What are some popular recent historical novels?

One popular recent historical romance novel is 'The Bridgerton Series' by Julia Quinn. It has been extremely successful, especially with the Netflix adaptation which brought the Regency - era romances to a wide audience. The characters are engaging and the stories are filled with love, drama, and the social intricacies of the time.

One recent trend is the 'untold stories' of historical events. For instance, the behind - the - scenes stories of great historical expeditions. Another is the use of historical settings to explore environmental issues of the past and how they relate to today. And the trend of cross - cultural historical fiction, where different cultures interact in a historical setting, is also getting popular.

One of the best recent historical novels is 'The Nightingale' by Kristin Hannah. It's set during World War II and tells the story of two sisters in France. Another great one is 'Circe' by Madeline Miller, which reimagines the story of the Greek mythological figure Circe in a very engaging way. And 'A Gentleman in Moscow' by Amor Towles is also excellent, set in Russia and following the life of a count under house arrest.

Some recent historical romance novels worth checking out are 'The Duke and I' which is part of the Bridgerton series. It's a story full of balls, scandals, and a love that develops between a duke and a young woman. Then there's 'The Simple Wild' by K.A. Tucker. It takes you to the Alaskan wilderness with a great love story set against a historical - like small - town background. And 'The Kiss Quotient' is also a great one, with a unique take on the relationship between the characters within a historical context.

One of the best recent historical novels is 'The Nightingale' by Kristin Hannah. It vividly portrays the lives of two sisters in France during World War II. Another great one is 'All the Light We Cannot See' which takes readers through the experiences of a blind French girl and a German boy during the same war. And 'The Underground Railroad' by Colson Whitehead is also remarkable as it reimagines the Underground Railroad as an actual railroad in a historical context.

Well, 'People We Meet on Vacation' is a recent romance novel that many people like. It's about two friends who go on vacations together over the years and finally realize their feelings for each other. Then there's 'The Love Hypothesis' which has a fake - dating trope that leads to real feelings. Also, 'It Happened One Summer' is a great read, set in a small coastal town with a fun and flirty romance between the main characters.

One popular recent spy novel is 'Agent Running in the Field' by John le Carré. It offers a complex and engaging look into the world of espionage.

One popular recent crime novel is 'The Girl on the Train'. It has a great plot full of mystery and suspense. The unreliable narrator adds an extra layer of intrigue as the story unfolds.

Some recent romantic novels worth mentioning are 'The Love Hypothesis' by Ali Hazelwood. It has a fake - dating trope where a grad student and a professor pretend to be in a relationship. 'Second First Impressions' by Sally Thorne is also a good read. It's about a young woman who works in a retirement village and falls for an unexpected man. 'In a Holidaze' by Christina Lauren is a fun holiday - themed romantic novel that follows a woman who keeps reliving the same holiday until she gets things right in the love department.

They usually feature complex characters. These characters are not just there to solve the mystery but also have their own backstories and motives which are often influenced by the historical context. For instance, a detective in a 19th - century mystery might be restricted by the class system of that time. Moreover, the mysteries themselves are often intertwined with historical events. So it's not just a simple 'whodunit' but also about how the mystery is related to things like wars, political upheavals, or social changes that were happening during that historical period.