I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Sapphire Heiress by Ella Leon is a third person dual-POV historical fantasy romance set in Victorian England. Mae is half-Filipino and a disgraced former member of society who has taken a job as a governess for the family living in her old home. While there, she meets Ethan Locke, a former pirate and the fiancee of the daughter of Mae’s new employer.

The fantasy elements here are on the lighter side. Ethan Locke is a lot older than he appears, having worked alongside several generations of Mae’s family, and he aged about seven years when the sapphire keeping him young was stolen from him. We don't get a ton of information on how the sapphire became a sort of fountain of eternal youth nor how the serums work so well, but the rules do seem fairly firm. For the most part, this is more of a suspensful historical romance rather than an epic fantasy romance.

What I really liked was how Mae is both kind and understanding while also having a strong sense of self-preservation. She broke her engagement to a man who she knew was bad news despite knowing it would make her fall from grace in society. As a biracial woman in Victorian England, it put her in an extremely difficult spot, but her desire to be physically safe outweighed any need for security in a limited society and she figured out a way to secure her future once again.

Mae and Ethan’s relationship gets off on the wrong foot and it stays on the wrong foot for a little bit, mostly due to Ethan's actions and his inability to see past what he wants. He's fine hurting other people as long as he gets the sapphire back untill he sees just how his actions are impacting the people around him

Content warning for mentions of domestic abuse

I would recommend this to fans of historical romance looking for a light speculative element, readers of pirate romances who want a biracial lead, and those looking for a Victorian romance with intrigue focused on a governess