Review - Lord of The Black Isle by Elaine Coffman

My thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablana for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Sourcebooks Casablanca June 5 2012

My  Review

Lord of the Black Isle is the third book in the Mackinnon-Douglas series, and continues with a time travel theme. Elisabeth Douglas is a doctor in her own time, and yet when she is lured to Scotland in the 1500’s, by the ghost of Lord James Douglas, her medical skills are looked upon with suspicion, but Elisabeth is determined to make her own way. David Murray, Laird of Kinloss is a brave warrior and yet has no-one to share his life with, he cares deeply for his clan, and when he needs the assistance of a healer to help his community, he is stunned by the arrival of Elisabeth, whose knowledge of medicine surpasses all expectations. The attraction between the David and Elisabeth is apparent from their first meeting, but before they can acknowledge their feelings for each other, they both suffer agonies of indecision, and encounter many obstacles along their journey to eventual happiness.

Overall, this is a pleasant love story which happens to be set in sixteenth century Scotland. There is the ubiquitous, sexy, but troubled hero, combined with a feisty, opinionated, modern woman, all set against a back ground of warring clans, and spectacular Scottish scenery. The inclusion of a mysterious, ghostly figure that appears to guide Elisabeth through the most troubled parts of her life adds a light hearted touch, and explains parts of the story the reader may have missed by not reading the earlier books. My biggest criticism is the inclusion of Shakespearean quotes, which I felt add nothing to the narrative, and are perhaps more of a hindrance than a help.

Lord of the Black Isle can work as a standalone story; however, I am sure that reader enjoyment will be greater, if the series is read sequentially.

Time travel novels set in Scotland are one of my guilty pleasures