This is a creat creation using one of our favorite characters. I love when a character I felt attached to in a previous story gets a story of their own. This is a good one!

Lots of sparks between the main characters, but also a bit too much self-doubt. Regardless, a good read.

Thanks to NetGalley for this advanced copy, which I voluntarily reviewed.

Included as a top pick in weekly January New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)

After reading Amalia's story, <i>Alliance with His Stolen Heiress</i>, I looked forward to reading her sister Lucía's story. That book ended with Amalia, her husband, and Lucía headed to Europe, where Lucía would study music. I was half expecting to read of her life in Vienna and finding love there. Instead, this book picks up five years later, as Lucía and the others return home.

The book opens with a prologue that takes place the day before Lucía leaves for Europe. She encounters a young man, Leo, who draws her attention. Their meeting is fun, and you can see Lucía trying out her feminine wiles on Leo. The meeting ends with a toe-curling kiss that affects both. But she is gone when Leo returns to visit her the next day.

Fast forward five years. Lucía, Amalia, and Julian have returned. We get the impression from Lucía's thoughts that she has given up her music. We also learn that she and Leo exchanged letters for about a year before he abruptly stopped writing to her. Lucía thought they had something special, and his actions broke her heart. When she unexpectedly encountered Leo in town, she was stunned and angry to find him cold and dismissive toward her.

The events of his life have changed Leo over the past five years. Previously a dreamer interested in writing poetry, he is now focused on work and earning as much money as possible. His guilt over some of those events causes him to believe that a future with Lucía isn't feasible.

Matters become complicated when Lucía chases him after an evening encounter. She wants an explanation, but before that can happen, they witness some strange activity on one of the boats in the harbor. When that boat goes up in flames, Leo and Lucía are accused of setting the fire. Barely avoiding capture, a friend helps them escape, but they are forced into each other's company while they look for a way to prove their innocence.

I found the progression of their relationship frequently frustrating. There is no denying their attraction, but their stubbornness gets in the way of exploring what's behind it. Though Leo believes he can't have a future with her, he can't stop feeling protective of her. This leads him to go overboard in his attempts to keep her safe, which makes Lucía more determined to do things her way. She's tired of being looked at like a china doll, but her frustration with Leo leads to poor choices on her part, confirming Leo's belief that she needs protecting. It takes trouble catching up to them for Leo to finally see Lucía as the capable woman that she is. That confrontation was well done, and I enjoyed witnessing the bad guy get his comeuppance.

I ached for Leo and Lucía as pieces of their backstory were revealed throughout the book. Each had self-doubts to overcome before being ready for a future together. Fortunately, they could see past the doubts and provide the support each other needed to move forward together. The epilogue was good and gave an excellent update on their future.

I also enjoyed the author's vivid descriptions of the locations. The underground lakes were especially intriguing.

I always love Lydia San Andres's books for their beautiful settings and their historical details. This one was harder to get into because although there are stakes involved in Lucia and Leo's disappearance from town, they don't feel as present when they're away. Whenever there seems like a moment where the stakes are raised--separate from the main external conflict of being chased--they're quickly undercut or not explored enough, so it feels like the action starts and stops. And Lucia doesn't seem to realize the danger she could potentially be putting Leo in (even though that danger doesn't come to fruition either), which felt somewhat uncaring and oblivious of her. I just wanted more tension in their interactions.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the ARC.

After a 5 year separation, Lucia returns.

The fmc was not very likable in my opinion. She's rude and inconsiderate. Her lack of concern is off-putting.

The communication is dismal. He's overprotective and she seems to have no sense of propriety or care for herself.

Why is there not a dark, brown skinned woman on the cover as Lucia is described in the book?

This was a hard book to get through. It dragged.

DNF at 74%

How is it that I’m at 74% of a book with only 269 page and I can’t finish it?

Because this book drags.
Lucia isn’t fearless nor is she rebellious. She’s careless.

We’re at 74% and I’m still in the midst of their angst.
They haven’t really talked about anything of importance nor moved on from their past. Or if they talked about it…nothing was resolved.

Reading this was giving me a book hangover…and not in a good way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the arc in exchange of an honest review.

This was one of my favorite books and I can't wait for the release in 2024.
Beautiful, vivid love, beyond measure and strict love between two different races and how obstacles of love aspect and action taken among one and all.

Five years after kissing Lucía before her departure to Europe, Leandro has been changed by life’s hardships. With Lucía back, Leandro resists rekindling their attraction—until danger strikes, and they’re thrust closer together than ever. This adventure romance is full of deep emotion and sensual tension as the distrustful couple is forced to rely on each other in order to survive.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I love Lucia! She is tired of being treated like a doll and allowing others to negatively speak about her and her believe it. She is on a mission to not be held back by people in her life any longer and get answers from Leo as to why he is being dismissive to her. Leo feels guilt about things in his life and has decided he can only be studious and focus and making money for his future and his mother. This leads both of them to getting into trouble together and having to flee with the help of a friend. I liked that Leo wasn’t a rake and that Lucia meant what she said. I am giving this 4 and not 5 cause Leo was kind of annoying which I felt led to Lucia making immature choices cause he was making her mad too. and I think he should have BEGGED her to take him. I didn’t realize this was Amelia’s little sister book but I was so happy to see her and Julian again. I will have to dig through this authors catalog so I can read any other interconnected stories. I love the setting the characters and I can’t wait to read more. I wonder who will be next Eduardo??? Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.