Perfection on paper.
Adriana Herrera has recently outdone herself with An Island Princess.
You can feel the hours of research to set a factual setting, but her romance chops shines so bright in the love story.
Nothing like a slight forbidden flair, mixed with clandestine meet ups, GAH perfection.
All the representation in here is actual perfection. I wish there was a bigger word, but this is my fav historical romance to date!

Cora and Manuela are EVERYTHING.

Early review copy kindly provided through NetGalley but all my thoughts are my own.

Adriana Herrera continues to shine in her Las Leonas series. Manuela is a brash heiress who just wants one last chance at freedom before she enters an arranged marriage. Cora is a fierce business women who has had a mission to gain power and influence so her stepson can return to the london aristocracy despite her reputation. these two have a heated chance meeting at a brothel and spark the most flirtatious and delicious romance of the summer.

I loved Manuela's artistic, flirtatious nature and Cora's heated stares and words. As much as this is a romance it is also about finding happiness within yourself that isn't in spite of others and living your truth. This book is full of angst and spice. Chapter 24 broke me and i have a few men in this that i wanted to punch in the face by the end. which makes a good book in my eyes. :)

In the early copy i read i would say there is a bit of a lull for about 20% right after the beginning which is the ONLY reason i knocked down a star. I thoroughly enjoyed this book though and Manuela and Cora are IT.

Definitely read this if you love strong women loving women, finding your community and loving yourself as much as you love someone else. Make sure to read the author's note at the end for some rich history and what influenced Adrianna in this book.

Absolutely loved and cannot wait to read Aurora's story in the next one.

This was my first sapphic historical romance and I absolutely LOVED it! It will forever be the gold standard to which I hold all other sapphic romances. This was such an amazing follow up to a Caribbean Heiress in Paris. Cora and Manuela absolutely light up the page with their banter and straight badassery. I loved seeing the wonderful and supportive community Cora had created in Paris to welcome any and all queer love. The interactions between the Leonas is always a good time. I know this entire series will always hold a special place in my heart.

Manuela Caceres Galvan has resigned herself to a loveless marriage in order to save her family from financial ruin despite the fact that she 1. owns property that could sustain her (buy send her parents into ruin 2. doesn't even like her fiance and 3. is most definitely interested in women. Manuela's condition for this marriage is that she gets to travel to Paris with her friends, ostensibly to buy her trousseau, but actually to attend the Exposition Universelle and have a last bid of freedom...Manuela has every intention of living it up while in Paris to stockpile wild and scandalous experiences to last her through the rest of her life.
One night while visiting a brothel, Manuela meets a stunning and mysterious woman who seems exactly the person to give her the adventure she's been looking for...especially when this mysterious woman turns out to be Cora Kempf Bristol, the Duchess of Sundridge who is looking to buy Manuela's beloved plot of land. Manuela strikes a bargain. Cora can buy the land if she shows Manuela the dangerous and decadent side of Paris.

This book is so wonderful. The world of Belle Epoque Paris is lush and romantic and makes a perfect backdrop for these passionate and fiery women to fall in love. While I did really enjoy the first book in this series, I think there were some pacing issues that are vastly improved in an Island Princess starts a Scandal. Adriana Herrera really found her historical voice with this one! I love when an author can weave in details and research without it feeling too didactic and heavy handed. Herrera's use of her historical research really made me feel immersed in this world...and I didn't want to leave! The chemistry between the two heroines was explosive and the conflict centered around both financial ruin and the realities of lesbians in the 19th century made the stakes feel so high. This is such a great addition to this series and I can't wait to read the next one!

4/5 stars
2.5/5 spice

A sapphic historical romance that delivers in tension and banter but also rich with historical gems.

Tropes:
Forced proximity
Businesswoman & Artist
Opposites attract
Grumpy/sunshine
Latinx representation
Dual POV

Manuela is passionate and bursting with curious wonder at the beginning of the story, and I loved how she was able to grow and learn to love her life independently from the constraints of her family. Especially since she was raised as a pawn in her parents' schemes. Cora, aka The Duchess, proved to be Manuela's opposite in personality but couldn't deny being drawn to her light. She tried to avoid getting close, but Manuela slowly wore down her walls. They both had to grow and learn from past mistakes, and they hey both had to allow themselves to be happy.

Above all, I enjoyed learning about the sapphic community during these times. These are the things that we are denied learning in school. I am so happy these stories exist for the LGBTQIA community to enjoy and share and relate to. The found family aspect of this story was so incredibly heartwarming. Both the MCs needed these people to truly feel safe to be open about their love.

Overall, I loved this story and how it tackled the bigotry of those times but also brought a sense of hope for the future. I highly recommend for fans of sapphic romance, latinx representation, and historical romance.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.

Trigger/Content warnings:
Bigotry, sexism, explicit sexual content, mild violence

There was so much to love about this book! I loved watching our two heroines find their love for each other, but I think what really made this book a standout to me was this incredible historical backdrop. I loved reading about all of the amazing queer women who were living and working in Paris and the way they were all total badasses! I really enjoyed reading this one!

Adriana Herrera is constantly proving to me that I’m correct in auto buying ANYTHING she writes! I was a huge fan of A Caribbean Heiress In Paris so I’ve been patiently waiting to get my hands on An Island Princess Starts A Scandal and it was WORTH THE WAIT!! 😭🥰

In this book we learn more about Manuela del Carmen Caceres Galvan who we got to meet in the first book. Soon to be trapped in a loveless marriage, Manuela has given herself one last summer of freedom-in Paris, with her two best friends. Cora Kempf Bristol, Duchess of Sundridge, is known for her ruthlessness in business. When she sees the opportunity to secure her position among her rivals, she does not hesitate. How difficult could it be to convince the mercurial Miss Caceres Galvan to part with a parcel of land?

Tempted by Cora's offer, Manuela proposes a trade: her beloved land for a summer with the duchess in her corner of Paris. A taste of the wild, carefree world that will soon be out of her reach. As they fill their days indulging in a shared passion for the arts and their nights with dark and delicious deeds, the happiness that seemed impossible moves within reach...though claiming it would cause the greatest scandal Paris has seen in decades.

I would highly suggest you read A Caribbean Heiress In Paris before this book since there is a lot of timeline/character crossover. I love the characters in these books so much and Manuela and Cora are no different! Reading about both of their journeys of overcoming their fears and self doubt to finally allow themselves happiness was inspiring. The way they pined for one another was so sweet and HOT!! Their banter was top tier I loved every moment they were together!

Just like in A Caribbean Heiress In Paris I enjoyed the history aspects of this book a lot! We got to learn about what was happening around the world and not just England during this time period which I greatly appreciate. In this book we also got information on queer history during that time period which I loved.

Overall this book was sweet, emotional, and sexy and I absolutely loved it! Highly recommend! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I can't believe I'm giving an Adriana Herrera book 3 stars. I wanted to love this. I wanted to be swept away in the romance, while being grounded in the history like I was in the first book in the series. I wanted this sapphic romance to be brimming with fun, tenderness, heat, and take a closer look at queer afro-latinx women in history. The history is there. This was clearly deeply researched, and grounded in the facts of the place, time, and kind of people who would be moving and shaking up city like Paris in the 1800s. But for me, the rest fell flat. Manuela and Cora didn't leap off the page for me. They felt like vehicles to move the story forward rather than fully fleshed out characters.

The pacing of the story was problematic. The premise of the relationship is that Manuela, an artist trying to live wildly for the last six weeks of her time in Paris, makes a deal with Cora, a Duchess known for loving other women, to be shown the nooks and crannies of the sapphic community of Paris. And if they can spend some time in bed together too, all the better. But it takes until 50% for them to really start this journey, which means that they don't really get to know each other in the beginning. There is clear attraction, and they have a few moments together, but the first half of the book has no plot or character development of note.

Once Cora and Manuela start on their journey of debauchery, Cora (in a move true to her character but which is very dull for the reader) keeps to the letter of the law by only taking Manuela to sedate, settled events with older lesbians. Much of their interactions in this section take place off page, and so, I never really got to believe their connection as anything beyond the physical.

This romance is hot, with multiple steamy scenes. I never doubted their attraction or lust, and it was nice to see their relationship deepen in the bedroom. If half the historical groundwork and setting had been cut and replaced by more realistic relationship development and stronger character arcs for both characters, I would have been much happier. I appreciate the light Adriana was trying to shed on the real history that tends to be whitewashed and heterosexualized, but it was infodumpy and I was bored too frequently by the exposition. Honestly, if this was my first book by the author, I probably would have DNFd it in the first 30%.

I am confident that this is just a bump in the road for me, and I can't wait for the next book in the series. The enemies to lovers vibes we are already getting is enticing.

Imgur link goes to Instagram graphic Scheduled for May 23rd
Blog Post goes live May 23rd
Will also be featured in a Recent Reads - uploaded week of May 15th

An Island Princess Starts a Scandal is yet another fantastic entry into my list of ‘sapphic historical romances’ I can happily recommend. Manuela, invited to show her paintings at an exhibition in Paris, arrives for a summer of freedom before her marriage - sure to be loveless. She meets Cora, a duchess determined to buy land that Manuela owns and the sparks fly.

The characters and setting in this felt true to many a historical romance novel, but that is a strength in it’s favor. It’s familiar beats make it a comforting read, with the sapphic twist that I really wanted out of these and this setting. The characters outside our main two are fun and appealing and I cannot wait to get more of the stories in this world. It felt like every time another character was presented I went ‘Oh a book on them please?’.

I especially love the setting and the time period. Adriana Herrera takes time to illustrate the contributions Latin and South American peoples made in this time period to the history of it. From the art references to the mentions of on going political climates it felt steeped in history in a way that worked wonderfully. The art especially was fantastic for me as I love Art History, something I went to school for. It was well structured and felt very well researched.

This is a fantastic new historical, further cementing my suspicion that Herrera is going to be a favorite author of mine. The romance, characters, and setting were all incredibly fun and I highly recommend it for fans of the genre.

4 out of 5 pink ballgowns

[TWs:
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Homophobia, and Misogyny
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Racism}

Cora is seeking land to contribute to build back her reputation and standing.
Manuela wants the chance to finally be herself if only for a short time.
Through a little blackmail, they attempt to fulfill the others wishes and goals.
This book contains a lot of build up and angst. At At 1st it seemed Manuela will be timid in her pursuits but it was revealed that she was no wallflower.

Las Leonas are back to start a scandal in a Paris brothel during the 1889 World's Fair. Manuela negotiated one last summer of fun, preferably full of debauchery, before her loveless marriage to relieve her family’s debts begins. Manuela bonds with Duchess Cora, who knows the Parisian community that supports women, including those who love women. The author was inspired by the openly queer women artists of the World Fair and the popular queer bars that proliferated after France decriminalized homosexuality. This empowering story stars two strong and vibrant characters searching for happiness within a supportive collective. Herrera proves once again her power of writing diverse romances sprinkled with pieces of lost history.

AN ISLAND PRINCESS STARTS A SCANDAL is another feast for the ever-hungry historical romance readers who wants more than virgins and reformed rakes from Adrianna Herrera.
The main character, Manuela del Carmen Caceres Galvan, is one of Las Léonas, the three friends we met in the first book of this series, A CARRIBIEAN HEIRESS IN PARIS set at the World Fair in Paris during the summer of 1889. Her plan is to show her paintings and have one last fling before entering a loveless marriage designed to enrich her family. Manuela’s passionate encounter with a beautiful woman becomes more complicated when the woman turns out to be Cora Kempf Bristol, Duchess of Sundridge, a businesswoman who refuses to lose and will not let her gender interfere with her pursuits. She wants Manuela’s land and Manuela wants to be cherished one last time, so they strike a deal. Flames ensue. Much like in CARIBEAN HEIRESS, Herrera brings to life the people of Paris in 1889 that we rarely get to see in the pages of traditional historical romances. First, she gives us the fully realized and utterly compelling Las Léonas, women who embody the different peoples and communities in Latin America at the turn of the century. In addition, Herrera opens the door to Paris’ queer community — yes, they existed, they lived, loved, and laughed just like the straight white characters that dominate in most historical romances. This book is first and foremost a steamy romance alongside a lush portrait of ALL the people who existed at that time. This book is one of the few historical romances I am already planning to re-read and I recommend it to any romance reader who values a truer picture of the past than we’ve been given.

Yes Manuela and Cora forever!!! This is the sapphic historical romance that everyone needs to read!!! Adriana Herrera NEVER disappoints!! I love this series and can't wait to read the next book!

I adored this book!! It’s everything I want in a historical romance—fresh and modern characters, gorgeous descriptive settings, tons of apparent historical research, and lots of classic histrom goodness. (Violet eyes YES PLEASE!) Sexy, exciting, rompy fun with a wonderful extended cast and a heart of gold. I can’t wait for the next Las Leonas book!

Absolutely delicious! This frothy romance set in Paris is exactly what I wanted--vibrant, seductive, and steamy. I loved reading about queer and sapphic Paris in the 1800s, and Manuela and Cora were captivating both separately and as a couple. The perfect queer historical romance!

I adore this book! Full credit to Herrera for giving us a full cast of realized, loveable characters. Seeing such a thriving, loving, and historically accurate queer community was such a joy. I appreciated Herrera's attention to history and learned quite a bit about the era, making me eager to discover more. A word of caution: because timelines overlap, there are spoilers for the events of the first book in the series. Readers wanting to appreciate the full story may want to start with book one. But readers looking for a spicy, rich sapphic romcom will positively adore Manuela and Cora!

Manuela is excited to show her paintings ans hope to enjoy a few weeks of freedom before an arranged marriage organized by her parents. She meets Cora who wants a piece of land that Manuela's abuela left to her.... The two striked an arrangement.

Both feels an attraction to each other. The scenes were exciting and well done. Lovr Cora who is cunning and smart and not afraid to go after what she wants. Fun and sassy banter....

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

This series is so refreshing in the historical romance genre -- I absolutely love all the characters and how they interact with the world around them. It's also really clever how Herrera has interlocked the timing of the books so the stories are happening at around the same time but in different places as we get to see into what each character is going through while the other characters are also having their story unfold. I thought that Manuela and Cora's story was really well written and I absolutely loved the tensions and scheming between them throughout the whole story; I did find that overall the book was longer than it needed to be, as it dragged on a bit in the end. But I can't wait for Aurora's book and to see more of this chaotic and powerful friendship group.

I loved the first book in this series and was so excited for this one, but honestly, it was a bit of a letdown. The most significant issue was pacing. I felt like things didn’t really get started until the 50% mark; the first half of the book dragged. Cora was another issue. The inconsistency of her character was too much. Honestly, Manuela deserved better.

What I liked: the growth of Manuela, the friendship of the Leonas, and the portrayal of the lesbian community in Paris at the turn of the 20th century. That was fascinating! Very hot sex scenes. Gorgeous cover.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC via NetGalley.

This was such a great sapphic historical romance! Adriana Herrera is a relatively new to me author, but after reading the first book in this series - [book:A Caribbean Heiress in Paris|59040894] - I was so excited to read the second book following the artist Manuela.

The timeline in this book overlaps a bit with the first book, with the Leonas still enjoying their time in Paris. Manuela is excited to show a few of her paintings at an art show and to enjoy a few weeks of freedom before she returns to Venezuela to marry the man of her parents' choosing. Manuela has a chance meeting with Cora Kemp Bristol one evening when she gains admission to an exclusive bar catering to sapphists. The next day both of them are surprised to find the other at their business meeting - Cora is interested in making an offer on a piece of land that Manuela's abuela left to her. Manuela sees her chance to get the tour of Paris she's been after and enters into an arrangement with Cora to show her around the sapphist haunts of Paris.

The chemistry between Manuela and Cora is electric and the steamy scenes were super well done. Once we start to see Cora's walls come down and some of her feelings for Manuela, I really couldn't put this book down. What I really loved though was the discussion of the women in Cora's orbit finding their freedom in Paris to live their authentic lives. The author's note at the end had a lot of interesting insight into the inspiration for that storyline, so don't skip it!

I voluntarily reviewed an early copy of this book. All opinions are my own.