Take a Chance on Me

Cleo has lived in the same small English village her whole life. Johnny, following the death of his father, returns from his wealthy glamorous New York life to sell the estate and reacquaint himself with his hometown. Despite a turbulent history growing up, Cleo and Johnny fall for each other. In the meantime there are plenty of other romantic hijinks going on in the village, proving that while small town life may be close-knit, it's never boring. Mansell, who has perfected the ability to portray her characters convincingly, shows a breezy familiarity with British village life, and definitely exudes charm in her latest. The characters are comical, the situations are funny, and it's a generally entertaining experience. Readers will giggle throughout and forget the whole thing by the last page. (Oct.)