Cassie DeNisco

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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

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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 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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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!!

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 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!

What I’m Reading this Summer

I always have been such a huge reader but there is just something about summer time and reading that sparks a huge desire to read even more. To me, there is nothing better then laying out in the hot sun on a beach with a great book . This post is dedicated to some of the books I’m planning to read this summer or have read but may reread because they’re just that good.

My first book should be no surprise if you saw my GOT review. I am absolutely going to be started the Game of Thrones books series with the first book, A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. I am really looking forward to taking the time to site and read this book and find all the hidden foreshadowing of the finale’s events that I missed in only watching the TV series. Most of the time, I do read the books before I watch the TV or movie versions but for some reason GOT just didn’t seem that appealing to me until I saw the series. I have only heard great things about the books so they are definitely my top must read for the summer.

One genre that I have really found myself loving as I have gotten older is self-help. I think a lot of people probably shy away from it because the name seems like a turnoff but I think these types of books really provide great guidance and motivation as I grow older. One book series that I LOVE is the You Are a Badass collection by Jen Sincero. I have read the yellow one about how to stop doubting yourself but this summer I have my sight set on the green one called You Are a Badass at Making Money. I just loved her first book so I am sure that this one will be just as insightful and provide the guidance I am looking for.

Staying in the realm of self-care, I really recommend reading Eat Pretty by Jolene Hart. I know I mentioned it in my Skin Secrets post but I think if you are like me it’s totally worth the read. The summer is the best time to pursue your goals and if cooking more and living a healthier lifestyle are on your list this book is right up your alley. Not only is this book broken down into seasons of the year to tell you what fruits and veggies to eat for what you’re looking for but it also gives you recipes on how to incorporate them into your diet. I am just so obsessed with this book and I reread it at least once or twice a year because its basically a food bible.

A few other books that are on my must read list are When Life Gives You LuluLemons, Make Your Bed, and of course The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. Every time I walk by these books in Barnes and Nobles I am so tempted to pick them up but I just know I already have such a long list of books to read. If you have an book recommendations leave them in the comments below.

Happy Reading! – C