THE CUBAN DAUGHTER is Book 2 in the new The Lost Daughters series by Soraya Lane. I loved the first book, THE ITALIAN DAUGHTER, and couldn’t wait for the next book to come out. THE CUBAN DAUGHTER is a beautifully-written and heart-wrenching story of love, loss and legacy that kept me entranced from beginning to end. It is told in dual timelines, that of 1950s Havana, Cuba and present day in London, England. In Havana in 1950, Esmeralda Diaz is the beautiful eldest daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Cuba. Her father is a sugar manufacturing tycoon and Esmeralda knows she will have to marry only to advance her family’s influence and fortune. But while on a business trip to London with her father, Esmeralda meets Christopher Dutton, a merchant brokering an important deal with her father. Esmeralda unexpectedly falls in love and it is not long before she will be forced to make a heart-wrenching decision between her family and forbidden love. In present day London, Claudia has lost her best friend and her beloved grandmother and she has recently broken up with her fiancé. Her passion for restoring old homes is the only thing keeping her afloat. At her mother’s request, Claudia goes to a solicitor’s office to pick up item’s belonging to her grandmother’s estate. She is given a box containing unusual items, including a drawing of the Diaz family crest. On a whim, she drops everything and travels to Havana, once home of the powerful Diaz family. Once there, she meets Mateo, a chef whose family also has ties to the Diaz dynasty. Claudia and Mateo try to unravel the real story of her grandmother’s past. Along the way, they may also discover more about their own destinies. The two timelines of the story are perfectly interwoven to ultimately reveal the connection between the two main characters. I truly enjoyed this engrossing story and can’t wait to read the next book in the series. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

Second Verse More Powerful Than The First. This was the second book in this new trilogy where Lane combines both sides of her writing to phenomenal success. As Soraya M Lane, Lane generally writes compelling and seemingly realistic historical fiction. As Soraya Lane, Lane generally writes more contemporary romance, with all that said genre entails. With this series, Lane manages to execute on Digimon Frontier's Susanoomon ultimate combined evolution and combine both sides of herself into one truly powerful writer. Both sides of this work just as well as any fan of either side of her writing would expect, and combine to breathtaking and heartbreaking result. Cuba comes alive in this tale in ways few American media really allow it to do, both in the historical side and in the contemporary side - which may be helped by the fact that Lane lives in New Zealand and this particular series is published by a British imprint? :) Truly an excellent book, and one loosely coupled enough from its predecessor (who is only briefly alluded to near the beginning of this tale) that anyone can pick up either book in either order and not really miss anything or be spoiled of any details from the other book. Very much recommended.

I happily lost myself in the second book in the Lost Daughters series.
It has all the elements I look for in a good read: secrets, family history, searching, and romance.
I knew how the book would play out, but there’s comfort in the knowledge even when the “prince” turns into a croaker.
I was very taken with Mateo, I would “cook” in his food truck any time.
I’ve read quite a bit about Cuba in fiction but there’s always more to learn.

I absolutely loved this second book in The Lost Daughters series.The Lost Daughters series centers around Hope House, a home for unwed mothers, with seven women receiving a box with clues that hint at secrets from the past. This story follows Claudia as she seeks to uncover the secrets that surround her grandmother's birth. Readers will travel between London and Cuba, in this dual timeline story that takes place in 1951 and present day.

I am usually more drawn to the historical story, but in this case I absolutely loved the contemporary storyline. I did not expect to fall in love with the Cuban setting, but found it enchanting. The author skillfully weaves historical details of pre-Castro era Cuba with that of present day.
Strong family relationships are central to both storylines. Not only did I fall in love with the Diaz sisters, but found I would love to step into Mateo's family kitchen. This is a story of love and sacrifice, and of choices that can change the direction of our lives. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher through Netgalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

oh my gosh, if I could give The Cuban Daughter six stars I would! I loved it! This is book 2 in The Lost Daughters series but can be read as a standalone and focuses on Esmeralda's story. Told in two timelines, 1951 and present day, it is both heartwarming yet heartbreaking. I was engrossed from the beginning and read in two sittings! It felt so real, I thought I was reading a true story..... Wonderful

Oh Boy! It has been a hot minute since I read a Historical Fiction book. The Cuban Daughter: The Lost Daughters Book 2 by Soraya Lane made me wonder why. It was her Historical Fiction books about World War II that got me interested in the genre in the first place. If you haven’t read anything by her yet, please do yourself a favor and go to her book list and pick something out. She makes learning history enjoyable and her stories are really wonderful.

This story has two timelines. One takes place starting at about 1950 in Cuba and the other one is present day in London and a little in Florida. I love how the two timelines work together to bring you to the conclusion of the book.

The main characters in the present day are Claudia and Mateo. I loved both of them. In the earlier time period in Cuba we have Esmeralda and Christopher. Their love story will make you swoon. Well, so will the one between Claudia and Mateo. You want nothing but the best for these four. Life is filled with family secrets, love and loss, pride and mistakes.

This book was so hard to put down. I actually did right in the middle of it to help an author out doing a last minute beta read on her new novel. I was able to jump right back into this one and not miss a beat. This story was heartwarming and heart wrenching at the same time. It made me mad and happy all at once. You have to read The Cuban Daughter to know what I mean.

Soraya Lane has once again turned out a novel that broke my heart and mended it back together again. It reminded me why I love Historical Fiction and that I have been away from it for way too long. Until next time…Happy Reading.

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, #Netgalley and #Bookouture. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Just wow. This was such an incredible and enjoyable journey to take. I read this one in a day, barely able to put it down. It was told from the perspective of the present day and back in the 1950's. To the author's credit both were gripping and had me wanting to pick up the next segment of the story. I have read books where I have skimmed to get back to a particular person's point of view, but not with this one.

It all starts with a mystery when Claudia is called to a lawyer's office. Not sure if this is some kind of scam or a legitimate request she still goes if nothing more than to satisfy her curiosity. When she ends up getting a box addressed to her late grandmother with mysterious contents, Claudia's curiosity is even more piqued. She becomes to determined to unravel not only her grandmother's heritage but also to piece together her own place in the world. This was a lovely, beautiful story that I highly recommend.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.

I really enjoyed my first book by Lane!
The first few chapters had a huge grip on my attention and I was so excited to see what would happen. Early on in the book, we learn something about Claudia's relative that is massively important to the book. I had a few confusing moments to understand how the deduction was made, but once I grasped what was happening and why, I was straight back in the story.
I am a big fan of dual timelines and it is one of my favourite formats. This one is excellently plotted, and I was following both stories with equal appreciation which does not happen regularly for me.
The characters and the story are fantastic, but what sells this book are the descriptions of Cuban life. I could visualise the scenes and taste the food.
This was a fantastic read, and I eagerly anticipate the next Soraya Lane novel.

Get ready to be transported to Havana, Cuba, and present-day England in Soraya Lane's latest novel, The Cuban Daughter. This heartwarming and heartbreaking dual timeline story is a part of The Lost Daughters series, and it will capture your heart from the first page.

The novel follows the lives of two strong and determined women, Esmeralda Diaz and her great-granddaughter Claudia. Esmeralda was a wealthy Cuban society girl in the 1950s, while Claudia is living in present-day England. Both women's lives are forever changed by small events that set them on different paths.

Through Lane's vivid descriptions of Cuban culture, readers will be transported to the streets of Havana and will fall in love with the delicious food and family-centered traditions. The story is masterfully told through flashbacks and current day, seamlessly weaving the two timelines together.

Lane's exceptional storytelling skills bring the characters to life, making them relatable and endearing. Readers will experience the characters' joys and sorrows as they fall in love, suffer losses, and unravel family secrets. Be warned, tissues may be needed as readers reach the end of the novel.

The Cuban Daughter is a beautifully written and engaging novel that will have readers hooked until the last page. It is a must-read for anyone who loves historical fiction, family sagas, and stories of love and loss. Don't miss out on another outstanding novel by Soraya Lane in The Lost Daughters series.

"It's important to understand the past, to feel the connection to those who've walked before us."

Dual timelines as I traveled in the 1950's and present day in Havana, Cuba and London.
I was so drawn in from the beginning of the story as I traveled with Claudia to Cuba. Became totally immersed in the beauty, culture and the food. Looking for answers to clues who her grandmother's birth family is. Why was her grandmother adopted? Did her grandmother ever know who her biological parents were?
A truly heartwarming and heartbreaking story.
Courage, loss, family secrets and love.
I will admit to shedding some tears as I read this beautifully written story.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you for the chance to read this ARC in return for my honest opinion.

I like Soraya Lane books and had read the first in the series though it is entirely possible to read this as a stand-alone book or to read the series out of order.
These ‘Lost Daughter’ books are very different to her WW2 books which tend to be more gritty and less light hearted.
Though there are parts of the Cuban Daughter which could not be described as light hearted and are in fact tragic.

It is a dual timeline story which starts in much the same way as the first book but as this is the link between them it is as it should be. It’s well written and well researched, the writing sends you right into Cuba describing the lifestyle of a country that was not the same in the present day as it was in 1951.

I really enjoyed this and am delighted to see book 3 will appear later in the year hopefully. In fact I couldn’t put it down and had a few late bedtimes as a result.

I would thoroughly recommend Soraya’s books if you haven’t tried them both this series and her other novels.

Ms Lane has done it again with a beautifully written novel. The Cuban Daughter (The Lost Daughters book 2) will have you immersed in the pages, as you follow the characters through a heart-warming and heart aching story. You follow the dual timelines revealing courage and bravery they shared as they fall in love, suffer loss and uncover family secrets. I did manage to save my tears until the last few chapters. The Cuban Daughter can stand alone however I would highly recommend reading the first book in the series.

I would like to thank Bookouture, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this complimentary copy for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Cuban Daughter is a dual timeline story with the first timeline taking place in 1950s Cuba and centering on Esmeralda Diaz, the beautiful eldest daughter of the wealthy Diaz sugar-cane family and the second timeline taking place in the present day and centering on Esmeralda's great granddaughter Claudia, who has no idea about her beloved grandmother's birth family. Similar to The Italian Daughter, a novel I just loved by Soraya Lane, the family is given clues about the birth family of their adopted loved one and in this novel, Claudia travels to Cuba to interprete the clues and learn more about her family heritage. The story captured my interest from the very beginning; it is well-written and easy to read with likeable characters and, most importantly, it ended on a positive note. Soraya Lane is rapidly becoming one of my very favorite authors! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Loved the different setting of this book--Cuba--as well as London in postwar Britain. In present day a woman receives an enigmatic clue to her grandmother's past from a home for unwed mothers. In the past we learn how this came to pass, with an element of mystery. Soraya Lane writes engaging, likeable characters and I was equally invested in both plot strands in the story.

I liked reading the Italian Daughter so I was curious if this second instalment in the Lost Daughters series would be as good as the first one.
At first I was not really impressed because the book started to feel a bit like a formula, which was mainly due to the start of the story, which is pretty much the same as in the first book. But than I remembered that it is supposed to be a series of about the lost daughters, so I guess al seven books will start the same.

It took me some time to get into the spirit of the book, but after a while Esmeralda's story got under my skin. Also the setting in Cuba helped a lot because I have very fond memories of my visit to this great country more then 10 years ago. I could still see the Malecon right in front of my eyes, of-course aided by the vivid descriptions in the book. I expected more of the trip Claudia and Mateo made while visiting other parts of the country, however. Instead of the snorkelling excursion i would have liked some description of the other great places in Cuba, like Trinidad and Holguin. It made me wonder if the author has first hand experience with Cuba, at least outside Havana.

[Spoiler] What I like about the book is that not all story's got to have a happy ending. I think that makes a book more interesting and less predictable[/Spoiler]
Another full four stars for this episode and I am looking forward to the next one.

I want to thank Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Claudia is given clues to her grandmother’s past. Her search for answers brings her to a place in life she never once had the courage to dream about! Loved this wonderful story that bridges the 1950’s in Cuba and the current day. This is another book by Soraya Lane that brought me to tears and left me ready for her next book! Loved it!

I was in need of a feel good book and this one did not disappoint.
Claudia's grandmother has died and left an item to her. He denotes a connection to old Cuba . To find more of her past she flies out to the country to see if this place has the foundation of her roots and discover more about her past.
The trip leads to her discovering more about herself and that of her Great Grandmother. The story is told in flash backs and current day.
Having been to Havana where the story is set I felt totally immersed in the history , culture and people. This is a perfect holiday read. Also a fantastic pick you up kind of book.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to see an ARC

“Who would have thought something so little could have turned my life upside down.”

The protagonists from each timeline, 1950s Cuba and present-day England, are both derailed by little things. For one it’s a split-second choice that leads to the ultimate sacrifice and for another, it’s a little heirloom that sets the character on a different course in life.

Esmeralda Diaz was a good Cuban daughter; she’d never disobeyed her parents and never stepped outside of what was expected of her. When this wealthy society girl meets her London chaperone, Christopher Dutton, he makes her question everything about her life. In a blink of an eye, Esmeralda has to decide what is more important to her - her family, or the man she’d fallen in love with.

Claudia is still reeling from a tough year, she’s lost her best friend and her grandmother, so when she meets Mateo and realizes that he understands loss, too, she lets down her guard. Together they learn that they can’t run from memories, they need to live in the moment and they can’t let their past define them. It’s because of Mateo that Claudia is able to give closure to her family’s past and is able to appreciate the legacy that had been kept from her.

In this novel, we see that food has the power to bring people together! Lane showcases the Cuban culture and their love of food and family. I wanted to grab a toasted Cubano sandwich and settle in with this great read but when I read about Ropa Viega, I was driven to Google to see if I could find a recipe for it.

Lane also showcases what’s forbidden. For one it’s forbidden love and for another, it’s a forbidden legacy. The journey to attain love and legacy is what drives this book. Although I struggled with the 'love at first sight' and the emphasis put on romance in this book, it was still a compelling and emotional read. I appreciated the message that “it’s important to understand the past, to feel the connection to those who’ve walked before us.” In both cases, I felt the characters' anguish at the sense of loss. It took courage to step away from what everyone expected of her, but Esmeralda was willing to gamble. You’ll have to read to find out if it paid off. It also took courage to uncover the secret of the Diaz family, but Claudia was willing to gamble, too. Did it pay off? You’ll have to read to find out.

I was gifted this copy by Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

“The Cuban Daughter” is the second in “The Lost Daughters” series by Soraya Lane. I’ve read a number of Ms. Lane’s books so I’m pretty familiar with her story set-up and the little gems of historical facts she scatters in her stories. This book is told in two points of view - past in the 1950s (following Esmeralda, daughter of a Cuban sugar dealer) and present (Claudia, living in London). Somehow there’s a connection between the two women and this book uncovers that connection. I greatly enjoyed the scenes depicting both pre-Castro and present Cuba - Ms. Lane’s descriptions were very realistic. I liked how obvious Esmeralda’s family enjoyed being with each other - from her sisters to their father enjoying spending time together and also having fun. What I didn’t feel much of a connection with, however, was the seemingly insta-lust both Esmeralda and Claudia had with their guys. The plot was a bit predictable (and a bit formulaic) but it was an enjoyable book. I will definitely continue reading this series.

The second installment of Soraya Lane’s The Lost Daughter series tells the story of love, loss and self discovery as we travel back and forth from London to Havana in a dual time line story set in 1951 and the present day.

Present day—Claudia is both shocked and confused when she receives a summons to a lawyers office on a random day in London. Her life has been a bit of a mess recently, having just loss her beloved grandmother, ended things with her fiancé and completely changed careers. She’s more than a little surprised when she arrives at the office and is presented with a small box with her grandmothers name on it. The box had been found underneath the floor boards of Hope’s House…a safe haven for pregnant young women to go when they had no where else to turn. It’s contents were few but sent Claudia on a journey of discovery…not only into her grandmothers past but also one in which she figures out just what makes her heart sing.

1951–Esmeralda is the eldest daughter of a sugar manufacturing tycoon in Havana. She has everything she could ever want at her disposal. She’s her fathers pride and joy. When she accompanies him to London to broker a huge business deal…she finds herself head over heals in love with Christopher, the young Englishman in charge of the sealing the business deal. Knowing her father would never approve of the match, she chooses love and pays the ultimate price for betraying her father. A forbidden love and a secret force her to run away from the country and family she loves so much. She knows that there is a life with the man she loves waiting for her in London. But what will happen when she gets there.

How do the contents of the box link these two extraordinary women? What happens to Esmeralda when she arrives in England? You’ll just have to mark your calendars for March 23 when this page turner hits the shelves!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Bookouture and Soraya Lane for access to this story. One of my reading goals for 2023 is to get hooked on a series and The Lost Daughters is definitely it! Can’t wait for the next installment!!