ONE OF OPRAH MAG’S BEST ROMANCES OF 2020!
Everything has a price . . .
Railway magnate Tom Severin is wealthy and powerful enough to satisfy any desire as soon as it arises. Anything—or anyone—is his for the asking. It should be simple to find the perfect wife—and from his first glimpse of Lady Cassandra Ravenel, he’s determined to have her. But the beautiful and quick-witted Cassandra is … have her. But the beautiful and quick-witted Cassandra is equally determined to marry for love—the one thing he can’t give.
Everything except her . . .
Severin is the most compelling and attractive man Cassandra has ever met, even if his heart is frozen. But she has no interest in living in the fast-paced world of a ruthless man who always plays to win.
When a newfound enemy nearly destroys Cassandra’s reputation, Severin seizes the opportunity he’s been waiting for. As always, he gets what he wants—or does he? There’s one lesson Tom Severin has yet to learn from his new bride:
Never underestimate a Ravenel.
The chase for Cassandra’s hand may be over. But the chase for her heart has only just begun . . .
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Loved the characters. Easy to read and love a good HEA!
A Lisa Kleypas book is always a wonderful experience. I can’t get enough of her multifaceted families and romantic stories.
I have read most of Lisa’s books, and all of the Ravenel Series. This series can be read as single books, but you lose so much by doing that. Each book has history of the ones before. Chasing Cassandra is the same and we get to met all of our favorites from the first books. Devon & Kathleen, Helen & Rhys (play a Hugh part in this story),Phoebe (twin to Cassandra) & West and Garrett & Ethan. Cassandra has a lot of people who care for her and understand what a unique young Lady she is. When Devon inherited the earldom, he also become the guardian for Cassandra and her sisters. Her father and brother left the sisters neglected and forgotten in the country free to do whatever they wanted. They ran wild with none of the lesson young women are suppose to know. Cassandra wants to belong somewhere with someone, she has been told repeatedly by her chaperone Lady Berwick that is is overweight. She is very self conscious that she is not as thin as most of the young women. After her up bring or lack of one she feels and see things different then young ladies of the ton.
When she meets Tom Severin she finds him intriguing and so different from the other young men she has meet.
Tom is brilliant and one of the richest men in England. He had to grow up fast after his father left his mother and sisters with nothing. He found work as a Train-boy and caught the eye of Mr Chamber Paxton, the owner who made him his protege . After Tom has been told by both Devon and West that they will never let him marry Cassandra he tries to forget her. She also tries to move on but finds all the men she meets to be boring.
When the worst happens to her and Tom comes to save her is the rest of wonderful story.
With odds against them from the start, the street boy Basil and how they both learn from him.
The contract for their life’s and rules they think they can follow. Leads to a fast , fun, sad enlightening story.
How a lonely young lady and a man who never fit in anywhere, middle class or society always felt like he was on the outside looking in.,maybe find what they have been looking for all their life.
I have read some of the other reviews, and please do try this book, if you second chances and cheering for the under dog, or the misunderstand this is the book of a lifetime for you. I know I will be re-reading it and the rest of the series time and time again.
I hope you enjoy it….. I really hope Lisa writes a book for Basil, and what his life turned out to me…. Am sure it would be a hit….(hint hint)
LOVE LOVE LOVE!
In the new Ravenel series release, we get Lady Cassandra Ravenel and Tom Severin’s story. Tom, a railway magnate was introduced as a cold hearted, profit chasing, lacking empathy, genius only logic kinda man in the first book. With later books adding more to him as character but at the same time showing that he is very much a ruthless businessman. Similarly with Cassandra, we know she has been belle of the season, she has been wanting to find a husband more so then her sisters who all married now. She’s a very sweet girl, who just wanted a family and love of her own and helping other people.
I love historical romance, and Lisa Kleypas for me brings it everytime. We not only have swoon worthy romance of the couple, but humour, friendship, familial love and dash of drama, sweetness and longing. I don’t know how she does it but her book leave me feeling extremely satisfied.
Tom was so smitten with Cassandra, the man literally couldn’t make head or tails. It was so amusing but at the same time sweet and swoony to see this all practical and logic guy fall for Cassandra. Who is in every way the opposite of him (except she is also intelligent). From the moment he lays eyes on her, he’s a goner. And every next meeting is a deeper fall for him.
She was beautiful the way fire and sunlight were beautiful, warm and glowing and golden. The sight of her dealt him a famished, hollow feeling. She was everything he’d missed in his disadvantaged youth, every lost hope and opportunity.
Above quote is literally after he sees her.
“I have lamblike moments,” Tom said. At her dubious glance, he insisted, “I having one right now. I’m one hundred percent Lamb.”
Cassandra is intrigued by the moment she actually meets him and after their first meeting, she ends up really liking him. Alas, Cassandra wants true love and family like the rest of her siblings and cousins while Tom wants nothing to do with love, he believes his heart to be frozen.
I wasn’t entirely sure how it work between them when I found out they’d been paired together, mostly because while I love reading about genius cold hearted heroes, the stories aren’t always done well to show the couple would actually work but here, Lisa Kleypas made it happen with making him loose or change his personality. I adored the seemingly charming ruthless man and the gentle and sweet girl the who makes him lose his control.
Honestly I loved seeing their relationship develop, from strangers who are attracted to each other, to finding out things of each other which makes them even more attracted to each other all the while Tom is nah, I’m not in love. I loved seeing the books mentioned in this, the way that Cassandra was trying to show him and make him understand emotions and whats actually important in life. They were super adorable and sweet. And this is making me want to reread the book. They really balanced each other out, Tom’s frozen heart thawed out under the sweetness and brilliance of Cassandra.
I immensely enjoyed reading this one, its sweet, funny and adorable. It flows so well, there is little angst in this not too much but enough angst and drama and love that makes you wanna keep turning pages.
My only little extra need was; I only wish we had some kind of extended epilogue or something years down the line of the ravenls seeing as this is the last book in the series but we didn’t which made me sad because its the end of a wonderful series, that I have loved for years and know will keep rereading in future too.
Ive spend half a decade with this series, so I feel very sad to see this end (which I think it is because no Ravenel’s are left). I looved the Ravenel clan and their significant others. Its an amazing historical romance series, that I know will be rereading for years to come (I do do rereads of the older books in the series). Can’t wait to see what Lisa Kleypas has in store for us, eagerly waiting for the news of the next release!!
If you’ve followed me, you’d know that Lisa Kleypas is one of my favorite historical romance authors, so I was thrilled when I was accepted as a reviewer.
After Sebastian, who Kleypas’ fans sure know from Devil in Winter, spoiled the type of male character I usually love in these romances, I hadn’t found anybody who could “catch” my heart the same way he did when I read his book. Until now.
We met Tom Severin before, because he appears in other books of this series, the last being Devil’s Daughter. Tom is a nouveau riche like Winterborne, but in the railway and construction and similar environment. He is the “self made man” and is more rich than most of the wealthy people we found in the Ravenels and company, but of course his wealth doesn’t mean anything in high society. We are in 1876, and despite people with titles are fewer than before since aristocracy is almost dead, they still organize events and are somehow obliged to invite people like Severin and having to treat him as if he was as royal as them. Severin goes to social events because he’s bored and he has to maintain relationships for the sake of his business, since he’s very influential in London’s everything because of his connections and money. Technically, he is a pariah, and he is distant with every one including his closest friends. So when he suddenly proposes Lady Cassandra Ravenel that he’ll marry her if she won’t find anybody in the near future so she won’t have to marry her cousin West, they think he has lost his mind. West and his brother Devon, who are not only Cassandra’s cousins but also Tom’s closest friends, decline his offer and are against this union. And for a good reason.
Tom is a businessman, and he is that type of person who loves to buy things to get even more wealthy and when he wants something, he gets it because he can. Cassandra’s cousins know that Tom finds her surely beautiful but that he’ll grow tired of her once he’s annoyed by the newness of the situation, and they don’t want her to marry a man who won’t be able to love her back. It doesn’t matter that Tom is a close friend.
Little do they know that instead of vanishing, Tom’s interest in Cassandra grows even more after months without seeing her. He says he only has five feelings, and he can’t understand what is it that draws him to her and doesn’t make him forget about the woman. He even reluctantly accepted that he couldn’t marry her because he knew that she was better off without him. After all, he is incapable of love – or so he says. Every time they meet casually, Cassandra shows him parts of herself that allure him even more, like her curiosity. She doesn’t judge him and he likes that she challenges him and it’s easy being in her company. If only were that easy resist her.
Cassandra is a bit younger than Tom (I guess they have a 10-12 years gap) but she is not immature. Sure, she has an ideal of marriage in mind that will be difficult to meet in Victorian London where marriages were business deals and there wasn’t any space for feelings. Although she knows that it will be difficult to find a man who will love her back, Cassandra is hopeful, and she wants to marry soon so that she won’t feel lonely after her sister Pandora got married with Lord St. Vincent. We can say that Cassandra is the classic belle of the ball, but she isn’t naive nor stupid. On the other hand, she’s smart and has interesting arguments with people like Severin. It’s probably his apparent detachment but clear attraction he feels towards her that allures her. She tells Tom that his heart is frozen and seems like she wants to move on because even her kindness and acceptance and understanding of his character won’t melt the ice. But of course she can’t move on, but unlike him, she accepts what he feels for him with open arms.
I really loved Tom because he was complex and had a lot of issues. One could argue that he was cold and sometimes careless about others, but it was the opposite, and Cassandra could read him well. Tom became the way he is because his experiences shaped him. Being abandoned by his father and having to work ever since little, made him grow up very fast. At one point Cassandra says that (compared to one of her suitors who was her age) Tom was a man and not a boy. Tom himself says that some people have to give up childhood and that his childhood was short lived. He is very mature and I don’t know, it’s like Cassandra longed for him not only because there were sparks between them but also because he made her feel secure and protected even before saying he loved her. Well, make somebody feel protected is also a way to show love without saying the words.
Cassandra was herself a surprise. We got to meet her a bit through the novels of this series, but we mostly saw her in Pandora’s book Devil in Spring, were I found her a bit boring. I mean, compared to Pandora who was feisty and lively, Cassandra looked dull and simple, but after reading her book, it was the complete opposite. Not only she was strong despite everything, she also had character and was smart and she stood her ground with Severin – which isn’t something easy. And she was compassionate and genuine, with great ideas to help the people in need.
End of the story, Cassandra and Tom is my favorite couple from the Ravenels.
I’m sad that this series is over (is it?), because I fear that we won’t be seeing the Ravenels nor the Kingstons nor the Winterborns etc anymore. But some of the sons and daughters of the previous series (Wallflowers) aren’t married yet. Could there be another series featuring them? Anything would be great. For now I’ll have to wait. lol.
An amazingly beautiful, precise new novel by Lisa Kleypas, we meet up with Tom Severin again and learn more about Cassandra.
The way Ms. Kleypas writes Toms character, and his issues with having more than 5 emotions, photographic memory, and just his overwhelming need for everything in his life to be kept in their own boxes, made me wonder if he had high functioning autism or Aspergers.
Cassandra is a joyful character who is suddenly aware that she’s been lonely for a long time. Her approach to The Season in London shows only one man that wants her attention, and when she refuses him, he and his father set out to shame her and destroy any prospects she might have had for a happy future.
When Tom shows her a way out, and the details he’ll use to fix this situation for Cassandra. Otherwise he might have to go to Marquis of Ripon’s house and beat him to death with his own arms.
As Cassandra and Tom begin falling for each other, she can see the pain of his childhood is holding him back from being with Cassandra fully, but she might find the path to his frozen heart if she tries hard enough.
A 5 gem from Ms. Kleypas, I can’t wait to see what she gives us next!
Wow! What a fantastic way to end the beautiful Ravenels series! Lisa Kleypas did it again and stole my heart one more time . The wait was definitely worth it and I’m officially joining #TeamTomSeverin . I didn’t realize how much I missed her writing until the moment I went into the first chapter. It’s always sweet, elegant, engaging, and carefully polish. I’m dedicating this review to mostly gushing about our hero, Tom Severin .
We’ve seen snippets of Tom from the beginning of the series. All we knew before is that he was a cold and ruthless businessman, willing to sacrifice friendships for his own gain. But here, it turned out he was a lot more than that, and I’m so happy Ms Kleypas gave him a chance to shine and redeem his reputation. Tom was besotted with Cassandra right from the get-go, but he wasn’t a pushy type. In fact, he never thought he could love or have romantic feelings for anyone. And of course, we have Cassandra to thank for teaching him how to love and take care of others . All the things he’d done for Cassandra will make you swoon …
Tom was a self-made billionaire (or some equivalent title ). He’d been working hard since childhood starting as a train boy, using his “powerful and superior brain” and his passion to build his own conglomerate, a railway empire. He was a geek, a nerdy engineer who loved to talk about mechanics and math, who thought he had “lamblike moments” . I laughed so hard with his direct and funny comments when he interpreted romance novels, which he was recommended by Cassandra to help him understand more about feelings . His book reviewing was one of the highlights of the book for me !
We knew Cassandra was a romantic, she only hoped to have her own family to love and to care for. But her ambitions to help people did not limit to those around her, and I love her for her kind and compassionate heart. I’d say she was a conventional lady of the time. I enjoyed her conversations with Tom so much, their contrasting characters complimented each other so well, and I loved it when they compromised and came to an agreement . Their chemistry was , their banter was funny , and everything was just toothachingly sweet …
This book once again helps me understand the traditions, customs, and lifestyle in the Victorian era. Her thorough research for the plots and respect for history make Ms Kleypas truly a historical queen . I love seeing all previous characters in the Ravenel family come together, love and support each other through tough time. It’s a bittersweet ending for yet another fantastic series. I can’t wait to see what comes next from this beloved author!
10/5 for me
Rating: 6/5
I have found my favorite read of 2020 and it’s Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas.
I devoured this book in just over a day and was not disappointed. Tom Severin has officially dethroned Rhys Winterborne as my favorite hero from The Ravenels series by Lisa Kleypas. I am strangely obsessed with nontraditional heroes, anti-heroes and the likes; and I was praying the LK would give Mr. Severin a book since his first appearance in The Ravenels series.
I loved the pacing of this story, from the initial meeting between Tom and Cassandra, I knew they would be magic together. Every interaction between the two main characters left me with a smile. I absolutely loved the fact Tom, who honestly believed he was incapable of feeling, fell so obviously in love with Cassandra. This was evident in the fact that he always there for Cassandra, even after she initially rejected his proposal of a marriage of continence. Tom was a true hero to Cassandra in the aftermath of an attack and his story with Cassandra truly began.
I should also mention that I love Cassandra, she and Pandora, will always be my favorite female characters in this series. She was so lovely and kind and all she ever wanted was a family of her very own to love. She initially refused to “settle” for Tom, but through their interactions learned that their was far more to Mr. Severin than met the eye. Cassandra particularly shined when she defended, not only Tom to her family – when they were more than hesitant in accepting their potential relationship, but also her right to chose her own destiny.
The second half of the book was my favorite; the negotiation scene between Tom and Cassandra was hilarious and sweet, their subsequent marriage and the realization that they loved each other; all absolutely magical. A perfect romance, but what also could I expect from the queen of romance herself.
I adored getting to see the other characters from this series – and even characters from my other favorite LK series, The Wallflowers – featured within Chasing Cassandra. It’s like catching up with old friends. I truly hope Lisa Kleypas’ next series features more of the offspring from The Wallflowers (a girl can dream, right?).
Lisa Kleypas truly has a gift in her ability to transport us to other worlds and sweep us up in the magic and romance of it all. I love how Ms. Kleypas gives attention to the details of day to day life in the time period featured within all of her historical romance novels. I love reading fun facts throughout her story about specific locations, foods and traditions.
Overall, Chasing Cassandra was magical and a wonderful conclusion to a wonderful series.
I adored Tom and Cassandra. Their relationship was awkward, funny, and quite romantic! Tom was uniquely suited as a Kleypas hero and after getting to know Cassandra, I couldn’t fathom either one paired with anyone else.
Chasing Cassandra – Lisa Kleypas
I have loved reading Lisa Kleypas books for years, in fact I own almost every book she has written that I can get my hands on. So I was there as soon as the book came out on preorder.
Loving the Ravenel series as much as I do I couldn’t wait for this book. With Chasing Cassandra I felt this is what we got exactly what was promised, we the readers got to watch Tom Severin chase Cassandra for months before she was put in a position to consider Tom’s earlier promise of rescuing her by marrying her if she ever needed rescuing.
Cassandra is the softer spoken twin. Her sister Pandora never wanted to get married has done just that at the beginning of the story, having just marryed Gabriel Lord St. Vincent, son of Evie and Sebastian. (Let’s face it, if you love Kleypas you were going to go bananas over Pandora and Gabriel. Heck I want a series on the rest of Sebastian’s family!)
This story actually has two stories to tell, or that is how I have read it, Cassandra coming into her own, learning why she doesn’t want to accept just any proposal and why she just really want Tom Severin’s proposal after all.
The other character is Tom Severin. We have seen him in other Ravenel books. He, like Winterborne are both “business men” not of the peerage. Tom’s biggest issue he claims he has only 5 feelings and this story tells us why and when his feelings changed.
Up until now we haven’t had any background knowledge on Tom, but we now find out he was abandoned by his father, who told him to find a job and support his mother and sisters, which he did. I’m not an authority about this period of time in England but it a known fact life for single parent families unless you were part of the peerage or a man wasn’t easy. Not for the woman or the children. So to know where Tom is coming from adds to understanding where this story is going.
To me, it’s about two people who under normal circumstances may not have ever met. Cassandra’s cousin Devon (her guardian) has been friends with Severin for a very long time. To say Devon has misgivings about they’re marrying is just the tip of the family ice berg, very few family members think Tom is right for Cassandra. However, the time comes and we can see how Cassandra has grown into knowing what she wants from Tom and how he has come to see that who he is now and how he has acted make him worthy of Cassandra.
There are definitely other underlying issues for the characters, mostly for Cassandra but when she realizes that the only persons feelings that really should concern her are Tom’s, she realizes that as long as he is happy and loves her she is happy.
There are a couple of scenes in the story that had me almost on the floor laughing, the first being the delousing of Basil, hilarious (well I thought so) and the not legal negotiations of the not legal marriage contract between Cassandra and Tom.
It was nice having all the other Ravenel family members showing up at different times during the story. The only thing I can say I really don’t like is the fact there are no more Ravenel stories to be told.
I asked Tom Severin to describe this book. He said-
“Brilliant man meets charming woman. Woman helps man to find a heartbeat. They lived happily ever after. It’s a mathematical equation.”
I love how methodical he is, I love how understanding she is.
I love how unwittingly funny he is. I love how true she is.
I love, love this pairing.
“Their marriage had a beginning and end, but every day of it was filled with forever. It’s a beautiful concept.”
What a beautiful end to this series.
This was such an amazing story! Chasing Cassandra was incredibly entertaining and an absolute delight to read. I loved Tom and Cassandra, learning about them, and watching them grow and embrace their feelings. There were so many brilliant standout moments that had me smiling and rooting for them. It was fantastic!
Gah! Absolutely delightul.
Historical romance is actually my first love, but I don’t get to read it very often. Chasing Cassandra was the perfect book to dive back into my favorite subgenre of romance. And, of course, I can always count on Lisa Kleypas to deliver an emotionally compelling and uber romantic journey.
I’ve been wanting Tom Severin’s book for so long! He may not relate to others as you’d expect or react in certain ways and he may be a bit more analytical and practical, and you may not always agree with how he comes about in his business dealings, but there’s so many intricacies to his character.
“If you could manage to climb out of that labyrinth of a brain long enough to discover what you want…not what you decide you should want, but what your instinct tells you…you might find what your soul is calling for.”
Meeting Cassandra is a catalyst, of sorts, for him. Tom’s easily bored and he’s always on the lookout for some new venture. But nothing has gotten him excited for life in a long time. Not like catching his first glimpse of Cassandra, but she makes him feel and much more than Tom’s allotted, self-proclaimed 5 emotions.
Cassandra on the other is looking for love. Her twin sister just got married, and she wants it so badly for herself. The only man who interests her, however, is one who is looking for anything BUT love in his marriage.
These two had some of the most romantic moments–and romantic dialogue–to date. There were just these moments of honest declarations and newfound appreciation that would come out unexpectedly but at just the right moment and let me tell you, it made an impact.
“According to basic geometry, one kiss could change your life.”
Chasing Cassandra is a character-driven story, through and through, so there isn’t a lot of “action” scenes in that sense, but there’s a lot of dare-I-take-a-risk, and I-may-be-falling-in-love, and It-feels-good-but-it-shouldnt-and-I-cants. Also, some of the best, most spicy kissing scenes. It’s a slow-burn romance, in a sense, but damn. This is a great example of how one kiss can completely up to the sensuality all on its one. It was indecently lovely.
There are some content warnings that could be harmful to some readers. I listed those at the end of the review because some were pretty prevalent throughout (the first two, in particular).
I loved watching Cassandra and Tom get to know each other. The contract scene…SO GOOD. I know this one will be a re-read. I absolutely loved the volume of romance and I can’t wait to see what this author does next.
5 stars!
Content notes: fat microaggressions, body image, slut-shaming, scene of sexual assault
When love conquers a methodical mind and thaws a calculating heart
Chasing Cassandra is book #6 in The Ravenels series, and although it can be read as a standalone, I believe it can be better appreciated if read after the previous installments.
Cassandra is a younger daughter of absent parents and was raised isolated in the country together with her twin sister Pandora (Devil in Spring – book #3), and their older sister Helen (Marrying Winterborne – book #2). When their older brother Theo died, they ended up becoming wards of a distant cousin Devlin (Cold Hearted Rake – book #1), who, in spite of inheriting an earldom, kept his connection with some lower class (but higher anything else) businessmen.
During Pandora’s wedding breakfast, Cassandra was sad to face the reality of going back home without her twin, and most of all, without any prospects for herself. She is the sweeter and calmer of the two and had always dreamed of a peaceful life in the country with a loving husband and a half-dozen children.
In a moment of weakness, she ends up asking her cousin West (Devil’s Daughter – book #5) to promise to marry her if she did not manage to find anyone by the age of 25, but West was having nothing of it. To her surprise and chagrin, business magnate and railroad tycoon Tom Severin overhears the conversation and offers himself for the task.
Both main characters are too wonderful for words. Cassandra has a sweet but strong personality that is very charismatic and easy to relate to, and Tom is a ruthless businessman, a mathematician, an engineer with a methodic mind and a calculating heart.
It is lovely to see how they complement each other, and how it is much more than mere attraction. Their chemistry is out of the charts (there are some very steamy scenes), but they understand each other on a deep level and it makes the relationship stronger and more believable.
Add to the mix a lice-infested urchin boy, a greased pig (‘Amor est uncta porcus’), and some wonderful novel quoting/reading, including my beloved Persuasion, and what you get is a charming and delightful read.
Needless to say that Tom made it into my ‘fictional crushes’ list. Those that follow me know how I love an intelligent and emotionally unavailable hero.
Chasing Cassandra is a must-read and a great addition to The Ravenels series.
Disclosure: I won an ARC of this book in a giveaway on Goodreads.
https://lureviewsbooks.weebly.com/reviews/cassandra
This was such a great historical romance! I have been a big fan of Lisa Kleypas for many years so I was pretty eager to read this book. I had pretty high expectations for this book since I love the author’s writing and have enjoyed other books in the series quite a bit. I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed reading Cassandra and Tom’s story.
This is the sixth book in the Ravenels series but it works perfectly fine on its own. Readers of the series will appreciate the opportunity to check in with well-loved characters but this book tells its own story. This book tells Cassandra and Tom’s story. Cassandra’s twin has just been married and she wonders if she will have the chance to do the same. She wants to marry for love but most of her suitors only seem to see her as a pretty face. Tom is a self-made man. He is extremely wealthy and intelligent but many still look down on him because he lacks a title.
I loved Tom and Cassandra together. I thought that they had wonderful chemistry with each other and I loved the way they were able to learn from each other. They both seem to be the type of people to jump in and help when that is what is needed regardless of what others might say. They also try to do the right thing which was perfectly illustrated in how they were with the orphan boy who entered their life. At first, nobody believed that these two were suited for each other and it was interesting to see them try to stay away from each other. These two really were meant to be together.
I would highly recommend this book to fans of historical romance. This was a wonderful tale filled with fantastic characters, wonderful chemistry, a few laughs, and a swoon-worthy romance. I can’t wait to read more of Kleypas’s work very soon.
I received a digital review copy of this book from HarperCollins – Avon via Edelweiss.
My first Lisa Kleypas book started with The Ravenels series and it has been so much fun watching the characters in this series develop and get their own stories. After reading Devil’s Daughter last year, I couldn’t wait to get to Cassandra and Tom’s story in Chasing Cassandra.
I will admit, I wasn’t sure what kind of hero Tom Severin was going to be. I kind of hated how arrogant he was in the previous books although I know his motives were always well intentioned and for the interest of his business. He still seemed cool and aloof and I just couldn’t see him pairing with Cassandra.
That’s where I was wrong, the relationship between these two was so wonderful. The chemistry between Cassandra and Tom was there right from the beginning of the book. But could Cassandra settle for anything less than love, when Tom wasn’t willing to even acknowledge the feeling?
I ended up adoring Tom and his unique quirks. He seems so cold hearted, until we find out what makes him the way that he is. The love these two had for one another was so sweet. Neither of them judging each others pasts or the mistakes/circumstances that they find themselves in.
I do felt that the ending was a bit rushed and I am sad to see this wonderful series come to an end. Overall I enjoyed the conclusion to The Ravenel series with Chasing Cassandra.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
Tom Severin. We have known him to be a brilliant and analytical businessman. He came from nothing and created an empire. He usually gets anything he goes after and loves the thrill of the chase and winning negotiations. But now he is feeling unsatisfied, bored, or perhaps lonely. Although he does not believe in emotions and feels he has no functioning heart.
Cassandra Ravenel has seen her sisters and friends find love. She is clever, honest, and kind. She is a romantic and all she has ever wanted is a husband, family, and to be loved. But starting her second season, she is uninspired by the men available and not feeling very confident.
When Tom hears Cassandra talking about her woes, he instinctually wants to fix them. And over time and several meetings, they find themselves attracted to one another. But she is from society and he is a common businessman. She is sweet and younger, and he has a reputation for being ruthless and an opportunist. Her closest cousins are his best friends and even they wonder about his motives.
I honestly loved these two together. He is logical and quirky. She is genuine and opinionated. She pushes him to think outside his analytical boxes and makes him want…to the point she spooks him. And his need to protect her and make her happy is unfamiliar, but shows he has a heart. But she needs someone that believes he is capable of love. And he is a man used to compartmentalizing and relying on logic. Their chemistry is obvious, but everyone, including themselves, has reservations about them being a good match.
But sometimes in difficult situations, viewpoints start to change and unexpected solutions emerge. Maybe with some negotiations and understanding, there is a chance for this unlikely pair to make something work.
I was effortlessly transported back into this rich world created by Lisa Kleypas and I enjoyed visiting with other friends from the series. I adored this installment and this couple. Their dynamics were fun and I liked how they balanced off each other. Tom is a character given such opportunities for growth and self-awareness, and I loved seeing Cassandra pull him in different and sometimes uncomfortable directions. I thought he was a fabulous hero. And there is a new young character that stole every scene he was in. I was engaged from beginning to the epilogue.
I am sad that this is the last Ravenels book. I miss the Wallflowers too. I cannot wait to see what Lisa Kleypas has for us next.
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
This is the 6th entry in Kleypas’s wildly-popular Ravenels series, and loyal fans are eager to find out how ruthless and cold-hearted business tycoon and railroad magnate Tom Severin (a character in several books) will catch the final single Ravenel sister, Cassandra. Logical and brilliant Tom only allows himself a manageable five feelings, and non-existent love certainly isn’t one of them. So, how can he possibly convince Cassandra to agree to a marriage of convenience when she’s holding out for a love match? Although there is sizzling chemistry between the two from the start, it isn’t until her reputation is threatened by vicious gossip that the possibility of a happily-ever-after emerges.There’s no question why Kleypas is a reigning queen of sexy historical romances. In this beloved series (which features the next generation of her earlier series The Wallflowers), she has welcomed readers into the lives of a few close families who illustrate the changing social landscape of 19th-century England as financially-struggling aristocrats were forced to broker marriages with the affluent and increasing-powerful industrial class. She breathes life into her characters with intelligent and witty dialogue, striking a balance between romance and intrigue, and always leaves her fans wanting more. Here’s hoping her next series is just as delightful!
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Avon Book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.