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kappafrog's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
This was a fun and fast read. I liked the mysteries and intrigue and trying to figure out what happened. To my surprise, I also really liked Harry and his romance with Catherine . They had a lot of chemistry, and he worked well as the "noble thief" archetype. Elena and especially Julio received less development and characterization - I would have liked to learn more about them and especially Julio's political activities and how Elena, being from a wealthy family, felt about them. The setting of the lavish ballroom society escaping the Depression was a fun one to explore. I really liked seeing Havana, but I wish we had seen much more of it.
That kinda sums up my feelings on this book as a whole - a lot was introduced but was rushed in the execution, and I wanted to spend more time on various ideas. Elena could have used more characterization - who was she outside of her relationships? I would have liked to see more of the crew conflicts that led to the final horrific ending of the fire too. Julio and Harry gave us little snippets, but I was left feeling like that part of the plot was underdeveloped in spite of being the reasoning behind the big set piece at the end. On the flip side, I thought the epilogue added nothing and would have liked to see an exploration ofElena and Ava's relationship in its place.
Some of the twists were clever and a nice change of pace, while others were a little perplexing.I liked that the murder in the beginning turned out not to be the point of the mystery at all. However, I didn't like that the connection between Elena and Katie was sprung on us when we'd been experiencing Katie's first-person POV for so long. That was another thing - why was Katie written in first person and Elena in third? It felt like it was just so that the novel could open with the exciting line about the dead woman (Elena) in third person, rather than being justified by the plot or structure.
That kinda sums up my feelings on this book as a whole - a lot was introduced but was rushed in the execution, and I wanted to spend more time on various ideas. Elena could have used more characterization - who was she outside of her relationships? I would have liked to see more of the crew conflicts that led to the final horrific ending of the fire too. Julio and Harry gave us little snippets, but I was left feeling like that part of the plot was underdeveloped in spite of being the reasoning behind the big set piece at the end. On the flip side, I thought the epilogue added nothing and would have liked to see an exploration of
Some of the twists were clever and a nice change of pace, while others were a little perplexing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
Moderate: Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Gaslighting
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Stalking, Car accident, Alcohol, War, and Deportation
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
4.5
Finished reading: May 24th 2024
“It's a delicate balancing act to keep all the lies I've told straight, to keep everything from going up in flames.”
It's no secret that I consider Chanel Cleeton to be one of my favorite historical fiction authors, and her stories haven't let me down yet. I've been meaning to read The Cuban Heiress ever since it was published last year, but somehow once again it took me longer than expected to do so. I'm SO glad I finally did pick it up though, because I ended up having an absolutely fantastic time with this story! There is just something about her writing style that draws you straight in, and I literally flew through this book. The Cuban Heiress uses a dual POV structure, where we switch between Elena and Catherine during their journey aboard the SS Morro Castle. I found both women to be intriguing from the very beginning, although Elena's story was the more gripping of the two. The active cheating in Catherine's POV was not my cup of tea, although with everything explained in the end and Raymond being such a despicable character it is quite easy to forgive her. The plot is less intricate than some of her other books, but between the writing and the characters I was more than entertained. I do always love a story set on a ship! There was mystery, there was intrigue, there was romance, there was revenge, there was murder, there was an explosive ending... And a lightning-fast pace to get you there. I also loved that it was partly based on real events! The Cuban Heiress was yet another winner for me and I've yet to rate her stories below 4.5 stars. Recommended!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
kimveach's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is a super fast read. I finished it in one sleepless night. I loved the mystery, the 1934 setting, and the story based upon the SS Morro Castle.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Alcohol and Dysphoria
100_pages_hr's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Always love revisiting Cleeton's Cuba series. This book wasn't connected to to the Perez sisters but was really good on it's own. I loved how she took a true historical event and added her own characters and plot to it. The addition of the mystery only added to the allure.
I absolutely loved Catherine and Elena. Both were quite impressive women. But I have to say my favorite in the book was actually Julio. I loved his activist activity helping Cubans and I would dearly love an extended epilogue with more of him.
I really loved the romance in this story even though it wasn't the main feature. It was kind of fast but it felt very genuine in its own way. I loved how eventually trust was completely earned.
This book is hard to review without spoilers but the plot twists were everything.
I absolutely loved Catherine and Elena. Both were quite impressive women. But I have to say my favorite in the book was actually Julio. I loved his activist activity helping Cubans and I would dearly love an extended epilogue with more of him.
I really loved the romance in this story even though it wasn't the main feature. It was kind of fast but it felt very genuine in its own way. I loved how eventually trust was completely earned.
This book is hard to review without spoilers but the plot twists were everything.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Sexual content
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