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Title:  Only by Chance

Original Story:  Betty Neels

Manga:  Chieko Hara

Publisher: Harlequin KK & SOFTBANK Creative Corp

Available at eManga

I had been putting this title off because the cover didn’t appeal to me.  The cover illustration looks so dated that it didn’t garner much enthusiasm on my part.  What a mistake!  Yes, the art style is a bit old-fashioned, but as the story unfolded, it grew on me.  This was a very solid read, and it is one of the best Harlequin titles available at eManga.

Henrietta is an orphan and she was raised in an orphanage.  Now she’s trying to make ends meet, working at a hospital.  She has a secret crush on Adam, a handsome doctor, and a chance meeting one day changes her life forever.  Can dreams really come true?

This is a sweet story with a convincing courtship between two people from very different backgrounds.  Henrietta is struggling to get by, working for a dragon of a supervisor and renting out a room from a compassionless landlord.  She doesn’t have any close friends, and if wasn’t for her two cats, she would be totally alone.  Adam, on the other hand, is from a wealthy family, lives in a gigantic mansion, and is an admired neurosurgeon.  How can two people that are so different possibly find happiness together?

I think I liked this one so much because both of the leads were nice.  I mean the do anything for somebody else nice, worry about hurting other people’s feelings nice, and just generally, well, nice.  No bickering or arguing between them, either, just a mutual admiration that transcended the differences in their social class.  It was very refreshing to read along as Henrietta overcomes her personal problems and finds the inner confidence to confess her feelings to Adam. 

The production values were still iffy, but I was enjoying the story so much that I didn’t even notice the smudges and oddly placed text.  If you’re in the mood for a feel good romance, this is ticket.

Grade: A-