It can't be both "too nervous" and "not that reactive."
I wanted the best of both worlds, so I got a CX bike. In my case in loses nothing on a road bike (with the same tires). Maybe the handlebars are 20mm wider, maybe I can power out of turns quicker than a road bike, maybe it weighs 0.5kg more but the differences are subtle.
Basically, you need to decide:
1) what max tire size you want?
2) you want aero or endurance fit?
3) do you value agility or stability?
4) to a lesser degree, do you want precision or compliance?
Generally a CX bike is going to put you in a position that is good for 1-4 hours. Its going to dive into turns and handle similar to a road bike (it is a race bike after all).
An endurance-gravel bike is going to be comfortable for 8+ hours, but not perfect for a lot of high speed sprints. It will need to be manhandled a little more into a turn, but will be stable once it takes a set.
Last edited by chas58; 08-01-19 at 02:11 PM.