This is a revised, expanded version of the short story Adriana Herrera wrote for the Villain I'd Like to F... anthology in 2022. I had a lot of fun reading this queer, poly romance that not only has racially diverse characters and an interesting setting we rarely see in historicals (the Caribbean), but it was also SUPER hot. There's nine chapters plus and epilogue, and it doesn't take the characters very long to act on their attraction towards one another.
This story was initially a part of an anthology about villains so obviously Cam, our bootlegger and kidnapper, has few qualms about accepting Rosalía's offer to have sex with him in exchange for passage to New York City. And Enzo, my favorite bratty nepo baby gangster and bane of Cam's existence, has only a few more scruples. But Rosalía isn't passive in all this; she isn't afraid to express her wants and desires, and she keeps pushing when she doesn't achieve her ends. I loved the dynamic between the three of them— there's this great mix of dirty moments peppered with sweet. And while the book is relatively light on external plot, it does build up to a quick, final heist before the three of them can settle together once and for all.
The sex:
There are multiple sex scenes, all high heat and on the rougher end. I loved the initial instances of voyeurism (particularly Enzo tragically jerking off when he hears Cam with Rosalía early on lol) and a sex act near the end when they're all together that's relatively rare even in poly romances.
Rosalía is a woman who knows what she wants and I do appreciate when an fmc gives as good as she gets in terms of dirty talk. And the dirty talk is BONKERS HOT all around; the degradation, the praise, plus immaculate use of pet names, from Cam calling Enzo "boy" (derogatory) and "brat" (mostly affectionate) to Enzo's tender use of "belleza" for Rosalía.
Also, I love that Enzo is a *brat* and tbh so does Cam even if he doesn't want to admit he's into it until after multiple up-close-and-personal confrontations. Between Enzo and Rosalía, they keep Cam on his toes, like, the vibe there definitely "I can't leave you two alone, can I?" (He can't, and he shouldn't).
Overall:
I really enjoyed this book! I'd recommend it to any romance reader looking for a a quick, high-heat read that is refreshingly diverse as far as historical romances go.
Thank you to Adriana Herrera and her team for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.