The Casella Cousins Novella 4: Alessia
She married the love of her life at nineteen—and then he died.
He knows he’s not somebody she should get involved with. But he can’t seem to leave her alone.
Alessia Casella Benatti had her happily-ever-after and now at thirty-four, is only interested in finishing up college and taking care of her three rambunctious boys. But when she enrolls at City College … she enrolls at City College for her courses, she meets Dylan Davidson and finds him interesting, smart and, well, flirtatious. Which makes her start thinking again about love. And sex. Both in short supply.
Dylan Davidson hates what he’s come to do at City College. Sure, it’s a boy dream to flirt with every available girl on campus. Nobody would guess that big, tough Dashing Davidson wants a woman in his life, one who’s all grown up and not concerned with her looks or the color of her nail polish. But his uh-oh alarm goes off when Ali Benatti befriends him. She doesn’t fit into the job he’s here to do, and not only will he break her heart, but he’ll jeopardize a very important mission.
Don’t miss all The Casella Cousins Books: Hayley, Seth, Finn, Alessia, Gideon and Ronan from the NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestselling author Kathryn Shay.
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This is Alessia’s story. A single mom just trying to raise her boys, be a good mom, friend, sister, cousin and get her teaching degree. She’s not looking for a man in her life, Billy was her one.
Derek is undercover at the college. With his movie star good looks he attracts attention.
When he and Alessia begin to talk the attraction is there but can she let a man enter her life. Can Derek get involved considering his job?
This is a quick read. I liked Alessia and appreciated her brothers protectiveness.
Derek is a good guy who didn’t really understand women but he figured it out.
It does wrap up a little quick, especially their HEA, but it will make you smile.
This is an honest voluntary review
Alessia is Book 4 of the Casella Cousins and is a nice addition to this series.
Alessia Casella Benatti is a widow with three young sons and a large family support system in place. She has gone back to school in has met Derek Drake Davidson who has lost his wife and while not ready to get back in the relationship game there is something about Alessia that makes him unable to stay away from her. They start dating, and the attraction is there but Derek tells Alessia he needs more time since it’s only been 9 months since he lost his wife. Along the way Alessia feels like something isn’t quite right and when big secrets come to light there seems to be no chance for Alessia and Derek. Once Derek realizes he wants a life with Alessia he gives everything he has to make it happen.
Derek is cocky enough to be fun! I loved his character and at times felt bad for him, as he seemed to be in a tough spot. I hated to see Alessia get hurt because life had already dealt her a bad hand but I did like her character as well. These two seemed very well balanced. The plot is well written; with bits of humor that always makes the story fun especially when the entire Casella family gets involved. It was nice getting to check up on the characters from Books 1, 2 and 3 and see what they are up to now. I thoroughly enjoyed book 4 in this wonderful series about a loving and strong family.
This is the 4th book in this awesome series and is Alessia and Dylan’s story. Alessia was married to the love of her life and when he passes away, she is left with her 3 sons, who desperately need their dad, and she goes to school to become a teacher. It is there that she meets fellow student Dylan, but he has secrets, and is there to investigate a human trafficking ring. This author has done an outstanding job in penning this tale with such sensitivity. This is a beautifully written story with engaging characters, and an intricate and riveting plot, as well as being action packed, and with secrets, danger, family, emotions, and is an all-round entertaining and all-consuming read. I was hooked throughout and look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I recommend for all.
I think Alessia’s story just became my favorite! This book catches your attention from the beginning and you do not want to put it down! This book takes you through the motions, your happy, mad, sad and excited all in this book! I can wait to read in future books where these two end up!
I’m really enjoying this entertaining series of novellas featuring the Casella Cousins and this is Alessia and Derek’s story. I have to say this is for me the best so far and I’m excited for the rest of the series.
Alessia is a widow with three boys and she has just returned to work as a teacher and the last thing on her mind is a relationship but that was before she met Derek but he has his own past and is hiding secrets from that past so will the secrets break them or make them…..
This book touched me on so many levels, I loved the sassy, feisty Alessia and I adored her boys, Derek was everything I would want in a man and I found myself hoping and wishing this couple got the HEA they so deserved, their story captivated me from the first page to the last line, the writing is strong and it’s easy to relate with the characters so what more would you want in a great read. This may be a quick read but it still packs a lot into this entertaining, emotional romance as Alessia and Derek start their journey to happiness.
Alessia Casella Benatti married the love of her life, but then he died, leaving her with three kids in need of a dad. She’s been overwhelmed with being a mom, so she hasn’t even thought about dating. Five years after the death of her husband, Alessia is finally interested in dating again, and meets Derek Davidson. He seems to be a player, so she is wary, but they spend some quality time together at the wedding of her cousins, and during the holidays. There’s only one problem–Derek isn’t who he claims to be. He’s actually investigating a human trafficking ring, and he hopes to find the ringleader. Because of this, he has had to lie to everyone about his identity. Needless to say, things do not go smoothly when the truth comes out!
Ms. Shay brings awareness to how easily young kids and adults are snared for use in human trafficking rings. She does this tactfully and with heart. The reality is not pleasant, and I applaud her efforts here to make people know what a terrible scourge this is on our young people, who often feel ‘bulletproof’ in their teen years and into their 20’s. Alessia and Derek seem to get along beautifully, but there isn’t a whole lot of time devoted to the development of their relationship. Suddenly, they just ‘are.’ That is my only issue with this book. There are so many other things that are good about this novella, that it is definitely worth reading. There are times of heightened tension, and there are some awkward times regarding Derek’s investigation, but Alessia has grit and strength and it shows. She is also backed by strong family relationships with her siblings, their significant others, and her cousins.
This is the fourth book in a group of stand-alone novellas that are all loosely tied together by their status as siblings and cousins. They can be read alone, but it is a much richer experience when read as a part of the whole, so the reader understands the background story for each of these characters.
5 star Review Alessia (The Casella Cousins #4) by Kathryn Shay
I have been thoroughly enjoying the novellas in The Casella Cousins series from Kathryn Shea. This is the fourth book in the series and is Alessia and Derek’s story and is my favourite in the series so far.
The writing was strong, with characters that were easy to relate to and a story line that you cannot help but become invested in. Alessia and her children resonated with me on a number of levels and I was really cheering her and Derek to get their happily ever after; they both deserved it so much.
Alessia is a widow with three boys and has returned to school to become a teacher. Meeting Derek was the last thing she expected. However, all is not as it seems, Derek has secrets, what will happen when they are revealed?
I loved Alessia, what a sassy, feisty loving woman she is and was perfect for Derek in my opinion. This story touches on some difficult subjects such as human trafficking and Ms.Shay handled it with a great deal of realism and care. There was plenty of action and the story was quite emotional as Alessia and Derek embark on their journey.
This was an entertaining, emotional read that ticked the boxes for me and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.
I received this book as an ARC in exchange for a fair review.
I loved Alessia and her children. Everything about that family felt real, exactly how they would relate to her and each other. Even her teen ages struck all the right notes. The Casella cousins felt like old friends when they made their appearance. An other thing that Kathryn did, with great sensitivity, was her handling of the victims of Dereck’s work. I am hoping at least one of them shows up in a future book. It would be lovely for them to have their own happy ending. My only disappointment was in the way Derek treated Alessia. He behaved as if she was involved in his work instead of being an innocent bystander. On the other hand I did love the way in which he made amends.
This series is wonderful and gives the reader an opportunity to meet a new cast of friends and families with a variety of professions to learn about.
This has been my all time favorite in this series about the Casella cousins.
Alessia, a widow who loved and lost her husband years ago, has three boys. She has finally returned to school to become a teacher. There she meets fellow student Derek Davidson. A man that for the first time, grabs her interest.
But Derek has secrets. Secrets that if revealed, could both put Alessia in danger as well as possibly losing her because of his lies.
In this touching as well as action packed story, the author delves on a very real and sadly horrific reality, that of human trafficking. A reality that is very much alive in this country.
As always, the author reminds us of the importance of family, even when they drive us crazy.
As much as I enjoyed this story, I am looking forward to Gideon’s and Ronan’s story.
I was entrusted a copy of this book. The opinions expressed are solely my own.