I did not read the first book, Next Year In Havana. But you do not need to. The first few chapters go into the background of the first book. I was not lost at all.
Since this was categorized as historical fiction, I had a different expectation for this novel and was disappointed. Mostly it’s about how Beatriz doesn’t want to be in America, and how she wants to go back to Cuba. Although she continues to constantly remember Fidel ruining her family situation and his regime killing her revolutionary brother, she just wants to go home to Cuba. That’s the most history you get about Cuba during this time period, nothing that peaks into detail just that Fidel revolutionized the country and killed her brother amongst others. It lacks the culture, language, and framework for their politics. Everything is surface level. Nothing historically interesting or new.
The dialogue is bland and impersonal, nothing very conceivable.
This is a ROMANCE:
Around pg. 100 the story seems like it’s going to start, but quickly goes back to beautiful Beatriz and her attraction to the Senator. This is the bulk of the book- the relationship between her and the handsome Senator.
It seems like the romance was just thrown into the setting of the early 1960’s in Florida. And then, all of a sudden Beatriz is part of the CIA. Most of the story-line did not seem planned or seriously thought out. Little excitement even after halfway through. Everything always went back to her love affair. 85% romance 15% random things happening to Beatriz.
Overall disappointed, 2.5 stars out of 5. This was a missed opportunity for what could have been a good novel.