Book reviews 2026 14/n 💙📚⏳ The Pretender by Jo Harkin England 1483: Peasant boy plucked by Yorkists to disrupt King Henry Tudor learns to scheme as competently as any noble lord in a bawdy, rollicking medieval tale. Written in energetic, earthy, authentic language. carolyn-morgan.com/blog/reading...

💙📚⏳My author copies of Copperopolis have just arrived. Brought together by the ocean ... now they risk losing everything 1860s Swansea, where copper can make your fortune – at a price. carolyn-morgan.com/books/copper... Are you a historical fiction reviewer or blogger interested in ARC? Post below.

Book reviews 2026 13/n 💙📚⏳ Boudicca's Daughter by @elodieharper.bsky.social 61AD. Fierce Iceni warrior Solina faces captivity in Britannia and Rome with resilience and cunning, building a viable life and earning respect from her enemy. Full review on my blog: carolyn-morgan.com/blog/reading...

💙📚How to turn historical research into a compelling story? As novelists our love of history can be our downfall, as readers want to be swept away by characters and plot. Yes, setting is important, but light touch. My 8 practical steps to balance research & story. carolyn-morgan.com/blog/writing...

Inspiring environment and soaring words last night @societyofauthors.bsky.social awards evening in #southwarkcathedral. Fun to catch up with @simoncann.com @chasharris.bsky.social @authorctowndrow.bsky.social Joolz Sparkes & prizewinners Salma Ibrahim & Kim Moore #soawards 💙📚

Book reviews 2026 12/n 💙📚⏳ The Artist by Lucy Steeds Heady artistic creativity & flaming passions in this oppressive tale of three damaged people in a Provencal summer in the shadow of war. And a satisfying twist on suppressed female artistic talent. Full review: carolyn-morgan.com/blog/reading...

Book reviews 2026 11/n 💙📚⏳ Flashlight by Susan Choi When your family straddle nations, where do you belong? Korean living in US goes missing in Japan & his daughter remembers nothing. The final act in North Korea & China was astounding enough to keep me up late. carolyn-morgan.com/blog/reading...

If you are (like me) an avid reader of historical fiction, you may find your bookish friends dismissive of the genre & focussed on contemporary novels. But these 9 books explore the human condition, reveal untold stories & walk in others shoes. Full reviews: carolyn-morgan.com/blog/writing... 📚💙⏳

📚💙 Inspiring author talk by @mhut25.bsky.social about The Mercy Step. Marcia's writing process is unusual: she dictates chapters to her phone on dog walks, edits & reads aloud to her writing group. Based on her childhood in 1960s Bradford #themercystep is shortlisted for @womensprize.bsky.social

Book Rreview 2026 10/n 📚💙 The Others by Seema Kalylil East Germany, 1989. Why some people are desperate to leave while others determined to stay. Indian medic Lolita is loved by Mozambican Armando & German Theo. But as the DDR crumbles all three face hard choices. carolyn-morgan.com/blog/reading...

What’s involved in designing a book cover? 📚💙⏳ Come with me behind the scenes for the story of how the cover of my historical novel, Copperopolis, was created. My research, writing the brief and giving feedback on designs. Read full article here: carolyn-morgan.com/blog/writing...

Book review 2026 9/n 📚💙⏳ Blue Woman by @jonathanpage-bw.bsky.social When a female artist is obsessed by her art how do her loved ones react? What endures after her death? Beautiful prose depicts a long creative life in spare, economic brushstrokes. Full review: carolyn-morgan.com/blog/reading...

Book review 2026 8/n 📚💙 Rose & Renzo by @carolynmanc.bsky.social Can artistic connection survive political conflict? Ingenue & aspiring artist Rose is beguiled by Italian painter Renzo, but his secret past & mixed loyalties threaten to sever their burgeoning love. carolyn-morgan.com/blog/reading...

Book review 2026 7/n 📚💙 The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji Five Persian women from three generations of a wealthy but troubled family split between US and Iran, squabble over hidden secrets and uncertain futures. Read full review: carolyn-morgan.com/blog/reading...

The news about the #artemis Nasa launch crew including a woman - Christina Koch, flight engineer - reminded me of the novel Atmosphere set in a very different decade (1980s) when female ASCANs were barely tolerated. Here is my book review 💙📚 carolyn-morgan.com/blog/reading...

Book review 2026 6/n 💙📚⏳📚 BABEL by R F Kuang What if British colonialism were supercharged by magic? Cantonese translator Robin realises his skills are exploited to oppress his compatriots. Desperate to overthrow the empire, his tactics grow ever more dangerous... carolyn-morgan.com/blog/reading...

Book reviews 2026 5/n 📚💙 The Women by Kristin Hannah Army nurse in Vietnam war endures an inferno of death, loss & heartbreak but takes pride in her skills. Back in US, traumatised and reviled by the public, she spirals down until fellow nurses help her find peace carolyn-morgan.com/blog/reading...

Marketing tips for authors from London Book Fair 📚💙 #authorcommunity #bookmarketing How to create social content & engage with readers without distracting from your writing or burning out. Why newsletters work and how to build an author brand. Full article here: carolyn-morgan.com/blog/writing...

Book reviews 2026 4/n 📚💙⏳📚 Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon Syracuse 412BC. Two hapless potters stage a Euripides play with Athenian PoWs, prompting tragic events that test their friendship to destruction. Black comedy narrated in contemporary Dublinese. carolyn-morgan.com/blog/reading...

Delighted that the opening of my second novel - The Sailor and the Suffragette - has been shortlisted by @histnovsoc.bsky.social in the Historical Adventure Category 📚💙 ⏳📚 Now I better get on with that second draft..

Book reviews 2026 2/n 📚💙 Pelican Girls by Julia Malye 1720. Three Frenchwomen are shipped to Louisiana as wives for settlers & separated. Navigating fevers, childbirth, abusive men & colonial wars, they learn to survive & find each other. Lyrical, dream-like prose. carolyn-morgan.com/blog/reading...

Researching my next novel in New Zealand. Inspiring day at Okains Bay museum. Colonial settler and traditional Māori buildings so atmospheric. 📚💙

My top 10 #historicalnovels of 2025 📚💙⏳📚 Ten historical novels I read in 2025 that I would heartily recommend to my bookish friends. Which of these have you read and enjoyed? carolyn-morgan.com/blog/reading...

Bookreviews 2026 1/n 📚💙 The Blackbirds of St Giles by Lila Cain 1782. Soldier & former slave Daniel fights to protect sister Pearl from Elias, criminal head of underground Rookery in St Giles. Corrupt aristos, pro fighters, fierce women & anti-slavery campaigners in Black Georgian London thriller.

2025 #bookreview 26/26 💙📚 ⏳📚 Dance of the Earth by @annamholmes.bsky.social In 1900s London & Europe, talented theatrical twins Nina & Walter seek paths to creativity & love, through ballet & music. A performer's life is precarious when WW1 halts Ballets Russes & severs cherished relationships.

My December #TBR so far 📚💙 Blackbirds of St Giles by Lila Cain (Black Georgian London) @kateagriffin.bsky.social @mhut25.bsky.social Pelican Girls by Julia Mayle (Frenchwomen shipped to New Orleans) Dance of the Earth by @annamholmes.bsky.social (Ballets Russes to WW1) Reviews in the New Year ⏳📚

2025 #bookreview 25/n 💙📚 ⏳📚 Crooked Cross by Sally Carson Munich, 1933. Lexa is engaged to Moritz but her brothers are unemployed. The Nazi party offers them work & purpose, but encourages hatred of Jews, so Moritz loses his job. Lexa is torn between her true love & her family with tragic results.

2025 #bookreview 24/n 💙📚 ⏳📚 The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller A doctor, a farmer plus their expectant wives are isolated in 1962's wintry countryside, where help is elusive & emotions spiral. Tension mounts in an authentic, constrained world where all struggle to escape the trauma of wartime.

2025 #bookreview 23/n 💙📚 The Cassatt Sisters by Lisa Groen Mary Cassatt joins the bohemian world of the Impressionists in Belle Epoque Paris. Driven to improve her art, she endures criticism and heartbreak to achieve critical success. Illustrated with paintings & the story behind their creation.

2025 #bookreview 22/n 💙📚 Snegurochka by @judithheneghan.bsky.social Ukraine 1991. Anxious expat wife & new mother Rachel, surrounded by unfamiliar language, culture & dark history fears for her baby's safety. Her husband's colleagues & neighbours all harbour deep secrets in a troubled, corrupt city