Too much inner monologue, navel gazing and “woe is me” for my taste. Needed better editing. ( )

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 . ( )

At an individual character level, The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba by Chanel Cleeton is the story of strong women, of how their lives intersect, and of what comes after. On a broader scale, this is historical fiction about Cuba and about the New York Gilded Age. On a philosophical level, this story is a conversation about journalism. At every level, the book keeps me turning pages until the very end and then, beyond the end, as I research the history to see what happened next.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2022/05/the-most-beautiful-girl-in-cuba.html

Reviewed for NetGalley. ( )

I loved this book because 1) I learned an immense amount about Cuba’s history, 2) the depiction of multiple strong women, & 3) the war battled between newspaper magnates, because I’m still a newspaper junkie from my youngest days. The writing sometimes ventured on the simplistic (how many times can Hearst’s eye “gleam”?), & it was slow and confusing at first. But I still loved it. It fits multiple genres: historical fiction of course, but also I t’s a thriller and a romance, which was nicely done. I appreciated the author’s explanation at the end about the very real, unbelievable, and sometimes mesmerizing events described in the book. It was indeed the Gilded Age. Highly recommended. ( )

I enjoyed Chanel Cleeton's newest historical novel. The Most Beautiful Girl In Cuba is set in the 1890's and the time period is significant. It is the Gilded Age in New York City where "society" lives extravagantly while the poor suffer. "Yellow Journalism" is present with over the top news stories, particularly by Hearst's New York Journal. Cuba is controlled by Spain while many Cubans live in poverty fighting for independence.

I was mostly unaware of details of the United States' involvement in Cuba and didn't really know what the significance of "The Maine" was or which war it referenced. One Cuban woman, Evangelina, is real as is her involvement with the Journal. She serves as a significant plot device in this novel. ( )