Powerful novels have the ability to stay with you weeks, months or even years later. They can make you truly empathise with a character's experiences and feelings, even if your life or attitude differs to theirs – and may even open you up to a good cathartic cry.
Whether exploring the power of female friendship or perhaps the twists and turns of family relationships, loves and losses, crossing into the world of romantic fiction or even fantasy and sci-fi, or history, they're often stories that speak to a universal truth that we can all relate to.
An emotional and beautiful tale of an unexpected tragedy: a couple’s peaceful life is shattered when their son is stillborn. As they navigate the raw aftermath, Harris’ lyrical prose makes every moment feel lived-in and deeply sorrowful. It’s a true tear-jerker, yet threaded with delicate hope: glimmers of resilience emerge in shared glances, gentle routines and the enduring strength of love. Heartbreaking but quietly hopeful, this is such an important book about a subject people struggle to discuss.
Pip lives in a small, fragile world. After having her daughter, Bella, at 16, she’s been living with her parents, smothered by an overbearing mother, working at a local petrol station and dreaming of a future she’s unsure she can ever create. But when an encounter with an astronomer leads to an unlikely friendship, Pip starts to wonder if she’s folded herself too small, like the origami she crafts quietly in her room. Is there more to life, and can she find the courage to open up to new possibilities? A moving and beautiful novel.
This warm-hearted read follows two couples in a small American town where secrets are held tight. Set across decades, and through the seismic events of World War Two and the Vietnam War, the novel deftly captures the characters’ dreams and disappointments, while tackling big themes – forgiveness, loss, sexuality – with a gentle touch. A juicy slice of historical fiction, this immersive tale leaves you rooting for each character.
A tender, devastating exploration of first love, betrayal and the fateful choices we make at pivotal moments in our lives. Against the intoxicating backdrop of a final year at college, the narrator becomes entangled in a charged and consuming friendship with the brilliant Sam and the mysterious Yash. Years later, an unexpected knock at the door reawakens long-buried passions, regrets and unanswered questions. With lyrical prose and emotional depth, Lily King delivers a beautiful tale of love’s enduring imprint. A life-affirming, unforgettable read that lingers long after the final page.
Known for her uplifting romantic comedies, including Appleby Farm, Ivy Lane and The Lemon Tree Café, Cathy Bramley has published 18 novels. Following ordinary women achieving extraordinary things, each reflects a passion for storytelling. In her latest novel, Somewhere Only We Know, Magnolia Jones is grieving her daughter’s death, and embarks on the planned gap-year trip that her daughter never got to take.
Charlie is thrilled when she’s appointed publicist to Booker Prize-winner Richard Aveling. Though he’s three decades her senior and married, she can’t believe her luck when he seduces her. But Charlie is still coming to terms with the death of her mother, and her loneliness blinds her to the relationship’s many red flags. Tender, empathetic and absorbing, this page-turning debut unfolds like a car crash in slow motion.
Captivating readers with her emotional storytelling and vivid characters, Georgina Moore’s debut novel, The Garnett Girls, was praised for its heartfelt exploration of family dynamics and the strength of women. An advocate for reading and women, with a background in publishing, she’s sure to become a fresh voice in contemporary fiction. Her latest book, River of Stars, follows Jo, an artist grappling with the return of her childhood love, Oliver, who threatens their bohemian community’s future.
King’s debut explores feminine identity and how the memories of past generations can be inherited. When Monica sets out to reunite her grandmother with a long-lost cousin, she uncovers a family gift – the ability to reclaim stories through pencils. As her grandmother writes to record memories of wartime Shanghai, Monica is drawn into a story of love, loss and belonging. A reminder of how family ties shape us.
Linda’s job at the Unclaimed Heirs Unit at Boransay Council is to search through the possessions of those who’ve died with no heirs. In her last case before retirement, Linda heads to the remote Isle of Storrich and discovers the reason loner Levi Norman became estranged from his beloved daughter. His story helps Linda face things she’s been avoiding herself, including a tragedy buried deep inside her. Brilliantly told, you’ll laugh, cry – and love it.
An epic, heartbreaking yet uplifting story, The Women follows a young nurse, Frankie, sent to the Vietnam War and deeply affected by what she sees. Returning to a changed America, she discovers the true value of female friendship and the heartbreak love can cause.
Exploring the balance between life and the afterlife, Ayumi, a young man with special powers, is able to reunite the living with the deceased. Delving into themes of grief, closure and acceptance, this poignant and heartfelt meditation from the bestselling Japanese author is simply magical.
When 15-year-old Maggie takes a trip to the seaside with her family, no one could foresee the ripple effect this will have on generations to come. Sawyer examines how these beautifully drawn characters are transformed through their experience over time in vignettes. Lyrical, nostalgic and heartfelt, it’s a powerful story about confronting life’s unexpected turns.
2025’s Women’s Prize for Fiction winner explores trauma, repressed desire and female resilience in post-war Netherlands. Isabel has lived alone for years in her late mother’s house – which was bequeathed to her brother Louis. When Louis brings his girlfriend Eva to stay with Isabel for a month, she loathes Eva and is horrified at the disruption to her routine. But over time, the relationship between the two women takes a turn. A sensuous slow burn.
In 1800, Mary and Eliza are on board a convict ship sailing to Australia from Ireland. Then 200 years later, fugitive Lucy searches for her sister Jess, who has inexplicably vanished. Lyrical prose and the magic realism of sirens highlights female resilience. Bound by trauma, myth and love, this raises voices that refuse to be drowned out.
How far will the bonds of female friendship endure the strains of war and separation? It’s 1939, and two mothers face the reality of occupied Paris. Elise knows she must flee the invasion, but she only trusts one person with her child’s safety – Juliette, who has a daughter the same age. But when she returns after the liberation, Elise finds no trace of either her friend or the children, and a search begins. A moving tribute to motherhood and the hope and love that survives them all.
Captivating from the first sentence, when Joan Liang’s first marriage implodes, she doesn’t foresee the path her life will take. She certainly doesn’t see herself married to an older, wealthy man and living in California. Cue the challenges that come from trying to fit in and feeling unsatisfied. A beautiful character study spanning an entire life while navigating the joys, sorrow, and surprises that life can throw our way.
A masterful debut written in the form of letters from retired lawyer Sybil Van Antwerp. Every day, she dispatches letters to a range of people, from her family, her best friend and neighbour, to authors such as Joan Didion and the president of the local university, who stands in the way of her joining a class. But there are some letters, her deepest emotions and secrets, that are never sent. A beguiling and emotional read, Sybil will capture your heart.
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This article was compiled from the July-December 2025 issues of woman&home magazine. Subscribe to the magazine for £6 for 6 issues.
