Thank you so much to Berkley for an advanced copy of this book! I enjoyed it so much.

Chanel Cleeton is one of my favorite authors, and what I love most about her writing is how she gently folds in many different story elements to her stories while still giving a cohesive tale. This book was more of a gothic story than her previous books, but it still had the historical elements, the romance, and the intrigue that each of her previous novels are known for.

I really liked the characters, the story, and most importantly, the house in this book. The house is almost a character of its own, and the story really does come full circle for all the characters from start to finish. I saw some of the "twists" coming, but that didn't bother me too much because she did a great job with foreshadowing certain aspects of the story.

Overall, I enjoyed this book lot!

Star Rating: 4⭐️

It’s after the Great War and people are settling back into their normal lives. If they are even able too. People are more apt to head south to Florida, to take a chance in the sunshine state. What could go wrong, where the sun always shines? Robert Barnes and his wife head south to build the home of their dreams. Well Robert wants to build the mansion of his dreams but who’s counting? He is ready to become the toast of the town and money is no object to get that done. Even if it costs too much.
Years later another couple tries to call this mansion a home. But it seems that maybe the house is bad luck. As with the first go round accidents happen and there is so much tragedy and drama. Both couples, twenty plus years a part can’t catch a break. Carmen is the newest resident of Marbrisa and from the moment she arrives, she knows something is terribly wrong. Can she figure out the secrets of the home? Can she protect herself from the tragic past? Chanel Cleeton does a good job at tying together these two timelines. The House on Biscayne Bay is a historical novel that has a lot of depth and interesting characters. This was a good read but I did have trouble keeping things straight. I had to reread some parts and it was a little too detailed for my liking. Overall it was a good read. I want to thank Netgalley, Berkley Publishing Group and the author for my copy for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review this book. What are your thoughts?

The House on Biscayne Bay is Historical Fiction with a mysteries in two timelines: 1918 and 1941.

A new mansion is build on the Bay with great views by Robert Barnes and a young architect, James. The costs keep growing as more and more is added to the house and decorated inside. Robert tells his wife, Anna, that he wants to surprise her, only she is not so impressed with this monstrosity. When they finish the house and hold a big party to show off to the Miami elite there is a death of a young woman. Did she accidentally fall off the edge as Robert professes or was she pushed?

Jump to 1941 when Asher and Carolina Wyatt are presiding in the home after much refurbishing and Carolina's sister Carmen comes to live with them from Cuba. Not long after her arrival, Carolina is murdered in the garden maze. Was it her husband Wyatt or someone else? Carmen learns more about the house's past and wants to know if the deaths are somehow related.

Cleeton does a great job of connecting the timelines and the mysteries. I liked the characters and their youthful exuberance. She also does a good job of creating the feel of Miami early in the twentieth century and how it was growing as a place to be seen.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Chanel Cleeton never disappoints! Dual timelines, murder mysteries and immersion into the moneyed world of Biscayne Bay kept me turning the pages, and the atmospheric vibe reminded me of gothic classics like Rebecca. It's a delicious story of loyalty and lies that you don't want to miss.

Thanks to Berkley for the copy to review.

Cleeton veers from chronicling the history of the fictional Perez sisters during the turmoil of Cuba's regime changes to give us this gothic thriller about a fictional high society estate in Miami during the span of both World Wars. Anna's story starts when her husband commissioning the build of Marbrisa, ostensibly for her birthday although she discovers later that it was for selfish reasons. Carmen's story begins when she arrives at Marbrisa at the start of World War II with her sister and brother-in-law as owners of the property. Both women faced personal tragedies and had initial aversions to the estate that played out to support their worst fears.

Honestly, at this point, if Chanel Cleeton's name graces the cover of a book, I will read it and recommend it. I devoured this one in one day, unable to put it down. The characters are all engaging and it is hard not to connect with them. The plot was well thought through and very organized with delicious twists. If you haven't read Cleeton, you are missing out.

It’s the 1920s, after the Great War, Anna and her wealthy husband move to Miami where he’s building her a magnificent mansion - Marbrisa. It’s an exciting time in Miami’s history with new money flooding in from the north. A woman m is found dead at the party they’re hosting, and Anna’s husband comes under suspicion. In the 1940s, Carmen moves to Marbrisa from Cuba to stay with her sister and brother-in-law after her parents’ deaths. Impressed by its grandeur, Carmen also senses an unsettling undercurrent in the house and among its inhabitants. Soon enough there’s another murder, and disturbing things happening in the aftermath. Rather than be frightened, Carmen searches for the truth, believing the answers lie with Marbrisa’s history and former owners.

The mystery, glitz and glamor conspire to make this an enticing read. As usual, Cleeton’s amazing writing and inclusion of historic details immersed me in that era. I was taken with both FMCs and liked the parallels in their individual storylines. I do wish the suspense had lasted a little longer only because I was so wrapped up in it. Both narrators were incredible. I hung on their every word. I like that the end gives closure to all involved.

I love all of Cleeton’s books, especially her historical fictions, and 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗮𝘆𝗻𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝘆 with its atmospheric allure is a new favorite!

Highlights:
* Mystery & suspense
* Atmospheric
* Roaring ‘20s & pre-WWII ‘40s
* Romance & HEA
* Historical details

Be aware of: infidelity & gaslighting

Thank you to @netgalley & the publishers for my ARC & ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been reading Cleeton since her debut, and truthfully, I lose a little bit of enthusiasm with each book. In some bookstagram circles, we talk about the toll it might take on an author and their overall ability to churn out well-written, highly engaging books consistently, and if I’m being honest, I think that’s what’s happening here.

Cleeton is a really talented writer. I think she’s one of the best in historical fiction and I really love how she integrates Cuba and Cuban culture into her books. But as she continues to write, the Cuban influence is getting less and less, and we’ve even strayed away from her first family, the Perezes.

For me, this one was just ok. It felt a little elementary, I thought the dialogue was a little cheesier than usual, and the mysteries were kind of predictable. In the end, I was hoping for more immersion, more atmosphere, and more engagement. 😔

I’d definitely recommend Next Year in Havana for anyone looking for a book to sweep you away! It may always be my favorite book of Chanel Cleeton’s!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Chanel Cleeton's latest novel, *The House on Biscayne Bay*, is a beautifully haunting historical tale that promises as much atmosphere as its captivating cover. Set against the stunning, untouched backdrop of Miami's Biscayne Bay, this book delivers a rich narrative that intertwines the lives of its characters with the enigmatic estate of Marbrisa.

The story unfolds in dual timelines. In 1918, just after the Great War, wealthy businessman Robert Barnes builds Marbrisa for his wife, Anna. Despite the grand gesture, Anna senses something ominous about the estate. Cleeton masterfully depicts Anna's journey, portraying her as a classic, dutiful wife of her time whose sense of foreboding grows as she uncovers Marbrisa’s secrets. The estate itself is almost a character, alive with history and hidden truths.

In 1941, Carmen Acosta arrives at Marbrisa to start afresh after the tragic loss of her parents in Cuba. Living with her sister Carolina and brother-in-law Asher, Carmen finds herself embroiled in the house's mysterious and dark past. Cleeton’s portrayal of Carmen’s quest for independence and self-discovery is compelling, as she navigates the eerie incidents that plague the estate.

Cleeton excels in bringing her characters and their settings to life. Marbrisa is depicted so vividly that it feels like a living, breathing entity, filled with secrets and histories that shape the lives of Anna and Carmen. The narrative is a gripping blend of history, thriller, mystery, and gothic elements, making it a multifaceted read that is hard to put down.

The characters are richly developed and their stories are deeply intertwined with the fate of Marbrisa. Anna’s evolution from a submissive wife to a woman fighting for her needs contrasts sharply with Carmen's initial independence and her later discoveries about herself through the mansion's mysteries.

The dual timeline narrative keeps the reader engaged, with each era revealing more about the characters and the house itself. The suspense builds gradually, leading to several surprising revelations that are both satisfying and thought-provoking.

*The House on Biscayne Bay* is a masterful tale of love, loss, self-discovery, and the enduring impact of secrets. It’s a fast read, yet deeply immersive, transporting readers to the 1920s and 1940s Florida with ease. Chanel Cleeton has crafted a memorable and atmospheric novel that stays with you long after the final page.

Thank you to NetGalley, Chanel Cleeton, and Berkley for providing this ARC. This review reflects my honest thoughts about the book. Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction and atmospheric mysteries.

This historical fiction novel by Chanel Cleeton is a fast paced gothic thriller. Set in Miami in the 1920’s and 1941, the novel alternates between Anna in the 1920’s and Carmen in 1941. Anna arrives from NYC with her husband Robert, as he is finishing the touches on the newly built mansion on the bay, Marbrisa. We meet Carmen as she arrives from Cuba to live with her sister and her sister’s husband at Marbrisa in 1941. Carmen has just lost her parents and has no other close family to live with. Secrets and lies surround both women in their lives. This was a fun read- I keep picturing the robber baron mansions in Newport, but on the water in Miami. Florida must’ve been an interesting place to be in the eras in which Cleeton set the novel. This book is worth the read- thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read it as an ARC.

1918

Just after the war, wealthy couple Robert and Anna Barnes, have built a huge home on Biscayne Bay that they have named Marbrisa. Anna prefers living up north so she is privately not too thrilled about moving to Florida But Robert is so happy to build this estate for her. The night they throw a huge party opening their home to guests, a young woman drowns in the Bay. The police continue to question Anna and Robert but they claim they know nothing.

1941

Some years later, Carmen Acosta, has journeyed to Marbrisa to stay with her sister, Carolina and husband Asher Wyatt. Asher had bought Marbrisa as it had been closed up for many years. He has worked hard to make repairs and fix it up. Carmen and Carolina’s parents recently died in an accident in Havana. The two sisters are not close and, unfortunately, Asher controls Carmen’s money until she turns 21. A friend of Asher’s, Nicholas, is staying with them and Carmen thinks that Carolina is having an affair with him. One night, a peacock is killed by an unknown which upsets everyone as they say other animals have been cruelly killed. Then another night, Carmen is awakened by a scream and sees Asher carry her dead sister out of the maze where Carmen thinks she was meeting Nicholas. What is going on here in this house?

The story opens up like layers of a flower giving the reader just bits and pieces of information at a time. This tends to keep one on the edge of their seat. As a long time Florida resident, I enjoy reading about the history of this glorious state. A delightful type of mystery. Enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

As a former Miami resident I absolutely loved the scenery here. It was actually spot on (looking at you peacocks!). This is my very first Chanel Cleeton novel and it’s off to good start! I love a good mystery and the fact this is also historical fiction sold it for me. Loved the writing and both stories and how both entangled! The twist at the end wasn’t completely unexpected but it worked for me because I was hoping for it!

I love love love Chanel Cleeton’s historical fiction novels about the Cuban diaspora in the US, and this one didn’t disappoint, with the added bonus of also being a mystery with a spooky slant to it.

As with many of Cleeton’s novels, the story is told in two interwoven timelines. The first follows Anna, who is the wife of a wealthy American man who basically wants to be the next Gatsby and moves them from New York to Florida to build an over the top, enormous manor and estate (Marbrisa) that his wife isn’t really a big fan of. The second timeline follows Carmen, the sister of the wife of the new owner who’s bought the manor decades later after it’s fallen into a state of disrepair after a scandal (and murders) led to it being abandoned and rumored to be haunted.

I love a good spooky but not full fledged horror situation, and The House on Biscayne Bay fit that perfectly. Marbrisa definitely has a presence, and both women are trying to unravel its secrets that ultimately lead to deaths on the grounds of the manor. The description of the house is eerie, from the fog lade hedge maze to the dozens and dozens of corridors (it gives off Winchester Mystery House meets Hearst Castle). Throughout Carmen’s timeline, she’s trying to find out what happened to the wife of the original owner, which adds a layer of anticipation and foreboding to Anna’s scenes as you know she’s going to disappear at some point.

While the story was super atmospheric and I enjoyed Cleeton’s foray into the Gothic fiction world, I did find the character of Carmen to fall a little flat compared to some of her other protagonists. My favorite Cleeton novels are always those that tie back to the complex Cuban roots and family tree of the original family first mentioned in Next Year in Havana, and since Carmen is orphaned when she arrives at Marbrisa there’s very little ties to Cuba in this story compared to her previous works. However, I think Cleeton did an admirable job with her first foray into the Gothic genre and I would definitely read more by her. The vibes of this book would honestly be perfect for a movie or spooky video game.

Loved this one! I enjoyed the more suspenseful nature of this book. Most of hers are heavily historical fiction, which I do enjoy, but I loved the change of pace in this book.

I’ll be recommending this title to readers looking for a gothic who-done-it set in sweltering Miami. Though the differing timelines were at times difficult to distinguish (the characters narrating sound way too similar to tell apart), it was easy to get past and I enjoyed the story.

My first book by Chanel Cleeton, and it was a solid historical mystery. It was atmospheric and immersive with how descriptive the writing is. We get dual POV and past/present timelines. The whodunit murder kept me reading until the very end, and while I did guess the person right, there was a plot twist I didn't see coming. •*
This book would be a good choice if you are in the mood for historical fiction with a slow-burn whodunit murder mystery and feminist undertones.

3.5 stars

In her latest work, Chanel Cleeton tackles the gothic theme by centering her dual timeline story around Marbrisa, a glamorous mansion built in Miami, Florida right after the Great War. The over-the-top mansion is a gift that Robert Barnes surprises his wife with for her birthday, but during the inaugural party to celebrate the estate’s completion, tragedy strikes and their lives are changed forever. More than 20 years later, Carmen Acosta has no place to go after the tragic death of her parents in an accident, so she moves into the Marbrisa, the mansion that is currently home to her sister Carolina and her rich husband Asher Wyatt. Prior to her arrival though, strange things were already happening at the mansion but things escalate soon after, to the point where Carmen’s life is in danger. Is Marbrisa cursed and haunted like people believe it is? Or are the strange events the result of something more sinister?

Overall, Cleeton’s latest foray into Gothic fiction was entertaining, but I enjoyed her previous works more. While the writing was good (as expected), the plot was way too predictable, to the point that I already had everything figured out less than halfway through the story, which of course took the “suspense” out of things (not to mention some loose ends never got explained, which created a few plot holes here and there). The other issue I had was the narrative structure: the story was told in a dual timeline structure, with each time timeline narrated from the first person perspective of its respective protagonist— Anna in 1918 and Carmen in 1941. The two protagonists couldn’t have been more different in terms of age, race, life experiences, circumstances, etc., yet at times, I found it difficult to tell the two narrative voices apart and had to go back to check the chapter heading to remind myself which timeline I was reading. This got a bit tiring after awhile, though it wasn’t to the extent where it prevented me from moving through the story at a decent pace.

As I mentioned earlier, I did enjoy this one, but I have to admit that I was a little bummed that the story this time around had no connection to the Perez family (though I shouldn’t have been surprised, since this book and her Cleeton’s previous one were both standalone). With that said, there was an indirect link to one of Cleeton’s previous novels — a “blink and you’ll miss it” reference that I totally missed and only found out about after reading the Author’s Note.

Even though I didn’t take to this one as much as I thought I would, Cleeton continues to be one of those “go-to” authors for me whose works I will continue to read regardless (though I do hope she writes another book with a Perez family connection at some point).

Received ARC from Berkeley via NetGalley.

Review will be posted on 5/9/24

Anna Barnes' husband has built her a palatial mansion, Marbrisa, outside Miami and it's intended to rival all the new post-WWII development that is going on in Florida. It's opulent and a sight to behold. Anna isn't that excited about it though. She feels Florida is too hot, has scary insects, and an annoying social circle. Nonetheless, they threw a party when the house was done being built and it was a disaster as a woman ended up dead. As time goes by, Anna knows her husband is keeping secrets. Fast forward many years later and Carmen visits her sister's family at Marbrisa. Once she arrives at the estate, she notices her sister is acting strangely, the mansion is downright creepy, there's a detective that keeps popping up, and a spooky garden maze. This isn't what she expected and as time goes by she wonders what secrets lurk in this estate and wonders what her sister is keeping from her. Chanel Cleeton weaves these two storylines together beautifully in The House on Biscayne Bay with the estate as a major part of the story. If you enjoy some Gothic suspense, look no further!

At first, I must admit I had no idea how Cleeton was going to bring these two women's stories together, but slowly she did and quite well. Both women, despite their different backgrounds and time periods, they have a lot in common and both want to uncover the truth surrounding Marbrisa and their families. I really enjoyed how Cleeton merged the two stories. I also really loved the Gothic suspense elements as well as her depiction of Old World Florida- very atmospheric! The incorporation of a murder mystery only added to my enjoyment as it kept me flipping the pages. The House on Biscayne Bay is another hit from Chanel Cleeton and for fans of historical beach reads, this novel would be a great addition to your beach bag this summer.

Oh Chanel Cleeton. I love her books so much. Historical Fiction has a big part of my heart, and this one was a great change of pace for me. It wasn't nearly as heavy on the heart as most HF books. There was a murder mystery aspect to this one that I didn't know was coming (I go into books blind), and I loved it. If you enjoy dual time frames, then this is your jam right here. I loved how it all came together in the end...I guessed most of it and was happy with the outcome.

This story is told from dual POVs in a dual timeline, though they’re both historical timelines (the first in the late 1910s to early 1920s, the second in the 1930s I believe). The author did a good job at creating parallels between the timelines to make the book feel a bit more cohesive and to add to some of the mystery (is the house haunted? Is it cursed?) Probably the strongest aspect of this work was how well the author brought the setting and the house to life.

The pacing of this one was quite slow, though it picked up a little towards the end. The ending wasn’t my favorite and the twist felt a little silly/forced, but it did wrap everything up neatly. The characters were weak. There was very little insight into the characters’ feelings or motivations, and this added to their lack of development and depth. With the minimal plot and weak characters, this relatively short book felt quite long.

If you’re interested in historical fiction and slower mysteries, then you may like this one. My thanks to NetGalley and Berkely Publishing Group for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

3.5 stars
Dual times-lines, the author brings us from 1918 to 1940s Miami set on a beautiful (gothic) estate with a mystery unfolding. I felt transported in the era and it was interesting to see old world Miami, but I had a hard time keeping up with the story. I love Chanel Cleetons writing style - if you’ve read her previously you’ll love this also! I kinda of expected more romance (I always need a touch of romance let’s not kid ourselves), so don’t let yourself get caught up waiting for that. The house was definitely a character of its own, as most gothic stories go I feel ✨

It’s so Enjoyable to see historical fiction outside of the typical “war” setting, and I think Chanel
Is great with always bringing us new stories.