Wednesday 6 April 2011

Review: The Return of Black Douglas - Elaine Coffman

While visiting the Scottish tombs of her forebears, American archeologist Isobella Douglas encounters the ghost of her famous ancestor, Sir James, the Black Douglas. The matchmaking ghost seizes on her romantic fantasies, and before she knows it, Isobella and her twin sister, Elisabeth, a doctor, find themselves whisked to 16th-century Scotland, inappropriately dressed. When the dastardly Macleans capture Elisabeth, Alysandir Mackinnon, entirely fascinated by half-naked, strong-willed Isobella, offers to help her get her sister back.

My thoughts:
Sometimes the Scottish accent works and sometimes not. This time it worked for me and I do think I know the reason. The Hero had his accent, the heroine not, so it was never too much. Which I am glad for since it can be pretty hard sometimes to understand.

To the book then, it was sweet and fun. Isobella Douglas is visiting Scotland and soon she and her sister stands in a battlefield. Ok at the side, and they watch some handsome, really handsome highlanders fight each other. Every woman's dream (the hunky guys in kilts, not the fighting). Elizabeth is soon gone and then we have our hero and heroine, Isobella is a modern woman and she will let no man tell her what to do. But she is falling for Alysandir who do not want a woman again after being hurt. And Elizabeth knows that a mistress is of no worth. Alysandir did have some moments where I just shook my head. But then you saw it so much better in this book because they were from different times. But I was also sure that the heroine could transform him.

These two are slowly falling in love, Isobella wants help getting her sister back, and then she discovers a neglected child and takes the child under her wings. There is also a big question hanging in the air, will The Black Douglas suddenly come and take her back home, what if she wants to stay?

And the best of all, I know I always come back to my oh no! She is ruined bit, but here I did not care since this was a modern woman, so she could just do as she pleased ;)

Conclusion:
I finished this book rather fast because it was easy and fun. A good highland romance with a couple that is nothing alike.

Rating:
A fast read. Escapism

Cover:
Kind of like it, but she is too thin 

Genre: Historical romance /time-travel
Pages: 448
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca, April 1st 2011
Source: From the publisher for review

25 comments:

  1. I do not read romance but I admit "hunky guys in kilts" sound very interesting ;)
    I agree that the girl on the cover is too thin!

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  2. I totally agree about the accent. I've only read a couple of books with Scottish accent but each time I found it a distraction - not sure how you get around that because it has to be there in some way, you know? I may check this out since you liked it :)

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  3. I hate reading books with accents and dialect. :(

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  4. I agree, a Scottish accent (as much as I love them in person) are either hit or miss for me in written form! I think her not having an accent would definitely make things a bit easier, and overall this sounds like a fun read:)

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  5. I'm not much for romance novels but I do agree with you on the accents. Sometimes I've read things that I have to go over a few times just to kind of understand it. It takes away from the book sometimes.

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  6. I love the time travel aspect of it for sure! The only accents that I've enjoyed are the ones in Gabaldon's books.

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  7. I don't really mind the accent but it does take me a bit longer to read as I some passages over again.

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  8. Accent is not as bad as a romance...thank you very much, maybe next time! The girl on the cover needs to visit an anorexia clinic.

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  9. So, in reading this one... did you find out what was beneath that kilt? *innocent fluttering of the eyelashes* Hee hee...

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  10. Misha
    I have been studying her legs, they are like two sticks o_O
    Lol, I am glad the sound of that sounds interesting

    mary
    Sometimes it's so very heavy, luckily it never got to be that heavy here either. So that was good

    Chris
    No fun, I agree, especially for me

    Jenny
    I love them too in person, they are the best! But in written form, not so much. But here, thanks to her it worked

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  11. Darlene
    By now i have read a few so I remember things like kennit of whatever it was I came across, but it sure is difference

    Staci
    Oh, she got accents too? Of course she does, guess I will find out one day

    Jenny
    It sure isn't easy, but I have read so much worse, or harder.

    Ana
    Lol, her legs are horrible, she has no thighs!

    Melissa
    *gasps* shame on you ;) *coughs and whispers* sadly I did not

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  12. Sounds like a good book, I have a pile of her books on my shelf, still unread ...

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  13. I totally agree about the accents sometimes working and sometimes not. In fact, I don't think I've come across a book in which it worked for me. I might have to check this one out just because of your compliment of how the accent worked for a change in this story.

    And of course modern day women can do as they please. LOL

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  14. I know what you mean with accents that are difficult to understand. I don't like that...

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  15. Hunky highlander fights? Oh yeah, definitely an escape from reality right there. This book sounds right up my alley. Great review and thanks for the recommendation!

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  16. A hot guy in a kilt and I'm there...lol. I like the cheesy cover and I do like Scottish accents :) This sounds like a good highland romance. Nice review ;)

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  17. Sounds like a winner all around... kilts, hunks, highlander... mmmm.

    Great review. :) Thanks!

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  18. I do love it when you find these quick and fun reads. =) You find the perfect ones. But I'm kind of hard pressed as to whether books of this type could fit in the historical genre. :)

    Love the review, Blodeuedd! XD

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  19. Well, you know I *love* romances, especially ones with men in kilts. I don't read a lot of time travel, but this one sounds good!

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  20. I think Outlander serie is the only one I've read with Scottish accent but I love it in it!Not huge fan of time travel books but this sounds interesting.

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  21. I love an historical book set in Scotland so I'd be all over this one,

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  22. I'm not much for time-travel.

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  23. LOL - she is too thin?
    sounds like a fun-n-fast read and who could resist hunks in kilts?

    have you read outlander?
    jamie from the gabaldon series remains my fave scotsman.

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  24. Aurian
    Oh you do? Have fun reading then :)

    Missie
    I am sometimes such a historical prude, i keep on thinking that they are ruined, lol. So it was nice to see a modern woman for once and then I didn't have to care.
    And yes it did work, I was not sure when I started but then yay

    Janna
    In written the words sometimes just do not make sense

    VFG
    Lol, yes who could say no to that. I would have stopped and stared too ;)

    Naida
    I am glad to hear it. Lol, I do love cheesy covers too, even if I wish her legs looked a bit more normal ;)

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  25. Melissa
    Hihi, I know, highlanders, kilts, swords, what more do one need

    Redd
    Can't help you there, you know best :) And yes I do tend to get lucky, and I love a good quick read

    Diana
    I haven't either, I mean in my head I feel like I have read so many and want to read more. But it seems I have actually only read a few, lol

    Elysium
    I am so gonna read it one day, it just looks so huge!

    Amused
    Then it is so for you :D

    Carol
    I like it, kind of wished it would happen to me ;)

    VV
    Nope, I always mean to, but the books are so many, and huge, and the text was so tiny in them. Excuses, excuses

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