Liana De la Rosa has solidly become one of my favorite historical romance writers with this book. I really enjoyed the first book with Ana Marie and Gideon, but this book I loved even more. As with the first one the romance is so well written and the characters and plot well thought out, but what really gets me is all the added historical context. It pulls me in, paints in the world the characters are in, adds depth and facets to an already multifaceted book. I appreciated the conversations and points made about British colonialism and problems with imperialism viewpoints and policies (especially about museums - a personal rant/talking point of mine too Isabel!) which is woven in to naturally into the story with one of the sweetest romances I've read in a while.

Isabel and Sirius are both so perfectly written, I am obsessed with both of them although I think Sirius might pull ahead a bit if only because how can you not love a sweetheart cinnamon roll like Sirius. Their romance and chemistry developed so naturally and was plotted to perfectly you couldn't help but fall for both of them too. I loved their banter, and side adventures so much. I also appreciated still getting more of the sister relationship, seeing that grow over the course of the two books makes the books even sweeter.

And after seeing the the Duke and Gabby (both separately shine, and banter together) I am impatiently waiting for the next book - and I hope many more books by a new auto-buy author.

I loved Ana Maria's story and I loved coming back to the Luna sisters to get to know Isabel better! I really enjoyed how different Isabel was from her sisters and watching her and Sirius work together was a delight!

Isabel might appear to just be a wallflower but in reality, she is looking for information to help the Mexican government in their war against France. Sirius is an agent for the crown so they decide to work together. I love watching them realize their attraction and explore it (sometimes when they should really be hiding quietly). Also if you loved the Bridgeton balloon scene I have to say this one has a better balloon scene.

I loved how Liana De la Rosa wove together history, intrigue, and romance to make a beautiful story! If you enjoy historical romance you'll love this one! I think it's hard for readers to not relate to a wallflower who is more than she seems.

I liked Isabel and the Rogue even more than the previous book. Isabel and Sirius were great characters and I was swooning over their romance. This book felt like it flowed better as well, definitely an overall improvement! Can’t wait to read Gabbys book next!

This book. This FREAKING book! I have been excited to read this ever since I read (and adored) Ana Maria and the Fox last year, and let me tell you Isabel and Sirius's story did not disappoint!

I utterly adored being able to read more of Isabel's perspective. She is one that any bookworm can relate to in so many ways, and I enjoyed being able to explore her insecurities, but I also loved how she came to recognize her strengths. I loved how determined she was to find something to help her country, and how she wanted to have a greater purpose outside of something like marriage. She was just such a compelling character to read, and she went on a wonderful journey of development over the course of this story.

Now I simply must talk about the one and only Sirius Dawson.

I. Am. Obsessed.

I enjoyed each and every moment of reading his perspective. He is continuously VEXED by his growing feelings for Isabel, and it was so dang fun to experience. I loved how he was one of the few people that truly saw and understood Isabel, her strengths, her amazing qualities, how wonderful she is, but I was also obsessed with how irrationally jealous he became when other people started to recognize it as well. He was simply a wonderful love interest for Isabel, and I loved watching hime come to terms with his past so he can pursue a future with her.

The relationship between Isabel and Sirius unfolded so naturally. They had such wonderful chemistry, and I loved every interaction between them, to the point that I wanted to speed through every other scene just so I could get the two together again. I also love where they ended up by the end of the story (but of course I won't be elaborating because that would be a spoiler). In short, they were everything I wanted and more, and a definite contender for favorite couple of the year so far.

As for supporting characters, Gabby was absolutely the MVP of this book for me. I loved how steadfastly supportive she was of Isabel, and how determined she was in trying to get Isabel to recognize her value. Every scene of hers in this book made me all the more excited to get to her story, from the glimmers of her dynamic with Whitfield to her fierceness as a character.

Overall, this one is for the introverted wallflowers, and I loved every moment of it. If you are looking for something to read while you wait for the rest of Bridgerton season three, then look no further than this book!

I like how in notes the author describes first thinking of the heroine as Jan Brady, the middle child who wants to be noticed. Isabel Luna Valdes' character grows from that beginning. This is the second in the Luna Sisters series and she is the middle sister. She is a Mexican heiress and as a wallflower in London society she can sneak away into libraries and studies hoping to find information that will help her beloved Mexico against its war with France. This is not an action packed spy adventure. But there is a lot of time searching for useful things. She meets Captain Sirius Dawson who works for the British Home Office. He is posing as a rake using his skill set to seduce ladies and make friends in the right places for information. Their paths of course cross with drawing attraction.

Spy tropes are a small percentage of historical romances and I like the unusualness of having a Latina heroine. But the spy plotting seems slow and the romance is typical. I did like how it all wraps up and also Isabel’s interactions with her sisters. I read easily as a stand alone and only read the blurb for the first book to get some background. (3.5 Stars)

Rating: 4/5 stars

In the second book in the Luna Sisters series, Isabel Luna is a wallflower tasked with spying on behalf of the Mexican government when her efforts bring her into collision with Captain Sirius Dawson—a spy in his own right and a man determined to be Isabel’s protector.

I enjoyed the first Luna Sisters book, ANA MARÍA AND THE FOX, and was excited for Isabel and Sirius’s story! The tropes in this one (wallflower coming out of her shell, some mild enemies/antagonists to lovers vibes) are some of my faves, and I thought Sirius was a super swoony leading man. This one was also much spicier than the first book, which I appreciated!

I also love the social and political commentary in these books, which is a welcome addition to any historical romance read (or really any romance read in general). Isabel and her sisters dealt with complicated issues of colonialism, colorism, and the theft of cultural antiquities, and I really appreciated that these topics were handled with care and nuance.

If you want a historical romance but with a non-Eurocentric focus, this series is for you! I would recommend reading in order, as this heavily references some of the key events from the first book.

CW: War/PTSD; colonialism; some sexism/racism/colorism

I really loved a lot about this book! I thought the politics were interesting, love reading about a time period/place that isn't represented much in romance (or history in general), and I really liked the romance!

The ending started off just a bit slow for me - once the romance really started going, the rest of the book flew by - the only other thing I struggled with was wishing Isabel just had a little bit more confidence as Sirius continued to tell her everything he loved about her and how impressive she is.

In the first half we get some great pining from Sirius which made me really excited for the romance to get going - and got going it did! The scenes were hot (under the desk in the library? say less)! I love how Sirius recognized early on that Isabel was so much more than she seemed. She used people's assumptions of her (namely that she was a wallflower) totally to her advantage even though she also was very much internalizing people's opinions and assumptions of her.

I also adored the ending and Sirius following Isabel to Mexico - I'm so glad the ending wasn't about her giving up her dream, even if it seemed like that dream didn't feel how she had always expected it to.

On another note, I think these books are just so inherently important so I will keep recommending them time and time again. I always strive to find books (particularly historicals) that are not euro-centric. And though these take place in Europe, they are really about Mexico and the sisters journeys in missing their homeland and furthering and fighting for it's interests while in England.

I was looking forward to reading this book after reading An Maria and the Fox and I am looking forward to reading the next book too. The story seemed to move slow and fast at the same time. I felt that there was not as much of a romance between the two and that it was rushed. But the story seemed to move at a much slower pace. It was interesting to learn the bits about the French and Mexico conflict/war.

✨𝑻𝒘𝒐 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑻𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒅𝒂𝒚 + 𝔸ℝℂ ℝ𝔼𝕍𝕀𝔼𝕎✨

ɪꜱᴀʙᴇʟ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏɢᴜᴇ ʙʏ ʟɪᴀɴᴀ ᴅᴇ ʟᴀ ʀᴏꜱᴀ (ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴜɴᴀ ꜱɪꜱᴛᴇʀꜱ, #2)

Let’s go back in time to my favorite Mexican heiress taking London society by storm! I really enjoy these books. They’re quick witted with banter, spice, and all the glitz & glam of Victorian England with a twist.

This book picks up exactly where we left off with the first one in the series only we get a closer look into the second Luna sister, Isabel. Initially, I totally wrote her off in Book One but here she was shining all the way thru. She did it for us wallflower bookworms! I loved our MMC Sirius too, he was a golden retriever but willing to do spicy stuff in libraries (IYKYK) 🤣. I finished this book with a smile on my face anticipating the next release!

I really am looking forward to the third installment, Gabby’s story.

Thank you to @netgalley @berkleyromance @berkleypub & @lianainbloom for an eARC in exchange for an honest review! 🤍

Pub Date 6•4•2024

#ArcReview #isabelandtherogue #lianadelarosa #berkleyromance #berkleypublishing #bookreview #netgalley #historicalromance #twofortuesday

I read this book in one sitting because I just could not put it down! If you love watching Bridgertton but would love to see any Latina representation, this is the book for you! Seriously, the way that Liana De la Rosa writes about Mexico and the love that the Luna sisters have for their home country fills my Mexican-American heart. I know what it is like to be away from Mexico and to want so much more for the country where I was born and where my ancestors' bones rest. In that way and many others, I just connect so deeply with the Luna sisters.

In the first book, I very much connected with Ana Maria's oldest daughter complex. Isabel does not have that, but she is the wallflower, the often-overlooked sister. That I very much identified with! Unbeknownst to her sisters, Isabel is on a secret mission while in England, one that Captain Sirius Dawson starts noticing. Once he notices Isabel, his eyes and mind cannot forget her. Sirius is a broken man, a war hero who struggles every day with the memory of war and has built a public persona to hide behind. It is exactly that persona that will initially repel Isabel, but as she spends more time with the handsome captain, it is clear that they both want and need so much more from each other.

Everything about this story was perfection and I can't wait to keep reading about the Luna sisters!

Thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing, Berkley Romance, and Penguin Random House for this copy of "Isabel and the Rogue."

This continues the story of the Luna sisters that started with "Ana Maria and the Fox" which I didn't read first but wish I had. I think I would have connected more with Isabel and Sirius if I had met them in the first book and followed their adventures with the Luna family from Mexico.

Isabel is the middle sister and she often thinks of herself as invisible since people tend to prefer her other sisters. So she feels more than capable of spying on the British to see if she can find any secrets to help with the French occupation of Mexico.

Little does she know that Sirius is also working for the British Home Office.

I liked the (new for me) historical perspective of British and Mexican foreign relations. It brought a different flair to Isabel and Sirius' romance.

Thank you Berkley Romance and PRH Audio for my gifted copies. All opinions are my own. Ana Maria and the Fox was one of my favorite books last year so I’ve been extremely excited for Isabel and the Rogue!

I really loved Isabel. She is so used to not being seen and being the quiet introverted sister. Isabel has been in England with her sisters for two years but she’s feel like she belongs.


She is determined to help her family by finding information about French movements. She’s know Sirius for a while as he’s a friend of her sister’s husband. He has a reputation as a rake so she’s sure he won’t be the one for her. They keep being thrown together as he’s working for the government.

I loved how Sirius saw Isabel for who she really was. There was so much tenderness between them. This is a unique series since it covers a part of history that I knew nothing about. The narration by Ruby Hunt was fantastic but I would also love a male narrator for Sirius’ part.

The second book in the Luna Sisters series, this book follows the introverted but determined lady Isabel as she works to spy for the country of Mexico while also falling in love. Isabel and the Rogue is set in the latter half of the nineteenth century, and this historical fiction story has two POVs: Isabel and Sirius. While Isabel secretly gathers information to send back to her home government, Sirius does the same for England. The two bump into each other quite often at events, setting off an attraction and affair that cannot be quashed. This book has romance, secrecy, swoonworthy emotional declarations, and lots of heartwarming sister moments between the three Luna sisters. (Please be warmed that there is mention of PTSD, as well as lots of spice!)

Overall, while I enjoyed learning more about the history of Mexico, England, and France, the story itself fell a little flat for me. It felt like the same scenes kept happening over and over, with neither main character being bold enough to take a stance and go after what they wanted until the end of the book. The romance was cute, though!

Thanks, NetGalley and Berkley, for the digital ARC!

Loved the representation but much like with the first book in the series, I feel like the romance took a backseat to everything else going on and that made it hard for me to root for Isabel and Sirius as a couple.

Isabel and The Rogue is a fantastic historical romance. If you are a fan of antagonists to lovers, spying and intrigue, with the bonus of a story featuring a Mexican main character, don’t miss Liana De la Rosa’s latest book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Isabel Luna always feels like the overlooked middle sister. Ana Maria and Gabby are more glamorous, but since the three began living in exile in London to escape war in Mexico, they have become much closer. Even her sisters don’t know that Isabel has been spying on the ton, though, and attempting to find information to help Mexico fight off the French. During one of these secret searches, she meets up with war veteran Sirius Dawson. Although she doesn’t know it, the dashing rogue is also searching for information. At first, they spar whenever they meet, but it’s soon obvious that there are other feelings involved. But can either indulge in romance while serving their separate countries?

I’m on the record as loving a romance that involves plenty of intrigue and banter, and Isabel and The Rogue excels on both counts. Not only do sparks fly every time Sirius and Isabel are in the same room, but they are both smart characters who can hold their own in any intellectual conversation. There is so much great chemistry and tension between them, and their steamy scenes are top notch.

Isabel is misjudged by everyone, and she’s rightfully frustrated that people constantly underestimate her, mostly because she’s an introverted woman of color. While Sirius initially writes her off, it’s satisfying to watch him realize the truth and finally appreciate the real Isabel. Besides being an amazing romance, this book shares so much about war in Mexico in the 1860s, and it’s a refreshing change from your average London ballroom story.

I adore Isabel and The Rogue. Any historical romance fan will love this story, but especially if you like smart, intelligent characters whose chemistry is off the charts. I can’t wait to see what Liana De la Rosa writes next.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was such a sweet and spicy historical romance! I truly was not expecting to enjoy this story as much as I did.

Watching the attraction between Sirius Isabel and Sirus grow was so exciting. Sirius was so swoon-worthy to me, especially since I am a total sucker for a British MMC. I went into this book expecting minimal spice, and I was pleasantly surprised by the steamy scenes! I absolutely loved their chemistry

Something that really stood out to me was the conversations surrounding colonialism and colorism. I've seen a lot of historical books conveniently leave out the not-so-nice aspects of those time periods, and I found it so refreshing that an author took the time to acknowledge those issues.

I loved the Latinx representation, the diversity, the history, the romance, I just loved everything! I haven't read the first book, Ana Maria and the Fox, but I will definitely have to read it after experiencing how good Liana's writing is!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkely Publishing for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Liana De la Rosa stuns again in Isabel and the Rogue! I was hooked before I even started the book because of Isabel. Isabel is the bookish heroine of my dreams. She's on a top secret mission for Mexico to ensure the safety of the Mexican government and her family during the French Occupation. She hasn't made much progress since the end of AMATF, but Captain Sirius Dawson flips that on his head when he finds Isabel sneaking around in another man's study again.

Isabel and Sirius really did something to my fragile little heart. There's plenty of spy antics and not-so-harrowing escapes, but the soft moments between Isabel and Sirius are the star of the show in my opinion. I'm a sucker for a reformed rake and Sirius is definitely one of my favorites of all time. He's just so swoony.

It's literally impossible not to root for Isabel. I walked away from this with a much deeper appreciation for sisterhood. Isabel and her sisters are the most realistic siblings I've read in a while. I'm begging everyone to pick up this series of interconnected historical romances!

Liana De la Rosa and her Luna sisters series are my new favorites on my historical fiction shelf. Ana Maria and the Fox was a stunning debut and Isabel and The Rogue is the sizzling follow up we have needed! Now give me Gabriella and her duke, they have to be next!

This is front-loaded with "enemy" impressions Isabel and Sirius have of one another from their time during the previous book, Ana Maria and the Fox, and I was just like, "OK, if you say so." I wish the vague enemies to lovers dynamic didn't rely so heavily on past squabbles, because it wasn't convincing. Couldn't something have happened NOW from which to draw fresh blood?

Anyway, I think this series adds diversity to historical romance. But I just don't like the writing. It's so expository, almost lecturing. I didn't finish Ana Maria and the Fox and I'm not going to finish this one. The characters don't have enough personality or depth; I feel nothing for them and, therefore, I'm not invested in their romance.

Thanks to the publisher for sending me a link. I appreciate it!

When two society spies meet, it's obviously true love. Isabel is the "overlooked" middle sister. She (and her political handler) think this means she's the perfect choice to skulk around townhouses in England digging up information that will help the Mexican cause against the French aggression. Sirius is her British counterpart, "enjoying" liaisons with women and cultivating friendships with men so that he can support the British cause. He also overlooks Isabel, until one day he realizes she's doing the same kind of sneaking around she is. They've both leveled their aims on the same target in the hopes of finding out information about the French. Isabel is allowing the man to court her, while Sirius is just wining and dining him. Too bad Sirius and Isabel can't keep their hands off when they're around each other...

This is a fun, high heat novel. These two similar characters share the same motivations, skills, and passions, so they're a great match. The ending was unexpected, but also perfect, and might have been the best part of the book (besides Sirius's absolute devotion to Isabel's pleasure, of course).

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.