The Wishing Chalice (Berkley Sensation) [Mass Market Paperback]

Twenty-five year-old Isabel Herbert flees from America to her late grandmother's country home in England to heal from a miscarriage and the subsequent breakup of her marriage. While exploring the countryside, Isabel discovers a jewel-encrusted chalice and is stunned when a mist encloses her in a romantic vision of a man and woman obviously deeply in love. Isabel so wishes she was the recipient of the glowing emotion the man in the vision directs toward the woman Isabel assumes is his wife. His very pregnant wife.

As the inexplicable scene fades, Isabel is caught up in a storm and thrust back in time, awakening to the man from the vision -- who claims he is her husband. Isabel is confused and astonished to find herself occupying the body of the woman she also saw in the chalice's vision. She soon realizes her predicament is not due to an overactive imagination, or wishful thinking. She must now play a dangerous game pretending amnesia until she can find the chalice and somehow return to her own time...and body.

Born on the wrong side of the blanket, Hunter, formerly of Hawkhaven, now of Windermere, has achieved his life's goal -- a gift of a castle from King Edward, and the woman of his dreams. Detra, however, soon turns into the wife of his nightmares, but Hunter is confident he can turn her affections toward him. After an argument over Hunter's precious chalice, and a fall that injures Detra's head, Hunter suddenly realizes his optomism has come to fruition -- Detra is a changed woman. Claiming she has no memory of him or their marriage, Hunter promptly sets out to seduce his lady wife into falling in love with him. But, what will happen when Detra regains her lost memories?

Hunter is one of the most strong, honorable, and sympathetic heroes to ever grace the pages of a romance novel. Isabel is a woman torn between doing what she knows is right or giving in to her own needs and wants. Ms. Landry's character development, from main players to secondary, is flawless.

Although the first half of THE WISHING CHALICE is somewhat slow-paced, the originality, premise of the story, and characterization held my attention. Numerous twists and turns then picked up the pace and led to a most satisfying conclusion.

I highly recommend THE WISHING CHALICE as a true romantic love story filled with intrigue, betrayal, and the bonding of two people who truly belong together, no matter what the era, or setting. I haven't read Ms. Landry's first novel, A PERFECT LOVE, but am keeping my eyes open for a copy!

Only, Hunter is puzzled by his wife's sudden change. She was distant from him, especially in bed. Suddenly, they are heating up the covers. However, Hunter also made a wish on his mother's chalice and now believes this is the reason for the change in his wife. But how long will Hunter be granted the dream of a loving wife?

So the chalice, to Isobel, is the means of return to the 21st Century, if she so chooses. But Isobel is seeking it not only for the possible return, but to see into the future, to know if this is where she belongs. Meanwhile Hunter is busy hiding

it hoping it will keep his "new" wife as she is.

This time travel - by having her arrive in another's body instead of just popping back herself - creates a lot of internal conflicts as well as a long of external problems for Isobel. You even get a "guest appearance" of Robert the Bruce in
the novel. So, it's a story that will keep the readers interested to the very end.

Isobel wanders a cemetery filled with the gravestones of her ancestors when the weather turns nasty. She seeks shelter, which Isabel finds in a dilapidated castle. There she notices a beautiful chalice.

Not long afterward, Isobel realizes something is not right in her world. She is no longer amidst ruins, but instead is inside a thriving castle. Stranger yet is the body that her mind resides in as she learns she is married to Hunter and living in Windermere Castle as his wife Detra in 1315. As she adapts to a new body and century (a bit too easily) she falls in love with her spouse who wonders if his wife is beginning to love him though he worries about her sanity.

Fans of time travel romance will enjoy the fine THE WISHING CHALICE though the story line is somewhat typical of the sub-genre as Isabel mentally adapts too easily for a modern day western woman going back to medieval times. Used to freedom of decision, Isabel would have to deal with loss of independence similar to the women trying to obtain any authority in post Taliban Afghanistan. Still the lead couple is a charming duet as Hunter is bewildered by his spouse's seemingly attitude adjustment and the support cast brings to live the early fourteenth century. The sub-genre audience will appreciate Sandra Landry's quality tale.

Harriet Klausner