Chasing Cassandra

The Ravenels #6

by Lisa Kleypas

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 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 . . .

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Fiction, Adult

384 pages, ebook

First published February 18, 2020

About the author

LISA KLEYPAS is the RITA award-winning author of 21 novels. Her books are published in fourteen languages and are bestsellers all over the world. She lives in Washington State with her husband and two children.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cassandra wants love and Tom wants Cassandra.

It's the classic tale of the idiot boy who doesn't realize that the weird clenching in his gut isn't some sort of intestinal virus...



It's the way he feels because the girl wormed her way into his heart.
Dumbass.



Ah well, some men are just slow on the uptake.
See, Tom has the hots for Cassandra (well, Tom and every other man) but she wants to find love. Or at least someone who is open to falling in love somewhere down the road.
And Tom isn't that guy. He just isn't capable of love.
So he (in all his benevolence) tells Cassandra to move on to someone else, whilst Tom goes on about his life as per usual.
But after a while, he realizes he's just not feeling like himself anymore.



Could it be that he actually needs her in his life?



So what's a dude to do when he realizes he's let the girl of his dreams slip through his fingers?



Well, he'll pick himself up off the floor and try to win her back.
Can he do it, Random Goodreader?
Of course, he can!
This is a goddamn romance novel, silly!



And for those of you who are wondering, yes, I did just use this review as an excuse to post Chris Hemsworth gifs.



The End.

[chan ☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

can’t stop thinking of that paris hilton quote about getting 5 more of those little blonde bitches. tom is paris, cassandra is the ice cream.

[Rose Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been waiting for this book from the time I read devil in spring..... So in devil's daughter I searched for these two.... But we don't have a direct conversation between Cassandra and Severin.... Anyway all information I know,I gathered it together.
Cassandra is 21,Tom Severin is 33(early thirties).
Severin was described in devil's daughter as :
Severin’s face was lean and angular, his build lanky and almost rawboned, his complexion librarian pale. His eyes were an unevenly distributed mixture of blue and green, so that in strong lighting they appeared to be two entirely different color.
I cannot help but imagine him as Tom hiddleston.Little naughty but intense as same time.


Severin is the high functioning sociopath as Lisa said earlier in her interviews.....he is bloody weathly but he was never allowed inside the upper-class circles, which he desperately wants to....so if either not with birth he will acquire it with marriage. He is detached from emotions and feel no value to relationships...if any of his bussiness is hindered by friendship then he would sacrifice that friendship.
And there is a segment where West talks how unworthy he is to marry Phoebe, Severin says: “I have feelings too, but I never let them turn into obstacles. If I were in your situation, for example, I would marry the woman I wanted and not worry about what was best for her".

Other side, our Cassandra is a romantic soul who longs for loving husband, babies and her own small but happy home.


From lisa's interviews:
1)What’s next for you?
Lisa :I’m busy working on what will probably be the final Ravenel novel, featuring Lady Cassandra and Tom Severin. I’ve been looking forward to writing this for a long time—Severin is an antihero. Brilliant, charming, massively successful, immoral and so disconnected from his feelings that he’s very nearly sociopathic. He has only one weakness—he is completely fixated on Cassandra. He would do anything to have her, even knowing it’s impossible. As we’ve seen in past novels, all Cassandra has ever wanted is a loving husband and children and a cozy home of her own. She is domestic, affectionate, sweet and private in nature, and she knows she would never be anything but a trophy to Severin. Fate is really going to have to put these two through the wringer if they’re ever going to find a happy ending!

2)Lisa: One last Ravenel novel! I’m pairing Cassandra with Tom Severin, the railway magnate. It’s a marriage of convenience plot — my favorite — in which a heroine, who has always longed for a cozy, happy home with a loving husband and children, ends up marrying an obscenely wealthy man who regards her as a trophy. Severin is fascinated by Cassandra and is drawn to her beauty, grace and kindness, but he has no intention of falling in love with her. He’s a tricky, treacherous, hyper-intelligent antihero who discovers his wife has a core of inner strength he never expected.



Waiting for their story!...only complaint it's in 2020.😭


Update:read.......4 Stars......I liked the book and I loved Cassandra and Tom Severin,but somehow it didn't end up in my 'my fav' shelf.
Something was missing...the aww factor I felt when I read devil in spring....I think I expected too much from Tom....my fault.
Tom is 31 not 33 as I guessed.....the way Cass and Tom fell in love was beautiful.....the dancing scene.....my fav moment was when Tom kissed Cass at Dr Gibson's hospital....it was unexpected just like Cassandra in book I was too pleasantly surprised....I didn't think Tom would be into PDA..haha.
Cassandra was everything she promised us....calm,loyal and gorgeous beyond words.
The epilogue is not of after years....so I guess there is chance we will meet them again.... fingers crossed 🙂

[romancelibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.



Note: there is a trigger warning at the very end of this review. It's tagged a spoiler so you can click on the spoiler tag to read about it.

I've been waiting for Tom and Cassandra's book since Marrying Winterborne!! Poor Cassandra is the overlooked Ravenel family member, having last appeared in Marrying Winterborne. But in upper society, she's actually the opposite of overlooked. She's in fact a belle of the ball. A curvy one, based on the words used to describe her figure, and the only reason I bring this up is to publicly shame the Avon design team for misrepresenting Cassandra on the cover. I mean, if they were able to find a blonde curvy model for Sarah MacLean's book, I don't see why they couldn't do it for this book.

Cover aside, I enjoyed the final Ravenel book for the most part. Cassandra is a nice breath of fresh air among all the modern historical romance heroines who are born businesswomen. I enjoyed her character, although there was one scene where I think she came across as a bit too presumptuous. But she's a lovable heroine for the most part; she's not an airhead as many presume her to be and she is ambitious in her own way. As lovely as Cassandra is, Tom Severin is undoubtedly the highlight of this book. There are actually a few hints that imply that Severin could be on the autism spectrum. Tom and Cassandra are utterly adorable as a couple. Their romance is more on the sweet and romantic side. There's definitely steam, but it's not as sexy as the previous books in the series. I am so in love with these two as a couple. I love how Tom sees more than just her beauty and how Cassandra likes him just the way he is. They really see each other. I had a smile on my face every time they spent time together. Tom and Cassandra are probably my second favourite couple in The Ravenel series and their epilogue was icing on the cake.

I really wish I could give this book a higher rating because I adore Tom and Cassandra so much. But for a book titled Chasing Cassandra, there's not a lot of chasing happening. I know a few readers are expecting this to be like Harry and Poppy's book, but it's not similar at all. Tom actually gives up on chasing Cassandra after the first couple of chapters. I didn't fault him for it because he had his reasons. But what I love about Tom is that ultimately, he doesn't give up on Cassandra and he fights for her. That being said, the pacing of this book sagged in the middle because Tom and Cassandra don't interact for a good chunk of the story. There were also a lot of time jumps, which affected the pacing even more. Halfway through the book, Cassandra and Tom lead their own separate lives, which annoyed me because I just wanted them to spend time together. Cassandra's part of the story was a bit boring, but Tom's part of the story was interesting. The pacing threw me off some more because Tom and Cassandra's marriage of convenience doesn't even happen until the very end of the book. What I'm trying to say is that the blurb is kind of misleading and it's not the first time that has happened in this series. Finally, the last thing that was disappointing is the lack of development concerning Tom's family. There definitely would have been enough room to develop this significant aspect of Tom's character if the book was much better paced. This would have also added a lot more substance to the story because family is a key theme in this book.

While I enjoyed Chasing Cassandra and Tom and Cassandra as protagonists, this book doesn't really conclude the series overall. The previous heroes and heroines do appear in the book, but most of them were really annoying to be honest. I won't go into too much detail, but let's just say that I didn't like the way Devon and West treated Tom. However, just like Tom fights for Cassandra, Cassandra defends him in the face of her family's disapproval. And that's why I love these two so much. They're not bland characters who just give up. They fight for each other. They don't need other characters to bring them together so they can have their HEA. They decide for themselves. It takes them some time to make that final leap, but when they finally do it, it's beautiful.

And yes, this is partly me throwing shade at a particular book in this series where the hero and heroine don't even bother to work for their HEA.

Final thoughts on The Ravenel series overall:
I love reading series that revolve around a family, with each sibling getting their own HEA. The Hathaway series by Lisa Kleypas is my favourite family series of all time, closely followed by The Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn. Unfortunately, The Ravenel series doesn't even come close to being a favourite. I did enjoy most of the books in this series, but family doesn't feel like a central theme here. After finishing Chasing Cassandra, I took some time to think about the family dynamic in this series and I came to the conclusion that there is a lack of harmony in the Ravenel family. For example, Ethan hasn't even properly adapted to the family and Cassandra was completely forgotten until it was time for her own HEA. Those are just a few examples. I think the few characters that remain constant throughout the series are Devon, Kathleen, Winterborne, and Garrett.

I almost didn't read one of the books in this series, but I thought it would be disloyal of me to skip a new Kleypas book. Even though that book ended up being my least favourite, I'm glad I pushed through and read it! In case you're interested, here are my reviews for the previous books in the series:

Book 1: Cold-Hearted Rake

Book 2: Marrying Winterborne

Book 3: Devil in Spring

Book 4: Hello Stranger

Book 5: Devil's Daughter

Trigger warning: sexual assault, graphically described. Heroine gets sexually assaulted by a suitor, not the hero.

[Jilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave the first book in this series a scathing review and one star. I absolutely hated the heroine with the burning rage of a thousand suns. I wanted to build a time machine just to travel back there and bitch-slap a bitch.



You know, sane thoughts.

But, it was Lisa Kleypas. She's written some of my favorite characters as well, so I trudged on. I'm so glad I did because, overall, this series has been awesome. This book was the perfect ending.



Cassandra is the heroine and Tom the hero. If you want to understand everything about Tom right now, here it is in the quote-that-makes-women-sigh:

* This comes after Cassandra expresses concern about having gained some weight. She was about to reach for a little fancy cake (cuz ya know those rich bastards ate little fancy cakes all day made by the blood, sweat, and tears of the peasants in the kitchen) but stopped herself and said how people would think badly of her unless she loses a few.

Tom: "Your body isn't an ornament designed for other people's pleasure. It belongs to you alone. You are magnificent just as you are. Whether you lose weight or gain more, you'll still be magnificent. Have a cake if you want one."



Plus, Tom starts reading novels and gives us delightful reviews throughout the book. They are super insightful. I'll only give you one quote because I don't want to ruin the fun for you:

"most of them are pointless, like the one about the French bread thief who violated his parole-"

"Les Miserables?"

"Yes. It took Victor Hugo fourteen hundred pages to say, 'Never let your daughter marry a radical French law student.' Which everyone already knows."

Wait. Hold everything. A man who gives funny book reviews and is offering cake? It's like Jilly-krytonite! I officially love Tom and he is joining my book-boyfriend harem.


What the hell is Nick Cage doing there? Does he have to be in everything? Also, that welcome isn't very welcoming. Jilly needs to sort out her harem.

If you have read the series, you will enjoy this one. It had glimpses of most of the other couples and West was funny. All the things you need.

[Anovelqueen · Rating 5 out of 5]

***4.5 STARS***

Hero: Tom Severin, railway and real estate mogul, genius
Heroine: Cassandra Ravenel, beautiful and smart lady who teaches the hero to love.

I always have a smile on my face when I read Lisa Kleypas. Her books are just so darn good and her heroes are scrumptious.

Tom is so intelligent and an analytical thinker. Things must be logical and love does not seem logical to him. But he cannot explain away how he feels about Cassandra. Cassandra knows that she has always wanted to marry for love and she feels that for Tom but she can see that he struggles with how he feels and she refuses to settle.

I love how they come together and how Tom comes to realize his feelings for Cassandra. Ms. Kleypas is a genius with her storytelling and characterization. The couple spends a lot of time talking and getting to know one another, which I love in a romance. It was definitely a feel good, laugh out loud at times story and I didn’t want it to end. I read it in one sitting.

I highly recommend and I cannot wait until the next book by Lisa Kleypas.

[Warda · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Maybe if he read enough novels about the problems of fictional people, he might find some clue about how to solve his own.”

There are certain books you read and you love with a ridiculous and irrational amount of intensity. To point where slandering it in the slightest triggers you.
This book is that for me. I’m gonna say with arrogance that if you didn’t like this book, you’re the problem. I will argue with anyone. 😂

I need to calm down.

I loved every part of this. Every bloody part. This was a story so wonderfully rich and glorious. I never wanted it to end.

Lisa Kleypas has now become a top favourite author of mine.

It’s the best feeling when stories make you feel slightly looney.
Alright, I’m a complete loon for this.

[lila · Rating 3 out of 5]

me while reading the book and hearing tom say “perfection is impossible. most mathematical truths can’t be proved. the vast majority of mathematical relations can’t be known. but you… standing here in your bare feet in that dress… you’re perfect.”



me when cassandra tells tom all she needs is for him to hold her and he says “for as long as you want. i’ll do anything for you. anything at all. i’m here, and i’ll take care of you. i won’t let anyone hurt you.”



me when tom begged for cassandra’s hand in marriage [he’s deluding only himself when he tells everyone he has only (5) FIVE emotions]:



me after finishing this book and thinking about the fact that tom does not, in fact, exist:

[Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS

He kissed her for all the midnights and mornings they would never share. He kissed her with a tenderness he would never be able to express in words, and felt her response in his blood, as if her sweetness had sunk into his marrow.

This book. This book right here is exactly why I love historical romance. If you're not a reader of the genre, this book will make a converter out of you. It was sweet, quirky, funny, and oh so swoony! Lisa Kleypas can simply do no wrong for me, and this series only continues to get better and better with each new installment. But I really think this was my favorite in the series so far.

My wife expects me to join her upstairs for a nap.”
“How could a grown man sleep in the middle of the day? Why would you even want to?”
“I wasn’t planning to sleep,” Devon said curtly.
“Oh. Well, I would like to have my own wife to nap with. In fact, I’d like some good, hard napping on a regular basis.”

What if you took Sheldon from Big Bang Theory and made him into a quirky, dreamy and handsome historical romance character? That's precisely what Tom was. I simply don't have a better way to describe his unique personality. Tom is very black and white. He doesn't believe in messy entanglements like love and romance and feelings. He's ridiculously smart, incredibly so. His whip smart mind and ability to learn to do practically anything just by seeing or reading about it has allowed him to be the rich man that he is. Having come from nothing, Tom is one of the richest men now and known for his ruthless negotiations and no holds barred when it comes to doing business.

The second he lays his eyes on Cassandra, he knows he wants her. A marriage is the logical next step for a man like him. But a lady like Cassandra hasn't been holding out with marriage for as long as she has for no reason. She wants a marriage formed from love and devotion, and that's just one thing that Tom isn't willing to give. He believes himself incapable of it.

Feelings are inconvenient,” Tom said. “It’s why I decided to limit mine to five”

I cannot even begin to describe to you just how satisfying it was watching Tom unwittingly fall for Cassandra as the story progressed. I loved his quirky and unique personality almost as much as I loved Cassandra's softness and loving nature. She's the perfect balance to a man as cold and aloof as Tom. But Tom isn't quite as cold as he believes himself to be. And the more time he spends with the beautiful Cassandra, the more that becomes evident.

The story is perfectly paced and wonderfully crafted. It draws you in from the very first page and keeps you riveted until the very end. A beautiful, swoony, and memorable romance between two polar opposites that couldn't be more perfect together. I absolutely loved this book!

ARC courtesy of publisher in exchange for an honest review

Find me on:

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I devoured this book in less than 24 hours!!! I loved Cassandra and Tom’s love story! I was hesitant when I began because in previous books Tom could come across as a real ass!!! Even when he first sets his sights on Cassandra, he comes across as emotionless and egotistical... The more he falls for her though; the more loving he becomes!!!

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and I am hoping there will be more! I am not sure if there is anybody left though, unless Lisa Kleypas starts with the next generation! Now that I have finished this series, I am anxious to reread the Wallflower series!!

I highly recommend this whole series to readers who love a feel good romance with a little angst thrown in!

[♥ℳelody · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars

His gaze returned to Cassandra’s face, which would haunt him to the last minute of life. He had collected every smile of hers, every kiss, to hoard like a treasure chest of jewels. These few seconds with her were all he had, or would ever have.

This was cute. A sweet easy read. I really liked it but I wanted to love it. I wanted more. This is completely my fault because I had went into this one with high expectations (even though I tried very hard not to). In my head I was convinced I would love this before even reading it and that's usually a death kiss. I was looking forward to this couple's story for so long ever since the author hinted at this pairing. I kept putting off reading this because I didn't want to run out of Kleypas books and also I was saving it for a rainy day when I'm in a book slump. There was absolutely nothing wrong with this and I would still recommend this to readers especially to LK enthusiasts but compared to her other more memorable books, this wasn't a standout unfortunately. Especially coming off the high which was West's book which blew this one out of the water in comparison for me. There were still some signature Kleypas toe curling sweet moments but there weren't enough memorable moments overall if that makes sense. Like this isn't one of her books I would go back to and re-read parts. I think had I went into this with lower expectations I probably would have enjoyed this more for what it was maybe?

He gripped her hard against him for a few searing seconds. "This is why we can't be friends," came his rough whisper. "I want this every time I see you. The taste of you...the feel of you in my arms. I can't look at you without thinking of you as mine. The first time I saw you-" He broke off, his jaw hardening. "My God, I don't want this. If I could, I'd crush it like a cinder beneath my boot."

The potential of sweet natured, sunny, beautiful Cassandra Ravenel being paired with mercurial, anti-hero, emotionally stunted hyper-intelligent railway magnate Tom Severin gave me hardcore Poppy and Harry vibes from Tempt Me at Twilight so clearly my expectations at the yummy angsty potential was through the roof already. Like omg give it to me good! However, this was much softer and lighter in story and delivery. Which is totally fine. But I wanted and expected more, especially from the hero Tom who I felt Kleypas treated with kiddy gloves. He wasn't as intense or complex as I was hoping and expecting he would be. And I don't want to compare but he fell a little short next to Harry Rutledge for me as far as intensity and depth. For a high functioning sociopath (as Kleypas herself described him), I found Tom pretty humorous and quick to show his feelings which surprised me the most and felt a little inconsistent in how he carries himself and how he labels himself. The scene where he's begging Devon to let him marry Cassandra was hilarious in how relentless and literal he was but also an example of what I mean. He supposedly only lets himself feel 3 emotions and yet he's very quick to feeling all the emotions when it comes to Cassandra and quite fast which kind of cut the tension off rather quickly. This was literally love-at-first sight with the opening scene being when Tom sees Cassandra for the first time. And it fell a little short for me if I'm being honest. I guess my biggest problem was this book very much read like a novella, with the lower page count of not even 300 pages and a plot that is quick and easy and skips over months here and there with the couple having quick brief moments together then being apart for reasons I didn't really love. I was expecting the marriage of convenience to happen much sooner in this for one thing. I felt too much time was spent and wasted on our leads courting others and pining over each other from a distance until a scandal forces their hand at the 80% mark. I thought that happened too late considering how little time we got to see Cassandra and Tom spend time together. But I thought their marriage "negotiation" scenes were adorable and hilarious. Lisa Kleypas really knows how to charm you with her pen.

"We'd better start negotiating," he said raggedly. "The first issue is how much time you'll want to spend with me."
"All of it," Cassandra said, and sought his lips again.
Tom chuckled. "I would. I...oh, you're so sweet...no, I'm...God. It's time to stop. Really." He crushed his mouth against her hair to avoid her kisses. "You're about to be deflowered in the library."
"Didn't that already happen?" she asked, and felt the shape of his smile.

And I have to say as much as I enjoyed little Basil I thought his role in this book and the ready-made family near the end was unnecessary and forced. I don't know why Lisa seems so hung up on Orphan tropes suddenly but I really need her to let that angle go. This is the second book in this series that she pulled this and I just find it really annoying. Unlike in Helen's book, this didn't detract from my enjoyment here, namely because he's not foisted on you like an unpleasant surprise but it's still a personal pet peeve of mine. I actually enjoyed Basil but the ending felt very contrived because we didn't get to see the relationship fully develop on page between Tom and Basil for this kid to be calling him Papa (and Cassandra Mama -_-) in the end with Cassandra strong arming Tom into making him part of the family. He's a child, not a puppy. Yes orphaned children deserve a loving home and parents but it's not as easy and quick as Kleypas made out to be here. It felt very rushed and not needed. It almost felt like it was thrown in to get an emotional response from readers. Why the instant family? Couldn't Tom just be Basil's guardian for now and the child decides when he grows up what he wants? That to me would have felt more realistic and believable than this. Cassandra forcing the issue just felt very gimmicky for me. I understood the ties this had to Tom's own tragic childhood but again, Kleypas barely touched the surface on that beat till the very end. Just everything in this oddly felt and read like a novella rather than a full length novel and I just wanted and was expecting more. I felt there were a lot of emotional beats that were breezed over or not even touched on. There was a lot of untapped potential with this couple.

“There are no limits to what I would do for you”

That all I being said, this still was a easy lovely read. This was by no means a bad book. This just suffered from extremely high expectations on my part. I still zoomed through this one quickly and not being able to put it down which is high compliment to Kleypas's skill. Lisa’s witty humor doesn't miss a step here and there were a few moments that made me giggle out loud. Her hand at humor is so natural and never feels labored.

"My wife expects me to join her upstairs for a nap."
"How could a grown man sleep in the middle of the day? Why would you even want to?"
"I wasn't planning to sleep," Devon said curtly.
"Oh. Well, I would like to have my own wife to nap with. In fact, I'd like some good, hard napping on a regular basis."



"I arrive at the office no later than half past eight. Working London keeps different hours than aristocratic London."
"I'll awaken as early as necessary," Cassandra said.
"You may not find it worth the effort."
"Why? Are you grumpy in the morning?"
"No, but I wake up on the go. I don't like to linger over breakfast."
"You must not be doing it right. Lingering is lovely. I do it all the time." She stretched her arms and shoulder, and arched her sore upper back, her breasts lifting with the motion.
Tom stared at her, mesmerized. "I might stay just to watch you linger."

Also love that the cover model is barefoot, I thought that was a very cute nod to that scene with her missing shoe. Cute story with an adorable couple and low angst.

[Pavlina Read more sleep less blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️5 STARS ❤️

Can I say how much I loved it? I freaking loved every minute of it, I devour it.I was hooked and mesmerized from the beginning and I just couldn't get enough of Tom and Cassandra!



Tom was such an interesting character and Cassandra so lovely and sweet.My heart was aching and I love the connection they have.They are opposites but somehow they have what the other needed.

This series is a must read, and so far Marrying Winterborne was my top favorite but no not anymore.This one is the top and the top for this year too!I highly recommend it!If you are looking for a heartwarming historical romance with characters that will rock your world this is what you need!

 

  

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a book that really doesn't involve much of a plot at all if you think about it, I greatly enjoyed this. The Revenels series has been more 'miss' than 'hit' for me, with book #2 Marrying Winterborne really being the only one I would recommend, but now I can say this one makes the cut too!

If you have read Kleypas' Hathaways series (my personal favorite) you might be expecting more of a Poppy/Harry situation based on this book's blurb - where the hero finagles his way into marrying the heroine but he then still has to win over her affections. However, the blurb is completely misleading and really this romance is almost nothing like that at all.

Also, when you start reading this book you might initially be horrified by how quickly the hero falls in love/lust with the heroine. It happens immediately upon meeting her, and I wanted to in turn immediately put the book down because it was so off putting. I am happy to tell you that despite how awkward that first scene is, the couple actually does develop a relationship in a believable way and it doesn't involve insta-love at all. Thankfully!

OH! One more thing - the hero of this book is described in a way that seemingly might be interpreted as him being on the autism spectrum (it's noted early on by one character that he doesn't look people in the eyes, he himself thinks he only has a set number of emotions, he has a hard time seeing 'the big picture' in fictional and in real life relationships, he either doesn't understand or simply ignores some societal rules/standards). And yet it also seems like the author perhaps changed her mind or decided to scale it back during editing because the vast majority of the time the hero is described in a way where he has no quirks at all and is even given a backstory to help explain away some of his emotional distancing of others. So I am not sure what to make of his character, but take from that what you will.

And now I feel like I nitpicked this book to death, but really I did enjoy it which was a pleasant surprise because the new releases of some of my other favorite historical romance novel authors lately have all been huge disappointments.

[Hannah B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Bazzle, you’re my boy. No one takes you away from me. No one.” Excuse me I’m going to go die now.

*sobs*

Tom Severin is such a babe I really can’t get over anything I read in this book. It wrecked my peace. Historically, whenever a grown man interacts with a child (especially wards or ones they later adopt) I lose all of my shit.

Also when Justin called West dad???? UNWELL

Also he read books bc she told him to even tho he was like ew books he kept doing it!!! And their wedding contract bargaining scene was perfect

[Lacey (laceybooklovers) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been on such a Lisa Kleypas roll lately. First, I read Again the Magic and it blew my mind. Then, of course, after I read that I HAD to read Marcus' book, It Happened One Autumn. Next I ended up rereading Devil in Winter and then finally read the final Wallflowers book for the first time. I made it halfway through before the ARC of Chasing Cassandra landed on my kindle and I had to drop everything to start it.

I absolutely adore the Ravenels series – not quite as much as the Hathaways when it comes to family sagas from LK, but I love it nonetheless. With Chasing Cassandra we get the last and final Ravenel family member getting her HEA with a man who will do anything to have her. Tom Severin has been mentioned in a few previous books as the friend of West and Winterborne. He's made a fortune for himself as a railroad mogul – in this case, he reminded me so much of Winterborne with his rags to riches story, and also Harry Rutledge from Tempt Me At Twilight. Both Tom and Harry are obsessed with their heroines right from the get-go, worshipping them and willing to do anything to have them. Tom also does not believe in love, thinking that he's incapable of feeling it or of receiving it. But meeting Cassandra changes everything for him. Not only does he desperately want her for his wife, he's feeling new emotions like *gasp* love for the very first time.

"Perfection is impossible. Most mathematical truths can't be proved. The vast majority of mathematical relations can't be known. But you... standing here in your bare feet in that dress... you're perfect."

I LOVED getting to know Tom and Cassandra. Tom first comes across as very robotic – logical, cold, ruthless, and unemotional. But with each tender interaction he has with Cassandra, we see him opening his heart to not just her but the whole Ravenel family, which made MY heart so incredibly happy. I loved seeing his character develop in such a lovely way. Cassandra is the Ravenel that we honestly saw the least of. I didn't know much about her other than the fact that she was Pandora's twin. But the more I read of her, the more I loved her character too. She's such a sweet and headstrong young woman. All she wants is to find love and have a family of her own, basically the complete opposite of her sister, but that's okay too. She knows she's found a once-in-a-lifetime with Tom and she's not willing to accept anything but his whole heart.

"Nothing has been exciting or satisfying for years. With you, though, everything is new. All I want is to be with you."

The blurb hints that this is a marriage of convenience, and while there is one, the story doesn't really revolve around that and it doesn't happen until much later in the book. Mostly, it's Tom being ridiculously loving and tender to Cassandra without him even realizing it. I was SWOONING over all the heart-stopping things he says. Their chemistry is fantastic. I just loved their developing relationship so, so much!

When I finished this book, I honestly didn't even realize it was the final book until I started writing this review. Now I'm feeling bittersweet. While I would've loved an epilogue to wrap up the Ravenel family, I still was happy with how CC ended. It's an emotional, heartwarming book that you don't want to miss if you love Lisa Kleypas. All I can say now is PLEASE give us a new family series to obsess over (like the Marsden children)!

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC provided by NetGalley and Edelweiss in Exchange for an honest review.

Magical.
Sweet.
Romantic.
Just some of the words that describe this Historical Romance.

Well I've been processing and just relishing in the aftermath of finishing this wonderful book. I've been wrestling with how I wanted to write my review for this. I'm going change things up as I don't want to give too much away. So this will be a little different from my normal reviews.

Characters, both were wonderful!!!!!

Tom Severin was complex and evolved into this wonderful character. He's very intelligent, logical and somewhat eccentric. No warm and fuzzies for him. He's very wealthy and creative. People relationships and emotions, foriegn to Tom.

Cassandra was sweet, loving and strong. She had a tender heart and just wanted a family of her own to love (I can so relate to that).Quick side note. I loved that LK wrote a heroine that wanted a normal life as a wife and mother. It's a nice and refreshing change. She also wanted love for herself but was finding that no man she had met really attracted or pulled at her emotions. She loved her family!!! She also had a desire to help those in need.

The story line is well done. We open with how Severin and Cassandra meet. It was so cute and Severin just melted my heart and also made me smile.

We have several "meetings". What I mean is as the story unfolds we have situations were the two are thrown together and what transpires is sweet, heartfelt and romantic.

Without giving too much away I want to say that several touched me.
Severin working on something that malfunctioned and Cassandra helping him. Tender.
The two and their dance can I just say DREAMY and LOVELY and CHEMISTRY!!!
And Severin takes a orphan boy under his wings and a scene when the two of them help the little guy is funny and sweet as well.
Severin being a night in shining armor for Cassandra when she needed him the most. Beautiful!!
Cassandra stands up for Severin against her family. You go girl.
And then the "negotiations" and "contract" the two made for their marriage. Loved that, heart warming and funny.

Okay maybe it was more than several that I shared. But really I loved the development of their relationship. The multi layers of Severin, his thought process and him getting in touch with his feelings was so well done and beautiful too. And Cassandra and her tender and loving heart. Her determination to not settle for anything but love. And how she dealt with Severin and melted his heart was perfect.

I loved the family dynamics and seeing everyone again. Loved the protectiveness of Devin and West. But yet in the end trusted Cassandra as well as seeing the change in Tom.

This was a beautiful end to this series. I found it to be the most romantic and second in line was Marrying Winterborne.

I hope we see another series. The Marsden brood PLEASE!!!

Highly recommended.

[aarya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm. The Ravenel series hasn't really worked for me (with the exception of my enjoyment for Devil in Spring and Devil's Daughter, I've either been ambivalent or actively disliked the other books). This is firmly in the middle of the pack: not terrible, but not Kleypas's best either. You'll likely enjoy it if you're an LK fan.

1) There's no substantial conflict. I guess Cassandra wants to marry for love and Severin denies the existence of love despite falling in love with her the second he sees her. This is the whole book. I'm not saying this is bad; I'm just impressed by how little external plot there actually was.

2) The book is decent when they're together and boring when they're not. I have zero interest in Severin's business dealings. I'm also amused that the book goes out of its way to villainize a secondary character for corrupt business dealings when Severin happily admits to political bribery and other dastardly acts. Look, you can't say that one person is bad for doing X when the hero is equally bad in ways you don't ever explore. I'd like to point out that in the final 5% of the book, the hero is ready to evict the residents of a slum until the heroine appeals to his better nature. It was interesting how the book explicitly points out that businessman Severin has done/will do a lot of bad things, but never bothers to interrogate said actions. That's a shame because I would've liked to read that book.

The reason why Devil in Winter works is because St. Vincent spends most of the book atoning for his evil deeds and becoming a better person. Severin is perhaps a fair employer, but there is ample textual evidence showing some not-as-great business decisions. That slum conversation happened in the end (95% marker per my kindle). What, am I supposed to be happy that Severin needs Cassandra as a moral compass to guide him through every business decision? The answer is no.

3) It's not a good look when 1) the heroine is described as plump and has major self-esteem issues related to her appearance and 2) the cover does not accurately reflect this description. Do better, Avon.

4) The part I liked the most is the “fallout to Cassandra’s reputation after someone told lies about her.” Not going into spoilers but I appreciated how the entire situation was handled. Definitely my fave part of the book.

5) Look, it's Kleypas. I like her writing and the characters' chemistry even if parts of the book don't work. Chasing Cassandra is fine; I just don't think it's great. This is a C if I had to convert into a letter grade.

Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Addie · Rating 4 out of 5]

On Kindle sale today Aug 16th 2021 for USD 0.99

Tropes: Spinster/Wallflower, Best friend’s sibling-ish, Marriage of Convenience, Opposites Attract, Unrequited Love, Unstarched (him)



This is basically a book about two people who are adorably gaga over each other but have different expectations from a relationship so while their hearts are committed, their brains keep them apart.

And this is Tom’s book, not Cassandra’s. He is the more complex and damaged character, so for the sake of the book more interesting. She unfortunately pales in comparison.

*****
- “I would be glad to call you a friend, Mr. Severin. But I’m afraid marriage will never be a possibility. We don’t suit. I could please you only in the most superficial ways.”
“I would be happy with that,” he said. “Superficial relationships are my favorite kind.”
*****

Tom claims he only has 5 emotions, all others have been discarded, repressed or ignored.

- Everyone here seemed genuinely happy, which Tom found both annoying and somewhat mystifying. It was as if they all knew some secret that had been kept from him.

- As Tom saw West’s expression, he said with a touch of defensiveness, “You know I’ve never been one of those sentimental fellows.”
“You mean the ones with actual human emotions?” West asked acidly.
“I have emotions.” Tom paused. “When I want to.”

- “You’ve always been fair. That’s why I’m asking you to tell Lady Cassandra about my good qualities as well as the bad ones.”
“What good qualities?” West inquired sharply.
Tom had to think for a moment. “How rich I am?” he suggested.

- No one—least of all Tom—had doubted that he would someday become an extraordinarily successful businessman. Whether he was successful as a human being, however, was still open to question.

- “Can people marry without love? Of course. Are we able to produce offspring without it? Obviously. But we pretend to believe in this mythical, floaty thing no one can hear, see, or touch, when the truth is, love’s nothing but an artificial value we assign to a relationship. People make irrational decisions for the sake of love. Some even die for it. I’m far happier without it.”



But Cassandra does strange and mystical things to Tom, and he finds himself acting weirdly out of character.

- Tom wasn’t sure what to say, only that he couldn’t let her leave thinking she was anything less than perfect, exactly as she was. “You’re not too plump,” he said gruffly. “The more of you there is in the world, the better.”

- His heart writhed and struggled like some live thing he’d just trapped inside a dresser drawer.

- “You’re trying to appear as harmless as a lamb. But we both know you’re not.”
“I have lamblike moments,” Tom said. At her dubious glance, he insisted, “I’m having one right now. I’m one hundred percent lamb.”



But these emotions frighten Tom away like a scaredy-cat.

- From one moment to the next, Cassandra had gone from being an object of desire to a liability he couldn’t allow. She posed a danger to him, something new and strange, and he wanted none of it. No one could ever have that kind of power over him.

- (Tom) “But nothing will come of it. Trenear thought it was a bad idea, and I couldn’t agree more.”
In a neutral tone, Winterborne said, “The interest wasn’t only on your side.”
The statement sent a quick, sharp thrill down to the pit of Tom’s stomach.



But resistance is futile.

- “Do you really want to be friends?” His voice had softened into dark velvet.
“Yes,” she managed to say.
“No, you don’t.”
In the electric silence, he drew closer, his face right over hers, and her heart thundered as she felt the warm waft of his breath against her chin.

- “This is why we can’t be friends,” came his rough whisper. “I want this every time I see you. The taste of you . . . the feel of you in my arms. I can’t look at you without thinking of you as mine. The first time I saw you—” He broke off, his jaw hardening. “My God, I don’t want this. If I could, I’d crush it like a cinder beneath my boot.”

- “I’ll never be able to forget this,” she heard Tom say eventually. He sounded far from pleased by the fact. “I’ll have to go a lifetime with you lurking in my head.”
Cassandra wanted to offer reassurance, but trying to think was like wading through a pool of honey. “You’ll find someone else,” she finally said, her voice not quite her own.
“Yes,” he said vehemently. “But it won’t be you.”



*****

It’s not perfect, there lacks a proper major hurdle, and it gets a little old reading about these men who are so terrified and immature about their emotions. But I swallowed it whole and came out super pleased.

- What if Tom’s heart wasn’t frozen after all? What if it were merely guarded . . . so guarded that it had become a prison?



Solid 4 stars

[Vintage · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a silly nutshell, this is the Grinch romance where the hero’s heart grows because of his Cindy Lou heroine.

Hero


Heroine


I digress. First, I want to say, "Yes, read this! It's Lisa Kleypas."

I have to say that I have incredibly high standards for Lisa Kleypas, and Chasing Cassandra did not meet four stars for me. That said, if you like historical, LK, or great writing then this is a must read. The problem for me was it like felt some of the story and characters seemed a little rushed.

Tom is the hunky and smart H who can only identify five emotions and doesn’t believe in love. He does believe in money and technology. Cassandra is the gorgeous fey twin of troublemaking Pandora. She’s gorgeous and sweet and quirky etc and so forth.

Twisting away from him, Cassandra said irritably, “You may not know this, but talking about mathematics eliminates any possibility of being kissed in the first place.”

In many ways, this is a recycled version of Tempt Me at Twilight with Poppy and the emotionally shutdown Harry. Calling it recycled is a lot harsher than I mean, but there are a lot of similarities between the characters.

Tom is insanely attracted to Cassandra but pushes her away as she makes him feel things he doesn’t want to feel and he goes off and makes more money and contemplates a true MOC.

Being a practical girl, Cassandra gets miffed but doesn’t pine. She ends up seeing a true cad who when rejected takes it to the mattresses Victorian style, and poor Cassandra is branded a flirting hussy in the scandal rags. Tom steps in to save the day in every way and they get married.

Where it fell flat for me is the lack of background and detail. We hear about Tom’s estrangement with his mother and distant contact with his sisters and that is that. There is the appearance of retribution for the scandal mongering evil OM then that is that. I wanted to see the collective Ravenel and St. Vincent men get their revenge!

Some of the characters from other Ravenel books make an appearance, but Kleypas keeps the action to this generation.

Despite really enjoying this and it being beautifully written,

Her insides were in a tumult, like birds darting and crisscrossing in flight.

just needed more of the layers that LK can bring to a story.

[Starr (AKA Starrfish) Rivers · Rating 4 out of 5]

LK still got it!

I always like a HR about a working businessman, esp if they have a “frozen heart” and high IQ, to the point of genius.

Tom was lovely. Cassandra wasn’t bad either. Why not 5 stars? It was a bit slow at times. And the feelings it evoked in me weren’t very intense, tho pleasant. These days I only like intense books, either outright laughter, ugly crying, heart hurting, throat souring, SOME STRONG EMOTION.

This was a pleasant book. Good writing. Mature writing. The sex wasn’t as “bland” as I was led to believe by some GR friends 😜 sure there wasn’t much of it, but still, pretty heartfelt albeit slightly surgical sex scenes... labia etc.

It’s just the lack of strong emotions in the end. But this book redeems my faith in LK.

[Mo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 but couldn't meet the 4 or 5 star mark ... (maybe I should mention that I started reading and also got the audible version ... the audible drove me a bit nuts ... did not enjoy the narrator at all! Maybe that coloured my judgement - might have been a higher rating if I had just stuck to reading it ...). I know I will be in the minority here but don't let my review deter you from reading it ... I bet most of you will absolutely love it. You know me, I can be such a cranky arse at times!!

This is book 6 and I suppose my average rating for the previous 5 books is 4.5 (some were 4 stars, some were 5, one was 3 stars). Tom Severin was a "commoner" - I love to see these "men of the lower classes" integrate themselves into the lives and lifestyles of the Ton. And why shouldn't they? You don't have to have a "Lord", "Sir" or "Lady" in front of your name to be a better person ...


Tom was working class ... and proud of it. I loved Tom but maybe my expectations were too high for this book and his story ... it started off great but it sort of fizzled out for me!

Men like Severin and Winterborne were common born but had made their own fortunes.

He was steaming in the residual heat from the range ... the fine linen of his shirt clinging to his hard-muscled back.

Cassandra was inwardly amused by his discomfort at being less than perfectly attired and groomed in front of her. She actually preferred him like this, all disheveled and unguarded.

The cover of the book is beautiful, but ...

... why put a lovely, slim girl on the cover and then talk about how "fat" or "overweight" she is in the actual book? She couldn't wait to loosen her corset or untie her stays ... even her shoes were too tight on her. I know authors don't get a say on every aspect of the printing of the books but I just thought the "fat-shaming" was a bit much in the book ...

I know I might be nit-picking but, as I said, I had high expectations ... especially as this is probably the last in the series.

"There are no limits to what I would do for you."

Tom was great but there was something missing ... honestly, I don't know what it was. As I said, it sort of went downhill in the second half of the book for me ...



I wish I could have loved this book more. I still love Ms. Kleypas and her books and will continue to read them. Maybe my motto should be "lower the expectations". I had one other little gripe too but I will refrain from mentioning it!

[Sara Reads (mostly) Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

9/13 Edit: I actually read this book when it came out, but I was going through a hard time so I didn't get around to reviewing till now.

In true Lisa Kleypas style, with a jaded almost sociopathic hero and a sweet and understanding heroine, this book was unsurprisingly pleasant, if not a bit predictable. The thing is, I'm not a huge fan of the 'sociopath hero who doesn't have a heart' trope. I read a lot of books with the trope but that's because most historical romances have that trope. Thankfully this was not as extreme as tempt me at twilight in the hathaway series - I really hated Harry lol and in my opinion he didn't really redeem himself. he stayed jealous and unable to communicate till the last two pages.

Tom was a much more likable hero. He wasn't as shrewd or calculated and was completely charmed and infatuated by Cassandra. Whenever he would do something for her, he didn't do it entirely for his own gain, he actually did it for her feelings. His heart really was thawing as he saw that there was more to life than money and power, and it was genuinely showed rather than simply said (unlike harry in TMAT). This series is excellent so far. I think each hero and each heroine are unique.

But Lisa Kleypas definitely got a thing for finance bros tho 😂😂😂

8/2 HOLY MOLY THAT COVER IS BEEAAUUTIFULLLL
OHhhOOhhhHH MY GoOODDdDD ITS OUT THE BLURB IS OUT BRB CRYING AND FREAKING THE EVERLIVING FUCK OUT AAAAAJJJHHHH


^^accurate visual of me right now

oh gosh oh gosh people I cant believe i have to wait another year for this one UGGHHH I LOVE PLOTS LIKE THESE WHERE HE'S A HORRIBLE PERSON AND SHE CHANGES HIM AND FORCES HIM TO LOOK AT HIS FEELINGS I NEED THIS I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS BOOK SINCE MARRYING WINTERBOURNE AND I FUCKING. NEED. IT. NOWWWWW

OKDFWKJN

Y'ALL IM LEGIT CRYING I JUST REALLY FUCKING WANT TO READ THIS BOOK. SHIT. LKDFHWLKEFJWE

STAY TUNED FOR MORE ERRATIC FREAKING OUT OVER THE NEXT YEAR WHILE I PATIENTLY WAIT...

[peachygirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted more of Tom's quirks dammit!
Kleypas could have easily written another 100 pages without boring the readers, maybe about Cassandra making Severin comfortable with more than just 5 emotions "in detail" and Tom's tentative relationship with Basil. Atleast a couple more pig songs would have been better.
Even the previous book was kind of abrupt, without LK's trademark mushy epilogue.
Definitely worth a read though.

[Colette · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars...

“Are there any important questions left? I’ve already spent too many days of my life without you, Cassandra.” Tom Severin seemingly has everything he would ever need. He has more money than he can spend in his lifetime, surely he should be happy with everything that he has achieved…and yet nothing seems to give him satisfaction. That is until he sets his sight on the last unmarried Ravenel sister, Lady Cassandra. From the moment he sees Cassandra, he decides that she must be his wife. Determination is something that Tom has and what he wants, he always gets. Unfortunately for Tom, the object of his desires is equally determined to marry someone she could grow to love and someone who would love her right back. A marriage that Tom can’t give her. Although mutually attracted to each other, it was obvious that what they wanted in a marriage differs and so they part ways. But when a suitor puts Lady Cassandra’s reputation in tatters, the only man that could save her is the one man she knows she should never marry; Tom Severin. Maybe, just maybe, a marriage between a couple who seem utterly mismatched can blossom into something more…something that resembles one thing Tom swore he could never give: Love.

Chasing Cassandra is the sixth installment in Lisa Kleypas’ Historical Romance series, The Ravenels. This book tells the story of Tom Severin and Lady Cassandra Ravenel. I know, here I go again reading series out of order but it’s just the way I am. I read Marrying Winterborne earlier this month and Tom Severin was someone who piqued my curiosity. Right there and then, I decided that I would probably read his book next. Does it stand alone? It does quite well on its own but I think it would be more enjoyable when one sees these characters through the perspective of others. I wish I could read in order so I could see these character’s growth and get to know them better. I would probably read more from the series though. Not now but soon. I had such high hopes for this one.

Meet Lady Cassandra Ravenel: She is a daughter of an Earl. She has a twin sister, Lady Pandora. Like the usual daughter of nobility, she does handiwork, she could paint and sketch a little, she loves reading books and taking naps. According to her, she has no special talents nor grand ambition. But she does dream of marrying someone who she could love and in time would come to love her, and to have her own family.

Meet Tom Severin: He is a railway magnate. He has many other businesses, I can’t name them all. All I know is that he is rich…richer than Winterborne? According to his acquaintances, he is a genius but he denies the claims. He likes trains, ships, machines and all that engineering stuff. He does not like sentiment or romance. He only has five feelings, or so he believes. There are many adjectives to describe him but they all contradict each other. He is generous and helpful, and yet he could be ruthless.

When Lady Pandora Ravenel finally got married, Lady Cassandra was left feeling dejected. She is happy for her twin sister and yet there is a twinge of jealousy and uncertainty. Cassandra rejected all five proposals during her first season and if she fails to tie the knot after her second season, then it would do her no good. The ton would say she’s too picky. It was during the discussion of this with her cousin, West Ravenel, that Tom Severin caught them off guard by offering to be her oyster…to marry her. And yet, she knows that Tom can’t give her the one thing she dreams of. From then on, the two formed an on and off friendship knowing that they shouldn’t marry each other. But when Cassandra’s reputation suffers from the hands of a cruel lord, Tom Severin shows her exactly just what he would do to ensure her safety and reputation is intact. And when he offers marriage yet again…she couldn’t deny the both of them this new opportunity.

I have no strong feelings for the heroine. I guess I can say that I liked her well enough. I just feel like I didn’t really know her, but it’s probably my fault because I did not read the series in order as the author intended. She was a good person, that much is true. She had philanthropic tendencies. She was pretty chill. According to her she has gained weight which makes her a bit insecure, though I couldn’t picture exactly how she looked. She had times when she compared her traits to Pandora, and I don’t know the difference because I didn’t read Pandora’s book. I just had no clear picture of who Cassandra is and when that happens, I can’t really love someone I don’t know, right? Everybody seems to love this book so I might be missing something! She was adamant of not wanting to marry Tom and like, okay girl, we get it. At some point it got annoying because based on the blurb, I thought the marriage between the two would occur earlier in the book. Very misleading synopsis. I’ve read a review saying they loved how Cassandra was patient about Severin’s lack of emotions, so I was disappointed when that patience only occurred after they were married which was like around 70-80%? I was expecting more…I don’t understand what motivates her character. I hate to say this but she was a bit bland so I am a bit confused as to why Tom was head over heels in love / obsessed with her. I think out of all the Kleypas heroines, I liked Annabelle best because I understood her motivations and what she needed to do so I was rooting for her. In here, I just couldn’t grasp what she wanted or who she was so I had a bit of a tough time trying to get to know her and to be as fascinated with her as Tom was. I think she was just a vessel for Tom’s growth. She was okay, but just overall uninteresting as an individual character. But that’s just my opinion.

I had such high hopes for Tom Severin. Out of all the Hs in the series (Excluding Winterborne), he was the most interesting or rather, sounded like the most interesting H because everyone’s view of him was contradictory. One couldn’t be too sure if he was a friend or a foe because he’s not scared of taking an opportunity when it arises, even if it means fucking his friends over. To him, it’s a game which is why he probably doesn’t see anything wrong with what he does. This man had such dry humour. He was so funny and somehow relatable. I really wanted to know more about this railway magnate. Who is he really? Throughout the book, I noticed so many things about him that could allude to Tom being on the autism spectrum, though I am no expert in such matters. Lisa Kleypas didn’t mention anything about it in her author’s note, so I don’t know if it was intentional or not. As an individual character, Tom was good and quite interesting. I liked that he knew his importance and how superior he actually was. I love arrogant characters! Like good for you that you actually know your worth. It also helped that he was really smart. I like my men smart so Tom was really hitting all the right spots. I liked how he wasn’t a rake or libertine, and I particularly loved what he said regarding this matter, that those monikers are for blue-blooded boys with trust funds. He was so right! He was ready for marriage too, which was a plus point. Although he wasn’t ready for emotions. But I think what I loved most about him is his thing wherein he apparently only had “five feelings” because it’s hard to manage. He was so relatable in that aspect. I, too, have a hard time managing my feelings. He also has many great lines that I find myself agreeing with although I know they’re supposed to be proven wrong. But he has made many great points that I was nodding along and agreeing with as I read. He was kind too, so that’s always a plus point. All in all, as an individual character, he was pretty interesting! Now as the H of the story, he was great! He was obsessive but not to the point where it’s creepy, and to mention what he did for Cassandra! What a gesture! He surely had it bad for her. I didn’t really see how he chased Cassandra though. He didn’t. Sure when the opportunity arose, he didn’t let it slip away but he wasn’t full on chasing her. But he was a great interesting individual character and a good hero who you know is totally devoted to the heroine. I like it that way! However, I was pretty disappointed in the development of his character in the end. I didn’t really see what pushed the realization of his love for Cassandra, it was so random and I wasn’t really sold on their love for each other. I wanted to understand why this great man was obsessed with Cassandra and I couldn’t see it so I was dissatisfied. I really liked Tom and I am disappointed that I did not end up loving him as much as I expected I would! He carried this book but I wasn’t head over heels in love with him…which is rather unfortunate.

Like I have mentioned, the blurb on Goodreads is somehow misleading. If you read this and expect an MOC early on in the book, you’d be disappointed. There is the part in the blurb “The chase for Cassandra’s hand may be over. But the chase for her heart has only just begun . . .” which made me unnecessarily anxious waiting for this to happen. I thought she would be very reluctant to give him her heart, I’m glad she wasn’t but that part made me all nervous thinking that would be how things would go!

There were so many time jumps. I didn’t know what to feel about it. For a book titled “Chasing Cassandra” they sure as hell just let each other go very easily, and if it weren’t for Cassandra’s ruined reputation, which happens at around 60%, things wouldn’t have progressed between the two. Don’t get me wrong, the writing flowed well but I realize how little time these two characters actually spent with each other. There were so many unnecessary scenes that could’ve been utilized instead to show the gradual progress of their relationship. With so many time skips, I wasn’t sure how Tom stayed obsessed with Cassandra. He didn’t really know her. They didn’t really share anything special except for when he caught her crying and when she helped him fix whatever was wrong in the Ravenel house. And after that, they spent so much time away from each other and only seeing each other by chance. As much as I liked Tom’s grand gesture for Cassandra, I don’t really see any plausible reason as to why he would do that for her when she literally made it clear she didn’t want to marry him. They seem to be just fine without each other and if that scandal didn’t happen, they wouldn’t have married. Doesn’t seem like a good foundation for a relationship, especially because it occurs in the middle. At that point, I was just waiting to see how their relationship would develop into something more believable. Something I could root for.

This might be a controversial opinion but I don’t really like the Ravenel family thus far. I find both Devon and West Ravenel to be judgmental prigs who are both too overprotective, I’m sure it was supposed to show how much they care for Cassandra but they just came off as big assholes. They annoyed me big time. But I am willing to give their respective books a try and hope that it will change my opinions regarding them. And if I end up loving them, then this observation of mine is embarrassing. But Devon Ravenel has been getting on my nerves since Winterborne’s book. Is he any better in his own story? I noticed that the offsprings of St Vincent or rather Kingston and Westcliff are mentioned in this book and even have their own stories, and I was wondering about Annabelle / Simon and Daisy / Matthew’s children. Were any of them mentioned in other books? I’d be interested to read a series about them. Also, the use of characters and disposal of them when they have no use anymore is abrupt. What happened to Lady Berwick? I wonder about what her reaction would be regarding Cassandra's engagement to Tom since she is surely against it. What happened to the viscount’s daughter that Tom escorted? After the argument regarding Cassandra, I guess it was over. And the Lord Foxhall mentions… Lisa Kleypas is getting us all excited and for what? Will she even write their books?

Since the boy Basil appeared at the beginning, I had a feeling that he was going to be important and I was right. I seem to notice that Kleypas has a tendency to include children in her books and I’m not sure how I feel about it. But since Basil was adorable, I quickly fell in love with him and was okay with what happened at the end. His relationship with Tom and Cassandra is perhaps one of the nice things about this book. It showed Tom’s strength to love and Cassandra’s goodness. And of course, one less homeless fictional child.

This book had low to no angst at all. I prefer angsty books because it keeps me invested. It is a good thing that even without it, Kleypas managed to keep my interest. Nothing really happened in the book. I did not feel any strong emotions but I don’t know if the book is to blame or me. I am depressed and nothing seems to satisfy me so I guess the fault falls on me. I wanted to love this book so much more than I did and I’m left feeling disappointed that I didn’t. Again, I don’t know if the problem is the book or me. I was really looking forward to Tom Severin’s story so I guess no one can blame me if I’m disappointed that it failed to deliver what I was hoping and looking for. When it ended, I was left wanting more….for the reason that it just did not satisfy me at all. But anyway…I’m giving this book four stars because it feels wrong to rate it less than that and I’m feeling generous. And I really liked Tom Severin! I was just disappointed with the execution of the story and perhaps even with the heroine.

Some quotes:

“For the first time in his life, Tom Severin was smitten. Smitten and slain. 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.”

“You’re not too plump,” he said gruffly. “The more of you there is in the world, the better.”

“There are no limits to what I would do for you.”

“Whatever my wife needs or desires of me,” he said with cool arrogance, “she’ll have it. I can arrange my schedule in any way I wish. I do as little or as much work as I want, go wherever I please, and stay or leave as it suits me. No one owns me or my time. That’s the point of being me.”

“Feelings are inconvenient,” Tom said. “It’s why I decided to limit mine to five. For most of my adult life, it’s been easy to keep to that. Then I met you. Now my feelings have multiplied like rabbits, and I seem to have nearly as many as normal people do. Which is too many. However . . . if a man with the average brain can manage all these feelings well enough to function efficiently, I, with my powerful and superior brain, can as well.”

[Astrid - The Bookish Sweet Tooth · Rating 5 out of 5]

TITLE: CHASING CASSANDRA
AUTHOR: Lisa Kleypas
SERIES: The Ravenels #6
RELEASE DATE: February 18, 2020
GENRE: Historical Romance
RATING: 5 STARS
CLIFFHANGER: No

READ MY REVIEW ON THE BLOG





When I met Tom Severin in this series I was so intrigued by his characterization. He came across a little cutthroat, cunning, opportunistic and a little manipulative and calculating. And he is all that to be sure but I felt that he wasn't born with these traits so I'm glad I finally found out what made him so. Tom's childhood wasn't the easiest but he made the best of it. When he meets Cassandra he is head over heels in lust but him being the man who has limited his emotional repertoire to five feelings total, he is positive that he can't offer what she deserves.

Cassandra is a woman who hides her quiet strength and backbone behind charm and sweetness. With her endearing personality she transforms Tom into the man he was supposed to be. And makes it look like it was his idea too. With her gentle force he learns that he actually has more than five emotions to offer and while he first is convinced that that love isn't part of his repertoire it shines through in every action. His protectiveness extends to a street urchin and I was moved by the way he softened toward Bazzle. There is so much more to this man than meets the eye and I feel like I'm not doing these characters and the story justice.

And there he stood, with his heart in his fist. What was the name of this feeling?

Charming and delightful banter is something you can always expect in a Lisa Kleypas romance and I ADORED the dialogues.

“You’re trying to appear as harmless as a lamb. But we both know you’re not.”
“I have lamblike moments,” Tom said. At her dubious glance, he insisted, “I’m having one right now. I’m one hundred percent lamb.”

I especially loved Tom's friendships with the Ravenels, Winterborne and St. Vincent. Their friendly ribbing was oh so funny and I was glad to see that all of them ultimately offered Tom the respect he deserved even though it may not have seemed that way at first.

As always this author captivates you with fabulous, lovable characters, there isn't much in the way of angst or drama but that's fine with me! I hope Ms Kleypas continues to write Historical Romance although I'm sure her Contemporary Romance is fantastic. The way she expresses the emotions of her characters, her words, her stories, they are just sublime and like a melody that settles in your heart.

“There are no limits to what I would do for you.”

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

My original review is missing so…
TLDR: Heartbreakingly romantic. Supremely satisfying read. Love her books and this one didn’t disappoint. The negotiation scenes between Cassandra and Tom were sweetly erotic.

[A Romance Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread January 6, 2022

I seriously love this book so much!!! Its one of my favorites by Lisa Kleypas.


Original review:

LOVED IT!!

I think this is my favorite one from the series. I am completely in love with Tom Severin. He and Cassandra are one of my favorite couples ever! I enjoyed this book so much and I am so sad that it ended.

One of my favorite reads not only of this year, but ever!

[Millie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“He had collected every smile of hers, every kiss, to hoard like a treasure chest of jewels.”




I need a fucking exorcism after that because what the fuck? How do you expect me to function in society after that? That’s the best book Lisa Kleypas ever wrote. Period.

Plot

Determined to marry for love, Cassandra turned down many proposals to the point she had to begin her second season in the marriage market. Lonely and depressed, Tom Severin, the train magnate and genius, offered for her hand at first glance. Everyone said they were ill-matched, that Tom Severin was too unfeeling, he said so himself that his heart was frozen. But Cassandra cannot help but feel a pull, a thrill, and a need to be with him. Tom… Well he’s becoming more obsessed with her by the second.





My thoughts

I finished this last night and I woke up daydreaming about them. It’s becoming a problem. This book has something magical to it. I can’t understand. I read every romantic line twice over. This easily became one of my favorite books. My fairytale. If you love this book, congratulations, you have been promoted as my best friend. I literally can’t function anymore. This book is my roman empire.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
According to basic geometry, one kiss could change your life.
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Every aspect of this literary gem exudes magic; from the prose that dances gracefully across the pages to the undeniable chemistry between its characters. Each word, each line, and each dialogue is infused with a profound love, radiating joy and dripping with the essence of romance. Each one breathes with a life of its own, their hearts beating in harmony with the rhythm of the story. Their interactions are a symphony of emotions, a ballet of souls entwined in the delicate threads of fate. I turned into a poet for this book. That’s what you feel when you fall in love. Yes, I fell completely, head over heels, in love with this book. Moonlight dances, secret kisses, silent longing... everything.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
But he couldn’t help feeling a primal pang of relief, his heartbeat settling into a satisfied rhythm … *Still mine … still mine*...
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

It is no secret Cassandra is Klepas’s least favorite character in this series, because she’s hardly in ANY OF THE OTHER BOOKS!!! Everyone else in the family made an appearance except her and I honestly cannot fathom why!!!! WHY LISA WHY?!?!?!



Lisa Kleypas wrote about Pandora, her twin, a lot more. Look, I get it, Pandora is quirky and weird, it’s fun. Pandora was written with “not like other girls” in mind. She’s written to be “different”. Cassandra, on the other hand was written to be like any other girl. Ordinary. She wasn’t quirky. She has concerns about her weight, she likes pretty shoes, and she thinks dances are fun. She wasn’t a wallflower and Kleypas held it against her. WELL HUGE MISTAKE, MADAM!



Cassandra has a kindness and love that is rare. She wasn’t spoiled like Pandora who looked down at people different than her. At one point in the book she even said to a suitor, “Every girl is worth asking,” 😭😭 She’s such a girl’s girl. Pandora could never. She’s so supportive and loving and… I can’t belive I even need to defend her. She is so lovable, okay? I will die on this hill, she is the best heroine in this series. Yes, she beat Helen for me. No, I won’t change my mind. Everyone else appeared in her book, but she didn’t appear anywhere in theirs. It is A CRIME. A CRIME I SAY!!!! Cassandra, you deserve the world.



Cassandra is nuanced. This was proved by the main conflict of this book. *spoiler* Cassandra was sexually assaulted, and her reaction is super realistic. She felt shame and numb. It felt like she couldn’t emote. She was helpless. She needed someone to understand her, and because she was no longer her twin’s other half, she felt alone. That is why Tom Severin, with all his obsession and affection for her works. He was so obsessed he’ll do anything for her, he talked to her so softly, comforted her and made her open up in a way no one could… it’s just….. I can’t people… I cried every time.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
“Not if your heart is frozen,” Cassandra said.
Mr. Severin grinned at that, and made no reply. But as they neared the last step, she heard his reflective, almost puzzled murmur.
“Actually … I think it just thawed a little.”
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Tom… AHHHH TOM SEVERIN!! He's... how do we say it... quirky. but I totally love him. He’s so unique and new. I mean him insisting on only having 5 feelings? Hilarious! Him panicking when he met Cassandra and his feeling multiplied like rabbits? Top comedy! The part where he kneeled down and did that engineering bit? I practically gave birth to his children right there.



Cassandra and Tom have instant chemistry!! INSTANT!! the scene where they danced in the moonlight with Cassandra barefoot? THAT is the most romantic scene I have ever read on paper.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
This was something she had never known but had always craved … to be enfolded, anchored, wanted … exactly like this.
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Severin took his sweet long ass time realizing his love, though. Usually I HATE this kind of tomfoolery. This time, however, I didn't mind waiting for Tom. You know why? Because I FELT his love through the pages ever since he met Cassandra for the first time. His adoration, his respect, his attention is a clear indications that he already loves her from the get-go. I didn't doubt his feeling, even though he claimed he will never love and he never actually said it until the last few pages. I wasn't anxious for him, never wondered if he loved her or not, never wondered if he would ever marry her. Because I KNOW he did and he would. *THAT* is the difference. I hate when heroes refuse to say their love and contemplate whether to leave the heroine. Tom Severin, however, said he won't love, but he proposed and wanted to stay close to her all the time, can't keep her hands off her. See the difference? So no worries and uncertainty there. Besides, I have every faith in him and his negotiation skills to get Cassandra.



I also love their brutal honesty with each other. They never really tried to hide the fact they liked each other. I mean, Tom Severin literally proposed to my girl Cassandra upon their first meeting. But their honesty with each other is not just that, it goes deeper; they're honest about everything. They share each other's past easily, they share their decisions easily, they just have that trust and honesty that are absent in Helen's book.

Some plot, like the one with the kid, wasn't really necessary but fine I guess. Tom Severin's realization for his love was kinda anti-climactic, but I was already in love with him by then so I figured what the hell! I do admit that the last hundred pages were slow, particularly after their honeymoon, but that didn't bother me much. Kleypas had to make up for Cassandra’s dissapearance so I’ll take hundreds of pages of needless fluff no problem.

What bothered me was the fact that after making Cassandra get cancelled by the ton, the villain didn't get properly annihilated. The medieval/scottish reader in me wanted to plunge the sword of Gryffindor through his anus with a rage of a thousand suns.



Conclusion

The best book Kleypas wrote. Without this book, the Ravenels would be a mediocre series. Yeah, I said it. In the realm of romance, this book reigns supreme. The tender moments shared between Cassandra and Tom stand as some of the most romantic scenes ever penned. Cassandra, far from the wallflower trope favored by Kleypas, is nuanced and dare I say it, better. She longed for love, and although Tom didn’t realise it at the start, he longed for it too. Tom, with his endearing quirks and massive obsession with Cassandra, embodies the epitome of a perfect hero.

Some parts were slow, but I didn’t mind. I thought it was fitting for them. Athough, I was mad that they didn't kill off the villain, but that’s unrealistic and everything else made up for that. Their love oozes my black heart.

[Viri · Rating 5 out of 5]

¡Hellousss!
Uff, oigan, siento que no escribo aquí una reseña 5 estrellas desde hace AÑOSSSS. Y bueno, ya les hice spoiler de mi calificación jaja pero este amor que traigo dentro no lo puedo contener. El caso es que les dejo mi opinión del sexto libro de la serie Ravenel de la queen Lisa Kleypas.
| MIS IMPRESIONES |

Bueno, antes de comenzar, debo sincerarme con ustedes y decirles que este en realidad no es un libro 5 estrellas. Digo, siendo objetiva por supuesto que no lo es porque hay algunas cosas que no terminaron de gustarme. Peeeero, en mi cora lo siento de 5 estrellas, así que es por eso mi calificación jajaja.

Creo que una de las certezas de este libro es centrarnos en la historia sin desarrollar diversas tramas que no se llegan a concluir y desarrollar perfectamente. En Chasing Cassandra, Lisa nos cuenta la historia de la menor de Los Ravenel, la más olvidada y dejada. Y no lo digo por decir, pues siento que es un personaje increíble, de hecho es de las que más me gustó en la serie. Pero también es un personaje desaprovechado. Aquí conocemos como es su vida a la caza de un marido y en busca de un amor apasionado, emocionante y que cala los huesos. Sinceramente es un poco decepcionante porque en cuanto al título no hay nada de caza y en cuanto a la sinopsis NO hay tampoco un matrimonio por conveniencia. Al menos así no fue como yo lo sentí.

Los personajes 

Sin lugar a dudas este libro es TOM SEVERIN. *suspiros de amor* No hay más, sin él no hay magia, no hay diversión, no hay seducción, no hay emociones, no hay NADA. Y es que es un personaje taaaan bien construido, tan inolvidable que simplemente tienen que conocerlo. 

Tom es un hombre inteligente y calculador, frío cuando hay que serlo, ambicioso y poderoso. Pero limitado en cuanto al corazón.

“I'm asking you to tell Lady Cassandra about my good qualities as well as the bad ones."
"What good qualities?" West inquired sharply.
Tom had to think for a moment. "How rich I am?”

Leyendo por ahí algunas reseñas me di cuenta que no fui la única que llegó a detectar algunas conductas del espectro autista y en momentos me recordaba MUCHÍSIMO a mi adorado Ian Mackenzie. Pero claro, Tom es sumamente diferente y carismático. No sé cómo describirlo bien porque para mí es perfecto jajaja.

“Feelings are inconvenient,” Tom said. “It’s why I decided to limit mine to five.

Y luego dice cada frase matadora qué ufffff 😍😍😍😍

“Perfection is impossible. Most mathematical truths can’t be proved. The vast majority of mathematical relations can’t be known. But you … standing here in your bare feet in that dress … you’re perfect.”

Cassandra por otro lado es la inigualable de las temporadas, una chica que cree en el amor porque lo ha vivido, pero que no llega a caer en ser ilusa y tontuela. Tiene aspiraciones y decisiones fuertes a pesar de su ternura. Es como ya dije, una de mis protagonistas favoritas en esta serie porque concordaba mucho con sus decisiones y apariciones. Le pasan cosas fuertes pero no es de esas que se la pasa llorando triste y deprimida.

“Hearts don't start out frozen," Cassandra said wisely. "Something happened to you."
Mr. Severin gave her a slightly mocking glance. "How do you know so much about the heart?"
"I've read novels-" Cassandra began earnestly, and was disgruntled to hear his quiet laugh. "Many of them. You don't think a person can learn things from reading novels?"

Los Ravenel también tienen su vela en este entierro y en cada aparición aportan algo bueno a la trama, el que más... mi querido West quien estoy segura fue mal aprovechado por la autora en su libro. Pues no puedo quitarme la sensación de que sus apariciones en cada libro de esta serie son las mejores y las más dinámicas y memorables de toooda la serie.

He kissed her for all the midnights and mornings they would never share. He kissed her with a tenderness he would never be able to express in words, and felt her response in his blood, as if her sweetness had sunk into his marrow.

¿Qué si me gustó?

He tratado de contener mi fangirleo en la reseña, porque Tom es un personaje que la deja sin palabras a uno. Y naturalmente estoy sumamente enamorada de él, de su carita, sus ojitos diferentes y sus comentarios punzantes y divertidos. LO AMO. LOCAMENTE CON LOCURA. Así que obviamente me ENCANTÓ el libro. Pero acá entre nos, hay partes donde los protagonistas están separados que me parecieron sumamente tediosas y desaprovechadas.

Si eres fan de Lisa este es un LK registrado, su pluma siempre es impresionante y nunca decepciona (tanto jajá) sin duda este es mi libro favorito de la serie, el más completo y mejor desarrollado para mí. Además, no se ustedes pero para mí, no se siente como final de serie, yo estoy casi segura de que Lisa va a continuar con los personajes de alguna forma.


....

¿Se merece las 5 estrellas?

Probablemente no, incluso si soy sincera conmigo misma diré que este no es el mejor libro de LK que he leído.

Hay muchas cosas que no me terminaron de convencer.

Pero todo se va al garete cuando pienso en la cantidad de veces que me la pasé sonriendo como tonta leyendo cada frase que salía de la boca de Tom.

Subrayando CADA MALDITA PÁGINA porque me enamoraba más a cada instante.

¿La historia las merece? No.

Pero ¿Las merece Tom? ABSOLUTA-MALDITAMENTE 😍

No puedo decir nada más ahora, lo amé, y leyendo algunas reseñas por aquí me agrada saber que no fui la única a la que le pasó por la mente el espectro autista.

Cassandra también estuvo genial y es de mis protagonistas preferidas en la serie pero sorryNOTsorry este libro es totalmente de Tom 😍

EN SERIO TENGO QUE ESPERAR UN FREAKING AÑO PARA LEERLO???

Voy a morir en
3
.
.
2
.
.
1
.
.
Adiós mundo cruel.
.
.
.
Pd: este pinta para ser mi favorito de la serie. Porque ciertamente AMO los matrimonios por conveniencia o forzados. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Y ADORO LOS ANTIHEROS.
💕💕💕

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is no question that Lisa Kleypas is one of the queens of historical romance. I was so excited when Avon sent me a copy of Chasing Cassandra to review. Not only is the cover gorgeous, but the story inside sounded like a great romance!

I've only read two other books in this series, but I jumped into this book just fine and understood the close family relationships these characters had with one another. I really loved how this book revolved so much around the relationships with people and how close Cassandra was with her family and their significant others. Even Tom, who likes to have no emotions and not get close to people, formed friendships and enjoyed other people. When Cassandra and Tom first met, I loved how much Cassandra was attracted to him and had finally found someone who made her heart flutter. Of course, romances back in this time weren't that easy, though, so it took them both awhile to accept certain things about their relationship.

Like usual, I loved the time period this book took place in and how people courted each other and how Cassandra was trying to find a husband. Tom was definitely my favorite character in this book with how analytical and hard around the edges he was. He didn't come from money, so people definitely looked down on him because of that, even though he is respected and very wealthy now. I just wanted to hug Tom at times and I loved how Cassandra wouldn't take his crap and would be there for him even when he tried to push her away.

While I did think not too much actually happened in this book, I loved the romance and the characters. This is definitely another Lisa Kelypas novel to check out!