A Caribbean Heiress in Paris

I loved almost every aspect of this book except for a few things. I found it hard to like the FMC. There was something about her attitude or approach that rubbed me the wrong way. I loved that this is a historical fiction as we are greatly lacking historical fiction with diverse characters. There are a lot of interesting events that took place once the colonization of the “New World” took place. It would be interesting to see what can be done if more authors did the research and worked their magic.

With that said, Herrera chose to use the word Latina in the read and it threw me off big time. The term was just not used in that time and more over, many people from the Caribbean and the Latin Americas do not use the term Latin (insert all a,o,x,e) to describe themselves because it is an American term. Individuals from these regions call themselves by the nation they live in/are from because it is culturally factual to be more nationalistic. Call yourself what you want. That's not my fight. I mention this solely because it is a modern term and definitely not one used back in the late 1800's.

There is plenty to rave about here nonetheless.
* Diverse characters with their diverse cultures shining through the pages and not glanced over.
* Women entrepreneurs
* Men who support said women entrepreneurs
* Progressive views on sexual health and experiences
* Healthy and positive relationships between women
* No clichés

I will definitely re-read this one but with my eyeballs this time.

I thought this was decently fun but parts of it was also boring. I felt more of a connection with our heroine so the whole drama being about the hero's side of the family felt hard for me to connect with/care about. But overall very readable book!

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Thank you to Edelweiss for providing an ARC copy of this novel.

A Caribbean Heiress in Paris is a LOVELY REFRESHING take on the historical romance genre. This book does not shy away from actual history like many historical romances do. There's no forgetting or dancing around the truth of where these royals/nobles/titled people get their money. Not in this book. It is very clear right from the start that this is a book steeped in actual history. There are, of course, some liberties taken, but nothing that would diminish from what atrocities actually occurred.

Luz Alana, the Caribbean heiress herself, is an absolute joy. She is heir to a rum distillery and has big plans on how to expand her business. Unfortunately, no one in Paris wants to do business with her because she's a woman. However, she stands up for herself, is sassy and strong-willed throughout the whole novel. Her friends are equally entertaining – I look forward to their books in the future!

Evanston Sinclair, Luz's love interest, is the heir to a dukedom, and a rather stubborn alphamale type. Like most historical romance love interests, if we're being honest. However, it works here. He's not overly broody, and not overly in-control. He lets Luz do her thing except for two instances. Evan is Scots, but unfortunately, you really don't see as much of that as I'd personally like. Every now and then the brogue comes out but I like my Scots particularly broguey, I guess.

Both Luz and Evanston both have problems that could be solved by getting married. They enter into a “business relationship” that equates to a marriage of convenience for both of them to get what they want. Of course, things get hot and heated quickly and it turns into a real romance. Their chemistry is completely undeniable. I was totally into it right from the start – it's believable and steamy. The love scenes are extremely hot, and extremely detailed. No fading to black here.

A Caribbean Heiress in Paris is a hot, steamy ride from beginning to end, steeped in history that feels real and authentic.

Four huge stars.