chaptersofchase 's review for:

Our Last Days in Barcelona by Chanel Cleeton

4.5

adventurous inspiring tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

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Book Review || Thank you, Berkley Publishing, for the gifted copy of Our Last Days in Barcelona {partner}

Genre: Historical Fiction
Time: 1937 & 1964 
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 5.24.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5

"I never considered myself one for travel, always thought I would be happiest putting down roots, but the more I see of the world, the more I meet people, the more I am curious about what else is out there."

I love the history Cleeton packs into her books. With every book she writes, there is more added to the story of the Perez sisters. Somehow, I missed reading When We Left Cuba, and I just finished it last month. It was honestly perfect timing as Our Last Days in Barcelona felt like a continuation of the story but from the perspective of Isabel Perez.

I'm not going to lie, I did get confused about who is who and all the character connections, but Cleeton was kind enough to provide a family tree at the back of the book. So, make sure to tab that section for easy access while reading.

The character connections with OLDB were magnificent, and I found myself marveling at how Cleeton carefully introduced a character in 1937 and then revealed them again in 1964. I can't imagine the character map that must have been drawn to keep everyone straight

I especially loved this book as it felt like the story of Isabel and Alicia came full circle. While reading, I kept marveling at how very similar the lives of mother and daughter were. The final few chapters had my wiping away tears of sadness as everything came to a close. But nevertheless, Cleeton prevailed and left me with tears of happiness when the final connection was revealed. It was truly perfect, and I can't imagine ending the book in any other way.

If you are a lover of complicated family dynamics, beautiful destinations, and historical stories, I suggest adding Our Last Days in Barcelona to your reading list. I might even suggest reading When We Left Cuba before OLDB.


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