While the narrator herself admits that a vacation romance is a bit cliché, this is a refreshing little tale packed with so many social and political issues: Cuba and the Fidel Castro regime, the loss and grief of being an immigrant, the pressures of living up to the sacrifice made by your immigrant predecessors. And of course, being a woman pursuing a career in a male-dominant field. I loved the glimpse of Havana through the infamous Tropicana nightclub, and the conversations surrounding the political struggles and discourse of the country. Sure, the protagonist Natalie meeting Antonio in Havana when they are younger just to have him show up thirty years later at a hospital fundraiser and want to pick up where they left off is predictable, but it was a fun little read to enjoy.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for providing me with a copy of this short story.

Chanel Cleeton’s books are wonderfully descriptive of Cuba and I’ve enjoyed and learned them. In this short story she gives a quick romantic flashback to an exciting evening in Cuba as a young woman dances and shares a memorable first kiss. As with all short stories that are well written you wish there was more. But I can let my imagination fill in the rest. Thank you to NetGalley and amazon Original Stories for the ARC and I’m leaving a voluntary review.

I was drawn to this short story by its beautiful tropical cover and by its description of a setting alternating between 1969 Miami and 1939 Cuba, both of which I don't see too frequently and both of which are very relevant to my current location. I've run across this author on ordering lists also so I was curious about her writing.

This was a charming story but both of the settings let me down. I got very little of the 1969 Miami flavor: it could have been set anywhere or anytime. The Cuban flashbacks, I got a nice sense of place but the sense of time was completely lacking. I didn't feel 1939, at all. I was disappointed by that. There's not a lot of time to establish setting in a short story, I get that, but it didn't happen for me. The meet-cute also felt rushed. I was charmed by the love story overall but I felt there were too many missing details to make a cohesive whole.

I think the author's full-length works might be more satisfying - full disclosure, I am VERY picky about short stories - so I will try one of those, instead. The themes, characters and settings show promise and perhaps with more length would be done better justice.

This short story was cute. It was just ok to me though. I think it needed to be longer for the character development. I have never read anything by this author before but have been interested in some of her books. Maybe now I will pick up a novel!

Do you believe in destiny? A reassuring new short story from Chanel Cleeton brings to life the story of Natalie. Natalie had a magical night at the new nightclub in Havana meeting a man who could be her destiny.
This romance is about a young girl blossoming into a woman, navigating the many folds of life. Does she find success, love? Are they mutually exclusive?
Chanel's prose is lucid, clear-cut with a sprinkling of romance. Within the small expanse of this short story she manages to paint a picture of Havana in broad strokes.
I would have liked a bit more insight into the MMC's life. But all in all an enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. I have come to love this author and this story was no exception. Granted it was a short story but it was still so jam packed with emotion and details that made you feel like you were there. I loved it!

I loved this short story! Natalie and Antonio's one night dancing at the Tropicana was a lot of fun to read about as was Natalie's life later on. I felt like I was there in both settings. Cleeton somehow managed to make this novella feel like a complete book in so few pages. Although, I wouldn't mind if it was expanded at some point because I would love to know what is next for the characters.

A NIGHT AT THE TROPICANA by Chanel Cleeton is a short story focusing on Cuban American Natalie Trainer

Told from first person perspective (Natalie) following two time line, A NIGHT AT THE TROPICANA focuses on Natalie Trainer. At forty eight years old, divorcee Dr. Natalie Davis dreams about what was and what will never be. Thirty years earlier, while on vacation with her family in Cuba, Natalie would meet Antonio Corzo. With a dance and a kiss Natalie would fall in love, never to see Antonio again. Fast forward to 1969, and Natalie would reconnect with Dr. Antonio Corzo, at a hospital fundraiser, with the promise of something more.

A NIGHT AT THE TROPICANA is a quick read; a fast paced short story about the what ifs in a time of crisis and wars. A young woman with dreams of a future, and a future with dreams of the past. The premise is entertaining; the romance is subtle ; the characters are charismatic.


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Chantel Cleeton has been one of my favorite author for awhile now, and I will always read anything she writes, because I know that it will always be achingly well-written and wonderfully romantic! My only complaint is that this is a novella! I wanted more of everything - but it is a fantastic story and read and I highly recommend it!

High 3 stars rounded up! A Night at the Tropicana is a romantic short story where a memorable night from the past is recreated in the future. The main character is a likable, career driven, 18 year old woman who has a magical night at the opening of the Tropicana nightclub during a family vacation to Havana in 1939. It is a night she will never forget. I’m not going to reveal any more since it’s a short story. The ending is a bit contrived, but it’s all good. And I must say that I love the cover! It has beautiful colors, an attractive woman, tropical foliage and the night sky. Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the eARC.

A cute, romantic short story told in the author’s descriptive voice in the beautiful settings of Havana and Miami!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Chanel Cleeton is one of my favorite authors. I liked this short story. A lot of details were packed into the story. I like Cleeton's writing style. Her descriptions are great. I feel like I am there with the characters.

Going into this book i didn’t expect to love it but i’m glad to say I DID. this story was super short and it makes me so sad because i want so much more of Natalie & Antonio’s story. I am a sucker for second chance romance and especially when so much has happened in the characters life and it’s been a long time since they’ve seen each other that when they see each other again it’s just like BAM! connection is still there and it’s so easy to talk to the other. I LIVE FOR THAT!!!

this short story makes me believe in true love!

So enjoy this author’s storytelling voice.
A charming tale filled with with enchanting characters set in a lavish locale.
Only wish it were full-length not just a short story.

With thanks to NetGalley for this e-ARC!

A super cute short story about one fateful night and how time can change things in the years that follow. I thought the ending of this was adorable.
The descriptions were good, and I think this would be enjoyable as a novel!

This was a quick, sweet romancey read! Second chance romance is always one of my favorites. Chanel Cleeton is a brilliant author, and this story sucked me in quickly!

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy to read!

This short story packs a lot of punch. If you like sweet love stories, this will give you that serotonin boost you crave. If you're looking to experience a bit of Cuba, the culture and the strife, this story will give you that. If you wonder what it's like to be an immigrant or the child of an immigrant, this story will give you that. If you're looking to get a taste of what Cleeton's stories are like, this is a good place to start.

Honestly, I would read something Chanel Cleeton wrote on a napkin.

Thanks to Amazon Original Stories for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.

This novella is a second chance romance in which two people who shared a magical night meet 30 years in the future. It read like the prologue to an epic romance novel, and could inspire many fan fictions where the "what's next" is explored.

A short and sweet romance/historical fiction short story that starts with a 1969 fundraiser in Miami for children's healthcare that's themed to remember Cuba's Tropicana club and then flashes back to the Tropicana's opening in 1939 where Natalie (18 at the time) was present with her family while they were visiting. It was fun and quick and just barely dropped you into the context of Cuba's tourist expansion in the late 30s to the turmoil of the later decades of dictatorship Cuba. It was a little bit too neat to be fulfilling, but definitely enjoyable as a short story!

A Night at the Tropicana is a dual-timeline, single POV novella taking place in both Havana and Miami. In 1939, Natalie is a college student and aspiring doctor who meets a man who captivates her, and they share a magical evening together. In 1969, now an accomplished doctor and divorcee, Natalie is hosting a gala of her own and encounters the man from her past.

Chanel Cleeton writes stunning historical fiction with romance, and this novella was no exception. The setting is lush, the characters are layered (well, as much as they can be in such a short format), and the whole thing just left me wanting for more! This is a super short and sweet read that will provide a quick moment of escape for historical and romance readers alike.

Thank you to Amazon Original Stories via NetGalley for gifting me with an ARC to review! It was a delight.