Isabel and the Rogue by Liana De la Rosa
Historical Romance
June 4, 2024 by Berkley

Review by Melanie

The first book in the Luna Sisters trilogy was such a delight last year (you can find my review of it here) that I was eagerly anticipating the 2nd book in the series and let me just say, it did not disappoint. Isabel and the Rogue is the story of Isabel Luna, the middle sister, quiet and slightly awkward and overlooked in favor of her much more vicious younger sister. 

But Isabel, quiet as she may be, is also hiding a secret. Tasked by her country, she is spying to help Mexico’s president flee to safety and evade the French who are trying to take over her beloved Mexico. When she is caught in the wrong place at the wrong time by none other than former war hero Captain Sirius Dawson, who happens to be a current British Intelligence officer, the two join forces to further their own separate goals and find themselves wildly attracted to each other. 

I adore historical romances that go beyond the typical ballrooms and this book gives us a lot of actual historical context that goes well beyond Great Britain and also takes England to task for its colonizing behavior. Isabel, beneath her cool and calm exterior, is passionate about helping her country to retain its freedom and wanting to make her family proud. She is initially dismissive of Captain Dawson but soon finds herself attracted to him, even when she’s convinced that they couldn’t possibly have a future as she is determined to return to Mexico. 

Sirius, for his part, has his own demons to overcome, much of it leftover from his experiences in the war. He is determined to help Isabel, at first because he feels compelled to protect her and eventually because he simply can’t seem to stay away, his growing feelings for her overriding all else. 

It’s definitely a plot heavy book but the romance is not an afterthought. It is pretty obvious to see how these two characters who have a lot riding on both their respective shoulders manage to fall for each other through various ballroom shenanigans and library assignations and in one memorable instance, an unplanned ride on a hot air balloon. Theirs is a romance that feels fraught with tension and secrecy and urgency and a sense that the clock is ticking and time is not on their side. (Never fear, this is a romance novel after all and a HEA is guaranteed). 

It is also very steamy and Isabel, who doesn’t really consider herself as pretty as her sisters or worthy of admiration and notice, finds herself the attention of not just Sirius, the hero of this book, but a VIscount as well, the very man who may hold the key to what both Isabel and Sirius are searching for. 

We also get a glimpse of the couple in the first book, now settled and happy in married life as well as a tease of what’s to come with the final Luna sisters book (if my hunch is right and I do hope that it is, I am very eager for Gabriela’s book). The writing is rich and lush and the politics of the day plays a very important role in the overall story which is often missing in regency era historical romances. 

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting this gorgeous and vivid world and spending time with the Luna Sisters. The ending comes complete with a beautiful grand gesture that caused my heart to give a happy little sigh, and really, what more can you ask for from a romance novel than that. 

Grade: A