am torn on how to review this book because while the story itself was well written and fascinating, her life was short and tragic. I truly enjoyed this glimpse into her life but it was one anxiety-inducing event after another that left me feeling on edge and sad. It's a true testament to the author's storytelling that I could have such a reaction to Estelita's life.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#FindMeinHavana #NetGalley

Find Me In Havana is a raw, fascinating story (based on true characters and events) about Estelita Rodriguez and her daughter, Nina Lopez. It is a story, told in alternating perspectives, about a mother that is a Cuban singer and actress and her daughter’s coming of age tale. Estelita was groomed for the stage as a child in her home country of Cuba before moving to the United States as a teenager to star in numerous westerns alongside the likes of John Wayne. The writing was outstanding. I enjoyed reading through the multi-generational family saga during the Cuban revolution.

This was a very enjoyable book to listen to! This had me all in my feelings and what was so great is it felt like I was traveling back in time! Really neat! To be honest I didn't think I was going to be able to finish this audio but to my surprise I did.
The story that is told was amazing. The characters I just loved the role the played!
Overall very good book to listen to!

This book had me captivated from the start-it is a raw and real account of the experiences of a mother and daughter. The use of letters to tell the story is both fresh and innovative. I listened to the audiobook of this and didn’t quite connect with the voices used in the audio book and feel like I would have rated it higher if I had read the book and not listened to it. I found the audiobook to be a bit slow and boring.

A wonderful audiobook narrated by Marisol Ramirez and Frankie Corzo, this book features Hollywood’s Golden Age from the perspective of a Cuban who sought an acting and singing career after great success in Cuba, as well as her daughter who is seeking to understand her mother and her untimely death. The story is told through letters and journal entries spanning the 1950s and 1960s. It is charged with emotion as it demonstrates choices and regrets.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

A mother and daughter both take turns telling the story of the 1930s from California to Mexico to Cuba through many different types of drama and tragedy and how they each endured through it all. Based in fact, this novel introduced me to a woman in Hollywood that I had no previous knowledge of and made me do some research to find out where fact met fiction.

Estelita Rodriguez was a major film star, of Cuban descent, she ended up starring in nine Roy Rogers movies which made up a majority of her film career. This book took place during quite a span of years, so the reader gets to see her before her career takes off and through and beyond her death.

A minor hiccup for me in this book was the labeling of chapters. Each started with mother or daughter and made it seem as though each chapter was written almost in letter form, but it really didn't read that way. The chapter headers made the reading confusing and I had to write myself a sticky note, so I kept it straight as to who would be talking. I think I would have labeled the chapters differently to make things a little easier to read.

I did love that both characters were given the chance to tell their sides of the story throughout the book. Seeing from Estelita, the mother's point of view, when she thinks she is doing what is best for her family and then Nina, her daughter, describing what she wished her mother would do or how she perceived the situations in a different way - it was interesting to see what mother daughter each wanted from the other.

This was a good historical fiction in that it taught me about something I didn't know, but in an entertaining way.

I am a fan of classic movies, but had never heard of actress Estelita Rodriguez before picking up Serena Burdick's new novel, Find Me in Havana. Estelita was groomed for the stage as a child in her home country of Cuba before moving to the United States as a teenager to star in numerous westerns alongside the likes of Roy Rogers and John Wayne. However, she died a mysterious death at the age of 37, which is the jumping off point of this rich and enveloping novel of the relationship between a mother and her daughter.

Nina knows that her mother did not die by accident, and she is determined to unravel just what happened in their lives to leave her alone in the world without her dear mamá. Told in alternating letters from mother to daughter and daughter to mother, Find Me in Havana takes us back to Estelita's early days in Cuba, where she grew up on a plantation amidst revolution and political strife, and follows her to Hollywood, where she made a name for herself in showbiz. Along the way, she has relationships with numerous questionable men, but the light of her life always remains her daughter Nina. Nina's letters show what it was like to grow up as Estelita's daughter, and highlight important and life-changing moments in their relationship, including a kidnapping attempt by Nina's father, singer Chu Chu Martinez, and harrowing time spent holed up in the family's plantation during the Castro-led Cuban Revolution.

Find Me in Havana is a lush and evocative love story between mother and daughter. As you read this novel, you can't help but get wrapped up in Estelita and Nina's lives and relationship with each other. I held on with bated breath to discover what awaited these two on their life journey together, and found myself truly immersed in this intimate and poignant story. I also learned much about Cuban culture and history through this descriptive novel. Burdick brings Estelita Rodriguez vividly to life in this captivating testament to family and love. Readers will also be pleased to know that Burdick worked with the real Nina Lopez to tell Estelita's story, so this book is full of details and moments that only she would know, making it a true tribute to her mother's legacy.

Lastly, I listened to an audiobook production of this novel, which was a wonderful experience. Marisol Ramirez and Frankie Corzo provide dual narration, bringing to life the characters of Estelita and Nina. Ramirez and Corzo do an excellent job of making this story compelling and believable, and I enjoyed the voice work that they put into this book. I always love listening to an audiobook when the story focuses on diverse characters, as I am granted the opportunity to hear the story read the way it is supposed to be, and do not have to worry about mispronouncing unfamiliar words as I read.

The audiobook of Find Me in Havana is amazingly produced and Serena Burdick is clearly a talented writer. As for the novel in general, it is loosely base on the life of Estelita Rodrigez, movie star of the 1960s, and her daughter Nina. It took me a while to get used to the letter format of the novels because they feel both like letters and also internal monologues revealing more than your typical letter ever would. The story is sad and often times hard to hear, but Burdick does a great job at capturing both Nina and Estelita's feelings.

Find Me in Havana by Serena Burdick
Narrated by Marisol Ramirez; Frankie Corzo
Harper Audio Harlequin Audio

This historical fiction book is based on the true story of Cuban-born actress, Estelita Rodriguez and her family. The story is heartbreaking and sometimes raw. Estelita's once wealthy parents lose almost everything due to political unrest in 1930's Cuba. Her mother leaves her husband and children in Cuba at the start of Batista's tenure, taking Estelita to New York to make a record. Thus begins the tragic saga of Estelita, her mother, and Nina, her daughter. It is difficult to watch the poor choices, hard choices and the need to be loved .

I loved the audio version of this book! It brought the characters to life and made me feel as if I were in the middle of it. It was beautifully done.
#findmeinhavana#NetGalley #Harperaudio
Thank you to #NetGalley and Harper Audio for the Advanced Audio Copy.I always review books that I enjoy so that others can enjoy them, too.

I voluntarily listened and reviewed an advanced copy of this audiobook. This book is well written and the characters are described well. This is a good listening experience. The narrator did a fantastic job reading this book. The author did a great job writing this book. You are not listening to the characters because you are the characters. The pacing of this book is good. I can't wait to read more books by this author in the future. I can't wait to listen to more books narrated by Marisol Ramirez and Frankie Corzo. I would recommend listening to this book. This book will be in stores on January 12, 2021.

It is actress Esteleta Rodriguez’s search for the American dream which unfolds in Find Me in Havana by Serena Burdick. During her journey, she deals with a multitude of issues. She has four husbands, none of whom allow her to keep her independent spirit. We meet her mother whose political views destroy her own marriage, and who has plans of her own for Esteleta. Her daughter, Nina, who has an extremely complicated relationship with both her mother and father. All these issues together with an escape from Mexico, an estrangement from her family, a stay in Castro’s Cuba, love, and jealousy. Throw in some famous Hollywood names, and you have a good story, which hold your attention. The novel unfolds with every page and keeps the reader wanting to know what happens next to Esteleta and her dreams. Adding to the novel’s allure is that the novel is based on a true story. You can google Rodriguez and she what she looked like. This definitely adds to the story’s enjoyment.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book from NetGalley (thank you!) and thoroughly enjoyed the two narrator format. The story is presented to us from both the mother and daughter's points of view, in letter writing style format. I found the format a little strange at first, but then the story was so intriguing that I quickly adapted and stopped hearing the story read like letters. I had never heard of Estelita Rodriguez, but her life is fascinating and I enjoyed the glimpse into Hollywood and an entertainment lifestyle. The drama that unfolds with Nina's father, and Estelita's family and her husbands is all heartbreaking. Nina ends up traumatized by all of this, but in the end she learns to work through all that she has seen and that has happened to her and make a good life for herself.

How terrible it would be to have your mother die, suspect foul play, and have no say in whether or not an autopsy is performed. I hope the fictional retelling of her mother's life has further helped Nina in her journey to processing all that happened.

3.5 stars.

The writing was pretty phenomenal, I really enjoyed the historical aspect, and I had a hard time tearing myself away from this book. This book is correctly compared to "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo." Just add the Cuban revolution and multi-generational mother/daughter relationships in there. I love historical fiction and enjoy multi-generational family sagas a lot so I really liked the lead up to the climax/the end.

The book was tense throughout and I think the author did a fantastic job of building tension throughout scenes. She introduced characters well and build them up pretty well. I had a bit of a hard time swallowing the believability of the the mother's romantic partners but they helped move the plot along so I found that relatively easy to overlook.

I have to round my rating down though because of the end. The prologue pulled me in but by the time we got to the resolution I was really disappointed in the way the character's stories ended. Some of it was sweet but I mostly just disappointed.

* I want to add that the audiobook is also VERY well produced and worth a listen!

I want to start off by saying that this was a fantastic audiobook- the speakers were wonderful and truly portrayed the characters. I also liked how it was two different speakers for the two perspectives.

Now, about the story... I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Estelita Rodriguez who is someone that I didn't know about, but it was an incredibly gritty story that I had a hard time enjoying. It was overwhelmingly sad, and I was stressed more than half of the book. With that being said, the author did a fantastic job with writing it. I was engaged and invested. I just personally struggled with it being so depressing. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes authentic stories that aren't fluffy and don't hold back!

This book was a little confusing at first. I listened to it as an audiobook thanks to NetGalley. It was odd that it was written almost as letters from mother to daughter, but the information included in them was pretty detailed and explicit. I would never want to read a letter from my mom like that.

I always enjoy a good historical fiction book. I love other Serena Burdick books, but this one was just okay. The storyline was dull at first, became exciting, then quickly went downhill again. Because it was about Cuban Americans it was hard not to compare the book to Chanel Cleeton's Cuba series which is phenomenal. This book just fell flat for me.

I didn't care for the narrators' voices either. They were a little robotic.

Find Me in Havana tells the story of a mother (Estelita) and daughter (Nina) as told in letters. Each chapter is a different letter either from the daughter to the mother, or from the mother to the daughter. The mother is an actress and singer, originally from Cuba, and leaves (with her mother) when the revolution happens and Fidel Castro comes to power. After that background information, the novel begins with both the protagonists in Los Angeles. Nina is home for the summer form boarding school and there is an incident with Estelita's husband (not Nina's father). Because of this. Nina gets sent back to boarding school early where her father, a powerful man in Mexico named Chu Chu Martinez, who kidnaps her and takes her to Mexico City. Estelita must find her daughter and bring her back to the United States. After that, there is an issue with Estelita's mother and they must go to Cuba, as she has gone there to be with the rest of the family. There are many issues with the solider's in Cuba. When Nina and Estelita get back to the United States (and they get their family members out of Cuba), Nina makes some very bad choices throughout high school and in her early twenties. She winds up in a mental institution for a drug addiction. The book climaxes with Estelita's untimely death and Nina reflecting back on her life and how her and her mother made similar choices, especially when it came to men.

The narrators of Find Me in Havana are wonderful! I love that there are two narrators for each protagonist, it makes it much easier to follow when starting and stopping the audio book. The story is great and is one I would recommend. It did seem like there were many little stories all wrapped into one (such as Mexico, and then right after that Cuba, and then the drug addiction). It just seemed a little odd.

Find Me in Havana is a historical fiction novel told from the point-of-view of Nina and Estellta Rodriguez (Nina's mother). Their individual experiences tell a story that winds its way through the 1950’s and 1960’s in California and Cuba. Over the course of the retrospective novel, events unfold that deeply shape both women’s lives. Their stories are especially poignant as you see the pain that each endures, often while trying to “save” the other. All the while, Nina is desperate for her mother’s love while Estelita’s ambition leads her to put her career above all else.

I really enjoyed the historical context, especially since I knew very little about the Cuban Revolution or the ensuing unrest. I wish that there was an author’s note at the end about the process of writing this book and incorporating the real story of Estelita and Nina Rodriguez into the novel.
Content warning: there are several difficult to read/hear passages with domestic violence and sexual assault.

This book took me a little while to become fully immersed, and it actually wasn't until about 50-60% of the way through that I really started enjoying it. The narrators chosen to read the audible version were fantastic! The ending was both heart breaking, sad, as well as joyous and happy. But all in all, I'd still give it about 3 or 3.5 stars out of 5. Mostly because it just wasn't the type of book I normally enjoy reading.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one, which feels odd to say because it was such a tragic story. The pain caused by the strained relationship between parent and child along with the other tragedies they endured made for an incredibly powerful story. In the end, we can spend a lifetime healing from childhood trauma.

I'd highly recommend this to anyone looking to learn about an old Hollywood star or the Cuban Revolution. At first I thought I was reading pure fiction, but finding out this is based on fact made it all the more powerful. I hadn't known much about the Cuban Revolution, but the small bit of information you get through this story sparked my interest in learning more. Che Guevara is often romanticized in American culture, but he should not be, and this story highlights that.

Additionally, it should be said that I listened to this on audio and the production was very well done.

Recommended for: fans of historical fiction, celebrity biographies/histories, and stories about families.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Find Me In Havana by Serena Burdick. The narrators brought Estelita, the movie star mother, and her daughter Nina to life for me.
While the continued questionable choices made by Estelita were frustrating to me, the story kept me engrossed. I kept thinking why is she doing this, but at the heart of the story is the love of a mother for her daughter, making the decisions she thinks are the best for her daughter’s future.
This book is based on the real life of Estelita and her daughter and I am definitely interested in learning more about them both.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.