I was really excited about this book since I adored both Next Year in Havana and When We Left Cuba, however, I was a bit disappointed with this one. I had a difficult time getting into it at the beginning and just when the story started to pick up it came to an abrupt end and I was left wanting to know more about where the characters would end up. On a positive note, Cleeton found a little known piece of history to write about. The Last Train to Key West is based on the incredible true story of the powerful hurricane that hit the Florida Keys in 1935; an historical event I did not previously know about, so I did learn something new by picking up this book.

This was a quick read and I really enjoyed it. This is about three very different women, and the men they find themselves with, in the Florida keys with the backdrop of the worst hurricane to ever hit Florida. I did not know anything about the hurricane that hit the Florida keys in 1935 or about the WWI veterans who were down there in labor camps to build a highway. What I love about historical fiction is that I always want to learn the true history about what I am reading in the fictional book. I recently visited Key West which is what made me want to read the book.

This neat little story intertwines the lives and loves of three women who find themselves in Key West and surrounding environs as they each face a personal fork in the road during a powerful hurricane that threatens to upend their already tenuous grasp on survival during the Great Depression. Recommended for fans of Beatriz Williams and Fiona Davis.

Set in the 1930s, Chanel Cleeton's most recent novel is a beautiful weaving story of three women, strangers to one another, at different stages in relationships as a horrible hurricane heads their way.

The way Cleeton introduces depression era Key West in a whimsical, raw, and haunting way will stay with me for some time.

Chanel Cleeton has become a must-read author for me! I enjoy historical fiction, and her books are always very well researched. I appreciate that effort!

The story follows three women in the Florida Keys: Elizabeth, running from a forced marriage in New York; Mirta, Cuban, and just married to a man she barely knows, and Helen, pregnant, with an abusive husband. Their lives intersect in a surprising way during a devastating 1935 hurricane, which was one of the most powerful ever to hit the US. This novel is page turning historical fiction at its best: intriguing women dealing with situations they did not choose, and an intense storm that changed everything. Thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for the ARC.

Gripping novel of three women from different backgrounds, that endure the Hurricane of 1935 during Labor Day weekend in 1935.
All three wanted to escape to a better life, but did they fulfill there dreams or meet a certain tragic end?

Three women, tied together through their men and a hurricane, live their lives trying to escape from more than a hurricane.

Helen is a pregnant waitress with an abusive fisherman husband. Elizabeth is a former debutante who is in Florida looking for her brother and Mirta is a newlywed in the area on her honeymoon. Helen is trying to figure out how to survive and leave her abusive husband to protect her unborn child. Elizabeth is engaged to someone she doesn't want to marry because her family's fortune disappeared during the Great Depression and several of her family members took their own lives. Mirta is married to a man she barely knows, far away from her native Cuba where she left her family and friends. All three women are at a precipice in their lives and at that moment the moment, one of the worst hurricanes to every hit the East Coast of the United States strikes the Florida Keys.

The Last Train to Key West is another amazing book by Chanel Cleeton. Despite having an infant at home, I could not put this down! I was drawn into the world of Helen, Mirta, and Elizabeth in 1935. I loved all of their stories, but especially enjoyed the masterful way in with Cleeton connected them. I love books with multiple points of view and Cleeton does this so well. Helen, Mirta, and Elizabeth were all so different, but I loved how they were intertwined. Every time I read one of Chanel Cleeton's books set in or around Cuba, I want to dive into the history of that time period and always find myself googling to learn more. I've loved all of her books so far and this one was incredible. I highly recommend pre-ordering this so you have a copy when it releases on June 16th.

Thank you to Netgalley, Berkley, and Chanel Cleeton for an ARC of The Last Train to Key West in exchange for an honest review.

I will update with the link as soon as I share it to my instagram account.

Read in March: I tried to wait until closer to publication date to read this one but it was just calling to me. And what better book to read during Women's History Month than the third installment in the Havana series featuring three amazing, strong female leads. I thought the story had great pacing and seamlessly shifted between points of view and storylines. If you're also a fan of the series, this is one you will absolutely not want to miss when it hits shelves in June.

3 for neutral, will update if able to read in entirety and enjoy. Tried on multiple occasions, but just couldn’t get into it. Will update if able to at a later date!

If you are a fan of Chanel Cleeton's other books then this will already be on your TBR list. If you haven't discovered her yet start with The Last Train to Key West and you will want to read her others asap. This was my favorite so far. You might not even need a book mark because you won't be able to put it down! I became so invested in the intertangled lives of these women's stories and needed to know how it would all play out for them with urgency. Yes, you could say I was swept right up in the storm.
If you are looking for historical fiction that doesn't leave you feeling ripped apart, then this is for you.

Solid historical novel! I will admit I knew nothing about the Great Depression in Florida before reading this book. To be honest, when I imagine the Great Depression, I always picture the Dust Bowl and westward expansion. However, I appreciate historical fiction that makes me consider something I've never thought of before, so this one was right up my alley. Economic insecurity, an incoming hurricane, a gangster turf war, new and old love, the pathetic treatment of veterans, questionable decisions by the government ... this book has plenty to root for (and root against).

Really great story about the 1935 Hurricane that impacted the Florida Keys. Recently I had read The Last Train to Paradise which is a story of Henry Flagler and his desire to connect Key West to the rest of the United States thus opening up the Cuba and Caribbean trade. I loved this story because of the historic accuracy and because of how Cleeton intertwined the lives of three women from different backgrounds. Each of these believable female characters had a choice to make about their lives so that they could live as the women they were meant to be free of the constraints of their individual society. I liked that they were all women of different backgrounds facing the same challenges. Some twists and turns and nicely plotted with some tension that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat.

Three women find themselves in the Florida Keys at major life decision points. As reports of an oncoming storm float around, the women will have to decide whether they can live with their choices. Author Chanel Cleeton digs into a fascinating true-life event with keen prose and distinct characters in The Last Train to Key West.

It’s the start of the Labor Day weekend, 1935, in Key West, but Helen Berner doesn’t have much to celebrate. Her fisherman husband, Tom, is either on his boat or drinking away what he earns. Helen’s learned not to complain. Tom makes sure she stays quiet, and if she ever forgets the bruises remind her.

In the past, Helen’s found ways to justify Tom’s behavior. Now she’s pregnant, and the baby is due within a few weeks. With motherhood descending on her, Helen finds it harder to convince herself she’s safe.

Mirta Perez has just arrived from Havana on the island with Anthony for their honeymoon. It should be a magical, romantic time…except that her wedding was a business transaction. The Cuban revolution of 1933 devastated her family; when Anthony asked Mirta’s father for her hand, Mirta agreed. Anthony got a wife, and her family got the funds needed to rebuild.

The flush of a new relationship is colored by Anthony’s profession. While he calls himself a businessman, Mirta knows he’s a gangster, albeit a handsome, well-dressed, rich one. She tries to reconcile that fact with the man who is attracted and attentive to her in surprising ways.

On the train down from New York, Elizabeth Preston arrives in Key West determined to save her family from ruin. She’s searching for the one person who can help her. His last letter carried a Key West postmark, and Elizabeth is convinced he’s in one of the veteran camps there.

The camps are supposed to give veterans of the Great War a chance to earn an honest living, but Elizabeth discovers they’re horrible places where the soldiers who fought to protect the country are shipped and forgotten. With the help of FBI agent Sam Watson, Elizabeth begins visiting the camps, keeping her eyes sharp for a familiar face.

All three women hear about the storm that so many Keys natives are sure will miss the islands. Weather experts can’t agree on where it will go. As it churns closer, Helen, Mirta, and Elizabeth must all make the same decision about the storm and themselves: should they stay, or should they leave?

Author Chanel Cleeton takes several intriguing pieces of history and fuses them seamlessly. She highlights people suffering during the Great Depression between the World Wars, emphasizing the quiet desperation so many felt. By adding the real-life veteran camps in Florida, Cleeton emphasizes a fact that still haunts this country today: veterans who are forgotten after they return from service. With the inclusion of an ambitious railroad project and a record-setting hurricane, Cleeton creates the perfect storm for Helen, Mirta, and Elizabeth and their challenges.

Cleeton lends to each woman unique qualities that make them stand out. Helen’s weary tolerance as an abused victim juxtaposes Mirta’s hyperawareness of her abrupt change in circumstances from single girl to married woman, and both balance Elizabeth’s idealistic resolve to find her loved one and bring him home. Cleeton builds into the story layers of conflicts and challenges, and the storm looms over all three of them as it does everyone else in the Keys.

In describing the storm and the aftermath, Cleeton captures the hurricane experience with precision. Those who have lived through hurricanes will find themselves nodding along with her descriptions. Those who haven’t experienced one of the magnified storms will get a good idea of what it’s like.

While Cleeton relies a little bit on serendipity to bring the three women together, their encounters feel organic. The surprise she saves for readers at the end is welcome and a true “aha!” moment. Readers will finish this one grinning with delight at how it all comes together, which is why I recommend they Bookmark The Last Train to Key West.

I hate to say this but I think Chanel Cleetons books have gotten weaker as she writes... this felt like a novella. There didn’t feel like a lot of plot set up, character development felt nonexistent to me. I liked the idea of the plot but the execution wasn’t great. There are better historical fiction books out there, and I’d recommend her first 2 before I’d recommend this one. (Also based on other reviews I’m in the minority)

The Last Train to Key West
by Chanel Cleeton
Berkley Publishing Group
You Like Them
Berkley
Historical Fiction | Multicultural Interest
Pub Date 16 Jun 2020 | Archive Date 16 Jul 2020

Loved this new book by Chanel Cleeton. Thanks to Net Galley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC.
I knew very little of the hurricane and how it affected the area.
Great read!

I absolutely loved this book. I had no idea how bad things were for WW1 soldiers returning home or about the hurricane of 1935. I couldn’t put this book down. The drama, the romance, every story was so great. Usually I enjoy one story over the rest in books like this but that was not the case for this book. I would love for more stories to come from the main characters.

This book sheds light on a little known chapter of American history, the 1935 Labor Day hurricane that killed hundreds, including many WWI veterans. The storm hit the keys, devastating camps where American veterans were staying and swept a train from the tracks. Cleeton sets the struggle of two women against the backdrop of the storm.

One wealthy and one poor woman, about to give birth try to survive the storm and set the stage to create a different life for themselves in the days to come.

Recommended for those who enjoy historical fiction.

I was elated when I saw the chance to request an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. I loved Chanel Cleeton's books Next Year in Havana and When We Left Cuba and hoped this one would be no different. The Last Train to Key West did not disappoint. It's the story of three women from different ways of life who find themselves in Key West at the time a terrible hurricane hits the Keys in 1935. It's the time of the Great Depression and times are hard for everyone. Elizabeth from New York takes Henry Flagler's Overseas Railway to Key West to find her brother based an a postmark on a letter she has received. Mirta, from Cuba, has married a wealthy man she hardly knows. Helen has an abusive husband, but has no place to go. Each night, I would read longer than I intended to because I had to find out what would happen to these strong women next. This is the perfect summer book.