I loved this book. Parts of this book were an Ode to Cuba and I loved hearing the authors' respect and love for Cuba come through in another one of her books. I liked all 3 characters in this story and although they have their own challenges, they are all struggling with the storm in their own way. This is an ideal beach read and perfect for summer!

I fell in love with Chanel Cleeton’s stories when I read Next Year in Havana. She accurately portrayed so many of my experiences as a Cuban-American.
The Last Train to Key West follows three different characters, Helen, Mirta and Elizabeth. They’re all strong women in some non ideal situations and they take a risk to change their lives it all unfolds in the middle of a hurricane.
This book was a great pool read for me, I quickly read it in an afternoon but if i’m being completely honest, the characters felt a little two dimensional for me and it seemed that their happiness was at times contingent on a guy.
There is a fascinating storyline with war veterans that i wish would’ve been explored more. This was a solid read for summer but not my favorite of Cleeton’s novels.

This book is about three women all at a crossroads in their lives. Helen is married, pregnant, and a very unhappy woman living with a very abusive husband. Mirta is newly married and has just arrived in America with her new husband, who she barely knows. Lastly there is Elizabeth, she is a flirty young woman who has traveled from New York to Key West in search of the man in the letter. With a hurricane on its way to Key West, things are undoubtedly going to get shaken up and all three of these women’s lives will never be the same!

I found the first half of this book to be a bit slow. There was a lot of character development and I wasn’t connecting with these three women as much as I hoped I would. About halfway through things really picked up with the hurricane approaching. It was intense and addicting! Unfortunately once the hurricane died down so did the story.

It all wrapped up quite nicely and it was interesting to see how all these women’s lives were interwoven in the end. This is one of my favorite genres and my second book by Chanel Cleeton. While this story did not knock my socks off I did enjoy it and look forward to her next book!

The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton is an historical fiction novel set in the Florida Keys in 1935. Just before a tremendous hurricane hits the area, three women have a chance meeting in Key West. Helen is a waitress, pregnant and abused by her husband. Mirta, from Cuba, just married a connected man through an arrangement with her family. Elizabeth is searching for her brother to help save her family after being ruined financially from the Crash of 1929.
I truly enjoyed how the author blended each of these stories, along with the devastating hurricane, together to create one improbable but endearing ending. I couldn't put it down!
Ms. Cleeton is quickly becoming one of my favorite historical fiction authors. I've loved all three of her books so far.
Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Chanel Cleeton was added to my favorite author list after I read Next Year in Havana earlier this year, but I daresay I may have liked The Last Train to Key West even better. I loved how this book focused on a specific historical event - the Labor Day hurricane of 1935. It was very well researched and combined with the fictional stories of three amazing women.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for my review copy. I VERY MUCH enjoyed this book and will definitely recommend it to my fellow historical fiction lovers.

I was beyond exhilarated when I was granted access to an early copy of this book, as it was one of my most anticipated novels of 2020. And now, days later, I find myself still thinking of the story, and feeling deeply for the characters. This is a book that I won’t soon forget, and one that has certainly left its mark on me.

Chanel Cleeton is a talented storyteller, and her skills are excellently showcased once again in this novel, as she breathes history to life during a difficult period in time.

Set in 1935, The Last Train To Key West begins just days before The Great Labor Day Hurricane. This was a turbulent time in history, as the country was still reeling from the devastation of WWI and the impact of The Great Depression is still hard hitting. So many people during this period in time had so little, and the hardship can really be felt in places throughout this novel.

The three main characters’ paths first intertwine in Key West at Ruby’s Diner, where we meet these young women whose lives will be changed by the horrific event about to occur. The story, as it unfolds, is then told from the three different points of views, giving us a glimpse into all of their lives and the events as they unfold.

The three women are: Mirta, Helen, and Elizabeth.

Mirta is a previously well off young Cuban woman whose family lost money, power, and property to the Castro regime. She arrives for a honeymoon with her new husband, who she is in an arranged marriage with. Her husband is a man she barely knows, and she agreed to marry him because he is willing to help her family out of their financial situation. Her viewpoint is a turbulent one, and its intriguing following her journey as she navigates her way out of her marriage.

Helen is my favorite character out of the three women. She’s nine months pregnant and has been through very tough and brutal times with her husband, who leaves her bruised and battered more often than not. Naturally, due to her husband’s abusive nature, she fears for the life of her unborn baby, as well as her own. She’s a waitress at the local cafe and a favorite among the customers. There’s a quiet railroad man who stops by the cafe frequently for key lime pie, and he ends up playing an unexpected role in her life. Is he the golden ticket to a way out of Key West and the life that she is living? I loved their interactions together, and I just really enjoyed reading her chapters overall.

Elizabeth, whose family is struggling due to the Wall Street crash as her father and brother were stockbrokers, is a mysterious, unique character. Despite the fact that she is already engaged, she has traveled from New York to Key West, in search of a man who is working on the railroad.

The hurricane hits them all differently, but their lives will never be the same.

This was such an excellently penned, and obviously very well researched book. Chanel Cleeton breathed so much life into it. The characters were all so fleshed out and realistic. The hardships and struggles of the characters and how they must have felt during that period in time came alive through the words on the pages. The rugged beauty of the island landscape came to life right before my eyes. I could practically feel the destructive force of the hurricane ripping through the pages. Chanel Cleeton is such a talented storyteller, and has quickly become one of my favorite historical writers.

The writing was fluid, and I breezed right through this book, easy as an island breeze, rooting for all of the characters the entire way through. I think this was Chanel Cleeton’s strongest book yet!

I highly recommend this to anybody who likes historical fiction novels that are well researched, with romance thrown in. So good!

This will go down as another one of my top favorites this year! The previous books I've read by Chanel Cleeton were amazing and this one is no different. I absolutely loved the 3 women (Mirta, Elizabeth and Helen) in this story and could not stop reading because I had to find out what happened to them! I loved the way their stories intertwined. I loved how they were all strong and they all did what they needed to do. Sometimes when I read a book with more than one character's perspective I prefer one over the other but that was not the case with The Last Train to Key West.

There's romance, suspense and drama...all wrapped up in this 5 Star book that you need to read right now!

This author never ceases to blow me away with her amazing stories. Stories that transport you back in tome to another world, another place and another time. When women were still viewed as less than a world very much in turmoil.

Her endearing characters are so real, so raw, and so darn relatable. You want to know them, you feel like they are friends and most of all, you end up caring greatly for them by the time their story is over.

This time her story takes us to Key West in the lives of three very different woman and the story takes place over a long Labor Day weekend during a time in our history much of the world has forgotten about during a storm, many remember. A story about three woman who are even though they are different, are still very much the same. All struggling to make something of themselves and to be different, to be strong and independent and most of all, to be happy with their life and choices.

I adored all these women. Their heartache was my heartache and their joy, my joy. I became so invested in their future and I wanted only the best for them. I truly loved every single page of their stories and I couldn't of asked for a better ending for them all.

I love this author and she has quickly become a favorite and for good reason. She truly is talented at all that she writes and knows how to make a story, to make characters, come to life.

Chanel Cleeton author of "The Last Train to Key West" has written an amazing, captivating, riveting, intriguing, and memorable novel. The Genres are Historical Fiction, and Romance, with a touch of suspense and mystery. The timeline for this story is in the 1930s just after the Cuban Revolution, and around the Great Depression. This also takes place during the worst Hurricane in the Key West. Many men have been in the Great War. The story goes to the past when it pertains to the characters and events. The author describes her colorful and dramatic cast of characters as complex, and complicated.

I love everything about this novel and I love the author"s vivid descriptions of the characters, scenery, and plot.  Who doesn't like characters such as gang members, soldiers, criminals, strong and determined women, and the F.B.I.? Put them all together and you have a fabulous cast of characters!

The Key West in the 1930s had people who wanted to find themselves, and those who wanted to get lost. There are contrasts between wealth and poverty,  good and evil, right and wrong, and rules for survivors. There are twists and turns. Chanel Cleeton has put the pieces in her story, and the reader gets to see the finished puzzle.

Three women, all strangers get to meet one another. Each has their own unique set of problems and challenges. Somehow the Key West connects them as does the terrible Hurricane that causes much destruction. I highly recommend this thought-provoking novel to readers who enjoy Historical Fiction.

Last Train to Key West:

While yes, I received an ARC of this book, it is THAT good that I pre-ordered it because I wanted a physical copy. I also ordered it for a few friends because it deserves to be read.

The Last Train to Key West follows three women: Helen, Mirta, and Elizabeth as they go through one of the worst hurricanes our nation has ever seen. They all have their own personal storms to weather while trying to stay alive during The Labor Day hurricane of 1935.

You know when you see a car accident about to happen, but you can’t look away? That’s how I felt about this, in a good way. I knew it was one of the most catastrophic hurricanes to date. I knew there would be destruction and chaos. I knew the lives of these women that I am now invested in would change. But, I couldn’t stop and put down the book. I had to know if they survived. I actually found myself holding my breath as I read each daunting page of when the hurricane made landfall. Cleeton wrote such haunting descriptions of the storm that I could physically feel myself forgetting to breathe as I feared the worst for these fictional characters.

Chanel Cleeton’s writing is beautiful. The way words are strung together to form sentences with such ease, yet, such beauty is spellbinding. I was sucked in by the writing, and stayed for the beautiful plot. Honestly, I never thought I would have compassion for a mobster, but here i stood thinking of a couple name for Mirta and Anthony. (Anthra/Mirtony?)

I knew a bit about The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, but am glad Cleeton put her resources in the Author’s Note. I did find myself researching in between reads, and then reviewing the sources she cited after. I am also thankful she put a light on the veteran camps, as that is still such a taboo topic in our history.

This is a story of how beauty can happen even in the worst of times, you just have to look for it.

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group, NetGalley, and Chanel Cleeton for the ARC of The Last Train to Key West. It is more than appreciated. I know I may not have as many followers or subscribers as your normal reviewers, but am thankful for the opportunity. This review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, my blog, Instagram, and Facebook on publishing day.

Thoroughly enjoyed this quick, page-turning book. I loved Chanel's 2 previous books (Next Year in Havana & When We Left Cuba) and I loved this one too. It has the same historical elements, which I think is my favorite aspect of her books. This one is set in the 1930s, during the Depression and takes you through a few days in the life of 3 women. I loved how their paths crossed and I loved learning about Cuba and Florida during this time period. Veterans issues are woven throughout the plot and I think there are a lot of parallels in our society today. Overall a great read, especially for my history fans out there.

The Last Train to Key West is another beautifully-written and emotional historical fiction book by Chanel Cleeton. In this book she has woven together the lives of three women--a newlywed from Cuba married to a man she barely knows, a down-on-her-luck former socialite, and an expectant young mother who is stuck in an abusive marriage. The women find themselves in the direct path of a hurricane, threatening not only their lives but everything they hold dear, and somehow in that storm and its aftermath they must learn not only how to survive, but how to thrive and find happiness and hope. The hurricane is truly brought to life at the hands of the author, as I could feel the wind and the rain and the sand and the debris and devastation as well as the fear and desperation of the women and all of the inhabitants of that island. The best part of this book for me, though, was the intimate connection I felt to all of the women--Helen, Mirta, and Elizabeth--remarkable women facing unbeatable odds with courage and spirit.

LOVED LOVED Chanel Cleeton's newest novel! Of all of the Chanel Cleeton novels I have read, this one really stands out for me and I blew right through it. I couldn't put it down! This novel tells the story of the hurricane that hit Florida in 1935 on Labor Day weekend, and those who's lives will stay intertwined forever.

Each story was wrought with heartbreak, soul searching, and hardship. I loved watching each of the characters grow from the beginning to the end of the novel. Additionally, the way their stories all intertwined was SO good! No spoilers here, but some of them will have you dropping your jaw. Each character was complicated, yet you could empathize with them. Each had their own unique story and reason for being in the Florida Keys during the hurricane. Will definitely be recommending this as a summer beach read!

The Last Train to Key West is a story of 3 women of different backgrounds (a pregnant waitress who is in an abusive marriage, a former society girl looking for someone after her family suffers from The Great Depression, and for those who have read Cleeton’s books before, a member of the Perez family who has left Cuba after marrying a rich American she barely knows) whose lives briefly intersect before they all have to deal with surviving a major hurricane that is hitting their location.

I have read both of Cleeton’s previous books and reading this book was both different, mostly due to less of the focus on Cuban politics rather than mentions of it from Mirta’s story, but still with that easy to read writing style and some enjoyable romances. These are all women trying to figure out themselves and their futures, and each woman felt so distinctive that it was never a struggle to remember who’s who, and same for the love interests. Cleeton has a gift for bringing historical events to life, and this one was something I had never heard about. At times their connections to each other and the events of the story veered on “too convenient” but that was easy to overlook.

I would definitely recommend this one to both new and old readers of Chanel Cleeton’s books!

I absolutely loved "Next Year in Havana" and "When We Left Cuba." and was hoping "The Last Train to Key West" would be just as good. I was not disappointed, in fact, Chanel Cleeton has become one of my favorite authors! "The Last Train to Key West" was a book I tried to read slowly, but the story was too good and I ended up racing through it in a day.

This story is about three women from different backgrounds who end up in the Florida Keys right before the Hurricane of 1935: Helen, pregnant and trapped in an abusive marriage and who dreams of her husband's death so she will be free, Mirta, a beautiful girl from a Cuban family who lost their power when Batista overthrew the government and was given in marriage to a New York gangster in exchange for a financial settlement, and Elizabeth, the reluctant fiancé of a gangster who rivals Mirta's new husband, and who fled to the Keys to find her long-lost brother in the hopes of being rescued from a marriage she does not want.

As each woman seeks a way to make decisions for their own lives, an impending storm threatens escape and their lives. The true historical event of the hurricane is drawn in with Flagler's railroad construction idea to find a way to connect the Keys and bring in more tourism and the sad affairs of the Veterans camps that were hurriedly and shoddily constructed as a means to remove the WWII veterans from the public eye. As the hurricane bore down on the tip of Florida, hundreds of veterans were killed and the railroad was destroyed.

Cleeton has proven to be a master storyteller with her skills of weaving historical events into a deeply moving story of her fictional characters. Neither aspect overshadows the other, instead they compliment each other and are well placed in creating the whole story arc. I highly recommend this book - you will find yourself researching the real events and wishing the story of Helen, Mirta and Elizabeth wouldn't end. I am already anticipating Cleeton's next book, whatever it may be.

This is the first book I have read by Chanel Cleton, and now I want to read anything she writes! I loved the Last Train to Key West. The way it wound together three different characters’ stories was effective and not difficult to follow or keep track of. I felt immersed in each of their experiences even as the perspectives alternated back and forth. The writing made it easy to visualize what was happening and wanting to know what was going to happen next! Often time historical fiction can feel a little dry and borderline lecture-y, but this was definitely not the case! Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!

Chanel Cleeton is fast becoming one of my favorite authors and definitely THE AUTHOR that gets me through the summer! This book is the perfect beach read and book club read and weekend getaway. I loved it and can't wait for more from Cleeton.

An interesting story centered around a real life event - the Devastating hurricane that hit Key West in 1935 - is marred by rather overwrought dialogue and far fetched romantic entanglements. I enjoyed the descriptions of Key West a great deal, as well as the introduction of the veterans camps in that area, which I was not aware of. However, these interesting details were overshadowed by the less than compelling storylines of the 3 “main’ characters, three women all beholden/threatened by men who “triumph” and are redeemed by “good men.” Cleeton could have written a compelling story weaving historical facts with descriptions of the unique beauty of Key West without muddyIng the story by introducing three separate storylines and characters who naturally intersect at multiple points in the novel.

The first book of Cleeton's I read was Next Year in Havana. Although it wasn't my favorite, I enjoyed her writing enough to keep an eye out for future books. When I read When We Left Cuba I was really enjoyed it, and knew I'd be reading more of Cleeton's work. The Last Train to Key West was not a disappointment. I was drawn into the story from the very start and enjoyed the interwoven stories of three very different women. The historic Florida setting and backdrop of the Labor Day hurricane lent a level of excitement and urgency to the story. I did feel this could have been explored a bit more deeply, the actual hurricane hit felt briefer and less intense than I imagined. At its heart, though, this book is far more romance than action, so I suppose I shouldn't be that surprised. The ending and "plot twists" did feel a bit too predictable and convenient, but I can forgive it that as it is an enjoyable read.

I’m a huge fan of Cleeton’s previous Cuban themed historical fiction novels, and The Last Train to Key West is no exception. Cleeton has created a fictional world of strong female protagonists exploring the nuances of Cuban and American politics across her companion novels, and while each story explores a fascinating mix of history, drama, and romance, I found The Last Train to Key West to be my favorite yet!

The Last Train to Key West has subtle nods to Next Year in Havana and When We Left Cuba, featuring a protagonist who is Beatriz and Elisa’s aunt, Mirta, who’s just been married off to an American “businessman” and left Cuba for a honeymoon in the Florida Keys. While as an avid fan of Cleeton’s first two novels I enjoyed the references to the Perez family, reading her prior books is not necessary to enjoy this story. Cleeton’s third novel focuses less on post WWII Cuba and more on Cuban American politics, taking place in the Florida Keys during the great depression and exploring the aftermath of WWI on the country. The story also follows three separate women, all from very different backgrounds and geographic locations: Mirta from Cuba, Elizabeth from New York, and Helen from Key West. While it was my first time reading a Cleeton novel that centered protagonists outside of the Perez family, I found the different POVs to be well written and they all intersected and were woven together perfectly to create a cohesive story.

Helen, a waitress at a local diner, is in a marriage she longs to escape but feels bound by societal pressure and has a baby on the way. Her job sets the scene for many of the pivotal encounters of the story, as key players to the plot pass in and out of the diner and interact with her. She’s steady, thoughtful, and resilient. I loved her story of quiet strength and think out of all of the characters she had the greatest character arc, from downtrodden wife to resilient mother in just the space of a few days.

Elizabeth is a former socialite who’s family fell into financial ruin due to the Great Depression. She’s decided to take fate into her own hands by traveling down to Key West from New York by herself to find a long lost relation who she believes can help save her family. She ends up meeting and teaming up with a federal investigator when she reaches Key West and finds herself involved in an organized crime investigation. Elizabeth’s story took quite a few turns and yet paralleled the other two women’s in its own way.

Mirta, the Perez family’s relative, has just arrived in Key West on her honeymoon with a man she barely knows, a “businessman” from New York with a questionably large sum of money and even more questionable connections. Through Mirta readers gain insight into the unrest that’s befalling Cuba, with Machado falling out of favor and Batista taking over (an interesting parallel to Next Year in Havana when Elisa’s family is then dealing with the same predicament when Castro comes to power and ousts Batista). Mirta is unsure of her new husband’s temperament and motivations and what life away from her beloved Cuba will be like. I found her story to be the most interesting and actually really enjoyed the romance between her and Anthony!

I loved that all three protagonists had different motivations, goals and priorities and though they all went about their journeys in different ways, their paths kept crossing (even if they didn’t realize it). There were a few twists and connections I was able to guess early on View Spoiler » but others that really took me by surprise but were excellently and sneakily woven in by the author View Spoiler » The fact that the author was able to make me so invested in the characters’ lives in a book that essentially takes place over the course of a long weekend was truly impressive, and I would 100% love to see these women pop up in Cleeton’s future works, even in just cameo appearances! I would also say that this novel is less political and more character driven than Cleeton’s other installments in this series, which makes it a quick, page turner of a read but is still clearly well researched and adds color and life to elements of Depression-era history that many may not be familiar with, including the WWI veterans’ camps in the Florida Keys and The Bonus Army.

I can’t fail to mention the backdrop and perhaps catalyst for the entire story, the Labor Day hurricane. I did a little internet sleuthing and this hurricane was one of the deadliest to ever make landfall in the United States and pretty much obliterated the Keys- and the author pays homage to the devastating experience in her writing. All three of the women face the hurricane in different dire circumstances, from being trapped in a floating cottage that’s been ripped from it’s foundation to dealing with desperate looters to being swept away in the storm surge itself; the descriptions of what the characters faced were truly catastrophic and mind-boggling. As someone who lives nowhere near a hurricane zone, it’s hard to fathom the magnitude of the damage but Cleeton paints the terror and sensory experience of the storm so vividly, and doesn’t hold back in detailing the horrific aftermath.

Overall: The Last Train to Key West is a fabulous, fast paced historical fiction novel that explores the intersection of the lives of three dynamic women and their journeys through finding both independence and romance. The plot was intricately crafted and even the smallest details seamlessly came together by the end of the story. I can’t recommend this book enough for even the most casual fans of historical fiction!