Cassie DeNisco

New Posts Weekly

The Cuban Heiress Book Review!

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

Shop Here

the cuban heiress

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 Housemaid Book Review

I had to double post a book review this month because I seriously loved this too much to not share! This post is dedicated The Housemaid book review by Freida McFadden! This book gave me Last Mrs. Parrish vibes and I could not put it down after I started it.

I’m always bouncing between genres and just really looking for something that keeps me wanting more. The twists and turns in this book hook you in and you just never really know what’s coming next. As always there’s an affiliate link to purchase the book where I make a small commission but there’s no pressure to purchase!

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

Shop here

housemaid book review

We start off meeting Nina Winchester who’s trying to hire a housemaid for her lux home. Nina actually interviews Millie and ends up hiring her, without checking her background according to Millie. Everything starts out great but we are slowly lead to believe that Nina has something wrong with her.

She makes Millie do one thing but then quickly turns on her. To the outside world, they know Nina as a crazy woman with a perfect husband. Millie initially thinks nothing of it but slowly starts believing the narrative that there is something wrong with Nina. Because of this Millie starts to resent her and begins to fall for Andrew, her perfect husband.

This back and forth goes for a little while until Andrew and Millie actually sleep together. Andrew decides to leave Nina and that’s wear the story begins to twist and turn. We find out that it was Nina’s plan all along to hire someone like Millie so she can break free from Andrew.

I won’t say much more because I don’t want to spoil it for you but as the secrets start to unravel, you won’t be able to put this book down! I wasn’t expecting what happened at all and it was such a welcome twist. This is a great quick read if you need to get out of a book rut!

I hope you consider picking up this book after reading the Housemaid Book Review! I seriously enjoyed this and love thriller type stories like these! You can read more book reviews here!

The Woman in Red Book Review

You ever pick up a book not knowing anything about it but end up loving it? The Woman in Red was definitely that book for me. I found a book outlet on vacation and it was like a buy 3 deal. After much looking around, I needed a 3rd one and stumbled on this striking cover.

I am so glad I stumbled on it because it truly was fascinating. This is a historical fiction book that leaves you feeling so empowered and in awe of the main character. I actually did some research after because I was just so interested in the story.

The Woman in Red by Diana Giovinazzo

Shop Here

the woman in red

This book follows us on Anita Garibaldi’s story as she navigates love, lift, and politics. Her story starts in South America where she’s growing up and has to marry after her father passes. We see that Anita is resilient and truly a force to be reckoned with. She meets rebel leader Giuseppe Garibaldi during the Brazilian revolution.

They fall in love and run off to fight in the battle to make Brazil a better place. The two of them really bond on their ideas for how the world should look and the type of world they want to live in. Anita is not accepted where she went as a woman but her husband believes in her and together they made a great team.

The story finishes off in Italy where they are fighting for a unified Italy and you can just feel how amazing she is. While her husband was fighting these battles she rallied the woman and kept them busy. She did this all while raising her children and battling illnesses without her husband’s help.

Eventually, Anita is murdered in Italy by the opposition. I actually shed a tear because the writing was just so phenomenal that you actually felt like you knew her. I’m telling you this was just one of those rare books that sticks with you because of how amazing it is.

The fact that this was a true story was even more mind blowing because Anita was so courageous for a woman of her time. She wasn’t afraid to fight for freedom and the world that she wanted to live in. The Woman in Red is a story of marriage, freedom, and courage is one that definitely will be with me for awhile!

If you liked this book review, read last month’s here!

The Hollywood Spy Book Review

Another month, another book! This month’s The Hollywood Spy book review is a good one! With historical fiction, romance, and murder mystery this book has something for everyone.

Not to mention this character is part of a series so you have plenty of reading if you love this book as much as I did! As always this book link is an affiliate link that I earn a small commission off off! No pressure to purchase but it’s definitely a good read!

The Hollywood Spy by Susan Ella Macneal

Shop Here

hollywood spy review

I initially picked this book up at my local store because I loved the cover art. It really drew me and I’ve been on a thriller/mystery kick these days. I wasn’t anticipating the historical fiction aspect but if you’ve been here awhile, you know I love that! This book immediately hooked me in as the murder takes place immediately.

In order to set the stage Macneal, the author, spends each chapter with a different character. Whether its the spy herself Maggie or the cops or other nefarious groups, this book keeps you reading page after page.

The mystery itself seemed to come together pretty easily for me but what I appreciated most was the attention to detail. This might be one of the best historical fiction books I’ve ever read. I finished the book learning something new about a time period I previously didn’t know about.

It was so well written and just seamlessly meshed in with solving the mystery of the murdered movie star. I ended up taking a lot away with this book because of how important the themes were. In the climate we’re currently in, this book was even more important to read with it’s themes of segregation and racism, nazis, and World War 2.

Another thing I loved about this book was I didn’t realize how much I liked it until it was over. When a book makes a lasting impact on you and you’re thinking of it even days after you’ve read it, you know it’s great!

You can check out more book reviews here!

Best Books to Read for 2023!!

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

Shop Here

books to read for 2023

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

Shop Here

books to read 2023

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

Shop Here

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

Shop Here

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

Shop Here

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!!

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!