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yvo_about_books's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
4.5
Finished reading: May 24th 2024
“It's a delicate balancing act to keep all the lies I've told straight, to keep everything from going up in flames.”
It's no secret that I consider Chanel Cleeton to be one of my favorite historical fiction authors, and her stories haven't let me down yet. I've been meaning to read The Cuban Heiress ever since it was published last year, but somehow once again it took me longer than expected to do so. I'm SO glad I finally did pick it up though, because I ended up having an absolutely fantastic time with this story! There is just something about her writing style that draws you straight in, and I literally flew through this book. The Cuban Heiress uses a dual POV structure, where we switch between Elena and Catherine during their journey aboard the SS Morro Castle. I found both women to be intriguing from the very beginning, although Elena's story was the more gripping of the two. The active cheating in Catherine's POV was not my cup of tea, although with everything explained in the end and Raymond being such a despicable character it is quite easy to forgive her. The plot is less intricate than some of her other books, but between the writing and the characters I was more than entertained. I do always love a story set on a ship! There was mystery, there was intrigue, there was romance, there was revenge, there was murder, there was an explosive ending... And a lightning-fast pace to get you there. I also loved that it was partly based on real events! The Cuban Heiress was yet another winner for me and I've yet to rate her stories below 4.5 stars. Recommended!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, Abandonment, Car accident, Death, Grief, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Classism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Gun violence
kimveach's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is a super fast read. I finished it in one sleepless night. I loved the mystery, the 1934 setting, and the story based upon the SS Morro Castle.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Violence, Blood, Classism, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Dysphoria and Alcohol
100_pages_hr's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Always love revisiting Cleeton's Cuba series. This book wasn't connected to to the Perez sisters but was really good on it's own. I loved how she took a true historical event and added her own characters and plot to it. The addition of the mystery only added to the allure.
I absolutely loved Catherine and Elena. Both were quite impressive women. But I have to say my favorite in the book was actually Julio. I loved his activist activity helping Cubans and I would dearly love an extended epilogue with more of him.
I really loved the romance in this story even though it wasn't the main feature. It was kind of fast but it felt very genuine in its own way. I loved how eventually trust was completely earned.
This book is hard to review without spoilers but the plot twists were everything.
I absolutely loved Catherine and Elena. Both were quite impressive women. But I have to say my favorite in the book was actually Julio. I loved his activist activity helping Cubans and I would dearly love an extended epilogue with more of him.
I really loved the romance in this story even though it wasn't the main feature. It was kind of fast but it felt very genuine in its own way. I loved how eventually trust was completely earned.
This book is hard to review without spoilers but the plot twists were everything.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Sexual content
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