A nice debut novel
Craving Cassie is the debut novel by Skye Rowan. There were a few things that didn’t work for me, but for a debut, it was a nice read.
The story is set in London and is about a mother of two Siobhan who starts a new job, among other things, to become independent of her husband as she wants a divorce. She starts as a new trainee under Cassie’s care. But the beginning is not really smooth, as she does not always have her mouth under control, especially when she is challenged by Cassie. Cassie, on the other hand, is not pleased to have a trainee thrust upon her, she is the best investment banker in the company, and she prefers to work alone. She has sworn off love, one-night stands are her motto, without commitment and without feelings. But to her own surprise, she is very fond of Siobhan, and not only of her work. Though she resists her budding feelings, refusing to fall in love again.
The story is entertaining, with likable, quick-witted MCs. There are family issues and some drama on both sides as well. Cassie’s relationship with her parents has been difficult for years and Matthew, Siobhan’s husband, doesn’t endear himself with his appearances either. The attraction between the two women is great and when the two begin an affair Siobhan is still married. Cheating is not an easy subject. Basically, I’m absolutely against cheating but I can understand that it can happen in some situations, therefore Siobhan and Cassie lost some sympathy points.
The development of Cassie’s character was nice to see. She, the queen of one-night stands, dares to admit feelings once again. She opens up and puts her heart at risk of being broken one more time and makes a 180-degree turn within a few months, which is a good development, but it was a bit too fast for me.
Cheating aside, I liked Siobhan as well, she is a loving mother and the story of her marriage makes you understand why she wants a divorce. It’s not only her husband Matthew’s fault that it didn’t work out, Siobhan also made mistakes and is not innocent. Her character development is weaker than Cassie’s, but also very important as she learns and dares to stand up for herself.
The two children of Siobhan, Dylan (8) and Neave (6) play a big role. They are good kids, but I fear they are too good to be true. As far as I can tell, the clever and witty responses in conversations are those of teenagers, not six- and eight-year-olds. It’s not a dealbreaker but it made me wonder every time.
Despite my criticism, however, it was an entertaining read and I hope the author will stick with it and write more books. 3.5 stars
