Three of Marianne Williamson's previous best-sellers -- A Return to Love, A Woman's Worth, and Illuminata -- explored the issue of relation- ships. Now, in this deeply personal collection of essays, prayers, and self- reflection, she turns to romantic love.

Enchanted Love envisions a way of being in love with another person and at peace and at one with God and with ourselves. It envisions a reinvention of romantic love as our newest spiritual frontier. In Illuminata Williamson wrote that "we experience God to the extent to which we love, forgive, and focus on the good in others and ourselves." Now, in Enchanted Love, she writes that "enchanted partnership begins with the conscious understanding, on the part of two people, that the purpose of their relationship is not so much material as spiritual, and the internal skills demanded by it are prodigious." High romance, she says, "is not about past or future. It is not about practicality. It is not about society or worldly routines. It is an audacious ride to the center of what is, at the heart of every person. It is a bold and masterful inquiry into what two people really are and how we might become, while still on earth, the angels who reside within us."

Filled with parables and references to classic myths and legends of love, Enchanted Love also contains some of Williamson's beautiful signature prayers to help readers -- single or coupled -- meditate and awaken to the possibilities of romantic enchantment within themselves and with their partners. We can only experience what we are willing to acknowledge, Williamson writes, as she guides us on a sacred journey from our disenchanted worlds to a paradise on earth, where we and our loved ones can give and receive enchanted love.

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"Romance is one of the sacred temples that dot the landscape of life," writes Marianne Williamson (A Return to Love, The Healing of America). "We tend to lack humility toward love, to patronize it rather than bow before it, to put mundane considerations before the emotional need to hold someone in our arms." When we make routines and practicality more valuable than love, we deny ourselves the opportunity to experience true enchantment and a deeper connection with God. Ultimately, Williamson offers a compelling invitation to overcome fear of heartache and enter into the whirlwind mystery of romance. Chapters include topics such as "Removing the Ghosts," "Grace and Forgiveness," "Marriage, Monogamy, Safety and God," and "Bodies and Soul."

Some readers may find Williamson's theories about male-female dynamics validating, while others may find them offensive. For example, Williamson believes that males are natural-born hunters, which means men need the thrill of the hunt during courtship and beyond. "A man should never have to totally stop working to figure out his woman, not if the woman wants him to remain interested," she claims. In fact, she believes that a fascinating woman is like a "Mercedes" or "Jaguar"--she is "high maintenance and doesn't apologize for the fact." --Gail Hudson