Our Last Days in Barcelona by Chanel Cleeton

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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.

Source: NetGalley; advance copy provided by Berkley in exchange for an honest review

What can I say about Chanel Cleeton's Perez Sisters series that hasn't been said already? These books have absolutely captivated me, swept me away and taught me so much history as well. Our Last Days in Barcelona is gorgeous, a little suspenseful and delivers on the happily ever after.

I adore the dual timeline format that Cleeton adopted for these books, even more so as I'm so keen to see how all the dots connect. This time we also get a glimpse of the matriarch of the Perez family, Alicia, and I was surprised by the less than perfect start to her marriage. It's this mystery that ties into Beatriz's disappearance that has Isabel worried, flying from Florida to Barcelona to locate her whereabouts. While on this mission, she learns other family secrets that unsettle her.

Our Last Days in Barcelona highlights the strained, complex relationship Cuba has with Spain. With Alicia's timeline set in the late 1930's, there's a heightened sense of trepidation in Spain with the threat of pending civil war. I know that Spain's political history is complicated, but Cleeton keeps the focus zeroed in on this specific moment and the terrifying impact it was having on its citizens. 

I so appreciate this series for all that it has introduced me to Cuba's rich multi-cultural heritage and the turbulent decades that these books have spanned. The Perez family with all of their ups and downs and uncertainties, have become real to me and I feel grateful for being included on this journey.

~ Bel

Southern Seducer (North Carolina Highlands #1) by Jessica Peterson

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I’ve done a lot of stupid stuff in my life. But sleeping with my best friend tops the list.

Annabel and I have been close since college. When I left school to play pro football, she was there. While I collected Super Bowl rings and cars worth more than the house I grew up in—she was there.

I always assumed we’d end up together. Everyone did.

But by the time I retired from football, Bel was married. I thought I’d missed my shot at love.

So I buried myself in my new job as CEO of Blue Mountain Farm, a five-star resort my family and I built in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. It seems like a good place to be alone with the secret I have to keep from her.

Now Bel is a divorced single mom, struggling to raise her daughter on her own—and it’s my turn to be there for her.

So I invite her and the baby up to the resort for some much needed R&R.

Then, in a moment of bonfire-and-bourbon induced weakness, I kiss her.

And the fallout could ruin everything. 

SOUTHERN SEDUCER is a full length, standalone novel. It is the first book in the all new North Carolina Highland series.

Source: ARC provided in exchange for an honest review 

 

I was super excited about reading this latest book from Jessica Peterson because I knew she was doing something a little different. Taking inspiration from real life, Peterson introduces us to Annabel, a new single mother who has been recently diagnosed with Postpartum Depression. On hearing this, her best friend Beau invites her, her baby Maisie and her mom, up to his family's resort for some much-deserved R&R. He does have ulterior motives, too. Beay's always been in love with Bel, as he affectionately calls her, and wants to be there for her in her time of need. He also has to come clean to her about something that he's going through. 

Before going further, let it be known that there's a lot of baby stuff. A LOT. Peterson does not hold back on all the craziness that happens in the first few months after having a baby, covering it all from the physical to the emotional. More impressively, she allows herself to be vulnerable here and I can't commend her enough for it. Another thing that's done exceptionally well is how Bel rediscovers her own sexuality with Beau. Any woman who's given birth will tell you that it's hard to feel whole again, much less sexy after the traumatic experience of childbirth. Bel has to rediscover this new version of herself and appreciate everything that has brought her to this moment. 

Beau is right there, encouraging and loving as always so see her through it, though he's also suffering emotionally and physically. Revealing his secret to Bel is one of the scariest things he has to do. They've been each other's rock for the past several years but Beau's condition might put an expiration date on their relationship. It seems too selfish to dump on Bel at this point in time but he can't not include her in one of the most important changes of his life.
  

Southern Seducer is more than I could've wanted. On a personal level it stirred up lots of memories through Peterson's honest and unfiltered shared experience. She gives voice to so many things that I couldn't articulate back then and it means something to see those words describe how I felt then. Even though I'm years removed from that stage in my life, there's still meaning and comfort in being recognized and finding solidarity with other moms. It's also incredibly touching and sincere about pivotal moments in these two friends' lives. It's about being present when needed, finding shelter and comfort in the chaos, and admitting that one needs help to weather the storm. Southern Seducer is a stunner and the romance is typical Jessica Peterson with the more intimate moments being sensational and hot. It's an exciting start to a new series and I am ready for more!

~ Bel 

✴ AUTHOR INTERVIEW ✴ 

I was inspired to reach out to Jessica Peterson after reading Southern Seducer and I'm so thankful that she was able to spare some time to share her thoughts on Bel and Beau. 

You had a baby recently so it’s not surprising that motherhood would feature heavily in Southern Seducer with Annabel being a new mom struggling to find her way through it. It’s astonishingly frank about motherhood. What was it like to put your feelings to paper? 

  

Oh, my, what a great question. It was very cathartic to write Annabel's story! In the early days of motherhood, I wasn't really ready to talk about Postpartum Depression because I was just so in it, you know? I was exhausted, overwhelmed, and not sure how I'd make it out on the other side. So while I couldn't talk about it, I could write about it. Which was in many ways the best kind of therapy. Now that I'm kinda-sorta feeling like myself again, I'm able to come out and share my story. But in many ways, this book saved me during those first nine months of my daughter's life. 

  

Something I like that you did is show that Bel didn’t completely lose her sexuality after having a child but she had to rediscover herself. How fun was it to give her back her agency? 

  

Another great question! Love that you picked up on how much this book is about Bel getting her groove back in lots of ways. It was important to me to show that Bel was still a person, still a woman with "brains and red blood" as she says, after she had a baby. I feel like our society/culture has a tendency to erase mothers as human beings. We're supposed to roll our dreams and desires into our kids. I wanted to reverse that, and show how Annabel is still very much herself, and still very much dedicated to what she wants, and what she needs. Rediscovering herself sexually was part and parcel of that. 

  

You tackle another major issue through Beau’s storyline that in a way parallels Bel’s struggles as well. How did either storyline inform the other for you?  

  

You know, I've wanted to write an ex-NFL hero for a while. When Annabel's storyline came on STRONG after I had my daughter, I started to realize how well Beau's journey would mirror hers. They're both going through some heavy shit, and while I know that makes the book intense in many ways, it also felt real and fresh and emotional. They could relate to each other in a way they never could before, adding a whole new dimension to their decades long friendship. It also gives us a great "why" - why they fall in love after all these years of never crossing that line. 

  

Without giving anything away, what’s your favorite moment in Southern Seducer? 

  

Ooooh girl you know I love me a good kissing scene. So my favorite moment is probably the first time Bel and Beau kiss at the bonfire. It's angsty and hot and poignant, and I loved writing it. In fact, it was the first scene that came to me when I started brainstorming this book. Love it! 

  

Thanks for having me, and happy reading, y'all! 

Connect with Jessica Peterson

Source: Goodreads

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The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton

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In 1935 three women are forever changed when one of the most powerful hurricanes in history barrels toward the Florida Keys in New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton's captivating new novel.

Everyone journeys to Key West searching for something. For the tourists traveling on Henry Flagler's legendary Overseas Railroad, Labor Day weekend is an opportunity to forget the economic depression gripping the nation. But one person's paradise can be another's prison, and Key West-native Helen Berner yearns to escape.

The Cuban Revolution of 1933 left Mirta Perez's family in a precarious position. After an arranged wedding in Havana, Mirta arrives in the Keys on her honeymoon. While she can't deny the growing attraction to the stranger she's married, her new husband's illicit business interests may threaten not only her relationship, but her life.

Elizabeth Preston's trip from New York to Key West is a chance to save her once-wealthy family from their troubles as a result of the Wall Street crash. Her quest takes her to the camps occupied by veterans of the Great War and pairs her with an unlikely ally on a treacherous hunt of his own.

Over the course of the holiday weekend, the women's paths cross unexpectedly, and the danger swirling around them is matched only by the terrifying force of the deadly storm threatening the Keys.

Source: advanced copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review


In her latest historical fiction, Chanel Cleeton combines suspense and Mother Nature to weave a fascinating tale of three women from different backgrounds who briefly cross paths. Helen, is a local and an expectant mother who's trapped in an abusive marriage. Mirta is in Key West on her honeymoon. It's the young Cuban's first experience of America with a new husband she barely knows. Then there's Elizabeth, a young debutante who's family has fallen from grace, engaged to be married but running off to find a long lost someone who could change her fortune. These women only interact once before the hurricane arrives but that is enough to set things in motion. It's not that them meeting initiates anything; it's more the intriguing connections that unbeknownst to them tie them together.  

On first encounter, all three women appear to be either helpless, demure or trouble. I did feel sorry for Helen's situation but she soon showed me why that was misguided. I'm not sure if she knew she was strong all along or just finally had enough of her husband's abuse but she was a force to be reckoned with. Mirta is all class and naiveté when she first arrives. Her husband's dubious connections makes her wonder what line of work he's into but she isn't afraid to ask questions and he's so gentle with her. If anything, I was quite fascinated by their relationship, finding their storyline incredibly sensual. With the story told from three POVs I honestly couldn't wait to get back to Mirta everytime. Elizabeth is the kind of girl you want your daughters to be - full of confidence (even faking it when in doubt), gutsy and unrelenting when she wants something. All three of them show the power of resilience and fortitude. The impending Labor Day hurricane proves to be a catalyst that brings their own true natures out. 

I've made no secret of my love of Cleeton's work. Her beautiful storytelling continues to bring wonderment and I enjoy learning about new historical details. I looked up pictures of Key West, the railroad and the different landmarks mentioned which enriched my reading experience. Cleeton also brings to light the plight of soldiers who returned from WWI and who were living in less than stellar conditions at settlements in Key West. While she doesn't go in depth into those veteran camps, learning of them led me to do my own research. Add to that the Depression that had taken hold of the country, this is an America that's going through the most uncertain and difficult of times. Cleeton doesn't romanticize this period but it's with this backdrop that Helen, Mirta and Elizabeth miraculously find love and strength during the most dire of circumstances and come through stronger, bursting with renewed hope. The Last Train to Key West is riveting to the very last page!

~ Bel

Grown Up Pose Blog Tour

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A delightfully modern look at what happens for a young woman when tradition, dating, and independence collide, from acclaimed author Sonya Lalli.

Adulting shouldn’t be this hard. Especially in your thirties. Having been pressured by her tight-knit community to get married at a young age to her first serious boyfriend, Anu Desai is now on her own again and feels like she is starting from the beginning.

But Anu doesn’t have time to start over. Telling her parents that she was separating from her husband was the hardest thing she’s ever done—and she’s still dealing with the fallout. She has her young daughter to support and when she invests all of her savings into running her own yoga studio, the feelings of irresponsibility send Anu reeling. She’ll be forced to look inside herself to learn what she truly wants.


Source: advance e-galley provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review


Anu questioning her life and what has become of it is nothing out of the ordinary. I think many of us do that at some point when we finally have a moment to look around and take stock of things. For Anu it was realizing that everything she had built thus far was because it was expected of her, simply doing things to make her parents happy. She felt stifled in her marriage and got to a point where she didn't know who she was. Separating from her husband and making space for herself was the first step in whatever journey she was about to embark on. Except now months later she's still drifting because she hasn't yet found the answers.

A chance meeting outside of a yoga studio initiates a change. Making a new friend and then stumbling upon the opportunity to run her own yoga studio might come from left field but it also makes some sense as she's always loved yoga and this could be a way for her to create something of her own. She makes an impulsive decision which immediately sets her anxiety loose. Being that she's still kind of a mess emotionally, it takes a few starts and stops before she finds her footing.

I think Sonya Lalli has a knack for writing characters who are at difficult crossroads in their lives. Grown-Up Pose has echoes of her first novel, The Matchmaker's List. In both cases, she’s not afraid for her protagonists to be flawed, flounder or fail because after much soul-searching they’ll eventually pick themselves up. Grown-Up Pose spoke to me on so many levels and I enjoyed going along on Anu’s journey. Anu got so lost in the routines and going through the motions that she lost sight of the good things she had. She needed to sort of lose all that before she could fully appreciate the choices she'd made. 

Grown-Up Pose is a very grown up book about the difficulty of adulting and responsibility. It's not all dower, though because it's also about making space to create good things in your life. We're always growing and evolving, and as Anu discovers for herself, having the right people beside you make all the difference in the world.

~ Bel