Spotlight & Giveaway: Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas

Posted February 18th, 2020 by in Blog, Spotlight / 115 comments

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Lisa Kleypas to HJ!
Spotlight&Giveaway

Hi Lisa and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Chasing Cassandra!

 
Hi, thank you!
 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

Instant attraction flares between Tom Severin, a wealthy and powerful railway magnate, and the beautiful Lady Cassandra Ravenel, from the first moment they meet. But Cassandra has always wanted to find true love, and have a quiet happily ever after in the country. She knows she’ll never have that with Tom, an eccentric genius with a photographic memory and a frozen heart. After a scandal threatens to destroy Cassandra’s reputation, Tom comes to her with a proposition she longs to accept, even knowing she’s taking the biggest risk of her life.
 

Please share your favorite line(s) or quote from this book:

“One kiss wouldn’t change anything,” she protested.
Tom drew back enough to look down at her, his fingertips toying with the fine wisps of hair at the nape of her neck.
“If you drift off course by only one navigational degree,” he said, “then by the time you’ve gone a hundred yards, you’d be off by about five feet. In a mile, you’d have strayed approximately ninety-two feet away from your original trajectory. If you’d set out from London to Aberdeen, you’d probably find yourself in the middle of the North Sea.” Seeing her frown of incomprehension, he explained, “According to basic geometry, one kiss could change your life.”

 

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

  • Tom has never read a novel in his life, but Cassandra inspires him to start reading them. The running joke is, he misses the point of every one he reads. For example, the lesson he draws from Les Miserables: “It’s usually a mistake to forgive your enemies.”
  • While researching the Island of Jersey, I learned about Jersey Wonders, the 1800s precursor to donuts.
  • I also learned that Mark Twain and Jules Verne had a lifelong feud because they both wrote books featuring hot air balloons.

 

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

Tom is instantly attracted to Cassandra because she’s a great beauty, but he soon realizes there’s much more to her than that. Cassandra is fascinated by Tom’s quirks and twisty-turny genius brain, and the fact that he claims to have only five emotions (he says he’s done away with all the rest because they’re not helpful to him.)

 

Did any scene have you blushing, crying or laughing while writing it? And Why?

I wrote this moment in the book spontaneously, without even thinking about it, and I loved it:

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. His mouth pulled softly at hers, taking one last fervent taste . . . then slid away.

 

Readers should read this book….

. .. .because it features an unlikely but witty pair, who turn out to be just right for each other.

 

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have in the works?

I’m currently mulling over ideas for a new series.
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

 

Giveaway: An autographed hardcover copy of Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas

 

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: After reading some of the novels Cassandra recommended, Tom surprises her by not liking Jane Austen’s “Persuasion” or Charlotte Brontë’s “Jane Eyre.” Is there a book that everyone else in the world seems to have loved, but it didn’t work at all for you?” (But be nice about it, please, especially if it’s one of mine–lol!)

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

Excerpt from Chasing Cassandra:

“I’m not a genius.”
“You’re being modest,” Cassandra said.
“I’m never modest.” Tom drained the rest of his champagne, set down the glass and turned to face her more fully. “I have an above average intellect and a photographic memory. But that’s not genius.”
“How interesting,” Cassandra said uneasily, thinking Oh, dear . . . more oddness. “You take photographs with your mind?”
His lips twitched, as if he could read her thoughts. “Not like that. I retain information more easily than images. Some things—charts or schedules, pages from a book—I can recall in perfect detail, as if I’m looking at a picture. I remember the furniture arrangements and the art on the walls of nearly every house I’ve ever visited. Every word of every contract I’ve signed and business deal I’ve negotiated, are in here.” He tapped his temple with a long finger.
“Are you joking?” Cassandra asked in amazement.
“Unfortunately, no.”
“Why on earth is it unfortunate to be intelligent?”
“Well, that’s the problem: recalling vast amounts of information doesn’t mean you’re intelligent. It’s what you do with the information.” His expression turned wry. “Remembering too many things makes the brain inefficient. There’s a certain amount of information we’re supposed to forget because we don’t need it, or because it hinders us. But I remember all the failed attempts as well as the successes. All the mistakes and negative outcomes. Sometimes it’s like being caught in a dust storm—there’s too much debris flying about for me to see clearly.”
“It sounds quite fatiguing to have a photographic memory. Still, you’ve made the most of it. One can’t really pity you.”
Tom grinned at that, and hung his head. “I suppose not.”

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

This excellent description of Chasing Cassandra is by John Charles from Booklist:

Railway magnate and business mogul Tom Severin has five emotions, and love isn’t one of them. At least this was the case before Tom bumps into Lady Cassandra Ravenel at a wedding. One glimpse of Cassandra is enough to melt Tom’s frozen heart, enough so that he even begins thinking of marriage. While it’s true that seeing her twin sister, Pandora, get married has given Cassandra a worrisome twinge or two about her own spinsterish state, that doesn’t mean Cassandra is ready to marry the first man who proposes to her, even if that man happens to be the devilishly sexy Tom. After years of successfully negotiating business contracts, however, Tom thinks he just might know a thing or two that will convince Cassandra to say yes.
Book Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | kobo | Google |
 
 

Meet the Author:

Lisa Kleypas lives in Washington State with her husband Greg and their two children. Her books are published in 34 languages and are bestsellers all around the world.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | GoodReads |
 
 
 

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115 Responses to “Spotlight & Giveaway: Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas”

  1. Mary Preston

    I am sorry to say but THE GREAT GATSBY just bored me. I could not make it all the way through.

    • Jen

      I hated Confederacy of Dunces. I have no idea how I finished. Thanks for the giveaway!

    • Sara

      I tried but could not finish Sense and Sensible by Jane Austen. I love her books and even tried listening to it, couldn’t get into it.

    • Nancy

      I absolutely detest the Handmaidens Tale! The “universe” she writes about is very unappealing to me, I don’t relate to the characters or anything about the book. We read it in book club and I was surprised I was the only one that didn’t like it‍♀️

  2. carol L

    I truly cannot remember the name of the book at this time. I just remember quitting after about twenty pages.
    Carol Luciano

    • Nikki H.

      I never understood the fervor over the Fifty Shades of Grey series. I thought the writing was subpar, the character development and plot were barely there, and it was a DNF for me.

  3. gemiinii90

    I wasn’t able to finish Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire. So that is one book that I didn’t like that was loved by many. There is no book that is loved by everyone. We all have different likes/dislikes.

    – Betul

  4. John Smith

    “Is there a book that everyone else in the world seems to have loved, but it didn’t work at all for you?” Nope, I love all the books that everyone else loves!

  5. laurieg72

    Moby Dick- boring and way too long, over 600 pages!

    Loretta Chase’s Lord Of Scoundrels didn’t understand why others liked it so much

    Wuthering Heights depressing

    • Jerilynn Rodriguez

      Honestly no I don’t think their is a book I hate everyone else liked

  10. Kathy Partridge

    Anything by John Steinbeck – could never understand the way his characters acted.

  11. Margaret viss

    I can’t think of a book everyone raved about that I did not like also.

  16. Colleen C.

    I can not recall the book and author, but it took me two years to finish reading it… I just could not get into the story.

  17. Joye

    any of James Patterson’s books they all tend to be alike in their story lines

  18. Daniel M

    opposite, scifi hammers slammers everyone seemed to like but i didn’t

    • Shannon Capelle

      I dont care for Danielle Steele books they bore me even though ive tried them many times.

    • Lynne Brigman

      I could not get interested in the Harry Potter series. I read the first book ( took me forever to get through it) it just did nothing for me. I had bought the first two books but have them both away.

  22. Silver

    Many classic books like Heart of Darkness, 1984, The Catcher in the Rye, On the Road (but I know there are other people who didn’t enjoy them, so at least I’m not alone). Generally speaking, I strongly dislike bleak stories, sad endings, or people wandering without a purpose (and being irresponsible).

  23. Alyssa

    Outlander. The world LOVES the books and the tv series. I just couldn’t get into it. ~Alyssa

  24. Alyssa woolery

    Outlander. The whole world LOVES the books and the tv series. I just can’t get into it.

  25. Jasmin Kjaep

    Harry Potter- I do not know if I was to young when I first read it for many many years ago, but I have not gotten the courage to begin reading it again because I’m afraid it will disappoint me again… sad but true

  27. Kari Menezes

    I tried really hard to get into the Dresden Files, but I never made it past the first book.

  28. Kaari

    The book everyone loved that didn’t work for me was Outlander. I read most of it but found it predictable, so I skipped to the end, and haven’t wanted to continue the series.

  31. Diane Sallans

    I stay away from most of Oprah’s book club picks – tried a couple but didn’t enjoy them – like Eat, Pray Love

  32. Mackenzie J Oliver-Slaton

    I hated reading Great Gatsby and Dandelion Wine in high school. Just couldn’t get into them.

  33. Mackenzie J Oliver-Slaton

    I did not enjoy reading Great Gatsby and Dandelion Wine in high school.

  37. Rachel

    I actively disliked Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton – but the Age of Innocence is amazing!

  39. Cora

    Life of Pi. I don’t understand why they made it into a movie, the book was enough for me. I only finished it because I had to for a class in high school.

  40. Charlotte Litton

    I don’t remember anything in particular everyone loved and I didn’t.

  41. Laurel

    Enjoyed reading this interview! A book I’ve tried reading and just couldn’t get in to that others love would probably be Lord of Scoundrels.

  42. Maggie Rapier

    Thank you! My least favorite book everyone else seems to love is Frankenstein. I appreciate it for what it is, the author, the lessons, but still I cannot stand this book!

  45. Cassie Durrance

    The Outsiders. I remember having to force myself to read it in 8th grade. Lots of my peers enjoyed it, but I just didn’t like it.

  47. Lilah Chavez

    Definitely Shakespeare, cannot !

    Also, I can’t for the life of me get into Wuthering Heights, book and movie.

  49. Erin D.

    Unpopular opinion. I could not get into the book Shatter Me by Mafi, which everyone I’ve talked to seems to love. Erin

  50. Silvia G.

    I don’t like Eloisa James books. Specially the Duchess quartet series.

  51. Deborah Sager

    There was a book I read by an author who has recently deceased. I can’t even remember the name of the book, it was that bad. I didn’t even believe she was the one who wrote it. I won’t mention her name either out of respect for her and all of her wonderful other works.

  54. Karen Moore

    The Poisonwood Bible. Everyone loved it so much I tried THREE times to get into and just couldn’t. Finally, I decided life’s too short and went back to the latest Lisa Kleypas novel. 🙂

  55. Tere

    I can’t think of a book in particular, but I can’t read any book if it’s written in first person… I just can’t, even if I like the plot, even if it’s highly recomended.

  57. Catherine Yereshkin

    Either Pride and Prejudice or The Great Gatsby. I know they’re both classics for a reason, I just can’t seem to slug my way through them!

  59. Eileen R

    Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier. Hard to read but I did it. Still don’t know what the big deal is about the book.

  60. Glenda M

    Wicked. As in the one the play Wicked is based on. I tried a few times to read it but just could NOT. It left me with no desire to see the play either. . .

  61. Susan Wright

    F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. I panned it in an English class where the professor later said he did his thesis on both the author and the book. My oops!

  66. Barbara Bates

    I cannot think of any books I did not like. Love the cover for your new book! It reminds me of Cinderella my favorite Princess!

  69. Rosie Hoskins

    I could not get into the Harry Potter series, but I love the movies.

  70. lemonamour

    Can’t think of any off the top of my head. Though I will say that historical romance that doesn’t stick to the period it is set in annoys me greatly. Probably why I love all yours so much. All your research shows.

  73. Pam

    50 Shades of Grey was so popular but it was just sexual, not sensual in my opinion.

  77. Anonymous Big

    The Catcher in the Rye. Maybe I was too old when I read it, but I found Holden Caulfield to be a whiny brat.

  78. Natasha Persaud

    Yes it happens sometimes. Not all books I read are my cup of tea whereas other people rave about them.

  79. Tammy Y

    Black Daggar Brotherhood series by JR Ward – sorry did not like it at all

  80. Sharlene Wegner

    Me, Before You. Not because it’s bad, but because it upset me too much. I will never read another of her books, because I need a guaranteed happy ending!

  81. Ellen C.

    50 Shades of grey was a dnf for me. Also, any books that are called romances, but have really sad or tragic endings. (False advertising)

  82. Maureen Riley

    True we all have different opinions about the types of books we prefer to read. I love Romance but I’m not usually that into historical pieces but a few weeks ago I picked one up and I loved it. It good to try new things.

  83. Patricia B.

    I guess I have been lucky. I haven’t really disliked any books that have been recommended to me. I have some bloggers that appear to have the same taste as I do and I have have never been disappointed by a book they liked or recommended. Most people I know do not read the same things I do, so they seldom give me suggestions. I was a librarian, and spent a lot of time recommending books to patrons. Those recommendations were based on what I knew they liked and what I knew of the authors, whether those were books I read or not. I read some not in my favorite categories to be familiar with the sub-genre or authors, but not because they were suggested to me.
    I have read many of Lisa Kleypas’ books and enjoyed them all.

  84. Donamae Kutska

    It was about a girl with personality problems baby teeth I didn’t care for it.

  85. Laura Perez

    The Girl on The Train. I hated every character. It’s hard to enjoy a book when everyone in it is just awful!

  88. Karina Angeles

    I didn’t care for the Lord of the Rings or Fifty Shades of Grey.

  89. Allison

    For me, it’ll have to be The Great Gatsby. The characters are unlikable, I’m frustrated by so many decisions they make, and plot was just difficult to get through. I’ve had to read it twice and I just understand what’s so great. My issues with characters are much like my dislike for The Office, so a minority in that too. I found that Lord of the Flies, Catcher in the Rye, 1984, and Of Mice and Men to be much more enjoyable reads.

    To be fair, I didn’t like Animal Far either and that’s a classic.

  90. Allison

    For me, it would have to be The Great Gatsby. I found the characters unlikable and the plot difficult to push myself through. My irritation with the characters is similar to my distaste with The Office, another popular thing. I’ve had to read it twice for high school and college too, which was not pleasant the second time. Of Mice and Men became wonderful to me after I read it the second time, but The Great Gatsby never became interesting in my eyes. I don’t like Animal Farm and Romeo and Juliet either, although the latter is a play and not a book. Lord of the Flies, catcher in the Rye, and 1984 are much better reads albeit less well know.

  94. Amber Kaltz

    Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina – Sounded promising and is a classic, so it’s highly recommended, but it wasn’t for me.

  96. Jennifer Beyer

    I got a free copy of Fifty Shades of Grey and my friends made me read it. It took forever to finish and it gave me a headache every time I read some of it. I truly hate heroines that are too stupid to live and that book should be in the dictionary as the definition. Was that mean?

  98. Anita H.

    I totally couldn’t get into the 50 Shades series, it just didn’t sit right with me and it was just not a good read. However, I am super excited and looking forward to reading Cassandra’s book!!!

  100. Janie McGaugh

    Wuthering Heights – I disliked the characters and hated the ending!

  105. Margi Grant

    I took an instant dislike to Heathcliff and Cathy in Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. They were both so manipulative, manic, and immature. I couldn’t care less about what happened to them.