Joni G

The first thing I usually notice about a book is it's cover and I just love this one. The book is set in the South and the author does a great job describing it. Although it took me awhile to get into the story I am glad I stuck with it. This book deals with some tough issues including racial division, family relationships, and their secrets. I would recommend this beautifully written debut to lovers of Southern Fiction.

I am so glad I chose to review When We Left Cuba. This is my first read by author Chanel Cleeton, a USA Today bestselling author of Next Year in Havana. This is the second book to the series but is able to be read as a stand-alone.

The protagonist is Beatriz Perez, a young Cuban exile who is now in Florida after losing her family, her people, and her country to the Cuban Revolution. Beatriz is set on revenge and ends up being recruited by the CIA to infiltrate Fidel Castro's inner circle.

There are so many things I loved about this book. First the cover art was amazing. The protagonist was well-written. Beatriz is a strong and fearless character. The author obviously did her research to make the time period of 1960's Florida so realistic to the reader. I like reading historical fiction where I can learn about different places and times, so reading about the Cuban Revolution was enjoyable to me.

The author's writing style kept me interested throughout and I especially loved the ending. Overall this book was excellent...an enjoyable suspenseful read mixed with a little romance and espionage. I highly recommend this to those who enjoy historical fiction and I can't wait to go back and read the first book in the series as well as any future installments. Thanks to BookBrowse, Berkley, and Chanel Cleeton for providing me with a print copy of this book to review.