wildwolverine's review against another edition
3.0
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.
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.
mollymemes's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Very cute. Took a while to get started but fun once it did.
sri_savita's review against another edition
5.0
“Troubled are they who want the world, troubled are they who have it.”
Maybe if he read enough novels about the problems of fictional people, he might find some clue about how to solve his own.
"I want a few minutes of infinity with you."
Okay, here I am, again, to say, no surprise, Severin and Cassandra are ALSO my favorites. This book definitely had more of that fairytale feel that I loved in Pandora and Gabriel's story, and it was so CUTE without being trite or overdone (I mean there's a moonlight waltz in a conservatory, and a shoe rescue, along with the obviously Cinderella-esque cover and references in the story, come on).
Tom and Cassandra's dynamic also reminded me of Raven and Clara's banter in another one of my favorite historical romances, Dukes Prefer Blondes by Loretta Chase.
You're talking about your feelings. It's me, remember?
In fact, Mr. Severin possessed a kind of contained energy that reminded her a little of Pandora. One could see it in the eyes, the quicksilver workings of a mind that ran faster than those of other people.
It's endearing how these scientific, logical, and mathematically inclined minds put their emotions into simple direct language, even before they recognize it as such, and it just means so much more, knowing how much of their tortured backstory was necessary to overcome to do so. were highlights of both stories, so I won't say more on the subject here; you'll just have to read both for yourself.
Tom's character seems to be modeled slightly on Sherlock Holmes, in my opinion; though in my mind I interpreted his character as slightly like Tom Ellis's Lucifer , minus all the flirtation/innuendo/seduction and other qualities that plague alpha heroes. This was perfect for a reader like me that hates aggressively alpha dudes and their cringe-worthy dialogue. Tom's backstory of making his own way in the world is compelling and heartbreaking. It really gives you a sense for his insecurities and anxieties. That makes his character seem believable even though he's supposed to be this ruthless negotiator, brilliant engineer, and business magnate.
You’re laughing at me.
No, I’m laughing with you, but in a slightly superior way.
At first I thought this meant that we were going to get more character depth with Tom at the expense of Cassandra and she would just be a device to let us see all his good qualities, but I'm happy that wasn't the case. I liked the way she was direct and sharp enough to see when he wasn't truly saying what he meant and that she called him out on obfuscating or being oblique, especially in terms of Bazzle's character and what that meant for him. I do think we could have done with a bit more of that famous Ravenel temper from Cassandra's character to really make her more three-dimensional and not just the calmer counterpart to Pandora. After all, it's been talked about so much in these books that it should have been a prominent trait for Cassandra as it is in all the other Ravenels. She does reference it in terms of Ravenels not knowing when to stop arguing, but we don't really see that in any of her interactions in the book. She's usually very put together.
I also thought the pace of Cassandra and Tom's relationship was realistic too. They both grew to be each other's even matches, and I loved that element of it. Their frank dialogue added a grounding element of reality that made this story compelling and three-dimensional. I especially enjoyed that Tom and Cassandra started as friends first, over books, and then confidants, and this was nice. I kept waiting nervously for that "big misunderstanding" to happen but it didn't, so in that way the unpredictability of this novel's pacing was refreshing too.
Of course, we also have our stellar characters from previous novels in the series back, and I loved all of these top-notch family dynamics:
Pandora and Gabriel: "Do men really talk about women that way?" "Men, no. Arsewits, yes."
Pandora and Cassandra, so many touching sister moments: "If you felt pain, I wanted to share it with you. That's what sisters do." I loved Pandora's instant support and kinship with Severin too.
I loved Phoebe's wise counseling moments to Tom.
West is still the best too, and how sweet was it when Justin:
"I'm older than him on the inside, by decades. My soul is a raisin."
West rolled his eyes and gave Devon a reassigned glance.
"He's always had it," he said flatly. "That thing women like."
"What thing?" Devon asked.
"The secret, mysterious thing I've always wished someone would explain so we could pretend to have it too."
“There's no such thing as an old maid."
"Wh-what woould you call a middle-aged lady who's never married?"
"A woman with standards?”
“I didn’t think you were superstitious,” Tom protested. “You believe in science.”
West grinned at him. “I’m a farmer, Severin. When it comes to superstitions, farmers lead the pack."
"You're going to start a town?" Kathleen asked blankly.
"For the love of God," West said, "don't name it after yourself."
"I'll leave the two of you to your negotiating. If that's what we're calling it."
Maybe if he read enough novels about the problems of fictional people, he might find some clue about how to solve his own.
"I want a few minutes of infinity with you."
Okay, here I am, again, to say, no surprise, Severin and Cassandra are ALSO my favorites. This book definitely had more of that fairytale feel that I loved in Pandora and Gabriel's story, and it was so CUTE without being trite or overdone (I mean there's a moonlight waltz in a conservatory, and a shoe rescue, along with the obviously Cinderella-esque cover and references in the story, come on).
Tom and Cassandra's dynamic also reminded me of Raven and Clara's banter in another one of my favorite historical romances, Dukes Prefer Blondes by Loretta Chase.
You're talking about your feelings. It's me, remember?
In fact, Mr. Severin possessed a kind of contained energy that reminded her a little of Pandora. One could see it in the eyes, the quicksilver workings of a mind that ran faster than those of other people.
It's endearing how these scientific, logical, and mathematically inclined minds put their emotions into simple direct language, even before they recognize it as such, and it just means so much more, knowing how much of their tortured backstory was necessary to overcome to do so.
Spoiler
Raven's trial and Severin's contractTom's character seems to be modeled slightly on Sherlock Holmes, in my opinion; though in my mind I interpreted his character as slightly like Tom Ellis's Lucifer , minus all the flirtation/innuendo/seduction and other qualities that plague alpha heroes. This was perfect for a reader like me that hates aggressively alpha dudes and their cringe-worthy dialogue. Tom's backstory of making his own way in the world is compelling and heartbreaking. It really gives you a sense for his insecurities and anxieties. That makes his character seem believable even though he's supposed to be this ruthless negotiator, brilliant engineer, and business magnate.
You’re laughing at me.
No, I’m laughing with you, but in a slightly superior way.
At first I thought this meant that we were going to get more character depth with Tom at the expense of Cassandra and she would just be a device to let us see all his good qualities, but I'm happy that wasn't the case. I liked the way she was direct and sharp enough to see when he wasn't truly saying what he meant and that she called him out on obfuscating or being oblique, especially in terms of Bazzle's character and what that meant for him. I do think we could have done with a bit more of that famous Ravenel temper from Cassandra's character to really make her more three-dimensional and not just the calmer counterpart to Pandora. After all, it's been talked about so much in these books that it should have been a prominent trait for Cassandra as it is in all the other Ravenels. She does reference it in terms of Ravenels not knowing when to stop arguing, but we don't really see that in any of her interactions in the book. She's usually very put together.
I also thought the pace of Cassandra and Tom's relationship was realistic too. They both grew to be each other's even matches, and I loved that element of it. Their frank dialogue added a grounding element of reality that made this story compelling and three-dimensional. I especially enjoyed that Tom and Cassandra started as friends first, over books, and then confidants, and this was nice. I kept waiting nervously for that "big misunderstanding" to happen but it didn't, so in that way the unpredictability of this novel's pacing was refreshing too.
Of course, we also have our stellar characters from previous novels in the series back, and I loved all of these top-notch family dynamics:
Pandora and Gabriel: "Do men really talk about women that way?" "Men, no. Arsewits, yes."
Pandora and Cassandra, so many touching sister moments: "If you felt pain, I wanted to share it with you. That's what sisters do." I loved Pandora's instant support and kinship with Severin too.
I loved Phoebe's wise counseling moments to Tom.
West is still the best too, and how sweet was it when Justin
Spoiler
called him Dad?! Just lovely."I'm older than him on the inside, by decades. My soul is a raisin."
West rolled his eyes and gave Devon a reassigned glance.
"He's always had it," he said flatly. "That thing women like."
"What thing?" Devon asked.
"The secret, mysterious thing I've always wished someone would explain so we could pretend to have it too."
“There's no such thing as an old maid."
"Wh-what woould you call a middle-aged lady who's never married?"
"A woman with standards?”
“I didn’t think you were superstitious,” Tom protested. “You believe in science.”
West grinned at him. “I’m a farmer, Severin. When it comes to superstitions, farmers lead the pack."
"You're going to start a town?" Kathleen asked blankly.
"For the love of God," West said, "don't name it after yourself."
"I'll leave the two of you to your negotiating. If that's what we're calling it."
yoopiedoopie's review against another edition
3.75
good comfort hes so gone for her and it's a pleasure to see him give in to it
what_karla_reads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
red_steele's review against another edition
3.0
1. Mary Jane Wells was excellent as the voice actor (5stars).
2. Cassandra and Tom’s story was cute, however, there wasn’t much creativity and it didn’t go anywhere. There wasn’t much “chasing” involved.
3. Overall I enjoyed the story, however, I expected more...
2. Cassandra and Tom’s story was cute, however, there wasn’t much creativity and it didn’t go anywhere. There wasn’t much “chasing” involved.
3. Overall I enjoyed the story, however, I expected more...
kuininaien's review against another edition
3.0
3.7
gives slice of life vibes, nice chill read.
there are bits of dialogue which don't match up well.
the book leaves with some promises for cassandra's future that doesn't much mention in the epilogue.
otherwise, a fun read and severin is a cool character.
gives slice of life vibes, nice chill read.
there are bits of dialogue which don't match up well.
the book leaves with some promises for cassandra's future that doesn't much mention in the epilogue.
otherwise, a fun read and severin is a cool character.
katekate_reads_'s review against another edition
5.0
Ooh I loved Chasing Cassandra so much! Even though it’s the 6th book in the series, I jumped in here and loved it very much! I’ll definitely be going back to read the others!
Cassandra turned down 5 proposals last Season and isn’t excited about starting the process all over again. She feels she’s met everyone and isn’t interested in any of them. She’s a reader and knows from all she’s read that she isn’t willing to settle.
Tom is smitten from the first moment he sees Cassandra. He’s been very successful in his business and decided its time for a wife and she would be perfect. But he’s upfront with her that he’s not able to offer love - and she’s unwilling to marry without it. Despite the fact that they both feel the sparks between them, they are at odds.
I loved this story - I loved both Cassandra and Tom so much. I loved the way that books of the time play into the story - and Tom’s summaries of them. I love how strong Cassandra is - she knows what she wants. So many little moments that I underlined and swooned at - sigh! If you like historical romance, you need to pick this one up now!
Thank you to Avon for the free copy of this book.
Cassandra turned down 5 proposals last Season and isn’t excited about starting the process all over again. She feels she’s met everyone and isn’t interested in any of them. She’s a reader and knows from all she’s read that she isn’t willing to settle.
Tom is smitten from the first moment he sees Cassandra. He’s been very successful in his business and decided its time for a wife and she would be perfect. But he’s upfront with her that he’s not able to offer love - and she’s unwilling to marry without it. Despite the fact that they both feel the sparks between them, they are at odds.
I loved this story - I loved both Cassandra and Tom so much. I loved the way that books of the time play into the story - and Tom’s summaries of them. I love how strong Cassandra is - she knows what she wants. So many little moments that I underlined and swooned at - sigh! If you like historical romance, you need to pick this one up now!
Thank you to Avon for the free copy of this book.
laurenjodi's review against another edition
5.0
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.
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.
uzaii's review against another edition
5.0
Well
There goes a new favourite!
The relationship between Cassandra and Tom was so sweet! I kinda wish there would have been no drama with Cassandra's reputation so that she could refuse Tom a bit more, but overall it was really nice.
The ending got me all mushy inside, it was so so sweet
There goes a new favourite!
The relationship between Cassandra and Tom was so sweet! I kinda wish there would have been no drama with Cassandra's reputation so that she could refuse Tom a bit more, but overall it was really nice.
The ending got me all mushy inside, it was so so sweet