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A review by savvyrosereads
Ana María and the Fox by Liana De la Rosa
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Rating: 4/5 stars
Ana María and her sisters have fled to London from Mexico for their safety during the French occupation in 1863. Against both of their better judgment, Ana María begins to fall for handsome member of Parliament Gideon Fox, but the two fight to keep a lid on their attraction—until political forces push them together once and for all.
I really loved the concept of this one, which is a Victorian romance with super diverse characters that deals with aspects of history I was previously unfamiliar with and excited to learn more about. Overall, I found this to be fun and a relatively quick read—I got through most of it in a single sitting. I also LOVED the commentary about race, class, colorism, colonialism, and politics in this era in general.
That said, I also found myself wanting a bit “more” somehow—this is a slow burn in the extreme (the action doesn’t really pick up until nearly 200 pages in, in my opinion) and there were some aspects of the plot where I really needed to suspend my disbelief.
Still, I liked the characters, and I find myself really looking forward to both of Ana María’s sisters’ books, based on the hints and foreshadowing we got here. On balance, I’d definitely recommend picking this up if it sounds interesting to you!
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: diverse historical romance; political themes; “my wife”
CW: Kidnapping/violence; sexism; racism; mentions of slavery
Ana María and her sisters have fled to London from Mexico for their safety during the French occupation in 1863. Against both of their better judgment, Ana María begins to fall for handsome member of Parliament Gideon Fox, but the two fight to keep a lid on their attraction—until political forces push them together once and for all.
I really loved the concept of this one, which is a Victorian romance with super diverse characters that deals with aspects of history I was previously unfamiliar with and excited to learn more about. Overall, I found this to be fun and a relatively quick read—I got through most of it in a single sitting. I also LOVED the commentary about race, class, colorism, colonialism, and politics in this era in general.
That said, I also found myself wanting a bit “more” somehow—this is a slow burn in the extreme (the action doesn’t really pick up until nearly 200 pages in, in my opinion) and there were some aspects of the plot where I really needed to suspend my disbelief.
Still, I liked the characters, and I find myself really looking forward to both of Ana María’s sisters’ books, based on the hints and foreshadowing we got here. On balance, I’d definitely recommend picking this up if it sounds interesting to you!
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: diverse historical romance; political themes; “my wife”
CW: Kidnapping/violence; sexism; racism; mentions of slavery
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Death of parent, and War