Book Review: Cassidy Lane
A few months back I reviewed Maria Murnane’s novels Wait for the Rain and Bridges, both of which I enjoyed, so when the author got in touch about reading another one of her titles, I jumped at the chance.
Here’s the book synopsis:
Best-selling author Cassidy Lane walks into her 20thhigh school reunion with several novels under her belt, but no date on her arm, and deep down she still feels like the smart girl no one asked to the prom.
Then handsome Brandon Forrester confesses his teenage crush, and soon Cassidy finds herself swept up in a modern-day fairytale romance not unlike the tales she spins for a living. While their relationship blossoms, however, the new book she’s writing isn’t going as well, and for the first time in her career she considers crafting an ending that doesn’t end with a proverbial walk into the sunset. Contemplating the simultaneous reversal of her own romantic fortune and that of her protagonist’s is daunting, but maybe it’s time for both her writing and her personal life to take a new path. Or is it?
My review: 4 stars.
If a book and its characters stay with you after you’ve turned the final page, I count that as a great reading experience. This book was the perfect, feel-good read for a weekend after a few personally stressful weeks.
While I wanted more love story and interaction between the main character Cassidy and her love interest Brandon, the book was an enjoyable read. I especially enjoyed the honest, realistic view not just of romance and dating in this modern age, but also that the book didn’t have the stereotypical happy ending. I think with many books where there is a love story of some sort that it can often be the easy way out in terms of story resolution to just make the two love interests get together, putting aside any issues or differences that made up the main plot of a novel. Murnane doesn’t fall into that trap and knows her readers are smarter than that.
Speaking of realistic depictions of life, there is a great scene towards the end of the book between Cassidy, her best friend Patti, and Patti’s friend Amy, where they are discussing the realities of love and marriage, expectations, and so on. I laughed out loud at a particular line that Patti says about how no one talks about the realities of marriage when someone has had an enormous burrito for dinner. Of course, Q didn’t think it was as funny when I told him why I was laughing. Humor aside, that whole interaction between the three ladies was one of the most memorable and insightful ones in the entire novel, especially this quote which resonates so much with where I am in life right now:
” No one has everything. I know it hurts right now, and I’m not discounting your feelings. But when you look at the whole picture, romance is just one part of life. It may not be clicking the way you want it to right now, but don’t forget to appreciate the things that are clicking, because they’re just as important.”
Wise words that I needed to hear ( though in my case, it’s the romance that is clicking and the other part of life that are out of sync!)
Overall, I’d definitely recommend Murnane’s books and hope to read some of her other titles in the future, as she has a great combination of humor and heart.
Life By Kristen 