CHASING CASSANDRA – Lisa Kleypas
The Ravenels
ISBN: 978-0-06-237194-2
February 2020
Historical Romance

Hampshire, England -1876

Self-made mogul, Tom Severin is sure he made a mistake inviting himself to the wedding. Not that he cares about society's rules, he's too rich to be thrown out, but now he finds himself stuck in Hampshire, bored, and surrounded by too many people he has no desire to interact with. Other than wealth Tom has nothing in common with these aristocrats. He finds a quiet empty music room and decides to avoid it all. He's not sure why he decided to attend the wedding. Lately he's been restless and bored, and he can't understand why. He has everything he wants and needs, and yet it all seems so tedious.

Lady Cassandra Revenel is quite undone. She is happy her twin sister Pandora has found love and marriage, although Pandora had never planned to marry. It is Cassandra whose most fervent hope is to marry for love and have a family of her own. The unfairness of it all has Cassandra quite upset and feeling guilty for envying her sister. After restoring order to her person after a bout of tears, Cassandra forces herself to join the celebration again.

West Revenel, Cassandra's cousin follows her into the music room as she explains that the tears are because she's happy Pandora has found love but terrified she will be an old maid. After her first season, and five proposals she's turned down, she's dreading another season where she will be expected to choose a husband. She pours her heart out to West and finally begs him to agree to marry her if neither is married when she is twenty-five.

Fascinated by the conversation he's overheard; Severin looks around the chair and sees Cassandra for the first time. He's smitten and offers to marry her immediately.

West as a friend of Tom, immediately objects. He knows Severin is ruthless and while he appreciates that in a friend, he does not want tender-hearted Cassandra anywhere near him. After West sends Cassandra from the room, he reiterates his refusal for Tom to even contemplate marrying Cassandra.

Later in the day Cassandra has the opportunity to spend time with Tom and finds him the most fascinating of men. Although when he explains he has no heart, and while he'd like to wed her, he will never love her, as love is not one of the five emotions he has. Sadly disappointed in the only man she has found interesting, Cassandra is not willing to marry a man who will never love her.

That's seems to be the end of the “courtship” between Tom and Cassandra, until scandal threatens to ruin any chance Cassandra has to wed anyone.

Will Tom come to Cassandra's rescue, and if he does, will she allow herself to be saved by a man who swears he cannot love?

What follows is a beautifully written story, with almost as many humorous moments as tender. The characters are fascinating and well written. The dialogue is quick witted, and immensely entertaining. The question is, can Cassandra's love and optimism teach the man with no heart to love her as she is beginning to love him, or are they doomed to never find common ground?

Engaging, entertaining and delightfully fun, CHASING CASSANDRA is a wonderful novel of love, redemption and happily ever after. I highly recommend this novel to fans of historical romance with passion and humor throughout.

Terrie Figueroa