Wow! Another year and another great slue of books. As I look back on this list, these are books that I read and still remember – which is amazing considering I’ve read more than 50 this year. We’ve written more than 40 book reviews, which brings Books for Her total reviews to over 300!

Here’s our top books for 2018:

1. The Girl From Berlin 

The Girl From Berlin is outstanding: From unspeakable tragedy to amazing human strength, and exactly what you’d want in historic fiction. A dual plot-line novel, The Girl From Berlin sweeps several generations and all the way back to Jewish Ada Baumgarten, who grows up in Berlin as Hilter’s party gains power and increasingly challenges her family livelihood and civil rights. The Girl From Berlin is overwhelming – from unspeakable tragedy to amazing human strength, and exactly what you’d want in historic fiction.

2. Love and Other Words

A real, heartbreaking modern drama – with complex characters you’ll fall in love with. Love and Other Words is everything you could want from modern women’s fiction. Deeply developed and complex, the contrasting now-and-then storylines are weaved together to tell the story of a shy girl and neighbor boy young romance contrasted with the current day wounded woman and confused man. A definite must-read for any lover of modern day drama.

3. The Paris Seamstress

The Paris Seamstress is a romantically charged, multi-generational story of two women and their modern day and WWII lives. I read The Paris Seamstress right after an intense and somewhat heartbreaking The Dutch Wife, also set during World War II – so I loved the bittersweet flare that Natasha Lester brought to the era. With some historical facts that are fascinating, Lester weaves a tale of love, loss and overcoming challenges.

4. Carnegie’s Maid

Carnegie’s Maid is historically insightful, touching and moving. In the fight for a better life at the end of Civil War America, Carnegie’s Maid is historically insightful, touching and moving – all while sharing a peak into a revolutionary family’s fascinating history and the potential inspiration behind one of America’s greatest businessmen and philanthropist. Carnegie’s Maid is a fascinating mix of history with a uniquely personal feel. It’s a great read for nearly any historical fan.

5. Vendetta by Iris Johansen

Vendetta is action-packed, spanning several continents and involving some of the most evil terrorists you can imagine. It’s just what you expect from Iris Johansen and her fast-reading thrillers.

6. Laird of the Black Isle

Sparks fly and plots twist in Laird of the Black Isle. Laird of the Black Isle is so good. The drama escalates and the characters – both struggling with their passion and torn by the impossible circumstance – are perfection. It’s a quick-reading, action-packed, passion-filled Highland romance that you don’t want to miss!

While 2018 has been full of great writing – debut novels and happenings, I already have reviewed six novels due out in 2019. Cheers to another year of good reads!