Book reviews

Cross Stitch
Diana Gabaldon Book Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mystery/Thriller Literature Romance Biography Video
Diana Gabaldon Books
New book search
Diana Gabaldon Message Board
Get more information about this book
Plot Summary of Cross Stitch
"Claire Randall is on a honeymoon with her husband Frank, when she is steps through a stone hedge and is sent back to Scotland during the 18th Century. Claire finds herself in the middle of a scurmish and mets a gallant young warrior named Jamie Fraser. Claire and Jamie form the beginning of a friendship, when they are forced to marry. Eventually they fall in love."
Kimberly Sternes, Resident Scholar

"Claire Randall and her husband Frank are rekindling their marriage on a second honeymoon to Scotland, after the end of WWII. On a trip to a local stone circle, Claire finds herself transported back in time to the 18th century, where she meets gallant soldier and accused criminal Jamie Fraser, whom she is forced to wed. Now Claire has two husbands in two different centuries.

As Claire attempts to escape from the clutches of Jamie and return to the stone circle from which she came, she finds herself falling more and more in love with him. Claire finds that she cannot keep her knowledge about future events to herself either. "

Sandra, Resident Scholar

"Claire Randall, a nurse, is on holiday in Scotland with her husband Frank, a historian, just after WWII when she step through a stone circle and is transported back in time 200 years to pre-Culloden Scotland. She narrowly escapes being molested by her husband's brutal ancestor, Captain Jack Randall, and is rescued by a group of Scottish Highlanders, MacKenzies, from Castle Leoch. Eventually, further troubles with Jack Randall forces Dougal MacKenzie, brother of the laird of Leoch, to arrange a marriage between Claire and his nephew the gallant Jamie Fraser to ensure her safety. However, Jamie's previous lover, Laoghaire MacKenzie, is jealous of Claire, and sends her off to visit the local healer, Geilies Duncan (who is rumoured to be a witch), when she knows that the healer is going to be trialed as a witch, hoping to do off with Claire as well. Geilies saves Claire's life by providing a distraction, and Claire escapes, running to Jamie, and confesses of her past and her trip through the stones. Jamie takes her back to the stone circle to return her to her own time, but Claire
cannot go back, as she realises that she has fallen in love with Jamie. She stays. Jamie is later captured by Captain Jack Randall, accused as a criminal, and Claire embarks on a mission with Jamie's godfather Murtagh to rescue him. They then escape to France. The story continues... in another book. Altogether, a series of six."

Matthew S., Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Cross Stitch
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Marriage/Married Yes
Marriage subplot: - arranged marriage spurring real love
Time Travel Yes
Type of time travel - present to past

Main Male Character
Profession/status: - accused criminal
Age/status: - 20's-30's
How sexual is this person? - squeaky clean virgin
How romantic is this person? - very romantic
Sex has good effect on him Yes
Sex makes him - blissful - a better lover
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Physique - very athletic

Main Female Character
Age/status: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - nurse
How sexual is this person? - a few sexual encounters
How romantic is this person? - very romantic
Sex has good effect on her Yes
Effect of sexing - blissful
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - average physique

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK
Mountains/Cliffs Yes
Mountains: - climbing on trails
Farm/Ranch? Yes
Farm/Ranch: - farm - lot of descript of crop raising - lot of descript of animal care
Misc setting - fort/military installation

Style
Person - mostly 1st
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - descript of kissing - touching of anatomy - licking - impregnation/reproduction - actual description of sex - descript. of female anatomy (the big V) - spanking that woman dislikes - rape/molest (yeech!)
Part of a series? Yes
Focus of story - Her
Consequences of sex - pregnancy
How much dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
How much sexing? - 5-9 sex acts
Most similar books to Cross Stitch
The Changeling Bride by Lisa Cach
Nick of Time by Casey Claybourne
Waiting for Yesterday by Jenny Lykins
Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon


Click here for more information about this book


Diana Gabaldon Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
fran laniado  

SCHOLARS:
Matthew S.  Sandra  Kimberly Sternes  Pauline Easter  Jennifer Olive  


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Three ways to search for Romance books!

1) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot or subplot below!

Action/suspense subplot?

Captor, in love with

Caretaker, in love with

Children/Pregnancy

Difficult/unusual lover?

Family focus?

Fantasy/Magic

Forbidden/mismatched love?

Hidden Identity/Secret Motive

Inner struggle subplot

Love Triangles/Polygons

Lovers are competitors

Making a living subplot

Marriage/Married

Matchbreaker

Matchmake, (will/family)

Phone/email/mail relationship

Pygmalion--From Wench to Woman

Searching/Rekindling love?

Seduction/coercion/force

Sex/Erotic story, Primarily

Sports training/competing story

Time Travel

Virgin, dramatically devirginized



or 2) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
3) Even more search options available with a Detailed Booksearch (click here)

Use our site!
17 FREE Sci-Fi Ebooks!
FREE "How to be happy" Ebook!
Feedback


Most recent discussions:

General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
George W. Bush 2:32:02 AM
Anonymous 2:03:39 AM
Erin Hunters 9:00:01 PM
Betty Mahmoody 6:00:22 PM
Judith McNaught 11:55:44 AM
Iris Johansen 9:03:43 PM
Norah Lofts 1:11:37 PM
Jane Rubino 9:32:45 AM
Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twersky 11:28:51 PM
Faye Kellerman 12:37:41 AM
LaVyrle Spencer 7:25:23 PM
Robert James Waller 8:30:15 PM
Suzanne Weyn 12:50:03 AM
Deric Longden 2:54:11 PM
Wilma Counts 1:23:32 PM
Kin Platt 12:58:29 AM
Lilian Jackson Braun 10:05:52 PM
G.A. McKevett 10:03:31 PM
David Williams 10:03:01 PM
Steven Pressfield 10:02:30 PM

More message boards