Review : Catching Cassidy by Melissa Foster

Being a fan of friends becoming lovers stories I was excited to read this title.  From the moment I started reading  I knew that this would be an emotional ride. The fact that it was written by Melissa Foster cemented that thought deeper in my mind.  This title is slightly different from her other series as it is geared towards college students. However, this was where the difference ended. Like her other books Catching Cassidy tugs on your emotions and leave you wanting more. It was a pleasant surprise to see characters from her other series being  included in this title.

As usual Melissa knows how to make her characters come alive. This ability enables readers to be able to relate to the characters.  I enjoyed reading Wyatt’s and Cassidy’s story, although there were times when they both frustrated me. Wyatt dealing with his parents’ loss brought back some painful memories for me.  I understood his pain and could also relate to the regrets he experienced. This story reminded me that life goes on even after we have lost someone close and dear to us. I loved that Wyatt was able to recognize this. In the process, we see him growing from an irresponsible college kid into a mature young adult.

What frustrated me about the story was the interaction between Cassidy and Wyatt. These two have been friends for seventeen years.  Cassidy has been in love with Wyatt for some time now, but she hid her feelings. Lately, Wyatt discovered that his feelings for Cassidy went beyond the realms of friendship.  Cassidy is willing to take the risk to move from being just friends.  Wyatt, however, is afraid to do so. He was not willing to risk losing his best friend. I
understood why he felt this way. It was a huge risk because if things did not work out he stood to lose his best friend. However, life is all about risks.

There are times when we have to take risks that we may not be comfortable with; failing to do so could result in one missing out on great opportunities. Now just when he finally acknowledges how he feels, Cassidy allows her insecurities, as it relates to her parents, to intrude on their newfound happiness.

Told from the POV of Cassidy and Wyatt, the story gave me insight into their thoughts and emotions. However, the switch between the POVs were not always seamless as it took me some time to figure out which character was speaking.

As one would come to expect from Melissa Foster, Catching Cassidy is a beautifully written story of loss, friendships, love and growing up. This story speaks to the emotional upheaval the leading characters faced and how the bonds of friendship helped them to move beyond the pain and discover that loss is inevitable but life goes on no matter what. I enjoyed this story immensely. It was believable and the character’s actions were relatable. It tugged at my heartstrings.  Catching Cassidy led to shedding of tears with some laugh out loud  and romantic moments sprinkled in between.

I highly recommend reading this book.