DNF @ 10% - Read these in order!

Once upon a time, I was a baby Netgalley reviewer. I didn't realize that Netgalley doesn't clearly list when books are in a series, so I thought this was a standalone. I also thought I was a women's historical fiction reader, and quickly realized I'm a romancce reader in my heart. I think this book might have enough romance to hold my interest that I might enjoy it if I knew all of the background context.

Everyone who loves this book has read the previous books. Which makes sense, because when I tried to read it, I kept wondering why I should care about any of these characters. The answer: I should have already read four books about this close knit family.

I may come back and change my rating if I read the other four books in the series!

I just love Chanel Cleeton's books and following the story of the Perez sisters. She writes so eloquently and with such rich detail of the settings, both the time period and the surroundings. Our Last Days in Barcelona is another can't miss book!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of the ebook to read. I have read a couple other Chanel Cleeton's books and continue to enjoy the writing style with rich descriptions of various locations.

I love the history that Chanel Cleeton packs into her books. With each book she writes, there is more information added to the story of the Perez sisters. The character connections were amazing and I found myself marveling at the character map that has been drawn to keep the family straight. If you are a lover of complicated family, beautiful scenery, and historical fiction, you will enjoy Our Last Days in Barcelona.

Probably did the book no favors that I haven't read the previous books in the series. The author used some shorthand to get across a sisterly relationship but without the build up of the previous books it felt a bit flat. I did like Isabel fine and felt like I understood the situation with her and her sister Beatriz but it didn't matter much to me.

This book also has a dual timeline, which I am getting tired of as a plot device. I was hoping to understand the Spanish Revolution better and don't feel like I learned much there. I really didn't care about the 4(!) different romances that got various amounts of page time.

I look to historical fiction to send me back in my imagination to the time described. That didn't happen here and that was really the disappointment. I didn't get a sense of the dress, customs, feel of the places described.

I loved following the Perez sisters, Isabel, Elisa, and Beatriz. Since NEXT YEAR IN HAVANA, I have learned much about Cuban history from Chanel Cleeton. The latest of her novel, OUR LAST DAY IN BARCELONA, didn't disappoint. Isabel Perez, the oldest daughter of the Perez family, got to tell her story along with her mom Alicia Perez.

The journey this time focused on Spain instead of Cuba or Palm Beach. Flashing back and forth between Isabela and Alicia's journey in Barcelona, Isabel tried to find her missing sister Beatriz and found a surprising family secret. She found her sister, but they wanted to reveal the mystery of their mom's old photo.

There is a magic behind Cleeton's writing that I couldn't describe. The characters were so charming. I could easily pick up what was left from the previous book. If you asked me whether you need to read this Perez series in order, I would say you don't have to because each book has its unique foundation. Each Perez daughter's personality made the story independent, yet the sisters' stories were connected and beautifully intertwined.

One of my favorites in the Perez family series. I couldn't put this down, and there's a twist at the end I didn't see coming. Recommended.

This is not just dutiful Isabel's story, it is the story of the Perez matriarch, Alicia and her sacrifices for the happiness and well-being of her family. The Perez family has enormous stakes in the ongoing Cuba affairs, which has affected each sister in a different way. Beatriz, the most outgoing sister and the one with a score to settle has deepened her involvement with the CIA and has disappeared. Isabel, travels to Barcelona to look for her sister and once there is forced to examine her own happiness and her perceived expectation of sacrifice for her family. It turns out a Perez in Barcelona fighting for Cuba's freedom is not a new thing - Mother Alicia and cousin Rosa had made the journey in years past.

Cleeton's series about the Perez sisters and life in Cuba is incomparable to any other historical fiction author. It is so interesting how history softly repeats itself and the ramifications of how one family member's intent to do the right thing and sacrifice for the family can cause hardships and unhappiness in the future. Cleeton's stories are a delight to wrap oneself in and I find myself unable to read them slowly - instead I fly through them and am sad because of the wait for the next one. This is an author you will follow and eagerly anticipate the next new release.

Love love love Chanel Cleeton, and this book was no exception. Thank you so much for sending to me to read and review!

Received as free digital ARC from NetGalley.

This is the 5th book in the Chanel Cleeton Perez Family series. I have loved each and every one. Our Last Days in Barcelona takes place right after When We Left Cuba. After Beatriz, the firey, passionate, and strong-willed second daughter, stops communicating with the family in Florida. Isabel, the first-born, prim, proper, moral compassed, sets out to find Beatriz who is involved in dangerous government work. Along the way, Isabel joins forces with a friend of Beatriz's to find her and discovers a family secret. When her mother, Alicia, and the youngest daughter, Maria, arrive in Barcelona, Isabel confronts her mother about the photo featuring her mother Alicia, Isabel, and unknown man in Barcelona. Alicia denies it. As Isabel continues to investigate the mysterious photo with the help of her father's cousin, Rosa, and looks for her sister, Beatriz, Isabel discovers more information about her mother, family choices, and drama.

I couldn't put this book down. I was on pins and needles wondering what Isabel would find out? What happened to her sister Beatriz? What about the family secret and drama? Would the reader make the same choices? I was invested in the characters. They were an emotional roller coaster, love, dislike, all the feels.

I love how Chanel Cleeton interweaves history into the storyline. It added more details, made the characters more likeable, added to the family dynamics and drama, the time line of the story, and the Cuban experience.

Can't wait for the next one.

I listened to the audio book and also read along to Our Last Days in Barcelona. The narrators were just amazing! When I read a book with more than 2 main characters it can get a bit confusing for me so this took me a minute to get everyone straight in my brain but I really loved it. I loved how the stories intertwine between the ladies (Isabel, her mother Alicia and her cousin Rosa) and and the ending was just perfect. I love getting swept back in time to Cuba and lower Florida and it was fun going to Barcelona this time. Learning a little history as I am entertained is an extra perk for me too.

Chanel Cleeton is a must read for me!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date 24 May 2022.

Chanel Cleeton has carved herself out a beautiful spot in historical fiction like not many authors recently. Her descriptions make you feel like you’re right there along side the characters. I love learning more about different histories and her strong female characters.

Our Last Days in Barcelona is the final (I thought) installment of the Perez family series. I definitely liked this book but it didn't feel like the last in the series. Perhaps because the ending is still open-ended). I'm ready for something new from Cleeton and I've heard through the grapevine that her next book is new characters and new setting!

This book features Isabel and Beatriz and the unearthing of secrets the family has held are discovered. One of the secrets revolved around Alicia, their mother which was a good twist.

Like all the books in this series, it can stand alone which is a remarkable feat for authors to do that well.

3.5 stars - I have loved all of Chanel Cleeton's books about Cuba. But this one felt less historical fiction I felt than others. Maybe more romance. Yet still a great book.

This is the fifth book following the Perez family, but can be read as a standalone. Each one in the series is richly detailed and full of historical information. I was looking forward to the story of the oldest sister since I am the youngest child, I often like the dichotemy of the view from the responsibilities of the oldest sibling.

Besides the sun-drenched backdrop of Barcelona, the way Cleeton writes the bond of sisters is astounding. I love reading about those close connections and the depth of love, particularly as my sister and I have never been close. This isn't really a light and fluffy story though because Cleeton also weaves the story of these sisters with the political upheaval at the time, but I think she does a good job of balancing that with a story of family and endurance.

I enjoyed this new story about the Perez family. Chanel Cleeton is always engaging. The writing style is easy to read and the story grips you from the start!

Another great historical fiction by Chanel Cleeton! I loved getting a peak into this family but this time in Barcelona. What a fascinating time to read about and loved the glimpses into the women from the other books in this series! Thanks so much for my copy!

Oh how I've enjoyed reading through The Perez Family series, and couldn't wait to read the latest installment, OUR L:AST DAYS IN BARCELONA.

This story follows Isabel Perez as she travels to Barcelona to try to save her sister Beatriz, during the 1960s. Along the way she discovers a shocking family secret.

Once again I was engaged in the story and loved each character, including Alicia and her cousin Rosa. Their stories were so fascinating and I'm always in awe at how seamlessly author Chanel Cleeton weaves the stories of each woman together, and adds so much detail and history to each book.

*many thanks to Berkley for the gifted copy for review

“I've always felt that cities have their own character, a personality shaped by their histories and the people that call them home. Barcelona is a city of whispers and secrets.”
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Thank you to Berkley Pub for this copy of Our Last Days in Barcelona! This is my second Chanel Cleeton, my first was The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba. I enjoy learning about Cuban history and what it was like in Cuba and Spain right prior World War II under the Franco and Fidel regimes. However, I enjoyed The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba a bit more because it had a faster moving plot and quite a bit more of the interesting historical fiction that I love.
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That being said, I did enjoy this book - rather than historical fiction, though, this felt more like a family drama. Not drama in the sense of a thriller, but a lot of familial relationships were explored. I know this is the 5th book in the series, and had I read the first three, I think I would have been more endeared to the characters. It is important to bond with the characters in this book as this is such a character-driven story.
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The end is just the sweetest, so I really loved how Cleeton ended the novel on that note! While this one did not knock it out of the park, I do find her books enjoyable and will continue to read her stories!

The thoughts and views shared in this book are my own. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.

Having been a fan of Chanel Cleeton from the first book I read of hers, Next Year in Havana, I was excited to receive this book. I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of different locations Cleeton has written about. Learning about another sister, Isabel, felt like completing the vision created from Next Year in Havana.

The flashback to reveal information about elder women in the Perez family continue to evoke a sense of family and heritage that has been present in each of the stories. The setting of this story was unique to me as I have read few books involving the Spanish Civil War that takes place.