Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon

Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon

It is 1778 and Jamie and Claire Fraser are unsure how things became so complicated: France has declared war on Great Britain, and the British army has fled Philadelphia with George Washington in pursuit. Jamie, meanwhile, has returned from what Claire and Jamie's friend Lord John Grey were told was a watery grave only to find his friend has married his wife in order to protect her. His illegitimate son has discovered the true identity of his biological father, much to the horror of both father and son. In the midst of all this, Jamie's beloved nephew, Ian, has decided to marry a Quaker. Chaos abounding, Claire and Jamie's sister, Jenny, newly arrived from Scotland, attempt to pick up the pieces. One thing the Fraser family is sure of, though, is the safety of their daughter, Brianna, who resides in the twentieth century with her family. But all is not well with Brianna: Her young son has been kidnapped by a man seeking the family's secrets, and Brianna's husband Roger has once more ventured into the past to find the missing child, unaware that Jem is firmly rooted in the present. With Roger gone, Jem's kidnapper is free to focus on his true target: Brianna herself.

Book 8 in the Outlander series. 825 pages.

An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon

An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon

Jamie Fraser is a former Jacobite and rather unwilling participant in the American Revolution, but he chose rebellion because he was certain of several things: The Americans will win, though fighting on the side of victory would not ensure his survival, and the last thing he wanted to do was face his illegitimate son, a lieutenant in the British army, down the barrel of a gun. Claire Fraser, Jamie's wife, has assured him of victory---something she can guarantee because she is a time-traveler. What she does not know, however, is what the price will be. The price will not include Jamie's life or happiness, at least not if she has anything to say about it. Meanwhile, Jamie and Claire's daughter, Brianna, and her husband, Roger, reside in the relative safety of the twentieth century with their children. They have settled in Lallybroch, Jamie's ancestral home, and maintain a connection with Brianna's parents through a series of letters they were careful to leave behind. As Brianna and Roger comb the fragile pages for clues to the fate of Claire and Jamie, they learn just how closely their lives are linked.

Book 7 in the Outlander series. 814 pages.

"Out of Nowhere" by Roan Parrish

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, called "In the Middle of Somewhere," and this story focused on Colin Mulligan, one of the brothers of Daniel (the hero in the first book).  In the first book, Colin was a mean, homophobic jerk to his brother.  This story is told from Colin's point of view and explains why he was that way.  We learned at the end of book one that Colin is deeply in the closet; this book shows how that happened.  While Colin isn't nearly as likable as Daniel, the author clearly shows his mental anguish at hiding such a large part of himself from his family and friends.  Although not as good as the first book, mostly because the main characters weren't as sweet as Daniel and his boyfriend, Rex, it was still a compelling story.  300 pages (Kindle edition).