The Cuban Daughter - Soraya Lane

After the Italian Daughter, I am hooked on this series.  The Cuban Daughter does not disappoint - another great read, this time with a trip to Cuba from your couch.  So interesting to read about Cuba in the early 50's.  Dual timeline and across countries, this series does not need to read in order - the link is explained in each.   Sara

Havana, 1950. As the beautiful daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Cuba, Esmeralda knows the importance of marrying well. But when her father takes her on a business trip to London, she falls in love with a young merchant named Christopher.

When Christopher visits her father's sugar farm, Esmeralda knows that they must keep their love affair hidden at all costs. Then the country falls into revolution and Esmeralda is faced with an impossible choice.

London, present day. Claudia is rebuilding her life. But when her mother asks for to trace her grandmother's history, her curiosity is piqued. Her only clue is the Diaz family crest, once one of the wealthiest dynasties in Cuba. Impulsively Claudia books a ticket to Havana, to uncover her family's true story.

Arriving in the vibrant city she meets Mateo, a chef who loves nothing more than to cook his family's recipes. As they grow closer, Mateo reveals that his grandfather once worked for the Diaz family. He, too, wants to uncover what happened.

But the Diaz family home is abandoned, as if preserved in time. Soon they uncover a heartbreaking story of a family who were forced to leave everything they had ever known. Will this story of sacrifice convince Claudia to leave behind her home and follow her heart to Cuba - and to Mateo?

An utterly gripping and heart-wrenching novel about family secrets, lost loves and new beginnings.

The second novel in a sweeping eight-novel romance series that can be read as a standalone novel; each book is dual timeline, following the journey of a different strong female lead, and featuring an emotional, aspirational setting

Paperback