Why am I passionate about this?

I write romantic historical fiction and am a lifelong lover of the works of Jane Austen. I am English, love historical novels but dislike books that give you “great lumps of facts” that slow up the storyline. I like stories and characters that capture your attention and your heart. Plots and backgrounds that make you think about what it might really have been like to live in those times.


I wrote

Cassandra

By Linda O'Byrne,

Book cover of Cassandra

What is my book about?

Many years have passed since I first read of the Bennet sisters in Pride and Prejudice and marvelled at Jane…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Longbourn

Linda O'Byrne Why did I love this book?

Pride and Prejudice was only half the story.

This wonderful novel looks at the whole affair from the servants’ points of view. “If Elizabeth Bennet had the washing of her own petticoats, Sarah often thought, she’d most likely be a sight more careful with them.” I love this book.

Love the way the historical domestic details are covered so effortlessly and the emotions explored of those silent characters who watch their “betters”, take messages, serve meals, and endlessly wash clothes!

By Jo Baker,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Longbourn as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER
A RICHARD AND JUDY BOOKCLUB PICK
'Utterly engrossing' Guardian

It is wash-day for the housemaids at Longbourn House, and Sarah's hands are chapped and raw. Domestic life below stairs, ruled with a tender heart and an iron will by Mrs Hill the housekeeper, is about to be disturbed by the arrival of a new footman, bearing secrets and the scent of the sea.

What readers are saying:

'A novel to be savoured'
'Highly recommended'
'Very enjoyable exploration of the background to Pride and Prejudice'


Book cover of Katherine

Linda O'Byrne Why did I love this book?

A glimpse into medieval times. It’s a sumptuous tale of passion and danger.

Katherine comes to the court of Edward III aged fifteen and turns the head of the King’s favourite son, John of Gaunt.  But their paths in life pull them apart until their love forces them back together. This is a wonderful book by a writer who manages to make you experience life as it was then, but without trying to teach you, and asks, ‘how much would you give up for love?’

By Anya Seton,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked Katherine as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Exhilarating, exuberant, and rich," Katherine is an epic novel of a love affair that changed history—that of Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, the ancestors of most of the British royal family (Austin Chronicle).

Set in the vibrant fourteenth century of Chaucer and the Black Death, the story features knights fighting in battle, serfs struggling in poverty, and the magnificent Plantagenets—Edward III, the Black Prince, and Richard II—who rule despotically over a court rotten with intrigue. Within this era of danger and romance, John of Gaunt, the king’s son, falls passionately in love with the already-married Katherine.…


Book cover of Long Summer Day

Linda O'Byrne Why did I love this book?

I am cheating! A Horseman Riding By is the collected title of three novels set from 1902 to 1965.

They are long books and perhaps a little ‘wordy’ for the modern-day reader, but they are so evocative, absorbing and have that magic ingredient ‘readability’.

If you are interested in England during that time span, then read about Paul Craddock’s life, loves, and family.

By R. F. Delderfield,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Long Summer Day as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

1902-1911

An age of innocence and hope.

Before the storm clouds roll over Europe.

As Paul Craddock recovers from his Boer War injuries, he starts to plan a new life. As soon as he is able he invests all he has in a remote but beautiful estate in Devon, determined to make something wonderful of the place and to be at the heart of what is most real and most important.

Then he meets Grace, beautiful and passionate, and mistress of the land he has so quickly grown to love. They are equals in determination, honour and vision but their…


Book cover of The Dean's Watch

Linda O'Byrne Why did I love this book?

Elizabeth Goudge’s novels have a touch of magic about them.

Set in the 1870s, in an English town, dominated by a great cathedral, it's the story of an unlikely friendship between an obscure watchmaker and the mighty but shy Dean Ayscough which touches and shapes the lives of many people. A novel peopled by characters that are hard to forget.

By Elizabeth Goudge,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Dean's Watch as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Dean's Watch


Book cover of Gone With the Wind

Linda O'Byrne Why did I love this book?

Well, I couldn’t leave out one of the greatest historical romances ever written! 

Yes, the book does have battles and American politics but they are part of the storyline and only enhance the conflicted relationship between Scarlett and Rhett. In no way do they overpower the romance.

By Margaret Mitchell,

Why should I read it?

13 authors picked Gone With the Wind as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The story of the tempestuous romance between Rhett Butler and Scarlet O'Hara is set amid the drama of the Civil War.


Explore my book 😀

Cassandra

By Linda O'Byrne,

Book cover of Cassandra

What is my book about?

Many years have passed since I first read of the Bennet sisters in Pride and Prejudice and marvelled at Jane Austen’s fabulous portrayal of life in Regency England. And I am certain that like me, many of you have asked the question, “But what happened next?”

Now a new generation of heroines awaits your approval. This is Cassandra’s story—daughter of flighty Lydia Wickham—a girl very different from her mother. It is 1832 and the world is changing, but young ladies still need to marry and Lydia is determined that Cassandra will do just that!

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After Me

By J. Shep,

Book cover of After Me

J. Shep Author Of The December Issue

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

J.'s 3 favorite reads in 2024

What is my book about?

"an intense narrative of family and intangible inheritance. . .this novel unfolds like a fragrant, steeped tea." -Chanticleer Book Reviews, 5 Stars

"like a glorious sunrise, we are gifted the 'après,' the hope and goodness of 'after me.'" -Maria Giuseppa, author of R&R:  A Feast of Words

A man in France receives a package from America containing an autobiographical manuscript relating the events of a summer long ago. 

When Ellande and Madeleine-Grace visit the family summer house on the Alabaster Coast of Normandy for the first time without their parents, they find themselves growing aware of the importance of their…

After Me

By J. Shep,

What is this book about?

A man in France receives a package from America containing an autobiographical manuscript relating the events of a summer long ago.

When Ellande and Madeleine-Grace visit the family summer house on the Alabaster Coast of Normandy for the first time without their parents, they find themselves growing aware of the importance of their parents' choices in raising them. Under the care of their beloved Aunt Adèle, they explore their heritage and what their parents stood for while determining the value of customs and traditions of both family and France's stunning Pays de Caux. In the face of cruelty, carelessness, and…


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