It seems as though Summer 2026 is determined to take me back to the 1960's and 70's and I'm not mad about it! Typically, I'd avoid reading three books set so close together, but each explored the era from a different angle and I found myself fascinated. 

I'll never understand how people can find historical fiction boring. The women in these books solve mysteries, fall in love (there's even some 🌶️🌶️), and have incredible adventures. I love how each main character shows strength in their own unique ways. 

Scroll though to explore some of my most recent reads and the untold stories of women in the Space Age, Atomic Age, and the second-wave feminist movement. 

The Half Life by Rachel Beanland 

"From the author of Florence Adler Swims Forever and The House Is on Fire, a novel set on a remote Italian island about a navy wife’s reckoning with power, love, and the price of staying silent in the Atomic Age."

Have you ever loved a book because of a character's voice? Eileen Archer, the FMC, tells her story in the first-person past tense in such a beautiful way. I felt as though I was curled up on her porch with an espresso, enraptured as she told her story with all of its struggles and scandal. At nearly 500 pages, this book may look intimidating, but the chapters are very short, and it is such an enjoyable read that you shouldn't feel intimidated. 

Told from the perspective of a woman who has learned much, The Half Life is a tale of adventure, self-realization, and a quiet strength. Eileen enters her marriage at a point in life where she is somewhat naive and definitely a little floundering following an impactful loss in her life. I believe these two factors join forces to allow her to question the events and attitudes she is plunged into when she accompanies her new husband to his station in the Mediterranean.

This story was fascinating and well-researched. I enjoyed thoroughly enjoyed learning about the Atomic Age through the eyes of an otherwise behind-the-scenes character. Wonderful for fans of The Good Left Undone.

Thank you @SimonBooks #SimonBooksBuddy for the free book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Our Last Vineyard Summer by Brooke Lea Foster

"From the “great storyteller” (Natalie Jenner, author of The Jane Austen Society) Brooke Lea Foster, comes a captivating historical fiction novel set in 1965 and 1978 about a graduate student who returns with her sisters to their family’s summer estate on Martha’s Vineyard and begins to unravel old family secrets." 

Our Last Vineyard Summer was an enjoyable and beautifully written, yet complex story. The story Is mainly told from Betsy's third person POV with glimpses into her mother, Virgie's, experiences in the 1960's and 70's. There is so much packed into this novel! From family dynamics, gender roles, and the rise of feminism and the civil rights movement, Our Last Vineyard Summer highlights the diverse issues of womanhood and the choices we make that shape our lives. But most of all, it is about love and the power of love to heal and forgive.

This was my first novel by Brooke Lea Foster and it won't be my last!

Thank you to @BookSparks and @GalleryBooks for #gifted finished copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

An Infinite Love Story by Chanel Cleeton

"When an astronaut is lost in space, his wife relives their epic love as she attempts to unravel what truly happened to him, in this sweeping love story set against the backdrop of the 1960s Space Race, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes."

An Infinite Love Story was a delightful and mysterious historical fiction read with a romance subplot that mixes in a little bit of sci-fi/ magical realism. I picked this up because Chanel Cleeton's writing came so highly recommended by a friend and I was certainly not disappointed. 

I very much enjoyed Vivian's character. She was a strong young woman who was determined to make her own way in the world. That strength serves her well when navigating the difficult situation, she is faced with when her husband's spacecraft loses contact with mission control. She is relentless in her quest for answers, despite her fears and the promptings of those who would seek to steer the narrative in their favor. The sprinkling of something supernatural kept me invested in the story and the flashbacks to Vivian and Joe's early relationship deepened my emotional investment in their story. Fans of Atmosphere will absolutely love this story.

Thank you to @berkleypub and @netgalley for the #free eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

🗨️ Who's your favorite badass FMC? Do you enjoy a story more if a MC is strong from the beginning or if they gain their strength throughout the book?