A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera is a historical romance set mostly in Paris during the 1889 Exposition Universelle, about a Dominican-Mexican doctor and the duke who falls for her. On the closed door/open door/in the room/in the bed heat scale, this book puts you in the bed with the main characters.

What I loved

This is the third book in Adriana Herrera’s Las Léonas trilogy, and I have loved every book in the series. Herrera gives us three best friends, each having her own adventure. By the time it’s Aurora’s turn to be the heroine, her friends Luz Alana and Manuela have found their own partners and the circle of the three friends has expanded to include Luz Alana’s husband, Evan, and Manuela’s partner, Cora. Evan and Cora often serve as a Greek chorus for the hero, Apollo, and it’s delightful.

Apollo himself is an incredibly dreamy hero. Aurora has been running herself ragged tending to patients both night and day. She has neglected her own needs. Apollo notices her taking care of others and not taking care of herself, and takes it upon himself to take care of her.

Aurora is a fierce doctor, the first woman licensed to practice medicine in Mexico, collaborating with colleagues in Paris to establish a network of women’s clinics. She dedicates herself to her work. Her growing attraction to Apollo gets her out of her head and into her body.

Adriana Herrera always gives us a delightful cast of supporting characters and here she gives us Brazilian boxing club owner Gilberto and his Vietnamese partner Minh, whose mother farms lavender in the French countryside. Apollo’s body man, Jean-Louis, is a giant who Apollo appoints to escort Aurora on dangerous night patient visits but whom Aurora quickly wins over to doing what she asks more than what Apollo does.

I feel like I’m not doing the book justice here.

Adriana Herrera writes love scenes that tie the emotional and physical relationships of the main characters to each other in a way that both titillates and tugs at heartstrings. The more Aurora and Apollo get to know each other, the more each of them impresses the other with their commitment to helping the people they serve: patients in Aurora’s case, and tenants in the duchy in Apollo’s case.

Romance readers love a broken character, and I especially love the way Aurora is broken, the way she is constantly fighting to prove her worth while also caring deeply for her patients.

What I wanted more of

I found myself lingering over this text rather than devouring it, I think because I didn’t want Las Léonas to end. There’s nothing I wish Adriana Herrera would have included in this book that she didn’t. I just hope she keeps writing historicals.

What I need to warn you about.

The clinics where Aurora works offer services that were perfectly legal in Paris in 1889, but also those that were not, especially contraceptive services and abortions. Abortions and abortion aftercare are discussed in the book. Herrera has a note about this at the beginning of the book, so definitely look at an ebook preview or the first few pages of a physical copy to read that. Aurora is put in physical danger and there is reference to poor treatment at the hands of a peer in her past as well as reference to the same peer continuing this behavior in the book’s present.

Who should read this book

Lovers of historical romance. People who want a historical romance that isn’t set in England or during the Regency. Readers who want to see fierce Afro-Latina women defying the limitations society tries to put on them and finding love. Readers who love found family.

Book: A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke
Author: Adriana Herrera
Publisher: Canary Street Press
Publication Date: February 4, 2025
Pages: 432
Age Range: Adult
Source of Book: ARC via NetGalley, Purchase

out of all the books in this interconnected trilogy, this was my favorite one. apollo and aurora's chemistry and banter was to die for. i loved them so much and the overarching plot of aurora as a physician was so interesting to me and didn't feel like a drag or like it took away from the romance.

Timely and a great conclusion to the series. I just am not a fan of when a couple loves one another but one (or both) keeps resisting being together so it moved slowly for me. But I adored this series and hope we get more historical romance from this author!

What a fantastic way to close out the series!!! This book was everything I wanted it to be and more. The way Apollo is obsessed with Aurora (has been since day 1) and cannot help himself despite all his lofty declarations-- It's so delicious. Adrianna Herrera writes such strong, complicated, thoughtful, and inspiring female leads, she brings the past to life in such a vivid way it's impossible to accept a depiction of this time in history that does not l0ok they she describes it (and you shouldn't want to). Everything about this book (and the series as a whole) was perfect!

A fantastic finale in this trilogy.

I loved this whole series so much. Truly had an absolute blast reading this last book. Their dynamic was so fun.

Adriana Herrera does not miss and this historical, feminist conclusion to the Laa Léonas trilogy was yet another example. This book starts out hot and stays that way. The chemistry and care between the two MCs was obvious and well-written. A Tropical Rebel features Aurora, an Afro-Latina woman doctor providing reproductive care to women in Paris, services that could be costly, looked down upon, or even illegal.

After neglect and abuse in her youth, including abuse for which she blames herself, she's now focused soley on her work, even after seeing her two closest friends find love in unexpected places (the first two Las Léonas books). Then, enters Apollo, the newly named Duke of Annan. Apollo's ability to see Aurora for who she is, almost from their first meeting, is the fairytale here. He continues to support her and care for her as the plot unfolds.

I love how Herrera writes, and I love how fully embodied and, at times, imperfect her characters are. There is no following society rules for rules sake in these stories, which I Iove.

I did find myself slower to finish this than typical, and I think that's because it's a little longer than I think it needed to be. Many of the subplots and characters feed into the overall narrative, but they pull from the main romance plot.

Loved this finale to the Leonas series! I'm not a historical girly but this series had me in a chokehold!!!

Are you a fan of…

🩺 Pet names
🩺 Starts with a bang
🩺 Kidnapping (respectfully)
🩺 He has a dirty mouth
🩺 Insults as foreplay
🩺 He falls first
🩺Reproductive rights
🩺Physical and verbal sparring
🩺 Feminism
🩺 He wants to burn the world down and rebuild it for her

If so...

A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke is the third and final book in Adriana Herrera's Las Leonas series (cries). I recommend reading at least the first book in this series, as many of the characters and their relationships have back story in the first book.

First of all, I LOVE all of the series' characters. Adriana writes BADASS heroines and men (and women) who are always GONE for them, and this book was no exception.

Aurora is brilliant, fierce, and strong, and Apollo is definitely Book Boyfriend Island™️ material. He gets to hang out with a couple other of Adriana's MMCs, Theo and Rocco 🔥 (from On the Hustle and Here to Stay, respectively - you're welcome 😏). I highlighted this book SO much because the banter just kept coming and his obsession with her just...ugh. The dialogue in this book is fire.

I absolutely love this series and I'm so sad it's over. I love how REAL these characters are and how especially poignant this book is with our current political climate. Adriana is one of my auto-buy authors, so I can't wait to see what she brings us next.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley. I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

This book has become one of my favorite books of the year. It was a great way to end the Las Leonas series. I loved seeing the way the relationship between Aurora and Apollo developed over the series and for it all to com to fruition in this book was so satisfying. The yearning and mutual pining along with their sense of duty/obligation made the burn between the characters all hot and steamy. If you loved Pride & Prejudice, Bridgerton Season 2, and Anne with an E, you'll LOVE the tension between the characters in this book!

This took me sooooo long to finish, but it was so so so so so good. I felt intoxicated reading it the entire time. Apollo and Aurora are fiery together and their banter is some of the best I have ever read. So much care and intent was put into the history and medicine. Absolutely beautiful from start to finish

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

First of all, if Adriana Herrera writes it, I'm absolutely gonna read it lmao.

This story follows Aurora Montalban, a physician who specializes in reproductive healthcare. She crosses paths with Apollo, a Duke with something to prove. These two had a very steamy dynamic, great banter - and I enjoyed this ALC! A solid 3.75 stars rounded up.

Thanks again!

I’ll miss the Leona’s! I loved getting to read about Apollo and Aurora, Apollo was absolutely SWOON worthy and aurora was such a badass.

This book was pure joy! I loved seeing a strong, Dominican heroine take center stage in a historical romance. Adriana Herrera brings heat, heart, and a fresh voice to the genre in the best possible way.

I loved the premise of this book, and the issues it tackles, especially in this day and age. I appreciated it even more after hearing Adriana Herrera talk about the book on tour! Unfortunately I found myself not invested in the characters and felt things were moving too slowly, so I decided to DNF at 37%. I'm definitely the minority here, and know many people who loved this series! I would recommend starting with book 1, as I did not, and may have missed some character building.

✨New Release✨

I have been anticipating this release FOR YEARS!

This book is the perfect example of learning through imagination…

Adriana Herrera shows historical aspects of the late 1800’s in such a vibrant, unique way through her characters, dialogue, fashion, and setting. She weaves serious matters of that time seamlessly with wit and lust.

This is not just a romance, it’s a window to the past and gateway to the future of what romances SHOULD be.

This serious is my favorite! EVERYONE should read this series!

#adrianaherrera #atropicalrebelgetstheduke #readingreyna

What a wonderful wrap up to Las Leonas. I thought it would be difficult for Adriana to top Manuela's book but I was so so excited about Apollo and Aurora. And to start the book the way she did?! Apollo is MESSED UP for her. He said "Aurora or no one" and I absolutely love love love that.

Adriana has a way of making you get caught up in a beautiful story while wanting to pause to google the amazing history she brings in. She talks about real historical issues like medical and reproductive care for women while giving you an unbelievably swoony hero. I loved how Aurora and Apollo grew together - fell in love despite themselves. It was beautiful to watch.

A beautiful conclusion to the series! I think these might have been my favorite characters so far. Aurora's motivations for her work are especially important given the current political climate and really reflect how some themes (specifically attacks on women) are always relevant. Apollo secretly doing all these things behind the scenes to help women's causes was also heartwarming.

I'm also grateful that the almost breakup only lasted a couple pages and they got to live happily ever after.

One of the best historical romanceTruly, this is one of the best historical romances--if not one of the best romances, period--that I've ever read. Adriana Herrera is at the top of her game, and (although I'll read her work regardless) I'll be devastated if this is her last foray into historicals.

You can read a blurb elsewhere--let me tell you why this book sparkles. The whole series (which you could read in order, but I don't think it's necessary) is SEXY, funny, emotional, thought-provoking, even adventurous. Adriana hasn't just thrown these Latinx characters into a wallpaper historical--they feel realistic and authentic, grounded in the mountains of research she's done. Aurora and Apollo are perfectly matched, and it really feels like their HEA is hard-won. Their scenes are full of playful bickering, deep emotional connections, and some of the hottest, spiciest sex scenes you'll read. Those scenes really do feel so essential to their journey, especially considering Aurora's work in womens' health.

This book is definitely a Romance-with-a-capital-R. But it feels so different, so fresh. The non-romance plots (Aurora's clinic work and Apollo's ducal vengeance) are just as integral to the book as they are to the characters themselves. It's impossible to resolve the romantic plot without integrating successful, believable resolutions for the "side" plots. Adriana weaves it all together so skillfully. A master!!!

In short, this probably isn't the book for you if you want something light and fluffy, without a lot of conflict. Aurora's clinic work can be very heavy, and there's a lot of racism in the present and in their backstories. There's a lot of joy and a really lovely HEA, but be aware it's not all easy.

I'm going to be pushing this book on everyone I know, and hopefully finding myself a copy of the gorgeous Canadian/UK edition with Aurora in the lavender field.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!s--if not one of the best romances in general

A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke is my favorite book in the series. The Afro-Latine representation is deeply felt through the duke's character. Aurora is a rebel with a cause, a passionate doctor dedicated to her work. The story perfectly balances love and activism, and Adriana Herrera once again delivers amazing storytelling.