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Nerd Girl Loves Books

Book recommendations and short reviews just for you!

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Historical Fiction

A Bitter Remedy (The Oxford Mysteries #1) by Alis Hawkins

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This is a twisty, engrossing historical fiction mystery/thriller set in 1881 Oxford that captured my attention from the start. The author developed two great characters in Basil Rice, an intelligent, nervous Jesus College fellow with a secret to hide (he’s gay), & Rhiannon “Non” Vaughan, a wickedly smart, fearless, outspoken, determined young Welsh woman newly admitted to university lectures at Jesus College.

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A Most Intriguing Lady by Sarah Ferguson

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This is a fun historical fiction mystery/romance set during the Victorian era. Lady Mary Montagu Douglas Scott has spent years creating a mousy persona that allows her to go overlooked and underestimated. This allows her to use her keen intellect and power of observation to discreetly assist her peers with matters they want to keep secret. During a dinner party in her family’s Scottish home she quietly works to help a friend, but runs into trouble when the handsome war veteran Colonel Walter Trefusis (Tre) sees her partaking in a dangerous adventure during dinner. Mary tries to do damage control and finds herself drawn to the Colonel. As the duo get to know each other they find their purposes intertwined and help each other out.

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Storm of War (The Saxon Warrior #2) by Peter Gibbons

Rating: 4 out of 5.

BLOG TOUR

THE FIGHT FOR A TORN KINGDOM RESTS IN THE HANDS OF A FEW BRAVE MEN…

I’m excited to be a part of Rachel’s Random Resources and Boldwood Book’s book tour for Storm of War by Peter Gibbons. The book was released today and if you like action-packed historical fiction with plenty of battles, intrigue, revenge, backstabbing and betrayals, this is the book for you.

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A Dangerous Education by Megan Chance

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I really enjoyed this historical fiction mystery thriller set at a boarding school for troubled girls in the 1950s during the Cold War & McCarthy hearings. Rosemary is a teacher at the school & despite warnings from other teachers, & her own instincts, she gets close with a trio of cunning girls who run the school. Just before going to teach the girls, Rosemary discovers that one of the three girls is the daughter she was forced to give up when she was 17 years old. Everyone is damaged in one way or another, & the choices they make have devastating consequences.

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Mrs. Hudson and the Christmas Canary (Holmes and Hudson #6) by Martin Davies

Rating: 3 out of 5.

This is a pretty good historical fiction mystery set in Victorian London. Flottie is the teenage housemaid for Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. She occasionally assists Mrs. Hudson, the cook, and Holmes in his investigations. This time, Flottie helps solve a 23 year old mystery of the missing solid gold Christmas canary that belonged to a wealthy family and was handed down over the generations. It was displayed as the Christmas tree topper every year, until it was mysteriously stolen during a house party.

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The Proposition by Madeleine Roux

Rating: 3 out of 5.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3

This is a historical fiction romance set in 1819 England. Clemency is a young woman who initially was dead-set against marriage, but finds herself engaged to a dashing young baron. Lord Boyle swept Clemency off her feet, but once they were engaged, his affection cooled and Clemency is confused. Audric Ferrand shows up in town determined to get revenge against Lord Boyle on behalf of his sister. He convinces Clemency to join his cause and help him destroy Lord Boyle.

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Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This is a very good historical fiction that follows the rise of an iconic 1970s rock band and their mysterious breakup at the height of their popularity. The story is told through a series of interviews of the band members, managers and their friends. I listened to the audio and the cast did a fantastic job of portraying the story.

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The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This is a sweet and heartwarming historical fiction set in England during WWII. After renowned fashion designer Cressida Westcott’s home and design business is bombed in the London Blitz, she leaves London and returns to her familial home in a small village. Hoping that her niece and nephew are more welcoming than her deceased, estranged brother, she appears on their doorstep with nothing but the clothes on her back. She wonders how she will handle living in a small village while she tries to rebuild her business and life back in London.

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Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This is a charming historical fiction set in 1950s London and is a follow up to the Jane Austen Society book, but can be read as a stand-alone. The story is set in Bloomsbury Books, a new and rare book store that has been running for a hundred years. It is run by men that are set in their ways. The general manager created 51 unbreakable rules that all employees must abide by, and they especially chafe the women working at the store.

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