Cassie DeNisco

Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? Book Review

August 14, 2023

Sharing another book review for my summer of reading and today’s post is all about, Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? book review! This was on Reese’s Book Club so I of course had to read it!

A lot of the books I read from her book club I just read. I don’t really research what they’re about so this one was definitely very interesting. As always this post has an affiliate link where I make a small commission if you purchase the book through me!

Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? by Crystal Paul Smith

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This book bounces between the past and the current present in the book. I was honestly pleasantly surprised about the depth this book actually went to. At first glance it seems like just another book about Hollywood but you realize it’s so much deeper.

One thing I really appreciated was how well this was written. The twists and turns of the book are so well hidden in the writing you don’t really know what will come next. I really ended up loving this book because of how Crystal Smith Paul writes.

This book discusses race in both the lens of the past and present, and without giving too much away, it shows that life isn’t always as it seems. This book is shocking in a good way and once you start, you won’t put it down until it’s done.

It touches on Hollywood like your average book would however it just makes you critically think about how the world we live in is and how we might not have come as far as we thought!

This Did you hear about Kitty Karr? book review is one of my favorites because I really just was pleasantly surprised with this book. I hope you give it a read and let me know what you think! I have other book reviews that you can read here!

Magic Lessons Book Review!

July 24, 2023

My summer of reading is still going strong! I’ve been working my way through the Practical Magic series and I have been loving it! This Magic Lessons Book Review by Alice Hoffman is the prequel to the book based on the movie.

I was looking to break up my currently to be read list with a little more fantasy. This series is great for just that and I really loved these books! As always, this post has an affiliate link where I make a small commission if you purchase but no pressure!

Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman

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This book sets the stage for the movie version and was written after the fact to kind of give it some context. You can definitely read them out of order but highly suggest reading it this way.

We follow the stories of three kids who just find out they have magical capabilities. What’s great about this story is we get to know each of them as they grow up and have different life experiences. I love that this book flows so easily and isn’t choppy. It has a lot going on but it’s easily digestible.

I’m trying to not give spoilers because if you haven’t seen the movie, this series is even more magical. The twist at the end really gets you and you see just how much love the three siblings have for each other even when they are miles apart.

One other part of this book and series that I love is how it gives a little bit of historical fiction vibes. This book takes place before present time so it gives you a glimpse into things surrounding magic like the witch trials and then just life after.

I highly suggest this series as a whole. Like I said I really needed to break up my reading from just rom coms to something more in the fantasy realm. I was definitely not disappointed!

This book is a Reese’s Book Club pick so I always know going in I’m going to love it. This Magic Lessons book review is all about family and getting through whatever life throws at you so it’s really relatable. Even though magic is a central theme! If you liked this book review, read my latest one about The Senator’s Wife here!

The Senator’s Wife Book Review!!

July 10, 2023

I am so excited to be reviewing the latest book by Liv Constantine! Other books by this author like The Last Mrs. Parrish were amazing. I’m excited to share my thoughts on this one!

I purchased this book on my own so all of these thoughts are my own! I do have an affiliate link for you if you’re interested in getting a copy!

The Senator’s Wife by Liv Constantine

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Before I get too deep in this review, I want you to know I at least think you should read it. I might be a little harsh but I still really love the author, the story is just a bit confusing.

The book opens with two couples vacationing together. The husband of one couple and the wife of the other are actually cousins and then men are on capital hill. As you can see, it’s already getting twisted and that’s only the first few pages.

The cousins end up dying and the other two are left to pick up the pieces. (I’m summarizing so I don’t give out spoilers) The book then follows Sloane and Senator Whit as they navigate politics, marriage and Sloane’s chronic illness.

They introduce so many characters that it’s a bit difficult to get into. When I thrillers, I think of them as a build up and since something so crazy happened at the beginning it was hard to imagine where the book could go from there.

There were also a few “fluff” characters as I like to call them. These characters had story lines but didn’t play into the final piece. I did like the twist at the end but getting there was rough.

Overall this book wasn’t bad, it was just a bit more tricky to navigate than other books by this author. I just didn’t love it like I loved the others so I’m giving this a 3.5/5! Still read-worthy, just not one of my favorites!

If you liked this review of The Senator’s Wife, you can read more book reviews here!

The Cuban Heiress Book Review!

May 10, 2023

I love Chanel Cleeton and was so excited to read her latest book The Cuban Heiress! Cleeton always takes you back in time to tell the story of a heroic woman in the face of changing political times. This book was especially fascinating as you read and the story unfolds.

Her characters always have dimension and some serious girl power that makes you root for them in any situation! This review is not sponsored as I purchased the book on my own however you can shop for this book with my affiliate link where I make a small commission if you purchase!

The Cuban Heiress by Chanel Cleeton

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In the Cuban Heiress, we follow the stories of Elena and Catherine. Both enjoying a cruise on the Morro Castle cruise ship, the woman have very different experiences. Catherine sets sail with her soon to be husband and his daughter and her nanny. We soon realize this engagement was a quick one and there’s something deeper going on.

Elena’s story is even more mysterious as she meets a crew member who helps to smuggle people and weapons to and from Havana. As the story unfolds, we realize Elena is there to get revenge on someone who wronged her, but the pieces don’t start to come together until the very end.

I loved the twists in this book as we don’t realize Elena and Catharine know each other, and are working together, until the very end. It helps to keep this book interesting as each chapter alternates the women’s points of view. Cleeton’s books always embody strong female characters and this one really doesn’t miss.

Elena and Catharine’s friendship and the lengths they go too is so admirable. Even though we don’t get a lot of time with them together in the book, the bond they have is striking and adds such dimension to the book.

I always appreciate the end of Cleeton’s books where you learn the real history of what she’s talking about in the book. The Morro Castle was actually a real ship that had a real tragedy happen to it, similar to that in the book. She stays so true to the actual events but weaves in this amazing element of fiction that makes these books so hard to put down.

If you liked this book review, I have a few other by Cleeton here! You can read my last month’s book club pick here!

The Light We Lost- Book Review!

February 9, 2022

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 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!