Written In My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon
(Format used for this read: Audiobook)
My friend Jessica asked me the other day which Outlander book has been my favorite so far.
That is a REALLLLY tough question!!!!
I can most definitely say it was NOT the first book. If yall remember, I was on the fence about this series at the end of it because of all the sexual violence.
But by the end of Book 2, I was HOOKED…SO thankful I listened to Jessica and stuck with it!
Each one has had things I totes loved and also completely hated.
Here I am just finishing book 8 of the series…and I think THIS ONE has been my fave of them all.
I can’t put my finger on WHY exactly…maybe because at this point I am just so INVESTED in the characters and story…maybe it’s because this book seemed to have SO MUCH happening (although…I guess that is EVERY Outlander book…) but I think my literary enjoyment in the Outlander genre was at it’s absolute peak for book 8.
Here is what this one was officially about:
“It is 1778: France declares war on Great Britain, the British army leaves Philadelphia, and George Washington’s troops leave Valley Forge in pursuit. At this moment, Jamie Fraser returns from a presumed watery grave to discover that his best friend has married his wife; his illegitimate son has discovered (to his horror) who his father really is; and his beloved nephew, Ian, wants to marry a Quaker. Meanwhile, Jamie’s wife, Claire, and his sister, Jenny, are busy picking up the pieces.
The Frasers can only be thankful that their daughter Brianna and her family are safe in 20th-century Scotland. Or not. In fact, Brianna is searching for her own son, who was kidnapped by a man determined to learn her family’s secrets. Her husband, Roger, has ventured into the past in search of the missing boy – never suspecting that the object of his quest has not left the present. Now, with Roger out of the way, the kidnapper can focus on his true target: Brianna herself.
Written in My Own Heart’s Blood is the brilliant next chapter in a masterpiece of the imagination unlike any other.”
GAHHHHHHH! Doesn’t it all sound so EXCITING?!?!
Because it IS, my friends…it most definitely IS.
I still stand by my previous description of the Outlander books as “historical fiction time traveling sci fi soap opera”.
(IYKYK)
Tons of crazy shit always happens, lots of big emotions always on display, plenty of big dramatic events occur.
That’s why these books pull you in fierce and tight like they do. You just CAN’T STOP READING THEM because you HAVE to know what is going to happen next and they get your emotions just all UP in a tizzy.
Book 8 picks up exactly where book 7 leaves off…which is super fun for me since I’m indulging in these back to back.
Initially, I was IRRITATED because it took waaaayyyy too long to hear from Bri and Roger and see WTF is going on with Jemy.
Book 7 ended with a pretty big cliffhanger focused on him and I was like “WHERE IS JEMY?!? WHAT IS HAPPENING TO HIM?!?”
Yall…it took until CHAPTER 27 before that storyline picked up and we hear from Bri, Roger and their kiddos again.
The story goes back and forth between their storyline and Jamie, Clair and the others’ storylines for almost the whole book….UNTIL the last couple parts…then they disappear AGAIN and I was like “WAIIITTTT!!! What is happening with Bri and Roger NOW?!?”
UGH.
Not that the other storylines aren’t JUST as interesting and fun to read…they most certainly ARE…but I wanted to know about EVERYTHING, damnit 🤣
You FINALLY hear from them again at the VERY VERY end though and ohhhhhhhhh….it is just PERFECTION. ❤
There is ALL kinds of time travel in this book and it is freaking ALL OVER THE PLACE.
A tad bit different than the time travel that happened in other books…characters from the past pop up (one of which I was PISSSEEEDDDD to hear from again…but thankfully it was only briefly) and we meet some “new” ones as well.
This book had some damn frustrating moments of missed chances that kept me on the edge of my seat and had literally screaming “NOOOOOOOO!!” out loud…
and ohhhhhh…there are some DREADFULLY heartbreaking tragedies too that had me BAWLING my eyes out 💔😥
And for those of yall who enjoy the “steamier” side of these stories…dinna fash. There are PLENTY of those scenes for your blushing enjoyment 😁. Lots of “farewell–I don’t know if I’ll ever see you again” sex… and also “hello again– I can’t believe I am seeing you again” sex!
Let me just say for a second that I appreciate the honest and blunt way most of the characters–especially the women—talk about sex in this book and previous ones too. While there is plenty of passion filled pillow talk, there is also plenty of direct and casual discussion of the ins and outs of the entire sexual process. It is refreshing to hear characters speak in such an unbridled, realistic yet also romantic and even humorous way.
Speaking of humorous, I do enjoy Ms Gabaldon’s style of humor in her writing. I love reading the teasing banter between couples. And OMG….I so love the pretentious and dry wit of Lord John Gray.
Completely and consistently enamored with this series.
In fact, I started book 9 before I even finished this review because I CAN NOT WAIT to see what is going to happen next and alllll the fans I know are already deep into it and I am SO FREAKING PUMPED to talk about it all with them!
(Thank you bookworm buddies for not being asshole human beings and ruining ANYTHING for me along this particular reading journey…yall are for real some tremendous friends who appreciate and understand all the important things that make reading the best pasttime in the entire world. Yall GET ME. Much love, my friends. 😍)
Stay tuned to see if book 9 takes over from book 8 as my fave one in this series yet…..I’m sure that review won’t be far off since I’m already on Chapter 10 ☺