Ana María and the Fox
by Liana de la Rosa
This book came to me as my April 2023 selection of the Book of the Month and I was intrigued to read a romance with not one but two POC protagonists. I loved the Secret History of the Pink Carnation series and have been on a bit of a Rom Com kick, so I thought this would be along those lines (even including a Big Baddie Napoleon and all!) but it was, frankly, nowhere near the caliper of Lauren Willig’s series.
The book started with Ana María and her sisters Isabella and Gabriella arriving in London after being sent across the ocean for their safety. Anonymous and all alone (except for their ladies’ maid who was not referenced until around chapter 5), they had become closer over the course of the voyage. They meet with their Tío Arturo and Lady Yardley. She takes them in and arranges their schedule, appearances in society and all those little things a rich lady must do in 1860s London. They meet a cast of characters, including Gideon Fox. Gideon is the son of a Scottish immigrant and grandson of an escaped slave. He is a member of parliament set on gaining votes in order to abolish any business done with foreign states that are still involved in the transatlantic slave trade. Ana María intrigues him but her position as a bit of an outsider in society wouldn’t do his ambitions any good. They dance around each other until a trip to the countryside pushes them together.
If this was a book presented to by a member of my writing group, as a draft, it would have been delightful. I would have pointed out inconsistencies (Whitfield has glasses suddenly on page. 308 but it was never mentioned before or again) or cringeworthy descriptions (how many times can “her heat” be used euphemistically?). I enjoyed the plot but there were some things referenced but never actually shown. The women were deliberately kept apart and at odds by their father but it was never described how that was, only that it was. Also, seriously, how many times can characters refer to them as “lady wives”? I believe that in the Victorian Era, though it may have been used from time to time, “Wife” was a perfectly acceptable term that pretty much everyone used. I did like Gideon’s persona, which completely seemed to change completely in the bridal suite. I’m sure some women might absolutely love his way, but I did not. At all. Ew. His political machinations and ambitions were perfectly described and the set up for conflict was perfect, but then it did not play out very well. If you enjoy romances, this might just be for you, but if you expect the caliper of Emily Henry or Lauren Willig, it’s just not quite there. I might borrow the next two books, for this was just the first in a trilogy of all the sisters, just to see if her writing and style improves.