Chasing Cassandra

Starred review from January 13, 2020
Opposites attract in spectacular fashion in the sixth Victorian-era Romance in bestseller Kleypas’s Ravenel series (after Devil’s Daughter), which pairs a true romantic with a cynical intellectual. Lady Cassandra Ravenel has turned down many proposals, holding out for real feeling. That doesn’t stop railway magnate Tom Severin from asking for her hand within moments of meeting her. Though she ignores his proposal, the shrewd businessman fancies her from just a glance and sees winning her as a thrilling challenge. His pursuit leads the pair to grow close. But when Tom starts to feel more than lust, he abruptly ends their budding friendship to avoid the liability he feels his emotions pose on his cold, calculated life, leaving a smitten Cassandra confused and hurt. They continue to run into each other, and their physical and mental attraction proves too strong to ignore. When one of Cassandra’s scorned suitors slanders her reputation, Tom is determined to protect her. The plot is well-balanced, the pace steady, the characters deliciously complex, and the chemistry electric. Returning readers will also be pleased by cameos from characters from earlier installments. Kleypas fans and first timers alike will fall in love with this refreshing romance.

Narrator Mary Jane Wells draws the listener into the world of the British aristocracy. When wealthy Tom Severin meets Lady Cassandra Ravenel at her sister's wedding, he feels an immediate attraction. But Severin prides himself on having precisely five emotions, and love is not one of them. Wells voices him with a calm, cool arrogance. Cassandra, on the other hand, wants to marry for love. Wells does an excellent job with the various secondary characters--from Cassandra's upper-crust family to the young urchin, Basel, whom Severin takes under his wing. When Cassandra's reputation comes under attack, Severin steps in to save her. As he comes to realize his love for her, Wells brings additional warmth to his character. S.B. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine