Outlander

I have very mixed feelings about this book. Parts of it I really enjoyed, other parts really made me cringe. I'm a sucker for time traveler stories, especially those set in Europe between the Middle Ages and Victorian Era. So those parts were super fascinating. And overall, I do like both Jamie and Claire as characters. However, the romance was a bit trying at times, especially after Jamie beats Claire practically senseless, and then she somehow comes around to feeling this was justified. I mean, WHAT? Stockholm syndrome if I ever saw it. I feel wholly manipulated by the author into somehow rooting for this adulteress and abuser while at the same time being revolted by their actions. And the whole last bit with Jamie and Randall felt completely unnecessary to me. Did we need to have such brutality spelled out in detail? I think it would have been far better to just let our imaginations decide what really went on in that dungeon.

All that said, I will likely continue the series for the same reason I've continued others I found slightly distasteful: the need to know what happens next is too strong a draw!