This was a cute sexy read and I high key enjoyed it. Great chemistry and banter between our main characters; the plot was fun and drama filled. Definitely won't be my last read by this author.

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read/review.

I love what Lydia San Andres brings to her romances - a historical setting we rarely see (early 1900s Caribbean), a plot that literally moves the characters from place to place in entertaining ways, and in this book a bucketful of twists and turns including a fight on a train (!) and a horse galloping into a church (!!), both for Reasons, of course.

All kinds of fun. Is it perfect? No, but I don't really care - it was fun and engaging when I was in the middle of a slump, so I chalk it up as a success. More Caribbean romance from San Andres, please!

Heat Factor: Lots of foreplay.

Character Chemistry: I like you, but can I trust you?

Plot: Amalia hires Julian to kidnap her in an attempt to rescue her sister from their controlling uncle/guardian. Julian has an ulterior motive. Plus there are a bunch of villains.

Overall: The premise is bonkers, the execution is fun.

Just to get this out of the way: Amalia’s whole kidnapping plan was definitely half-baked. Like, did she really think that staging her own kidnapping to get her uncle to pay a ransom with her own money that he won’t let her access would *work*? Jeez.

Obviously, it doesn’t work. Instead of paying the ransom, Amalia’s uncle absconds to parts unknown with her younger sister—now that Amalia is out of the way, there’s no one stopping their uncle from marrying off the much more biddable Lucía. So Amalia and Julian are off on a road trip to try and rescue Lucía from whatever plot is happening.

Now, as I mentioned, Julian has ulterior motives. While he appears to be a ruffian (hence: being hired to stage a kidnapping), Julian is actually the son of one of the richest men in the Dominican Republic. He’s spent the past few years raking around, but now he’s big mad at his dad and wants to find out what shady business dealings are happening; these business dealings happen to involve Amalia’s uncle. So he’s only too happy to help Amalia out. (Plus that whole attraction thing.)

The first half of the book is road trip (except on a fancy cruise ship) as Amalia and Julian are racing to rescue Lucía (and pretending to be married). At about the halfway point—in the same scene where Lucía is found—Julian’s identity is revealed. So then we have some wallowing in self-pity, but no worries, there’s not too much of that, because there is a lot of villainy going on which result in more kidnappings, more pretending to be married, and more road trips (but this time on a fancy train).

I have two thoughts about this book. The first is that it really exemplifies why I want more historical romance set in places that aren’t regency ballrooms. San Andres takes some classic romance tropes—a staged kidnapping, a rich rake pretending to be a ruffian—but because of the change in context, they don’t feel stale. In fact, as attested by San Andres’ note about the stories of raptos she grew up listening to, the different context means that we can read the same trope in a very different way.

The second is that in the end, this book didn’t quite work, because the second half was just too jam-packed with villainous nonsense. There were like four villains in the end! Waaaaayyy too many to keep track of. However, even with all the villainy, I never lost the thread of the romance. 

Recommended for those who like their historical romances on the bonkers side, with a lot of plot.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

Good book. Amalia and her younger sister have been kept under the thumb of their controlling uncle ever since their parents' deaths. Amalia is very independent and chafes under Francisco's restrictions. She's even more frustrated when he refuses their request for Lucia to study music in Vienna. Determined to break free, Amalia hires Julián to kidnap her and plans to use the ransom to finance their escape.

Julián is the son of a wealthy family but is treated as a failure by his father when he refuses to cooperate with his unethical business practices. Julián's cousin Victor, who has been Julián's nemesis since childhood, is the one his father favors. Julián also suspects his father of interfering with his relationship with a local woman. When Amalia hires him, he's glad to help, as he also suspects that his father and Francisco are in cahoots.

The kidnapping scene was excellent and immediately showed the sparks of attraction that flared between Julián and Amalia. The banter between them is amusing, with Amalia's intensity running up against Julián's devil-may-care attitude. When it becomes evident that no ransom is forthcoming, they race back to Amalia's home to discover her uncle and sister gone, and Amalia's disappearance is described as an elopement.

This begins a roller coaster ride of twists and turns as Julián and Amalia hurry after her family. The scene on the boat voyage involves a gossipy acquaintance, a midnight feast in the ship's kitchen, and a confrontation with thugs determined to return Amalia to her uncle. Matters become more complicated when they find Francisco has bargained Lucia's hand to Julián's cousin Victor. A confrontation reveals Julián's other reason for helping Amalia, leaving her feeling betrayed. Julián attempts to trick his father into revealing information, and Amalia suffers another kidnapping, this time a real one. There are heart-stopping moments when Julián races to the rescue, and they struggle to escape her captors. The final confrontation was fantastic. I loved seeing Amalia take the lead and expose her uncle's shenanigans. I also loved seeing Julián get to deal with Victor.

The development of the relationship between Julián and Amalia had its ups and downs. While their chemistry is undeniable, Amalia has trust issues regarding men. She is determined to avoid marriage, which is one of the reasons she wants control of her inheritance. Julian has reacted to his father's disdain by developing a rebellious reputation. Underneath that reputation is a man with a good heart, his own sense of honor, and a belief that he is unworthy of love. As they spend time together, Amalia shows Julián that his father is wrong. At the same time, Amalia begins to trust Julián, though that trust takes a hit when she learns of his other reason for helping her. I loved Julián's determination to protect her and seeing how he begins to earn back her trust. I especially liked the ending, where he shows how well he understands her and her fears.

I'd like a book that follows Julián, Amalia, and Lucia in Europe. Not only to keep up with Julián and Amalia but also to see if it lives up to Lucia's expectations.

Amalia stages her own kidnapping in an attempt to get her inheritance from her greedy uncle. She mistakes Julian for a bandit and he goes a long with it as a means to get close to her and do some digging into her uncle's affairs. But the more time they sped together he starts to develop feelings for her.

I felt like I was reading a historical telenovela there was so much drama and action and betrayal and intrigue! The Dominican Republic setting is what drew me in and having read Lydia San Andres before I knew I liked her slow burn writing style

I enjoyed the chemistry and banter from the couple. It was very sexy despite no on page sex scenes. Insta-lust doesn't always work for me but these two just clicked!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Lydia San Andres delivers another delightfully original take on some familiar (rather out-there) tropes, combined with the unique twentieth-century Caribbean setting. I really liked Amalia’s determination, and Julián has layers that make him a bit morally dubious, while still being a good person at heart. He does have a few moments where he does fall into some of those tropes I don’t like, such as being too self-pitying or playing up the Asshole Facade to keep her at bay. But I did like them together at the end of the day, as they did work well together.

I really wanted to like this one, as I am a huge advocate for more diverse historical romances. However the writing was just too clunky for me to wants to continue reading. It also has the insta-lust trope which just isn’t interesting to me, because it doesn’t get me invested in the romance of they’re into each other right away.

Included as a top pick in bimonthly April New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)

Julian and Amalia stage her kidnapping to wrestle her inheritance away from her tyrannical uncle. But when the uncle uses the dark secrets of their two families against them, will their burgeoning romance be destroyed?

This romantic Caribbean adventure is full of danger and sudden reversals. Julian and Amalia are a perfect match—but with so many secrets and torn loyalties, it's difficult for them to trust. The story is intriguing, fast-paced, and emotional.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

3.5 stars rounded to 4. Things I liked:

--The Costa Rican setting is unique for a HR, and the world building is effective. The descriptions created a sense of time and place that helped make this a good lazy weekend read.
--The premise, of a woman planning her own kidnapping, is interesting.
--The MFC, Amalia, is a strong woman while still seeming realistic for the time period.
--The plot moves along quickly, with plenty of action.
--The chemistry between Amalia and Julian, the MMC, in the first half is solid. I thought their slow-burn friends-to-lovers relationship worked well. The banter is sharp and funny.
--Julian is an appealing hero to start off. He's a lowkey, unpretentious rake, but is moral at his core.

What I wasn't crazy about:
--The second half turns friends-to-lovers into enemies-to-lovers, and I never felt as if the trust between Amalia and Julian was completely resolved. A few of my pet peeves: the Big Secret (Julian had plenty of chances to tell Amalia the truth), the Intolerable Jerk Routine to Drive the MFC Away for Her Own Good, the MMC Indulging Routinely in Self-Pity. Julian lost points from me as the book went on.
--Amalia's reaction when Julian shows up on the train. Say what? That's a lot of physical affection for a guy who's impugned your reputation in front of your family and his and dismissed you like day-old chewing gum. More MMC grovel needed here.
--Overabundance of egotistical baddies in the second half. Secondary characters with redeeming qualities sorely needed.
--The resolution of the plot felt a tad underwhelming. I guess I was expecting more of a twist. Couldn't have Amalia have tried to get legal advice earlier, as soon as she got away from her uncle? Why didn't she think about trying to locate legal documents herself?

Overall: this is a fun, diverting read, so I rounded up to 4. On the downside, too many villains arise and the plot gets a bit muddled toward the end. Also, I hate when a perfectly good, crunchy, cinnamon roll hero is turned into an oily alpha-hole. Ugh.

I read an advanced reader copy of this book and this is my voluntary review. Opinions are my own. Thanks to the author, publisher, and Net Galley.

This is the first book by author Lydia San Andres that I have read, but it will not be the last!
"Alliance With The Stolen Heiress" tells the story of Amalia and Julian. She and her younger sister Lucia are wealthy young women being kept on an extremely tight and short leash by their uncle Francisco. Their parents are dead and he was appointed guardian. But he's more focused on guarding their money, (and using it for his own benefit probably). Julian is the son of one of the wealthiest men on the island, but is often treated as a failure by his father, who seems to favor his nephew Victor (Julian's nemesis).
To get out from under his thumb, Amalia hires Julian to 'kidnap' her, then demand a ransom, which she would then use to take herself and her sister to Europe to start a new life. The plan does not work. Francisco chooses to abscond with Lucia, who he attempts to marry off to none other than Julian's cousin Victor. Thankfully, that marriage does not occur, but not for lack of trying. Amalia gets truly kidnapped and it's Julian who rescues her. Together, they foil the plan hatched by his father and her uncle. That climax was definitely worth waiting for!
I loved this book! Amalia and Julian are great together, and the chemistry between them sizzles every single time. They both have suffered the loss of a parent/parents. They both have been held hostage by domineering men. Thankfully, they both realize they deserve more, especially Julian. He spends the majority of the book feeling unworthy of love. Amalia definitely helps him see that he is worthy, and that he is loved...by her! I detested Victor. The level of animosity he had towards Julian leads me to think it's more than just jealousy or meanness. There must be a secret there we don't know about. Julian's father and Amalia's uncle are just greedy, selfish men. I didn't spare them a second thought once their natures were presented. Finally there is Lucia. I would love to see her in Europe, experiencing the culture and falling in love. I'm sure it would just as engrossing as this story was. Definitely a five star read!!
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for this ARC, which I voluntarily read and reviewed.

Alliance with his stolen heiress was a fun read that was out of my element. I don’t normally read historical fiction but I enjoyed this book. I liked how their relationship folded how he was the one to go slower and the sides of her he brought out. I really enjoyed that the book was set in the Dominican Republic and the little tidbits of the culture throughout the book. Overall it was a nice read with interesting twists and unexpected turns.

Julian and Amalia have a strong connection built from the very beginning of the book which begins their journey. Building their friendship and trust through the serious of events the author took us on was very romantic to me. I have to say the intimate scenes didn’t have as much detail on the acts as I may like but there was a lot of kissing and I love that as I think a lot of romance books miss the the build up. I loved when Julian called Amalia her highness and declared he would do anything for her.

The thing about Lydia San Andres’ books with Harlequin so far is that you take this plot that already sounds pretty wild and then you go on quite a journey with the characters with twists and turns that are really quite unexpected (in my mind) in a historical romance. Do I dislike that experience? Not even a little bit. But did I keep gasping at my kindle and going, “WHAT?!” Yes, yes, I did. So, I really don’t want to spoil anything for you so I’ll just say that the basic premise is that Amalia arranges her kidnapping and Julian is our kidnapper. They eventually fall in love.

This book is sexy and full of hijinks and deeply emotional for such a short amount of pages. The family dynamics are popping off in all directions and I was incredibly here for it. If you’re looking for something that will keep your attention because it keeps the plot moving, look no further than Alliance with His Stolen Heiress. I genuinely cannot wait to see what San Andres does next. I’m going to be here for every single book she decides to give us.

An absolute ride--tons of action and adventure that goes pretty much non-stop up until the end. The pacing kinda slowed for me there, and I didn't feel that the trust was totally in place for Julián and Amalia at the climactic scene when it probably should have been. This was still an incredibly fun read, and I always love the lush historical details that Lydia San Andres puts into her books.

This book was such a fun ride! The couple had great chemistry and I loved all the action that the book included as well. Recommend to anyone looking for a fun, fresh historical romance.

Julian and Amalia have a strong connection built from the very beginning of the book which begins their journey. Building their friendship and trust through the serious of events the author took us on was very romantic to me. I have to say the intimate scenes didn’t have as much detail on the acts as I may like but there was a lot of kissing and I love that as I think a lot of romance books miss the the build up. I loved when Julian called Amalia her highness and declared he would do anything for her. SWOON. Thank you Netgallery and to the publisher for providing me this advance copy.