A CHANCE ENCOUNTER

Author: Emily Johnson ISBN: 9780709084136 3/2009 HISTORICAL Publisher: ROBERT HALE LTD.
Time Period: Regency

'You have been cheated my dear Felicia...' These were the dying words of Felicia Brook's guardian. An overturned carriage had taken his life, and nearly cost Felicia hers. But she had been lifted from the wreckage by Henry, Lord Chessyre, one of the ton's most eligible bachelors. Although the handsome lord looked at her outmoded dress with distaste, he did not miss her incandescent beauty. And when he discovered that Felicia had indeed been swindled out of a vast inheritance, he gallantly offered to investigate. Gratefully, Felicia accepted...and secretly lost her heart. From London's elegant mansions to breathtaking Gothic Strawberry Hill, Felicia entered Chessyre's world of incomparable riches and gilded intrigues. But the gaiety and frivolity concealed a danger for the lady who fervently hoped that a chance encounter would be transformed into a lifetime of love...

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

When Felicia’s uncle and aunt die, she is left with few options. She has lived with the couple since her father’s death four years earlier. Now, she is alone save for some greedy cousins, and has little recourse but to find a way to secure her own future. All Felicia wants is a small cottage to call her own, and a cat or two for companionship. What she gets, however, is vastly different. Intrigue, skullduggery and greed all come into play as A CHANCE ENCOUNTER turns out to be a life-altering opportunity.

I enjoyed this historical romance, mainly because it has a darker feel than most set in the time period. The ton isn’t shown in the most glamorous light, and the underhandedness and shadier part of society is brought to the surface. Felicia is a sympathetic character and there is no way the reader cannot want happiness for the very young woman who is cast into the world by circumstance. A CHANCE ENCOUNTER is wholly entertaining, a departure from the fun and folly of most romances of the time. Well done!

Kay James