Historical fiction based on a real woman rescued from a Spanish prison in Cuba before the United States entered the fray. Told from the perspective of three women, the story centers around the reconcentration of Cuban citizens. The newspaper run by Hearst is looking for ways to get the U.S. to intervene on behalf of Cuba. My favorite storyline was that of Grace, the plucky reporter who contributes to the cause by writing about and with the title's namesake.


Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

SUMMARY:
Grace wants to work for a major newspaper in New York in the DATE. She breaks into The Journal as an stunt reporter but also as a spy for a competing newspaper. She takes a special interest in Cuba and the war happening there. Meanwhile Marina is in Cuba, living in a re-concentration camp with her daughter and mother in law, wanting to fight with the revolutionaries but worried about the consequences. Evangelista's reputation as a gorgeous young girl causes a Spanish war leader to take advantage of her, and when she fights back she ends up imprisoned. All three woman's lives are separate but end up blended together.

MY THOUGHTS:
I loved reading about Grace and her struggle to break into the journalism world.
I love how Cleeton is able to blend history with romance, without romanticizing the time and the war too much.
I love the strong heroines in Cleeton's novels. However with three points of view, I didn't fall quite as hard in love with the characters as I did with past books in this series. Of the three, I liked Grace's story the most. I loved how she threw herself into the stunt journalism world with the drive to succeed.
I appreciate the research that goes into Cleeton's writing and the level of respect she keeps for the people who lived the events. I've learned so much through her novels!
This book was all about the strong women, love, and relatable families. I just love her writing.

Chanel did it again! I love meeting a Perez ancestor, learning more about the Spanish American War and the role of getting the States getting into war to liberate Cuba. This book means so much to me.

“I’ve rehearsed my opening salvo so frequently the words have become rote, but it’s done little to calm the nerves inside me. Whereas men go into these interviews needing to be good, I must be better.”

The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba is a meticulously researched historical fiction novel based on the true events surrounding Evangelina Cisneros. A beautiful Cuban woman imprisoned for rejecting the advances of a Spanish colonel in the late 1800’s, she orchestrated her own escape from the horrific Recogidas prison in Havana with the help of American publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst’s reporters. Concurrently it follows Grace, an American reporter trying to forge her path in a mans world.

This is a story full of strong, resilient women. Knowing that this is based on true events makes me realize that, even in the 1800’s, women were strong and knew their worth (history sometimes leads us to believe otherwise). I am eternally grateful to each and every fierce female that paved the way for the advancement of women and the progress that we have seen over the last 100+ years. I cannot imagine having to keep that kind of fire hidden for fear of repercussion, as so many women before us did. If you enjoyed Yellow Wife, another well researched historical fiction novel based on true events and real women, read this one!

“Our lives are not defined by one thing; we are more than the events that happen to us.”

Thank you to Netgalley, Berkley Publishing, and the author for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba is an exceptionally well-written historical fiction novel from one of my favorite authors, Chanel Cleeton. It's a story of three very different women, caught in the war for independence between Cuba and Spain in the nineteenth century. Grace Harrington is one of few female reporters, working for the New York paper, the Journal. Marina Perez is a wife of a revolutionary and a courier who delivers messages for the independence fighters. Evangelina Cisneros, a real-life historical person, is a prisoner at a notorious women's prison in Havana, Casa de Recogidas. The lives of these three women intertwine in unexpected ways when the story of Evangelina gets plastered over US papers and she becomes the symbol of the Cuban revolution.

Channel Cleeton has a real gift for story-telling, I enjoyed every book of hers I've read. I usually don't like multiple POV books but I didn't mind it in this book. I liked Grace's and Marina's POV the most. Evangelina's POV was the least developed, and I think maybe it was an artistic choice. Even in real life, Evangelina was made into something larger than life, she was dubbed "the most beautiful girl in Cuba" and her life was sensationalized, but her true character and the details of her story remained a mystery. All three heroines chose lives that went against society's expectations at the time.

As often with historical fiction books, I loved reading the author's note and her inspiration for this novel. I would recommend The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba to all historical fiction fans.

Chanel Cleeton does it again! This time she's travelled back in time a bit, but the setting is still anchored firmly in Cuba and we meet a new member of the Perez family, along with two other headstrong and brave women, both in Cuba and the US.

Set in the late 1880's as Cuba revolts against the Spanish, and New York City in the midst of the great newspaper race between Pulitzer and Hearst (I had no idea!) who were in the midst of balancing between the ethics of yellow journalism, selling papers, and sensationalizing the news. The novel raises questions of the role of journalism in war and when reporters or newspapers should step in to help situations and who they should help, and even broader, questions of when countries like the US should step in to help. I was thrilled to read that Cleeton was inspired in part by a real woman, who we meet in the novel and how her story may have in fact inspired the US to join Cuba's fight.

Like all of her books, The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba was engrossing and enjoyable, characters were well developed and we even got a little romance! As usual Cleeton manages to shine a light on Cuba, its history and the plight of its citizens and their passionate fight for independence, while showcasing strong, admirable female characters.

The thing I like best about historical fiction is the opportunity to learn about people and events that I had no knowledge of. In Chanel Cleeton’s latest novel, she focuses on Evangelina Cisneros who was unjustly imprisoned in a women’s jail in Havana in the late 1800s. The American newspapers caught wind of her plight, and newspaper magnate, William Randolph Hearst, published her story which captivated American readers and influenced the US’s position in the Cuban War of Independence.

I think I was tired when I started this one, because I had some difficulty keeping the characters and the dates and the Cuban revolutionary groundwork straight. But once the story got rolling, I was in! Like Cleeton’s other books in her Cuban series, we follow several main characters whose storylines intertwine. In The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba, we follow the aforementioned Evangelina, as well as Grace Harrington, an aspiring Nellie Bly, and Marina Perez (yes fans, there’s that Perez connection!) who ferried secret messages for the Cuban revolutionaries. These women are strong, and brave, and independent, just the way I like my protagonists! Once I got going this story flew by. If you are a fan of the series go get this now! If you are a historical fiction fan make sure this is on your TBR. Thank you to @berkleypub for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba tells the true story of Evangelina Cisneros (dubbed the "most beautiful girl in Cuba" by American newspapers), Marina (a Cuban woman supporting Cuban independence in her own way) and Grace (an American reporter trying to make it in a man's world). Chanel Cleeton does historical fiction so well and her books inspire me to learn more about Cuba.

Review:

I don’t do historical fiction. It’s just, meh, to me. What else can be said that hasn’t already been said about the past? However, The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba will be my 4th Chanel Cleeton book, and also, my 4th 5 star review for Chanel Cleeton. I don’t know what magical equation Cleeton has for her books, but whatever it may be, I will continue to read every single one.

We follow three storylines, Grace, Marina, and the real Evangelina Cisneros around the late 1890s. Each and every one of these women are amazing and unique in their own right. I felt so much for all of them and really did not feel like I enjoyed one storyline more than the other. I might lean more towards Marina, because she was basically like a super secret spy doing this for the love of giving her daughter a better life! That kind of sacrifice/love is unconditional, and it stuck with me.

I love when Cleeton finally brings the storylines together to make sense. It’s such a beautiful thing. I also love that she doesn’t write about the typical historical eras, or places. Maybe that’s why I love her writing so much. It’s a breath of fresh air in the genre, and she gives Cuba the spotlight they finally deserve.

Again, if I’m ever going to give a historical fiction recommendation, I always say Chanel Cleeton. Now, I will definitely be as specific as I can and say, “You MUST grab The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba” Thank you Berkley for the gifted copy. The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba is out May 4th.

I am convinced Chanel Cleeton can do no wrong. I have loved every book in this series and will read anything she writes!

This story is told from three different female prospectives at the end of the 19th century before and during the Spanish/ American war in Cuba. Grace is a journalist trying to make it in a male dominated career. Evangelina was imprisoned at a young age but after the spotlight she gets from Americans who see her treatment as unjust, she becomes know as the most beautiful girl in Cuba and is the face used to spark change. Marina is living a life separate from her husband in a camp with horrific conditions due to the war, working undercover as a courier. Each of these women was written so beautifully and I was so invested in each of their stories! The three of them are absolutely remarkably strong women!

This book and series are absolute must reads for any historical fiction lover!

This authors books keep getting better and better! This one really has a historical fiction feel to it and I loved learning about the lives of all three women who were our main characters. When there is some truth in the tale I enjoy it even more!

This was my first book by this author and I liked it but I didn’t love it. That being said, she definitely knows how to set a scene. I could picture everything clearly based on her words. I’m a huge fan of historical fiction and this fit the bill but I’m not quite sure why I didn’t go ga-ga over it like i typically do. I’m glad I read it because I did learn from it so that’s a plus :)

I enjoyed the multiple POV/storylines, especially Grace as she reports on what happened in the journalistic war between Hearst and Pulitzer as newspaper publishers. Evangeline and her escape from prison and her part in the Spanish-American war was heartbreaking and fierce at the same time.
I think that fans of her other books will really enjoy this one.
Thanks to Berkeley and Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for my review.

This is the perfect book for fans of historical fiction and romance. I'm in awe of the beautiful story the author has written. This is the story of three different women during the Cuban-Spanish War (Cuban War for independence) in the late 1890's. Grace, an American aspiring journalist, is probably one of my favorite heroines I've read. I love her independent spirit and ambition and I loved all the nods to Nellie Bly. Evangelina is the title character (the Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba) and she ends up imprisoned in Cuba. Maria is the third timeline/point of view and she is also in Cuba and her story is woven in throughout.

I loved the writing. I loved the strong female characters. I loved reading about the newspaper rivalry between Hearst and Pulitzer. The author did such an amazing job of explaining and showcasing Cuba in the late 1890's, a time period that I knew little about. While it was a great history lesson for me, the author did such an amazing job of weaving the facts into the story line so it didn't feel like a history lesson. Without giving too much of the story away, I also really loved Rafael.

This was such a beautiful book that I will remember for a while. Fans of historical fiction and strong women characters will love this book.

*Thank you to the publisher Berkley for an advanced copy of this book. Opinions are my own.

Thank you to Berkley, Chanel Cleeton and Netgalley for the e-ARC of The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba!

I fell in love with Chanel Cleeton’s heroines with her first book Next Year in Havana. Her descriptions of Cuba and the strong women who live on the island and in exile keep me coming back every time she publishes a new book.
The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba doesn’t disappoint. We get three heroines this time: Grace Harrington, an aspiring NYC journalist, Marina Perez, a courier assisting Cuban revolutionaries, and Evangelina Cisneros, the Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba who is locked away in Recognidas for a crime she didn’t commit.

I loved how Cleeton wove these unique women’s stories together and overlapped them with their passion for a free Cuba. I knew nothing about Cuba’s fight for independence from Spain in the late 1890s and loved the author’s note at the end that explained Cleeton’s discovery of the real life Evangelina’s story and how she became a rallying cry for Cuba.

The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba is out May 4, 2021!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CONmmRALIDc/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54866589-the-most-beautiful-girl-in-cuba?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=k1UduNjf9y&rank=3

This book features three revolutionary women, who at the end of the nineteenth century, fought for freedom. The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba is inspired by real life events and the true story of Evangelina Cisneros!

This book features three women:

Evangelina Cisneros - is thrown in jail in the beginning of the book as a rebel during the Cuban War on Independence. She is dubbed "The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba" by the press to both sell papers and raise awareness of the plight in Cuba.

Grace Harrington - a young female reporter who lands a job at William Randolph Hearst's newspaper in 1896. She gets paid by the story and must prove herself and the story of Cuba and it is fight for independence from Spain just might be her ticket to success.

Maria Perez - a young woman who gave up her social standing when she married for love, has become a courier for the Cuban Revolutionaries in Havana. She will help Grace and Hearst's staff attempt to free Evangelina.

I love books that not only educate me but are entertaining and moving as well. This one foot the bill quite nicely. A lot of research went into the writing of this book. The facts fit seamlessly into the narrative. 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. The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba also proved to be a fast read as I was invested in each woman's tales.

Fans of historical fiction, strong women and true events will love this book.

This was my first book by Chanel Cleeton and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

If you are a fan Next Year in Havana (which, you should be--it's excellent), this is very different. As someone who doesn't read a lot of historical fiction, Next Year in Havana was the perfect gateway--full of romance, dual timelines (so I got my contemporary fix). This story is much more traditional historical fiction. It has some romantic elements, though they are certainly not central, and is told from the perspective of three women: Grace, an American high-society lady turned reporter; Evangelina, "The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba," tossed in jail for refusing the advances of a Spanish general; and Marina, a lower-class Cuban woman, working secretly as a courier between the rebels and the American government. The beginning of the story was a bit slow for me, and I found myself gravitating towards Grace's chapters and skimming through Marina's. I think this book is probably excellent for fans of historical fiction, but it just didn't strike the same cord with me as Next Year in Havana did. So it's a great story--just not for me. Which means take my star rating with a grain of salt!

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars - 7/10

Thank you, Berkley Publishing, for gifting me another INCREDIBLE historical fiction from Chanel Cleeton.

Seriously, y’all. Chanel can do no wrong. I love her books, the fierce female heroines that she creates, and the history that she packs into her novels. I will forever be a fan and will always read her books. If you haven’t, you need to. ASAP!

Genre: Historical Fiction
Location: Cuba & New York City
Pub Date: 5.4.21
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

“I am not the girl they want me to be. You cannot see the things I have seen or live them and be the innocent they all toast.”

I mentioned this above but Cleeton has this amazing ability to create powerful, fierce women in her books. In The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba, she created not one but THREE powerhouse women. I usually can pick a favorite character when a story is told in a dual narrative but I just couldn't pick a favorite - Grace, Evangelina, and Marina are all women that I would love to sit down and chat with in real life. We could all stand to learn a little something from them.

Yes, I will admit that this story had a slower feel to it than the previous three books from Cleeton but this is also the first one that truly felt historical. Don't get me wrong, the others all were historical fiction and packed with lots of information but I had the feeling that Cleeton was trying to teach us something about this period. I am grateful to her for all the effort and research that she put into this book because as I finished the last page, I felt like she had transported me into the book. It was amazing.

I have always had a favorite period to read about and that's the roaring 20's. But, now I feel that there is enough literature on that time. I need to move onto a different time and The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba is set during that time. I loved reading about the newspaper tycoon competition, the journalists who were fighting to get the good stories, and the women who were willing to put themselves out there and be a part of the story.

If you haven’t read any of the Perez Family Saga by Chanel Cleeton, you can honestly pick up any book and start reading but I promise you will want to read all of the others once you’re done.

Based on the inspiring true story of Evangeline Cisneros, The Most Beautiful Girl In Cuba is a captivating story that pays homage to the role of women in Cuban history and their influence in the fight for independence. Set at the turn of the 19th century, a haunting and emotional story in the very best way

The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba
By Chanel Cleeton

Three Women of strength and determination fight for freedom

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY
In 1896 a battle for the biggest headlines rages between the New York newspaper tycoons Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. When Grace Harrington lands a job with Hearst’s newspaper she know she has to find a big story to prove herself. It’s the story she finds in Cuba that changes her life.

Evangelina Cisneros 18, is imprisoned in Recogidas for rejecting the advances on a Spanish colonel. Evangelina becomes instantly famous as a revolutionary when Hearst’s reporters break her out of prison and bring her to the US to rally support for intervention in Cuba’s war for independence.

Marina Perez’s, home has been destroyed by the Spanish, and she and her daughter have been relocated to a reconcentration camp. Wanting to do more to help in the war, Marina smuggles vital information carefully tucked in the laundry she carries throughout the city.

Three revolutionary women struggle to find freedom, set amidst the backdrop of Cuba’s war for independence from Spain and the deaths and imprisonment of hundreds of thousands of Cubans.


REVIEW
The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba is a delightful historical fiction read. The novel intriguingly captures the true story of Evangelina Cisternos, and the rivalry between Hearst and Pulitzer, Hearst’s involvement in Cisternos prison break and his use of yellow journalism which pushed the US into the war with Spain.

Chanel Cleeton’s writing is historically enlightening and dramatic. I particularly appreciated her author’s note detailing fact and fiction. She motivated me to read even more about this period. Cleeton deftly juggles multiple plot lines and keeps the story moving at a brisk pace. The characters are compelling with women of strength, determination and fortitude.


Cleeton’s other stellar Perez family novels include Next Year in Havana (2018), When We Left Cuba (2019), and The Last Train to Key West (2020).

Thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


Publisher Berkley
Published May 4, 2021
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com



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Evangelina Cisneros was a real person who found herself used by William Randolph Hearst in his quest to get the US involved in the Spanish American War. This fictionalized account of her life weaves in the fictional stories of Grace, a reporter, and Marina, a young Cuban woman, both of whom turned their backs on their wealthy families to follow their hearts. Evangelina and Marina are both fighting for Cuban independence and find themselves in dreadful circumstances-Evangelina in prison and Marina in a relocation camp while her husband is off fighting. While the novel covers a three year period, it moves back and forth in time for the Cuban characters without, regretfully, a particularly good overall scene setter. The men in this female forward novel come off almost as caricatures (the Spanish ones in particular) but the women are terrific. You will find yourself wrapped up in their stories. I found myself googling Evangelina for more information- what an interesting life. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Cleeton's fans and those who enjoy historical fiction will welcome this one.