During the Depression era in America, those who could afford it often went on cruises, some to Cuba, and because the boats were in open water there was no such thing as prohibition so drinking and dancing and gambling went on all hours of the day. And not everyone went on board with their married partner. Some people were decidedly dodgy and others dodged paying and were smuggled into empty rooms.

This is what happened on the SS Morro Castle. Of the ship it is a true story, of the characters not so much. On the ship's return to America, the captain died and the ship caught on fire and sunk. Some people survived but many didn't. What better frame do you need for a story where everyone is trapped on board until the ship puts into port.

We have an actress pretending to be an heiress engaged to a very wealthy man and an heiress pretending to be a cleaner on the ship and wanting to go unnoticed. To add to the plot we have Harry who is a con artist and a thief and Julio who smuggles guns and people from Cuba to America. What could possibly go wrong?

There is a bit of everything in this book: historical fiction, romance, mystery and a teeny tiny bit of thriller all of which makes it very readable. The mix-up of characters and the reveal happens very slowly and is not entirely predictable. The romance is, but the other elements less so. The two female characters are portrayed well, we get enough information about them to think we know what they are doing but of course, we don't.

So how do you pretend to be an heiress?

In the evenings, I would read late into the night - books from the library that my employer's wife was kind enought to let me borrow - and those stories took me everywhere. I traveled back in time and to the future, across oceans and over mountains. I lived countless adventures in those books, and with each one I taught myself something about the world to be filed away for later use.
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Who couldn't love a book that explains what books do for people? We may not all use it to con others but books are really useful.

A fun read. ( )

This novel is centered around two women and their relationship to a questionable man, all while trapped on a 1930s cruise ship. Catherine grew up poor, but she's pretending to be a wealthy heiress in order to marry Raymond, a wealthy man who already has had a wife disappear under suspicious circumstances. Elena is the wife Raymond believes to be dead, but not only did she survive his murderous intentions, she's determined to have her vengeance. As the voyage unfolds and more is revealed about the characters, the tension builds to a tragic twist. A quick and compelling read that's perfect for fans of historical fiction. ( )

Well, this was exciting! I have enjoyed all of the books that Chanel Cleeton has written featuring women of Cuban heritage. This book had a bit of a different feel taking place on a cruise ship with enough excitement to qualify as a thriller. Catherine and Elena were both great characters and I loved that there were some pretty big surprises worked into the story. This was a fast-paced story that I found impossible to set aside once I started reading.

Catherine is accompanying her fiance and his young daughter on a round-trip cruise on the SS Morro Castle. Catherine isn’t the heiress that her future husband believes her to be and it isn’t long before she realizes her life is at risk. She ends up teaming up with Harry, a jewel thief, to discover who is behind the attempts on her life. Elena is aboard the same ship. Everyone believes her to be dead and she is determined to make her plan work.

I really enjoyed seeing these stories come together and I loved that there was plenty of excitement along the way. I loved the fact that there was enough romance worked around the action to keep things very interesting. I am always looking for a book that is able to surprise me and I am happy to report that some of the twists in this story did exactly that.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that the narrators did a phenomenal job with the story. I thought that Frankie Corzo and Rachel L. Jacobs both did a great job of bringing this story to life. Their voices complimented each other very nicely and I thought that they did a great job of adding just the right amount of emotion to the story. I am certain that their narration added to my enjoyment of this novel.

I would definitely recommend this book to others. This was an exciting story filled with great characters and just the right amount of romance. I cannot wait to read more of this talented author’s work.

I received a review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group and Penguin Random House Audio. ( )

Two women with plans and two women who are not portraying who they really are as they board the infamous SS Morro Castle.

Catherine Dohan and Elena Palacio board the ship pretending they are someone they really aren’t.

They both come aboard anticipating a break from their lives and completing their plans, but their plans change.

Catherine meets a jewel thief, and Elena knows the man who wronged her is on the ship - how will she keep him from seeing her?

Will Elena be able to stay hidden? Will she get her revenge?

Will Catherine be able to carry on her pretense?

Are any of the characters presenting themselves as the person they really are?

THE CUBAN HEIRESS has a great setting, a few surprises, and unsavory characters that make the book one you won’t want to put down.

Historical fiction fans, women’s fiction fans, and fans of books set on a ship that may historically be unknown to the reader will enjoy this book.

It truly is one you won’t want to miss!!

It is REALLY that good!! ENJOY!! 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher for an honest review. ( )