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A review by reader_fictions
A Chance Encounter by Mary Balogh
4.0
Pride & Prejudice meets Persuasion with a dash of Sense & Sensibility. This is third in my journey through Mary Balogh's earlier novels (the one's that are available at all), and it's my favorite so far, despite the story being entirely dependent on people not communicating, something I do not like.
Elizabeth (yes, she's really named Elizabeth, and her personality is the wit of Elizabeth Bennet combined with the practicality of Elinor Dashwood with the quiet suffering of Anne Elliot) works as a companion to a young girl in a country town. Said town bubbles over with excitement at the news that Mr. Mainwaring is arriving to his home in the area and bringing friends with him. The small town anticipates romantic possibilities and new diversions. This part is all P&P.
Mr. Mainwaring's friend, Robert, is a handsome, charming earl, who Elizabeth unfortunately already knows and hoped never to see again. Details are not revealed until near the end, but it's clear that they were once together and he broke her heart. Second chance romance is never my favorite trope, precisely because it almost always relies on the lovers not communicating, which is not a sign of a healthy relationship. Expect these two not to communicate despite so many situations just screaming for them to do so. IT. IS. FRUSTRATING.
Still, despite all of those flaws, I totally got the feels with this one. Balogh's skill at developing the secondary cast is improving immensely, and I delighted in almost everyone introduced. The way that the Rowes accept her as one of their own even once they learn the truth is lovely and exceedingly open-minded for the time. Mr. Rowe's Cinderella jokes with Elizabeth are precious. Elizabeth's charge Cecily is adorable and naive, but not the empty-headed flibbertigibbet of Persuasion. It's a whole town of nosy, caring people, and I would totally move there.
And, though the fact that they won't talk is frustrating (as are a couple of problematic lines), I did really feel for the relationship between Elizabeth and Robert. They're both so angry, but he finds it hard to stick to that anger and not default to his more jovial personality. Initially, I did hope she would go with Mainwaring, rather than Robert Denning, but he won me over in the end. It's more melodrama than I typically like, and it may be tied into my love of Austen's novels and characters but I had a hell of a lot of fun and some feels so whatevs.
Elizabeth (yes, she's really named Elizabeth, and her personality is the wit of Elizabeth Bennet combined with the practicality of Elinor Dashwood with the quiet suffering of Anne Elliot) works as a companion to a young girl in a country town. Said town bubbles over with excitement at the news that Mr. Mainwaring is arriving to his home in the area and bringing friends with him. The small town anticipates romantic possibilities and new diversions. This part is all P&P.
Mr. Mainwaring's friend, Robert, is a handsome, charming earl, who Elizabeth unfortunately already knows and hoped never to see again. Details are not revealed until near the end, but it's clear that they were once together and he broke her heart. Second chance romance is never my favorite trope, precisely because it almost always relies on the lovers not communicating, which is not a sign of a healthy relationship. Expect these two not to communicate despite so many situations just screaming for them to do so. IT. IS. FRUSTRATING.
Still, despite all of those flaws, I totally got the feels with this one. Balogh's skill at developing the secondary cast is improving immensely, and I delighted in almost everyone introduced. The way that the Rowes accept her as one of their own even once they learn the truth is lovely and exceedingly open-minded for the time. Mr. Rowe's Cinderella jokes with Elizabeth are precious. Elizabeth's charge Cecily is adorable and naive, but not the empty-headed flibbertigibbet of Persuasion. It's a whole town of nosy, caring people, and I would totally move there.
And, though the fact that they won't talk is frustrating (as are a couple of problematic lines), I did really feel for the relationship between Elizabeth and Robert. They're both so angry, but he finds it hard to stick to that anger and not default to his more jovial personality. Initially, I did hope she would go with Mainwaring, rather than Robert Denning, but he won me over in the end. It's more melodrama than I typically like, and it may be tied into my love of Austen's novels and characters but I had a hell of a lot of fun and some feels so whatevs.