Historical Reads Staff Picks (3/28/25)

Take a trip back in time with our favorite upcoming historical reads—from regency romances to a journey at sea!

EMILY’S PICK: THE AUSTEN AFFAIR BY MADELINE BELL

Jane Austen, time travel, and a hilarious and charming romance? Sign me up! Tess is a C list actress who just scored her dream role starring in a film adaptation of Northanger Abbey. It’s her last chance to prove herself as a serious actress, but one very tall, handsome person is standing in her way: Hugh Balfour. Hugh is a serious method actor, and wants nothing to do with Tess. But when an electrical accident sends the two feuding co-stars back in time to Jane Austen’s era, they have to work together to make it back home… and might just fall into a love story of their own in the process. This debut is wickedly funny, oh so swoony, and a tribute to second chances. If you’ve ever pictured yourself within the pages of Jane Austen’s classic novels, THE AUSTEN AFFAIR is sure to sweep you off your feet and across the space-time continuum. 

MARGO’S PICK: LADIES IN HATING BY ALEXANDRA VASTI

What’s better than a regency romance about two novelists? In my opinion, nothing! Lady Georgiana Cleeve is a celebrated authoress, but she has an enemy in Lady Darling, a mysterious writer whose plots seem to be copied from Georgiana’s manuscripts. And when Georgiana finds out that Lady Darling is Cat Lacey, her embarrassing teenage crush, the plan to take down her rival goes awry. Cat Lacey doesn’t need to be distracted by beautiful Georgiana, but she can’t escape her–especially not when they find themselves trapped together in the manor where they both plan to set their next books, and are forced to face the passion that’s hiding between their rivalry. This is a steamy, hilarious, and heartfelt sapphic regency romance, perfect for fans of India Holton and Martha Waters.

HALLIE’S PICK: AUSTEN AT SEA BY NATALIE JENNER

If you love historical fiction filled with literary connections, complex relationships, and life-changing adventures, you’ll be captivated by AUSTEN AT SEA. In 1865 Boston, the Stevenson sisters—frustrated by society’s limitations on women—embark on a life-changing voyage on the high seas to England after beginning a secret correspondence with Jane Austen’s last surviving brother. As they sail across the Atlantic, they encounter intriguing characters, including the Nelson brothers, Louisa May Alcott, and a would-be chaperone. The journey transforms each of their lives in unexpected ways, fueled by the power of literature and the enduring influence of Jane Austen.