purplepenning's Reviews (1.72k)

I've read a few books by Christina Lauren now and this was definitely my favorite. 

Dutiful eldest daughter and Mexican heiress Ana María Luna doesn't expect to find a taste of freedom in the rigid high society of Victorian England. When she and her sisters are sent to England to escape the invading French forces in Mexico City, however, she discovers that she has also escaped the domineering control of her politically ambitious father. She relishes the opportunity to discover who she is when her life isn't dictated to her. One thing she knows — she does not want to fall for a politically ambitious Englishman, so the intriguing spark she feels around the somber Mr. Fox must be ignored. 

As much a well-researched historical novel as it is a slow-burn romance, ANA MARÍA AND THE FOX does some heavy lifting for the books that will follow it, but the patient reader will have their rewards. You'll find dances and house parties and Bridgerton vibes with Latin American color, a glimpse of some world affairs during the U.S. Civil War, dastardly plots and adventurous action, a wedding night that's worth the wait, and a teaser for some intrigue to come in the next Luna sister book! 

Tessa's books rarely work for me, but I can't stop reading them. >⁠.⁠< This was considerably better than the first one in this series! 

The Forgers-on-vacation montage?! <chef's kiss> Also — we get MORE BOND! 

Discovering that this is the first in a duology instantly made me 82% more satisfied with the parts of the story we're given here. I definitely would've liked the last scene so much better if I had known — having all of the Davenport siblings together at one table is something I was hoping for throughout the entire book and when it finally happened I couldn't properly enjoy it because I kept thinking "wait, there's not nearly enough book left to resolve any of this!" So... keep in mind that this is only the first half of the story and you'll be much more likely to enjoy this fascinating historical about a wealthy Black family in Chicago in the early 1900s and the lives, moments, and movements that intersect with them.