July 2026 Historical Fiction Releases
July said it's taking no prisoners when it comes to your TBR. For real folks, this list of July 2026 historical fiction releases is EPIC! With 30 new historical fiction books releasing in July, it's going to be hard to choose which to read now vs which to save for later, but I'm confident even the pickiest historical fiction fan will find something worth reading in this list. Murder mysteries, family sagas, and emotional WWII stories are coming in hot this month. So sit down and grab your pen & paper to take notes for your next library or bookstore trip!
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An Infinite Love Story
Chanel Cleeton
July 7 | Berkley
Set against the 1960s Space Race, An Infinite Love Story is the emotional story of one woman’s search for the truth after her astronaut husband disappears in space.
Summer of Love
Kerri Maher
July 7 | Berkley
Set in the golden state of California, Summer of Love is dual timeline intergenerational family drama about three women and the type of family stories that refuse to stay buried.
The Man
Laura Sims
July 7 | Putnam
The Man is a chilling psychological suspense novel about a 1960s housewife turned amateur photographer and the shadowy man who haunts every shot she takes.
The Spy and the Snake
M. J. Robotham
July 7 | Bloomsbury
Book 2 of the Mrs Spy series, The Spy and the Snake is a fun, fast-paced spy Cold War story with a chaotic mission that's anything but simple.
The Beauty of the Days Gone By
Jason Stone
July 7 | Grove Atlantic
The Beauty of the Days Gone By is a sweeping Western saga about father, his sons, and the violent reshaping of the post-Civil War frontier.
Soldier for the Union
William W. Campbell
July 7 | Köehler Books
Soldier for the Union is a moving Civil War historical fiction about a woman disguised as a soldier and the medical team who protect her.
With Her Baby on Her Back
Suzette D. Harrison
July 13 | Bookouture
Inspired by a true story, With Her Baby on Her Back is a powerful dual-timeline historical novel about an enslaved midwife's brutal journey across thousands of miles on foot with her babies in tow.
The Intrigue
Silvia Moreno-Garcia
July 14 | Del Rey
Set in 1940s Mexico, The Intrigue is an atmospheric noir about a handsome con artist, a boarding house owner and her niece, and a messy scheme-gone-wrong.
Should the Waters Take Us
Stephanie Soileau
July 14 | Doubleday
Part climate story, part epic family saga, Should the Waters Take Us is the story of multiple generations of one Louisiana family fighting to survive in the face of adversity in the wild bayou country of South Louisiana.
The Parisian Heist
Jo Piazza
July 14 | Dutton
A juicy dual-timeline historical mystery about ambition and family secrets, The Parisian Heist is the story of a missing Van Gogh and two women who refuse to let the world forget them.
The Half Life
Rachel Beanland
July 14 | Simon & Schuster
The Half Life is an atmospheric Cold War story about a young Navy wife waking up to the reality of American exceptionalism while living abroad in Italy with her husband.
The Hexing Miss Helena
Darcy McGuire
July 14 | Boldwood Books
The Hexing Miss Helena is a steamy Victorian-era historical romance about an aristocratic woman suspected of murder and the witch she hires to help clear her name.
Men Like Us
Carson Markland
July 14 | Algonquin Books
Men Like Us is an inside look at the unexpected alliance between Bobby Kennedy and his sister-in-law, Jacqueline Bouvier, as work together to protect the Kennedy family image.
The Secrets of Provence
Daisy Wood
July 14 | Harper 360
A heartwrenching dual-timeline WWII novel, The Secrets of Provence marries bravery, wartime sacrifice, and family secrets waiting to be uncovered in the South of France.
The Man She Had to Save
Catherine Hokin
July 15 | Bookouture
Set in 1935 Madrid, The Man She Had to Save is an intense historical suspense about the wife of a Nazi diplomat who must choose between the lives of her brother and her lover.
Song for Another Home
Bora Lee Reed
July 21 | Simon & Schuster
Song for Another Home is a powerful Korean War historical family saga about separation and survival along the long road toward finding home again.
The Secret Society of Librarians
Kate Thompson
July 21 | Forever
Set between 1940s London and Poland, The Secret Society of Librarians follows two librarians whose friendship begins through a real-life secret society and deepens as World War II forces them to take their work underground.
Henry Tudor Must Die
Jillian Laine
July 21 | Berkley
Henry Tudor Must Die is a wild historical fantasy that imagine two of Henry VIII’s queens joining forces for the ultimate revenge: his head.
Daughters of Naples
Diana Giovinazzo
July 21 | Alcove Press
A gripping WWII sister story, Daughters of Naples explores the ties that bind as three sisters must choose between family and survival as the Nazis close in on their beloved city.
Tenderness
Rowan Beaird
July 21 | Flatiron Books
Tenderness is a tense 1970s historical mystery about a bride fleeing a cult and the two people who know her best desperate to uncover why she chose the cult in the first place.
What the Trees Remember
Abigail Cutter
July 21 | She Writes Press
A powerful post-Civil War historical fiction, What the Trees Remember is the story of a courageous young Quaker girl forced to confront hard truths about her Appalachian community when her father helps create a school for Black children.
The Story Keeper
Kelly Rimmer
July 21 | Harlequin Trade Publishing
The Story Keeper is a haunting, gothic mystery about a young woman who finds a mysterious book filled with family secrets while renovating the crumbling estate her uncle left behind.
The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood
H. G. Parry
July 21 | Orbit Books
A haunting WWII historical fantasy, The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood is the story of a young librarian whose dreams are full of dark Arthurian magic during Britain's hour of need.
Fishbone Cinderella
Elizabeth Lim
July 28 | Del Rey
Fishbone Cinderella is tender historical fantasy about a young Chinese woman forced to become a servant in the family home and her uncanny ability to go unseen.
Runner
Ashton Lattimore
July 28 | Ballantine
Runner is a juicy Prohibition-era historical about a young Black woman forced to take over her father’s rum-running business and risk everything to save her family and her future.
When Mikan Road Was Ours
D.K. Furutani
July 28 | Atria
When Mikan Road Was Ours is a moving historical fiction about a Japanese American man discovering the truth about his family's internment during WWII through the unpublished memoir of his estranged uncle.
Where the Sky Begins
Cindy Dee and Mary Wine
July 28 | Blackstone
Perfect for those seeking a thrill, Where the Sky Begins is based on the true story of an air derby and the fearless female pilots who risked their lives to fight for their place in the sky.
Murder on Devil’s Ridge
Irina Shapiro
July 28 | Storm Publishing
Murder on Devil's Ridge is a chilling Victorian-era mystery involving ritual murder, village secrets, and the super sleuth couple determined to discover the truth.
A Fatal Crossing
Tom Hindle
July 28 | Dutton
A Fatal Crossing is a classic locked-room murder mystery about a missing painting, a strong-willed investigator, and a ship full of suspects.
City of Promises
Victoria Thompson & Ellen Thompson
July 28 | Berkley
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Hi, I'm Carlie
I’m a historical fiction fanatic passionate about sharing newly released books, book club picks, and the types of stories that linger long after the last lines. If that sounds like the type of books you love to read, then you’re in the right place!
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