Review: Adriana Herrera’s A CARIBBEAN HEIRESS IN PARIS.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

In A Caribbean Heiress in Paris Adriana Herrera offers a compelling, passionate story about a gorgeous lioness, Luz Alana Heith-Benzan, newly arrived from Santo Domingo and absolutely determined to take the 1889 Exposition in Paris—& the rest of Europe—by storm with her rum, brand, & vision.

As part of that plan she marries a studly, fellow businessperson Earl named James Sinclair who is—unbeknownst to her—on a quest to bring down his dastardly duke father.

Of course there are also feelings involved & sparks fly in this marriage of convenience romance, with both leads floored by their physical connection & feelings of tenderness & possessiveness toward the other.

The setting & characters Herrera uses & creates are so winning. Herrera showcases the heroine’s strong friendship group & while the author shows the misogyny & racism amongst many of the (most of the ?) white Europeans again & again, she also highlights how POC—including the Black heroine, Luz Alana, are chasing their dreams & conquering them, attacking the challenges facing them.

While there’s a lot to appreciate in this romance I often found myself frustrated by how the leads communicated & the reconciliation feels rushed.

This book is dramatic, fierce, & unapologetic but the romance arc itself falls somewhat flat for me.

3.5 ⭐️. Release date: 05/31.


CWs: lots & this isn’t an exhaustive list. Racism. Misogyny. James’s father is horrible & has done many bad things, including abandoning his oldest child & refusing to claim him, & sending James’s mother to live in a sanatorium and not allowing the family to reach out. Gun violence.


[ID: a white woman wearing a white shirt with pink font that says “no worries if not!!!” holds the ebook up while standing in front of a tree.]