Gabriela and His Grace

Leaving Victorian England for Mexico, the swoonworthy conclusion to De La Rosa’s Luna Sisters series (after Isabel and the Rogue) turns the spotlight onto youngest sister Gabriela “Gabby” Luna. With the French having withdrawn from the invasion that forced the Lunas to flee their homeland in book one, Gabby heads home to visit her parents and recuperate from narrowly escaping a forced marriage to a noble. Her escort is Sebastian Brooks, the Duke of Whitfield, whom Gabby warms to on their shipboard journey despite her prior dislike of him. In Mexico, however, she’s met with more matrimonial plotting, this time coming from her father who has picked out a suitable match for her. Gabby resists—and her affinity for Sebastian increases when he agrees to escort her back to London to spare her from the unwanted marriage. With their voyage taking place on such short notice, the two are forced to share a cabin, which leads to a scintillating shipboard affair. That should be the end of things, but upon returning to London, rumors of Gabby being compromised spread, throwing the couple into a scandal. De La Rosa’s characters are as progressive for their time as ever—it’s especially gratifying to see how highly Sebastian values Gabby’s intellect—and their chemistry is red hot. Series fans will not be disappointed. (Aug.)