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A review by chloe_liese
Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas
5.0
Reread almost exactly a year since my last read and I somehow love it even more. Ugh. My heart is so full.
“The point is, is you could just overlook this one small issue of my inability to form emotional attachments to other human beings, we’d be very happy together.”
Ah, Tom. As Phoebe tells him in the beginning, the declaration that emotions and love are not for him coupled with the unwillingness to marry is the refrain of every rake, but Tom isn't your stereotypical rake or staunchly declared bachelor. Having grown up in difficult and emotionally isolating circumstances, he is willing to marry and be a kind, respectful partner; he simply doubts his capacity to feel deeply and to love. His honesty about that is delightfully refreshing and endearing.
As a person on the autism spectrum, I definitely got some undiagnosed spectrum vibes from him, from the way Tom analyzes and explains the world through the lens of his "special interest" and strengths (math, puzzles, engineering) to his inclination to *think* about his feelings instead of just feeling them. His pragmatism, his impatience with social conventions and superstition, and his directness all resonated with me as spectrum adult and I truly felt a kinship with him. I also adored Cassandra for telling him genuinely, "I like you just the way you are."
Cassandra is a real, caring, and refreshingly "ordinary" woman. While I appreciate that Kleypas wrote about horse-whisperers, female physicians, hyperactive game board inventors, I'm glad she also gave us Helen, Phoebe, and Cassandra: women who feel "ordinary" which often translates to feeling rather unremarkable. Cassandra has no glaring talents, she's a little down on her weight, and she's the last to marry in her family. But Kleypas gives us an intimate look into the beauty of her heart, her compassion for those different from her, and a growing tenacity to stand up for the underprivileged. She shows us no woman is ordinary, and that you don't have to be a genius or a pioneer in a field to be admirable, strong, or capable of making a difference.
Tom is also, in my opinion, the most delightfully feminist and progressive of the male heroes in The Ravenels. He truly admires Cassandra and defends her intellect and compassion over what everyone else does (her stunning beauty). He also tells her this when she explains she's trying to lose weight:
“Your body isn’t an ornament designed for other people’s pleasure. It belongs to you alone. You’re magnificent just as you are. Whether you lose weight or gain more, you’ll still be magnificent. Have a cake if you want one.”
Hell. Yes.
These two worked. They were wildly distinct people that everyone was convinced would never click; they were refreshingly vulnerable and insecure in quite realistic ways, and they both gave each other true empathy and support in those areas. They also modeled true give and take as they negotiated their not legally enforceable marriage agreement (that section probably made me laugh the most; such great physical humor and comedic timing).
This felt by far the most modern, feminist, and egalitarian relationship and story in the series, and it truly gave me the closure I wanted to say goodbye to this world. I teared up at the end when Kathleen and Devon reflected on the beautiful knitted patchwork of their friends who'd become family. I couldn't have asked for a better ending to The Ravenel Series.
“The point is, is you could just overlook this one small issue of my inability to form emotional attachments to other human beings, we’d be very happy together.”
Ah, Tom. As Phoebe tells him in the beginning, the declaration that emotions and love are not for him coupled with the unwillingness to marry is the refrain of every rake, but Tom isn't your stereotypical rake or staunchly declared bachelor. Having grown up in difficult and emotionally isolating circumstances, he is willing to marry and be a kind, respectful partner; he simply doubts his capacity to feel deeply and to love. His honesty about that is delightfully refreshing and endearing.
As a person on the autism spectrum, I definitely got some undiagnosed spectrum vibes from him, from the way Tom analyzes and explains the world through the lens of his "special interest" and strengths (math, puzzles, engineering) to his inclination to *think* about his feelings instead of just feeling them. His pragmatism, his impatience with social conventions and superstition, and his directness all resonated with me as spectrum adult and I truly felt a kinship with him. I also adored Cassandra for telling him genuinely, "I like you just the way you are."
Cassandra is a real, caring, and refreshingly "ordinary" woman. While I appreciate that Kleypas wrote about horse-whisperers, female physicians, hyperactive game board inventors, I'm glad she also gave us Helen, Phoebe, and Cassandra: women who feel "ordinary" which often translates to feeling rather unremarkable. Cassandra has no glaring talents, she's a little down on her weight, and she's the last to marry in her family. But Kleypas gives us an intimate look into the beauty of her heart, her compassion for those different from her, and a growing tenacity to stand up for the underprivileged. She shows us no woman is ordinary, and that you don't have to be a genius or a pioneer in a field to be admirable, strong, or capable of making a difference.
Tom is also, in my opinion, the most delightfully feminist and progressive of the male heroes in The Ravenels. He truly admires Cassandra and defends her intellect and compassion over what everyone else does (her stunning beauty). He also tells her this when she explains she's trying to lose weight:
“Your body isn’t an ornament designed for other people’s pleasure. It belongs to you alone. You’re magnificent just as you are. Whether you lose weight or gain more, you’ll still be magnificent. Have a cake if you want one.”
Hell. Yes.
These two worked. They were wildly distinct people that everyone was convinced would never click; they were refreshingly vulnerable and insecure in quite realistic ways, and they both gave each other true empathy and support in those areas. They also modeled true give and take as they negotiated their not legally enforceable marriage agreement (that section probably made me laugh the most; such great physical humor and comedic timing).
This felt by far the most modern, feminist, and egalitarian relationship and story in the series, and it truly gave me the closure I wanted to say goodbye to this world. I teared up at the end when Kathleen and Devon reflected on the beautiful knitted patchwork of their friends who'd become family. I couldn't have asked for a better ending to The Ravenel Series.