Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Secret Life of Sunflowers | 2022 | Dana Marton | Buy |
| 2 | Girl Braiding Her Hair | 2023 | Dana Marton | Buy |
| 3 | Raising The Titanic | 2025 | Dana Marton | Buy |
The Light & Life series marks a significant shift in Dana Marton’s career, moving from genre romance into literary historical fiction. The Secret Life of Sunflowers (2022) became a bestseller by weaving together a contemporary art mystery with the real history behind Van Gogh’s Sunflowers painting. The book traces the legacy of Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, who preserved and promoted her brother-in-law’s work.
Girl Braiding Her Hair (2023) and Raising the Titanic (2025) continue the format, each using a famous painting as the bridge between past and present. The series has drawn a new audience to Marton’s work, readers who might never have picked up a Harlequin Intrigue title but are drawn to art history and stories about the women who shaped cultural legacy behind the scenes.