A nice book with low stakes. I really liked how Cassandra was a kind woman and she was always optimistic. Tom was a nice surprise, he wasn't brooding but he had all the rights to be! Their dynamic was lovely throughout the book. ( )

The final installment of the Ravenels series is a most unusual romance. While the hero Tom falls madly in lust with Cassandra on sight, the two actually take several months before ending up together. This is because Tom truly doesn't believe he's capable of loving, so the book spends an inordinate amount of time on him as he learns to grow a heart, only switching to Cassandra when the reader needs something swoon-worthy. That said, it's an understated, slow burn of a romance.

The conflicts presented in this book aren't nearly as dramatic as its predecessors, but it's also a lot more real. While Tom learns to explore and accept his emotions, Cassandra deals with a misogynistic society that treats her more harshly than her entrepreneur sister Pandora. While Pandora was aware of what would happen to her wealth and status when she married, no one treated her different for it, at least nobody noteworthy. Her twin experiences a very different and a much more realistic Season as men objectify and manipulate her by giving her what she thinks she wants (flowers equating as romance), which helps her to reject the society she thought she wanted for true love.

As sweet and mature as the book is, it's a little too understated. I won't lie: since I'm writing this review several months after reading the book, I had to skim through it to even remember what it was about. Now that I've done so, I recall its merits, as well as its faults. It's not groundbreaking, but it's still fun. ( )

cute ( )

Chasing Cassandra
4.5 Stars

Cassandra Ravenel wants nothing more than to fall in love and marry. Unfortunately, the object of her affection, Tom Severin, has sworn off love and is the last person she should attach herself to. But Tom cannot control his feelings for Cassandra, and when she finds herself in an untenable situation, he is determined to make things right.

To begin with, fans of Jennifer Ashley's, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie will quickly recognize Tom's social awkwardness and inability to express emotion as Asperger's Syndrome. Despite his brilliant mind and engineering skill, Tom finds it difficult to deal with strong emotions, and as a result, has chosen to distance himself from others. Fortunately, Cassandra breaks through his barriers. and the reluctant hero-in-pursuit trope only adds to their physical chemistry and emotional intimacy.

In addition to the primary romance plot, there are also a number of dramatic subplots interwoven within the storyline that contribute both Tom and Cassandra's characterization and to their romance. The inclusion of couples from the previous book is an additional bonus.

Overall, Kleypas has outdone herself with this installment and I hope there will be more to come in the series.


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Per me la Kleypas è la garanzia di leggere sempre storie avvincenti e ben scritte e anche questa volta non si smentisce con questa serie che mi è piaciuta tantissimo, dalla prima riga del primo libro fino all’ultima dell’ultimo.
Protagonisti lady Cassandra Ravenel determinata a contrarre un matrimonio d’amore e Tom Severin, ricchissimo magnate delle ferrovie e non solo, determinato a impalmare la bellissima lady nonostante la sua incapacità di sentimenti. Una coppia indimenticabile per una storia dolce e avvincente.
Bellissimo e imperdibile.
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