I loved this book! It had everything I love about historical romances but with a breathe of fresh air with the inclusion of Caribbean cultures. Luz was such a strong woman but we got to see her soft and vulnerable side when it came to her career. Just all around great intro from Herrera into historical romance and I cant wait to read the rest of the series.

I’m so glad I picked up this book! When people say representation matters, it includes romance books! How wonderful to see a strong, Domincan Latina as the lead character. Thank you Adriana Herrera for writing a fun, historically accurate book. Will recommend to all readers looking for some spice, fake dating recommend.

A CARIBBEAN HEIRESS IN PARIS is Book #1 in a new series by Adriana Herrera. Luz Alana Heith-Benzan, a Scottish and Dominican woman, is trying to establish herself and expand her family’s rum business. She encounters James Evanston “Evan” Sinclair under not so pleasant circumstances, as they have claimed the same area to showcase spirits at a distillery expo and competition in Paris. Evan is described as irritatingly handsome and an attractive nuisance, but Luz Alana is trying to remain professional. Evan, the Earl of Darnick and heir apparent to a Duke, finally has something he is passionate about…his Whiskey enterprise. He is amused by the spit fire of a woman he encounters at the expo.

Evan has never gotten over a betrayal by his father. He’s also trying to right some wrongs that were done to his mother, who died seven years ago. With a mysterious ally’s help, he has an opportunity to take control of his family distillery if he makes the right moves. Luz is stuck between a rock and a hard place, being a woman of color. Her deceased father, as a sign of the historical times, left someone else in control of her inheritance. Luz and Evan realize they have a lot in common in dealing with grief and can also help each other achieve their goals. Luz experiences more sexism than racism and Evan finds himself coming to the rescue.

As part of the expo festivities, Luz and Evan attended an erotic “show”. Evan and Luz have mastered the art of flirting and a kiss is bound to happen. A second kiss leads to a third. Ms. Herrera writes an independent heroine, who despite her inexperience, has no problem expressing what she wants, in and out of the bedroom. Evan is caught off guard but quickly catches up. Lust leads to love but may not be enough to sustain them past their business arrangement. They are uninhibited physically, but communication of their feelings is lacking.

Ms. Herrera explores the history of the heroine and hero, tapping into their Scottish and Dominican genealogies. I enjoyed the use of imagery and clever phrases. She describes someone looking at Evan “as if he hung the moon.” Secondary characters round out this interesting story, including Evan’s siblings. Luz’s friend, Manuela, has a feisty personality. Evan is charmed by Luz’s ten-year-old sister, Clarita, from the beginning, who in a “from the mouth of babes” moment, provides the solution that Luz and Evan need.

I really enjoyed A CARIBBEAN HEIRESS IN PARIS and look forward to the next book in the series.

A Caribbean Heiress in Paris is a new sexy book by Adriana Herrera. Luz Alana Heith-Benzan, a Scottish and Dominican woman, is trying to establish herself and expand her family’s rum business. James Evanston “Evan” Sinclair is described as irritatingly handsome and an attractive nuisance. Evan is amused by the spit fire of a woman he encounters at the expo.

I like how the author writes about what Luz and Evan have in common; dealing with grief and realizing they can help each other achieve their goals. Luz experiences more sexism than racism and Evan finds himself coming to the rescue.

It is interesting how Luz and Evan are drawn even closer together when they attend an erotic “show”. Evan and Luz have mastered the art of flirting and a kiss is bound to happen. A second kiss leads to a third. Ms. Herrera writes an independent heroine, who despite her inexperience, has no problem expressing what she wants, in and out of the bedroom. Lust leads to love but may not be enough to sustain them past their business arrangement. I really enjoyed A Caribbean Heiress in Paris, and look forward to what’s next.

Luz Alana Heith-Benzan, heroine of Adriana Herrera's A Caribbean Heiress in Paris, has inherited her family's Caña Brava rum distillery and knows three things to be true: "First, corsets in the tropics were the purest form of evil. Second, a woman attempting to thrive in a man's world must always have a plan. Third, a flask full of fine rum and a pistol served well in almost any emergency." When she unexpectedly finds herself at the helm of the family business following her father's untimely death, she takes her corsets to the Exposition Universelle in Paris. She plans to grow a market for her products--with a flask of rum and a pistol strapped to her thigh, just in case. At the exposition, she meets the dashing James Evanston Sinclair, also heir to a distillery and one of the few men at the exposition willing to work with her.

Herrera (One Week to Claim It All) adheres to the happily-ever-after agreements of the historical romance genre without shying away from the often harsh realities of what a strong Black Latina might experience amid the rampant sexism and racism of late 19th-century Europe. Even the cooperative business model of Caña Brava, designed as "an experiment in what industry without exploitation could be," acknowledges the realities of the time period while imagining something better. In this first of a planned series (Las Leonas), readers will find it impossible not to root for the underdog couple, determined to right the wrongs done to them and those they love--including one another. --Kerry McHugh, freelance writer

This was a wonderful read and such a breath of fresh air! An accurate historical romance centered about the Dominican Republic and the Las Leonas. One of my favorite tropes of marriage of convenience and the banter, love it!

THE 411...

☆☆ 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐋𝐮𝐳 𝐀𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐇𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡-𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐳𝐚𝐧 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬. 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭, 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥. 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝, 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐧’𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝, 𝐚 𝐟 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲. ☆☆╮

A Caribbean Heiress in Paris is Historical Romance with flavor, heart and heat! Our Dominican Scottish MC is traveling to The Exposition Universelle from Santo Domingo with three hundred casks of her family made rum Caña Brava. Unfortunately she has also lost her father and their family owned Rum business is not quite fully under her control. The only way to regain it is by marrying and having her husband then release ownership of it to her. Evan Sinclair is in a similar boat, only he has a toxic father in control of the inheritance his mother has left him as a future wedding gift. Luz is business savvy, knows what she wants and speaks her truths. She can spot a business opportunity like the best of them, and a marriage of convenience with a hot Scott? Why not?

Luz Alana has her work cut out for her, she's now her little sister's care taker as well as the oldest living heir to the family owned buisness in a misogynistic world. She's looking to continue growing her brand but those who are in the business of selling spirits (white privileged men) aren't inclined to make it easier for her. We see Luz challenge micro-agressions with wit and a spitfire personality. We see her love interest Evan attempt to handle any who step out of line but it's not really necessary, Luz can hold her own and makes sure Evan knows it. Still, it is nice knowing he is willing to go to bat for her if need be. 

WRITING & FINAL THOUGHTS...

This is only the second Historical Romance I've picked up, the first being Sarah Maclean's Bombshell which also featured a feminist heroine who is fiercely independent. I'm convinced now that I've read Luz Alana's story arc that so long as the heroine is a no-nonsense call it like she sees it type, I will love the story! Luz addresses the fact that the generational wealth from which Evan will benefit comes from the slave trade. Evan in turn quickly acknowledges that to be a disgraceful truth.

"You are correct, yours is a legacy to be proud of. Mine, on the other hand, only warrants being razed to the ground."

What I loved most is the way Luz and Evan's relationship developed. Sure he was smitten from the moment he laid eyes on her but first and foremost he gave her props and admired the business woman in her. They also had grade A communication and thankfully the miscommunication trope does not rear it's ugly head. There are some things that aren't immediately disclosed since there is a revenge subplot but it wasn't anything that couldn't be explained and worked through. I absolutely LOVED this book and cannot wait to read stories from Luz's girlfriends aka The Leonas who both piqued my curiosity.

I have a weakness for both Scottish and Caribbean characters, so when I saw that A Caribbean Heiress in Paris paired a business savvy Dominican heroine with a progressive Scottish earl, I knew I wanted to try it. And since Claudia loves historical romances, I begged her to read it with me...

I liked that this swoony romance explored the many links between Europe and its Caribbean colonies, but it started slow, and I found myself wanting more emotional growth...

We think readers who like their romances rooted in real history, who also appreciate hopeful historical stories that acknowledge the discrimination characters had to face, might like this. The pacing and the other issues we mentioned made this fall a bit short.

I found this book to be a delight! The characters drew me in from the opening line. I have purchased this one for my personal collection as well as for my library. I am a Herrera fan!

Just when you think that Adriana Herrera can't possible get more awesome she graces the world with this gem! The story is all prim and proper historical mixed with mega steamy hotness, epic banter, and a marriage of convenience. This book is about female empowerment, bucking against the patriarchy, following your heart, and owning your sexuality but it is also about family, friendships, multicultural romance, and tradition. The dialogue and the story were so smooth you hardly feel like you are reading and the descriptions truly set the scene. My only criticism is that the next book in teh series isn't out yet because I want to binge the series!!

I loved this. I haven't watched bridgerton but it gave those vibes but so much better. I absolutely loved the leonas and the fiery Luz Alana. this had so much steam and lots of great backstory. I enjoyed the storylines of both main characters and can't wait for the next story in this series

A historical romance that does a strong heroine right! There was so much to learn in this story, about Dominicans, Paris, women making booze. Luz Alana is a rum distiller in Paris to make business connections. Evan is an Earl who owns a whisky distillery in Paris for some of his own reasons.

The story deviated from a traditional historical in a lot of ways. It was written by a BIPOC about BIPOCs living their best lives. A strong female character with an agenda that does not include a man. Both main characters had friends! And they were in the story. I really liked this heroine, she felt real. There was a point where I got a little frustrated and just wanted the characters to talk to each other, but then some major, telenovela-level drama started and I was hooked. I was thinking 3 stars in the middle, but those last few chapters pushed it into 5 stars for me. Very spicy scenes, and very good characters. I can't wait to read where she goes with the rest of the series.

*I was provided a free advanced copy of the book in exchange for a review.

Absolutely Thrilling! Hot and steamy from the very beginning with a heroine so bold and feisty it makes you want to be her friend. Herrera has created a beautiful, evocative romance that not only makes you feel, but makes you think. A Caribbean Heiress in Paris is a breathe of fresh air in the white centric genre of gilded age romance.

A total blast to read! A Caribbean Heiress in Paris was fast paced, fun, and sexy. The characters leapt off the page and had a ton of fun shenanigans, and I will definitely read a sequel, it was well set up for one! It stumbles a bit plot-wise in places but I found the attraction and chemistry between our hero and heroine to be worth reading through some of the rougher patches. Good stuff! Thanks netgalley for the copy.

ℂ𝕒𝕣𝕚𝕓𝕓𝕖𝕒𝕟 ℍ𝕖𝕚𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕤 𝕀𝕟 ℙ𝕒𝕣𝕚𝕤
Adriana Herrera
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TW- Racism, death of loved one, parental abandonment, toxic family traits, sexism

Luz Alan is a Leona. In all sense of the word. She travels from Sanyo Domingo to Europe after the death of her father. Along with Clarita (her sister) and her closest friends, they plan on expanding her fathers rum business. A woman in the late 1800’s trying to do business is already hard enough. Throw in there the fact she’s a woman of color, makes things harder.
NOW throw in Evan, a handsome Scotsman who is trying to separate from his family name/title Earl of Darnick. From the moment he lays eyes on Luz Alana, he is head over heels. He’s smitten. He sees and thinks of nothing but her. The banter and build up to these two was something I looked forward to every time I opened my kindle to read.

If you like marriage of convenience, hot and steamy scenes, a strong and powerful badass female main character AND she’s Latina, you need to read this book. Full of history, important discussions and an epic love story in Evan and Luz Alana. Gracias Adriana for this beautiful story! Bring on the Leonas!

I did not love this book. I liked the first 30% and the last 20% but everything else made me want to rip my hair out.

There was such a lack of communication and jumping to conclusions and both of them giving the other person mixed signals. It was so annoying.

Rating: 3.5 stars

A Caribbean Heiress In Paris is such a strong introduction into the Las Leonas series and I adored it so much! As someone who dreams of going to Paris, I had the best time reading about Luz Alana and her journey!

Evan had me from the first mention of him, he’s broody and I love him haha! The chemistry between him and Luz Alana though, HOT! I’ve definitely read spicer things but I could not help but blush during this entire book because it was just so swoon worthy!

This book is the perfect combination of funny and sexy and it is probably my favorite historical romance that I’ve ever read, I would definitely recommend this to everyone. I think especially for people who are new to reading historical romance!

I am very much looking forward to the next book in the series!

We need more historical romance like this, that marries tried-and-true romance tropes with new settings and characters. Luz Alana is headed to Paris as a part of the Dominican delegation at the Exposition Universelle in 1880s Paris. She is there to sell her rum to buyers from all around the world. Evan is also in Paris, representing his Scottish whiskey distillery. They meet cute due to a logistics mishap that places them in the same space. Soon they realize that they're wildly attracted to one another AND that a marriage between them would solve some inheritance shenanigans for both of them. It's a marriage of convenience made in heaven - and they both know it's temporary, so what could go wrong?

Adriana Herrera has written a fun romance that complies with genre conventions (a Scottish earl marrying a plucky heiress? Yes please!) while also expanding the romance world to include queer characters and characters of color. Luz is a Black Dominican business owner, while Evan the heir to a Scottish dukedom who is dealing with his family's fraught past. The book takes on racism, the British aristocracy's history of profiting from slavery, and the historical perception of interracial relationships with nuance. At the same time, it's a successful romance with an appealing couple and a happily ever after you can believe in.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, this book bangs! Even if you've never specifically fantasized about a nighttime tryst on the observation deck of the Eiffel Tower, you can see the appeal. Plus Evan is a bearded Scot who takes care of all the birth control logistics. They might be grappling with their relationship outside of the bedroom, but inside, they're just grappling with each other and it's real hot.

• Name of the publication/blog/outlet where your review will be published/posted: Plot Trysts
• Run date for when the review will be posted/published: 06/03/2022

I’ve been fangirling about this book since it was announced—a historical romance, featuring a Dominican main character? Who makes rum? And falls for a sexy Scottish distiller? SIGN ME UP.

I am so grateful to have received an early copy and glad to say this book did not disappoint. It makes me so happy to read a historical romance with a Latina main character, and ESPECIALLY a Dominican one 🇩🇴. The book is sexy AND tender, funny AND smart. Luz is fierce and fearless, but also vulnerable, and Evan loves her because of her independence and not despite of it. The writing is fantastic and Herrera delivers a fun, heartfelt, steamy romance without glossing over historical fact, instead having her characters confront racism and slavery.

I can’t wait to read more books about Las Leonas. Thank you @ladriana_herrera for the e-ARC!

This book was the perfect break from traditional regency/historical romances as it doesn’t take place in England!

We are globe trotting in this one bringing Caribbean flair to Paris, and then to Scotland for the grand finale!

I loved the time I spent with Evan and Luz Alana. I love the marriage of convenience trope and the situation that thrust them together felt believable enough to where I didn’t question the technicalities.

I adore the agency Luz Alana shows in this story. She is a businesswoman and she doesn’t let anyone, even Evan, make her feel inferior and I loved that.

If I had a complaint it would be a want for more tension toward the middle of the book, but ultimately I enjoyed this one and can’t wait for the next in the series!