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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Lisa Kleypas never fails to please…this is another winner for her. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and story. Sure to win you over.
Laugh out loud funny. The Ravenal family can rival the Bridgerton’s any day!!
As much as I love my indie romance, sometimes I have a taste to go back to my first love: historical romance from the traditional publishing houses. And Lisa Kleypas is a favorite. Few can weave a story with as much emotional intensity where every word practically vibrates with yearning, passion and desire as she does.
And her talent for taking brooding, broken, tormented, morally dubious heroes and redeeming them thru the love of the heroine is unparalleled and one of the main reasons why I’ve reread so many of her books over and over. They’re so well-developed, so real and damaged and slightly feral that one truly feels as if they get to know them.
And in the same vein, this one was no different. Cassandra is sweet and sunshine, she wants hearth and home and to find love. Tom is a ruthless business magnate, coldly disconnected from his emotions and even tho he wants Cassandra with quiet desperation that confuses and terrifies him, he runs when she becomes more than a shiny prize to claim.
Watching him stumble thru his emotions to discovering his devotion and love for her was oddly endearing and heart wrenching. I very much liked Cassandra, although Tom’s personality was so fascinating and angsty that he kept my attention riveted to him. But I loved that she wasn’t silly or annoying and she was a perfect complement to the seething complexity of a man like Tom.
Honestly, I could read this trope of “innocent heroine tames brooding, cold hero” a million times and love it each time.
SPOILERS BELOW, read at your own risk:
This story isn’t safe. Heroine is pursued by OM, and she is seriously considering marriage to him, going so far as to allow him to kiss her. And while I don’t normally enjoy reading about a heroine who, after the meeting the hero, allows herself to be pursued by other men, in this case it made sense as she was drawn to Tom but believed there was no future for them. It also wasn’t tossed into the story unnecessarily, but was pivotal to the plot. However she is a virgin and gives the hero the primal satisfaction in claiming her innocence.
Heroes past is mentioned, a bit too much for my liking, but this is typical with Lks heroes and I try to overlook it because the story is so rich and the character so well-developed. But yeah, it gets into his treatment of past mistresses and these parts were a bit yuck for me.
Possible triggers: heroine is assaulted physically by OM, who forces kisses and unwanted groping on her.
HEA with epilogue.
Tom Severin has amassed immense wealth through railways and real estate. As quite possibly the richest man in England, he can have anything, or anyone, he wants. Finding a wife should be no different and he decides that woman must be Lady Cassandra Ravenel from the moment he first sees her. But lovely Cassandra is prepared to marry for nothing less than love, an emotion Tom is incapable of.
Cassandra finds Tom handsome and fascinating to spend time with, even if he does have a frozen heart. But sweet-natured Cassandra isn’t eager to join the cutthroat world of a man who enjoys arguments and confrontations. When Cassandra makes a vindictive enemy who very nearly ruins her reputation, Tom uses the situation to his advantage to finally get the wife he wants. Soon Tom learns he may have gotten more than he bargained for with Cassandra as she ruthlessly charms him, knowing she’ll not be content until she has all of him.
This may not be the strongest book of the series, but I still loved it. Tom wasn’t as lovable or charming as Rhys or Ethan for me, but that was also, paradoxically, part of his allure. I always love it when we have a hero who has never really been loved and must learn how to give and receive it. I’m not sure Cassandra’s sunny sweetness would’ve worked with any other hero, but it made her perfect for Tom. I loved how she was able to read him and see what he was feeling without him saying anything or as was often the case, even knowing what he was feeling himself. She knew when to push him and when to accept the progress she’d made without pushing him for more. Her patience with him made the growth of their relationship and the development of their feelings for each other feel real and believable. I loved how Cassandra saw Tom having feelings he’d never really experienced and didn’t know how to recognize, and she helped him process the new emotions, adapt, and grow. I think the differences between these two really complimented each other and made them a great couple. Tom’s protectiveness of Cassandra was lovely as was the vulnerability each revealed to the other. I loved the relatively low angst here and how Tom was always ready to step in and be whatever Cassandra needed and she was always there to take care of him even when he didn’t realize that was something he needed or wanted. I loved the progression of this relationship and found this story very soothing. I’m left with a lovely warm, fuzzy feeling and Tom and Cassandra are a new favorite couple for me.
Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspot.com/2021/05/chasing-cassandra-by-lisa-kleypas-audio.html
Compelling At the Beginning Then Quickly Mellowed Out
This was a classic story of a sweet high-born woman falling for a man from the opposite side of the tracks. In fact, Cassandra was almost too sweet, and there wasn’t much more to her character compared to Severin’s. The story was satisfying, but not the standout I expected, considering the other books in this series.
Everyone needs some Lisa Kleypas in their life. And Tom and Cassandra are *chefs kiss*! This book is an open door, sweet and steamy romance. I love it!!
I loved Tom and Cassandra’s story. Severin has been around a long time, and it’s nice to see him find his HEA with Cassandra. His relationship with the Ravenels and Winterborne continues in this book, so caught up with my favorite characters. I only wish that Lisa Kleypas released more than one book each year.
Loved it
Any book written by this author is well worth reading. So gifted and talented.
I always know I’m going to get an entertaining story when ever I read a Lisa Kleypas book and this one didn’t disappoint. I absolutely adore the way the hero actually fell in love at first sight but didn’t realize he was capable of the emotion until the end! Charming and delightful feel-good story!
I could not put this book down. I loved how Cassandra was strong, independent, and knew exhibited the right thing to do. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
Lisa Kleleypas once again delivers a satisfying historical romance. This one set in the Victorian period show us how Cassandra, another member of aristocratic Ravenal family finds love and happiness wih a self made man.
I enjoyed reading this book it was different. I loved the characters. First book by this author will be checking out some more.
Kleypas always delivers! Cassandra and Tom are richly drawn and the conflict is real… not the contrived misunderstandings that are easier to create. You’ll feel like you are there with them and when they finally do get their HEA, you’ll be reaching for the next Kleypas book!
This was a wonderful story! Can opposites attract and make it work. I loved Lady Cassandra Ravenel and Tom Severin’s story. Cassandra softens Tom’s sharp edges. He is a bit OCD. Maybe a bit on the Aspergers spectrum if he were in our time. He is brilliant. But he only has 5 emotions. Love is not one of them. But with Cassandra she teaches him by recommending novels for him to read. It takes a lot of time. He is an honest man, that never lies. He also enjoys a challenge. He doesn’t always realize what the outcome of a challenge might be. And he will apologize if he is wrong. He is an honorable man. He makes Cassandra feel like she isn’t just a pretty face only there for breeding babies. He give her a purpose and makes her realize she has a brain. I love this about Tom. They truly become partners. It was perfect for the end of the series. I will miss the Ravenels.
Mary Jane Wells narration was perfect as usual!!
I love all of Kleypas books. This wasn’t my favorite but it was a great read with wonderful characters!!!
Lisa Kleypas is one of my favorite authors, the Ravenals is my favorite Kleypas series and this is my favorite book within that series. I love the characters, the humor and the romance. I have read it and listened to the audiobook several times. I highly recommend this book.
Continuing the Ravenals stories – Cassandra meets her match. Tom is not as insensitive as he believes himself to be, nor is Cassandra just a beauty. Their courtship (if you want to call it that) is a slow burn but has a great moment which seals the deal.
I love a story of a man whose heart is frozen and needs help to find a way to love, and Kleypas is brilliant at it. Loved this!
A great series