Authors Like Susanna Kearsley (12+ Book Recommendations)

Susanna Kearsley was born on January 17th, 1966 in Canada and is a bestselling author of historical fiction, romantic suspense, and mystery novels.

Authors Like Susanna Kearsley (12+ Book Recommendations)

Kearsley was born into a family of readers, which is what she credits for her love of books and reading, and she began writing herself at a very young age, and she continued to do so throughout much of her teenage life too.

In university, she studied politics and international development, before becoming a curator at a museum.

Kearsley’s books are known for their richly detailed and atmospheric descriptions and complex and engaging plots, in fact, many of her novels feature time travel elements, and she often incorporates real historical events and figures into her stories, which helps to make them especially appealing to those interested in history.

This is just one of the reasons why so many people find themselves becoming obsessed with her books, as it’s all to do with her ability to enchant her readers.

One of her most notable works is The Firebird, which saw her win the Romantic Writers of America RITA award for the best Paranormal Romance in 2014, and other significant works such as The Winter Sea and The Rose Garden have also won awards too.

If you’re a fan of Susanna Kearsley’s The Firebird, The Winter Sea, or The Rose Garden,  then we think you’ll adore the works from some of these other authors too, such as Kate Morton, Philipa Gregory, and Diana Gabaldon. So to discover some amazing books, then read on, and find out which books you should try out!

Books By Susanna Kearsley

Authors Like Susanna Kearsley (12+ Book Recommendations)

There are some excellent books throughout Kearsley’s history as an author, however, the one that people will most commonly come across first is The Firebird, which unsurprisingly also happens to be one of Kearsley’s most popular books (see also “Authors Like Lucinda Riley“).

This book revolves around the story of Nicola Marter, a woman born with an ability to glimpse into the past, and sets about trying to help a woman who is trying to sell an antique wood carving, which brings her back into contact with her former lover as they make their way to Russia.

As with many of Kearsley’s books, they mainly revolve around historical romance, except there is often an element of the paranormal, which helps to keep the stories fresh and interesting, alongside the inclusion of real-life figures and people, which certainly keeps readers on their toes.

This is also seen in the incredible The Winter Sea, which again is a book that jumps between the past (1708 in this case) and the present day, as author Carrie McClelland seeks to write a story based on one of her own ancestors, before discovering that she has memories influencing her writing of an event that no one else knows happened, which comes close to destroying her in the process.

Finally, another excellent example of the fantastical nature of Kearsley’s writing comes in The Rose Garden, which is simply one of the best uses of time travel in historical fiction and romance, and features a heart-bursting romance between the main character Eva, and a long-deceased man named Daniel Butler, who she slips back into time to see as she tries to figure out where it is that she truly belongs.

Overall, Kearsley’s use of the past and present throughout her writing is what helps keep her readers interested, along with her incredibly descriptive work too!

Authors Like Susanna Kearsley

Kate Morton

The Lake House

Known as one of Australia’s best-selling authors internationally, Morton is the perfect author to check out if you’re a fan of the complexity and intricacy of Kearsley’s writing.

Morton was born in South Brisbane, Australia in 1976 and studied at the University of Queensland before becoming a professional actor. She later turned to writing and published her first novel, “The House at Riverton,” in 2006.

Since then, Morton has published a number of critically acclaimed and bestselling novels, including “The Lake House” and “The Forgotten Garden.”

What many people enjoy about her novels is that they often feature multi-generational family sagas, secrets, and mystery, and are known for their richly detailed settings and well-developed characters.

Although her work might lack the paranormal and slightly fantastical nature of Kearsley’s work, there are still plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader interested throughout the stories told by Morton, so we’re sure that you’ll love some of her novels if you check them out!

So, if you’re looking for historical fiction and romance that captivates you with its complexity and secrets, then we’re sure that you’ll enjoy some of Morton’s incredible work.

Pros

  • Well-developed characters
  • Detailed settings
  • Long storylines

Cons

  • Lack of paranormal

Themes: Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Suspense, Mystery

Phillipa Gregory

Cousins War Complete Series Books 1 - 6 Collection Set by Philippa Gregory (White Queen, Red Queen, Lady of the Rivers, Kingmaker's Daughter, White Princess & Kings Curse)

Gregory was born in Kenya in 1954 before growing up in Bristol, England. She then went on to study at the University of Sussex, where she later worked as a teacher before becoming a full-time writer.

Her work is characterized by its settings, and most of the books she has written have been set during the Tudor period, or the 16th century, so if you’re a fan of the moments of Kearsley’s writing which are set in the past, then you’ll certainly enjoy much of Gregory’s work.

Gregory is best known for her “The Cousins’ War” series, which includes novels such as “The White Queen” “The Red Queen” and “The Kingmaker’s Daughter”.

Gregory’s work is known for being both well-researched and filled with incredibly vivid portrayals of both historical figures and events, so even if you’re familiar with the real-life stories of the Tudor period, these books will still interest you.

As a result of her writing, Gregory has won several awards for her work, which includes the Romantic Novelists’ Association Historical Novel of the Year award as well as the Parker Pen Romantic Novel of the Year award.

So, Gregory’s work, much like Morton’s, lacks the fantastical and paranormal aspect that many people are fans of in Kearsley’s work, so Gregory’s ability to craft incredible stories around existing figures and events will definitely be appreciated and loved by fans of Kearsley!

Pros

  • Plenty of historical settings, set during real-life events
  • True to life portrayals of historical figures

Cons

  • Again lacking any paranormal or fantastical aspects

Themes: Historical Romance, Tudor Period, Suspense, Fiction

Diana Gabaldon

Outlander: International Edition: Outlander, Book 1

Diana Gabaldon was born in Arizona in 1952, and is a bestselling author, and she is known predominantly for the “Outlander” series, which contains a variety of themes, including historical fiction, romance, and science fiction.

The “Outlander” series follows the adventures of Claire Randall, a World War II nurse who is transported back in time to 18th-century Scotland.

There, she meets and falls in love with Jamie Fraser, a Highland warrior, and very quickly becomes embroiled in the political and historical events of the time.

Gabaldon’s prominence is down to both her attention to historical detail, as well as her ability to blend elements of romance, history, and science fiction in her work all at the same time.

Her books have won numerous awards too, including the Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award for Best Romance of the Year.

The time travel aspect of Gabaldon’s work will of course appeal to fans of Kearsley’s writing, as well as the themes of historical romance, which is why so many people find themselves checking out Gabaldon after having read books by Kearsley, so we’d definitely recommend checking her out.

Pros

  • Contains the fantastical and paranormal element fans of Kearsley will enjoy
  • Focuses on real events in history with its own story

Cons

  • Many readers complain the books tend to be rather lengthy

Themes: Historical Romance, Fiction, Time Travel, Adult Fiction, Romance, Fantasy

Final Words

There’s no doubt that after reading much of Kearsley’s work, it can feel like you won’t find something with the same combination of historical lore and paranormal/fantasy, but with the authors that we’ve listed above, we’re sure that you’ll be able to discover new books that bring you as much joy and intrigue as Kearsley’s does.

If you’re willing to forego some of the paranormal and time travel aspects of Kearsley’s stories in the hunt for new books to read, then the works of both Morton and Gregory are both excellent choices.

However, if you’re looking for an author who still incorporates time travel into their stories, then Gabaldon will definitely appeal to you, especially the “Outlander” series, so if you’re looking for your next series to try, then you should definitely try it out.

All three of these authors are excellent at writing incredible historical fiction and romances though, so as long as you’re looking for something set in the past, you won’t be able to go far wrong with what they have to offer (see also “Authors Like Alice Hoffman“)!

Frequently Asked Questions 

What Themes Do Kearsley, Morton, Gregory, And Gabaldon Have In Common?

While these author’s works might differ slightly from each other in terms of setting, they do share the themes of historical romance, and in the case of Gabaldon, even share the themes of time travel too, so they make for excellent authors to try once you’ve read Kearsley

Does Susanna Kearsley Still Write Books?

Yes! Thankfully, Susanna Kearsley is still an active author, so you can expect to see new work from her in the coming months and years!

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