The adventures of the Perez sisters continue with Cleeton’s latest book, WHEN WE LEFT CUBA. This time, we follow Beatriz through a world of espionage as she tries to infiltrate Fidel Castro’s camp in order to assassinate him. This is also during the 1960s when relations between America and Cuba were very tense. This story takes us through the Cuban Missile Crisis, The Bay of Pigs, and the assassination of President Kennedy.

After reading Cleeton’s first book, Next Year in Havana, I had very high expectations for this one. I loved the political background I gained in Havana and fell in love with Cleeton’s writing style. It’s lyrical and poetic, making you feel like a participant in the story rather than a reader. Cuba came alive in that novel and all I’ve wanted to do since reading it is walk the Malecón and see the sights for myself.
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I don’t know if the disconnect with this book was due to it being primarily set in America - somewhere I’m more familiar with - or the storyline, but this story wasn’t nearly as strong for me. (That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it though, just not as much as Havana.) The writing is still strong - Cleeton has a gift for crafting a story that immediately sucks you in.

However, I kept waiting for something to happen that somehow just felt elusive throughout the novel, like it was just waiting on the next page, but then it never appeared. I felt like the political events were glossed over in a way I didn’t feel in Havana. The story could have been just as rich with all the political happenings that occurred during that time period, so this felt like a huge missed opportunity.

I think I would have loved this novel if I didn’t have Havana to compare it to. Also, for those who’ve asked, I absolutely think this novel can stand alone. There’s enough background information provided from the previous book that you won’t be lost at all!

As I’ve mentioned already, this is still a strong novel, but having had the Havana experience previously, I simply prefer that one over this one. I’ll be curious to see other reviews and if I’m alone on this assessment, so if you’ve read it, let me know!

Once again Ms. Cleeton visits the Perez Family for a glimpse into the past, both Cuba’s and their own. This story centers around Beatriz, the beautiful sister of the heroine in Next Year in Havana. The time period for this story centers around the late 50’s, early 60’s. Just like her sister, Beatriz has her own astonishing part in the revolution that will keep you entranced.

Beatriz tells the story in her own words. She is now a mature woman, reminiscing on her stunning life and how she has arrived at this point. You hear her story in first person, allowing you to feel her pain and to share in her highs and lows as she goes thru life. I love this style, you feel as if you are sitting on a couch talking to her.

I enjoyed this book as much, if not more than Next Year In Havana!! It felt like reconnecting with an old friend to catch up on their life. This can be read and enjoyed by teens to adults. You do not have to read Next Year in Havana to understand and enjoy this novel, but both are wonderful and I highly recommend them!!

This story takes you back to a time that was very real to my family. Though this is a work of fiction the way Ms. Cleeton writes makes this story feel so real. Actual events mixed with a story that, may not have a conventional love story, it will have you falling in love. You also see Beatriz in a light that I have always pictured the women in my family to be in. As a daughter of Cuban immigrants this story really hits home to me. Although my grandparents journey was a little different the feelings and emotions described were shared by everyone who was forced to flee their home during that time. I can not say it enough Ms. Cleeton's words with this story and the one before (Next Year In Havana) will forever be in my heart. ABSOLUTELY A MUST READ!

I have been reading Chanel Cleeton’s books since her angsty new adult book years and I am more and more impressed with her growth and brilliance as a writer. When We Left Cuba was what I wanted but didn’t expect. Meeting Beatriz Perez in Next Year in Havana left me curious and Cleeton satisfied that curiosity in an intriguing way.

First off, as someone who loves history, this book is a dream. Cleeton weaves history and Cuban heritage into a love story that is raw and messy. The history of the Kennedy era US and the early years of Castro’s regime are painted in vivid detail as they progress side by side. The amount of politics should have bored me but Cleeton took it all and infused it with emotion and turmoil on a deeply personal level. You feel the heartache and frustration right along with these characters, experiencing the highs and lows of what had happened and what was coming.

Beatriz is a complex woman, one who longs for a homeland that is no more. She is struggling to identify who she is in her new reality and the role she is forced to play. We meet so many sides of this woman and I was hooked as I watched her define who she is and who she longed to be. One things is for certain, those Perez women cannot be under estimated. Beatriz is a strong willed woman who has experienced her fair share of tragedy and brutality. Watching her bloom into a woman who knows her mind is something to behold. Every time I felt like I had a grasp, she would surprise me. Her story was one of deception, loss, and hope. The love and lies she experiences create a wholistic story that is still swimming around in my head.

Chanel Cleeton delivers a world of color, pain, and espionage in her latest release. The constant ebb and flow of tragedy and heartache is balanced by the hope of freedom and love in the moment. When We Left Cuba is a story of identity, passion, and the chance to make a difference. Beatriz’ story is one that will stick with me long after the last page is read.

I absolutely loved Next Year in Havanah so I was sure this would be another win for me as well. Though it was beautifully written and had things I really enjoyed, unfortunately it missed the mark for me a bit.

The first thing that bothered me was the relationship between Beatrice and Nicholas. If I'm not rooting for the couple in the book, that's a problem for me. Also, it was way to heavy with the politics for my taste.

I think a lot of people will enjoy this book, especially people who end up liking Nicholas and don't mind the politically dense aspect, but for me, it was just okay. 2.5- 3 stars.

I was looking forward to Beatriz's story ever since meeting her in Next Year in Havana, and I thought her book was going to be surefire, five star book. She was a little bit mysterious, bold, courageous, and honestly I was dying to learn everything there was to know about her. Unfortunately it didn't work out that way. I had a difficult time forcing myself to read all the way through until the end.

If you read the previous book, you'll know that this takes place after the Cuban Revolution and picks up with Beatriz and her family as they are beginning to settle into their new lives in Florida. Elisa is now married, and her mother is obsessed with finding husbands for her other daughters from a respectable family. Her father is focused on rebuilding his sugar empire on American land so that his family is provided for and safe. Though they found refuge there, they haven't been welcomed with open arms in the wealthy circles they were accustomed to in Cuba. There is frustration and bitterness over having their success stolen from them, losing their homeland, and most of all, the injustice of her brother Alejandro's murder. The pain of everything she has survived gnaws at her until the only thought that brings her comfort is killing Fidel Castro and finally returning home to Cuba.

The book started out really strong. Beatriz is watching cooly amused at her kneeling suitor as she receives her fifth marriage proposal. She's in independent woman for her time who wants to make her own way in the world. The last thing she's interested in is giving up her freedom for so-called domestic bliss and being her husband's shadow. Her number one focus is making contact with the CIA and using them to get everything she wants.

It's at this same party where she meets Nicholas Randolph Preston III. A sitting US Senator with aspirations to go all the way to the presidency. They share a dance, sparks fly, and then her attraction skids to a screeching halt when she realizes that Nick is now an engaged man. Professionally, I liked Nick. He was the type of politician that actually cared about making a difference. But when his attraction to Beatriz quickly becomes something of an obsession, that's where things go downhill for me.

I didn't like Nick and Beatriz's relationship. At all. I never believed Beatriz cared for him equally as he cared for her. Everything she did was to further her own goals and she never once took his feelings into consideration. Love isn't selfish like that. You make compromises and shift your ambitions to make room for someone if you truly love them like they deserve. Eventually Nick did these things. He proved by his actions that he was willing to make sacrifices for her, but it didn't go both ways. The only thing she wanted was an opportunity to assassinate Castro, and to return to Cuba.Which, overall was the main point of her espionage throughout the book. We were led steadily toward this opportunity that she was waiting for. She wanted to avenge her brother and free her country from this tyrant who had taken so much from so many. And then we finally get to "the moment" and any expectation of an exciting confrontation is quickly deflated like a popped balloon.

There was just no excitement for any aspect of the book for me. The spy sections were sporadic and failed to garner any suspense whatsoever. I was not invested in Beatriz and Nick's ill fated relationship, so I didn't feel a thing for them. But I left the book feeling more than a little disappointed at the supposed happy ending, because it just wasn't realistic.

The politics were dense in this book which really bogged down the pace, and Beatriz's inner narrative about Americans grated on me. I wanted to love it so bad, but the more I think about the book, the more it frustrates me. I'm actually struggling to think of anything to mention that I liked. I will say that Cleeton did put a lot of detail into the historical side, expressing the threat of nuclear war and Kennedy's assassination very vividly. Like I said, I see glowing reviews everywhere so don't let mine stop you if you're planning to read this. Some books aren't for your taste, and in my case, this happens to be one of them.

5 Reasons You Should Not Leave Cuba on Your Shelf a Moment Longer:

1. This is the perfect trifecta of suspense, history, and romance. I will admit that the Cuban Missile Crisis is not a period in history I have spent a lot of time learning about. I learned so much about the Bay of Pigs and the JFK presidency while falling in love with a fictional storyline. Not only that, I was extra engaged because it was told from the perspective of a Cuban.
2. Beatriz is the whole package- witty, sexy, and a badass. One minute I’m reading about a Cuban socialite, and the next minute I’m reading about an international Spy for the CIA ready to singlehandedly take down Fidel Castro. It’s risky for authors to write a novel based entirely off a supporting character from a previous novel, but Cleeton really nailed it, and gives us even more reason to love Beatriz.
3. Flashbacks. I love them. I love reading a story where the author is able to execute a perfect flashback scenario that helps to enhance the storyline without confusing the plot.
4. Cameos from characters in Next Year in Havana. In Next Year in Havana, Beatriz was the supporting character we all fell in love with. In When We Left Cuba, we are able to see how her family shaped her from her perspective, while still getting a taste of the previously loved characters.
5. Ending that is more than good. For a moment there I wasn’t sure how Cleeton was going to pull off a fictional encounter with a real life person- but it was brilliant. Not only that, I was happy as a clam with the finely twist at the end of the story.

Favorite Quotes:

War has a way of sanding down your virtue.

I reenact my own Cinderella routine sans the discarded pump. If Cinderella had paid what I did for these shoes, she’d have made sure she left the ball with both, too.

If I’m going to have regrets in this life, I’d rather them be for the chances I took and not the opportunities I let slip away.

The line between villain and hero is whisper thin, and, very frequently, a matter of perspective. Gray, Miss Perez. We operate in the gray.


My Review:

I was completely sucked into Ms. Cleeton’s well-crafted and deftly written cloak and dagger vortex as I zigzagged the globe while she brilliantly unfolded her impressive tale of Beatriz Perez, Cuban femme fatale. Her captivating storylines sparkled with intrigue, betrayals, passion, family drama, an epic love, patriotism, scandal, and tropical heat. The engaging plot was quickly paced and highly eventful while blending fact and fiction with stunning agility in an informative yet entertaining and evocative manner.

Ms. Cleeton’s writing activated a long forgotten grade school memory flash of participating in those ridiculous duck and cover drills and being reprimanded for giggling while sitting under my desk. And I am proud to exclaim that I finally, yes finally, have a grasp on the atrocity of the Bay of Pigs and the disgraceful betrayals of the US government that caused such butchery, which is nothing new and probably even worse now, yet still, so disheartening. The 60s really were a mess!

Last year, Next Year in Havana was among my favorites. It broke my heart, then put it all together. It was bittersweet.
When We Left Cuba still has the awesome writing style that pulls you in and keeps you hooked, wanting to know more, but it's different. It's heavy on history and politics, most of the action taking place in the past, as our heroine, Beatriz remembers everything that happened. She's really badass, giving the reader a 007-vibe. It's not the typical love story because the emphasis, I felt, was not on the romance but on everyone's lives after Fidel Castro. Everything that entailed. Leaving Cuba, leading a new, albeit not as glamorous, life style in the US.
But Beatriz was not the type of woman that would sit back and wait for things to happen. And I liked that.
All that being said, I liked the story, the characters but felt that something was missing. Hence the 4 stars. Not that that is a bad thing, I still recommend this book.
I voluntarily agreed to read an early copy via Netgalley.

WHEN WE LEFT CUBA is the second instalment in Chanel Cleeton’s historical, fictionalized account focusing on the Perez family, and the Cuban Revolution.

Told from first person point of view (past 1960-1963) and present day (2016), third person (Beatriz Perez) WHEN WE LEFT CUBA following two timelines, focuses on Beatriz Perez, a Cuban immigrant to America, in the aftermath of the Cuban Revolution that destroyed her family, and everyone she loved. Desperate to avenge the death of her beloved brother Alejandro, Beatriz Perez’ political ideology becomes known to the American government, and is eventually recruited by the CIA, to infiltrate anti-Castro organizations in an attempt to ferret out information concerning the Cuban dictator. Determined to return to her homeland once Fidel is deposed, Beatriz finds herself part of an international espionage group headed by the CIA. Meeting US senator Nicholas ‘Nick’ Preston finds our heroine caught between her head and heart knowing her actions will reflect poorly on the people she loves. What ensues is Beatriz’ resolve to avenge her brother’s death, and the multi-decade love affair with a man who is destined for greatness at the cost of her love.

WHEN WE LEFT CUBA is a story of family, politics, relationships and love: of betrayal and vengeance, power and control; of one woman’s fight for freedom and independence, and one man’s love that was never enough. WHEN WE LEFT CUBA is not a story of romance but a love story between a man and a woman; between a woman and the country she lost. Beatriz Perez grew up surrounded by riches and money, and for her parents, it was all about perception and presentation, but our heroine refuses to follow tradition including society’s expectations of a woman, a Cuban immigrant woman, who struggles to be accepted for her ideals, her self-determination and personal autonomy.

WHEN WE LEFT CUBA is a detailed, multi-faceted, and engaging story line that follows the build up to cold war between the US and Cuba, and the ramifications of the Bay of Pigs, the assassination of John F Kennedy, and the consequences of Beatriz’s commitment to Cuba, to vengeance, and to her self-reliance. WHEN WE LEFT CUBA is a powerful, dynamic and imaginative story of one family’s battle to remain true to themselves in spite of the increasing break down of ethical, moral and personal beliefs.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

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I’ve been waiting for this one.

It was about a year ago when I requested this little book called Next Year in Havana. I’d just celebrated the first anniversary of my little writing blog, and I was high on its unexpected success. Everyone who knows me knows I’m obsessed with books and reading. I have been since I was a child. Books meant being able to escape a childhood that was teeming with abuse and mixed messages. Much like they did for Matilda, books took on a pivotal role in the person I ended up becoming as an adult.

I wonder sometimes if authors realize the impact they can have when they sit down to pen a novel. I was raised by Charlotte from E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web. My best friends were Kristy and Mary Anne from Ann M. Martin’s Baby-sitters Club. Nancy Drew studiously kept watch over the creeping shadows of my room at night for me, and Betty Ren Wright’s novel The Dollhouse Murders helped me pass summer after summer in the humid Louisiana countryside.

Year after year, summer would come around and subsequently so would requests for book recommendations. Texas gets HOT, and that means many days either by the pool or propped up under the air conditioning at home. It’s the perfect time to catch up on reading. I decided that maybe I needed a place to put all these books in so I could stop typing out the same few titles and blurbs … Outlander, Gone With the Wind, anything by Jackie Collins (see my range, she said with a disarmingly elitist smile) or maybe one of those rom-com’s by Meg Cabot or Jennifer Weiner.

And then it grew … from a few posts detailing my favorite books to publicity reps reaching out to me and asking if they could send me books to read in exchange for an honest review (seriously … there are people who will send you free books? Sign me up!) and then meeting and greeting over 2,000 dedicated followers on my little Instagram account … I was floored, to say the least. I am constantly in awe that people actually want to read what I write. I check my stats on this little blog sometimes and I see that I have over 700 new and unique readers each month and I wonder if it’s just my best friend hitting refresh over and over. It baffles me. It keeps me humble. It keeps me going.

So, yeah. Next Year in Havana. I’d never heard of the author but the cover … oh that cover … it stopped me in my tracks. The publisher reached out and asked if I’d like to read it. I replied with a resounding HELL YES, and then … well, I fell in love … with Cuba.

I’ve never been much in to history. I’ll admit it – I barely scraped by in the class during school. I am not good at memorizing things and history always felt like this collection of dates and names of battles. My mind doesn’t work in such a (boring-boring-boring) linear way. I have always been captivated by storytelling and world-building instead. And, despite my typically broad love for the written word, I also shied away from historical fiction for much of my life. I was worried it wouldn’t resonate with me. I eventually broke down when my aunt suggested the Outlander series, and man … oh man. I still got a little bogged down with the history of it (Gabaldon is a researcher, and it shows) but I was encouraged to branch out just a tad. My husband picked up a Philippa Gregory novel for me and I devoured it and the rest of her collected works (fun fact: one of her novels was actually my very first blog posting). So when Havana came along with its amazing cover, I dove in …

… and didn’t stop until I was done with the entire book. No, seriously – I did not stop. And when it was over, I was in a complete slump. I felt like I’d just spent the previous 24-hours on a rollercoaster of emotions. I felt angry for Cuba. I felt sad for … well, I won’t say who, in case you haven’t read it. I felt shamed that I had no idea what the Cuban Revolution was at all. All I knew was the place was known for its old-timey cars and that Kim Kardashian went to a lot of trouble to visit the place recently … gah, I’m hanging my head right now.

Next Year in Havana is one of those rare special books. I say rare not because I’m posturing, but because it’s true. I read approximately 3 books per week, and have been on that type of schedule for years. Very few of those books stick with me. Once I read it, it goes on a shelf in my library and dies. Isn’t that sad? It’s not necessarily because the writing is bad or the plot isn’t catching enough … for me, it’s because the author lacks a very distinct and important characteristic – they don’t make you feel. Their characters don’t linger with you … the conversations they participate in don’t evoke a certain amount of something inside of you that you can’t turn away from. Havana did that, in more ways than one. So when I heard Chanel Cleeton was writing a sequel (of sorts) – I was there for it.

Beatriz Perez. Sugar princess. Undeniable, untamed beauty. Cunning and sharp-tongued. She is all of these things, but she is also none of them.

She’s a shell of her former self, an actress with a carefully curated set of tricks that she pulls out at parties. She is a shadow creeping against the wall. She is invisible in plain sight.

When the Perez family was all but forced out of Cuba, Beatriz walked through the airport with her head high and her stomach low. Leaving her homeland in the hands of someone like Fidel Castro was like knowingly leaving a baby with a vile predator.

Castro was her greatest enemy – the murderer of her twin brother Alejandro. Murderer of her family’s life’s work and business. Murderer of hope. Now that she’s safely encased in Palm Beach … in the Land of the Free … Beatriz feels anything but. She feels instead as if she’s in a cage, gazed upon as if she is some sort of prized animal at a zoo or in a circus. Admired for her sleek beauty much like the panther, but looked down upon because she could never be enough. She could never be one of them. She is an outsider. And what’s more … she doesn’t mind.

Another night, another party. Another proposal. The American men who flock to the exotic Cuban princess do nothing but further sully her already shaky reputation. She sees them for who they are: spoiled brats who are only interested in adding another pretty parcel to their growing collection. She would be looked at with the same affection as an antique sideboard. She doesn’t welcome such advances but must accept them in all of their ridiculousness, because that is her only role as a woman – to marry, and to marry well.

When Beatriz stepped out onto the balcony that night, anxious for respite from the calculating gaze of her mother and the cool evening breeze coming in off the ocean, she never imagined she would be walking onto a stage where two actors would begin a Shakespearean play that would last decades.

Enter Senator Nicholas Randolph Preston (the third, to be exact). Blonde and tan. Lean and full of an imposing confidence that mixes with a peculiar vulnerability. Elbows rubbed liberally against more than one Kennedy, the result of which is visible in both social position and political standing. When their eyes catch on the balcony, Beatriz is drawn to him inexplicably and against any better judgement she’d ever been in possession of. When he holds her in his arms for a dance, she is certain he can feel her heart beating through the remanufactured Dior dress from last season that she’s wearing. Was that the night they fell in love? Or had they been in love from the moment they were born to the world … two lovers whose stars crossed in the sky, both diamonds cut into a blue-black velvet that hovered over Cuba and America in curious succession.

The affair was never supposed to happen. Nick was newly engaged, to a woman more befitting of his position in politics. Beatriz was on the precipice of a new sort of life … one wrought with intrigue and spy-casting. One devoted to Cuba.

Eduardo was the one to bring her in. He’d been in her life since she was a girl, hanging on the periphery of her very life’s blood. Her brother’s best friend. Her first kiss. A throwback to life as it should have been … dancing at the Tropicana and walking the Malecón with a pure Cuban sunset dusting the horizon and the sugary sand. And Beatriz has to admit there is a pull there – a thread that has always been between Eduardo and she – whether it was pulled taut or hung loosely, it has never severed. He reminds her of home. He is everything that Nick could never be.

There are things she can do, he says. And so he introduces her to the CIA.

Beatriz will find herself caught between two worlds … her past and her present … and she will watch as they weave in and out of one another, like a school of fish near a reef. She will wonder if she has the power to change any of it, as a woman in a time that doesn’t accept her as anything more than a beautiful adornment. But what is she willing to sacrifice … for love, for country? Is she willing to risk it all, including her heart?

When We Left Cuba is the newest novel by Chanel Cleeton, and a follow up to her smash hit and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick, Next Year in Havana. While the books are complete stand-alones, I highly recommend reading Havana before Cuba, as they deal with two very different sides of the same coin. Chronologically speaking, Havana also comes before Cuba, and several of the first book’s veins play off others in the secondary book.

This novel was bittersweet, and it took me several days to sit down and write this review as my emotions were all over the place. I was a bit stunned … both by the story in itself and in the way it ended up going down, and by the characters and their development. Nothing was obvious in this story, and I truly believe you have to give it a few days to really sink in and take effect.

Beatriz was someone whom I greatly admired in Havana. She was intriguing, to say the least. She was spirited and secretive. When she was able to garner her father’s release from prison, I was dying to know just HOW she did it. There was something about her that stuck with me. Something that made me inherently believe that there was so much more to her than how she was portrayed. When I learned Cuba was her own story, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it.

This novel, in its essence, is a love story … and I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about that. When I saw the path it was surely going down, I was a little disappointed. I thought to myself – Beatriz deserves more than that; she deserves more than her story being about a man. And it’s a sad story, at that. I kept hoping we were instead going to end up with complicated spy games and minute revolvers tucked into garter belts. Cleeton hinted at it in more than a few chapters, but that story never seemed to fully come to fruition. It felt as if Cleeton struggled with giving that hardness and shrewdness to Beatriz. Instead, she gave her a soft side … one that Beatriz did her best to fight against. I could almost imagine that the character of Beatriz took on a life of her own for Cleeton, telling her own story and making her own rules.

I spent a lot of the time reading this book upset that it wasn’t about Beatriz. It was about her romance. It was about Nick. It was about stolen kisses in the shadows and the unbuttoning of dresses in hotel rooms. But then at the end of it … I dunno quite how to explain it. It was like … I just turned it all around in my head. This book WAS about Beatriz. It was about that softness. It was about expressing her vulnerability … and the fact that Nick was probably the only person who ever saw it. Well, we got to see it too, I guess. That’s probably what made her such a good spy, in the end … she had a handle on her emotions. To a fault.

I’ll admit, the moment when Beatriz finally gets in front of Fidel on Cuban soil – it was anticlimactic. I wish I could tell you more without spoiling it but … okay, the guy who shows up and saves her when she’s digging up the box … that guy – I’m mad at you, dude. Beatriz deserved better.

And I was hoping that the jilted ex of the Senator would mark her words and come after Beatriz like she promised, but maybe that’s just my love for all things dramatic.

The love affair got a little monotonous at times; lots of hanging out at the house and what-not.

But all in all, this book was solid, and I give it 4 out of 5 stars. It retained some of that specialness from Havana, and spun a new bit of gold thread for me. Beatriz is a bad-ass, and that’s all there is to it. I just wish there was more.

Chanel Cleeton’s writing simply enchants in When We Left Cuba. I was intrigued by Beatriz Perez in Next Year in Havana and I couldn’t wait to see if her story would be as engaging as she is. Spoiler alert: it is.

Beatriz is a vibrant, complex heroine full of passion, longing, and determination. After losing nearly everything when Castro rose to power, the Perez family is making a new life for themselves in Florida. Now on the fringes of high society instead of at the center, Beatriz’s mother despairs and looks to marry off her daughters and secure their futures. Only this new life and her mother’s ambitions don’t suit Beatriz at all. The idea of marriage and motherhood chafes even more than it once did in the wake of their exile and her twin’s murder. What Beatriz wants is revenge against Castro and a better future for Cuba. And when the opportunity to work for the CIA arises, Beatriz takes it. Suddenly she’s embroiled in a world of politics and espionage, her secret life taking her farther away from her family. It’s a struggle for Beatriz to keep one foot in both worlds, a fight made harder as she falls in love with a powerful man whose destiny is so different from her own.

Beatriz possesses an inner fire that makes the pages of When We Left Cuba fly by. Her struggle to claim her identity, to make the life she wants when the people she loves are pulling her in another direction was compelling. It’s not an easy road she travels, but I had a huge amount of respect for Beatriz and the hard choices she makes. I don’t want to say much more for fear of spoiling the story. Suffice it to say that Ms. Cleeton does an amazing job of blending fact and fiction, of placing Beatriz in the midst of a tumultuous point in history and bringing all facets of that era to life. Ms. Cleeton makes you care about the characters from the very first page and even if you’re well-versed in 1960s Cuban-American politics you’ll still be sucked into the story, wanting to see how things turn out for Beatriz and the people she loves.

When We Left Cuba is filled with passion, love, intrigue, struggles, heartbreak, and hope. As with Next Year in Havana, Ms. Cleeton’s writing is gorgeous and I found myself swept away by Beatriz’s story.

4.5 Stars. Next Year in Havana was one of my favorite books of 2018. The story of Elisa Perez's experiences in the Cuban revolution and her granddaughter Marisol's eye-opening trip to present-day Cuba utterly transported me and left a lasting impression, so I was so happy when I saw Elisa's sister Beatriz was getting her own book. But that also meant I had extremely high expectations for the sequel!

While Elisa's story took place in Cuba during the revolution and Marisol's in the present day, Beatriz's story takes place among the Cuban exiles living in south Florida in the years after the revolution and sheds light on the situation many refugees found themselves in, having to watch tyranny take over their beloved island from afar, worried about loved ones they left behind, struggling to adjust to their new reality in a new country.

As a famous socialite in Cuba and a scandalous one in America, beautiful, intelligent, and sensuous, with ties to both the revolutionaries and the resistance, Beatriz Perez is quick to catch the attention of not only every bachelor in Palm Beach, but also the CIA. Beneath the carefree facade she presents in public, Beatriz is angry. Very angry. And her anger needs an outlet. Lured with the promise of helping bring down Fidel Castro, Beatriz becomes a spy.

But there are complications. Beatriz falls in love for the first time, with a powerful man, and their relationship could present a threat to her ambitions and the nation's security. She constantly feels the disapproval of her parents and their pressure to preserve their good name by behaving herself and catching a good husband. Resistance fighters and radicals have infiltrated Palm Beach society. Russia's new alliance with Cuba brings America to the brink of nuclear war. And Beatriz grapples with her conscience and her heart's desires and must ultimately decide where her allegiance lies and how far she is willing to go to prove it.

The story begins with a prologue featuring Beatriz as an older woman in 2016 that leaves you wondering which of the many men in her life is sending her champagne on the day Fidel Castro dies. Interspersed with Beatriz's adventures are a few more scenes from 2016 that ratchet up the anticipation of discovering how the past storyline plays out, and this book consumed me so much it seriously gave me anxiety. Whenever I had to put it down to go back to real life, I thought about it constantly till I could get back to it. I devoured it.

But here's the thing: in spite of everything I loved about this book, I'm still not sure how I feel about the last ten percent. It felt rushed and anticlimactic. The ending was (unnecessarily, in my opinion) bittersweet. I would not have made the choices Beatriz made, and that made me want to shake her, but this was her story, not mine, and I was swept away by it. I thought about Beatriz's story for a long time after I finished it. When We Left Cuba grabbed me by the emotions from the beginning and never let go. It made an impression, stayed with me, even if everything didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. And that's the mark of a great book.

As with the first book, I found many wonderful passages of eloquently expressed observations that resonated with me and bound me to the characters, this one most of all:

"Dreams never die all at once. They die in pieces, floating a little farther and farther away each day."

Doesn't that just break your heart?

Once again, Chanel Cleeton delivers a unique and in depth story that will leave you spellbound. When We Left Cuba is a continuation after Next Year in Havana with another of the Perez sisters, Beatriz. The concept alone was stunning and has me completely enthralled in the book. I could only imagine how Beatriz felt during this between duty and love. Seeing how she developed through this story and grew was brilliant as well. She became such a strong woman. While Nick throws her for a loop, she questions herself and I loved seeing how things unfolded because it felt raw and real.
Overall, the attention to detail is absolute perfect as Cleeton delivers a powerful story with a mix of intrigue and passion. The balance is perfect and I cannot say enough about how amazing this authors writing is. If you loved the first book, you will devour the second!

"It seems remarkably stupid to give my heart to a man who can never be mine.❞

I have loved Chanel's book from the very beginning!She is so talented and each time she has a new story I'm eager to see what she has for us!Next Year in Havana was a phenomenal read and one of my top favorite books for the previous year!Now we have When We Left Cuba which was so good!

The historical part like the first book was magical, unique,original and so intense.From the first page till the end I was feeling like I was a part of this world and the characters .
Even though I adored it, I didn't fell the same love I did with Next Year in Havana and this is why it was 4 stars and not 5.Still I can say this is going to touch your hearts.

If you are looking for a captivating story that will make you travel while you are reading it this is perfect for you!

I'm not very much into historical romances, but I was willing to give this book a try. I love the cover, the blurb and after Next Year in Havana's success, I wanted to see what the buzz was about.

It surprised me how much I enjoyed reading this story. I loved the strong character Beatriz Perez is. All she went through to avenge her family loss, makes her a very strong woman and for those days even much.
It was great to see Cuba through her eyes... made me want to visit and experience what that country have to offer.

In the end, this novel is suspenseful, romantic, thrilling and I had a good time reading it.

This series of books is close to my heart as it’s the only series I know of that speaks to the history of Cuba in a way that I can relate to. It’s a beautiful, poignant story that tells the tale of a woman who longed to return to her country of birth but circumstances deter her.

This story is the second in the series and I would recommend reading it it in order, even if it’s not necessary to do so. There are events that happen in the first that are spoken about in this edition. I really enjoyed reading more about the historical facts on what happened in Cuba during the time period of the Bay of Pigs. I know this has always been spoken about within my family as a proud Cuban American but I never garnered enough interest to read a history book about it and this story delivers it in a way that I can understand. It puts forth the emotions and feelings that I am sure my grandparents were feeling. We had many conversations about what Cuba was like in their perspective but having facts rather than anecdotes made this story that much better.

Beatriz Perez is the epitome of a strong heroine, she’s the feminist icon we all needed. Especially in a time when women were not heralded and were relegated to non dominant areas. She came out as a woman who decreed she was going to do whatever she wanted, when she wanted, and she did. Beatriz marched to her drum and I loved her for it. She made her way through a new life in a new country with sass and pizazz, turning heads wherever she went. She also knew the consequences of her actions and while things seemed to be done sporadically, there was a reason as to why Beatriz did anything.

There is a lot of intrigue in this story, with the CIA’s involvement in many of Cuba’s dealings during the revolution that Castro orchestrated. The historical aspect of the novel is just as enticing as to the romance. Beatriz’ story is not one dimensional, much like her character. We travel the globe with as she seeks her goal of returning to cuba.

5 Amazing Stars! When We Left Cuba is a fantastic Historical Fiction Novel that explores the very turbulent, uneasy time period of history in the 1960's .

This novel has intrigue, politics, scandals, romance, and espionage with elements of a political thriller.

This novel is beautifully written with rich, multi-dimensional characters that create a complex story.
There are so many elements to this novel that had be turning pages.

When we Left Cuba is a follow up to the equally fantastic Next Year in Havana but stands as a stand alone novel. If I were you, I would read BOTH!

I highly recommend this book and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

3.5 stars

This book was a really interesting look into the state of Cuba in the 1960s and was told from the perspective of a fascinating woman. Beatriz was a woman ahead of her time, not being interested in becoming a wife and mother. She wanted more out of life and wanted to make positive changes for her country, which I really admired. The romance between her and Nick was so good- the perfect amounts of angst and heartache and longing and passion. The arguments Beatriz had with him and others in her life could be repetitive, and the story did feel like it was building up to something huge, but the ending didn't really quite live up to that, but this still was a really enjoyable read.

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the eARC! This review will be posted on Goodreads, and on Barnes and Noble's and Amazon's websites at the date of publication.

While it's true that reading Next Year in Havana would give you additional context to the story of Beatriz Perez and her family's history with Cuba, it's not necessary to understand the plot and characters in When We Left Cuba--this novel can stand completely on it's own. This novel delves more into the emotional aftermath of leaving (and longing for home) whereas the first novel was more focused on the actions that led to the Perez family leaving their homeland. It gives insight into how conflicted many Cubans must have felt about leaving their homes and how messy and strained and multifaceted this entire situation was--so many people felt so many things and Chanel Cleeton does an excellent job of showing us how complex the emotions and situations surrounding the decision to leave or stay was.



Other notables--Beatriz was so incredibly progressive in a time when women weren't encouraged to be as bold and outspoken as she was (and I loved her!). And Nick was so interesting as well--I kept waiting for him to be an ass and he really never was--he respected her and gave her the space she needed to be what she needed to be.



Chanel Cleeton employed leaps of time to help keep the novel moving and kept us on our toes with adventurous plot lines, romance, and interesting looks at the Perez family and those they rubbed elbows with.