Cassie DeNisco

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The Luckiest Girl Alive Review!

I definitely am late to the party on this book since it’s already a movie, but The Luckiest Girl Alive review has been on list for so long! I’ve committed to 50 books again this year and this was book 3 for me.

I actually didn’t previously watch the movie not because I wanted to spoil the book but I honestly was super interested in it. It didn’t look really great to me but I am definitely going to be checking it out now.

The Luckiest Girl Alive

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the luckiest girl alive review

Trigger Warning: SA, School Shooting

I won’t lie, this one started out slow for me. For some reason I couldn’t quite get into it and was almost just like confused at where it was going. Once the flashbacks started it slowly started to piece together and make sense. I really liked looking at Ani’s life in the present and how she got there.

This book has the NYC girl boss feels with twists and turns towards the end that you’ll never have guessed. When Ani is asked to do a documentary about an incident that happened in her Pennsylvania private school, the reader doesn’t find out about the incident until the end.

You almost think you know what it is about and then there’s another turn that twists even more. I loved that you got to see a sneak peak into her glamorous current NYC life juxtaposed to her less rich and exciting high school life.

There are definitely heavy topics that this book dives into which is why I listed the trigger warnings above. I really liked this book because you just didn’t expect the ending so it kept me on my toes. Sometimes thrillers miss the mark and are too easy to guess but this really was it for me.

I hope you enjoyed this Luckiest Girl Alive Review! I would rate this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars so I definitely recommend to read it! You can check out my January book of the month post here!

Confess Book Review by Colleen Hoover!

My first book review of 2023 is finally here! I actually took some time off from reading in December. I got burnt out from trying to meet my 2022 goal. Eventually I made it to 50 books but boy was I over reading for a little while. This month is all about Confess book review by Colleen Hoover.

My 2023 goal is actually 50 books again but I’m going to try to actually space my books out and not wait until the end of the year. This book club has seriously helped me to be accountable with my reading so I’m excited to bring it back in this new year!

Every time I need a book to get me back into the swing of it, I always reach for a Colleen Hoover book. I almost enjoy the predictability of her books which makes them a comfort read for me.

Confess Book Review by Colleen Hoover

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Confess Book Review

This book starts off with a young Auburn spending every minute with her boyfriend who is dying of terminal cancer. They’re each other’s first everything because they’re so young so the pain she feels when he passes is massive. Fast forward 5 years, Auburn is living in his hometown because she ended up getting pregnant right before he passed. She’s desperate for money to get full custody of her son from his grandma.

She walks passed Owen’s art studio and with a very direct we’re hiring sign, she pops in. Owen is an artist with a pretty heavy past of his own. We find out he was driving a car that killed his mother and younger brother. It also put his father in a coma. His father is better now but is seriously struggling with a pill addiction.

Neither Auburn or Owen shares their past, which only leads to the build up of their drama. We find out that Auburn’s son’s uncle is a corrupt cop with a thing for her. When he gets wind of her and Owen spending time together, he pulls Owen over. He ends up arresting him because he has his father’s pills on him. Owen goes to jail and Auburn gets with her kids uncle in hopes it’ll mean more time and a better chance of custody for her son.

All the while, Owen’s art studio is accepting anonymous confessions from people and Auburn keeps writing hers to keep Owen in the loop while he’s away. Once he gets out, Owen and Auburn finally realize that in order to be together they should just be honest and dive into their pasts.

Final Thoughts

I loved the twist at the end of the book.We realize Owen and Auburn were both visiting their loved ones in the hospital all those years ago at the same time. It was such a sweet added touch to know that during the darkest point in their lives they were still somehow connected!

These books seriously get me back into reading every time. I love that it they give you all the warm and fuzzy feels even though they have so much heart ache. It often mirrors real life and I think that’s why I love them most!

If you need any 2023 book recommendations, read my full 2022 Book Recap here!

My 2023 New Year’s Resolution!!

I can hardly believe another year has passed and I’m writing out new year’s resolution! It’s crazy how quickly the years go by and how fast we get to the next one. This year I wanted to share my new year’s resolution in a different way.

Instead of picking multiple things, I just wanted to choose a word that everything falls under. I started this last year with the word wellness and I truly think I got to live that word out. This year I’m doing the same because I feel like sometimes resolutions can be too limiting and put too much pressure on yourselves.

Patience

new year's resolutions

Now people always say patience is a virtue but I feel like a lot of my anxiety comes from jumping to the next thing or next worry. I want to really slow down in 2023 and try to get everything back in check. 


In the times we live in we can really just feel out of control a lot. Life flies by us and if we’re not moving as fast as everyone we feel like we’re missing out or not doing something right. For me, I want to try to break this habit next year.

A slower lifestyle and mindset doesn’t put me behind others, if anything it’ll set me up for success because I’ll be able to make decisions based on thinking things through. I want to be so intentional with my time so I think having patience will help with that.

One other aspect of patience is with purchases. We live in a world where it’s so easy to order exactly what we want and have it delivered right away. Financially, you can only do that for so long so I just know being patient and thinking through purchases on clothes and other non-necessities will boost my finances as well.

As you can see, choosing one word that encompasses your mood instead of a resolution changes your mindset. I never followed through on resolutions because they always felt like too many unattainable goals. With choosing a word to live by, you can find it in all areas of your life and mold it to how you’re feeling.

If you have a word for 2023, share it down below! I love hearing how other people approach the new year with their mindsets. You can read more resolutions posts here! And don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest here!

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover Review!

I can hardly believe that I’m sharing October’s book of the month! This month I went back to Colleen Hoover and gave her book Ugly Love a try! Colleen Hoover books are always so good when you feel like you’re in a book rut.

They always help me get back into reading because they’re so good! Her books are usually complex love stories with a twist at the end. I seriously love her writing style and wasn’t surprised when I loved this book!

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover- Shop Here

ugly love

Ugly Love was my last read of the summer and it definitely did not disappoint! I loved the writing between current Tate and flashbacks to Miles’ past. It helped to paint a picture of who these people are and how they got to the places they’re in.

Tate first meets Miles drunk and crying in her brothers apartment. They don’t speak of that night again but it leaves this lingering feeling that Miles isn’t telling the entire truth to Tate. He essentially just wants to be friends with benefits but as we know, feeling started to evolve.

Tate and Miles end up falling for each other and we realize Miles has a traumatic history with being in love. This makes us understand why he is so against being in love with Tate and how important it is that he might actually be ready to move on.

Ugly Love is one of those books that makes you realize just how complex love can be. It does show that it is so worth it to find your person that helps you to work through your issues and create new happiness.

I truly believe you can just never go wrong with a Colleen Hoover book. No matter which one you choose they are all so good and make you want to just keep reading!

You can read last month’s book review here!

American Royals Series Review!

I’m back again this month with another book review! This month I actually am reviewing a series that I feel in love with! American Royals by Katherine McGee has truly become some of my favorite books and I just love her writing style.

Her third book, American Royals III: Rivals, came out in May of this year and I immediately put it to the top of my list. I figured I couldn’t just review the third book without letting you know about the first two so this is an in depth look at the American Royals Series Review!

American Royals- Shop here

american royals series review

This was a book I actually read on a whim on my Kindle. I read it and instantly loved the take on an American version of royals instead of a President. The characters Katharine created were so interesting and made you want to just continue to read about them. This first book totally got me hooked and I was so excited to continue the series after the cliff hanger it was left on.

American Royals II: Majesty- Shop Here

american royals series review

The second book in the serious was honestly just as good as the first. I loved how we got to see the family deal with the death of their beloved king/father and how the older sister had to ascend to the throne. I love a good girl power moment and this really gave us that. The first two books complemented each other so well and McGee even said she wasn’t planning on another book so I was surprised to see a third.

American Royals III: Rivals- Shop Here

I’ll say it, I didn’t love this third book. It felt like they were just pulling for a story line so they were grabbing what they could. I honestly had trouble even getting through it because it just wasn’t as authentic to me as the first two, which I finished in one sitting. This wasn’t the worst book I’ve read but I just didn’t love how it fit in with the other two.

Overall, I do love this series. It’s a fun fictional take on what could’ve been American history. It was just a really light, quick read for me that will always be one of my favorite series!

If you loved this American Royals Series Review, check out my other book reviews here! Follow me on Pinterest here!

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 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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