Where to Start with Barbara Josselsohn's Books?
Barbara Josselsohn is a master of emotional, relationship-driven storytelling. Her works span two main styles: heartwarming contemporary romance and deeply moving historical fiction. Choosing where to start depends entirely on the reading experience you are looking for:
- For Cozy, Small-Town Romance: Start with The Lilac House, the opening book in the Lake Summers series. This series offers the ultimate comforting escape, focusing on second chances, family dynamics, and close-knit community ties in a fictional Adirondack Mountains town.
- For Gripping, Multigenerational Historical Drama: Start with Secrets of the Italian Island, the first book in the Sisters of War trilogy. This series is perfect for fans of dual-timeline historical fiction who enjoy uncovering secrets from the World War II era.
- For a Powerful Standalone Historical Tale: Start with The Secret Orphanage, a standalone dual-timeline novel set in occupied France and modern-day New York.
The Sisters of War Series (Historical Fiction)
This trilogy marks Josselsohn's transition into historical fiction. Each book features a dual-timeline narrative that shifts between the Nazi occupation of Italy during World War II (1943) and present-day quests to uncover family secrets. Because the trilogy develops connected emotional themes and historical backdrops, reading them in order provides the most rewarding narrative arc.
- Secrets of the Italian Island (2023): The series opener follows Annalisa in 1943 on a private Italian island where she risks everything for love and safety amidst German occupation. In the present, her granddaughter Mia travels to the island to uncover the truth behind her grandmother's past.
- The Lost Gift to the Italian Island (2023): Returning to the same beautiful Italian setting, this installment explores the wartime sacrifices of a young woman named Stella and the modern-day journey of her descendant seeking to mend historical family rifts.
- The Forgotten Italian Restaurant (2024): The trilogy's conclusion focuses on fifteen-year-old Emilia in 1943 Caccipulia, who helps hide Jewish families. In the present day, Callie travels to Italy with a coded menu left by her grandmother, piecing together the final mysteries of the wartime resistance.
The Lake Summers Series (Contemporary Romance)
The Lake Summers books are contemporary romance standalones set in a charming, fictional town nestled in the Adirondacks. While each novel centers on a different protagonist and a self-contained love story, they share recurring side characters and the same cozy, small-town atmosphere. Reading them in publication order is recommended to watch the community develop naturally.
- The Lilac House (2020): Follows Anna Harris, a grieving widow who retreats to Lake Summers with her children to rebuild her life, only to find unexpected support and romance in the local community.
- The Bluebell Girls (2020): Focuses on three generations of women navigating love, past regrets, and long-held family secrets against the backdrop of the lake.
- The Lily Garden (2021): Follows Caroline as she returns to Lake Summers to protect her mother's local nursery, digging up family truths and matching wits with a skeptical landscaper.
- The Cranberry Inn (2021): A cozy, snow-filled holiday romance featuring Laurel Hanover, who steps in to save her family's historic inn during the Christmas season.
Standalone Novels
If you prefer self-contained reads that are not tied to a specific series, Josselsohn has written two very distinct standalone novels:
- The Last Dreamer (2015): Josselsohn's debut novel. This contemporary women's fiction story centers on a former journalist navigating the complexities of career changes, family, and personal reinvention, drawing heavily on Josselsohn's real-life journalism background.
- The Secret Orphanage (2025): A powerful, dual-timeline historical novel. In the 1940s timeline, a schoolteacher named Celina works with the Resistance to hide Jewish children in an occupied French village. In the modern timeline, Rachel travels to France to investigate her grandfather's fading memories and his connection to the secret schoolhouse.
Reading Order and Chronology Advice
Understanding how the timelines function in Josselsohn's books will help you decide how to approach her bibliography:
The Contemporary Novels
For the contemporary books, including the Lake Summers series and her debut The Last Dreamer, the narrative flows in chronological order. Because the characters and settings evolved as Josselsohn wrote them, reading in publication order ensures that you won't spoil minor updates about previous couples who pop up in later books.
The Historical Trilogies and Standalones
With her historical books (Sisters of War and The Secret Orphanage), the dual-timeline structure means you are constantly jumping between the 1940s and the present. You do not need to attempt to read the historical timelines chronologically first. The novels are meticulously paced to reveal their historical secrets in tandem with the present-day investigations. Follow the standard publication order to experience the mystery exactly as the author intended.
What to Know Before You Start
Josselsohn's stories are deeply emotional, focusing heavily on family ties, second chances, and the secrets that shape generations. In her historical fiction, she does not shy away from the tensions and struggles of World War II, but the narrative remains hopeful and focuses on the resilience of the human spirit rather than graphic descriptions of conflict. Readers who enjoy small-town charm, heartwarming romance, and dual-timeline family mysteries will find themselves right at home in her novels.