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sarrie's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
An Island Princess Starts a Scandal is yet another fantastic entry into my list of ‘sapphic historical romances’ I can happily recommend. Manuela, invited to show her paintings at an exhibition in Paris, arrives for a summer of freedom before her marriage - sure to be loveless. She meets Cora, a duchess determined to buy land that Manuela owns and the sparks fly.
The characters and setting in this felt true to many a historical romance novel, but that is a strength in it’s favor. It’s familiar beats make it a comforting read, with the sapphic twist that I really wanted out of these and this setting. The characters outside our main two are fun and appealing and I cannot wait to get more of the stories in this world. It felt like every time another character was presented I went ‘Oh a book on them please?’.
I especially love the setting and the time period. Adriana Herrera takes time to illustrate the contributions Latin and South American peoples made in this time period to the history of it. From the art references to the mentions of on going political climates it felt steeped in history in a way that worked wonderfully. The art especially was fantastic for me as I love Art History, something I went to school for. It was well structured and felt very well researched.
This is a fantastic new historical, further cementing my suspicion that Herrera is going to be a favorite author of mine. The romance, characters, and setting were all incredibly fun and I highly recommend it for fans of the genre.
4 out of 5 pink ballgowns
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Racism
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