Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Okay, so I'm coming late to the Outlander series, but here it is. In 1945 Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is visiting Scotland on her wedding anniversary with her husband Frank, as Scotland was where they were married. Despite being apart for 6 years during the war, they appear to have a loving and comfortable relationship. The ghost of an ancient Highlander appears underneath their window one night--who it is is revealed by the author in her interviews... but what it means remains to be seen. (I will have to get through the whole series to find out apparently.) After witnessing an ancient pagan rite in a mini-Stonehenge, Claire revisits the site on her own. Upon walking through a particular spot in particular stone, she finds herself plunged into a sort of vortex, and then suddenly in 1743 Scotland, in the middle of a skirmish between English Redcoats and Scottish cattle thieves. From that moment, her life is in chaos.

Claire is mistaken for a prostitute, suspected of being both an English spy and a witch, forced into marriage to a ruggedly handsome (and younger) outlaw Highlander named Jamie Fraser, and quite unrealistically avoids rape in every instance (although there was quite a bit of trying). Claire's adventure is compelling and keeps you engaged, despite the many ridiculous escapes from imprisonment she manages. Again, with my love of of series books, I have moved onto the second book, Dragonfly in Amber (review to come). I loved the hot and sweet romance between Claire and Jamie, and was not surprised at all (SPOILER ALERT) she chose to stay with him rather than return through the vortex to Frank. The attachment Claire feels for Frank is not developed at all in the first book, and I'm waiting for more explanation in the second. Although there is a lot of sex in this book as well, none is more graphic than a mild romance novel. It's warranted, because after all, what else did you do for fun in the Highlands in 1743? Highly recommended historical fiction with fantastic elements of time travel and ghosts. *SPOILER ALERT: The ghost who sees Frank (who looks like the dreaded Black Jack Randall who tormented Jamie) and Claire just before they make love? Of course it's Jamie... What will that mean?*