The XO Interview: Adriana Herrera
The Las Leonas Author on writing her values and romance in Paris
I’ve been a fan of Adriana Herrera’s novels ever since I reviewed her novel American Love Story for NPR. And I’ve also been a fan of Adriana herself—she’s smart, funny and has a lot to say about the genre. I’m especially swooning over her new novel An Island Princess Starts A Scandal, a sapphic romance between two Latinas in Belle Epoque Paris. We talked about how researching a family vacation sparked the idea for her latest series, writing more about sexual and reproductive rights on the page and the “safe landing” that romance novels provide.
How did you first discover the romance genre? Which book was The One for you?
I started reading romance in middle school. I grew up in the Dominican Republic but during the summers I’d come to visit family in the US with my paternal grandmother. I had adult cousins in the Bronx in NY and in San Diego, Ca. Two of my cousins were avid romance readers. One read Harlequins and the other was a big historical romance reader and let’s just say I “borrowed” a lot of books those summers!
I honestly can’t say exactly which book hooked me, but I do remember reading Untamed by Elizabeth Lowell and Fires of Winter by Johanna Lindsey and thinking…I want like a thousand more of these! I’ve always been a big reader. I love all genres, but romance has always been my safe landing.
We’ve had boozy lunches and talked about the internalized misogyny of romance novels and the idea that even the most well-meaning feminist readers and writers still have expectations from their stories that support the patriarchy. What’s an example of that?
That’s a hard question to answer without offending people! But I’ll say this. I’ve always considered myself a feminist. They are the values that have shaped my identity for most of my adult life and they are central to my romance writing. For example, in 2023 I have to be brave enough to bring the fight for sexual and reproductive rights to the page. I have to be steadfast in my values and not romanticize violent, controlling men who stalk their love interest because it’s marketable. I have to write characters courageous enough to speak truthfully about the things that I believe in.
Your new book is An Island Princess Starts A Scandal and it’s the second book in your Las Leonas series. It’s got a scandalous proposal between two women, it’s summer in Paris, it promises to be oh-so sexy. What else can you tell us about the book?
Well to start, It’s a sapphic romance and both protagonists are Latinas. Manuela one of the heroines is an artist who is in Paris to present two paintings at the Exposition Universelle and hopefully get up to no good before she returns home to enter a loveless marriage. Enter Cora Kempf Bristol a ruthless businesswoman who wants something from Manuela. They strike a deal. Cora will show Manuela Paris’s lesbian world and she will give Cora what she wants, in the process they fall in love. I tried to the best of my ability to highlight the very vibrant lesbian communities of Belle Epoque Paris as well as the artistic community.
The Las Leonas series centers around three best friends from the Caribbean traveling to Paris for the 1889 Exposition Universelle—such a fun, sexy premise for a romance series! What inspired the series and how did you come up with their stories?
With the help of the internet, of course! In 2019 I was researching for a family trip to Paris and found an article talking about the Dominican Republic’s presence at the 1889 Exposition Universelle. I had no idea we’d been part of that event and after a little more digging I found a ton of information on the DR’s exhibit and of the other twelve Latin countries that attended.
This exposition was a huge one. Not only was it the centennial of the revolution, but it was where the Eiffel Tower was unveiled. More than thirty-two million people came to Paris that summer from all over the world, including thousands of Latin America visitors. It was just too perfect a setting!
How do romance novels bring you joy?
The are a joy because they are comfort. They are a safe way to explore questions about desire, sexuality, relationships. It’s aspirational and it’s hopeful. Romance, when it hits, is just the best.