Review - Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is just back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an “outlander”—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of Our Lord...1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life, and shatter her heart. For here James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire—and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

I'm going to be honest. It's been a while since I read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I haven't really had it in me to write reviews lately, but I put a new one up today and decided that maybe it's time I write one for this too. Although, I have read 4 out of the 8 novels in the series since December, so details kind of blur together.

I will start off by saying, that I completely love this series. It is 100% one of my favorite series of all time and I love it to pieces. It did take me a bit to really get interested... the first bit of the first book was a little slow for me. But as soon as Claire goes through the stones and ends up in 1743... that's all she wrote for me. I couldn't put it down.

I have a bit of Scottish (and Irish!) heritage and I am married to a man with Scottish heritage. So this series has been particularly interesting to me. The way that Diana writes and the history that's just infused in every detail is amazing. I've never seen the TV show (don't have STARZ *sad face*) but I've seen clips on youtube and was able to read the stories with faces for the characters and voices to go with them.

Every scene is so descriptive and, apart from the very beginning, kept me completely enthralled the entire 2 weeks it took me to read the entirety of book one.

Since it's been such a long time since I've read the story, I won't go in to too much detail (like I said, they blur together). But Outlander is amazing. It's descriptive (and I mean DESCRIPTIVE) and wonderful. Claire is so incredibly smart and strong and resilient. Jamie is just heartbreakingly beautiful in every possible way imaginable. Although his family is frustrating (and by family I mean Dougal and Colum) it adds to the plot and pace of the story in just the perfect way.

The chemistry between Claire and Jamie is felt immediately. And the love that grows between them is so incredibly palpable that it's hard not to become thoroughly invested in their relationship so much so that you would see Claire forsake her first husband absolutely for the devotion of her second.

If you enjoy historical romances (LOTS of romance) then definitely read this series. It's captivating and wonderful and you won't be sorry!