This is a story of a revolution and a battle to win the hearts and minds of Americans through a good story. We see it through the eyes of three women: Grace, an intrepid reporter in New York anxious to prove herself; Marina, whose husband fights with the revolutionaries and who finds a way to make a difference herself, and Evangeline, a beautiful girl who rejects the advances of a Spanish officer and finds herself in a horrific prison. Their stories intertwine through a daring attempt by US journalists to break Evangeline out of prison and bring her to the U.S. to build sympathy for the Cuban plight and bring America into the war.

I knew almost nothing about Cuba’s history as a Spanish colony and the U.S. aid provided to the revolutionaries. I found myself Googling for more information about the interesting historical figures we meet. I was especially intrigued by William Hearst, as this book showed a different side to him. When he brought chorus girls to a war zone so he’d stay entertained, then started taking prisoners as the Spanish army fled, you wonder what in the world he’ll do next!

All that said, at times, the lives of the characters took second place to recounting the events that led to war. I started out most interested in Grace’s storyline, but by the end, all three women had me invested in their point of view. I also enjoyed the romances in the book, though those are definitely side storylines.

All in all, it was an interesting read that I’m glad I picked up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Chanel Cleeton has quicky become an immediate must read for me. I've loved all of her books and she writes such amazing books about Cuban Americans and her romances are always so sweet. This book held up to all her others and I will continue to recommend to everyone.

*3.6* This is a delightful historical read following three powerhouse women in the time of the Cuban fight for independence against Spain in the late 1800s. We’ve got spies and reporters and war and lavish parties and handsome heroes all wrapped in an incredibly detailed historical narrative. You can tell Cleeton did extensive research and paints an incredibly tangible and realistic picture of this time. The prose is a bit stodgy throughout, sometimes feeling a bit sermonizing, and it’s slow to start, but the vibrant ladies it follows more than makes up for it. Would definitely recommend!

❛The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba❜ is a provocative mixture of passion, intrigue, and controversy.

❝Viva Cuba Libre,❞ I whisper to him, the cry for a free Cuba forever in my heart. ❝Viva Cuba Libre,❞ he echoes fiercely.

There have been times in my life as a book reviewer where I don't feel worthy reviewing a book, where I felt my words weren't eloquent enough to adequately and thoroughly describe the story, the emotions I experienced, and the enjoyment I felt for the book I just read. And never before has this feeling of inadequacy been more true than after having read ❛The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba❜.

❛The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba❜ is realist fiction. It is a retelling of the real-life Evangelina Cisneros, who was proclaimed The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba in the late 1890's and who became the face for the Cuban Revolution from Spanish control. Her story was largely exaggerated by US newspapers, as the two biggest, The New York Journal and The New York World, fought for control of the Newspaper market. William Randolph Hearst vs. Joseph Pulitzer. A fight that brought about yellow journalism with the hopes of appealing to the mass market during the Gilded Age, a time of economic boom for the rich, and unhealthy and dangerous working conditions for the poor.

❝I am surrounded by forgotten women.❞

This story could have easily been only about Evangelina, and it would have still been beautiful. But Chanel Cleeton didn't give us easy. Instead, she mingled Evangelina's story with two other women, Grace Harrington and Marina Perez. All three were strong-willed and courageous women who were full of righteous indignation over what was happening in Cuba. They used their anger to fuel themselves into action.

❝I might have been born a lady, but we are made in times of war.❞

Cleeton has set the bar with this series. She has cemented her position among the best, and I will drop any and everything to read what she writes.

A gripping tale of love, loss, and the spirit to fight for what you believe, ❛The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba❜ was a powerful, all-consuming read. Phenomenal!

I just finished this book last night and once Chanel doesn't disappoint. I just just loved this book and have really enjoyed learning a bit about history of Cuba

This book follows two women in two different words.

Evangelina Cisneros, dubbed The Most Beautiful Girl In Cuba, is taken in custody by the Spanish in the 1890's. She is taken to a jail in Havana.

Grace Harrington, the determined and willful woman fighting to become a journalist. She is given an opportunity by William Randolph Hearst at the Journal. She is initially vying for a position from Joseph Pulitzer at the World, but he sends her to the Journal to spy for him.

This story follows these women as they face their battles on both sides of the world. When the US is able to get Evangelina free and they continue facing the takeover of Cuba.

I enjoyed reading this book. I loved the characters and the lessons. Thank you for the opportunity to fall in love with this story!

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were interesting and intriguing. My only gripe is that Marina's daughter should have been named Isabel, not Isabella.

I’ve loved Cleeton’s Cuba Saga since the very first novel. This one was no different. The new perspectives we follow here are all very interesting. Usually with a novel that contains multiple POV’s, you sometimes find yourself enjoying some over others but I enjoyed all of these equally. Not one storyline felt out of place. I loved the time in history we follow here. It really gives a sense of danger greater than her previous novels and you feel uncertain of whether these women will get the happy endings they deserve in such an uncertain time. You can read this on its own without having read the other books in the series, but why would you not want to?
This was an incredible addition to an already flawless series.

I have been reading Chanel Cleeton's Cuba Saga series since Next Year in Havana came out and have thoroughly enjoyed each one. I look forward to the release of the next one each and every time. This newest one, The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba, may just be my favorite one yet. Two of the things that I love about this series are the Cuban setting and the time period. I know so little about Cuba's history in general, so these books have been fascinating and educational for me. Ms. Cleeton writes amazingly strong female characters and I was enthralled by this tale of rival newspaper magnates. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys strong female protagonists or historical fiction.

This is by far one of 2021's most anticipated reads. I was honored to receive a review copy via NetGalley, and this should be on your radar! Chanel Cleeton is one of my favorite authors that I discovered recently, and I have devoured all of her other books too. Her work is so well researched that you definitely feel transported to another time. The books sometimes complement each other (not sequels but small connections), so it's nice to find that similarity among her work.

Another book from Chanel Cleeton about Cuba and just like her other novels, I loved it!

The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba centers around the story of three women - through the years 1896-1898 during the Cuban War of Independence from Spain.

Grace who wants to be a famous journalist and is trying to get her foot in the door with either Hurst or Pulitzer; Evangelina said to be the most beautiful girl in Cuba who gets to sent to the famous Recogidas prison after rebuffing the advances of a Spanish officer; and Marina raised in luxury but chose to marry the boy she loves therefore leaving it all behind. In turn when Spain takes over Cuba, she is forced into the streets and her husband to the revolutionaries to fight.

The book is historically accurate and partially based on real people such as William Randolph Hearst, Jospeh Pulitzer and Evangelina Cisneros.


Thank you to Netgalley, Chanel Cleeton, Berkley Publishing, and Shelf Awareness Pro for the ARC of this book

Chanel Cleeton's novel The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba is an eye-opener to an eighteenth century world most of us have never read about. With her real-life characters of dueling Hearst and Pulitzer in the New York scene to the struggling-for-life Cubans of Evangelina Cisneros and others, she reveals the newsworthy history of that time. I thoroughly enjoyed the historical significance of this book.

A captivating novel about a time in history that I knew little about. The feud between Hearst and Pulitzer was recorded through the eyes of novice reporter, Grace Harrington. In his quest to become the biggest paper in NY, Hearst arranges for a young Cuban, Evangelina Cisneros, to be rescued from prison where she was sent for resisting the advances of a Spanish officer. Another young Cuban peasant girl assists her in the escape. The author successfully weaves together the stories of this three women, who each in their own way, fight for independence for themselves and also for Cuba.
The novel is highly descriptive in providing pictures of the opulence of New York and the Cuban gentry juxtaposed with scenes of the impoverishment in Cuba and in New York City, where the story of the newsboys especially highlights the injustices of society.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, especially with strong, women characters.

Chanel Cleeton, you've done it again!

The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba follows three revolutionary women risking life and love for freedom. Grace Harrington is trying to become a published journalist during the newspaper wars of the Gilded Age. She comes into the press room of William Randolph Hearst to find her voice, and finds so much more. Evangelina Cisneros, who will be known as The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba, is unjustly imprisoned in Havana for rebuking the advances of a Spanish official. Her escape and plight earn her notoriety across the United States. Marina Perez (Yes! Another Perez woman!) is working as a secret courier in the fight for Cuban Independence while she fights to stay alive within the horrific reconcentration camps. Cleeton perfectly embodies the spirit of different international and multigenerational movements within the women of The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba, and the stories that come from it are unforgettable.

There's so much to unpack from this book, and I'm not sure whose story I loved the most! I probably liked Marina's best, as I have always (and will always!) love any Perez woman! Marina seemed like the perfect blend of Elisa and Beatriz - daring, compassionate, complex, with an undying love for her family.

I appreciated Grace's story for its critique of the press wars of the Gilded Age. Grace, an homage to Nellie Bly and the like, jumps right out of the page and seems to be an honest narrator of the good, bad and mostly ugly when it came to the press' alarmist coverage and Hearst's pushing towards the USA's involvement in Spanish/Cuban relations.

Cleeton writes about Evangelina, The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba, in such a thoughtful way, giving a voice to so many other victims of the Spanish oppression in Cuba who were not deemed "young," "pure," 'pretty," enough to save. (Sadly, we know this tale all too well.)

Last, I am a person who whole-heartedly enjoys context to a story. I always look forward to Cleeton's notes at the end of her books! I learn so much from her writing, and she consistently cites her sources, giving me an abundance of exciting memoirs and history books to add to my TBR!

If you enjoyed - any of Cleeton's other Cuba books, Netflix's Las Chicas del Cable, Evie Dunmore's League of Extraordinary Women series, Netflix's The Crown, Les Miserables, or Good Girls Revolt - you'll love The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba!

The story of three strong women who are fighting for what they believe in. Two of which are fighting for their freedom and their lives as Cuba is trying to free itself from Spain. The story is based on real events in history and includes many characters who really existed such as William Hearst, Joseph Pulitizer, and Evangelina Cisneros.

I was completely immersed and fully felt as though I was in late 1800s Cuba and NYC.
Chanel Cleeton has a way of writing that brings you right to the heart, emotion, and action of times and places we will never truly be able to visit. From the Cuban revolution and fight for independence from Spain to the newsrooms of Pulitzer and Hearst, I was able to travel through time and the world without ever leaving my home - and as a person who begins learning about history through fiction, I highly recommend "The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba" to learn about a culture, revolution, and period of time essential to understanding our own.

Impeccably researched and strong writing makes this a must read for all history lovers. The author did an outstanding job depicting Cuba at the end of the nineteenth century and the despicable conditions the people of the country faced in their fight for freedom from Spain. Two rival newspapers and their tycoon owners, Hearst and Pulitzer, are depicted as they try to get the best scoop. Three women are featured, one of them, Evangelina Cisneros, is a real person who life is an essential part of the storyline. How far does journalism go in creating the story for their readers? These women were an integral part of this country’s fight for freedom. Chanel Cleeton highlights all her research as she creates her story from various records. Well written and researched! #TheMostBeautifulGirlInCuba #ChanelCleeton #NetGalley

Gorgeous writing, impeccable research and three courageous female characters make this a must-read for any historical fiction lover!

The title protagonist, Evangelina Cisneros, is unfairly incarcerated in the late 1890s, stuck in an infamous Havana jail. She’s among many oppressed Cubans who yearn for freedom from Spain, and is based on one of Cuba’s real heroines.

Randolph Hearst and his influential press take up her cause, naming her “The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba” in a ploy to sell papers and urge America to back Cuba. Gutsy Grace Harrington, a Hearst reporter, and Marina Perez, a secret courier supporting Cuba, add compellingly to the narrative as they toil to free Evangelina.

Will they succeed? Will Hearst push the U.S. into war by skewing truth to best his rival, Joseph Pulitzer? Chanel Cleeton’s latest reveals the always intriguing, often heartbreaking answers in this page-turning triumph — my first Cleeton but definitely not the last!

5 of 5 Stars

Pub Date 04 May 2021

Thanks to the author, Berkley Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#TheMostBeautifulGirlinCuba #NetGalley

Thank you so much to Netgalley & Berkley for the ARC of The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba.

I became obsessed with the Perez family and the Cuba saga by Chanel Cleeton earlier this year when I first read Next Year in Havana. I love how Cleeton gives her main characters so much depth and that they are all strong female leads. The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba felt more historical than the others did, and for the first half of the book it made it a little slower for me. I really liked all three women in this story, how their stories overlapped and what they brought into this book. Marina was my favorite, hands down. Her story was so heartbreaking and you could just FEEL the love she had for her family, her country, and the hope she had for her future despite the hardships they were facing. I didn't cry in the first three books, but Marina made me cry in this one. Grace was definitely a spit-fire character who was not scared to go after what she wanted and I always love a girl who is taking control of her own life. Evangelina became an unexpected hero for her country and I spent SO MUCH TIME researching her after I finished this story.

The research was definitely done for this book. The issues of the women left behind in Cuba, the re-concentration camps, and the war waging on in NYC between newspapers are topics I have never explored in a book before, let alone all of them weaving together to create such a strong story as this.

This was probably the heaviest out of all of the Cuba books for me, but the soul in this story is REAL. I definitely recommend this if you enjoyed the other books by Chanel Cleeton.

A very well written historical fiction. The characters are well developed and the story of the 3 woman very intriguing. The story is historically accurate and brings to life a part of history that has been forgotten.