Spotlight on: The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes by Chanel Cleeton

From the Publisher:

About the book:

Description

“This captivating story is an ode to book lovers!”—Woman’s World

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.

How it starts:

Margo

London

2024

She was late.

Not late by normal standards-when Margo Reynolds glanced at the secondhand Cartier watch on her wrist, she was relieved to see that she had five minutes before her appointment-but late by her standards. Even when she accounted for the unpredictable London commute in her calculations-Would the Tube be delayed? Would the sidewalks be filled with tourists gawking at the sights? Would her heel get caught in one of the street grates requiring a dash into Harrods to purchase a replacement pump?-she hadn’t considered the fact that all three of those things would happen. So despite the cold, damp December day, she was now sweating beneath her coat collar, her legs transitioning to that stride somewhere between a purposeful walk and a full-out run as she fairly propelled herself to her meeting by sheer force of will.

Something wet fell on her head.

Margo looked away from the street in front of her for a moment to gaze skyward, praying that she was wrong, that they weren’t headed into the first snow of the season.

That five minutes was feeling more and more tenuous now.

Another wet drop of snow-if it could even be called that, considering the watery mixture-hit her square in the face.

She should have called a car.

“Is it snowing?” a woman exclaimed.

Margo winced at the delighted shriek beside her, at the way the word “snowing” seemed to travel through the crowd with the same unbridled glee as a celebrity sighting in front of a double.

The author:

Chanel Cleeton is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick Next Year in Havana, When We Left Cuba, The Last Train to Key West, and The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba. Originally from Florida, Chanel grew up on stories of her family’s exodus from Cuba following the events of the Cuban Revolution. Her passion for politics and history continued during her years spent studying in England where she earned a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Richmond, The American International University in London and a master’s degree in Global Politics from the London School of Economics & Political Science. Chanel also received her Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law. 

Learn more about her on her website at http://www.chanelcleeton.com.

Editorial Reviews 

Review

“This captivating story is an ode to book lovers!”—Woman’s World

“The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes reminds us that books and stories have always been and will always be a shining light in our lives…. There is the perfect blend of drama, intrigue and passion to make it a novel that will appeal to book lovers everywhere.” —Natasha Lester, New York Timesbestselling author of The Paris Orphan

“A moving tribute to the power and comfort of books, this is a must read for book lovers.” —Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Booklover’s Library

“The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes has everything I love: suspense, adventure, heart, and gutsy heroines.” —Alka Joshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Henna Artist

My thoughts:

I feel like I may be in the minority as I had never before read a novel by this author. That will change now.

Here is an engaging triple timeline story about a book, one of my favorite literary sub genres. I enjoyed spending time in London, Havana and Boston with the three main characters as their connections with the book unfolded.

Those who enjoy women‘s fiction will want to pick this one up.

Many thanks to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

Pub date: 30 September 2025