User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
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.
No, really! <--why are men so 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.
Rating: really liked it
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.
Rating: really liked it
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 🙂
Rating: really liked it
I received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.3.75 stars
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: (view spoiler)
[sexual assault, graphically described. Heroine gets sexually assaulted by a suitor, not the hero.(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]
Rating: really liked it
***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.
Rating: really liked it
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.
Rating: really liked it
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 reviewFind me on:
Rating: really liked it
“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. 😂
My Capricorn is showing, 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.
Rating: really liked it
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!
Rating: really liked it
❤️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!
Rating: really liked it
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). 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 more, especially from the hero Tom who I felt Kleypas treated with kiddy gloves. He wasn't as intense 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 put it, I found him 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.
Rating: really liked it
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.
Rating: really liked it
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)!
Rating: really liked it
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.
Rating: really liked it
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.
