Heather Webb grew up a military brat and naturally became obsessed with travel, culture, and languages. She put her degrees to good use teaching high school French for nearly a decade before turning to full time novel writing and freelance editing. Her debut, BECOMING JOSEPHINE, released January 2014 from Plume/Penguin. Her forthcoming novel, RODIN'S LOVER, will release in winter of 2015.
When not writing, Heather flexes her foodie skills or looks for excuses to head to the other side of the world. She loves to chitchat on Twitter with new reader friends or writers (@msheatherwebb) or via her blog. Stop on by!
A Defiant Woman (2026) Karen E Olson "Compulsively readable, Olson's new thriller is a clever and gripping retelling of one of history's most obsessively researched topics: Henry VIII and the fall of his six wives. With mystery and murder and finely-threaded nods to the recorded past, A Defiant Woman will compel thriller and historical fans alike. I dare you to read it one sitting!"
The Fourth Princess (2026) Janie Chang "The Fourth Princess has all the elements that make Gothic fiction so compelling. With well-drawn characters I couldn't help but root for and twists you don't see coming, I could hardly put it down. Chang never disappoints!"
All in Her Hands (2026) Audrey Blake "An ode to female doctors, nurses, and medical professionals everywhere, All in Her Hands is a compelling story of a brave woman facing down the prejudices of her time in a London not yet welcoming to her hard-won expertise. At times tender and others thrilling, Audrey Blake's latest novel sweeps you along to a satisfying and breathless conclusion."
The Jilted Countess (2026) Loretta Ellsworth "The Jilted Countess is a fascinating and tender tale of new beginnings, finding love in unexpected places, and the path to healing in the aftermath of war. A lovely and immersive read!"
The Harvey Girls (2025) Juliette Fay "THE HARVEY GIRLS is a heartwarming, satisfying read centering on two well-drawn characters from opposite sides of the track. As Billie and Charlotte seek one of the few opportunities for security and independence for women in the 1920s at the Harvey Hotels and railway service, their eyes are opened to a side of America they've never experienced. As an unlikely friendship forms, their loyalty--and their views of who they are as people--is tested. Compulsively readable and immersive, Fay writes another winner!"
The Girls of the Glimmer Factory (2025) Jennifer Coburn "A timely story about the dangers of propaganda and the life-or-death fight for truth, The Girls of the Glimmer Factory exposes a little-known aspect of WWII that will enthrall readers. Coburn delivers a heartfelt story of courage where two women film-makers use their talents to take their destinies, and the lives of millions of innocents, into their own hands. Gripping!"
The Thirteenth Husband (2024) Greer Macallister "An absorbing portrait of a fascinating woman, The Thirteenth Husband explores the raucous life of Aimee Crocker: millionaire, mystic, and iconoclast. In Macallister's skillful hands, Crocker comes to vibrant, sensational life. I couldn't look away!"
The Paris Muse (2024) Louisa Treger "Gifted photographer and painter - and muse of Picasso - Dora Marr comes vibrantly to life in Treger's new novel, THE PARIS MUSE. A fascinating and heartfelt portrait of a female artist striving to succeed in the male-dominated Parisian art world, readers won't be able to resist rooting for Dora, or relishing every page until The End. A compelling and absorbing read!"
All You Have to Do Is Call (2023) Kerri Maher "Gripping and heart-rending...With beautiful writing and a brisk pace, this is Maher's best book to date!"
Starring Adele Astaire (2023) Eliza Knight "From the stages of Hollywood to the war Front, Starring Adele Astaire dances with life and emotion, paying homage to a largely overlooked persona in Hollywood's illustrious line-up of characters. Knight's admiration for Adele Astaire - her talent and her passions, on stage and off - shines in this touching and compelling tale of a woman who strives to realize her dreams. A winner!"
The Tiffany Girls (2023) Shelley Noble "Under Noble's deft hand, Grace, Clara, and Emilie come vividly to life in turn of the century New York City in her new novel, THE TIFFANY GIRLS. I couldn't help but root for the trio of heroines as they strived to become artists in their own right through their work for Louis Comfort Tiffany, renowned master of stained glass. Readers will revel in the fascinating and lavish details, and never look at a Tiffany lamp the same way again. An immersive, wonderful read!"
The London Seance Society (2023) Sarah Penner "Penner spreads her wings in her sophomore novel, The London Seance Society, a Victorian whodunit crackling with tension and lavished with ambiance. A story of a sister's grief--and a quest for answers--readers can't help but root for Lenna Wickes as she delves into the dark and sexy world of the occult. Add a dash of the supernatural and we have a winner!"
Her Lost Words (2023) Stephanie Marie Thornton "Immersive, elegant, engaging--readers will savor the details of this fascinating account of the making of two brave, brilliant women--mother and daughter--who defy the odds as authors and early feminists."
The Crimson Thread (2022) Kate Forsyth "No one spins a tale quite like Kate Forsyth with her musical prose and vivid details that twine together into story threads as timeless as a Greek epic. Family, honor, war, love. It's all there in her latest novel, The Crimson Thread, set on the wild and beautiful island of Crete--and the horror of the Nazi invasion. The Crimson Thread is a compelling and engaging must-read for fans of WWII fiction!"
Angels of the Pacific (2022) Elise Hooper "Hooper's eye for detail and skillful storytelling shine once more in her latest historical novel about the military nurses who risked their lives in the Filipino resistance during WWII. A powerful testament to female friendship and bravery, Angels of the Pacific is a gripping, satisfying read."
Antoinette's Sister (2022) Diana Giovinazzo "A sweeping tale of power, love, and the bonds of family, Antoinette's Sister is a compelling coming-of-age story set to the backdrop of one of the most volatile periods in Europe. Giovinazzo has deftly weaved fascinating and rich details through the narrative, and in Maria Carolina Charlotte, created an endearing yet strong protagonist who must learn the demands of a monarch to save her country from ruin. I couldn't put it down!"
The Pilot's Daughter (2021) Meredith Jaeger "Jaeger has crafted heroines worth rooting for in Ellie, a resourceful young journalist and Iris, a danseuse, who ignore the conventions of the day and strike out on their own journeys only to uncover a link between their family and a cold murder case that rocked the nation. An engrossing and addictive read with glimmering details of the jazz age and the war years, The Pilot's Daughter is one of my favorite books of the year!"
The Forest of Vanishing Stars (2021) Kristin Harmel "With breathtaking natural descriptions, vivid historical details, and a brave heroine worth cheering for who must fulfill a destiny prophesied since birth, this novel is not to be missed!"
Finding Napoleon (2021) Margaret Rodenberg "Finding Napoleon is a fascinating look at Napoleon as a writer of romance, a tender father, and a mature lover examining happier times amid the trials of his life in St. Helena—a side to him not often explored, and one I found completely enrapturing. His forgotten lover, Albine de Montholon, adds an intriguing dimension. Rodenberg’s sense of revolutionary culture and period detail sparkle and her storytelling is truly absorbing. A winner!"
Gilded Dreams (2020) (Newport's Gilded Age, book 2) Donna Russo Morin "Packed with intrigue, textured world-building, and the fascinating rise of the women's rights movement, Gilded Dreams is a hit!."
The Last Bathing Beauty (2020) Amy Sue Nathan "In this reimagining of Dirty Dancing, Nathan demonstrates expert storytelling when we meet the charismatic Betty ‘Boop’ Stern as a young woman, and also as an eighty-four-year-old as she looks back on a difficult choice that altered the path of her glittering future. Told with empathy and lyrical prose, The Last Bathing Beauty is a winning tale of friendship, regret, and second chances with a ring of endearing and spirited women at its heart."
Beyond the Ghetto Gates (2020) Michelle Cameron "Fascinating! Cameron shines a light on a rarely explored facet of the Napoleonic era set in the Italian provinces with a spirited Jewish woman at its center. Laced with vibrant detailing and endearing characters, Beyond the Ghetto Gates is a compelling and satisfying read."
The Borgia Confessions (2020) Alyssa Palombo "The entangled world of the Borgias courses vividly to life, exposing the dark faces of class structure and the all-consuming greed that comes with ambition- and love."
Dreamland (2019) Nancy Bilyeau "Bilyeau is at the height of her talents in the immersive and gripping Dreamland."
The Chef's Secret (2019) Crystal King "A veritable feast for the senses, The Chef's Secret is part mystery, part love story, and all sumptuous sixteenth century Italy. This tale of one of the world's first celebrity chefs--Bartolomeo Scappi, a DaVinci of Renaissance cuisine--sent me on a quest to know more, and to my kitchen to experiment--a sign of a great historical novel. Readers will delight in a plot as juicy as Scappi's braised beef!"
A Light of Her Own (2018) Carrie Callaghan "Colorful and absorbing, Callaghan paints a lively portrait of seventeenth century Dutch life in A Light of Her Own, and the struggles female artists endured to make names for themselves. After reading, I found myself eager to book my next trip to the Netherlands!"
Between Earth and Sky (2018) Amanda Skenandore "A sweeping tale of courage, friendship, and love, Between Earth and Sky held me spellbound. This engrossing novel transports the reader to frontier America, amid the tensions between the White Man, the Natives, and those who longed to bridge the gap in understanding and compassion. Skenandore doesn’t miss a beat—her elegant prose sings, Alma and Harry’s story mesmerizes, and the evocative setting feels all too real. I adored this book!"
Next Year in Havana (2018) (Cuba Saga, book 1) Chanel Cleeton "With graceful prose, Cleeton evokes the former grandeur of 1950s Cuba, and contrasts it with modern day Miami in this sweeping family saga of loss and love."
Impossible Saints (2018) Clarissa Harwood "Impossible Saints tells the passionate story of the suffragist movement in early twentieth century London, and the sacrifices made to secure what so many women take for granted today--the right to vote. Lilia Brooke won't succumb to a society bent on curtailing her rights, or a man she loves who wishes to keep her safely at home, even if it means denying her heart. Consuming, well-paced, and important, this fascinating novel fills in the blanks of a past so rarely given air time in today's myopic world."
The Alice Network (2017) Kate Quinn "Kate Quinn delivers an enthralling tale filled with breath-taking narrative that will make the reader feel as if they’re in the back of the roadster, riding along with the raucous Eve and courageous Charlie on their clandestine adventures. Suspenseful and engrossing, THE ALICE NETWORK is a must-read!"
A Week in Paris (2014) Rachel Hore "By turns gripping and mysterious, emotional and lyrical, A Week in Paris is a wonderful read."
