Author: Chanel Cleeton
Genre: Historical Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery & Suspense
Publisher: Berkley
Book Release Date: 2025
Pages: 344
Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: A mysterious book with a legacy spanning from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present day unites three women—and their secrets—in this unforgettable novel from New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton.
London, 2024: American expat Margo Reynolds is renowned for her talent at sourcing rare antiques for her clients, but she’s never had a request quite like this one. She’s been hired to find a mysterious book published over a century ago. With a single copy left in existence, it has a storied past shrouded in secrecy—and her client isn’t the only person determined to procure it at any cost.
Havana, 1966: Librarian Pilar Castillo has devoted her life to books, and in the chaotic days following her husband’s unjust imprisonment by Fidel Castro, reading is her only source of solace. So when a neighbor fleeing Cuba asks her to return a valuable book to its rightful owner, Pilar will risk everything to protect the literary work entrusted to her care. It’s a dangerous mission that reveals to her the power of one book to change a life.
Boston, 1900: For Cuban school teacher and aspiring author Eva Fuentes, traveling from Havana to Harvard to study for the summer is the opportunity of a lifetime. It’s a whirlwind adventure that leaves her little time to write, but a moonlit encounter with an enigmatic stranger changes everything. The story that pours out of her is one of forbidden love, secrets, and lies… and though Eva cannot yet see it, the book will be a danger and salvation for the lives it touches.
My Review: The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes tells the story of a lost book affecting three women from different time periods. In 1900, Eva Fuentes was a Cuban teacher who became a summer exchange student at Harvard. During her time there, she was inspired to write her novel, A Time of Forgetting. In 1966, Pilar Castillo was given the only copy of Eva Fuentes’s book and was tasked with giving it back to the author. In 2024, Margo is tasked with finding Eva Fuentes’s lost book. However, the task proves to be deadly. Could Margo find the lost book before she becomes the next victim?
I like how Chanel Cleeton weaves three different characters into her novel. I came away from the novel getting to know the three protagonists. Each of them all struck an emotional chord with me. Eva is an aspiring author. She struggles with writer‘s block. She believes that becoming a participant at a summer exchange program will help inspire her writing. During that time, she falls in love with a mysterious man. Pilar has lost her husband to Fidel Castro’s regime. While reading Eva Fuentes’s novel, she connects with it, and the words help her heal from the loss of her husband. Margo is going through a tough divorce. However, her search for the missing book connects her with her ex-husband. Therefore, I like how all of these women have experienced both love and loss. Each of their stories were very compelling.
Overall, this book is about love, loss, and healing. I found all of the characters to be very realistic and likable. I like how the story was set in England, America, and Cuba. The story was very fast-paced! I was drawn into the novel from the very first-page, and I kept turning the pages! I did not want it to end! I especially loved the mystery aspect! I was astounded by the whodunnit! I also found The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes to be emotional, heart-wrenching, and poignant! The writing was very rich and lyrical! I recommend this book for fans of Juliet, The Stolen Queen, and The Seven Sisters! The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes is a thrilling read for lovers of both historical fiction and mysteries! Bravo!
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
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