What Drew Me to The Cuban Heiress
A couple years back, I read some Chanel Cleeton novels and enjoyed the peek into Cuban culture. I liked the atmosphere and style of her books, even if I didn’t find them the most thought-provoking or engrossing. The Cuban Heiress, one of her most recent novels, remains consistent with her writing style and themes; and therefore, I had a fairly similar reaction to it as I did her previous work.
Spoiler-Free Plot Summary
The Cuban Heiress occurs on board the fateful SS Morro Castle, an ocean liner that caught fire and ran aground in 1934 off the coast of New Jersey. With that and the mysterious death of the Morro Castle’s captain as the backdrop, we are introduced to two young women, Elena and Catherine, whose pasts are intertwined as they attempt to look forward to their futures.
What I Liked About This Historical Fiction Novel:
Dual POVs
The novel alternates perspectives between Elena and Catherine and occasionally flashes back in time during Elena’s chapters. This is not typically my preference, but I did enjoy it here.
Straightforward Writing Style
The writing style is fairly direct, easy-to-read and comprehend, while still being immersive and, as a whole, well-done. The dialogue is natural, and the plot flowed smoothly.
What I Didn’t Love about The Cuban Heiress
- Rushed Pacing: The plot escalated very quickly and moved too efficiently in some cases. The entire story takes place onboard during the Morro Castle’s last voyage, and it felt squeezed to fit into this time frame.
- Little Time for Character Development: I didn’t feel like there was enough time to really get to know any of the characters because the plot was speeding along. It was a quick read, but it lost impact for me because I didn’t have the opportunity to bond to any of the characters.
- Unexpected Heavy Themes: There’s some pretty intense, mysterious, and generally heavy stuff occurring with Elena and Catherine (a direction I didn’t expect when I started the novel!), but I didn’t care enough about the characters to feel the weight of that, so it missed the mark for me.
- Out-of-Place Romance: The romance between Henry and Elena, while fun and flirty, felt out of place in the overall narrative.
- Unnecessary Side Characters: They drifted in with the illusion of being critical to the story but then never really played a part.
Other Chanel Cleeton Books To Consider:
Want to explore more of Chanel Cleeton’s work? Check out these books!
- The Last Train to Key West (2020)
- The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba (2021)
Final Thoughts
I really liked the premise of the book; I liked the protagonists; and I like Cleeton’s style. I personally think this novel could’ve done better with another 100 pages in order to feel less crammed. Even the sinking of the Morro Castle barely took a chapter, and I think that would have been super interesting to sit on for a while. It’s worth a read if you’re looking for a relatively short, good read; but it’s not the most memorable.
Content Rating: Mild
for some subject matter and mentions of abuse
Copyright Chanel Cleeton and Berkley. Image from Amazon.