Ah this book, was sooo good! I loved Isabel more than Ana Maria. Definitely my favorite so far, I loved how Isabel was the shy middle sister. I really enjoyed her relationship with Captain Dawson, and just all the things he showed her how much he cared about her! *swoon*

Really enjoyed this romance with a perspective not usually present in historicals. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Isabel and the Rogue is listed as a historical fiction/romance. I feel like this book is more of a romance than historical fiction. The characters are lacking in depth and emotion. I found myself struggling to continue the story. It was by no means awful just not what I had hoped it would be.

After reading Ana Maria and the Fox I was super excited for Isabel's book, and I was not disappointed. I love how Liana De la Rosa gives us swoon-worthy historical romances that are also rich with historical context and information. I think the element of Isabel having to gather information and spy was really entertaining and added a memorable layer to this book. The romance was lovely, I am always looking for tension and this book definitely delivered that.

I am so excited for the third and final book of the Luna sisters series and can't wait to read Gabriela's arc.

Isabel and the Rogue was so great. Compelling, fast-paced, and a masterful blend of romance and adventure, with a deeply satisfying ending. I loved Isabel and Sirius. A must-read for fans of historical romance!

Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. The pacing felt off, and I struggled to connect with the characters. While I appreciated exploring more of the sisters' story, the first book was much stronger overall.

It was difficult for me to get into this book. I feel like the romance took awhile to develop and even when it started to show, I didn't feel the chemistry between the main couple. I love a good dual perspective book but this one just felt repetitive. Also, Isabel's constant inner monologue about how she's lacking was really frustrating. I also feel like there were some references to the first book, which I didn't read, so it took away from this story/plot.

3/5 Stars

This was a really fun time. I found “Ana Maria and the Fox” to be so incredibly delightful and refreshing, especially in the historical romance space, and even though I didn’t love this second book quite as much, I still enjoyed it.

This concept of two spies—but two people who are spies in very different capacities and for very different reasons—is such a fun idea for a romance. It creates a lot of opportunities for tension and conflict, especially when both characters are so unfailingly loyal to their respective cause.

Even though I didn’t fully connect with this couple, I do think they have great chemistry together. They endure so many entertaining hijinks and societal faux pas as they try to resist their growing attraction to each other. It’s just a good time all around.

Again, I had a good time. I just wanted a bit more from the story and the romantic arc. Regardless, I've been dying to read Gabriela's romance since book one, so I cannot WAIT to read the third and final book in this companion series!

Fantastic second novel in the series. I enjoyed the historical context in this as well as the romance. It was a little enemies to lovers-ish which was so fun. Really enjoying this series!

“I had no notion you kept track of my smiles,”
“They’re such rare events… and they change your fave so completely, it’s hard not to pay attention.”

Such a fun entertaining read! Loved reading about the Napoleons movement in Mexico.

✨THINGS✨
•Historical romance
•1865 London
•Mexican Heiress
•I’m a wallflower, I’m a rake
•Bookworms go on a Spy mission

What a delightful romp of a romance! The various plot factors - spying, romance, family relationships, etc - blend into a very readable and engaging story.
In short, wallflower Isabel, a daughter of the Mexican Aristocracy who is sheltering in England during wartime, actually acts as a spy for her country. The rogue, Sirius, is involved in similar spy work for the English government, and when his path crosses Isabel's in a way beyond the occasional nod, he finds himself wanting to protect her, never knowing of her own spy activities. Isabel perpetually outwits Sirius, while the two develop deeper understanding of each other and fall in love. When she finds a stash of letters that could turn the tide of the fighting in Mexico, she will do everything possible to send them onward.
The characters in the story are well developed while not overly prescribed, allowing the reader to draw their own details in imagination. The romance/attraction between the two main characters sounds true, and the secondary characters all contribute to plot movement. A wonderfully fun read.

Isabel and The Rouge by Liana De la Rosa is a book of war and romance and intrigue. The chemistry is red hot, and I love this unique take on the ton. I look forward to reading more from this author .

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

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!