When We Left Cuba

everything? Fidel Castro nationalized all those sugar fields her father used to own.

 

Has she no shame?

 

My smile brightens, flashier than the fake jewels at my neck and just as sincere. I scan the crowd, sweeping past Alexander on his knees looking like a man who hasn't quite acquired his sea legs, past the Palm Beach guard shooting daggers my way, resting on my sisters Isabel and Elisa standing in the corner, champagne flutes in hand. The sight of them, the reminder to bow to nothing and no one, emboldens me.

 

I turn back to Alistair.

 

"Thank you, but I must decline."

 

I keep my tone light, as though the whole thing is a jest, and a drunken one at that, which I hope it is. People don't go falling in love and proposing in one fell swoop, do they? Surely, that's . . . inconvenient.

 

Poor Arthur looks stunned by my answer.

 

Perhaps this wasn't a joke after all.

 

Slowly, he recovers, the same easy smile on his face that lingered moments before he fell to his knees returning with a vengeance, restoring his countenance to what is likely its natural state: perpetually pleased with himself and the world he inhabits. He grasps my outstretched hand, his palm clammy against mine, and pulls himself up with an unsteady sway. A grunt escapes his lips.

 

His eyes narrow once we're level-nearly level, at least, given the extra inches my sister Isabel's borrowed heels provide.

 

The glint in Alec's eyes reminds me of a child whose favorite toy has been taken away and who will make you pay for it later by throwing a spectacularly effective tantrum.

 

"Let me guess, you left someone back in Cuba?"

 

There's enough of a bite in his tone to nip at my skin.

 

My diamond smile reappears, honed at my mother's knee and so very useful in situations like these, the edges sharp and brittle, warning the recipient of the perils

personal heartbreak. Her ferocity and fearlessness can be found on every page, and Beatriz s story one of vengeance, betrayal, and bravery astonishes and thrills.
Fiona Davis, national bestselling author of The Masterpiece

Atmospheric and evocative, When We Left Cuba captivates with its compelling portrayals of the glamorous Cuban exile community and powerful forbidden love set against the dangerous intrigue of the Cold War. Unforgettable and unputdownable!
Laura Kamoie, New York Times bestselling coauthor of My Dear Hamilton

By turns a captivating historical novel, a sweeping love story, and a daring tale of espionage I absolutely adored this gem of a novel.
Jillian Cantor, author of The Lost Letter and In Another Time

Oozing with atmosphere and intrigue, When We Left Cuba is an evocative, powerful and beautifully written historical novel which had me completely captivated from the first page to the last. Take a bow, Chanel Cleeton!
Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of The Lighthouse Keeper s Daughter

With a sure hand for historical detail, an impeccable eye for setting, and a heroine who grasps hold of your heart and never lets go, Chanel Cleeton has created another dazzlingly atmospheric and absorbing story of Cuba and its exiles. A beautiful and profoundly affecting novel from a writer whose work belongs on the shelves of every lover of historical fiction.
Jennifer Robson, USA Today bestselling author of The Gown

Powerful, emotional and oh so real. One woman's fight to reclaim her own country, against all odds and no matter what the cost is intertwined with the real history of our lifetime and creates an unforgettable story.
Rhys Bowen, New York Times and #1 Kindle bestselling author of The Tuscan Child and the Royal Spyness mysteries

Scintillating....An intriguing dive into the turbulent Cuban-American history of the 1960s, and the unorthodox choices made by a strong historical woman.
Marie Benedict Rich in historic detail, When We Left Cuba has it all the excitement of a page-turning thriller, the sizzle of a steamy romance and the elegant prose of a master storyteller.
Renée Rosen, author of Park Avenue Summer

Cleeton draws you into the glamour, intrigue, and uncertainty of the Cuban exile community just after Castro's coup through a heroine who could give Mata Hari a run for her money....You'll be rooting for Beatriz to change the course of history and find her own hard-won happily ever after.
Lauren Willig, New York Times bestselling author of The English Wife

With a richly imagined setting and a heroine worth rooting for from the start, When We Left Cuba is thrilling and romantic, and timely to boot.
Michelle Gable, New York Times bestselling author of The Summer I Met Jack

A compelling unputdownable story of love for a man, for a country, for a past ripped away, and a future s tenuous promise. When We Left Cuba swept me away.
Shelley Noble, New York Times bestselling author of Lighthouse Beach.

Electric and fierce. Beatriz Perez s romance with a handsome, important senator will sweep you away, but it s her profound loyalty to Cuba and her formidable determination to be her own woman despite life-and-death odds that will really hold you in thrall.
Kerri Maher, author of The Kennedy Debutante

In a tale as tempestuous as Cuba itself, When We Left Cuba is the revolutionary story of one woman s bold courage and her many sacrifices for her beloved country. An absolutely spectacular read!
Stephanie Marie Thornton, author of American Princess

Beatriz Perez s brand of vintage-Havana glamour dazzles with equal parts intrigue, rebellion, and romance to make for an unforgettable story.
Elise Hooper, author of The Other Alcott

When We Left Cuba is a breathtaking book, and it captures what I love best about historical fiction.
Camille Di Maio, author of The Way of Beauty

More Praise for Chanel Cleeton

A beautiful novel that's full of forbidden passions, family secrets and a lot of courage and sacrifice.
Reese Witherspoon

A sweeping love story and tale of courage and familial and patriotic legacy that spans generations.
Entertainment Weekly

This Cuban-set historical novel is just what you need to get that ~extra-summery~ feeling.
Bustle

The Ultimate Beach Read
Real Simple
 
Next Year in Havana reminds us that while love is complicated and occasionally heartbreaking, it's always worth the risk.
NPR

A flat-out stunner of a book, at once a dual-timeline mystery, a passionate romance, and paean to the tragedy and beauty of war-torn Cuba. Simply wonderful!
Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network

Cleeton has penned an atmospheric, politically insightful, and highly hopeful homage to a lost world. Devour Next Year in Havana and you, too, will smell the perfumed groves, taste the ropa vieja, and feel the sun on your face.
Stephanie Dray, New York Times bestselling coauthor of America's First Daughter

Don t miss this smart, moving, and romantic story.
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