Reviews

The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba by Chanel Cleeton

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spatterson12's review against another edition

4.0

I love all the books in this Perez family tree. This one takes place at the end of the 1800s and introduced me to the NY newspaper wars, as well as provided insight into the Cuban War for Independence and the Spanish-American War. Not to mention an exploration into the real world of Evangelina Cosio y Cisneros.

seymone's review against another edition

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5.0

4.5 rounded up to 5. I could have done without the romance between Gloria and Raefel. Solid depiction of an historical event.

lailasemeda's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

suvata's review against another edition

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5.0

• ModernMrsDarcy.com 2021 Summer Reading Guide #MMDSummerReading

I’ve learned so much Cuban history from this series of books. I love books that give me a glimpse of different cultures, the people and their struggles.

“In this powerful, page-turner, Chanel Cleeton has interwoven the stories of three unforgettable historical women against the fiery backdrop of the Spanish-American war (1895-1898) and the Cuban fight for freedom from the Spanish. Using the brave acts of real-life historical women as inspiration, The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba shines the light on the fierce women who played a critical role in this important juncture in time -- women who are determined not to be forgotten."
— Marie Benedict, New York Times bestselling author of The Mystery of Mrs. Christie

book_concierge's review

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3.0

Digital audiobook performed by Frankie Corzo, Holly Linneman, and Rebecca Soler

For her fourth book featuring a member of the Perez family, Cleeton turned to history and one exceptional Cuban woman – Evangelina Cisneros – who was instrumental in the fight to liberate Cuba from Spanish rule.

This is true: At age eighteen Evangelina was imprisoned at the infamous Recogidas prison. Meanwhile, back in New York, William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer were rival newspaper tycoons, each intent on making HIS paper the best and widest read. Hearst did, in fact, publish a photo of Evangelina and dubbed her “the most beautiful girl in Cuba.” Her escape from Recogidas was done with the help of American journalists. The loss of the USS Maine brought the US into the war against Spain. And Hearst did, in fact, charter a yacht to get a “front-wave” seat to the battle between US and Spanish warships.

Cleeton invented Marina Perez to support Evangelina’s story and to connect this book with her popular series. And she added intrepid Grace Harrington, who gets caught in the back-and-forth between Hearst and Pulitzer before coming into her own.

The action was constant, as one would expect during such a conflict. I thought the love interests were mainly there to provide a big, strong, man to rescue the damsel(s) in distress. But the story held my attention and I’m glad I read it.

The audiobook was performed by three talented voice artists: Frankie Corzo (Evangelina), Holly Linneman (Grace), and Rebecca Soler (Marina). This made it easier for the listener to handle the changes in point of view throughout the work .