Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton Review

WARNING: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS BELOW

“Havana is like a woman who was grand once and has fallen on hard times, and yet hints of her former brilliance remain, traces of an era since passed, a photograph faded by time and circumstance, its edges crumbling to dust.”- Next Year in Havana, Chanel Cleeton

After the death of her beloved grandmother, a Cuban-American woman travels to Havana, where she discovers the roots of her identity--and unearths a family secret hidden since the revolution...

Havana, 1958. The daughter of a sugar baron, nineteen-year-old Elisa Perez is part of Cuba's high society, where she is largely sheltered from the country's growing political unrest--until she embarks on a clandestine affair with a passionate revolutionary...

Miami, 2017. Freelance writer Marisol Ferrera grew up hearing romantic stories of Cuba from her late grandmother Elisa, who was forced to flee with her family during the revolution. Elisa's last wish was for Marisol to scatter her ashes in the country of her birth. 

Arriving in Havana, Marisol comes face-to-face with the contrast of Cuba's tropical, timeless beauty and its perilous political climate. When more family history comes to light and Marisol finds herself attracted to a man with secrets of his own, she'll need the lessons of her grandmother's past to help her understand the true meaning of courage.

I wanted to read Next Year in Havana because it was about something I know very little about- the political history of Cuba. I mean, sure, I'm familiar with the story of Cuban refugees in America, but most of what I know about Cuba begins in the 50s, as a glamorous movie star location (and Ricky Ricardo), and ends in the 60s, with the missile crisis and the Bay of Pigs, although my American history classes have touched upon the Spanish American War. I also always liked the stories of people who flee their home country and have to make do in a foreign place. 

I was, however, less enthused by the fact that it was a dual perspective, with one taking place in the past and the other in the present. I was also not crazy about a romance with a revolutionary involved. But sometimes, you just gotta gamble. 

And I am happy I took that gamble. Because Chanel Cleeton's writing style is just lovely. If she doesn't have a pedigree in travel writing, I will be surprised. The way she describes the food and the Havana setting is just divine. I felt like I was there. Especially the food. God, the next time I'm in the City I should find a Cuban place instead of the usual Irish pubs I frequent. Really, you can't go wrong with any type of Latin cuisine. 

I think Cleeton was smart with Next Year in Havana, and chose a story that would play to her strengths as a writer. This isn't really a serious story, it's definitely a fluffy women's historical fiction with some edge. The travel and historical bits are great- I especially liked the descriptions of the pretty dresses- and I suppose the romance parts were fine too and probably did it for someone. I dislike romance fairly intensely, and I hate revolutionary type characters. Moody, judgmental, tortured rebels... why do writers like these types so much? They're my least favorite type of love interest.

I mean, the story was on the predictable side, with me guessing everything that happened before it actually happened in the book. I personally didn't have a problem with it, because it was fluffy, and it was fun to read and I wasn't looking for fine literature so that helped.

I recommend Next Year in Havana for a good women's historical fiction novel, especially if you like a bit of fluff. In fact, I wonder what her publisher was thinking by giving her a February publication date, since this is a beach read if there ever was one.

8 out of 10