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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Berkley and Liana De la Rosa for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review!
Isabel and the Rogue is a novel that tackles historical romance and political intrigue—not to mention that you have two bookworms trying to garner information that tends to lead to tension filled moments.
Read this if you are looking for a historical romance with representation and a strong female lead!
Isabel is our wallflower and despite that tag I enjoyed seeing her being so sure of what she wanted and going after it. She was hiding behind curtains and under desks, breaking and entering, all to protect her family and Mexico. She is brave and intelligent and I enjoyed her as a main character.
Having Sirius as her romantic partner felt like a perfect fit. Like her, he enjoys novels, but what sent that over the edge was that he read and stocked his library with what he thought she might enjoy. SWOON. Not to spoil anything but him reciting poetry to her in THAT scene! The dynamic between the two was swoon worthy.
Although I enjoyed the story and the characters I think I felt some sort of disconnect with the novel overall which made this book not be a 5 star read. There were moments where we would get a recap of conversations and moments and I wish we could have gotten dialogue instead to build more foundation for the characters and the relationships involved throughout the narrative. I also wished we would have gotten more detail or action with the political espionage portion of the story. There were times where it felt like not much was happening there and although that felt intentional at times, it would have amped up the tension and pace of the story if there had just been more to it.
I also commend Liana de la Rosa for having such strong female leads in her novels. There is a scene in the book where Isabel and her sister, Gabby, tackle the conversation of colonization and the theft of cultural artifacts with a professor and I think it was wonderfully done.
Despite this being a historical fiction novel I honestly felt like I learned so much. I had never heard of Sor Juana Inéz de la Cruz and since having read this book I have looked up the history behind her being.
Isabel and the Rogue is a novel that tackles historical romance and political intrigue—not to mention that you have two bookworms trying to garner information that tends to lead to tension filled moments.
Read this if you are looking for a historical romance with representation and a strong female lead!
Isabel is our wallflower and despite that tag I enjoyed seeing her being so sure of what she wanted and going after it. She was hiding behind curtains and under desks, breaking and entering, all to protect her family and Mexico. She is brave and intelligent and I enjoyed her as a main character.
Having Sirius as her romantic partner felt like a perfect fit. Like her, he enjoys novels, but what sent that over the edge was that he read and stocked his library with what he thought she might enjoy. SWOON. Not to spoil anything but him reciting poetry to her in THAT scene! The dynamic between the two was swoon worthy.
Although I enjoyed the story and the characters I think I felt some sort of disconnect with the novel overall which made this book not be a 5 star read. There were moments where we would get a recap of conversations and moments and I wish we could have gotten dialogue instead to build more foundation for the characters and the relationships involved throughout the narrative. I also wished we would have gotten more detail or action with the political espionage portion of the story. There were times where it felt like not much was happening there and although that felt intentional at times, it would have amped up the tension and pace of the story if there had just been more to it.
I also commend Liana de la Rosa for having such strong female leads in her novels. There is a scene in the book where Isabel and her sister, Gabby, tackle the conversation of colonization and the theft of cultural artifacts with a professor and I think it was wonderfully done.
Despite this being a historical fiction novel I honestly felt like I learned so much. I had never heard of Sor Juana Inéz de la Cruz and since having read this book I have looked up the history behind her being.
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was kind of hoping for more spying and subterfuge in this book, but it was more slow paced/slow burn for the romance, and more on Isabel's desire to return to Mexico. I was generally satisfied with the story, but did wish for more elements of the spying storylines.
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
So good!!!! The interplay between the historical (with an anti colonial perspective) and the romantic was divine. Isabel and the Rogue is book two in the Luna Sisters series and really builds off the first book Ana Maria and the Fox. While Ana Maria did a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of establishing the historical setting and laying out the political context, Isabel is able to focus a bit more on the romantic relationship development between Isabel and Sirius. This installment also builds on repairing the sisterly bonds between Gabby and Isabel, as Ana Maria is mainly off page, a theme that was explored in book one. The espionage plot, the banter between MCs, the urgent political tension: they all came together in a lovely little package. This book reinforced my belief that there need to be more Latine MCs in historical romance!
Book tropes/elements I loved:
Book tropes/elements I loved:
- A Crimean war hero MMC
- A Mexican FMC with Purepecha ancestry
- Spying for their respective political interests
- Banter that builds tension
- “Help me use my feminine wiles for espionage”
- A bookish wallflower who shines
- Lots of references to Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz
- A HEA outside of England!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: War
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes