History from a Woman's Perspective- A Book Blog

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In Darkness Born (The Breaking Wheel: The Story of Katherine Parr #1) by G. Lawrence: A Book Review

In Darkness Born (The Breaking Wheel: The Story of Katherine Parr #1) Author: G. Lawrence Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: G. Lawrence Book Release Date: April 19, 2026 Pages: 345 Source: Borrowed Synopsis: The world would make her a survivor... Destiny would make her a Queen. England, 1525. Born into a time of religious upheaval and political turmoil, Katherine Parr grows up in a loving family. Sheltered yet never kept ignorant of the dangers which surround her, Katherine secretly dreams of a life at court and a love such as the King possesses for the magnetic Anne Boleyn. Sent north to become a bride at the age of sixteen, Katherine enters a household alien to the one she grew up in, where the overbearing personality of her new father-in-law holds sway, terrifying others into submission. Yet Katherine refuses to be intimidated and a curious friendship is born, exposin...

The Trial of Mrs. Rhinelander by Denny S. Bryce: A Book Review

The Trial of Mrs. Rhinelander Author: Denny S. Bryce Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Kensington Books Book Release Date: 2024 Pages: 338 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Inspired by a real-life scandal that was shocking even for the tumultuous Roaring Twenties, this captivating novel tells the story of a pioneering Black journalist, a secret interracial marriage among the New York elite, and the sensational divorce case that ignited an explosive battle over race and class—and brought together three very different women fighting for justice, legitimacy, and the futures they risked everything to shape. New York, 1924 . Born to English immigrants who’ve built a comfortable life, idealistic Alice Jones longs for the kind of true love her mother and father have. She believes she’s found it with Leonard “Kip” Rhinelander, the shy heir to his prominent white family’s real estate fortune. Alice too, is “white”, th...

The Cherry Trees of Rosings: A Pride and Prejudice Variation (The Lizzie Darcy Chronicles #1) by Morgan Blake: A Book Review

The Cherry Trees of Rosings: A Pride and Prejudice Variation (The Lizzy Darcy Chronicles #1) Author: Morgan Blake Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Paranormal Publisher: Ria Majumdar Book Release Date: 2025 Pages: 180 Source: This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: A Pride & Prejudice variation with a slightly paranormal, mainly comic twist! When Elizabeth Bennet visits her newly-married friend, Charlotte Collins, at the Hunsford parsonage, she has no idea that Mr. Darcy (he of the arrogant demeanor and perpetual cause of annoyance!) shall turn up to ruin her blissful, idyllic days. Only, Mr. Darcy is not himself. And then Elizabeth stumbles straight through him one day... like one would an apparition! Goodness gracious! “Mr. Darcy, I do not know what you mean, but I wo...

The Cleansing by Victoria Alvear: A Book Review

The Cleansing Author: Victoria Alvear Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Hypatia Press Book Release Date: January 20, 2026 Pages: 314 Source: This book was given to by the author in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Based on a true story, this is not the enlightened Rome of myth. This is a city choking on fear, where blood flows on both the battlefield and altar, and where generals and politicians alike are desperate to appease rageful gods. When 50,000 Romans fall in a single day at the Battle of Cannae, priests claim there can be only one reason the gods abandoned Rome: a Vestal Virgin has broken her vow of chastity. And they accuse Opimia (Mia), the strongest, most defiant of the six sacred Vestal priestesses. Forced as a child into serving Vesta, the goddess of fire, Mia has always chafed against Rome’s control of her every move—especially after being separated from her childhood love, Attiu...

Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp by Michelle Moran: A Book Review

Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp Author: Michelle Moran Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Dell Publication Date: 2024 Pages: 311 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Maria von Trapp. You know the name and the iconic songs, but do you know her real story? This dramatic novel, based on the woman glamorized in The Sound of Music , brings Maria to life as never before. In the 1950s, Oscar Hammerstein is asked to write the lyrics to a musical based on the life of a woman named Maria von Trapp. He’s intrigued to learn that she was once a novice who hoped to live quietly as an Austrian nun before her abbey sent her away to teach a widowed baron’s sickly child. What should have been a ten-month assignment, however, unexpectedly turned into a marriage proposal. And when the family was forced to flee their home to escape the Nazis, it was Maria who instructed them on how to survive using nothing but the p...

The Narrowness of Death: Book Four of the Story of Eleanor of Aquitaine (The Heirs of Anarchy #8) by G. Lawrence: A Book Review

The Narrowness of Death: Book Four of the Story of Eleanor of Aquitaine (The Heirs of Anarchy #8) Author: G. Lawrence Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: G. Lawrence Book Release Date: 2025 Pages: 363 Source: Borrowed Synopsis: 1189, England. Imprisoned for many years by her husband Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine has been freed by her son, King Richard I. Diminished not at all by her years as a captive, Eleanor must take on new roles for her son as he leaves his empire behind and embarks upon crusade. Yet Eleanor will face not only trouble from other countries and kings but from within her own family, as she tries to defend and preserve Richard's empire, whilst her youngest son John plots to place himself upon his brother's throne. The Narrowness of Death is Book Four of the Story of Eleanor of Aquitaine , part of The Heirs of Anarchy Series by G. Lawrence. ...