Book Review: When We Left Cuba

I kind of want this dress on the cover of the book! 

 When We Left Cuba by Chanel Cleeton was another recommendation from a friend. It was written by an author whose family escaped Cuba and it was a Reese Witherspoon book club pick, so I had high hopes!

The book focuses on Beatriz Perez, an adult daughter in a family that escaped Cuba during the rise of Castro. Though they'd been very wealthy in Cuba, and continued to travel in the upper echelon of social circles in Florida, they were in financial trouble. However, Beatriz's goals are not to marry rich like her sisters, no, she wants revenge on Castro for the murder of her brother. When she meets a handsome up-and-coming politician, she wonders if revenge is the right route. However, when she is approached by the CIA about going undercover to take down Castro, she's tempted to go on the war path. 

This book has such an interesting premise. A woman cold war era spy, a little romance, I was sold. I didn't know much about Cuban history aside from the very big picture events, so it was interesting to see it from a Cuban/Cuban-American perspective and learn more. 

However, Beatriz kept making decisions that drove me insane. There was not enough spy craft, and when that plot line wrapped up, I was livid. She didn't have enough agency for me. Her male romantic lead was also so forgettable that I can't remember his name, nor find his name easily in reviews or even the blub on Amazon. He's off-brand JFK from Florida, basically. To me, he wasn't worth her time.

This book is for you if you want to learn about the Cuban revolution (but not in a dates and names and places kind of way), if you want a romance with a touch of spying, or if you enjoyed Chanel Cleeton's other books, which have crossover characters with this one. It's not for you if you're looking for a spy thriller, if you're looking for a book about being in the Cuban revolution (that's all in the past in this book), or if you're looking for a more traditional romance plot. 


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Have you read When We Left Cuba? What about Chanel Cleeton's other books? Are there other cold war spy novels about women you recommend? Let's discuss in the comments!