sirena_bebee 's review for:

Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati

4.0

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I was recommended this book by my aunt who had introduced me to the Outlander series as well. She told me it was like that, with the fantasy intermixed with history and romance, so I figured I would give it a try. I enjoyed Outlander because of this genre interweaving, so why not. Well, once I actually read the back of the book and realized there was no fantasy involved, I was hesitant to start such a long novel. I figured I would start the book and see how long it held my attention. I gave it like thirty pages, and I was already hooked. I read some of the less savory reviews before started the book, but figured they weren't mentioning issues that would keep me from reading the book. I personally don't know much about history or specific historical periods and don't read books for this reason, so reviewer complaints about the authenticity didn't bother me. I enjoyed the fact that Sara set the scene well without too many descriptors. The dialogue was well written; although, the Scots left something to be desired. I realize it was necessary to visually make it more authentic, but it was difficult to read. It was actually a little unsettling how Elizabeth abandons her prim and proper English upbringing and affirmed spinster attitude so quickly under such a short period of time.
All in all, I truly enjoyed this book, even though it is completely outside of my favored comfort zone. And I will continue reading the series.