Three word summary: Fierce. Feminist. Hot.
Who Are “Las Leonas”?
Las Leonas are a trio of 19th-century Caribbean Afro-Latinas who became best friends during their time in boarding school. They all come from wealthy aristocratic families from Hispaniola, more specifically, the Dominican Republic (and Mexico).
First, you have Luz Alana Heith-Benzan, who runs a rum empire and is one of the only women in business during her time. Second, there’s Manuela del Carmen Caceres Galvan, a talented visual artist showing her paintings at the Paris World Expo. Lastly, there’s Dr. Aurora Montalban Wright, a physician specializing in women’s healthcare and runs an underground women’s clinic.
Their romance stories take place during the Summer of the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris, France, and begin with Luz falling in love, then Manuela, and lastly Aurora. As women in the 19th-century in polite society, these friends are forced to fit into tight boxes that their personalities are far too big for. As they grow into powerful women and find romantic partners, the friends outgrow these tight rules society puts on them and bloom with support of each other and their partners.
Why I Recommend This Series
There aren’t many romance series written by Latinas, let alone historical romance stories starring Black Caribbean women. While they come far and few in between, this series hits home and knocked my expectations out of the park. My first experience with a historical romance was the Bridgerton books and while the plot was good, those books don’t compare to the complexity and richness of Las Leonas.
Unlike how the Netflix Bridgerton series tip-toes around the subject of European colonization and how the British empire acquired wealth, Adriana Herrera dives right in and goes deep, leaving no room for guesswork. She’s clear and truthful about the colonization of the Taíno lands and the trans-Atlantic slave trade that made the United States, Britain, and Spain grotesquely wealthy. Even though Las Leonas come from wealthy families, their class does not make them immune to the racism and discrimination they face from European aristocrats.
Prior to reading this series, I was not aware of how the Gilded Age played out in the rest of the world. If you’re a fan of historical dramas like me, then you, too have watched HBO’s The Gilded Age and marveled at the excess wealth these families hoarded at the expense of working class people. I was not aware that in Paris, this era was called the Belle Epoque and showed an equal level of opulence and wealth.
What I love about The Gilded Age, is that they feature prominent Black families who were also wealthy and part of aristocratic societies, much like the characters in Las Leonas. However, in Las Leonas, the main characters are Black and women, identities that cannot be separated and carry equal power in their oppression during the 19th-century. Despite the challenges they face, they all end up winning with their own versions of happy endings, and I love that for them.
Book #1: A Caribbean Heiress in Paris
Why I Loved This Book
Luz Alana is a force to be reckoned with! She’s a badass business woman in a male-dominated world who sells rum and uses recipes passed down from generation to generation. The legacy she’s building is absolutely beautiful and inspiring. Plus, everything she does, she does with intention, like setting a good example for her little sister, or networking with prominent business leaders, and ensuring her employees each have a share in her company. She’s a Black woman who can speak French, Spanish, and English, and make damn-good rum, no wonder her Scottish love interest, Evan, falls for her so quickly. Plus, she carries a pistol and a flask strapped to her legs. Sexy as hell!
The relationship between Luz Alana and Evan is organic, but the marriage aspect is forced upon them. They both see an opportunity with them getting married, so they elope and it’s far from romantic, even though they are both clearly in love with each other. This relationship is like an onion-it has layers to it and they each have to unfold parts of each other in order to get fully invested in the relationship they’re building. Even though the marriage is all business, they’re feelings for each other are so real, it scares them. They’ve both loved and lost and the last thing they want is to love each other, only to lose each other. What develops between these characters is nothing short of sweet and sexy.
Book #2: An Island Princess Starts a Scandal
Why I Loved This Book
Manuela is a brat, but she’s sexy, irresistible, and artistic, so naturally, she’s a catch. Determined to live it up before she’s wed to a wealthy man that will save her family from ruin, Manuela enlists the help of Cora, a Duchess, to expose her to sapphic experiences all over Paris.
Manuela is lusty, ready to dive deep into another woman’s breasts, or mouth, or-you know what else. She’s ready to explore her sexuality before she has to give up her freedom for her family’s sake. While tempting, Cora doesn’t initially fall for Manuela’s flirtatious advances. She’s been burned before and would rather focus on building her wealth rather than fall in love again, but like I said earlier, Manuela is irresistible and Cora needs just a little taste of her before she’s tied up to a man forever.
Cora and Manuela meet and bond over their love of art, and although their relationship mostly moves forward due to a contract both of them agreed to, the sexual tension that builds between these characters is unmatched. And when Cora finally gives into Manuela, the consequently two fall in love. But their relationship remains a secret, not only because Manuela is betrothed, but also because being a lesbian in the 19th-century wasn’t openly accepted, in fact, it was dangerous for women to love each other the way Manuela and Cora did.
After some family conflict, some business deals gone sideways, and a cancelled wedding, the two characters finally get their happily ever after, which includes building a women’s artist collective and women’s only clubs. Very inspiring, to say the least.
Book #3: A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke
Why I Loved This Book
Aurora is a buttoned-up physician who keeps a tight and spotless reputation, but is known for her verbal lashings. Apollo is the first Black Duke whose tough guy and handsome reputation precedes him. First of all, Apollo has no business being so damn sexy. I know it, and so does Aurora, which is why she can’t resist him. He’s so cocky, she hates it, but secretly adores his confidence and his obvious attraction to her, even if she won’t admit it to anyone else but herself. She’s got a razor tongue, delivering lash after lash with her words, and Apollo eats it all up. In fact, he loves her for it. She challenges him and he wants that forever.
Aurora begins an torrid secret affair with Apollo while running an underground women’s clinic that serves the wives of the wealthy anonymously. She’s rallying for women’s healthcare, advocating for women’s rights, and doing what she can to make healthcare safe for women. Apollo, as the first Black Duke in British aristocracy is determined to serve poetic justice to the families that amassed wealth off the backs of enslaved Africans. The two couldn’t get any fucking cooler if you ask me.
Apollo is looking for a wife, a Duchess, if you will, and Aurora just wants her independence. She comes from a wealthy family, but she was born out of wedlock, and had an abortion when she was only 15-years old. She doesn’t feel worthy of being anyone’s wife, let alone a Duchess. But Apollo doesn’t care. He’s determined to have this fierce, sexy woman, whose making a positive difference in the world.
Aurora eventually has to come to her senses and realize she’s worthy of love, worthy of praise, and worthy of being a Duchess, regardless of where she came from. I think this story is so beautiful because Aurora, despite her insecurities, loves hard. And Apollo, despite being pushed away, still shows up for her, never giving up on her. Eventually, the two marry and build a legacy worthy bragging about for generations.
Things I Loved Throughout the Series (In No Particular Order)
★ There’s a sex-club called La Bureau. 👀 And yes, there’s a brief scene which includes live fornication.
★ Luz Alana using her families rum recipes passed down from generation to generation is healing af.
★ Manuela rallying so hard to fund a women’s artist collective is the organizer inspiration I need to do something for my community.
★ Aurora running from the cops in the middle of the night is peak bad bitch energy.
★ Cora jumping on the back of Manuela’s future husband during her wedding had me cackling so hard. Imagine the chaos! 😂
★ Apollo and Evan publicly shaming their shitty father is the revenge arc so many of us need.
In Conclusion, Read the Damn Series
I borrowed these books from my local library and listened to them on audiobook. The audiobooks feature multiple accents which was really fun to listen to, but i’m sure you can come up with your own voices and accents in your own head if you choose to read the actual words versus listening to them.
If you’re a fan of historical fiction, romances, and badass feminist women main characters, then you’ll definitely enjoy these books.
the bookish b* 