I couldn't get through this title. It ended up not being for me, but I hope it finds a hope with other readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Chanel Cleeton once again takes me back in time with her writing. We enter the world of the Gilded Age New York City, where a feud rages on between two established newspaper tycoons, Hearst and Pulitzer.

The story follows newbie reporter Grace Harrington, who inspires to write stories that matter. She lands the job at Hearst's newspaper, and her first task is to report on Evangelina Cisneros. Evangeline is a young revolutionary, fighting against the oppression from the Spanish and dreaming of her Cuba to one day be free!

This story intertwines three different women's POVs, who must ultimately work together to survive against this time of war. Chanel being Cuban American herself doesn't shy away in telling the story of her people and their struggles. True events and fiction come together to tell a truly compelling, beautiful, heartfelt, and courageous story!

I recommend this to everyone who loves historical fiction with an added touch of romance *chef's kiss*.

A fictionalized account of a story that was all too often the normal during Cuba's rebellion against Spain. Many times those who spoke out would become the next prisoner in a battle against the ruling class. Each of the women's stories carry the truth of the era from both sides of the fight. A great read.

I love books that not only educate me but are entertaining and moving as well and this book fit that description perfectly. So much research went into the writing of this book. Not only is this book beautifully written but the story of the three women is engrossing and brilliantly told. I found this perfectly paced book hard to put down after the first couple of chapters. This proved to be a fast read that kept me completely engrossed until the very end.

I feel very conflicted about this book. On the one hand, I learned so much about Cuba‘s history and the country’s fight for independence in the late 19th/early 20th century, and told from 3 women’s POVs, I loved how female-empowering the book was. On the other hand, there was so much romance in this book, it took away the attention from the events and made the story in parts cheesy when straightforward lines would’ve built up more tension.
I have read all of Cleeton‘s books so far so I’m used to the author’s writing style as well as her “writing formula“, however this one just felt a little bit too repetitive. Adding to that was that from all 3 POVs, the author chose to feature the American’s voice the most, leaving less time to explore the female voices of Cuba (though I really enjoyed learning more about her struggles to enter journalism as a woman).

Beautiful story that was wonderfully written. The author's passion for the story radiates from the page. Loved it!

First word that comes to mind when describing “Our Last Days in Barcelona” by Chanel Cleeton is “Wow!” I finished the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of this book about a week ago, and since then I’ve been thinking about how to captivate just how amazing it was. There’s no doubt that Cleeton has done it again!

Read the rest of my review here: https://www.bellavidastyles.com/bookshelf/our-last-days-in-barcelona-by-chanel-cleeton

Such a beautifully written book. I couldn’t get enough. Her writing is so beautiful and it’s such a beautiful story. I just love Cleetons writing style and story.

I can always count on Chanel Cleeton to bring a beautiful story to life, and THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN CUBA was that and more!

I love learning more about the culture and climate of Cuba, and this story is told from the Cuban War of 1895-98 for independence from Spain.

One of my favorite things about this genre is learning, and even finding myself researching more about the topics I previously had little knowledge of.

*many thanks to Berkley/Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

Chanel Cleeton has easily become one of my favorite authors. I have been intrigued by learning about Cuba's history through her books, and I love how there's side stories about the characters as well. In this novel, we learn about the Cuban War of Independence from Spain. There are three main characters, one of whom was a real person; so we get to see a variety of perspectives. There is Evangelina
Cisneros, imprisoned by the Spanish on accusations of insurrection, who was dubbed "the most beautiful woman in
Cuba" to raise awareness about the war by reporters, especially those employed by William Randolph Hearst. The two fictional characters are a female reporter and
another woman involved in the rebel cause.
I loved how Cleeton wove the stories together, and the book flowed nicely. I cannot wait for her next book due out this year!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for an advanced copy!

Extra! Extra! Cleeton brings Cuba’s 1896 struggle for independence from Spain roaring to life in her smashing historical novel inspired by real events. In New York City, journalist Grace Harrington dreams of following in Nellie Bly’s footsteps, but is stuck writing puff pieces for William Randolph Hearst. In Cuba, Marina Perez (member of Cleeton’s fictional Perez family), disowned by her family after marrying her love, carries secret messages for the revolutionary cause in her washing. And historical figure Evangelina Cisneros is “the most beautiful woman in Cuba” (a moniker she hates), wrongly imprisoned for resisting a Spanish official’s advances. Eager to outsell his bitter rival Joseph Pulitzer, Hearst pounces on Evangelina’s story, seeing an opportunity to sway American opinion on the Cuban struggle—and sell a boatload of papers in the process. After he sends Grace to get the scoop, the three women’s stories come crashing together for an exciting conclusion.

For fans of Cleeton’s The Last Train to Key West and Fiona Davis’s The Lions of Fifth Avenue

As featured in the 2021 Modern Mrs Darcy Summer Reading Guide

I have really changed my tune on historical fiction and Chanel Cleeton's writing style deserves a lot of credit for that. I absolutely love her enthusiasm for researching her stories and it is with this diligence that she flawlessly transports me as a reader into each time period. She makes it so easy to get caught up in the characters and the storyline that I don’t even question that I’m not living and fighting in that moment.

The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba follows the true story of three women, Evangelina, Grace and Marina, and I grew to wholeheartedly love each of them. I thought I’d have a favorite, but I cannot choose and won’t try. What I appreciate most is that this novel and her others all follow incredibly courageous, smart and witty female characters. She turns an eye to the historical significance women have played and there will never be enough books touting the achievements of women.

At an individual character level, The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba by Chanel Cleeton is the story of strong women, of how their lives intersect, and of what comes after. On a broader scale, this is historical fiction about Cuba and about the New York Gilded Age. On a philosophical level, this story is a conversation about journalism. At every level, the book keeps me turning pages until the very end and then, beyond the end, as I research the history to see what happened next.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2022/05/the-most-beautiful-girl-in-cuba.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.

During the Gilded Age, a battle to reign supreme in the newspaper industry rages between William Randolph Heart and Joseph Pulitzer. When Hearst learns about a Cuban woman named Evangelina Cisneros who is unfairly thrown in a Cuban jail, he plasters her image all over the front pages of his paper. Grace Harrington, a woman working for Hearst, works with others to free Evangelina, but when Cuban citizens are forced into camps, the mission to free Evangelina becomes increasingly more difficult. In The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba, Cleeton provides a glimpse into Cuba’s fascinating history.

It seems that Cuba has always been in the middle of some battle or war for other countries to dominate/control it. I particularly enjoyed Evangeline and Grace’s storylines but appreciated how Marina’s brought it all together.

Women throughout history are often ignored or brushed off but stories like Evangeline’s show us just how powerful we are.

This was the second book by Chanel Cleeton that I read and I love the way she intertwines history and romance. It’s also easy to follow along with the multiple perspectives. Another hit! Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!

No one does historical fiction with romance like Chanel Cleeton. I find myself easily immersing in her well-researched stories featuring strong women in often distressing historical backdrops. I typically read her books via physical or e-copies but I decided to go down the audiobook route for The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba and what an even more riveting experience that was.

I’m almost always wary of multiple POV stories – the most I can do is two – so going into The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba, I was feeling a bit nervous. However, the use of multiple narrators made the transitions very easy to follow. Cleeton wrote three women from very different backgrounds but who had equally storylines throughout the book.

Perhaps the most central character here was Evangelina Cisneros, a character who is based on a real-life historical figure who became the face of Cuba during the Cuban War of Independence of the late 1800s. Evangelina is falsely imprisoned after rejecting the advances of a Spanish Colonel. She is made to endure hell and more in a women’s prison where she is often ill-treated. Evangelina inadvertently becomes the face of Cuba as “The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba” when a newspaper tycoon decides to do so. While he has his own motivations, the move is what triggers her Evangelina’s escape from prison and the United States’ involvement in the war.

The fact that much of Evangelina’s arc was grounded in reality made her the most fascinating character in this book. After I finished the book, I did some quick Google “researching” into the real-life figure and found that the stories about her involvement in Cuba’s independence are definitely a little muddled particularly when it comes to the hows and whys, but for the most part, what Cleeton wrote here seems legitimate. The author highlights her strengths, vulnerabilities, and her growing weariness at becoming a public figure so beautifully here.

The second character we meet is Grace, a NYC woman wants a career in journalism. She shows up at newspaper tycoon Joseph Pulitzer’s doorstep requesting a job. As he has no idea who she is and does not know if she can be trusted, he wants her to infiltrate his rival’s, William Hearst, newspaper for a year. Here, Grace begins to navigate the treacherous business of the journalism while also beginning to realize what’s important for her. The scenes of Grace experiencing the war in Cuba right in front of her eyes were poignant – the emotions she goes through there were so vivid! I really enjoyed Grace’s character as well. All three of the women in this book are fiercely independent but they are all in 3 different environments. I would say that relatively speaking, Grace is the one that had the easiest of time, but that doesn’t make her development any less impactful. As a romance fan, I also particularly enjoyed her budding side romance.

Finally, we have Marina, who becomes a courier working for the Cuban revolutionaries, while her husband is off fighting the war. I have to admit that her storyline stressed me out the most given the line of her work. She straddled danger every time she had to work and I was certain she would not make it to the end of this book. Marina was a resilient character, deeply motivated by the love she had for her daughter, her husband, and her country. That drive of hers truly resonated with me, and I found myself on the edge of my seat rooting for her success.

The other really stunning aspect of The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba was how initially these three women’s stories seem separate, but they actually slowly become intertwined throughout the book. Frankie Corzo, Holly Linneman, and Rebecca Soler were three incredible narrators who brought Grace, Evangelina, and Marina to life. They brought every emotion that these characters go through to the surface and made listening to this audiobook a sheer joy.

The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba is a rich and vibrant historical fiction. For selfish reasons, I hope Chanel Cleeton never stops writing these tales. Not only am I left with an entertaining story, but I always leave her books feeling like I learned a small piece of history.

The year is 1896. Cuba is in turmoil as revolutionaries fight for their freedom. Newspaper tycoons William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer are feuding, trying to see who will end up on top. Caught up in it all are three women, each with their own roles to play.

The novel is based on the real life Evangelina Cisneros, who was unjustly imprisoned at 18 years old and dreamt of a Cuba free of Spanish oppression. Her cause was picked up by newspapers, Hearst’s headline calling her “The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba”, in hopes of drawing the U.S. into Cuba’s war for independence. Then there is journalist Grace Harrington who wants nothing more than to make her mark in journalism just like Nellie Bly. As a woman in a traditionally male profession, she has an uphill battle to climb, always having to prove herself worthy of getting the headline. When she is assigned to cover Evangelina’s story, she knows this could be her big break. Meanwhile, Marina Perez, a courier secretly working with the Cuban revolutionaries, is trying to reunite with her husband and protect her young son safe and fed under appalling conditions.

It was actually Marina’s story which I found the most interesting of the three threads, although I enjoyed all three. Chanel Cleeton’s main characters are all strong women who each are struggling for causes they believe in and have to face difficult decisions along the way. This is a time in history I know little about, and so I found myself doing a little side research as I read. Reading about how events played out in the novel and in reality was fascinating. Chanel Cleeton clearly did her research and wove it into a beautiful and powerful story. How have I not read anything by this author before? I will definitely be reading more of her work now.

I really enjoyed this book!
THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS BOOK WITH ME!
I got behind in the COVID DRAMA and missed posting about this important book when it came out.
Thank you!

I’m a huge fan of Chanel Cleeton books but this one was lacking for me. I never felt the pull or connection to the main character, and really had to force myself to read. I still enjoyed learning about a different part of history but compared to Key West and the other Cuba books, this one finished last for me.