HIGHLAND MASTER (The Murrays) by HANNAH HOWELL

Lady Triona McKee has been having a very hard time living up to being a successful laird to the clan she married into. When her older husband died and left the holding and his legacy to his wife, life became so much more difficult than she ever imagined, especially when she has Laird Grant stealing her livestock and burning her crops in an attempt to wear the lady down into an unsavory marriage with him that will mean his obtaining all of McKee land. 

Triona's cousin Arianna appears on her doorstep with several highland warriors in tow, including a very broody but honorable Sir Brett Murray, the tides take an interesting turn when Murray takes on the task of seeing that Triona's holding of Banuilt become free of the issues standing in the way. 

Sir Brett Murray has vowed to remain a single man. Blaming himself for the death of the woman he stole from his own brother, Brett does his penance daily by serving others and being alone. What he finds at Banuilt makes him wonder. Where are all the men? The holding is being run by a female Laird and women, children and old men. Although the people in this holding obviously adore their Laird, Lady McKee, there is only so much that can be done in these circumstances so Brett and his men set out to see what can be done to remove the threat looming over Lady McKee's shoulders. During this time, Brett comes to admire the Lady Triona and the attraction between the two becomes a fire that neither one wants to put out.

Once again Hannah Howell delivers with her engaging plot and her fascinating characters. I have been a fan of the Murray clan from the start and am so happy each book that Hannah Howell writes in this series is fresh and  captivating, making me consistently want more. Highland Master is brimming with action and mystery as well as the romance between the young widow and the warrior. Reading the Murrays saga is like being with an old friend recalling all the good memories. I highly recommend Highland Master by Hannah Howell to readers, it's a fascinating journey.

~ KIMBERLY ~