The Folly (Daughters of Mannerling, Book 4) [Hardcover]

Marion Chesney (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1996

Rachel's desire to possess her beloved mansion, Mannerling, forces her to try win the heart of the new resident, Charles Blackwood, but when, through a strange twist of fate, true love develops between them, Rachel questions if her love is truly for him or for Mannerling.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Following hard on the heels of The Deception (1996), the fourth installment of the Daughters of Mannerling series is yet another frothy good time. Lovely Rachel Beverley, 19, having narrowly avoided an entanglement with a cad more interested in her former family home, Mannerling, than in her lissome person, is surprisingly still in that house's spell. The new owner, widower Charles Blackwood, is thought at "nearly forty" to be too old for marriage prospects by the remaining Misses Beverley, including Rachel. But a chance meeting with him, during which Rachel castigates the man for his inattention to his two children, shows her what a handsome and impressive "old" man he is. Shades of the Von Trapps, with fewer kids and no singing nuns. Two potential rivals are introduced to quell this budding attraction, as are hauntings, intrigues and a near-murder. And then there is the Beverleys' scheming reputation: for although Mannerling seems to be loosening its hold on Rachel, does she really want the man or the manor? Chesney's sketchy plotting and facile resolution of the lovers' situation will not disturb her many fans.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Chesney's Daughters of Mannerling, her sixth Regency series, continues in a fourth volume that addresses the marital hopes of Rachel Beverley. Like her older sisters in The Banishment , The Intrigue , and The Deception (1996), Rachel is obsessed with Mannerling, the estate her family lost due to her late father's gambling debts. She hopes to impress widower Charles Blackwood, who has moved to Mannerling with his young children and his father, a retired general; however, at their first meeting, she rashly berates him for neglecting the children and consigning them to a spiteful governess. The Beverleys' enigmatic, seldom-paid governess, Miss Trumble, plays her usual deus ex machina role, bringing the Beverleys and the Blackwoods together despite gossip and other obstacles, and The Folly, which refers to both the Beverleys' foolish edifice complex and the Grecian temple the Blackwoods have built to replace the structure destroyed in an earlier volume, closes with multiple marriage proposals. Formula fiction, but Chesney's formula produces lively characters and an entertaining story. Mary Carroll

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 165 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1st edition (September 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312143389
• ISBN-13: 978-0312143381
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,501,161 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another 'will she, or won't she' with a sweet twist., October 10, 2000

By 

Ruth A. Caldwell "Highland Princess Mum" (Walnut Creek, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Folly (Daughters of Mannerling, Book 4) (Paperback)

The attempt to marry back the family mansion should be getting a little boring by now, but never fear. Marion Chesney brings us another delightful story through the fascinating trials and tribulations of the new owner of Mannerling; a widower and his charming two kiddies. But, will Rachel succumb to another eligible bachelors charms instead? Intriguing...

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Lots of Frothy Fun..., August 14, 2000

By 

Jocelyn L. Smith "jessiegrrl" (Johnson City, TN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Folly (Daughters of Mannerling, Book 4) (Paperback)

This book is my favorite of the series. I think the reason I like it above the others is because Rachel, unlike her sisters, is not really obsessed with getting Mannerling back. She is quiet, loving, and not overly ambitious. Ms. Chesney develops the romance nicely, with the standard obstacles to true love thrown in (scheming romantic rival, interfering relatives). However, those standards are a great deal more fun in a Chesney book than in anyone else's. The hero's children are believably written and actually add to the story rather than distracting from it. I recommend this novel to any Regency reader who wants an undemandingly fun read.