Simona Ahrnstedt

Simona Ahrnstedt (b. 1967) was born in Prague and moved to Sweden with her parents at a very young age. Besides being one of Sweden’s best-selling authors, she is a licensed psychologist and cognitive behavioral therapist. Ahrnstedt’s rich and captivating character depictions, paired with her provocative and daringly executed plots, breathe life into the now rapidly growing genre of Scandinavian women’s fiction. Alongside her role as novelist, Ahrnstedt is a spokesperson for books by women, for women and about women.

“I am IN LOVE with Swedish author Simona Ahrnstedt’s books.”
Marian Keyes

*Featured on TIME Magazine’s ranking of the top 50 best romance titles out there.*

Awards

Shortlisted for the Storytel Awards (Best Feelgood Fiction) Iceland – Bara lite till Just a Bit More 2024
Shortlisted for the Storytel Awards (Best Feelgood Fiction) Sweden – Ett otänkbart öde An Unthinkable Fate 2024
Shortlisted for the Feelgood of the Year Award Sweden – Ett otänkbart öde An Unthinkable Fate 2023
Shortlisted for the Storytel Awards (Best Feelgood Fiction) Iceland – En enda risk High Risk 2023
Shortlisted for the Feelgood of the Year Award Sweden – Nattens Drottning The Queen of the Night 2022
Shortlisted for the Storytel Awards (Best Feelgood Fiction) Sweden – Nattens Drottning The Queen of the Night 2022
Shortlisted for the Mofibo Awards (Best Romance) Denmark – Bara lite till Just a Bit More 2021
Feelgoodfredag (Best Romance Novel ) Sweden – Med hjärtat som insats Hearts on the Line 2020
Shortlisted for the Storytel Awards (Best Fiction) Sweden – Med hjärtat som insats Hearts on the Line 2020
Shortlisted for the Storytel Awards (Best Fiction) Sweden – Bara lite till Just a Bit More 2019
Shortlisted for LovelyBooks Leserpreis Germany – De skandalösa The Scandalous 2019
Close award list

Bibliography

Charlie's Revenge

Wadenstierna

Opposites Attract

High Stakes

Related news

‘Charlie’s Revenge’ published in Sweden

Charlie holds her dream job at an antiquities auction firm, has an apartment and family that she adores and have always gone the extra mile to be a good citizen. When she crosses paths with the charming Philip, he sweeps her off her feet. Life is almost too good to be true, but at the luxurious birthday party he throws her, the police suddenly show up. In a state of utter disbelief, Charlie is accused of serious crimes and convicted to several years in prison.

Once she is finally released, her entire life is in tatters. Slowly she tries to puzzle the clues together. Charlie becomes determined to take revenge on those who have decimated her life and is willing to do whatever it takes to take them down.

Charlie’s Revenge is the first installment in a brand new series by No.1 bestselling author Simona Ahrnstedt and is a gripping novel about impossible love, elusive enemies and the worst betrayals of them all.

‘All In’ on TIME Magazine Best Romance list

All In, the first stand alone installment in Simona Ahrnstedt’s High Stakes-series, features on TIME Magazine’s list highlighting the 50 best romance novels out there. The list has been curated from romance releases throughout history, taking into account factors including ingenuity, commercial success, acclaim and impact. In the motivation, the novel is described as ‘a riveting, high-stakes love story that helped popularize the romance genre in her home country of Sweden’ and the way that ‘[Ahrnstedt] imbues emotional depth in the high-powered lovers, who each have their reasons for seeking revenge’ is lauded.

The Swedish Storytel Awards 2024

The shortlists for the Swedish Storytel Awards of 2024 are now available and open for the public’s vote.

Among those competing for the title of best Suspense title are Hjorth & Rosenfeldt with The Guilt You Carry, and Jo Nesbø with Killing Moon. In the Feelgood category Simona Ahrnstedt vies for the top spot with An Unthinkable Fate. Lastly, the Children’s category sees Martin Widmark and The Dinosaur Mystery face up against among else David Sundin‘s The Audiobook That Did Not Want To End – Part 4, from the same universe as The Book That Did Not Want To Be Read.

The Icelandic Storytel Awards 2024 Shortlist Announced

The nominees for this year’s Icelandic Storytel Awards have been announced. 

The Storytel Awards are an annual event that highlights the best audio books of the year. The awards are granted within five categories: Suspense, Fiction, Non-fiction, YA & Children’s books, and Feelgood.

Yrsa Sigurdardóttir’s Forget Me Not is nominated in the Suspense category, whilst Jørn Lier Horst’s The Cabin is featured in the Fiction books award. 

Martin Widmark’s The Racecourse Mystery is in the running for the Children’s books award, and Just a Bit More by Simona Ahrnstedt is nominated within the Feelgood category.

Readers will be able to vote for their favorite titles, after which a jury will pick a winner among the five candidates with the most votes in each category.

‘An Unthinkable Fate’ and ‘Zoo Boy’ longlisted for 2023 Feelgood of the Year Award

Simona Ahrnstedt’s romantic historical novel An Unthinkable Fate and Peter Hammarbäck’s heart-warming debut Zoo Boy have been longlisted for the Swedish Feelgood Festival’s award Feelgood of the Year 2023.

To see the list of the nominees and vote for your favorite, click “Read more” below.

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‘An Unthinkable Fate’ published in Sweden

In the spring of 1884 the young society woman Alexandra Rosenkvist is living in the north of Sweden, exiled having caused a scandal that shocked the high society. Now she’s finally allowed to return to Stockholm, where modern inventions such as the telephone and electricity are seeing the day of light, and where intelligence and money are beginning to be considered more important than fine ancestry. The women’s fight is in its early stages and within Alexandra a longing is growing for independence and the prospect of devoting herself to her passion: art.

The one coming to collect Alexandra is Atle Falk, a man with a dark past. Together with Atle, her cheery maid Minna and the pious handmaiden Emmy, Alexandra will traverse through a Sweden that is rapidly changing. On the surface the young dreamy socialite Alexandra and the scarred and cynical Atle have nothing in common, but during the course of their journey they grow closer to one another and unthinkable feelings blossom. Alexandra’s dreams of an independent and free life begin to flourish. But at home in Stockholm her rich and conservative family await. And they have very different plans for her.

An Unthinkable Fate is the fourth stand-alone set in Simona Ahrnstedt’s Wadenstierna-universe.

The Icelandic Storytel Awards 2023 Shortlist Announced

The nominees for this year’s Icelandic Storytel Awards have been announced. The Storytel Awards have been bestowed to highlight the best audio books of the year. The awards are granted within six categories: Suspense, Fiction, Non-fiction, Feelgood, YA, and Children’s books.

Among the nominees for suspense are Johan Theorin’s Weathered Bones and Yrsa Sigurdardottir’s I See You.

We’re Just Trying to Have Fun by Hálldor Armand Asgeirsson is featured within the non-fiction category.

Simona Ahrnstedt’s High Risk is nominated in the feelgood category, whilst Martin Widmark’s The Saffron Mystery is in the running for the children’s books award.

Readers will be able to vote for their favorite works, after which a jury will pick a winner among the three candidates with the most votes in each category.

The Storytel Awards 2021 Shortlist Announced

The nominees for the Swedish 2021 Storytel Awards have been announced. The Storytel Awards have been bestowed since 2007 in Sweden to highlight the best audio books of the year. The awards are granted within six categories: Suspense, Fiction, Non-fiction, Feelgood, YA, and Children’s books.

Among the nominees for suspense are Kristina Ohlsson’s Icebreaker, Hjorth & Rosenfeldt’s As You Sow, Jens Lapidus’ The No-Go Zone, Anders de la Motte & Måns Nilsson’s A House to Die For, Liza Marklund’s The Polar Circle, and Anders Roslund’s Trust Me.

The nominees within the fiction category includes Fredrik Backman’s The Winners and Jonas Gardell’s A Happier Year, and Simona Ahrnstedt’s The Queen of the Night is featured on the Feelgood list.

Meanwhile, Anders Hansen’s Brain Blues and Måns Mosesson’s Tim – The Official Biography of Avicii features on the Non-fiction list, and David Sundin’s audiobook The Audiobook That Did Not Want To End – Part 2, from the same universe as The Book That Did Not Want To Be Read, is in the running for the Children’s books’ award.

Readers will be able to vote for their favorite works until February 9, after which a jury will pick a winner among the three candidates with the most votes in each category.

To cast your vote, click “Read more” below.

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Stefan Tell; Kiefer Lee; Kate Gabor Photo: Stefan Tell; Kiefer Lee; Kate Gabor

Natt och Dag, Hansen and Ahrnstedt on the October bestseller lists

Niklas Natt och Dag’s 1795 claims top placements on the official Swedish bestseller lists for the month of October across all formats, coming in at No. 1 on the hardcover and e-book list and No. 2 on the audio list. Anders Hansen’s Brain Blues, published only three days before the end of the month, grabs the No. 3 spot on the non-fiction list, while Simona Ahrnstedt’s The Queen of the Night takes the No. 5 spot on the e-book list.

The weekly Swedish bestseller lists

Niklas Natt och Dag’s 1795 continues to top the official Swedish bestseller list for hardcover fiction, keeping its No. 1 spot for the third consecutive week. Simona Ahrnstedt’s just published The Queen of the Night enters the e-book list at No. 4.

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