The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes

I have read some of the other Chanel Cleeton books, and this is just as good as the others. It takes place in 3 time periods and concerns a book written by one of the main characters in 1900. In the present day, only one copy remains, and more than one person wants it. There are a lot of plot twists and unexpected events that keep you guessing as to what will happen next. It is a quick read, a page-turner, and I enjoyed it.

This is likely the 6th or 7th book I’ve read by Chanel Cleeton that has ties to Cuba, all fascinating and so different. I love how she tells the story of 3 women in 3 different eras who inevitably converge about a book. Within the story Cleeton gives the reader a sense of Cuban history. Her stories are always fascinating!

I have read most of Chanel Cleeton’s books and this one is the most interesting. It’s truly a mystery book with twists and turns which makes it so unique compared to her prior books. I like all the characters and especially Margo and Luke. It’s a great little story and a wonderful distraction from the routines of our lives. The settings in Cuba, London, Harvard University, are good backdrops for the stories.

Read all of Ms. Cleeton's books. This was my absolutely favorite, it spoke to me like none other.Highly recommend. Couldn't put it down. Hope author keeps writing so we could enjoy.Looking forward to her next book.

"Books have that strangest quality, that being of the frailest and tenderest matter, they outlast brass, iron, and marble." - William DrummondThree women...three stories...and a book they'd do ANYTHING to protect...In 2024, our present day timeline, Margot Reynolds has been given the arduous task of procuring a very special book, and one that is more than a CENTURY old. Not only is it the ONLY copy of the book and therefore an EXCEPTIONALLY rare tome, but this book might be worth killing - or dying - for...at least, to her competition, anyway. She learns that her client is not the only one willing to take this sort of life-altering risk...but does she have the resources, the fortitude, and the spirit to outmaneuver her new foe? When she is forced to work alongside a former flame in order to have a chance of success, can she keep her feelings and her fear in check long enough to complete her objective?Back in 1966 Havana, Pilar the librarian is struggling to keep everything together in her own right. Amidst Castro's regime, nobody - and nothing they own - is safe. Pilar is praying for the release of her husband, who has been wrongfully imprisoned, and each day feels like a year without him by her side. But as they often do, books have provided her solace and given her purpose - and when a certain SPECIAL (and invaluable) book crosses her path, she has an even bigger decision to make...one that could mean life or death by Castro and his army's hands. But just HOW MUCH is she willing to sacrifice to get a chance of reconciliation with her love?And in 1900, aspiring author Eva Fuentes jumps at the chance to visit the United States and leave her native Cuba as part of a cultural exchange program. What she doesn't expect when arriving at Harvard to teach is to meet a man that will change her perspectives - and possibly her work in progress - forever. But what will come of their lives, her love, and most importantly...will she reveal one of her BIGGEST secrets on the page...and present it as fiction?A multi-timeline historical fiction story is always a bit of a gamble...and in my experience, it tends to be a miss more often than a hit. Not only does the reader need to keep a firm sense of what's happening when, but in historical fiction there's an added layer of the complexities of place and time, the possibility of discussing war or political unrest, religious persecution, or a plethora of OTHER complications that can take even a simple story and make it a bit of a headache to follow from beginning to end. Throw in the need to keep a bunch of CHARACTERS straight, and a through line becomes even more vital in making the whole enchilada not only palatable, but tasty.Well...I'm happy to say that Chanel Cleeton should probably consider hitting the tables in Vegas...because THIS gamble paid off!Linking the story of Eva Fuentes' book throughout over one HUNDRED YEARS sounds like it would be disastrous and arduous, but Cleeton made a lot of very smart decisions on the way she set up this one from the jump. We begin in the present day with a set-up akin to many mystery/thrillers I read...and this was a brilliant way to 'hook' the reader from the beginning. From here, we slowly become familiar with the iterations of the past, including the historical fiction aspects of the book that were slightly heavier. But here again I'm happy to say - they were only SLIGHTLY heavier. This book does not get bogged down by the sort of wordy exposition that makes me WISH I was reading a very dull History textbook. Instead, Cleeton hits enough of the high points and relies on the connections between her characters to hook you - and this tried and true formula absolutely WORKS!The only solid downside I could point to when it came to this read was the introduction of certain love story elements later in the book that slowed down the pace quite a bit. To be honest, this was in stark contrast to the murder mystery elements that lead off the book, and it left me feeling a bit disoriented and got me far less interested in solving the mystery, to an extent. These slower moments DID subside in the third act, though, and the conclusion of the mystery plot did feel like a satisfying and 'earned' ending. It's clear that Cleeton plotted and planned this one very carefully, and although I think there were certainly segments that could have been eliminated, short chapters helped to keep the pacing on track even when it 'lost the plot' for a bit (so to speak!)If you love books about books, this is also the book for you - Cleeton's author's note details some of her inspiration for this story, and let's face it, when one of your main characters is a librarian and another one of them is an author? It's pretty much a foregone conclusion that the text is going to read like a love letter to all things literary...and this bibliophile EAGERLY gobbled it up! (I mean, it is November after all!) And above all, it's a gentle reminder to all of us who love the wr...