Brimming with romance, adventure and vivid historical detail, Christina Courtenay''s gripping dual-time novel travels from the present day to the battles of West Mercia . . .''Courtenay writes so beautifully, drawing you in to each scene, that time and pages slip by effortlessly'' ERIN GREEN''Whenever I need a break from the 21st Century, I read one of Christina Courtenay''s novels'' SUE MOORCROFT''The Queen of Viking Romance'' CATHERINE MILLER__________________________West Mercia, AD 873Merewen''s settlement is on guard against the threat of the ''Heathen'' Norsemen. But for Merewen, the threats are also coming from within, as her future is cruelly snatched away from her. Eirik, a Norseman, finds himself abandoned and injured after a plunder of Mercian land goes wrong. He thinks his fate is sealed - until an angel, bearing the name Merewen, saves his life.Hereford, Present DayAlix moves to her uncle''s farm in Hereford, where she hopes to heal her recently broken heart. But something strange is in the air. Every time she touches a crystal pendent - a family heirloom gifted to her - she is haunted by memories of a life she never lived, of a relationship she never had, in a time she never existed in. A Viking hoard was discovered on Noah''s farm by his sister and her criminal boyfriend. Hounded by the police, Noah must find the rest of the treasure whilst also deciphering the strange connection he has to Alix - a connection that seems to transcend their reality.As the echoes of the past seep into the present, lose yourself in the evocative and romantic novels of Christina Courtenay that your favourite authors just can''t get enough of:''I''ve been looking forward to this book . . . and it far exceeded my hopes and expectations. Romantic, fascinating and gripping, it''s one of my favourites of the series'' NICOLA CORNICK''I wonder if I, too, can find a way to travel back in time... If not, reading this book was the next best thing'' GILL STEWART''This epic romance is sure to sweep you off your feet!'' TAKE A BREAK''An absorbing story, fast-paced and vividly imagined'' PAMELA HARTSHORNE''A love story and an adventure, all rolled up inside a huge amount of intricately-detailed, well-researched history. Thoroughly enjoyable'' KATHLEEN MCGURL