Instant New York Times bestseller!In 1960s Florida, a young Cuban exile will risk her life—and heart—to take back her country in this exhilarating historical novel from the author of The Last Train to Key West and Next Year in Havana, a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick.Beautiful. Daring. Deadly. The Cuban Revolution took everything from sugar heiress Beatriz Perez—her family, her people, her … everything from sugar heiress Beatriz Perez—her family, her people, her country. Recruited by the CIA to infiltrate Fidel Castro’s inner circle and pulled into the dangerous world of espionage, Beatriz is consumed by her quest for revenge and her desire to reclaim the life she lost.
As the Cold War swells like a hurricane over the shores of the Florida Strait, Beatriz is caught between the clash of Cuban American politics and the perils of a forbidden affair with a powerful man driven by ambitions of his own. When the ever-changing tides of history threaten everything she has fought for, she must make a choice between her past and future—but the wrong move could cost Beatriz everything—not just the island she loves, but also the man who has stolen her heart…
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A really great novel on a piece of history not often written about. The characters were great and you really cheered her along. There were several plot twists and you followed along with the character as she traveled throughout. Highly recommend!
Beatrice is young and Ambitious in this historical , she’s out for revenge for her brothers death that happened in Cuba. While in America she finds herself embroiled in a dangerous dance with Political affairs’ both personal and “professional”.
This book was everything when I started, the characters, the story, the love, the passion everything was super awesome, I was on cloud 9 reading this book, I was like wow I haven’t read a book with this passion in so much time and then…. and then everything went to hell………
You could literally feel the love and the passion between Beatriz and Nick all over, it was intense, it was one of those loves that it doesn’t happen regularly maybe once in 100 years, I kept cheering and thinking wow these two together are super hot in every aspect, the love, the friendship, the understanding everything was so spotted on. I love them I was in love with them and their story and then…..!!!!! the author decided to throw the entire story into the trash in the last minutes of the book.
The story of Beatriz Perez, a family that lived so many atrocities during Fidel Castro’s powerful years more like their entire lives as Fidel was in power for a freaking eternity. she was tired of seeing how many of her friends and family had suffered and being cast away from their own home because of this tyrant, she was determined to make justice even if that meant to sacrifice everything she loves and wanted. but she didn’t count that life was about to shake her in a way that she will never recover, her plans will have to change, her life will have to change everything is changing but her love still there, she doesn’t want to leave but her conscience and regrets are making her move forward on her plan and make a decision that at the end will never be the same.
The only thing I didn’t like about Beatriz is that she was very stubborn no matter how much she loves Nick she was ALWAY making excuses for everything…
Nick was the hero we always wanted, strong and bold he was passionate, determine and he didn’t care about anything other than being with Beatriz, loving her, and taking care of her. Nick was a true hero for me he was everything in this book, he was the one who had his head in the right place when Beatriz was having one of those crazy ideas.
The secondary characters were also great, Beatriz sisters and her mother were the typical women at that age, always caring about what other thought about them.. specially her mother I really didn’t like her, she was a very cold woman never caring about her daughters more about the gossip of the town.
Now let me get to the point that everything went to the trash and a book that I loved so much turned it into the one I hate it. what a freak was that, really? chapter 33 with only 1 hour and 06 minutes left and I was already getting angry, I could see and felt that the ending was going to be the worst and I wasn’t mistaken… The WHOLE BOOK was about Beatriz and Nick right? so how come at the end after all the love, all the tears, all the passion, after all, that we went through, we came with an ending like that???
The main characters having only 2 min to say hi after 50 yearssssss of not seeing each other, not even I love you, I want to be with you, I miss you or smoothing!! nooo it was devastating, I really hate the ending with every single fiber of my soul, and no I’m not making a big deal.. how would you feel after reading a book that consumed you 11 hrs and 8 min of your life to find out that the author gave a shitty ending to the best love you’ve ever read?
This book was 4 stars all the way for me until the last hour of the book thank you to that ending that made this experience the worst…
Wow! This is a well written book, encompassing the Cuban mindset, history, and social scene—how that intertwines with the US, CIA, and the Fidel Castro regime. I was a child during this time in history, events are explained in that make that period clearer to me. However my enjoyment in the book was marred by the “cheating” of certain characters. I dislike that trope , but the book is well written and informative.
Enjoyed the time period and the plot. Interesting viewpoint that is different from that of most Americans on immigrants, especially illegal ones.
I know a lot of people that left Cuba at the same time that the book writes about. It was very enlightening to read about the politics of the time and understand what was going on in Cuba as Fidel Castro led the revolution.
There was a lot of history in this book, from a perspective I was unfamiliar with.
Couldn’t finish it. Meh.
Loved the book especially after visiting Cuba. It was a great sequel to the first book
Next year in Havana
I finished When We Left Cuba in two days. The story and characters sucked me in and I enjoyed the entire trip. Chanel Cleeton writes a good story and I love her prose. I saw this book on a table in a bookstore nine months ago, and it had been on my to-read list since then. After starting two other books I couldn’t get into, this was fun. I’m not usually into a book classified as Romance, nor do I care what it is classified as. It was a fun read – espionage, hidden lover, gorgeous protagonist, all set against the conflict of Cuba and the US in the early 1960s. As far as I can tell, the author got her history right, (I’m not an expert on the time period), something I take seriously in fiction or nonfiction. I didn’t even know until the end that it is a sequel to an earlier book, Next Year in Havana. This book stands by itself. All in all, a quick read and fun break from more serious choices. I enjoyed it from start to finish.
Cuba is in turmoil in the aftermath of the revolution and Castro is chumming up to the Soviets. The Perez family have reached Florida where two of the daughters marry and settle, but Beatriz Perez cannot. Her twin brother was killed by Castro and she needs to avenge his death.
Enter Dwyer of the CIA with an opportunity to deliver vengeance.
But there is also Senator Nick Preston, close friend of the newly elected President Kennedy. Attraction sizzles between him and Beatriz, hotter than a Cuban summer.
Pulled in opposite directions by hatred and love, Beatriz must choose country or love.
I thoroughly enjoyed the recreation of the times and the historical turmoil and uncertainty, and the depiction of a woman who refused to accept the role society and her family expected of her.
Highly recommended.
Very good historicaL novel about Cuba and the exile.
Loved this as much or more than Next Year Havana. Memorable and lovable characters. Enough twists to the plot to keep it interesting . I hated to close it and say goodbye to Isabel.
Beautiful love story. Much adventure. Great read.
Love historical fiction
A great sequel to Next Year In Havana. I’ve been excited to get back to the Perez family to see the unfolding of their stories. Set in the 60s, with all the US and Cuba tensions, it took me back to that time as a school child in Florida, remembering the “Duck and Cover” drills and Kennedy’s assassination. Very enjoyable read.
Unbelievably great book!
I’m intrigued with 1940-50’s Cuba, I had no idea all of this happened before Castro came into power. This book was informative and enjoyable!
Loved it
Could not put it down….educational and soooo romantic……loved the honesty and sincerity