Sapphic historical romance
Her Runaway Lady is my first romance. After decades of devouring historical romance, I have finally written one! It’s the story of Solange, an ambitious working-class milliner and Louise-Marie, a shy noblewoman fleeing an arranged marriage for a life as a milliner. It’s set in Paris, in a Belle Epoque That Never Was so has a bit of a steampunk flavour.
Preorder it now at most online booksellers. It releases 1 May 2026.
An ambitious young milliner. A shy noblewoman fleeing an arranged marriage. Love is a risk neither can afford.
Solange doesn’t have time for love. She’s too busy working her way up in the Parisian millinery trade. Her goal: to become rich and lift her family out of poverty. So when a beautiful aristo whirls into the millinery fascinated by hat making, Solange isn’t interested. Or so she tells herself.
Louise-Marie hates the fancy parties she’s dragged to at Versailles and never wanted to marry. She just wanted to be left alone, making hats. Running away from home to become a milliner seemed like a good idea but the life of a working-class shop girl is harder than she imagined. And her new coworker doesn’t seem to like her much.
When they’re thrown together in the cramped backroom of a millinery shop and a shared garret room, tensions fray.
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BJ Sikes, author 