Gabriela and His Grace by Liana De la Rosa: A Homecoming That Steals Your Heart

In Gabriela and His Grace by Liana De la Rosa, Gabriela Luna, the last unmarried Luna sister, returns to Mexico to prove herself and escape the matchmaking schemes that nearly trapped her into a poor marriage. On the voyage she keeps bumping into Sebastian Brooks, the Duke of Whitfield—an English aristocrat she’s long judged as a rake after an awkward encounter years earlier. The trip forces them into closer quarters and new perspectives: Gabby sees Sebastian step up to defend her against family slights, and he sees the fierce, capable woman behind the rumors. Back in Mexico she’s still measured by her marriageability, so when she flees again to England, Sebastian accompanies her. Cabin-sharing and stolen kisses accelerate a slow-burn attraction into something unavoidable, and Gabby’s fight for respect, family reconciliation, and love all come to a head in a richly drawn finale.

My Review

I adored watching Gabby finally have her moment. De la Rosa gives her a vivid arc—rebellious, stubborn, and achingly human—and the novel rewards patience: the slow burn between Gabby and Sebastian is earned, tender, and often quietly funny. Their enemies-to-lovers banter had me smiling on the subway more than once, and the shipboard scenes felt cinematic in the best way, full of small gestures that build to big meaning.

What made me stay up late was how the book balances romance with family stakes. The Lunas’ loyalty and grief are real, and seeing Gabby push for the respect she deserves made every romantic scene land harder. Fans of the series will love the glimpses of Isabel and Ana María’s happy lives, and new readers will find a satisfying, self-contained story about identity, home, and the bravery it takes to choose a life for yourself.

Expect to close this one with a full heart and the comfortable ache of watching someone finally come home to themselves—and to love.

You can get a copy of Gabriela and His Grace by Liana De la Rosa on Amazon or Bookshop.

If this has you intrigued, read an excerpt from Gabriela and His Grace below.

Excerpt Preview

To set the scene: Gabriela is preparing to embark on the journey from England to Mexico when her brother-in-law, Gideon, reveals that she will be accompanied on the journey by none other than Sebastian Brooks, Duke of Whitfield—and the bane of Gabby’s existence.

“I can’t believe you changed your mind about me leaving, Gideon. I thought I was going to have to resort to bribery . . .” Gabby narrowed her eyes. “Or maybe even battery, to convince you to let me return home.”

Gideon didn’t smile-he saved all of his smiles for Ana María and Estella-but there was a spark in his dark eyes that Gabby had long recognized as amusement. “Let’s just say that once I learned you wouldn’t be traveling alone, my concerns over your safety lifted a tad.”

“I’ve always appreciated your concern,” she allowed, “but I’m certain Señorita Moreno and I will be perfectly fine.”

Her brother-in-law’s lips twisted in a manner Gabby had never seen before, and she frowned. “What?”

With quick movements, Gideon scooped Estella from her arms and propped her against his chest. Gabby didn’t miss Ana María’s quiet laugh. “As much as I’m sure you and Miss Moreno are capable of caring for yourselves, there will be another on the ship to provide you assistance should you need it,” Gideon said.

Jerking her chin back, Gabby looked from Gideon to her sister, whose attention was focused on her daughter. Ana María refused to meet Gabby’s eyes. When she turned his way, Tío Arturo was studying the ship’s masts. Lady Yardley, however, stared back at her with a broad smile. Dread dropped in Gabby’s stomach like a rock.

“Who?” she demanded, spinning about in a whirl of skirts, her eyes darting about the busy docks. A name flashed in her mind and she drew up short, her breath catching. Surely not. Of all the people who would be traveling to Altamira, it couldn’t be him.

Gritting her teeth so tightly her jaw ached, she pivoted, following the direction Gideon searched. It was then that the crowd shifted and her gaze collided with a familiar pair of blue eyes and her skin flushed so hot, Gabby was certain she would combust. Without a thought, she stomped her foot and shrieked, “Ay, no!”

XXX

Sebastian Brooks, the eleventh duke of Whitfield, knew better than to expect an effusive . . . or even a cordial greeting from the likes of Miss Gabriela Luna. But he certainly hadn’t expected her to exclaim so loudly she’d frightened several of the sailors working on the gangplank.

Sighing, Sebastian plucked his spectacles from his face and massaged the bridge of his nose. The voyage to Altamira was scheduled for twelve to fourteen days, and then the carriage ride to Dawson’s home would take five to six days. Surely he could survive three weeks in Miss Luna’s company.

Even across the sixty or so feet between them, Sebastian could see the disbelief and frustration sparking in her greenish-brown eyes.

“And here I thought you were a rake about town, Your Grace.” Brodie, his valet, stopped next to him, his head cocked to the side. “But that lass appears angry enough to bite through steel.”

Sebastian snorted as he slid on his spectacles. Brodie had worked for him for nigh on a decade, and he was used to his easy manners and glib tongue. He continued to employ the man despite his propensity for bringing Sebastian down a peg because, frankly, no one dressed Sebastian quite like the burly Scotsman. He should have foreseen Brodie’s delight at Miss Luna’s fiery disdain for him.

Three weeks, he reminded himself. Just three weeks, and he would be in Mexico with his old friend, Sirius Dawson, touring the silver mine that had single-handedly brought the Whitfield dukedom out of arrears.

Excerpted from Gabriela and His Grace by Liana De la Rosa Copyright © 2025 by Liana De la Rosa. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Ready for More?

If Gabby’s journey and Sebastian’s steady devotion sound like your kind of romance, grab your copy of Gabriela and His Grace and lose yourself in the last Luna sister’s story. When you’ve finished it, come back and tell me in the comments: which moment made you cheer for Gabby the loudest?

You can get a copy of Gabriela and His Grace by Liana De la Rosa on Amazon or Bookshop.