Next Year in Havana

FOUR STARS ARC Generously Provided by Author In one step, I know power, the drugging effect of it coursing through my veins With one step I am removed from the fringes and thrust in the middle of my life In that space of the step, my world shifts Everything is different now, and nothing will ever be the same againXT YEAR IN HAVANA is beautifully written and at times excessive in the detailed description of the surroundings and landscape of Cuba and its inhabitants It did enable me to picture a C [...]

3.5 There are so many fantastic elements to this novel The book opens with the Perez family fleeing Cuba after the revolution This is the first thread of the story The second is Elise Perez s granddaughter Marisol, traveling to Cuba, sixty years later to scatter her ashes in the country she had loved The history of Cuba, Batista, Che and Castro are told in bold, detailed fashion using the Perez family to add a human element and interest to the story This story would be my favorite part of the bo [...]

Boy, 2018 has been epic so farMy heart is full Full with love for the characters of this book With shame about my ignorance of the danger and problems Cuban people still face on a daily basis Admiration for their bravery and pride Affection for their good hearts Sadness for their heartbreak I struggle to get a grip on my emotions as I sit here and write my review.How long will we be gone When will we return Which version of Cuba will greet us when we do Marisol s exiled grandmother s last wish w [...]

4.5 stars Am I dangerous I have a feeling you just might be I made a resolution to myself last year that I would make of an effort to read new to me authors when selecting future books Chanel Cleeton is a new to me author, and when I saw the cover and title of this book I knew I needed to get my hands on it And man oh man am I so glad I did because I loved this story.Next Year in Havana is told in present day by Marisol, a young woman grieving her recently deceased grandmother, Elisa, and goes [...]

Every once in a while I start a book and from page one I am completely enad with the every aspect of the book the plot, the characters, the setting, and the relationships Next Year in Havana is this type of book as I read, I was constantly ruminating about how fabulous the book was I love that feeling, and to me, it is the sign of an exceptionally good book Next Year in Havana is told in a dual timeline format, alternating between the late 1950 s and present day Both story lines are equally comp [...]

4.5 Stars A very good read.

I have mixed feelings on this one I loved parts I disliked others I loved Elise s story the struggles she faced in a changing Cuba were heartbreaking I had a vague knowledge of Cuba s tumultuous past present, so I really found that part very interesting At the same time, I enjoyed learning about Cuba s struggles it felt over done in Marisol s story The sentiments became very repetitive which made me lose interest start skimming Marisol Luis s relationship was another aspect I didn t like It see [...]

4.5 starsI was enad with this book from the very first page and found it very difficult to put down after I started reading it I will admit that I was reluctant to read this one at first, as I don t typically read romance novels and being that most of this author s previous works were contemporary romances, I was worried that this would be along the same lines however I decided to give this one a try, as I was drawn in by the historical aspect and also curiosity with the setting being in Cuba It [...]

LIVE amzn 2E4hN254,5 5 Beautiful stars At the end of the day the only thing you have left is what you stand for I m speechless, such a beautiful and powerful story I have no words, I m still processing what I just read I have read and loved almost all Chanel s books but nothing is like that This was amazing Next Year in Havana is an emotional,intense, heartbreaking and heartwarming story Next Year in Havana follows two different timelines The first timeline tells the story of Elisa in 1958 Havan [...]

The Perez girls were the talk of the town for many reasons.The day they had to leave Cuba was not pleasant but a necessary event.We meet the girls when their family was prosperous and in power, and then we move to when the granddaughter of Elisa Perez, Marisol, comes back to Havana as a grown woman and a journalist to find a place to spread her grandmother s ashes in her beloved Cuba.What her granddaughter finds is a box that her grandmother had buried and was told to keep for Marisol What Maris [...]

Next year in Havana is one of those books that I took one look at and just knew that I wanted to read The cover is breathtakingly beautiful and the blurb promised the reader an unforgettable story I was very interested in Che Guevara in my early twenties, and I still find him to be a fascinating person And the history of Cuba is also very interesting so guess my delight to get the chance of reading a historical fiction book set in Cuba.Next year in Havana has a dual storyline, with one story tak [...]

Next Year in Havana is one of those historical fiction stories that will immediately take you back in time to experience EVERYTHING all over again Pain, loss, fear, anguish, and joy for the unknown is what will keep you wanting to know Told from dual pov s between 1958 and 2017 from two family members, this was the story of one family s turmoil and heartbreak and how they survived life after being exiled from Cuba Now that decades have passed, one granddaughter is making it her mission to abide [...]

Oh my, it is impossible to give this book the proper review it deserves I can t summarize it in a way that shows you just how wonderful this book was to read, you just have to read it yourself Next Year in Havana is a beautiful, heart wrenching tale that brings Cuba and its inhabitants, and exiles, to life It s one of the best Historical Fictions I have read in a very long time, with incredible, descriptive writing and a story that pulled so much emotion from me I found myself entranced, enjoyin [...]

This review can also be found at Carole s Random Life in Books.This was such a lovely story I have to admit that the beautiful cover of this book is what first caught my attention Once I took a closer look, I decided to give it a try since the story sounded really interesting The book ended up being than interesting I was swept away by the story and felt Cuba come alive within the pages I am so glad that I decided to give this book a try.This story is told in two timelines Marisol s story is se [...]

Marisol Ferrara was raised by her late grandmother, Elisa, who immigrated from Cuba in the 1950 s Her grandmother s dying wish was to have her ashes scattered in her native Havana Marisol works as a freelance journalist in Miami and will use this opportunity to write a piece on tourism in Cuba She embarks on this journey with the goal of finding a location with symbolic importance to her grandmother Marisol arrives in Cuba and sets out to learn all that she can about her grandmother s family She [...]

There s a violence to our history that gets lost somewhere in the telling, buried beneath beautiful scenery, the deceptively blue sea and sky, the palm trees swaying placidly in the breeze It s the sound of firing squads that echo in the wind.As a fan of Cleeton s light, yet angsty, funny and sexy air force series, I was looking forward to and greatly curious as to how she would tackle a heavier historical family saga which was nothing like what she had offered us before NEXT YEAR IN HAVANA was [...]

Atmospheric, absorbing, and incredibly heartfelt Next Year in Havana is a riveting tale that sweeps you into a country ravished by rebellion, oppression, economic instability, and political upheaval, and a populace that s confused, disappointed, angry and struggling with self identity, patriotism, and a lack of freedom and rights.The story is set in Cuba during both the late 1950s, as well as present day and is full of mystique, familial drama, heartbreak, secrets, deception, history, culture, c [...]

4.5 STARS Although born in America, Cuba has always been at the heart of Marisol Ferrera s upbringing Regaled with tales of its complex and rich history, her grandmother has always instilled a sense of pride in her It s through the loss of her Grandmother that Marisol embarks on her first visit to Cuba Professionally she is there to write a tourism piece, but most profoundly she is there to fulfil her grandmother s wishes of having her ashes scattered there.During her time in Cuba Marisol visits [...]

I ve fallen in love with a revolutionary or twoTwo couples.Two different times.One revolutionL THE FUCKING FEELINGS Every now and again a book completely takes you by surprise Next Year in Havana is one of those books I have read and loved some of Chanel s books, but none of them has made me feel the way this book did One moment I was on my couch reading, and the next one I was in Havana eating, breathing, and living this story The first chapters got me hooked instantly, but Chanel seemed to be [...]

DNF I loved Chanel Cleeton s Wild Aces series, but this was nothing like it That was fine, but this just had such a slow start, I was really bored out of my mind I ended up skimming a large portion I just wasn t in the mood for the tragic historical romance that takes up much of the story This is probably a case of it s me, not you because so many other readers have loved this one A copy was kindly provided by Berkley in exchange for an honest review.

What incredible imagery this author created I was just a few chapters in and already had the urge to google Havana, Cuba trying to find the homes being described in 1958 This was a very unique book for me Full of Cuban politics and flashing back and forth in time between two couples One in 1958 and one in present time Elisa and Pablo Marisol and Luis Grandmother and granddaughter Their lives so different but so similar when they meet the love of their life I can t get over how the author was abl [...]

5 Words Family, love, friendship, loyalty, memories.I am going to try to keep this spoiler free, so it will be brief But go buy this book.Next Year in Havana is the loveliest blend of past and present It is written beautifully, rich with imagery The little details really make the settings come to life, whether it s Cuba during the revolution or in the present day I loved how the story was split, how secrets were revealed.I loved the exploration of family and friendship and loyalty The intense po [...]

Already familiar with this author s work in her contemporary military romance trilogy, I was intrigued by this latest project with its blend of historical fiction, women s fiction, and star crossed romance With a setting like modern Cuba and the Cuba of the late fifties, I was well aware this would be a bittersweet story to savor.Next Year in Havana tells the tale of Elisa Perez in the waning years of 1950 s Cuba and of her granddaughter, Marisol Ferrara in the present day Their stories are told [...]

NEXT YEAR IN HAVANA by Chanel Cleeton Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing for providing my free copy all opinions are my own.There are many reasons why I love this book but one very important one is Cuba I have a dream to travel to many countries and I love when authors take you to a place you ve never been Cleeton s vivid descriptions of the scenery and culture of Cuba are breathtaking Also, I should mention the intense connection Cleeton has to Cuba as her own grandparents fled after Castr [...]

My heart This book was everything I wanted historical fiction at its finest A gorgeous story of upheaval, family, loss and love Expanded review to come.

I m having trouble putting words to my thoughts right now, and the tears streaming down my face don t help, but that was fantastic Not at all what I was expecting when I started, yet everything I wanted to read And then some If I had to describe this in one word it would be Unputdownable Elisa and Marisol s timelines weave together a seamless glimpse into the past a history we don t get in our American textbooks with present day in a heart achingly romantic, and emotionally engulfing story of lo [...]

Absolute page turner Full review to follow

ARC from Netgalley and the publisherThis is going to be a hard review to write, because no matter what words I use to try and convey my love for this story, I m going to fall short Reading Next Year in Havana was like being hit with a ton of bricks The description of not only the setting, but the emotions, gripped me from the beginning It was brimming with history and intrigue, and I knew from the very first page I was going to love this book I just didn t know how much I m not going to go into [...]

This book is the book I d attempt to write if I was a writer You follow Marisol, a Cuban American woman who was raised by her Grandmother Elisa Elisa comes from a family who back in the day was one of the wealthier families in Cuba due to her Father s sugar business Due to events during the Cuban revolution, Elisa, her parents and sisters have to leave Cuba and immigrate to America The story flip flops between Marisol s perspective as she travels to Cuba smuggling her Grandmother s ashes with he [...]

This is one of the best books in the historical fiction genre that I have read this year The story is a good one and very pertinent to our times since the US relationship with Cuba is still slowly changing under the new regime As the book will tell us, however, the average Cuban lives in less than adequate housing with little money and or access to enough food, clothing and the necessities of life Those who rebel against the government are still in danger of imprisonment and even death.The novel [...]