Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes by Chanel Cleeton Published by Berkley on September 30, 2025
Genres: Historical Fiction
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble, Apple
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.
Back in the colorful and dramatic historical setting of Havana, Cuba of the Sixties and a new and suspenseful story hidden in the past to be discovered in the present, I was excited to pick up Chanel Cleeton’s latest and lose myself in her writing.
The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes is a triple timeline tale split with three female leads, Eva from 1900 Boston/Harvard, Pilar from 1966 Havana, and Margo in 2024 London. They are connected through time by a book Eva, a teacher in a summer cultural exchange program, writes of her life and romance. Decades later, Pilar, a dedicated librarian, worried about her imprisoned husband, is called upon by a friend to preserve Eva’s book until she can get it to her during the time of turmoil when Castro took over Cuba. Still decades later, Margo in her job for sourcing rarities is given the job of locating the single existing copy of Eva’s book. And, she soon discovers that several want it and will go to great lengths to beat Margo to it.
As I said in my opening, I was geeked because The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes has as one of its settings Cuba of the 60’s just like her Perez family books. This was not connected to those, but it still was rich in Cuban history both in Cuba where Pilar’s nail-biting situation had me worried for her in Castro’s oppressive community society. Eva is a Cuban abroad in an earlier time line and was just as engaging for a different reason to me. Her bittersweet experiences tugged the feels from me, but this allowed her to pen a book that wound resonate down through time and others, like Pilar, would find encouragement and comfort from this woman’s story. But, the present time period wasn’t lacking in tension. Margo got into a sticky situation she had no experience for, with the ruthless folks on the hunt for Eva’s book and the murder mystery that ensues, but so does romance, so there was good balance.
While the gals were well drawn and their stories developed, the star of the story is Eva’s book because it was at the center of everything and what connected it all. I was glad to see in the author’s notes after that she meant this to be. Three timelines could have been a bit much and I had my doubts before I started reading, but Chanel Cleeton strung a thread through them all that tugged them together quite neatly.
Another astounding story of women and Cuban history that engaged me thoroughly. Women’s history and historical fiction readers should definitely grab hold of The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes.
As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing.Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators.Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance.Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.
Friend or follow me at Goodreads.
- 🎧 The Lost Night by Jayne Castle #JayneCastle #RavenWildewood @tantoraudio.bsky.social #LoveAudiobooks @sophiarose1816 - August 26, 2026
- Desperate by Ruth Mitchell #RuthMitchell@sophiarose1816 #SundaySeries #KindleUnlimited - August 23, 2026
- 🎧 Obsidian Prey by Jayne Castle #JayneCastle #LauralMerlington @tantoraudio.bsky.social #LoveAudiobooks @sophiarose1816 - August 19, 2026
Fantastic review Sophia. I adore this author and her stories.
Yes! Fellow fan! I just saw her author newsletter about the next one and its got a suspense element, too. I’m loving that in her recent ones including this one.
This sounds really good! I love what I’ve read from Cleeton and this sounds like one I’d enjoy. I’m really looking forward to reading this one.
You won’t be disappointed, Katherine. This was fabulous.
That sounds really good.
She really has a gift for weaving a story. 🙂
I’ve read and loved this author’s Wild Aces series, but I couldn’t get into the first book of this series. I know so many have loved it, though. Glad it was a hit for you, Sophia!
You might like her more recent ones since they have mystery elements in them (Cuban Heiress, House on Biscayne Bay, and this one). I loved her Wild Aces, too. 🙂
It sounds very interesting. I like that one of the locales is not your typical spot.
No, that’s what drew me into her historicals with them focus on Cuba and Cuban Americans.
Oooo this reminds me a of book I read in this similar local. 😀 It sounds so good.
Love discovering commonalities that link me from one book to the next.