In the summer of 2022, I stumbled across the first colorful, gorgeous cover for the first Luna Sisters book. I promptly devoured the book in a day or two as soon as it was available on Netgalley and wound up writing one of its earliest reviews. Since then, my love for this series has only grown. So it's bittersweet to be writing one of the earliest reviews of the third and final entry.

Gabriela has always been a firecracker, a true belle with a brain and a heart even greater than her beauty. If ANA MARIA was for the responsible, self sacrificing ones, and ISABEL was for the overlooked, prickly ones, GABRIELA is for the underestimated, oft-dismissed ones who are so much more than they seem, and who love and fight so fiercely. After becoming a target of unscrupulous fortune hunters, Gabby goes home to Mexico - but her reception there from her parents is not what she hopes. Along for the ride is Sebastian, a duke who hides sad secrets beneath his pleasant demeanor. I was reminded of a line from Much Ado About Nothing: "They never. meet but there's a skirmish of wit between them." Gabby and Sebastian can't help needling each other (especially from her side, at first), but there's real respect there too (especially from his side, at first).

Sebastian's enormous respect for Gabby's intelligence and skills (including her social skills - those "ladylike", traditionally feminine, subtle skills too often overlooked then an now) are central to their romance. It's why the final hurdle to their HEA is so frustrating, although it makes sense in the context of his own fears and past. But never fear, the series reaches the joyful conclusion we all desire, with some memorable (and very steamy!) scenes along the way (could the office scene surpass Isabel's desk scene? maybe?).

And, of course, these are historical romances with a real sense of *history*. In times like these, it's more important than ever to read stories of resistance, justice, and honor. I've always loved how seamlessly the real history of 1860s politics and European interventionism is woven into this series. This trilogy truly is a reminder of what we're losing with publishing's pullback on vibrant, well-written historical romances - but I'll follow this author's writing into any setting!