A Chance Encounter

By Mary Balogh

Book Overview

The town of Granby could hardly be more excited at the news that Ferndale Manor is to be opened again and that its new owner, Mr Mainwaring, is both wealthy, handsome and single. In particular, Miss... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451140060
• ISBN13: 9780451140067
• Release Date: December 1985
• Publisher: Signet Book
• Length: 218 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.

Customer Reviews

One of Mary Balogh's older books.

"Chance Encounter" by Mary Balogh 1985 The book I read was an old Culpeper County Library hardcover copy from Culpeper, VA. The cover unique. It is hard to review this book without putting spoilers in everywhere because as you read, Mary Balogh throws in information about the past that enlightens the reader. I will try now not to ruin this book for you but give you the basics. Mr. Mainwaring has inherited Ferndale Manor from his uncle and has decided to take up residency and will be bringing friends if all the gossip is to be believed. Elizabeth Rossiter is Cecily Rowe's governess-turned companion. She has been with the family for over six years and she is treated more like a family member than a servant. Everyone in the neighborhood is excited for the newcomer's visit and all the mothers (and daughters) are hoping some single men will be among the guests. This part really sounds like Pride and Prejudice to me! Mr. Rowe visits the Mr. Manwaring and the next day Mr Mainwaring and his friends, Mr & Mrs. Prosser and the Marquess of Hetherington come to call. As the guests were being introduced Elizabeth sitting in the corner in the shadows froze ..OH NO OH NO. ItIs Robert she whispers. This is where I leave off... I really enjoyed this story with it's twist toward the end. If you love Mary Balogh's books as much as I do, you will love this story!! Happy Reading!

Hard to find Balogh

I think Mary Balogh is a great writer and I'm always pleased to be able to get hold of some of her out of print earlier novels. 'A Chance Encounter' appeared at my local library so I settled down to read it with great expectation. As I read through I kept finding similarities with various Jane Austen books, particularly Persuasion and Pride & Prejudice (of course). The story starts off in a rather P & P manner when the new owner of Ferndale Manor comes to stay, bringing some friends with him - including a titled man and another woman who's got her sights set on the man. All very Mr Bingley/Mr Darcy/Miss Bingley. Our heroine in this story isn't a daughter of a local family but is instead a governess/companion who is down on her luck. Elizabeth Rossiter didn't think she'd ever see Robert Denning, Marquess of Hetherington, again - they used to be in love but then he let her down badly. Yet Elizabeth finds herself in company with Robert, among others, and is surprised by the animosity he seems to hold toward her. Might there be something more in their past which is causing their differences? Can she rely on Robert to help her when facing a family emergency? Can they learn to trust each other again and overcome the misunderstandings? Although I enjoyed reading this book I didn't feel that it was up to the standard of most of Balogh's offerings. It relied rather heavily on misunderstandings and people not explaining themselves properly, hero and heroine weren't always entirely likeable and the ending felt perhaps a little rushed. Still, Balogh not at her best is still better than many other authors and it's worth a read if you can find it.

Another Balogh treasure and keeper!

Once again, a story by Balogh that should be reread many times. Elizabeth Rossiter separated from her beloved husband due to interferance from their respective families, is now a governess/companion. A chance meeting between the couple, sets the stage for heartache and then... reconciliation. Getting to that point is told flawlessly and with great compassion. Highly recommended!!!

Her past catches up with her...

Elizabeth Rossiter is a governess working in a small town in the south, well away from London and polite society. And that's the way she likes it. Nothing unexpected ever happens; she takes care of her charges, who will soon be launched into Society, and her employers treat her as a member of the family. She's safe.Even when the new owner of the local big house, Ferndale, arrives to view his property, Elizabeth has no notion that her life is about to be completely disrupted. And why should it? William Mainwaring, the new owner, is perfectly polite and amiable, if a little shy in company. Interestingly, he seems to show a partiality for Elizabeth, despite her position as governess.But Mainwaring has company on his visit to Ferndale, and one of his guests happens to be Robert Denning, Marquess of Hetherington - a man whom Elizabeth had hoped never to see again. And she'd been successful for more than six years. Until now; until he'd appeared without warning in the place where she'd found sanctuary. And then he seems to be around everywhere Elizabeth goes, giving her disapproving looks, making pointed remarks about mercenary behaviour and even, at one point, warning her off Mainwaring in such terms as make it clear that Hetherington believes that she's only after Mainwaring's money. And, even more insulting, Hetherington even tells Elizabeth that if she needs money she only need apply to him and he will supply it - the implication being that he would be relieved to be able to pay her off. What was Hetherington and Elizabeth's past relationship? Why does he hate her so much? Why are her feelings for him so clearly torn between hatred and a deep, deep longing? What about Mainwaring's interest in Elizabeth?Balogh's talent as a storyteller, always obvious, is even more clear in A Chance Encounter. She keeps readers guessing about Elizabeth's past and what Hetherington has to do with it, and when the truth was revealed some way into the book I was stunned. Nothing I had read so far had led me even to suspect the revelation, and yet when I re-read the earlier portion of the book nothing argued against it either. It was a masterful piece of writing. Balogh is also an expert at writing stories which pull on the readers' emotions, and this book is a classic example. It's angsty, it has moments of humour, it's suspenseful and it's heartwrenching. I couldn't put it down from the moment I started it. Unfortunately, like most of Balogh's early Regencies, it's out of print; until her publisher sees sense and starts to re-release her earlier work, the only way you can get hold of it is to pay an inflated price to get it second-hand. And yet it's worth it! Oh, and if you do get a used copy, it won't be mine - that's staying right where it is! wmr-uk