Outlander (Outlander, #1)

by Diana Gabaldon

[Stephanie]

Originally posted at Once Upon a Chapter

It's 1945 and Claire Randall is glad that this war is over. Now she and her husband can start to relax and get to know each other again. The war prevented them from doing that at the start of their marriage. Frank and Claire are vacationing in Scotland before moving on to Frank's new position. Frank is researching his family tree and Claire keeps herself busy exploring.

Then one day Claire is exploring a stone circle when she tumbles 200 years into the past. 1743 Scotland is full of everything you'd expect: chivalry, battle, clans, betrayal, family dysfunction, friendship, love and rivalry. It's also a dangerous place for a woman who has lived in a civilization 200 years in the future where women are just as important as men.

My Thoughts:
I know that summary doesn't do Outlander justice but I really am worried about giving away too much. This book messed me up! I was literally Outlander-focused for six days. Dishes were ignored shamelessly, laundry was done at a minimum and the hubs was ruthlessly ignored.

Diana Gabaldon creates such a beautiful world with her words you almost feel like you're there. The book is a tome but the story is so fast paced (after the first hundred pages or so) that you'll barely notice the length once you've dug in! I was so immersed in the book that I picked up some of the vocabulary by the end! I was dropping the "t" off of "not" and shortened did not to "dinna" with ease.

Claire and Jamie. I get it now. This couple make the top of so many top ten lists and I understand now. If ever there were two people meant to be together it's these two. They're put to the test over and over and over again and not only do they come through it, they come through it with a little bit more love and respect between them. Even with the odds stacked against them. It's almost inspirational. It's definitely swoon-worthy. Did ya see the quote? If a man talked to you like that you'd swoon too.

The secondary characters are amazing! I loved them, I hated them, and I never felt like they overcrowded the romance. If it weren't for Murtagh, Outlander would never have happened. Mrs. Fritz, Jenny and Rupert all warmed my heart and put a smile on my face.

I could go on and on about how much I loved Outlander. I could probably fill the length of this blog. I won't but I'll leave you with this: Outlander is a great way to slip back 200 years and enjoy watching two people fall in love. It's an epic romance that made me realize all over again why romance is a largely loved genre. I can't wait to read the next one but I think I'll wait until I have a bunch of time on my hands. If you haven't read this book yet, it needs to be on your list!