Reese's Book Club x Hello Sunshine discussion

What did you think? What questions do you still have?

Just finished this book last night and it just giving me more and more to read! I absolutely loved it, and can’t wait for “When we left Cuba!!!”

The book was amazing!! I couldn’t put it down. After every chapter I wanted more and more!! Amazing work.

I'm not that far in, but I'm immediately thinking of Julia Alvarez's book, In the Time of the Butterflies. Some similarities, and huge differences, but both books about sisters and how their lives are affected by dictatorships (especially now that I know her next book is about Beatriz!).

I grew up in Miami in the shadow of Castro, so this book really hits home. I'm so excited to keep reading.

I really loved this book- the plot was addicting and I liked the characters. I thought it provided a good insight on what it means to be Cuban and how the revolution impacted generations, both in Cuba and places like Miami where people fled to. I wonder if someone of Cuban descent would agree?

That being said, I wasn't a huge fan of how the relationship worked out between Marisol and Luis. To me it didn't feel as believable as the other relationships between friends, sisters, family, lovers, etc. I still loved the book though, and can't wait for the next one!

This book is really good hard to put down I listening to the audiobook version of it but really want to buy the book at some point it that good.

I LOVED this book. I have an 8 month old, so sleep is precious BUT I was so engrossed in the story that I gave up sleep to read this book. I finished it in 4 days...nights that is! :-) I’m looking forward to the author’s next book.

This book was FANTASTIC! I choose this book for BookClub and everyone that read it loved it. The night of bookclub we talked about the story, but also we had great discussions about the politics of Cuba then and now. I appreciate the authors information that gives a bit of insight into a place so close but not often written about. I can't wait for Ms. Cleeton's next book in the spring!

Just finished this next year in Havana on audiobook book a couple of days ago and I absolutely loved it I could not put it down. The author did an amazing job with the characters.

Just finished Next Year In Havana. Truly enjoyed it. A great summer read and looking forward to the next novel, When We Left Cuba, due out next spring!

I really enjoyed Next Year in Havana.

Still in the middle of reading it, I only have about 2.5 chapters left in my audiobook, but this book is amazing. I generally don't fall for contemporary adult fiction but this one pulled me in and broke my heart in all of the best ways. I love the dual narrators and parallel time lines which blur the lines between contemporary and historical fiction. The audiobook narrators are amazing and I can't wait to get my hands on When We Left Cuba next year!!

I’m a first generation Cuban American on my mothers side and I really enjoyed the in depth history in this book. I just finished last night. It was like stepping into my abuelo and abuelas stories and I can’t thank the author enough for writing something that will likely resonate with so many.

I've just joined the book club and will be starting this one today! Looking forward to it!!

It’s captivating so far (only past first couple chapters). The descriptions are perfectly well done. This really makes me want to pack my bags and head to Cuba, especially to experience Havana. I also like how well the author flips back and forth between Elisa and Marisol; really developing their individual characters. Does anyone have a favorite character? I’m learning towards Marisol.

This was a wonderful book. My go to genres are Scifi and Fantasy, so I decided to start reading the Hello Sunshine books in the hope of finding intelligently written stories to round out my reading.

I ended up pulling in a group of females from a former IRL book club. This group is made up of smart ladies who are now geographically spread around the country whose tastes are as diverse as their locales. So far, everyone who has finished has agreed that this was a wonderfully captivating book.

I hope the remaining Hello Sunshine reads are equally as wonderful.

While I loved 90% of the book, there were moments where I felt Cleeton was too heavy handed. Here’s my review:
Check out Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

Don’t hate me but I had a really hard time with this book for some reason. Maybe it was the audiobook but I just couldn’t get into it. I think I’ll try it as a physical book some time and see if I like it better.

Loved this book. So much history and a great way to learn about Cuba. I even went and googled some of the info to learn more about the history. Will definitely be reading the next one.

Absolutely loved this book! Five stars from me. Love historical fiction, and will definitely be reading the sequel.

Absolutely loved this book, i couldn't read it fast enough! This book had everything for me - romance, intrigue, character development, history. I read the prequel too, which was just a good. This is one of y favorite Reese Witherspoon book club picks - she never dissapoints!

I just finished this one and honestly wasn't too impressed with it. I'm not sure if it was the audiobook vs physical book, but I just felt like each romance was too quick to being "madly in love"

Loved this book! I listened to the audio book. Loved the details about the beauty of the country and learned alot about Castro's Cuba and how he came to power. And the plot sucks you in pretty quickly.

I started this book at the beginning of covid, then fell into a funk and didn't feel like reading much. I liked what little I'd read so far.