Cassie DeNisco

The Luckiest Girl Alive Review!

February 1, 2023

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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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!

January 16, 2023

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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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!

Best Books to Read for 2023!!

December 12, 2022

I LOVE writing this post every year! I take a look back at my Good Reads for the year and share some of my favorite books I’ve read!! These best books to read for 2023 are truly the books I fell in love with this year!

Some of my best performing posts for the year were my book reviews and it was such a fun year to share what I read with you! We’ve read everything from mysteries to romance and some Colleen Hoovers in between. I even met my Good Reads goal of 50 books in 2022 so I’ve definitely read my fair share of books this year! Here are some of my favorites!!

Every Summer After by Carley Fortune

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Talk about a transformative book! This love story is epic and will absolutely set the tone for your summer if you read it in June! The writing was fantastic and I just really appreciated the cozy small town vibes. It’s based around these summer houses and kids who fall in love when they’re young but reconnect as they get older. You cannot go through Summer 2023 without reading this book!

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

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Luckily I was able to read all 3 of these books before the Prime series came out! I fell in love with these books and the show only added to that. Another summer read but honestly I feel like these characters and what they go through is relatable. This leans more on the young adult side so it was a quick read for me but I really recommend it if you love the show!

It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover

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This is the sequel to It Ends With Us by Co Ho so definitely read that first. This book really gives more layers to the characters and continues the story laid out in the first book. I love this series for so many reason but this book solidified for me this story. Essentially at the heart it’s a love story that two people get reconnected in. It’s so good and this book really did it for me after reading the first one!

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

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I originally read the Guest List by Lucy Foley and really loved the thriller vibes so I knew this would be the same. The books aren’t connected but this author just has a way of writing that instantly grabs you and makes you read. I got through this in one sitting because it was a true page turner that kept you on your toes!!

The Confidence of Wildflowers by Micalea Smeltzer

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This had been on my good reads for quite sometime! I finally got around to reading it this year and I really loved it. I’m starting to see a theme that I like books about neighbors but oh well lol!! This book deals with loss and grief but also just has this amazing story to it that I really appreciate. The writing was so good and I’m just mad I didn’t pick this up sooner!

Here are my other book reviews from this year!

January– It Happened One Summer

February– The Light We Lost

March– Death by Disseration

April– Reminders of Him

May– The Most Beautiful Girl In Cuba

June– The Christie Affair

July– The Northern Spy

August– Reputation

September– American Royals

October– Ugly Love

November– The Last Thing He Told Me

I hope this book wrap up really helped you find some good books to read for 2023 !! I am looking so forward to continuing these posts so be sure to subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss a post!!

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover Review!

October 5, 2022

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 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!

September 15, 2022

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

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

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!

The Christie Affair Book Review!!

June 8, 2022

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

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!

May 11, 2022

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 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!

Books You Have to Read for Fall

September 18, 2020

Back by popular demand is another book recommendations video! These books you have to read are all different genres and are perfect to cozy up with for fall. If you’re looking for more books you have to read, check out my last book post here!