A Night at the Tropicana by Chanel Cleeton. Pub Date: October 1, 2023. Rating: 4 stars. In this short story, the reader is immersed in Cuban culture with music, dance and everything in-between. Told in dual timeline, this story follows a young girl to a dancing club where she has met a young man. Due to being on vacation with her family, it was only a one time thing. But the flames were strong and the spark was there, which ultimately led to her future and another chance encounter with this man. For a short story, this was really well done and the author was able to set the stage in a few words as well as keep the reader engaged throughout. I really enjoyed this story. Thanks to #netgalley and #amazonoriginalstories for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #anightatthetropicana

This was a sweet short story packed with emotion. It was a good palette cleanser. I definitely want to check out other works by this author. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this eArc of A Night at the Tropicana.

This was a much shorter story than I expected. I am still surprised I missed such a glaring announcement that it was a short story and not a complete book. This is primarily why this review has to be short enough to match!
This romantic story has an almost predictable ending. I say almost because we are given a picture of a person who may or may not take the accepted and previously predicted route.
Our leading lady has Cuban ancestry, but she has always had the USA's protection to do what she planned to. As she looks back on the past, we get a brief glimpse of how Florida and the US were part of the process as Cuba was having its own internal upheavals.
It is well written with good character building but a little too short for me to feel like I read a complete tale. It did make me more interested in the author and her other books.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Chanel Cleeton's "A Night at the Tropicana" is a charming romantic short story that transports readers to one magical evening in 1939 Havana.

Natalie Trainer, a likable and ambitious 18-year-old college student from Miami, experiences a night to remember at the grand opening of the Tropicana nightclub during a family vacation. A handsome stranger named Antonio invites her to dance and the usually quiet and reserved Natalie accepts.

Without giving away too much of this 41-page story, Cleeton's writing perfectly captures the essence of this unforgettable night and transports the reader to this enchanting setting. While the ending may feel a bit contrived, the story delivers an enjoyable reading experience, capturing the allure and romance of the narrative.

A night in a tropicana is a short romantic story set in 1939 where Natalie is visiting Cuba with her family for vacation. While attending an opening night for the tropicana nightclub with her family she ends up meeting Antonio and there’s instant attraction.

I loved how the ending contributed to the time where they met first the first night. This story was written beautifully with such lovely description to bring the magical setting to life. I do wish that the story was longer, it felt to short to me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

A Night at the Tropicana is a short story set between Miami and Cuba. It's 1939 and the Trainer family is in Havana for a holiday. They have been invited to opening night of the Tropicana nightclub. Natalie Trainer is there before heading off to college, and she meets a young lawyer. They spend the night talking with the plan that they will write to one another. Unfortunately, her mother finds his address and destroys it. She wants her daughter to go to college, find a man, get married and have a wonderful life in the US. Fast forward, and Natalie is an adult, a doctor and the Cuban Nationalists are having a fundraiser for children in Cuba. We get to see what has become of Natalie's life. This was a short, but sweet story that I enjoyed. I liked Natalie and the story from her past. I will say I did figure out what was going to happen, but it was still an enjoyable story.

I love Chanel Cleeton's books so much. This is a shorter one but wonderful none the less. Read this and then go catch up on her back list. It's an amazing journey through Cuban and US histories.

I really enjoyed this book. It was different than anything else I've read recently. I couldn't put it down! I will keep an eye out for this author's future work!

Chanel Cleeton is a new-to-me author that I've been meaning to read for a while now so I jumped at the chance to read a novella from her. I'm happy to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. In 40 pages, Cleeton manages to evoke a deep sense of longing, pain and hope through Natalie's perspective. I'm not always a fan of flashbacks it was well done in this story and I enjoyed both the present-day Natalie who is a successful doctor, and the teenage Natalie in Havana. It was easy to picture the glitz and glamour of the Tropicana's opening night all those years ago, as well as the magic—the thrilling excitement and rush of feelings—of meeting someone who gets you on a level no one has before. I have to admit that the picture was made more vivid as it reminded me a bit of Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, which was one of my favourite movies as a high schooler, but it also made me love this story more. While not unpredictable, and perhaps a bit cheesy for some, I loved the ending and I think other hopeless romantics who love a story about star-crossed lovers and intertwined fate will love it too!

Special thanks to the publisher for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 4 stars!

I MEAN…a Chanel Cleeton short story? Twist my arm! This is just as lovely as her novels, it’s lush but intimate, it’s sweeping but soft, it’s romantic, it’s just like a deep sigh and and cool drink on a warm, breezy afternoon. I love her so much.

Natalie attends a Cuban nightclub themed fundraiser, which brings back memories from a family trip to Havana many years ago.

I really enjoyed this short story! For being only about 40 pages long, the characters and plot were surprisingly well-developed, plus I loved the little touch of romance. This was my first time reading anything by Chanel Cleeton, and it definitely won't be the last! I think this would be a perfect short story for any romance reader.

4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

3stars!
One can never go wrong with Chanel Cleeton! A Night at Tropicana was a short, sweet dual time line romance about, well a magical night at, yes you guess it, Tropicana Hotel in Havana.
This is , as I have mentioned, a short novella. Its hard to elaborate because one can really spill the entire story in one sentence. All I can say is, the main character is lovable. I wish there was more narrative and description at the first night they met and I also hope that the ending was expanded just a little bit more as well. Over all, its a good story that leaves a reader asking for more!
Special thank you to Netgalley for the w-arc in exchange of an honest review!

This short story Romance was packed full of romance. I loved every word of it. I couldn't put it down until it was done. This is such a great historical romance. I loved it.
I just reviewed A Night at the Tropicana by Chanel Cleeton. #ANightattheTropicana #NetGalley
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Natalie and her family attend opening night at the Tropicana in Cuba in the 1930s, and she finds herself whisked away by a handsome stranger in the short story, A Night at the Tropicana by Chanel Cleeton. Normally, Natalie stays on the sidelines because she's quiet, studious, and planning to attend medical school. She goes on vacation from her home in Miami to Cuba, never expecting anything more than family time and then the unexpected happens. This one instance could change the course of her life forever. Will it?

One look at the cover will stun you with the vibrant and gorgeous colors. Besides the author, the cover drew me in immediately. It made you want to see what thrilling adventures could be between the pages. While the cover is beautiful, the story isn't as fabulous. It's a simple tale that ends too quickly with pops of brilliance appearing.

I found the writing good, and the character of Natalie to be likeable. Antonio is pretty dashing and well-suited to Natalie. It's a little too romantic for my tastes, and I almost feel like not a lot happens at the club. It's a bittersweet story but ultimately happy. I was surprised by the outcome.

I think I would have preferred the author to expand upon this story in more detail. I feel like more could have been happening. And I wanted more about the characters and what may have been happening behind the scenes. I'm not sure if this is ripe to be expanded into a novel, but I think it could be. I feel like as a short story, there isn't enough. I wasn't disappointed when I finished it, but I wasn't satisfied either.

A Night At The Tropicana packs a punch. This novella had striking descriptions of Cuba in the 1930s and served as an escape from my current snowy reality. Natalie’s excitement about being in Cuba and at the opening of the Tropicana nightclub was infectious and I really enjoyed this short story. I would like to pick up a full-length title written by Cleeton in the near future as I admire her writing style and am interested in learning more about Cuban culture.
(PUB DATE: AVAILABLE NOW)
(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

Thank you to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy of A Night at the Tropicana.

I LOVE Chanel Cleeton and everything she writes. This short story met all of my expectations. It follows young Natalie on her first trip (and last night) in Cuba. Her family is at the opening night of the famous Tropicana and with the help of Antonio, Natalie is able to break out of her shell a little. Her and Antonio experience a once in a lifetime night and are soon faced with dawn and the fact that it is time for Natalie to return to her real life.

This is a great read that had me down Wikipedia rabbit holes comparing facts and looking up pictures from the Tropicana.

This little novella would make a GREAT introduction to an upcoming novel (hint, hint…write it!) by Chanel Cleeton.

I love that the story is dropped in media res, so we find ourselves as readers following Natalie to the opening night of the Tropicana in 1939, where she meets mysterious Antonio. Their fun night at the new club leaves me wanting to know ALL about their story. Loved it and devoured it!

Aww this was such a great second chance love story. I absolutely abhorred the mother and how much of a social climber she was - I was left so hurt and then was provided an ending so bittersweet.

This was an enjoyable romantic short story. Despite the length, I didn't feel like there was anything missing. The descriptions made the story come to life, and I could pretty much "see" the story happening in my mind. Sadly, it did feel like a paint-by-numbers kind of story, very predictable right down to the ending. But I had a nice time with it while it lasted.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Cuba in the 1930s is the backdrop for a vibrant short story about the rhythms of the heart and the twists of fate that echo through time by the New York Times bestselling author of Next Year in Havana.
A Night at the Tropicana
by Chanel Cleeton
Pub Date Oct. 1, 2023

This is a great story packed into a novella. Cleeton delivers again. I hope there is a sequel to this book because I fell in love with the characters.
4 stars