Jennifer

This was my first Julie James book. I enjoyed the story though I did think it started off a little slow. Enjoyed the two main characters and also the supporting characters. Found myself rooting for them and I wouldn't mind meeting a Jack Palace in person! :)

The narration left a bit to be desired. It wasn't bad enough that I couldn't listen to it but almost. It was impossible for me to loose myself in the story telling because of the narrators constant choppy reading. She emphasizes stops. Almost like reading an old time telegram (or at least how they do it on tv). All her characters do the stopping thing. Her voice isn't bad but the stops really took away from the story for me.

As everyone else says, the reader is terrible. She's not bad enough for me to turn it off but she's pretty bad.

Outlander is my all time favorite series and I couldn't believe that it had even a couple negative reviews. I have never written a review for this book simply because it seemed that everyone had said everything I'd say but better, so I didn't review it. My review will basically be a rebuttal to the negative reviews.

I sat at my computer to read the reviews and am *shocked* that there isn't a way to respond to someone's review. For example "C" reviews the book with one star but most of what that person says is WRONG! I'm guessing they didn't read the whole book. He/She compares everything to being in the 1400's which is NOT the case. The main character starts off in 1940's and jumps back 200 years to the mid to late 1700's. This fact is repeated so many times it leads me to believe that the reviewer has not in fact, read the book. "C" says that no one notices her speech, dress or medical skills which again, is NOT true! Without giving away anything, many of the characters are suspicious of her and she's basically not able to leave unattended because they ARE suspicious of her!

Please take the negative reviews with a grain of salt and read the better reviews for a true picture of the book. Those of you who are buying it for time travel will be disappointed, as there is only a dash of it. I classify it as a romance pure and simple with a dash of time travel and a good bit of historical fiction piped in.

I have read the whole series several times because it is just that good. Diana Gabaldon writes so many details that when I look up from reading I'm surprised that I'm not in the 18th century! You live in her book instead of just reading it.

Do you have to suspend reality to read it? Yes! It is fiction after all!

As far as the sex scenes, only two from the first book stand out all these years later. The first one is tender and sweet and the 2nd is so well written that I can't (CANNOT) listen to it over and over. (Trying not to give away spoilers, but I always skip this part when re-listening) This book is not a bodice ripper by any stretch of the imagination and I think the people that review it badly for that reason have not read the book and are only trying to aggravate the fans of this series.

There is one part of the book that has turned some people off (this is what is referred to as S&M or Abuse in the reviews) and I can understand that, but if you are thinking in terms of 18th century men and women, it does fit which is an unfortunate sign of the times back then. I'm talking about the middle part, not the part referenced above which occurs later on in the book. I know I'm being vague, but I don't want to spoil anything.

Every single person I've recommended this book to has fallen in love with Jamie and Claire and the rest of the crew.

Think of this book as romance, with a good bit of accurate historical fiction, lots of drama and a dash of time travel thrown in. Definitely have book 2 ready when book 1 ends!

I listen to a lot of books and can usually listen past the reader, but this reader is SO "sing songy" that it ruins the book. I enjoyed the story, since I enjoy the author but the reader ruins it. Every end of each sentence is drawn out. Terrible.

Read the book, don't listen to it.