The British ton, and romance readers everywhere are startled by the arrival of the Luna Sisters after they narrowly escape their home in Mexico in the midst of the French Intervention.

While the circumstances are less than ideal especially with the threat of never returning home, the girls are slightly heady with excitment. In Mexico they had been shackled by their father’s high position in government and his expectations for them to reflect well on him. They were in a constant competition for affection that could never be won. But now, their uncle is telling them to ignore their father’s orders to lay low. They’re to be the faces of Mexico in order to garner British support and in the process, they find their own worth and possibly fall in love. . .

This was totally not Ana María’s plan.

As the eldest, Ana María fulfilled the role of the good girl, the perfectionist. The woman is nearing twenty five and she never even sneaked a sip of alcohol, that is how important following the rules are to her. She’s the classic older child and she resented the high expectations placed on her from her father. Always held up as an example while her sisters got away with things, the first to be traded for marriage to a man who openly flaunts his mistress. So even though, she’s a bit excited of the prospect of breaking some of her father’s rules now that she’s out of his stern gaze, she finds the British ton has another set of rules, conciding her to more harsh judgement because she’s a foreign woman that smiles too much, laughs too loudy and dares to wear magenta.

But not all of the ton is turned off by her exoticism. Gideon Fox was a poor boy, grandson of an enslaved woman. But has now drove himself up the ranks to become a star in Parliment and is using his role to force Britain to become a power against international slave trade. Furthermore, this is the year he has finally been invited to the ton’s parties without being openly scorned. Not that he enjoys these parties with the passive-aggressive/suspicious stares by those who think he lost his place. But they’re a necessary evil to get allies for his cause.

And it’s at this party, Ana María and Gideon meet and as much as they try to remember their responsibilities, they cannot help but be intrigued by the other. By this person that seems to understand the pressure of responsibilities, and the struggles of being an outsider, and a willingness to call out the hypocrisy of the ton that only favors white, Euro-centric Westernizers like themselves.

Rosa builds on these commonalities foremost. In fact, this book is more romantic than sexual-charged. (Don’t worry it’s there, but it is certainly not driving the characters as it does in other HRs). I feel like there is a sweetness and friendship built here that makes it more fulfilling when they are forced together in less than ideal circumstances. You know it’s coming and though their marriage is under duress, they both feel its right.

As for the characters individually, I enjoyed Ana María’s journey as she realizes that even though she’s flouting some of her father’s rules, she couldn’t escape recriminations from others. This leads to her development as she learns not to base her self worth on being the perfect older daughter, on being accepted and meeting expectations-her father’s or the ton’s. She can and should chase for her own happiness on her own terms.

This coincides with lessons on the importance of sisterhood. As I mentioned above, the sisters’ previous relationship was characterized by competition. While it is mentioned often, the readers are privvy to the present as the girls now seize the chance to really get to know the other and come to form their own sense of solidarity that they wished they had before. They never knew they needed the support of the others but it makes them stronger. It’s heartwarming but I still wish we got some flashbacks of how their limited and hostile they were to each other before.

Meanwhile, Gideon learns to accept love as it comes to him and that it’s not a hinderance to his work which often focuses more on reputation than on the content he’s delivering. He had been so focused on his goal, he sort of has forgotten to live for himself instead of live to right the wrongs thrust upon his grandmother. This is referenced numerous times in that Ana María is the first person to have made him smile. A dour public servant to a man in love. . . just so romantic.

Yet it still feels like Gideon was a side character even though he was a co-protagonist and had shared about the same number of pages. Readers are given insight to his family, his close circle of friends (that are discreetly but also very obviously set up to match with Ana María’s sisters) so readers get the idea that Gideon had a full life and independent circle of his own before he met Ana María but it still felt vague.

That might be because this is a historical and Rosa wants to fit in as much information as she could. I’ll admit I found this as fascinating as the romance since there’s little focus of it in the U.S. Rosa was inspired to write this as she came across immigration records that a large group of Mexicans immigrated to Europe to escape the Second French Intervention. Yeah, it’s true but you never see that in regency dramas.

It was also a time when the U.S. was involved in their Civil War bringing the question of slavery back into the public sphere. Britain had banned slavery in the Lyons-Seaward Treaty and were working to surpress the trade in international waters. Gideon’s work is trying to increase the jurisdiction of the Treaty by having Britain stand by its word and prevent the continued trade of slaves from Liberia, Brazil, the Congo etc.

This led to plenty of fascinating discussions between Gideon, Ana María and others on the double standards towards females in society, Mexican social heirarchy with an emphasis on classism, the effects of Spanish colonization, and how Western standards are considered the norm. But it is white western standards as Mexico is technically western but they’re derided as a barbaric, inhuman race in newspaper. Yes, Rosa used literal quote from the time and that’s what the Brits thought of them, they celebrated the French invasion which only makes it more imperative to the Luna sisters that they show their country’s art, intellgence and humanity.

Part of showing off Mexico’s beauty is confronting colorism, which is also a big thing in Mexico, as evidenced by the treatment of the middle sister, Isabel, who is darker and more indigenous than her sisters. She’s never been called the beauty and when she’s offered skin-bleaching cream, the sisters support her as best as they can to make up for their compliant acceptance before.

It’s all very centered on the Luna Sisters. While Gideon also deals with microaggressive comments/looks, and feels uncomfortable with being served by others, knowing how he would have been considered just a domestic if he was born years before, it feels like its overshadowed. I expected more outward scorn despite his high position in Parliment but maybe it really was less rigid in Britain.

Rosa mentioned in the author’s note that early versions of the book had discussions on abolition in Mexico and Britain and the place of Afro-Mexicans in society. These were scrapped but I wished she had kept it in to add to Gideon’s experiences.

Small spoiler alert but there is a kidnapping involved and I know it’s a divisive trope and I had often commented in other romances that they felt unecessary, this one was fine. It felt well-forshadowed, and fitting with the tumulteous political scene of the day.

A lovely romance filled with historical flair, important messaging and the heartwarming bonds of sisterhood. I can’t wait to read Isabel and the Rogue next.