TITLE

The Ark and the Dove by Jill Eileen Smith (February 27)

“Experience the story of Noah and the flood like you never have before.” ~from the book description

The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West is a great title, but it’s also by one of my favorite authors. The Only Light in London and The Lost Dresses of Italy are promising new titles set during World War II, and Queens of London promises fun women., and The Arsenic Eater’s Wife gives me chills of anticipation. The Ark and the Dove, though, is my choice for top title. From ‘ark’ I know it will be Biblical, and I wonder about the dove. It’s the subtitle, though, that clinches it: The Story of Noah’s Wife.

OTHER TOP TITLES

The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West by Sara Ackerman (Hawaii 1927/1987, February 6)

The Only Light in London by Lily Graham (London 1939, February 20)

The Lost Dresses of Italy by M. A. McLaughlin (Verona 1937, February 7)

The Arsenic Eater’s Wife by Tonya Mitchell (Liverpool 1889, February 8)

Queens of London by Heather Webb (London 1925, February 6)

MOST INTRIGUING

Sun of Blood and Ruin by Marielly Lares (16th century Spain, February 20)

“Lares makes a triumphant debut with a vivid epic set in an alternate 16th-century colonial Mexico…Lares has a talent for historic detail and…the vast supporting cast is equally well integrated and easy to keep track of despite its size. Interweaving history, mythology, romance, and swashbuckling action, this is a surefire hit.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

What a great group of novels! The Story Collector tells of a long-held secret that ties the tales of three women, from the cobbled streets of war-time London to an isolated German WWI camp and the sea-swept cliffs of Cornwall. South of Sepharad deals with the Jewish expulsion from Spain. The Fox Wife, The Women, and The Phoenix Crown are all by authors whose books I automatically buy as soon as they come out. Sun of Blood and Ruin wins because it is a reimagining of Zorro as a woman and weaves Mesoamerican and Mexican mythology. How cool is that?

OTHER TOP MOST INTRIGUING

The Story Collector by Iris Costello (London 1915, February 29)

The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo (Manchuria 1908, February 13)

The Women by Kristin Hannah (Southern California 1965, February 6)

The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang (San Francisco 1906, February 13)

South of Sepharad by Eric Z. Weintraub (Spain 1492, February 20)

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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.

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