Ana Maria and the Fox by Liana De la Rosa Review – A Historical Romance with a Missed Spark
In Ana Maria and the Fox we meet Ana Maria, from a powerful political family, sent to London during the French occupation of Mexico. There he meets Gideon Fox, a biracial congressman who fights against the slave trade. The premise of the book looked promising, but the slow-burning romance between the two actors wasn’t developed enough and their chemistry felt a bit forced. The expected arranged marriage doesn’t happen until after the middle, defying synopsis expectations.
Although Mother Mary’s firm stance against racism, slavery and women’s rights was commendable, the death penalty was harsh and somewhat unrealistic. His conflicting approaches to solving these problems often deviated from the natural flow of the story. In addition, the exaggerated reactions of Ana Maria and her sisters to certain situations, such as the suggestion to lighten their skin, are sometimes limited to cartoons and detract from the importance of the subjects depicted.
The story progressed slowly and the repetitive dialogue made it difficult to connect with the characters. It wasn’t until the second half of the book that the story picked up as the conflict intensified. The book had the potential to be engaging, but got bogged down in copious descriptive detail and failed to deliver a compelling story, ultimately leaving readers hungry for more depth and content.
