The Wife Test

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Setting - King Edward II England circa 1300's --- Chloe of Guibray, was a babe in a basket left on the doorstep and brought up by the nuns in the convent of the Brides of Virtue. As such she knew most all of the `secrets' kept at the abbey by virtue of her training as the abbess' clerk. - Those secrets she didn't know she was adept at learning, all except the most important one to her, which was her true origins. When she heard how the Duke of Avalon was asking the convent to deliver four marriageable "daughters" as a part of his ransom to the King of England, Chloe decided that this would be her chance out of the convent and to discover just where and to whom her mysterious English roots would lead her to. She maneuvered her way into the ransom bride party as `another' of the Duke's `daughters' and when arriving in England, convinced King Edward that it was her `duty' to administer the `wife test' to the prospective brides and grooms in order to match them up to the person most suited to each. Escorting the `maidens' party to England was the ill-tempered, intense and very gruff Sir Hugh de Sennett whose ill will toward women was notorious - and most probably why the King, who was known to enjoy a jest or two, thought Hugh would be the perfect escort and later assistant `wife tester' along with Chloe. Raised in a monastery since the age of five by monks, Hugh did not hold the female population in any type of esteem at all - likening the whole lot of them to instruments of the devil whose sole duty was to corrupt all men! AND in his mind, the leader of this pack of females, Chloe, had to be the worst - why else couldn't he erase the image of her azure-blue eyes, and long white legs, from his mind! Chloe, who'd been brought up under the resolute abbess of the convent of the Brides of Virtue had enough spunk to probably be about the only woman that could make Hugh see that the brainwashing he endured in the monastery truly did taint his outlook at womankind. Hugh had to decide whether he truly was a `hypocrite' to his beliefs, or that what he had learned in the seminary was not necessarily the rules that should be applied to men `outside' those hallowed walls.Krahn's very entertaining sequel to THE HUSBAND TEST - which stands completely on its own - quickly turns into an, exciting adventure and battle of the sexes. The story mixes terrific characters, humor, sensual anticipation, and the mystery of who and why someone wanted to harm the brides, into a delicious blend of creative and skillful writing. Chloe, whose courage, spunk, and a very high threshold of `forgiveness' (so much to forgive!) and understanding for Hugh - who managed to stay a self-righteous prig through out most of the novel - is a heroine to love! The one factor that saves Hugh from being a total jerk was discovering how his childhood and upbringing gave him such a skewed up outlook on life. I was totally entertained from start to finish and absolutely howled over Hugh's

Terrific characters, subtle wit and well-researched period authenticity. Those who read and enjoyed The Husband Test will be delighted to once again experience the wily intelligence of the abbess of the Convent of the Brides of Virtue and her charges. When English King Edward holds a French duke for ransom, he contrives to send his daughters as brides to the king in lieu of a ransom - never mind the fact that he has no daughters! He asks the abbess to send four of her charges, which he will adopt as his illegitimate offspring. And so the king sends trusted knight Sir Hugh of Sennet to escort the maidens to England.Chloe de Guibray was left as an infant on the steps of the convent and has little knowledge of her parentage. Now she has risked everything to travel to England where she believes the answers lie. She's passed herself off as one of the "brides" and winds up as their leader of sorts and a thorn in Sir Hugh's side. She's not afraid to stand up to him even while worrying that he finds her "objectionable". As the days pass, she wistfully contemplates how much she and the grumpy (but handsome) Hugh have in common, but his rigid beliefs preclude friendship of any sort - or anything else for that matter. What a shame . . .The dutiful, brave, intense and gruff Hugh resents his mission and is rather unpleasant to the ladies in his care. It surely seems to the maidens that the testy Sir Hugh hates women, but that's really not the case. Hugh was raised in a monastery and in typical old church style, was taught that women are responsible for the lust that men feel and thus, should be avoided at all costs if one is not to be corrupted. Well, Hugh's thoughts of Chloe are certainly of a corruptible nature and have him confessing his impure thoughts as soon as they arrive at Windsor (his confession was hysterical in its detail and enumeration!) Still, it was nice to see a man with a strong moral compass (perhaps too strong!) for a change. But will Hugh let his dedication to the church eclipse his growing feelings for Chloe? And, much to Hugh's frustration, the King seems to keep throwing he and Chloe together commanding that they jointly determine which maids will marry which nobles. But is someone trying to keep the marriages from happening - to the point of endangering the "brides"? On the negative side, I felt the pace was a bit on the slow side and you'll likely find yourself wanting to strangle Hugh - you've never seen a man fight his attraction so hard! A big positive is Chloe. She's a really terrific heroine - smart, open-minded, plucky, kind and patient (Lord is she patient!). A thoroughly enjoyable and recommend read!

In France, the emissary of English King Edward informs the Duke of Avalon he still owes ransom if he wants his freedom. Avalon has nothing to offer until he learns Edward would accept as tribute virgin daughters with a dowry to be married off to his men. Avalon informs the Abbess of the Convent of the Brides of Virtue that he requires "his" four illegitimate daughters be sent to England escorted by Sir Hugh of Sennet. The Abbess knows Avalon has no known daughters, but sees an opportunity for four of her "throwaway" charges to attain a good life as an English wife.Chloe of Guibray wants to go to England upon learning she may have family there, but the Abbess wants her to stay behind. Chloe "kidnaps" the nun who was accompanying the young women and takes her place. On the journey across France, the Channel, and England to the monarch's court, someone tries to stop Hugh from achieving his objective. Worse to Hugh is he is falling in love with Chloe, who reciprocates his deep feelings.Readers will enjoy New York Times best-selling author Betina Krahn's latest historical romance due to a fine cast. The story line is fun as an exasperated Hugh struggles to keep his desire in check protecting the five women from his horny men and an unknown enemy. Ms. Krahn passes all the tests, as her audience will appreciate this delightful medieval tale.Harriet Klausner

England and France during King Edward's reignEighteen year-old Chloe of Guibray, a foundling left on the steps of the French Convent of the Brides of Virtue as an infant, is determined to uncover her parentage. When she overhears the abbess talking about her, mentioning that her name is Gilbert and that her "people" are from England, Chloe concocts a plan to travel there. She poses as a nun and sneaks away with the four young orphaned women destined to be exchanged and married to English nobles, as ransom for their adopted father, the French Earl of Avalon. Chloe almost regrets her decision when she continuously butts heads with their escort, Sir Hugh of Sennett. When their party is ambushed and attacked on their way to the ship, Hugh devises a funny, yet intriguing plan to better disguise the enticing women in the hope of keeping them from further harm.Sir Hugh of Sennett, errand boy to King Edward, wants nothing more than to return to the monastery where he was raised and take his vows. Hugh doesn't count on the exquisite, spirited Chloe, who appears to be on this earth to make a mockery of his determination to preserve his bachelorhood. He swears escorting the five women to England for King Edward will be the last of his errands. Not only must he suffer the long journey from France in the company of these beautiful women, he must also keep his randy men in line. Feeling severely put-upon by the time they reach the king, Hugh is relieved that the trip has ended without fatalities, kidnappings, or the loss of any maiden's virtue. Needless to say, Hugh is furious when the king selects him to help Lady Chloe carry out the wife tests she has devised for the brides and their prospective grooms. With much in common, although neither will admit it to the other, Hugh and Chloe suffer each other's company while conducting the wife tests. Human drama and emotion, touched with humor and vivid details, make their developing relationship sparkle in many ways. As all of the couples are thrown together in various situations, it becomes quite clear who is attracted to whom, leaving Hugh and Chloe on the sidelines to tease and test each other. Both get much more than they bargain for.THE WIFE TEST is a story of power, betrayal, and the strength of love and loyalty. Hugh and Chloe shine as the main characters, and secondary characters are just as intriguing and integral to this exceptional tale. The relationships between Chloe and the other maidens is tender, heartwarming, and sometimes heartbreaking. Several twists, turns, surprises, and subplots make for a fast-paced story that is impossible to put down. I recommend THE WIFE TEST as one of Betina Krahn's most emotional, romantic, and enthralling books to date. This is proof positive why Ms. Krahn is one of the romance fiction genre's most beloved authors in print. Bravo, Ms. Krahn!