Liana De la Rose is making a name for herself by crafting beautiful historical romances that include a Mexican flair. Reading Isabel and the Rogue inspired me to do research into 19th Mexican history. Additionally it’s a delightful romance novel!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Isabel and The Rouge by Lia De La Rosa!

The Luna Sisters series has quickly become a favorite of mine! Isabel Luna is the awkward, bookish middle sister, consistently overlooked in favor of her more traditionally beautiful and engaging sisters. Due to that, she can easily sneak away from parties and get-togethers and has a secret she is keeping from others, in hopes of helping their native Mexico escape French occupation. Her actions do not escape Captain Sirius Dawson, who has his own secrets to keep. Their paths continue to cross, and their unexpected attraction grows as they find they are more alike than different. Readers who will love historical romance with complex, loveable characters, growing family ties, and a bit of heat will love the Luna sisters just as much as I do! Thank you to Berkley for the advanced reading copy, receipt of which did not impact my review.

Another fun and unique historical romance by this author! I really enjoyed the first book in this world, Ana Maria and the Fox, because it gave a glimpse into a different perspective of the regency romance genre that seems to be everywhere in this Post Bridgerton tv show era. Being able to follow characters of color who have moved to England from a tumultuous situation in Mexico was really fun and allowed me to learn a but more about Mexico's history and struggles for independence. There was a lot more politics in this novel than in the first book which I found really fun! The secret spy vibes of it all were also really great.

Definitely recommend!

Most historical romance is solidly grounded in what I’ll call textbook history, where many narratives have been shaped by victors, politics and cultural currents. But this is the tyranny of convenience. At its most vital, historical romance also resurrects ephemeral yet utterly timeless truths: the sensations of the body beneath the clothing, the agonizing decision to burn letters brimming with illicit love.

These kinds of secrets are what Isabel Luna is searching for in ISABEL AND THE ROGUE (Berkley, 352 pp., paperback, $19), the second in Liana De la Rosa’s series about a trio of Mexican sisters in early-Victorian London. The books are slantwise Regencies, reinterpreting London through the lens of the French invasion of Mexico and the women’s attempts to garner support for the ousted Mexican president.

Isabel Luna is neither as polished as her elder sister nor as pretty and provocative as her younger. She prefers books to ballrooms and is anxious to find some way to earn her neglectful father’s approval. What better way to make use of a forgettable face than by a little light spying? When everyone ignores you in the ballroom, you might as well abandon the ballroom to riffle through desk drawers and uncover vital correspondence between conspiring peers.

But Miss Luna is not the only person skulking around the house. Sirius Dawson is a Crimean War veteran who works for the Home Office, where he is attempting to uncover malign French influence on British peers. He’s appalled to see that Isabel has been cast into dangerous intrigue with no protection. And the more he watches, the more appalled he gets — not just at the risks she’s taking, but at the idea that anyone could overlook her. The two aren’t on opposite sides of an international conflict, per se, but Isabel’s determination to return to Mexico dooms their love from the start.

De la Rosa presents politics and history not as lists of bills and battles, but as things that upend lives and bruise hearts. And since people under pressure have been known to take impulsive risks (the library sex in this one is extremely ill advised!), it’s intensely dramatic.

I wasn't expecting this book to be this soft, it was a delightful surprise.

I think I said for the first book Ana Maria and the Fox but the stories of the Luna sisters aren't all about the romance, while there is a romantic component to the stories, the author gives us a lot of historical background that serves as the main focus of the plot.

I was under the impression that Isabel and Sirius would be bantering in a more fiery way for most of the book, but I was mistaken it turned out that our dear Capitan was all about Isabel and they were incredibly soft with each other.

I would say this book is very character driven, I loved the work the author did with both Isabel and Serius charcaters and I loved to read their banter on page. Both of them carry the weight of of self imposed expectations from other people and manage to find home in each other, it was very beautiful.

One of the things I love the most about this series is how rich in history it is, I am by nature very curious and a historical romance that blends very well history and romance without making the history portion feel like random information dump alwasy leaves me satifisied.

I am very curious to read about the last Luna sister, the firecracker Gabby. I am sure her story will be just as splendid.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

A bookish wallflower turned spy seeks out intelligence for her home country, Mexico, while living in exile in England. Her status as an heiress grants her access to the ton’s balls and parties- which also means access to the many studies and libraries of the lords of the realm. Unfortunately, whenever Isabel goes looking for information, she also seems to run into the notorious rake Caption Sirius Dawson. He works in intelligence, too, through the Home Office, and cultivates his notoriety almost like a sport.

Isabel’s quiet strength and passion make her one of my favorite wallflowers to date. She isn’t afraid to take chances and won’t back down from the challenges ahead of her. Even when news arrives that it may be too late, she doesn’t give up. And when Sirius warns her off of her mission, she just scoffs and keeps going. Love that for her! She’s incredibly close with her sisters, and I loved that they were such a prominent part of her story!

Sirius himself is a complex individual with a complicated family life as well as history as a soldier in a previous war - his past weighs him down. He’s distrusting of Isabel’s motives until he decides to give her lessons in espionage to help keep her close. I won’t tell you who falls first! Their chemistry from the beginning is simply excellent, and I was always craving more of them when they were apart.

While I would have loved a bit more action with two spies as main characters, this story is strong in how it handles different topics - from colorism to colonialism to the trauma of war. Definitely recommend if you like a romance with extra doses of history!

⭐️: Really enjoyed it!
🌶: A few explicit scenes

Thanks, Berkley Romance, for the complimentary eARC!

This is the second book in the Luna Sisters series, and I enjoyed it just as much as Ana Maria and the Fox, the last book.

Isabel is the middle sister who is often overlooked, but one would never suspect. She uses her wallflower personality to help in espionage.

I loved the friendship, the history and the theme of found family so much.

*many thanks to Berkley, PRH audio, and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

Review 4.5⭐️
After reading Ana Maria and the Fox last year, I <i>needed</i> to read the next in the series! I will say, this one felt a little light on the romance for a good chunk of the book because Isabel and Sirius were at odds with one another for part of the book. However, I love what De la Rosa did to bring about the romance by having them work together to find out information to pass along aid to Mexico. Once they begin to work together, Isabel's tough exterior begins to come down and the tension between her and Sirius begins to build. The espionage plotline seemed like it almost took priority over the romance but I did enjoy that aspect of the book. The sneaking around that we see between Isabel and Sirius leads to some spicy scene and the under the desk scene was *swoon* Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read Gabby's book next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Ana María and The Fox set up the world for The Luna Sisters Series so well and I remember finishing that book and being unable to contain my excitement for the rest of the series. And Isabel and the Rouge is such a great continuation of this series.

Isabel is the “forgotten” Luna sister, the wallflower everyone seems to overlook, except Captain Sirius Dawson. They both have reasons for lurking around and learning the secrets of those in society, secrets they want to leverage for Mexico and the British Home Office. As their paths continue to cross, the tension between them only grows stronger and stronger.

Sirius is completely enamored with Isabel from the beginning and he should be! Their banter was top tier and I loved how easy it was for them to connect over their love of literature. They created such a safe space for one another and he appreciated Isabel in a way that she hadn’t experienced before. I just love them together!

Liana also does a great job of weaving in a lot of important historical context and the author’s note further elaborates those points.

I’ve only become a fan of historical romances in recent years and when I do reach for them I always reach for a diverse one! And I highly recommend this series to anyone!

I enjoyed this story. I liked being able to read the next book in the Luna sisters series. I liked that this story was about Isabel and I liked how we got to see who she really was. I also like that Captain Dawson and Isabel learned to work together to bring about change. I also liked how they struggled to deny their attraction for each other but eventually realized how perfect they were for each other. I also thought the author is a very good storyteller and the story kept my attention through out the whole story. I also felt like I learned something about what was going on in Mexico at this time. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

Oh my I just love Liana De la Rosa’s writing, it really submerged me into the world of the Luna sisters. I enjoyed reading Isabel’s character, she is so much more than a wallflower and seeing her flourish and find that love she deserves was so beautiful! I love how obsessed Sirius is with Isabel, going from being known THE rake of the town to completely falling to his knees for Isabel had me blushing every time they were together!

I really enjoyed this second book in the Luna Sisters historical romance series. This latest features middle sister, Isabel who is often overlooked and underappreciated as she secretly works as a spy gathering intelligence to help support the war in her home country of Mexico. When she bumps into covert British government agent, Captain Sirius Dawson, the sparks truly fly. Smart, steamy and full of heart, this is a moving slow burn with great sisterhood bonds, important insights into a period of Mexican-American 19th century politics and a swoony romance. Great on audio narrated by Ruby Hunt and highly recommended for fans of authors like Chantel Cleeton and Adriana Herrera. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed this one! I loved the first book in the series so I was very excited for this one. I felt that their connection was strong, but I wished there was some more dialogue. Overall, such an enjoyable read!

Thank you to Berkley for a copy of this novel; all opinions are my own.

This was a wonderful historical romance. If you’re a fan of the Wallflower Series by Lisa Kleypas, I really think you’ll like this. This kind of gave me Evie and St. Vincent vibes, slightly.

I loved our heroine: she’s the classic middle child but in this case is quietly the strength and hero that her family and her country needs.

I loved the way he loves her as well. He loves her to the point that he just wants to help her and if letting her go is the way to do that, then he’s not selfish about it.

I thought these two characters truly belong together and I loved seeing how their story unfolded. This was truly a beautiful historical romance with good political intrigue and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Mexican heiress vs British war hero turned covert agent. Isabel is determined to help Mexico’s fight against the French Occupation; even if it means going against what she starts feeling for a friend of her new brother-in-law.

I absolutely loved this story because it gave you authentic history and examples of how governments work when providing ‘aid’ to other struggling countries. I believe this story is going to be one of my top 10 reads of 2024 because of the authenticity of the characters.

Isabel is a fierce Latina who is headstrong in her own way and knows how to stay in the shadows. She is used to being overshadowed by her sisters who she has finally become to care for in a real sense of family. This book is exactly what I wanted when I was looking for authentic romance with characters who had families like mine. I appreciate the attention to detail and how in the end the book comes full circle.

Sirius is the ‘rogue’ who uses his good looks and charm to find out information for the British government after his stint in the war. I loved seeing the banter between Isabel and Sirius! I think he knew immediately that she tries to hide on her own and he is curious to find out why. The attraction between the two is instant but sullied because of the compromising position they first met in. I can’t help but love the way each character let the other choose what was best for themselves even if it was potentially at the expense of the growing love they held for one another.

This book makes me so excited to see what else will happen with the final Luna sister! I believe that I resonate as a Latina with all three of the sisters in some way rather than just one and I find that amazing. A storyteller like Liana De la Rosa is exactly who I want to buy and see more from! I can’t wait for what she releases next!

Gosh darn it, this second Luna Sisters book got me. I will always and forever be a sucker for a pining lead male falling for the invisible wallflower, and while this checked all those boxes, it was also rich with history. Throw in a little espionage and this was catnip for me. I think what kept it from a perfect 5 star for me was just a little bit of repetitive language and a bit of a dragging plot about 2/3rds through. However, this title still really shines, and if you enjoy any of the things listed above, it's well worth your time.

Isabel is the middle child of 3 girls and is often overlooked by others. She is very insecure over her looks due to years of being told she is not as “attractive” as compared to her sisters according to British standards (needless to say she is drop dead gorgeous despite said standards). Isabel is your typical bookworm looking for refuge in the words she reads and I found myself relating to her more than I thought I would. When Captain Dawson comes in and continuously intrudes on her time reading/spying on behalf of Mexico, she thinks it’s because he’s trying to throw her off. What she doesn’t know is that he’s been entranced by her since the moment he laid eyes on her.

I absolutely LOVED this book! If you watched and loved Anne with an E you’re gonna love this book. I felt that Isabel and Anne were very similar in their insecurities tied to their physical attributes, their witty comebacks, and their love for learning. And then you have Captain Dawson, who is like if Gilbert Blythe had met Colin Bridgerton (a proper rogue with a soft side). The two had chemistry that was sparking from the moment they met, all they needed was fuel for the fire. And let me tell you once that forced proximity entered the equation, nothing was going to separate Isabel from her man (except maybe the chance to go back home). ANYWAYS, for fans for Anne with and E and Bridgerton this book is 100% worth it!

Historical Romance for Introverts!
First off, I just want to point out the essence of Belle from Beauty & the Beast on the cover art. I love it!
Isabel is a super relatable lead for me as someone who prefers books to small talk. She has been tasked w/ sleuthing while in England to help her home country. I loved following along w/ her in this mission as well as witnessing the natural sexual tension between Isabel & Sirius. *fans self*
CW: gaslighting