Cassandra by Starlight by Susan Mac Nicol

By: Anonymous on Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Title:  Cassandra by Starlight

Author:  Susan Mac Nicol

Series: Starlight #1

Published:  August 13th 2012 by Boroughs Publishing Group

Page Count:  381

Genre:  Contemporary Romance

Shelf:  Review Copy

Rating:  ★★★★

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Unconventional though she may be, Cassandra Wallace leads the life of an average Londoner, from blind dates to rush hour traffic. Then, along comes Bennett Saville. Sensitive, charming, erudite, the up-and-coming actor is like the hero of a romantic movie. He counteracts the tragedy that brought them together, and from the tips of his Armani loafers to that scorching hot kiss he seems absolutely perfect. Only, he’s ten years younger and from the upper class, and those emerald eyes beget dangerous secrets. The world is a stage, full of hungry leading ladies, and how long can any fairy tale last before a villain appears? Yet, on Bennett’s arm each new day is an adventure, and a true romance will always find its happy ending.

My Review:

This novel takes place over a whopping 18+months. Sound pretty scary right? Not so in this case. Mac Nicol tactfully skips over the times where the action doesn’t relate to the plot of the story. The progression of time is marked via the advancement of the relationship between the main characters. As a reader, you never feel a lack of information, yet you also don’t get bored being drawn out in long gaps of the story where nothing relevant happens. This also means that Mac Nicol can develop a true, strong relationship between her main characters without it being a love at first sight whirlwind.

I love the hot, ‘lanky’ main character. It’s refreshing to see a male lead who isn’t described as being built or a military type. It’s also nice to see a male lead who needs help from others. He can’t solve everything himself. I also appreciate that this well-developed cast of characters is a little older. They weren’t a pair of twenty-somethings with perfect lives. They had their lives put together already and had come from diverse backgrounds, neither of which were easy. The supporting cast was quite interesting as well. Although this novel was based around the world of theatre, the characters came from all walks of life. They melded together into the perfect group of friends, each bringing something new to the scene and were unique in their own right.

As a whole, this was a very intriguing novel. It had a nice, easy flow making it easy to immerse yourself in, but wasn’t racing towards a finish. It was a refreshing change from the norm that we’ve come to expect in romance novels and left me quite satisfied at the end.

Buy your copy online here today!