Lord of the Black Isle by Elaine Coffman

David Murray, Earl of Kinloss, never wanted to be the laird.  But the title is thrust upon him, and now the well-being of his clan weighs heavily on his shoulders.  He has never felt so alone, until a beautiful healer from another time is brought to the Black Isle.

When Dr. Elisabeth Douglas is thrown back in time to sixteenth-century Scotland, she decides to use her modern medical knowledge to save lives.  In a time when a healer may be accused of witchcraft, she must keep her secret closely guarded, especially from David, whose uncanny curiosity could destroy them both. 

This book is the sequel to Return of Black Douglas. Having read the first one, I was really excited about returning to ancient Scotland and being with my friends again.  In all fairness, if you haven't read Black Douglas, you'll find yourself sitting through this one and wondering about a million things that happened before this book begins.  Though she did a pretty decent job of making this book readable alone, there are still several questions that haven't been answered.  If you're going to pick up this book, I strongly urge you to pick up Black Douglas first and read them together.

Once again, I found all the same lovable characters and a setting that was so alive it took my breath away.  Black Douglas is still a pain in the butt, but I love him all the more for it.  This is not your typical historical romance, since it blends our world with the past.  Also, though part of the story is romance, most of it is made up of intrigue, suspense and some thoughtful insight.  You'll even find several laughs along the way.

Most important for me, this book did tie in nicely with the first as well as going further to explain a few little facts that were left niggling in my brain.  This is an excellent summer read.  Coffman's pace will keep you flipping page after page and you won't want to put it down.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  Shawn