Alliance with His Stolen Heiress: A Spicy Alpha Hero Historical Romance

by Lydia San Andres

A high-stakes romantic Caribbean escape

He must earn her trust

before he wins her heart!

In distancing himself from his nefarious wealthy family, Julian Fuentes has gained a rebellious reputation. Still, he’s shocked when heiress Amalia Troncoso hires him to stage her kidnapping! Julian doesn’t mind masquerading as a bandit to help Amalia get her inheritance from her tyrannical uncle, or spending time with the bold heiress who’s captured his imagination. But will the truth that ties their families together prevent their alliance from becoming more? 

From Harlequin Historical:  Your romantic escape to the past.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical, M F Romance, Harlequin, Category Romance

255 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 25, 2023

About the author

Lydia San Andres (She/Her) lives and writes in the tropics, where she can be found reading, sipping coffee, and making excuses to stay out of the sun. As much as she enjoys air conditioning, she can sometimes be lured outside with the promise of cookies and picnics.

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

The hat on the cover is giving me life.

This book opens with an absolutely magnificent sequence whereby the heroine is abducted by a bandit, who turns out to be some random guy she hired to abduct her in an effort to make her tight fisted and exploitative uncle ransom her. (We never really address what a clearly terrible plan this is, because sssh let people enjoy themselves.) Obviously the hero isn't actually a bandit, and there's some off the charts chemistry and fun in the first half as the alliance unspools.

I didn't enjoy the second half as much because the plot takes a sharp turn into family traumas and betrayals and plots with lots of angst and enmity, all of which are excellent things but I was very much wanting the fun exuberant adventure to continue because that's the mood I was in. Can't have everything. Great setting and period detail, strong writing, vividly drawn characters.

[Jenica · Rating 5 out of 5]

The thing about Lydia San Andres’ books with Harlequin so far is that you take this plot that already sounds pretty wild and then you go on quite a journey with the characters with twists and turns that are really quite unexpected (in my mind) in a historical romance. Do I dislike that experience? Not even a little bit. But did I keep gasping at my kindle and going, “WHAT?!” Yes, yes, I did. So, I really don’t want to spoil anything for you so I’ll just say that the basic premise is that Amalia arranges her kidnapping and Julian is our kidnapper. They eventually fall in love.

This book is sexy and full of hijinks and deeply emotional for such a short amount of pages. The family dynamics are popping off in all directions and I was incredibly here for it. If you’re looking for something that will keep your attention because it keeps the plot moving, look no further than Alliance with His Stolen Heiress. I genuinely cannot wait to see what San Andres does next. I’m going to be here for every single book she decides to give us.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for the e-ARC!

[Ms. Woc Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amalia stages her own kidnapping in an attempt to get her inheritance from her greedy uncle. She mistakes Julian for a bandit and he goes a long with it as a means to get close to her and do some digging into her uncle's affairs. But the more time they sped together he starts to develop feelings for her.

I felt like I was reading a historical telenovela there was so much drama and action and betrayal and intrigue! The Dominican Republic setting is what drew me in and having read Lydia San Andres before I knew I liked her slow burn writing style

I enjoyed the chemistry and banter from the couple. It was very sexy despite no on page sex scenes. Insta-lust doesn't always work for me but these two just clicked!

Full review
https://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot....

[Winnifred D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded to 4. Things I liked:

--The Costa Rican setting is unique for a HR, and the world building is effective. The descriptions created a sense of time and place that helped make this a good lazy weekend read.
--The premise, of a woman planning her own kidnapping, is interesting.
--The MFC, Amalia, is a strong woman while still seeming realistic for the time period.
--The plot moves along quickly, with plenty of action.
--The chemistry between Amalia and Julian, the MMC, in the first half is solid. I thought their slow-burn friends-to-lovers relationship worked well. The banter is sharp and funny.
--Julian is an appealing hero to start off. He's a lowkey, unpretentious rake, but is moral at his core.

What I wasn't crazy about:
--The second half turns friends-to-lovers into enemies-to-lovers, and I never felt as if the trust between Amalia and Julian was completely resolved. A few of my pet peeves: the Big Secret (Julian had plenty of chances to tell Amalia the truth), the Intolerable Jerk Routine to Drive the MFC Away for Her Own Good, the MMC Indulging Routinely in Self-Pity. Julian lost points from me as the book went on.
--Amalia's reaction when Julian shows up on the train. Say what? That's a lot of physical affection for a guy who's impugned your reputation in front of your family and his and dismissed you like day-old chewing gum. More MMC grovel needed here.
--Overabundance of egotistical baddies in the second half. Secondary characters with redeeming qualities sorely needed.
--The resolution of the plot felt a tad underwhelming. I guess I was expecting more of a twist. Couldn't have Amalia have tried to get legal advice earlier, as soon as she got away from her uncle? Why didn't she think about trying to locate legal documents herself?

Overall: this is a fun, diverting read, so I rounded up to 4. On the downside, too many villains arise and the plot gets a bit muddled toward the end. Also, I hate when a perfectly good, crunchy, cinnamon roll hero is turned into an oily alpha-hole. Ugh.

I read an advanced reader copy of this book and this is my voluntary review. Opinions are my own. Thanks to the author, publisher, and Net Galley.

[Kazen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love what Lydia San Andres brings to her romances - a historical setting we rarely see (early 1900s Caribbean), a plot that literally moves the characters from place to place in entertaining ways, and in this book a bucketful of twists and turns including a fight on a train (!) and a horse galloping into a church (!!), both for Reasons, of course.

All kinds of fun. Is it perfect? No, but I don't really care - it was fun and engaging when I was in the middle of a slump, so I chalk it up as a success. More Caribbean romance from San Andres, please!

Thanks to Harlequin for providing a review copy.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absolute ride--tons of action and adventure that goes pretty much non-stop up until the end. The pacing kinda slowed for me there, and I didn't feel that the trust was totally in place for Julián and Amalia at the climactic scene when it probably should have been. This was still an incredibly fun read, and I always love the lush historical details that Lydia San Andres puts into her books.

Thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Matilda]

Non voglio mai più pensare a questa cosa che ho letto

[Mariama Thorlu-Bangura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book by author Lydia San Andres that I have read, but it will not be the last!
"Alliance With The Stolen Heiress" tells the story of Amalia and Julian. She and her younger sister Lucia are wealthy young women being kept on an extremely tight and short leash by their uncle Francisco. Their parents are dead and he was appointed guardian. But he's more focused on guarding their money, (and using it for his own benefit probably). Julian is the son of one of the wealthiest men on the island, but is often treated as a failure by his father, who seems to favor his nephew Victor (Julian's nemesis).
To get out from under his thumb, Amalia hires Julian to 'kidnap' her, then demand a ransom, which she would then use to take herself and her sister to Europe to start a new life. The plan does not work. Francisco chooses to abscond with Lucia, who he attempts to marry off to none other than Julian's cousin Victor. Thankfully, that marriage does not occur, but not for lack of trying. Amalia gets truly kidnapped and it's Julian who rescues her. Together, they foil the plan hatched by his father and her uncle. That climax was definitely worth waiting for!
I loved this book! Amalia and Julian are great together, and the chemistry between them sizzles every single time. They both have suffered the loss of a parent/parents. They both have been held hostage by domineering men. Thankfully, they both realize they deserve more, especially Julian. He spends the majority of the book feeling unworthy of love. Amalia definitely helps him see that he is worthy, and that he is loved...by her! I detested Victor. The level of animosity he had towards Julian leads me to think it's more than just jealousy or meanness. There must be a secret there we don't know about. Julian's father and Amalia's uncle are just greedy, selfish men. I didn't spare them a second thought once their natures were presented. Finally there is Lucia. I would love to see her in Europe, experiencing the culture and falling in love. I'm sure it would just as engrossing as this story was. Definitely a five star read!!
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for this ARC, which I voluntarily read and reviewed.

[Beth]

I like this author and she's been a great discovery along my harlequin reading journey. However, the conceit of this book is Amalia hires Julian to "kidnap" her so she can get her inheritance from her uncle. I guess spoiler?? Julian isn't really a con artist and only kind of goes along with it because he has time I guess. In actuality, he's also rich and comes from a well-known family. Why San Andres did the secret rich guy is beyond me when it would've been way more interesting for Julian to actually be a con artist and mine the class and trust conflict from that.

[Harlequin Books]

:)

[Kaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trope-y, drama-filled fun.

[Romanticamente Fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maria Antonietta - per RFS
.
Il rapimento di una giovane ereditiera è l’inizio burrascoso di questo delizioso romanzo targato Harmony, ambientato nella Repubblica dominicana ai primi del Novecento.

In realtà, la messinscena orchestrata dalla viziata Amalia è un espediente per estorcere dei soldi allo zio tutore che si prende cura di lei e di sua sorella Lucia, anche se quest’ultima, però, è ignara di tutto.

Il suo piano tuttavia le si ritorce contro e il losco zio approfitta della sua assenza per svignarsela, portandosi dietro l’amata sorella. Da qui in poi è tutta un’avventura rocambolesca, una corsa contro il tempo per raggiungere il fuggitivo che ha sicuramente in programma un matrimonio forzato.

La sicurezza è tutto ciò che vuole Amalia, l’eredità è in pericolo essendo sotto il controllo dello zio a tempo indeterminato. Praticamente sono destinate a essere merce di scambio in pasto al miglior offerente!

Amalia, a differenza di Lucia, è una spina nel fianco, ribelle e spregiudicata che decide di ingaggiare un emerito sconosciuto, incontrato per caso, per fingere il suo rapimento.

Julian Fuentes, affascinante protagonista maschile, è un bandito e un impostore che sta indagando sulle tresche che collegano i malaffari di suo padre e lo zio di Amalia. Figlio di un magnate delle ferrovie, fa credere ad Amalia di essere un poveraccio che vive alla giornata e che vuole aiutarla per soldi e forse chissà!

In questa avventura i due giovani inizieranno a provare una forte attrazione e, nonostante Amalia sia convinta che lui sia un perdigiorno senza un quattrino, comincerà a fidarsi e infatuarsi. L’atteggiamento noncurante è una maschera protettiva che si è creato per non soccombere alla delusione di non essere apprezzato dal padre e surclassato dall’odioso cugino.

Il ragazzaccio è agli occhi di Amalia un eroe, anche se lavora per soldi o almeno così dice!

Julian mi è sembrato subito un bel personaggio, mai volgare o presuntuoso, un vero bandito gentiluomo. Tranne la poca considerazione di se stesso, dovuta alle conflittualità con il padre e il cugino, Julian è molto equilibrato e coerente con se stesso. Purtroppo la bugia detta ad Amalia, gli costerà cara … ma non troppo!

La vivace ereditiera è un peperino tutto fuoco che non perderà tempo in convenevoli e cercherà in tutti i modi di compromettere il caro Julian. Avete capito bene! Sarà lui con tanta fatica a destreggiarsi in tutti i modi per non soccombere alle avances di Amalia!! Chissà se ci riuscirà … lascio a voi il compito di scoprirlo.

Lei è l’eroina della storia, quella con gli attributi, una qualità che ho sempre apprezzato nelle donne ma in questo caso forse è un po’ troppo. Si, è vero che ci piace la donna energica e non troppo imbambolata, come infatti risulta Lucia (la sorella senza opinioni e personalità) ma i pantaloni… per me, li deve tenere il cavaliere con l’armatura scintillante che salva l’eroina e la porta via.

A voi l’ardua sentenza.

Consiglio la lettura.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Amalia and her younger sister have been kept under the thumb of their controlling uncle ever since their parents' deaths. Amalia is very independent and chafes under Francisco's restrictions. She's even more frustrated when he refuses their request for Lucia to study music in Vienna. Determined to break free, Amalia hires Julián to kidnap her and plans to use the ransom to finance their escape.

Julián is the son of a wealthy family but is treated as a failure by his father when he refuses to cooperate with his unethical business practices. Julián's cousin Victor, who has been Julián's nemesis since childhood, is the one his father favors. Julián also suspects his father of interfering with his relationship with a local woman. When Amalia hires him, he's glad to help, as he also suspects that his father and Francisco are in cahoots.

The kidnapping scene was excellent and immediately showed the sparks of attraction that flared between Julián and Amalia. The banter between them is amusing, with Amalia's intensity running up against Julián's devil-may-care attitude. When it becomes evident that no ransom is forthcoming, they race back to Amalia's home to discover her uncle and sister gone, and Amalia's disappearance is described as an elopement.

This begins a roller coaster ride of twists and turns as Julián and Amalia hurry after her family. The scene on the boat voyage involves a gossipy acquaintance, a midnight feast in the ship's kitchen, and a confrontation with thugs determined to return Amalia to her uncle. Matters become more complicated when they find Francisco has bargained Lucia's hand to Julián's cousin Victor. A confrontation reveals Julián's other reason for helping Amalia, leaving her feeling betrayed. Julián attempts to trick his father into revealing information, and Amalia suffers another kidnapping, this time a real one. There are heart-stopping moments when Julián races to the rescue, and they struggle to escape her captors. The final confrontation was fantastic. I loved seeing Amalia take the lead and expose her uncle's shenanigans. I also loved seeing Julián get to deal with Victor.

The development of the relationship between Julián and Amalia had its ups and downs. While their chemistry is undeniable, Amalia has trust issues regarding men. She is determined to avoid marriage, which is one of the reasons she wants control of her inheritance. Julian has reacted to his father's disdain by developing a rebellious reputation. Underneath that reputation is a man with a good heart, his own sense of honor, and a belief that he is unworthy of love. As they spend time together, Amalia shows Julián that his father is wrong. At the same time, Amalia begins to trust Julián, though that trust takes a hit when she learns of his other reason for helping her. I loved Julián's determination to protect her and seeing how he begins to earn back her trust. I especially liked the ending, where he shows how well he understands her and her fears.

I'd like a book that follows Julián, Amalia, and Lucia in Europe. Not only to keep up with Julián and Amalia but also to see if it lives up to Lucia's expectations.

#netgalley

[Smut Report]

Heat Factor: Lots of foreplay.

Character Chemistry: I like you, but can I trust you?

Plot: Amalia hires Julian to kidnap her in an attempt to rescue her sister from their controlling uncle/guardian. Julian has an ulterior motive. Plus there are a bunch of villains.

Overall: The premise is bonkers, the execution is fun.

Just to get this out of the way: Amalia’s whole kidnapping plan was definitely half-baked. Like, did she really think that staging her own kidnapping to get her uncle to pay a ransom with her own money that he won’t let her access would *work*? Jeez.

Obviously, it doesn’t work. Instead of paying the ransom, Amalia’s uncle absconds to parts unknown with her younger sister—now that Amalia is out of the way, there’s no one stopping their uncle from marrying off the much more biddable Lucía. So Amalia and Julian are off on a road trip to try and rescue Lucía from whatever plot is happening.

Read our full review at The Smut Report

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

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[Julianne W · Rating 3 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed reading this, especially the first half- the book starts with an absolute bang and I loved the “we can’t keep our hands or lips off each other” energy from the get go. Amalia was fierce in getting what she wanted and Julian was very hot and immediately liked Amalia for her boldness. Huge wins!

Unfortunately the mid point of the book faltered and the pacing from there on out was off- there were some plot inconsistencies and holes and both characters made some confusing and bad decisions that made me frustrated as a reader.

**spoiler**

The ending felt a bit confusing- they took the villains down with … public shame and lawyer threats? After they had these master machinations the whole book? Hm.

That being said, I still really enjoyed the book and will absolutely be buying and reading more from this offer. And the cover is absolute perfection and really captures the characters personalities so well (and may or may not be the reason I picked this up in the first place ;)

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Lydia San Andres delivers another delightfully original take on some familiar (rather out-there) tropes, combined with the unique twentieth-century Caribbean setting. I really liked Amalia’s determination, and Julián has layers that make him a bit morally dubious, while still being a good person at heart. He does have a few moments where he does fall into some of those tropes I don’t like, such as being too self-pitying or playing up the Asshole Facade to keep her at bay. But I did like them together at the end of the day, as they did work well together.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julian and Amalia have a strong connection built from the very beginning of the book which begins their journey. Building their friendship and trust through the serious of events the author took us on was very romantic to me. I have to say the intimate scenes didn’t have as much detail on the acts as I may like but there was a lot of kissing and I love that as I think a lot of romance books miss the the build up. I loved when Julian called Amalia her highness and declared he would do anything for her. SWOON. Thank you Netgallery and to the publisher for providing me this advance copy.

[Andrea Wenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julian and Amalia stage her kidnapping to wrestle her inheritance away from her tyrannical uncle. But when the uncle uses the dark secrets of their two families against them, will their burgeoning romance be destroyed?

This romantic Caribbean adventure is full of danger and sudden reversals. Julian and Amalia are a perfect match—but with so many secrets and torn loyalties, it's difficult for them to trust. The story is intriguing, fast-paced, and emotional.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy via Net Galley.

Amalia tries to escape from her uncle who controls her sister and fortune. She hires Julian to stage her kidnapping to gain her inheritance from her uncle.

The premise really intrigued me for this one. I liked the banter between the two characters and the setting was really unique. I really enjoyed the book's first half but didn't love the second half as much.

Overall this was a good read. I am interested to check out more from this author in the future.

[Nicole Reads Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy the high drama of old school romances this book (series) is for you! An heiress held under her uncle’s thumb hires a bandit to kidnap her so she’s considered ruined and can finally have her independence. But of course nothing is as it seems and oops, they fall in love! Kidnappings, train chases, henchmen and dastardly villains all set against the backdrop of 1905 Dominican Republic.

This is book two in a series of four, and my fav of the three I’ve read.

[Elayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I strated reading this story more than once, but found that I could not get into the swing of it. I did not find the main characters empathetic nor the storyline persuasive. And thus I failed to finish the book.

[Sharonda Isadora · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute sexy read and I high key enjoyed it. Great chemistry and banter between our main characters; the plot was fun and drama filled. Definitely won't be my last read by this author.

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read/review.

[RainbowReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

It had an interesting plot and good characters but it just wasn’t my preferred genre

[Aleera Ceres · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miss Lydia, you had no business stressing me out so much with this

[Chantel DaCosta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this so much. So many little twists and turns. Just a fun historical romance with a dash of adventure and family drama.

[Emily Bardon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exactly the type of story I wanted to read when I chose this book. I would recommend this book to any lovers of historical romantic fiction, and I'll definitely be reading this book again. This was an ARC from NetGalley

[Brenda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Julian Fuentes pretends to be a kidnapper. He is told to abduct heiress Amalia Troncoso. It is all timed to her inheritance that her corrupt uncle wants to keep managing. I had a hard time reading this book. I did not like this book.