Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

When Isabel Perez travels to Barcelona to save her sister Beatriz, she discovers a shocking family secret in New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton’s new novel.

Barcelona, 1964. Exiled from Cuba after the revolution, Isabel Perez has learned to guard her heart and protect her family at all costs. After Isabel’s sister Beatriz disappears in Barcelona, Isabel goes to Spain in search of her. Joining forces with an unlikely ally thrusts Isabel into her sister’s dangerous world of espionage, but it’s an unearthed piece of family history that transforms Isabel’s life.

Barcelona, 1936. Alicia Perez arrives in Barcelona after a difficult voyage from Cuba, her marriage in jeopardy and her young daughter Isabel in tow. Violence brews in Spain, the country on the brink of civil war, the rise of fascism threatening the world. When Cubans journey to Spain to join the International Brigades, Alicia’s past comes back to haunt her as she is unexpectedly reunited with the man who once held her heart.

Alicia and Isabel’s lives intertwine, and the past and present collide, as a mother and daughter are forced to choose between their family’s expectations and following their hearts.

Review:

Whenever I think of my family history, I try to remember that everyone of the people who came before me had hopes, dreams, loves, or heartaches, just as people today do.  And the larger events of those times likely affected each of their lives in some way.  Whether it was from war, natural disaster, or a world-wide pandemic, one can't help but be shaped by the larger events of the world.

That is why I love reading historical fiction, as it brings the events of the past to life through the stories of everyday people.  Author Chanel Cleeton has created a family saga centering on the women of the fictional Perez family that spans the centuries from Spain to Cuba to the United States.  Her books are about the compromises women are willing to make, and what happens when they decide to break free of the expectations of others.  

Her latest book, Our Last Days in Barcelona, has two storylines.  In the nineteen thirties, Alicia (the prim mother of the Perez sisters in later books) has left her husband and flees to her family in Spain to decide what to do next.   There is fierce fighting between Franco's nationalists and the republicans who want more freedom.  In the nineteen sixties, it's Alicia's daughter, Isabel, who is in Spain looking for her sister Beatriz (and also trying to figure out what to do with her own marriage).  

I loved the parallel storylines, and the themes of family obligations versus what the heart actually wants.  As always, the author does a wonderful job of layering personal stories with historical events.  This was also a very romantic book.  I appreciated that the romance was realistic, and not insta-love.   And there are some truly harrowing historical events that add much tension to the novel.  This was a page-turner!  Although the author has now written five novels based on these fascinating women, I hope that she will continue to find more stories to tell us about this family.  I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

What I Liked:

Settings:

Spain and Cuba in the nineteen thirties were both exciting places to visit, and extremely dangerous places if you didn't agree with the leaders of those places!  At the time of this story, Spain would soon be led by the fascist Francisco Franco, and Cuba would have it's own dictator, Fulgencio Batista.  There were bombings, protests, and people disappearing if they said the wrong thing.  

In the nineteen sixties the story is set in Palm Beach, Florida, amid the emerging Cuban immigrants population, and in Spain (where Franco is still in power).  In Palm Beach, the Perez family is working hard to match the prestige and the lifestyle they once had in Cuba.  In Spain, there is still an aura of danger and people are on their guard.  Beatriz works at an embassy (and also possibly for the CIA) where she finds all sorts of diplomatic troubles. 

I also appreciated that the author took the time to show how social standards dictated the lives of women in both eras.  Avoid scandal was of the upmost importance.  And women were (as always) held to a higher standard than men in regards to love and relationships.  Since women were much more dependent on men, it is important for the author to emphasize this.  If women are involved in scandals that will impact their families, they will lose their support, and protection.  And in those times, that means a life-sentence of poverty.

Characters:

What struck me about all of the women in this novel is that they all are similar, even though the stories are decades apart.  Alicia and Isabel find their marriages to be untenable.  Rosa and Beatriz each realize they let the love of their life go.  All of them feel the burdens of living up to the expectations of either their families or society.  And none of them realize that they are not alone in their struggles.  I think we can all relate to that! 

Parallel Stories:

The story in nineteen thirty-seven and the one in nineteen sixty-four are very similar.  Alicia is having doubts about her marriage and leaves for Barcelona to think about if she wants to stay in her marriage.  In the later time period, it's Alicia's daughter, Isabel, who is wondering if she can remain in her own marriage.  Both mother and daughter face the same pressures and challenges.  But if they were to sit in the same room, neither would admit it to the other!  Oh how alike mothers and daughters can be. 

We also see why Alicia, in particular, makes the choices she does.  Events happen in Spain that make Alicia see clearly what the best decision will be for her.  As I said in my introduction, historical events can influence our lives in many unforeseen ways.

What I Was Mixed About:

As much as I love this series, I really wish there was a glossary of people, or a short summary of the previous books included with each new novel.  It is a little hard to remember who everyone is in relation to everyone else.  This had me struggling to remember important details that would have made helped me understand the current story a little easier.

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  May 24th, 2022

Author:  Chanel Cleeton

Publisher:  Berkley Books

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Page Length:  320 Pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  This saga is worth starting from the beginning with the novel Next Year in Havana.  There are a lot of characters that the reader should know before reading this current novel.  But it is the story of an entire family that has so much depth and heart.  This series is a wonderful work of historical fiction and I highly recommend it.