This book did everything right and had me feeling every possible feeling!!! A marriage of convenience plot between strangers always runs the risk of falling into the "this could all have been resolved if you would just talk to each other" trope. But here, Herrera manages to create an instant connection between Evan and Luz Alana that is sexual (of course), but also personal and professional. From the start, what makes these two work is that there is communication and honesty. Most of the cards are on the table when they enter the relationship, which makes the ones that are left secret so much more important. And the reason for those secrets are also then relatable, understandable. Everything worked beautifully, the world that Herrera created felt so real. I cannot wait for the rest of the series!

This book was everything, and I want to be an honorary leona! A Caribbean Heiress in Paris is the first book in the Léonas series. It is witty, spicy, empowering, and features a badass BIPOC businesswoman in Europe during the late nineteenth century.

Luz Alana is the star of this book. She is intelligent, savvy, and brave. After the death of her father, she travels to Paris with her younger sister, cousin, and two friends (their group is affectionately called las Léonas) in order to expand her family’s rum business in the European market. However, she is not taken seriously and is struggling to sell her product. She meets James Evanston Sinclair, the Earl of Darnick, a handsome and burly Scot who makes whiskey. Evan has daddy issues. His corrupt and morally reprehensible father is still the Duke, and Evan needs a plan to keep his whiskey company safe. When he meets Luz Alana, he is drawn to her and believes they can help each other.

Luz Alana and Evan have great chemistry, and the spice is delicious, but there is so much more that goes into this story. Luz Alana’s Dominican heritage shines throughout the book even in small details like when she explains to Evan that she speaks Dominican Spanish. The multicultural cast of characters do not shy away from discussing important issues like generational wealth, racism, and slavery.

I absolutely love the Léonas already, and I can’t wait for the rest of this series!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

In A Caribbean Heiress in Paris Adrianna Herrera offers a compelling, passionate story about a gorgeous lioness, Luz Alana Heith-Benzan, newly arrived from Santo Domingo and absolutely determined to take the 1889 Exposition in Paris—& the rest of Europe—by storm with her rum, brand, & vision.

As part of that plan she marries a studly, fellow businessperson Earl named James Sinclair who is—unbeknownst to her—on a quest to bring down his dastardly duke father.

Of course there are also feelings involved & sparks fly in this marriage of convenience romance, with both leads floored by their physical connection & feelings of tenderness & possessiveness toward the other.

The setting & characters Herrera uses & creates are so winning. Herrera showcases the heroine’s strong friendship group & while the author shows the misogyny & racism amongst many of the (most of the ?) white Europeans again & again, she also highlights how POC—including the Black heroine, Luz Alana, are chasing their dreams & conquering them, attacking the challenges facing them.

While there’s a lot to appreciate in this romance I often found myself frustrated by how the leads communicated & the reconciliation feels rushed.

This book is dramatic, fierce, & unapologetic but the romance arc itself falls somewhat flat for me.

3.5 ⭐️. Release date: 05/31.

CWs: lots & this isn’t an exhaustive list. Racism. Misogyny. James’s father is horrible & has done many bad things, including abandoning his oldest child & refusing to claim him, & sending James’s mother to live in a sanatorium and not allowing the family to reach out. Gun violence.

[ID: a white woman wearing a white shirt with pink font that says “no worries if not!!!” holds the ebook up while standing in front of a tree.]

A truly epic and grand historical romance. Luz Alana is a radiant heroine and Evan is an intriguing hero. Setting couldn’t be better (I mean…it’s Paris!) side characters are fantastic (more of Evan’s older brother, please!) and revenge plot added a great slice of suspense to the story.
I’m super excited to read book 2 and find out what happens to the other Leonas. I’ll encourage my library’s historical fiction fans to check this book out, since I think it’ll have really broad appeal.

I am so glad that Adrianna Herrera has made her foray into historical romance with her new series featuring Las Leonas, a group of three friends. A Caribbean Heiress in Paris is the story of Luz Alana, a Dominican rum heiress, and Evan, a Scottish earl and whiskey distiller seeking vengeance against his father.

Luz Alana and Evan meet at an exhibition in Paris. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and though Luz had no plans to marry, it becomes apparent that a marriage of convenience between the two would sort out both of their problems. Luz Alana could get her inheritance, currently under the control of a third party unless she marries or convinces him otherwise, and Evan would inherit his distillery as per his mother’s will. The two agree to a temporary marriage of convenience with benefits, though the love between them is evident and neither looks forward to leaving the other.

The chemistry between these two was on point from their first meeting. This was a super steamy, memorable read and I cannot wait to read about Luz Alana’s friends in the rest of the books in this series! I rate it 5 stars.

After the popularity of Bridgerton, I am always excited to read actually diverse historical romance. There are a plethora of historical authors from Beverly Jenkins to Courtney Milan to Alyssa Cole to Vanessa Riley and I am so happy that Adrianna Herrera has joined their ranks by writing historical romance!

The first book in the Las Leonas Series. Luz Alana is from the Dominican Republic and has come to the Paris 1889 Exposition to sell and promote rum in Europe. Her Scottish father has recently died and she needs to head to Edinburgh to seek the release of her inheritance. Traveling with her are her friends, a doctor and an artist along with her younger sister. I assume they all will become the main characters in future books.

In Paris she meets James Evanston Sinclair, Earl of Darnick. He is promoting whiskey from his family’s distillery. He assists her in when some men would not speak to a woman about business. There are nice scenes of getting to know each other over dinner and even a visit to the brand new Eiffel Tower. For reasons beneficial to both they decide on an arranged marriage. It will allow Evan to inherit his distillery before his father can sell it and she will be able to access her inheritance. The marriage isn’t planned to last but both want it to be real while they are wed.

Both Evan and Luz are likable and practical. And there is strong passion between them. I like the little extras like how welcoming his sisters are towards Luz, her sister and friends. The plot includes moments of racism and comments on colonialism and slave trade. I was surprised the marriage doesn’t take place till 60 percent through the book. But a good deal of time is spent setting up the characters, family and backgrounds stories. I did find the final plot point a little convoluted. But I can over look that for a strong female who finds her man. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin-Romance for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

An incredibly researched, detailed historical romance. It was refreshing reading a romance where we had women with strong agency. I especially loved how Adriana Herrera really showed how cosmopolitan and racially diverse Paris and Edinburgh were at the time. I felt like I learned more about the nineteenth century! I cannot wait to read more of Herrera’s works, they were an absolute treat.

“Historical accuracy” has long been a shorthand in historical romance used to deny that people of color were present in the upper-class drawing rooms so common to historical romance novels of the time. As the years went by, we’ve been blessed with an ever-widening body of historical research that has presented us with a plethora of historical people of color who did indeed live and thrive in all social strata of Regency, Victorian, and Edwardian England, Europe, and the Americas. This scholarship has helped authors of color knock down arguments and barriers against them and quieted (some) of the detractors. The fact is, romance readers want our diverse historical romances, and we want them now! I’m thrilled that the world of historical romance is finally broadening to include new series by some seriously talented writers.

I was so happy to get my hands on an early copy of A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adrianna Herrera. This is book one in the Las Léonas series. For those of us who enjoy a well-researched historical that is steeped in place, this novel is a delight. Herrera not only presents us with a tender and satisfyingly steamy romance but at the same time give us a glimpse into the lives of a three educated and entrepreneurial Latinx women during the beginning of the Gilded Age. It takes a good deal of skill to deliver history in so entertaining a manner that you forget you’re learning something new in each chapter and weave that history in with a compelling plot.

Our heroine, Luz Alana Heith-Benzan, has just arrived at the Paris Exposition at the having set sail from Santo Domingo with her two best friends and younger sister. As luck would have it, she butts heads immediately with a Scottish aristocrat and the sparks they go aflying. The banter between them is so satisfying and the Earl of Darnick, known as Evan, is sexy and swoony in all the right ways. He is supportive of Luz’s goals, kind to his family and has a noble mission of his own to complete.

Refreshingly authentic, I highly recommend Herrera’s Caribbean Heiress, the first in a series that promises to be a must-read for any and all lovers of historical romance. The rest of the Las Léonas series follows Luz’s two friends, and I am desperate to get my hands on them right now. Until then, I’ll be over here re-reading Caribbean Heiress and recommending it to anyone who loves perfectly penned historical romances full of spice, intrigue, and accurate history!

This is a story about two people whose love and connection felt inevitable.

When I first started the book I felt a bit bombarded by names, nicknames, relationships, and histories all at once. It’s like when you walk through the door of your home or place of business and everyone has just been waiting to catch you and give you an earful. You just aren’t ready for it. That is usually the case with first novels in a series, and this story was no different in that regard. Yet, once I found my mental footing, I completely devoured this book.

Luz Alana is strong, beautiful, loyal, and smart. She is a heroine who can contend with the best of heroines. Evan Sinclair is a fantastic hero who adores Luz Alana and was never threatened by her strength, but relished her vitality and wit. I adored how Evan viewed Luz Alana. It made me fall in love with both of these characters.

Herrera has me salivating for the secondary character's stories just as much as this story made me swoon whenever Luz Alana and Evan were near one another. I already feel restless for the next book in the story-which I hope is Aurora's!

Herrera has a talent for bringing out the complicated and grisly sides of history while reveling in the beauty of people who rose above adversity and found strength in their culture, their families, and their traditions.

I HIGHLY recommend reading this story and get ready to fall in love with a new era of heroines!

4.5 stars rounded up!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this eArc thanks to Harlequin Romance via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

#ACaribbeanHeiressinParis #NetGalley

So I don’t really read historical romance but I enjoy a good story and I herd such good things about Adriana Herrera so I was really excited
To read her book and read a historical romance with a women of color! This beautiful Afro Latina in the center of a romance was so fun! She was bold and fun and feminine. The story was fun and it kept me on my feet !

I think many people will enjoy the this book as much as I did.

Thank you NetGalley for offering me a copy of the ARC for my honest opinion

A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera is a 5 star read!

This is the first book in the Las Leonas Series. Luz Alana is the heiress to a rum empire originating in Dominican Republic. Her father started running the company when her mother passed away, but now he’s gone, too. Luz thought her father would leave the company to her, but instead, she finds out that he entrusted the company’s management to a man, planned for her to promote the rum in Europe, and that her inheritance will be in the hands of a Trustee in his homeland of Scotland unless she gain’s his permission to access it OR she get’s married. She’s got a lot riding against her as a mixed-race woman in 1880s Europe and her little sister Clarita’s future is in her hands.

James is the Earl of Darnick is also in the business of spirits. Passionate about his whiskey company, the Earl is determined to preserve it despite his shady ass father’s dealings. He’s so focused on taking his father down and successfully running his business, that love is that last thing he wants.

Naturally, these two practical minded people bump heads in Paris during the 1889 Exposition.

The chemistry between these two is *chef’s kiss*! I’m a fan of rivals and/or enemies to lovers so I realllllly enjoyed the tension. Both of these characters are really good people and easy to love. This is a historical romance, but these two are very forward thinking. Instead of writing about people who fell into the common beliefs of the day, Herrera follows the paths of people who are thinking critically about what they stand for.
This book also had incredible racial and ethnic diversity for a historical romance. The side characters were just as interesting as the leads so I’m super excited to read the other Leonas love stories!
This book comes out on the 31st, so y’all need to preorder or prepare to request this book from your library!
Content Warnings: Grief, Misogyny, Racism, Violence

This book was a DELIGHT--I enjoyed every second of it! I requested this ARC back in February after hearing SO many people talk about it on BookTok and now that I've read it--I understand the hype. Right at the start of the book, I saw a blurb for praise for Adriana Herrera that described her novels as "sweet and thoughtful, but delightfully filthy, too" and that is exactly how I would describe A Caribbean Heiress in Paris.

The history that inspired this novel (of the Dominican Republic attending a French international exposition in 1889, only to have their pavilion snubbed by King Leopold of Belgium) was super cool to see play out. Luz Alana's place as an Afro Latina woman in Paris in the late 1800's running a rum business was thoughtfully depicted in the novel, and once again proves that there is literally no excuse to not include BIPOC in historical fiction and historical romance. I adored the dynamics between all the women among Las Leonas, and the sisterhood and determination between them to see the rum business become a success.

Luz Alana was also such a great MC. I love her drive and confidence, even when didn't feel it herself at times--something that I think makes her stronger than most "strong female leads" I know in media. Her determination to become a successful business owner AND have Evan as her companion in bed when she states her conditions for their deal? We love a woman that takes initiative!!

Speaking of the marriage of convenience deal between Luz Alana and Evan, this is one of my favorite marriage of convenience plots in a book. The way Evan got so giddy calling Luz Alana his wife, the fact that he immediately gave her his mother's ring, the fact that he called Luz Alana such intimate terms of endearment even before they got married, and the fact that his siblings and cousins are utterly and completely obsessed with her from first sight? I'm so in love with them. I also normally am not a huge fan of the possessive nature of MC's but the jealousy tropes and Evan's protective nature of Luz Alana right from when they first meet had me swooning so hard.

All this to say that this is probably my favorite historical romance of all time now. I'm going to go read all of Adriana Herrera's other novels immediately now and reread my favorite scenes from A Caribbean Heiress in Paris in between each one. 4.5 stars overall!

This was such a creative and well-done historical romance! Luz Alana and Evan are such nuanced narrators, and I had no idea I could be so interested in rum production.

I loved this!! so much!! I've been begging and shouting and screaming from the rooftop over how I desperately want more diverse historicals and ADRIANA HERRERA HEARD ME. Afro-Latina FMC, Scottish MMC who is immediately obsessed with her! A pack of girl friends who are very cool and whose books I cannot wait to read! subtle marxist commentary! great sex! discussion of liquor that doesn't put me to sleep! a WORLD EXPO! I could not be more charmed and delighted by this book, truly.

cw: racism, explicit sex on page, misogyny, a little mention of parental loss and grief

I want to preface this review by saying I rarely read historical romance, it is just not my thing but this book intrigued me because of the heroine's nationality and the fact the hero was a Scot. Unfortunately after picking it up and trying three times to read it, it is a DNF for me. at 30%. For me the story is moving too slowly, and while I love a good marriage of convenience story with this heroine and her plight, it feels wrong like he's taking advantage of her situation. I know there will be many, many people who love it, but unfortunately it wasn't for me.

2 stars because I do admire the author for the uniquess of this story

Fans of Beverly Jenkins and Sarah MacLean will absolutely adore this new historical romance by Adriana Herrera. It is full of wit and adventure and strong women. The book was both steamy and sweet - the perfect combination. It's also so good to see Black women as the main characters in historical romances. I am so excited for the rest of the series!

I was able to review A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera and harlequin Romance (U.S. & Canada) for providing me with an advanced ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fun read. I loved the world building of the Dominican heiress selling her rum at the Paris exhibition, her pride in her heritage. This book is about an Afro-Latina woman trying to get her business ahead with many people and things in her way. I absolutely adored this book! I want to be part of Las Leonas - Luz Alana, Manuela, and Aurora are absolute perfection and I cannot wait for the rest of their books.

This was a delightful series opener that should appeal to fans of historical romance or anyone interested in a steamy marriage of convenience. The world, story, and characters were easy to get into and I was invested in Luz and Evans immediately. Can't wait for more!

If you like Beverly Jenkins and Sarah MacLean - you need to pick up this book. I mean it. The brilliant weave of historic research, honest discussions of interracial relationships and colonization, women’s empowerment and deep, deep intimacy lead to a perfect story. I adored the mutual marriage of convenience, opposites attract story. Both Luz Alana and Evan are deeply hurt and deeply in need of love. It was fascinating to read about distilling whisky and rum and the relationship between those two seemingly opposite alcohols! More than once I laughed and cried while both characters wrestle with their emotional constipation and they are helped and hindered with thier found families, meddling siblings, messy relationships with those that are no longer with them. I cannot wait for more of Herrera’s Las Leonas series - and also really need to try some fancy rum! (Also don’t blink - there is a reference to Herrera’s DILF story!)

TL/DR Review
Stars: Five Stars!
Series: Las Leonas - Book 1
POV: dual third
Steam: Medium to High - multiple scenes, deep intimacy and both go down town
Tropes: thick thighs, competence kink, found families, meddling families, mutual marriage of convenience
For Fans Of: I mean it - Jenkins + MacLean = Herrera Historicals
Theme Song: Somewhere Only We Go - Keane
Subgenre: Historic Romance - Victorian/ Gilded Age
CW/ TW: racism and sexism, references to grief and parental/ sibling death, references to colonial abuses, references to toxic mental health attitudes

Thank you to the author and publisher for my complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

♾️/5⭐️

After the death of both their parents, sisters Luz and Clarita travel to Paris to continue the work their father began in expanding their rum distillery to have operations in Europe. Luz and her young sister travel with Luz’s closest friends from Santo Domingo only to find that Luz’s inherited funds are being withheld from her, putting her in a position where she would need to get married in order to access what belongs to her.

Evan, committed to getting revenge on his manipulative and cruel father, needs to be married in order to inherit a distillery that is rightfully his.

They’re a match made in heaven (beyond the clashing that comes with their first meeting) and I am ridiculously obsessed with them.

As much as I absolutely adore the banter and tension in this book, I think this book is incorrectly marketed as enemies-to-lovers. This couple begins with Luz verbally tearing Evan apart while Evan is happily brought to his knees and is positively smitten during the whole ordeal. At no point is Evan actively angry with or disliking Luz. In fact, this giant Scotsman bows before her and is OBSESSED from the moment he first lays eyes on her.

That isn’t to say there isn’t clashing and arguing between the two of them, but at no point does Evan even dislike Luz and they flirt with each other constantly so the term “enemies” is a very loose descriptor here.

Moving forward, I deeply appreciated and enjoyed the racially and ethnically diverse cast of characters navigating predominantly white spaces with a sense of power to them. With some of them also being queer, it was very interesting to see Herrera create Evan as a white man who is fully aware of his social standing and privilege. We watch him use the privilege that comes with his race, gender, title, and wealth to uplift his friends and family, demanding that his fellow white men speak to them with the upmost respect. Evan, though, also never really takes it upon himself to speak on behalf of anyone. He opens the door and demands that his peers pay attention to Luz rather than be her voice and in those moments, I think I appreciated how he operates the most.

They communicate. They adore each other. They respect each other.

I have a million and one pink highlights in my copy.