Fascinating historical novel by the author of Next Year in Havana. I loved the glimpses of vintage Florida and Cuba in this book.

I requested this book as background reading as we will be promoting it on BookBrowse in a promotion agreed with Berkley marketing. Personally, I thought this book was weaker than her first, but my opinion is irrelevant to the First Impressions promotion - as it is based on the opinions of BookBrowse members who received a copy of the book to review - and they are liking it - with an average score of 4.0 out of 5.

Cleeton has created a strong and interesting character with Beatriz Perez in When We Left Cuba. I would have been happy to continue reading about her adventures.

There’s SO much to love about these stories and I think one of the reasons why I couldn’t put NYIH down was because it reminded me of what my family is going through in Bolivia. Because of the corrupt government, many people are protesting on the streets and trying to stop their country from becoming utterly unrecognizable. The Bolivia of my childhood (I spent three months out of the year there, every year until I turned 18) is long gone and in its place is fear, danger, drugs, corruption, kidnappings, and the loss of security for the future. NYIH was a sober reminder of how a country can lose its people in a mass exodus—not unlike what happened to Venezuela. The culture of Venezuela, what made it unique and intrinsically theirs is gone. It’s heartbreaking and I fear Bolivia slowly marches toward that same fate. There’s so much worth saving and I hope the current President/Dictator will FINALLY step down.
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Wow, I didn’t mean to get super political in this post but I guess that what’s books do—they pull us in and remind us that fiction isn’t too far from real life. I highly recommend this series—and on a lighter note the romance is swoooooooooooony. ❤️
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I really wanted to love this book, I mean, Next Year in Havana was my most surprising read of 2018 and one of my all time favorite cuban books - period. There was a sense of childhood nostalgia whilst I was reading that one and a focus ingrained in family and returning to one's roots. I may not have related to Elisa's character as much - since I'm a bit, um, *more* temperament wise - but I adored the atmosphere and entire narrative so much that I didn't care - especially since I found myself relating to Beatriz in the glimpses we saw of her; that's why I was so excited to hear we were getting a book from her perspective.

Beatriz is confident, ambitious, brilliant, passionate, and all together unconventional and unapologetic about it. I should have been excited to finally read about her and both her romantic and political endeavors, but...I just wasn't.

Her internal monologue were the segments I enjoyed the most, alongside her conversations with Elisa, but other than that, I couldn't help but feel detached from the storyline. It was a bit jarring to experience such intimate moments looking into Beatriz's perception of herself and women in society, only to switch to plots of political upheaval and on-and-off again romantic relationships. I found myself conflicted with loving Beatriz as an individual but disliking most of the decisions she made that were central to the plot (primarily the affair).

In regards to the political focus centering on Fidel Castro, the Invasion of the Bay of Pigs, and Kennedy's assassination - my eyes kinda skimmed over the pages. I'm not sure if it's because I already knew about the majority of this part of Cuban history, but the point remains that I found those parts somewhat tedious to read. Even the conversations about her involvement in spy work were starting to grate on my nerves because they were all the same.

They all read like:

Nick: "I don't like what you're doing, you aren't safe."
Beatriz: "Idc, I do what I want because politics is my life."

*Beatriz then proceeds to do CIA stuff and the entire conversation repeats itself the next time Nick and her reunite.*

The structure of this book was a bit all over the place, tbh, even tho the core of Beatriz's values remained strong and consistent.

I'm not sure I would recommend this book if you absolutely loved the first one (like me) since you may be disappointed by the end result - but the good news is that you technically don't need to read this since Next Year in Havana has it's own ending and a storyline separate than the one presented here.

Beatriz will continue to be a beloved character, but her book? Not so much.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this comic in exchange for an honest review.

Another beautifully poignant historical romance. When We Left Cuba, although in the same realm as it's predecessor Next Year in Havana, comes as something freshly unique and wholly different from the stories of the Perez girls. Beatriz Perez is an enigma. Her life is what she makes it in a time of exile when she's supposed to fall in line with the traditions of her culture and upbringing.

This story relies heavily on the ideas of how war, how a country in tatters and despair, and how death will uproot ideologies and shift a human on their axis. It's a story that relies even more so on the power and strength of a woman who holds new tenets as a result of her life drastically changing because of those aforementioned ideas. It's the tale of a woman on the precipice of greatness because she is exactly who knows to be, no matter the grand sacrifice she needs to make to achieve that greatness.

With memorable characters, colorful descriptions of setting and time, Chanel Cleeton gives grandeur in bleakness while showing her audience the nuances of change so acutely it's heart breaking. Her writing speaks so vividly, her story telling a spell easy to fall under. Cleeton daringly takes readers into a world that we least expect and once she has us there grips us into a whirlwind of a life full of meaning. I relished every word of this book, of Beatriz's adventures, romance, and pain. A story I won't soon forget.

Book Review: When We Left Cuba, Chanel Cleeton – Berkeley Publishing Group

I was privileged to read When We Left Cuba through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of the book.

When We Left Cuba continues the historical fiction story of the Perez family that began in Next Year in Havana. They have been exiled to the safety of Florida. This book focuses on the captivating Beatriz Perez, whose anger over her family’s losses overwhelm her thoughts. She is beautiful, smart and brave and has no interest in life as a debutante. She is focused on figuring out how to return to Cuba to gain revenge for her family.

Beatriz is passionate about returning to Cuba to avenge her brother’s death. And then in the midst of her planning, Beatriz also becomes involved with a charismatic and highly attractive Kennedy-esque American politician, despite both of their best efforts to sensibly stay apart. She also attracts the attention of the CIA who is more than happy to take advantage of her to help them get close to Fidel.

What I liked about this book: Cleeton magically blends an exciting novel with historical fact, including American-Cuba politics, the Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missile Crisis the Kennedy presidency, romance and intrigue. It was a very compelling story – a quick read as it’s difficult to put down. I liked that not all was perfect and that it didn’t have a storybook ending. I loved Beatriz. She is authentic, independent, brave and outspoken – something women were not expected to be in the early 1960’s.

What I didn’t like: What I didn’t like was also one of the things I truly did like – I wanted a storybook ending for Beatriz and her Senator; even though I liked the fact that it didn’t have a storybook ending as it was more realistic. And that is what made the book so good.

❝Why does everyone assume I want marriage? That if I’m not someone’s wife, I’m not worth anything?❞

❝It’s not about marriage. You shouldn’t be anyone’s second choice. Don’t you want to be someone’s first choice?❞

❝I don’t want to be anyone’s choice. I want them to be mine.❞

WHEN WE LEFT CUBA was a dazzling portrayal of a strong-willed and self-assured Cuban refugee whose self-appointed mission to make Fidel Castro pay for the destruction of her country and family became her sustenance. It was her passion for love and revenge that helped her survive each day she was away from her homeland, and it was that drive that simultaneously allowed her to be true to herself and consequently, pushed away the ones she loved.

Beatriz Perez was a heroine in the days when being a formidable woman was not in vogue. Women from this era were encouraged to be demure so they could attract a husband. But Beatriz would not be overlooked. She would not shy away and hide her desires. She would fight for what she believed even if that meant giving up a future with the only man she ever loved.

Nicholas Randolph Preston III was a rising star on the political scene. He was a sitting US Senator whose political aspirations would one day have him running for the Presidency. He had everything he could ever want except the one thing he could never have, Beatriz Perez — it was her passion to bring about justice in Cuba that could be his political undoing. He struggled with his need to have her in his life and his sense of duty to his country. The two were mutually exclusive, to have one, meant to give up the other. Together, they shared secrets, laughter, and each others bed. But being together was never easy. Nicholas and Beatriz had to hide their love for one another, which meant secret rendezvous and stolen moments. Ultimately, there was too much between them. There were too many battles, too many wars to fight, and too many wrongs to right. Perhaps had they met at a different time …

❝It seems remarkably stupid to give my heart to a man who can never be mine.❞

Cleeton is immensely talented. She brilliantly brought her characters to life. Beatriz was strong and full of passion. Her sense of duty was thought-provoking, and her sense of self was admirable. Cleeton could have easily allowed a man to derail Beatriz or have a man fix her problems. But Cleeton stayed true to Beatriz’s character, making her story all the more powerful. Nicholas’s character was equally well-crafted and admirable. He was a dichotomy. Nicholas was a very powerful man, yet he could not (and would not try to) bring Beatriz to heal. Their love story was heart-wrenching, it was beautiful, it was timeless.

❝I love you. I will never love anyone as much as I love you.❞

I have no doubt WHEN WE LEFT CUBA will be at top of my Favorites for 2019!

An epic, unforgettable love story, WHEN WE LEFT CUBA, was a spell binding, character-driven novel filled with intrigue, heartache and romance. It is an absolute must read!

As soon as I finished Next Year in Havana, I knew I needed to get my hands on When We Left Cuba. I was really drawn to Beatriz in the first book and was so excited to hear that When We Left Cuba would be exploring her story. It did not disappoint, not one bit.
In Next Year in Havana, Cleeton brought to life Cuban culture and the history of Fidel Catsro’s regime. In When We Left Cuba we follow Beatriz and the Perez family following their flight from Cuba as they adjust to being immigrants in Florida and try to fit in with the Society there. Filled with espionage, romance and rich historical detail, this book was a home run for me. In Beatriz we find a headstrong, fiery protagonist with a deep and passionate love for her country as well as a will of iron. She is a character with real depth and flaws and I loved every part of her. One of the things I love about Cleeton’s writing in both this book and her prior one is how she stays true to her characters. She lets them make the hard or wrong choice because that’s true to their personality and values and I really respect that. As a reader it really makes the characters more fleshed out and real and I find it helps me connect with them.
This book was mysterious, suspenseful, heartbreaking and romantic. Much like Next Year in Havana, I came away feeling that I had learned so much about Cuban history and politics that I was unaware of before. I love books that expose me to a new place or new ideas and make me curious to learn more. Cleeton is a master at weaving historical details and events into her stories in a way that is not only educational, but enlightening and fascinating. I loved the espionage element to this book, it was well balanced with the romantic storyline and for that reason I liked this more than Next Year in Havana. I am totally hooked on this author and will instantly pick up anything of hers in the future.

I adored this follow up to the author's first book. It tells a beautiful and also harrowing story of life after fleeing to Miami from Cuba including the emotional turmoil of leaving your home. It was well researched as well as beautifully written.

When We Left Cuba by Chanel Cleeton is the perfect follow-up to Next Year in Havana. You learn about Beatriz's story and you find out how leaving Cuba and losing her brother shaped her into the woman she became. You also get a peek at the Perez family life after they left Cuba. You laugh, you cry and you feel for Beatriz. You learn about her espionage days and receive a history lesson along the way.

I love how Chanel weaves in actual events that were happening during that time and how the Perez family were integrating into American culture. I fell in love with the Perez family in Next Year in Havana and loved When We Left Cuba one can only hope that Chanel will continue to let us into the lives of the Perez Family.

Like I said your heart will break for Beatriz as she tries to figure out who she is and you will have to wait to read to see if she receives her happy ending.

PS...Chanel, please write more about the Perez family!!!

What little I know about the Cuban Missile Crisis I learned in high school. This novel brought it to life with a wildly independent woman in the driver's seat.

The moment Beatriz Perez stepped onto the page in Next Year In Havana (one of my favorite books, EVER), I had to know what her story was. And When We Left Cuba does not disappoint! Once again I was sucked into this story from the very first page, and did not want to put it down until I reached, The End.

Beatriz knows who she is and what she wants, even from a young age. She's strong and unapologetically opinionated during a time when women were expected to be little more than arm candy. I admired her loyalty and passion, both for Cuba as well as those around her. I'm a romantic at heart, and there are things I wish had gone differently in her story, choices she made that I didn't agree with, even if I understood why she made them.

Chanel Cleeton does a great job of providing the different perspectives surrounding the tumultuous relationship between Cuba and the U.S. during that time in history. Readers who lived through the Cuban Missile Crisis followed by the death of President Kennedy will no doubt be transported back in time.

As with Next Year In Havana, romance is threaded throughout the story, and Cleeton tugged at my heartstrings--hard. The ending was satisfying, albeit bittersweet, and left me yearning to visit Cuba. I'm excited to see what Cleeton writes next!

Thank you to the publisher for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First and foremost, thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for my e-book advanced reader copy of When We Left Cuba.

What a sensational read! I spent all afternoon yesterday with this book, and did not stop until I finished. I LOVED it. So happy this was my first read of 2019!

The novel's main character, Beatriz Perez, has left Cuba during the revolution and is in Palm Beach, Florida. Her brother, Alejandro, has been killed, allegedly at the hands of Fidel Castro. Beatriz is enraged, willing to do anything to avenge her brother's death and liberate her home country from this horrible leader.

Throughout the novel, we see Beatriz reject her expected societal norms. Her family has status, however, she is a debutante with a rebel heart. She has no interest in marriage, being fawned over, or becoming a domestic housewife. She meets Nick Preston, an American senator with presidential aspirations. Their budding and scandalous relationship will make you laugh, cry and mourn for the choices they have to make throughout.

Keeping with my promise of always spoiler free reviews, Beatriz makes a connection with a CIA agent and the book's conflicts pick up in suspense from there. Beatriz is faced with choices that can change and affect not only her life, but the lives of family members and friends---some who have gone back to Cuba to aide in the liberation efforts. Chanel Cleeton does in incredible job of weaving American and Cuban History into this novel---I found myself looking up a lot of Kennedy's ideals and policies.

Chanel Cleeton's follow up novel to Next Year In Havana did not disappoint. Beatriz is an incredible and admirable character. I loved every minute I spent with her. Bravo! (less)

Beatriz Perez grew up wealthy in Cuba but after her twin brother was killed and the family fled Castro's Cuba nothing has been the same. Beatriz still lives a life of privilege but is now on the fringes of society and she is determined to avenge her brother's death. She makes unconventional choices as she allies herself with a handsome, engaged Senator and the CIA. But will she be able to avenge her brother and live the life she wants?

Following the Perez family after their escape from Cuba, this book focuses on Beatriz, a strong, single minded young woman determined to avenge the death of her twin brother Alejandro, by Fidel Castro. Beatriz becomes involved in two different lives, as she falls for a Senator from Connecticut, while getting deeply involved in activity against Castro. The book is part romance, part historical fiction, and is successful in detailing the lives of Cubans in Florida post Castro. A good read.

Chanel Cleeton does it again. She writes an engaging story that kept me captivated from start to finish.

I knew the outcome yet I was gripped to read more.

This is the story of Beatriz Perez, sugar queen who is living in exile in West Palm Beach and she is looking for vengeance for the death of her brother who she believes was killed by Fidel Castro.

Beatriz joins forces with the CIA in a plot to kill Fidel. Boy what a ride. We see Beatriz becomes a secret agent. She does try to kill Fidel.

There is another storyline throughout the story. Beatriz struggled with the idea of being a woman and not wanting to get married and have a husband. I really can identified with Beatriz with the longing to set her own path that included education, and a passion for work and making her own money.

My feels; I really loved that this story focuses on what happens after the revolution. I wished we have a novel following Maria. If you enjoy, historical fiction then pick this book up.

I give this book 4.5 stars.

A review for this book will be posted on What to Read Next Blog on April 2019.

"How differently would my life have turned out if I'd been born in this country, if I hadn't come into a fractured and divided island caught in never-ending turmoil?"

When We Left Cuba was one of my most anticipated reads of 2019. After falling in love with Chanel Cleeton's beautiful and touching words and sentences in Next Year in Havana, I couldn't wait to see what else she had in store for us. Beatriz, the main character of this book, is introduced in Next Year in Havana and I just knew her story would be adventurous and mysterious. So I was pretty excited when the author announced that she was writing her book. I was hooked from start 'til finish, and I read this book in two sittings. I just couldn't put it down. The ability of this author to tell a story is just magical, I was Beatriz while I was reading this book, and I was feeling everything she was. I understood why she did certain things, and couldn't let it go. She isn't your typical heroine, and I loved that she stayed true to herself until the end.

"Love ebbs and flows, a low-level hum in the background, but anger sinks its claws in you and refuses to let go."

Like with Next Year in Havana, the history and politics regarding Cuba was told perfectly. It was so interesting and engaging, and it piqued my interest even more. I mostly read romance books, and even though the romance in this book is a bit in the background, it still plays an important role in my opinion. The balance between the espionage and romance scenes was really good. I can't believe I am saying this, but I wanted a bit more espionage scenes. I was totally hooked on them, and it is definitely a genre I need to read. The main characters were amazing and thankfully not perfect, they had their flaws and they were very realistic. This book wasn't predictable and I really loved that. It was suspenseful, mysterious, romantic, and heartbreaking at times. I absolutely loved this book, and I hope Chanel Cleeton will continue to write more Historical Fiction set in Cuba or any other country.

This book was so exciting to read and I was honored to received an early copy for a chance to review it. When I finished this novel, it did not disappoint and I’m so glad that I enjoyed it. The characters were well developed and the story was just so intense and unforgettable. One of the best thing about this book was the historical background that was written with so much accuracy. I loved that I walked away from this book learning things I had not known before and the author does an exceptional job at informing the readers about Cuba in the mid and late 1900s. I really felt a connection to the characters and to the story and I loved that. Overall, this book has it all and I’m so glad that it did.

When We Left Cuba by Chanel Cleeton

I have been so eager for this book from the instant I finished Next Year in Havana. This book is rife with romance, secrets, and espionage and features one of the most brilliant and fearless female characters I’ve come across.

When We Left Cuba is the story of Beatriz Perez and details her life after she and her family are forced to leave Cuba following the revolution. Unlike her sisters, Beatriz is not seeking a man, a marriage, family. She wants to avenge the death of her twin brother and to return home to Cuba and she doesn’t want to do it meekly or as a bystander. Enter the CIA.

I really enjoyed this book though perhaps not as much as Next Year in Havana. I think it focused heavily on the spy aspects and on Beatriz herself and I would have liked a bit more of the romance, particularly given that I developed a minor crush on the senator. Having said that, I’m planning to read both of these books again and am hoping Cleeton writes more for the Perez family.

*I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

**Reviewed by Melinda for Joandisalovebooks Blog.