Outlander

Sometimes I run into a wall with my reading. I keep starting books but never finishing them. Nothing holds my attention. When this happens the best cure is to revisit an old favorite. Its like hanging out with your best friend when you're really not in the mood to meet new people. Outlander is the book I revisit the most. The thing I find funny about Outlander is how it birthed a whole genre of crappy romance books behind it, none of them touch at all upon what makes this book so wonderful. They just take the hot Scottish warrior in a kilt trappings and put it on a romance novel plot. At its heart Outlander is an historical novel about the times of the Jacobite Risings in Scotland. It uses time travel as a plot device because when the author, Diana Gabaldon, started writing the book the female lead didn't talk or behave as she would have in that time. To solve the problem she made her more modern which helps give us an entryway to the times. It definitely has romantic elements and tons of hot sex scenes but as they are between a husband and wife that doesn't make it fit the mold of a typical romance either. Its about love, loyalty, politics, survival and family. It fits no genre really but the relationship between Jaime and Claire is the one many of us yearn for, partners who love each other, trust each other and fight to the death (literally) for each other. This is my favorite book and interesting my father's as well although we discovered it completely separately. It's not for everyone. Some romance readers don't like it because its too historical, fantasy readers don't like it because the time travel is just a means to an end not a major plot point and fans of historical novels find the romantic, sexual and fantasy elements of it not to their liking. Those who love it like me, however, adore it and all its sequels. It rises to the level of obsession for many of us. Now if only the author could write faster dammit!

Before Sunrise by Diana Palmer

Dear god did I feel slimey after I finished this. I had this book on my shelf as a freebie for years. It talked about a murder mystery on a Native American reservation and the young anthropologist who helps the FBI on the case. What I didn't realize...it was a Harlequin Romance...blechh.

The story begins with Phoebe graduating from college. Her graduation is attended by a federal prosecutor she became close with previously when she helped him on a case. Jeremiah is older than she, dark, intense and mysterious (of course). Three years down the road we find Phoebe working at a museum. Having sworn off men because of the heartbreak she experienced she lives a quiet life. She receives a call from a man claiming to have found a major anthrolopolgical breakthrough but he can't talk at the moment. He is found dead later. This bring her back in contact with Jeremiah as he comes to investigate. Having joined the FBI at some point in the past 3 years.

The biggest problem I have with romance novels is they can't decide what they want to be. This one has a real plot and a not completely ridiculous mystery but much like a musical or a porn movie everything must stop for the all important love story. There is sex but it's not good. The author does avoid the usual purple prose that is typically in these things (her heaving mounds, his flaming loins etc.) but the dialogue during the sex acts is stilted and odd. I happen to enjoy good erotica but this doesn't even try to get that right. All in all not a good read for me.