Chance Meeting by Christine Columbus
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Historical, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Mistflower
Melody is fostering her niece while her sister, Captain Opal
Erickson, is deployed to Kuwait. A chance meeting at work with Clayton, a
construction manager, awakens feelings of the love and romance.
Everything is perfect until Opal reveals a family truth and swears
Melody to secrecy.
To honor her sisterly pledge, Mel attempts to reject any advances
from Clayton, until he guesses the truth. Torn between loyalty to Opal
and love for Clayton, she pours herself into work, making a mess of
everything. When the dust settles, Mel is left wondering if she’ll be
able to put the pieces of her life back together.
Chance Meeting was such a fun and heartwarming read. I
completely agree with the praise comments shared at the beginning of the
book. Melody is a relatable heroine as she navigates the challenge of
living a balanced life. Like many of us, she struggles to juggle work,
family, responsibilities, and making time for herself. It’s all too easy
to become overwhelmed and burned out—and sometimes, it takes hitting
rock bottom to recognize your limits. I admired Melody’s dedication,
persistence, and strong moral compass. I found myself truly invested in
her love story because she genuinely deserved a happily-ever-after.
The hero, Clayton, felt almost too good to be true. He’s handsome,
successful in his career as a construction manager, romantic, and a
natural with kids. Melody is fostering her niece, Kansas, while her
sister, Opal, is deployed. Watching Clayton step in and help—especially
when he pulled off an adorable camping-themed sleepover for a group of
girls—was both entertaining and endearing. It was beautiful how Melody,
Clayton, and Kansas seemed to fit together so naturally, like a
ready-made family.
Chance Meeting is an easy, engaging read with a smooth-flowing plot.
Things progress without major complications—until Melody’s sister drops a
family bombshell and swears her to secrecy. The drama that followed had
me on edge, especially the impact it had on Melody’s relationship with
Clayton. Just when you think Melody has reached her breaking point,
another plot twist emerges, pushing the story into even more emotional
territory. I was completely hooked, wondering how she would pull her
life back together.
All the tension only enhanced my enjoyment of the story. The
chemistry between Melody and Clayton was both tender and sensual, and I
loved watching them open their hearts to the possibilities of a shared
future. They both value family, share common interests, and are
thoughtful and respectful toward one another’s feelings.
The best part? The ending. Every plot thread was wrapped up
beautifully, leaving me fully satisfied and smiling. I couldn’t have
asked for a better conclusion. I highly recommend taking a chance on Chance Meeting—it’s a sweet, emotionally rich romance that’s well worth the read.
