I liked the way the female lead was portrayed as a wallflower but turned out to be so much more than that. This is a book for the invisible middle child so often living in the shadows of an older and younger siblings. The book was notable as it recorded events that do not appear in UK history books, the conflicts that Mexico went through in order to establish its identity in its own right. What was also interesting is the book suggested, with credibility, that the reason the French did not intervene in the American Civil War on the side of the Confederates is that they were preoccupied with its own campaign in Mexico. These underlying themes bolstered an already lively narrative between a headstrong female and a virile, compassionate yet wounded male who himself was suffering the effects of involvement in the Crimean War. An excellent read.

I recently read the first book in this series and was a bit underwhelmed, but this book everything I wanted the first one to be.

We got to see a beautiful relationship bloom between two people so buried in their believed flaws and saw them flourish as the individuals they truly are whilst falling in love with each other.

The pacing of Isabel and Sirius’s story was every I wanted for Ana Maria and Gideon. A story of yearning and true love. I’m honestly so excited for Gabby’s story now.

Isabel and Sirius. This is everything I could want in historical fiction. The wider setting taught me about historical events I knew nothing about, a brave and clever female heroine achieves so much as she learns and grows, plus an engaging and imperfect male hero who supports our heroine. It's deep and thoughtful and so satisfying a read.

The romance between Isabel and Sirius is set against a broader background than just what's happening in England. The Mexican details are historically correct, with real historical figures woven into the fiction. This adds tension and just makes it so much more textured and interesting. I loved it!

Isabel is complicated - she's brave and clever and ambitious, but also insecure. Her motives are to achieve something - approval from her father, help for her country but also vindication for herself. Sirius' motives are around his own redemption. Put simply, he helps Isabel 'because he can', but there's more to it. This is pacy, and steamy (so delicious 🌶🌶) and also tender and kind. Sirius yearns for Isabel, and doesn't believe he deserves her. There's plenty of momentum with the spying angle, I was desperate for Isabel to be safe. So good.

Thank you NetGalley, Piatkus and Liana De La Rosa for the ARC. Such a privilege to read - opinions are my own.

After enjoying Ana María and the Fox, I was quick to request to review Isabel and the Rogue, especially with how much Isabel intrigued me in the first book. She's the quieter of the Luna sisters, not as charming an Ana María, nor as beautiful as Gabby, worse than the spare in her fathers eyes, the one he could do nothing with. Isabel has learnt the power in being the wallflower, using her seeming invisibility to steal in and out of rooms, trying to learn what she can about the French invasion of Mexico. But simmering beneath all of that is a woman with a mind desperate to learn new things, someone passionate and full of opinions if only someone would take the time to listen. She is definitely my favourite of the Luna sisters so far, someone so resigned to a life without love, she can't seem to notice it when it's right in front of her.

Enter Captain Sirius Dawson. Sirius works for the Home Office, using his charm and wiles to spy on members of the nobility. Known as a rake, something his first meeting with Isabel certainly cemented in her mind, he is someone who believes he doesn't deserve love, happiness, not when so many of his men from the war never made it home to find it for themselves. Despite all that, he can't help but feel drawn to Isabel, more than any woman before. For her beauty, certainly, but also for her sharp wit and mind. In fact the main reason I fell in love with him was that he seemed more interested in discussing books with Isabel than anything else... Swoon.

My one irk with these book is that I don't feel we get as much romance as we deserve. Don't get me wrong, what we get is excellent, it's swoony and steamy and romantic as hell, but I do feel that De La Rosa spends more time on the political elements of her story than the romances... which is absolutely fine, I love romances that have something you can sink your teeth into, but I just wanted more. I felt their relationship progressed so quickly because of the lack of scenes, but it could just be me being picky and absolutely don't let this put you off because the political elements were really interesting, and I enjoyed learning about this period in history from a different viewpoint, that of Mexico who had been fought over more times than it could count. I especially enjoyed seeing it all through Isabel's viewpoint, someone so desperate to help her people, her parents, that she would risk herself looking for information.

The romance was slow burn, up until about 50% and then it shot off like a hot rocket... quite literally. I was a little surprised at how quickly they became intimate, but not at all disappointed because boy was it hot as hell. These two idiots in love had me laughing at their antics, as well as getting a little hot under the collar in parts, but despite the steamy parts being truly excellent, the parts of their relationship I really loved was seeing them slowly come to realise that they deserve something special. Both of these characters are resigned to loveless lives, but through each other they start to question whether they might not have the chance at something more. It's certainly not an easy relationship, there's plenty of tension and heartbreak, but the swoonworthy ending makes it all worthwhile.


Despite me not getting quite as much romance as I would have liked, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Perfect for romance lovers who like a sub-plot well built enough to sink your teeth into. Despite knowing who Isabel would end up with we never loose any tension and the slow burn to absolute romantic take off was sublime. I can't wait to get my hands on Gabby's book now.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown for allowing me to read an ARC of Isabel and the Rogue.

Isabel and the Rogue is a regency era romance from Liana De la Rosa. It follows Isabel, one of the Luna sisters, on her journey of espionage and love.

I'm always up for a good historical romance, but this took my enjoyment a step further. Isabel's quest for information regarding the French invasion of Mexico provides readers with important educational moments regarding a real part of France and Mexico's history. Further to this, De la Rosa's discusses Isabel and her sisters' reception in England, including micro-aggressions and further rude and harmful comments made by members of the "Ton". These are woven into the course of the story, and demonstrate a new and essential path for historical romance. One which discusses the flaws of those societies, and of our society today.

I thoroughly enjoyed this compelling read.

Thank you NetGalley for the E-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this! This is my first time reading from the author Liana De la Rosa and reading this book has really encouraged me to read more from her. I loved the history from the time the book takes place in, the world felt a lot more accessible to read about than some other books I’ve read that are also set in the same periods. The tension and the pining between Isabel and Sirius was immaculate!

I enjoyed this installment more than the first one! It was very endearing and full of pining!
"Isabel and the Rouge" is the second book in a series centered around three Luna sisters compelled to leave their native Mexico and relocate to England due to the French invasion of 1861. Credit must be given to the author for the great idea of blending classic romances set in Victorian England with a historical backdrop from another hemisphere. The sisters are driven by their concern for their homeland and the well-being of their loved ones left behind.

The main characters in this book are Isabel, the middle sister, and Sirius, a former military officer turned secret agent for the Home Office. It is the desire to uncover secret information of national importance that brings the characters together. I absolutely adored the dynamic between them! Isabel, reserved and shy, struggles to acknowledge her feelings for Sirius, masking them with distant behavior and apparent indifference. Sirius, meanwhile, hides his true self behind his reputation as a rogue and troublemaker. Yet, as time unfolds, their mutual affection becomes increasingly evident. The narrative is rich with longing and yearning, creating an intense emotional experience that truly captivates the reader. It's a delightful blend of romantic tension that keeps you turning the pages.

As a Mexican woman with non-white skin, Isabela often encounters racism in England and struggles with cultural appropriation. It's commendable that the author incorporates a strong message condemning colonialism into the narrative. While these themes may not be deeply explored, the inclusion of social commentary within individual dialogues enhances the reading experience of this romance novel.

The only aspect of the book that left me slightly disappointed was the somewhat abrupt ending. It's not a major flaw, and I don't want to reveal any spoilers, but after such an intense build-up of emotional tension, I felt that a more satisfying conclusion (meaning: more developed and longer) would have been beneficial. I expected to find it in the epilogue, but unfortunately, there isn't one.

All in all, I think "Isabel and the Rouge" is a fantastic example of a well-written, engaging historical romance with valuable social commentary and good representation. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all fans of the genre, even those who haven't read the first part, as "Isabel and the Rouge" can be enjoyed as a standalone novel.

My review will be published on Goodreads and on retailers' websites within two weeks prior to the release day.

Thanks so much to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.


The lovey-dovey part was like only 25% of what was going on, but I really liked the cool history and the whole world De la Rosa built. I wished there was a bit more at the end showing them being happy together, you know, like a bonus scene. Most of the story felt like spying and sneaky stuff, not really action-packed though.

Isabel and Sirius were kind of fighting a lot at first, so when they finally got together at the end, it was super sweet. But seriously, they were so into each other! It's kind of like Ana María and the Fox, not super lovey-dovey, but definitely hotter.

About halfway through is when things started heating up between them. I was totally surprised when they finally kissed under the desk, considering how slow things were before that. But hey, it was steamy, so I wasn't complaining!

I think they should've had more chemistry moments in the beginning to keep the romance going strong. The spy stuff was dragging a bit, with all the waiting for letters and whatnot. Adding more romantic moments would've made it more exciting and kept things moving.

I wished Isabel stood up to Lady Needham more. She was such a jerk, and nobody really called her out on it. And Isabel kept doubting Sirius's feelings for her, which got old fast, but he really proved himself in the end.

I loved seeing Isabel bond with her sisters more and I can't wait for Gabby's story. She seems like she's going to be a firecracker! I hope her love interest is totally smitten with her.