Cassie DeNisco

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Reputation Book Review!

I am so excited to be sharing another book review with you! This one is seriously was on my want to read list for months before it even came out! We all love Bridgerton and this book gave me all those vibes! I seem to be obsessed with historical fiction since my last reviews have been just that!

This book was a quick read for me but really kept me entertained. I loved the vibe of it and it seriously was reminding me of Bridgerton meets mean girls! Here’s my Reputation book Review!

Reputation by Lex Croucher- Click Here

reputation book review

This book follows Georgina Ellers who is essentially abandoned by her parents. She’s sent to live with her aunt in this regency era and gets thrown into this world of high society. She meets Frances, the ultra high society queen bee and soon falls in with her friends.

The story follows them breaking the rules and pushing the boundaries that are set up for them during this time period. From underage drinking to sneaking out to party with boys, this book shows just how restricted teenage girls had it.

It also touches on the love lives of these girls and how they all essentially want to be married by the summer. They think that will magically solve all their problems and they can move up in society that way.

Final Thoughts

This was definitely a different book for me. I thought going in I would absolutely devour it but it wasn’t my top favorite and thought it was just a little all over the place. It definitely was a good read but the story line just wasn’t it for me.

It definitely was fun and Bridgerton/Mean Girls inspired but I guess I just had higher hopes for it than what it was. I think you definitely still should check it out yourself!

I hope you enjoyed this Reputation Book Review! Reading has been so much fun for me and I hope you’ve been inspired to read too! Be sure to subscribe here so you don’t miss another post!

Check out my other book reviews here!

The Northern Spy- Book Review!

I’ve been on a serious historical fiction kick this year! I’ve always been a big history enthusiast but I feel like I’ve just been more interested because all of the great books I’ve been reading. This month’s book is a mystery with history infused in it!

These are my favorite types of books because I love a good mystery and elements of real events only add to the story! The Northern Spy by Flynn Berry was definitely an interesting read and kept me on the edge of my seat while reading!

The Northern Spy– Shop Here

the northern spy

This book follows a woman working for a news company in Ireland. This time period is when the Catholics and Protestants were fighting so this backdrop of conspiracy and espionage adds to this story. While working one day she realizes her sister is on the news she’s currently airing robbing a business.

This begins to call into question how well she knows her sister and what her sisters true intentions are. When she’s finally able to talk to her sister, she finds out she’s basically helping to spy on this radical group. Once both sisters get tied up in this crazy world, they realize everything is not as it seems.

I found this book really interesting. Historically, I didn’t know much about this time period. It was interesting to see it from this point of view. I loved how it tested your beliefs on what you would do if your family member looked like they were working for the other side.

It also had you question the lengths you would go to protect your family. I did struggle a bit to get through certain parts because they were slow but overall this was a really good read. I highly recommend checking it out if you’re like me and in your historical fiction era.

Wrap Up

I hope you enjoyed this review! This book club has been seriously so much fun this year. Let me know if you have any book request! Also, just let me know what you’re reading! I’m always looking for a good recomendation!

Be sure to check out my other book reviews here! Subscribe here to my mailing list so you don’t miss a post!

The Christie Affair Book Review!!

As we approach the warmer months, there’s nothing better to me than a good mystery book in the sun! I was excited to get my hands on The Christie Affair after hearing about Agatha Christie’s mysterious few weeks being missing.

I love any book from Reese Witherspoon’s book club so I had very high hopes for this one. If you’re interested in purchasing this book, I have an affiliate link below which means I earn a small commission. No pressure to purchase though!

The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont- Shop Here

the christie affair

This book follows the mysterious disappearance and reappearance of Agatha Christie. This is about the true story of Agatha Christie’s car being found abandoned on the side of the road. And how she reappears days later far from it.

Christie’s marriage wasn’t the greatest. It has allegations of cheating from her husband so Nina de Gramont writes this book from the point of view of the mistress. I think it’s a very interesting take on the story and gives it a new perspective.

Christie’s disappearance was actually a way for her to try to save her marriage and get the mistress to go back to her ex boyfriend. I think the story line had a lot of potential with twists and turns but to be honest, it was hard to follow.

The story of Christie is one I already know so I was looking for more of a mysterious adventure, not a revenge plot. I also felt like there was too much emphasis on the mistress when the book is marketed as what happened to Agatha when she disappeared.

This might be the first book of the month that I actually wouldn’t say run to read. It is well written but just did not live up to the hype . I seem to be leaning more and more into historical fiction so this just didn’t do it for me.

Final Thoughts

I really just did not love this book. It wasn’t what I thought it was and I just feel like I wouldn’t want to recomend it. I’m super interested to hear if you read this and liked it though!

To be apart of the book club, subscribe here so you don’t miss a post! Check out some of my other book picks here!

The Most Beautiful Girl In Cuba- Book Review!

This month I’m sharing with you my book review of The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba by Chanel Cleeton! I have fallen in love with Chanel’s books based around historical fiction. As a child, this was my favorite genre and to be honest, finding her books has opened my eyes to it again.

If you read my book review for 2021, I shared my thoughts on Next Year in Havana and When We left Cuba both by Cleeton. These books are connected and are such great reads. I decided to pick this book up at my local book store because I seriously just love her writing.

I was definitely not disappointed by this book and am excited to share my thoughts with you! Historical fiction has seriously become some of my favorite books to read so this was perfect for me.

The Most Beautiful Girl In Cuba- Shop Here

the most beautiful girl in cuba

The themes of this book are that of girl power, bravery, and love. This book takes place during the Spanish invasion of Cuba in the late 1800s. This backdrop of war really shows how tough it was for women.

We follow the stories of 3 women: a writer in the US, a rich woman turned war prisoner, and a woman who has to live in an encampment. I love that each chapter discusses how different each’s life is. This book is actually based around a true story about a woman who American media deemed “The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba”.

As the story progresses we learn more about the conflict and see how American media is trying to influence the war after the American government does nothing. I couldn’t help but be in awe of the bravery of these women.

The writer is trying to make a name for herself in a male dominated industry. One woman is acting as a spy and smuggling notes into the war prisons. The beautiful woman in prison eventually gets aid from the writer and the spy to break out of being wrongfully imprisoned.

I loved this story because it kept me on my feet and really made me think. Chanel Cleeton does a great job of weaving a great story into actual historical events. If you are interested in history, this book is seriously for you!

Wrap Up

Let me know in the comments below if you like these posts! If I’m being honest, they’re some of my favorites to write. Be sure to subscribe here to my mailing list so you never miss a post from me! Stay tuned for next month’s book, it’s a good one!

Reminders of Him By Colleen Hoover -Book Review

I am so happy to be sharing our 4th book of the month with you- Reminders of Him! This month I went with a newer release by one of my favorite authors, Colleen Hoover. Colleen Hoover books are the best because she’s able to write a really wide variety of pieces.

I initially was introduced to her through Verity, which is an absolute must read if you haven’t already. It Ends With Us, also by CoHo is a completely different vibe but another must read. Colleen Hoover books are always so good so I was happy to get my hands on this one when it came out!

Reminders of Him–Shop Here

reminders of him

The cover of this book immediately draws you in, so I knew just from the outside this was going to be good. This book follows Kenna and Ledger, both dealing with the grief of losing someone they both love. We learn Kenna is a single mother, who was actually in the accident with her boyfriend Scott died.

Kenna went to prison for the accident and was never able to see her child. Scott’s parents blamed her for the accident and the after math. When she got out, Kenna goes back to the small town. She wants to see if she can meet her daughter for the first time.

Kenna meets Ledger, the bartender at the local pub and they hit it off. It gets a little steamy between them until Kenna realizes Ledger is Scott’s best friend who she never got to meet. With this beginning alone, it really draws you into the book.

The details surrounding the accident are not what they seem but everyone in the small town wants Kenna to go, except Ledger. As he learns more about her and the day of the accident, he realizes how terrible Kenna was treated due to everyone’s grief. By the end of the book, Ledger helps to make it possible for Kenna to see her daughter and they end up falling in love.

Final Thoughts

I really liked how Kenna got a happy ending. You could feel how much pain she was in throughout the book from the accident. It was great to see that Ledger ended up helping to create a relationship between her and Scott’s parents.

Ledger lost his best friend but was able to see what Scott saw in Kenna. Ledger took care of Scott’s daughter like his own so this book was just so heart warming and a great read. It wasn’t as heavy as some of her other books.

I hope you enjoyed this book review of Reminders of Him! I have been loving this book club we created so be sure to subscribe to my list here so you don’t miss one! You can read last month’s, Death By Dissertation here!

Death by Dissertation- Book Review!

I’m back with my March book of the month! I can hardly believe that it’s March and I’m already sharing my 3rd book of the year! I wanted to switch it up this month and I chose a light hearted mystery. I’ve found that I don’t love heavy books and this one is really fun and an easy read. This month we’re talking all about Death by Dissertation by Kelly Brakenhoff.

Death by Dissertation– Shop Here

death by dissertation

I initially was drawn to this book because the main character and I share the same name, Cassandra. Cassandra Sato is an admin at a college where a death happens to one of her students. She finds herself thrown into the investigation and ends up uncovering more clues than the police.

I really enjoyed this book because the mystery was simple and easy to follow. On top of that, Cassandra is a really likeable character that calls her parents and has some love interest in the men she works around. Overall, this book has a little bit of everything: Mystery, friendship, and a hint of romance.

After reading It Happened One Summer and The Light we Lost, I was in the mood to switch of the genre. I actually found this one through the Kindle app and was excited to see it’s a series. I realize that I’m more inclined to choose a book if it at least has one other book in the series. Sometimes one book just isn’t enough for the characters so I gravitate towards series.

The best way I can describe this is like an adult Nancy Drew. Cassandra is balancing a full time job with a crazy boss, love life, friends, and making time to call her parents all while solving a mysterious death on campus. You’re really able to relate to her which I really appreciate.

I can’t stress enough that because I read before bed I don’t want any crazy scary books. I like easy reads that have a good story line. Death by Dissertation was perfect for me and gave me that mystery feel I was looking for. I’m excited to read the other books in this series!

I hope you have been enjoying these books of the month! It’s so fun to share my favorite book that I read that month. I actually have a goal of 75 books this year so we’ll see if I make it. I am always looking for more recommendations so let me know in the comments what you’re reading!

The Light We Lost- Book Review!

It’s a new month which means a new book! I loved the response from our first book of the month, It Happened One Summer! Not only is it so much fun sharing my book recommendations with you, but it really helps me keep accountable and reading all year long!

When I initially picked this book up in the book store, I thought it was something entirely different. I don’t like to read heavy books so when I realized that’s what this was I was a little worried. However, this book was so captivating that I had to keep going.

The Light We Lost– Shop Here

the light we lost

The Light We Lost really draws you in with the first chapter discussing the characters account of 9/11. Both Lucy and Gabe are in college in NYC in the beginning and they experience this very scary time together. From there, this story evolves into their friendship and love continuing throughout their lives.

As they grow up and get new jobs, the book has them bump into each other here and there. It begins to make you think of fate and maybe they are meant to be together. Even Lucy and Gabe consider it, but never take the jump to explore what that could mean after Gabe takes a job that requires he travel.

I started to think about missed opportunities during this book. Lucy and Gabe clearly have so much love for each other but their lives are like parallel lines running next to each other but never crossing, until the end of the book.

I was not prepared for the ending and if I’m being honest, it’s why I don’t usually pick books like this. Something happens and you realize you can’t keep living life with the idea of something, if you want it you have to work for it. The main theme of this book for me was realizing life is too short and sometimes when you finally get what you want, it’s too late.

Final Thoughts

Timing is truly everything and it seemed like Lucy and Gabe just never got the right timing. Jill Santopolo was a great author and the way she wrote this book from Lucy’s perspective was so unique. At the end you realize what the narration means and I was just speechless. I recommend this when you’re looking for a book with a bit more to it.

These book posts are so fun to write. I hope you’re enjoying them just as much as me! Don’t forget to follow @bookchatswithcass if you want to follow along with the books I’m reading in real time!

Also, feel free to leave your book recommendations in the comments below. I am always looking for books to add to my list and would love to hear what you have read or recommend!

It Happened One Summer- Book Review!

I am so excited to be launching this new series on the blog for a book of the month! Reading is one of my favorite things. I know a lot of you have found me because of my book recommendations. I thought I would share one book I read from the previous month as a way for us to form our own book club!

To chronicle this book journey, I made a separate Instagram @bookchatswithcass to not only share these books in real time but keep myself accountable as I read! I hope you’ll give it a follow as we start this new series together!

For the first month of the year, I decided that I was going to share one of my favorite books from December, It Happened One Summer. This is a funny rom com style book that was such a light and easy read that I got through it in one night. You can shop for it here through my affiliate link.

It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

it happened one summer

I have read I think one or two other books by Tessa Bailey but this one seriously was so great. It had me laughing out loud and almost made me feel like I was watching a TV show. The characters she wrote were people that you could really feel what they were feeling.

The review on the back said it is like Schitt’s Creek which is so funny. This was not disappointing because it really was just that.

The main character is a rich girl who gets sent away after partying too hard. She finds herself in small fishing town that is connected to her late father. Through fixing up her family’s old bar and falling in love with an average fishing captain, she realizes the life she was living wasn’t at all what she needed.

I so appreciated the humor and little bit of spice🌶 from this book. This one is great when you’re in the mood to finish a book in one night. Once you pick this up, you can’t put it down until it’s done. Another great part of this book is it is actually the first in the series so you get to meet characters from later books.

This series is so exciting to have on my blog and once a month you’ll get a bonus post, like this one, where I’ll recomend a book! You can read it and leave your thoughts in the comments below! If you’re just here for the review, I hope you’ll give this funny rom com a try!

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