⭐⭐⭐⭐ Was I hooked by that book? Yes. Portugal’s beloved princess falls hard and fast for her brother’s friend while attempting to prevent war in Spain and keep Portugal out of it all.

Princess Isabel de Orleans would do anything for Portugal. When her brother, the king, asks for her help, she agrees to travel to Spain to defuse a diplomatic crisis. Henrique, Viscount Penafiel, has no roots. He prepares to sail to greener pastures when his best friend blackmails him into accompanying the princess to an aristocratic-filled seaside resort. With his wit and ever-present grin, Henrique delights in showing how Isabel’s morals are outdated. Isabel abhors philandering but is entranced by the caring man hidden below a devil-may-care attitude. The sister of Henrique’s best friend should be high on a pedestal, safe from his lust. But by demolishing his ideas, she crumbles the height separating them. Alfonso is a king sans a throne. When the Bourbon’s meteoric interest in Isabel threatens Portugal’s independence, Henrique has to take drastic measures to save his country and Isabel’s love.

MY THOUGHTS

Isabel was very sheltered as the King of Portugal’s sister. She expected the most decorous behavior from herself and her ladies, which led to a bit of rebellion in at least one of those ladies. Henrique believed that life should be lived and if pleasure presented itself, to grab it with both hands. His outlook didn’t quite fit in with Isabel’s highly regimented life. This all led to some highly entertaining interactions between the two of them and had them readjusting their views.

I enjoyed the setting of Portugal and Spain and the court intrigues and politics. Isabel handled herself really well in some situations, and in others she was too naïve. But in the end, she stayed true to her principles and did the best she could to diffuse a potentially explosive situation.

There were a lot of separate plots weaving through each other, sometimes intersecting. It all worked well together and everything was resolved satisfactorily.

I can definitely recommend this if you like steamy historical romance that explores other parts of Europe. This book is part of a series but stands well on its own.

Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Were you hooked by that book? Let me know in the comments below.

Genre: Historical Romance
Published: September 20, 2023
Sensuality Rating: Warm
Series: The Winemakers
Tropes: Opposites Attract, Forbidden Love, Forced Proximity