Reviews

Narrator: 4 stars... the author should have hired a voice actor with an authentic Cuban accent.

This book was better than Next Year in Havana, but it still fell short. The book was centered around the stale relationship between Beatriz and Nick. How many times did the author need to write the same argument between them?

The espionage aspect was unbelievably weak and it could have made the book more compelling. The CIA didn’t train Beatriz and the meeting with Castro was implausible. The scene where she killed the agent in London was laughable.

The author could have written more about Beatriz’s life after the failed Castro mission. Beatriz was self-centered and had unrealistic expectations about saving Cuba. Everything Beatriz accomplished in her life could have been done with Nick, her reason for not marrying him was idiotic.

The end of the book was also weak and Beatriz and Nick did not reconnect until they are advanced in years. I doubt I will give this author another chance.

aislinnh's review against another edition

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May try revisiting this later, but not as good as the other books I’ve read from her. It just drags on and on.

dannycakez8808's review against another edition

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4.0

4.5 stars

This book drew me in right from the beginning. It is set in Florida/Cuba in the late 1950s early 1960s. This story deals with US/Cuban politics, family, love, friendships, and loss. I really liked hearing to story and the different perspective on Fidel Castro's Comunist takeover of Cuba. It impacted a whole country of people and made them flee for asylum where others stayed and favored the new government. For those that fled, they had an internal battle, they did not want to lose their culture, values, beliefs, and their country. Do they do nothing or do they fight back? How far would you be willing to go to fight for what you felt was right?

katekate_reads_'s review against another edition

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3.0

Beatriz Perez is an intriguing character - she is someone who is fully herself and won’t be squashed by expectations of her family or society. She is strongly motivated by a desire to return to Cuba and to avenge her brother’s death.

When she is approached by the CIA and asked to help with plans to take down Castro - she boldly agrees. At the same time - she is starting a dangerous flirtation with a man who is already engaged.

This book has a lot of intrigue and Beatriz is ultimately faced with some really difficult decisions. I enjoyed seeing where things went but for some reason I didn’t fully connect with this book. I wasn’t anxious to get back to it whenever I set it down.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

rrickman33's review against another edition

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4.0

This book, in my opinion, was even better than the first, "Next Year in Havana". I found the characters much more intriguing and believable and the romance not rushed at all. This book, as like the first, does a masterful job of interweaving historical events into a fictional book. I loved reading about the 1960's and the relationship of Cuba with the United States.

Chapters would leave me hanging in so much suspense that I couldn't put it down and just had to read the next one well into the night. Cleeton not only makes this romance one to root for but it's a forbidden political romance at that. This book was easy to pick up and hard to put down with an ending that was satisfying. Removing one star because some parts were really slow.

bookhussy's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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