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Finding Fraser
I met Jamie Fraser when I was nineteen years old. He was tall, red-headed, and at our first meeting at least, a virgin. I fell in love hard, fast and completely. He knew how to ride a horse, wield a sword and stitch a wound. He was, in fact, the perfect man.
That he was fictional hardly entered into it.
At 29, Emma Sheridan's life is a disaster and she's tired of waiting for the perfect boyfriend to step from the pages of her favorite book. There's only one place to look, and it means selling everything and leaving her world behind. With an unexpected collection of allies along the way, can Emma face down a naked fishmonger, a randy gnome, a perfidious thief, and even her own abdominal muscles on the journey to find her Fraser?
What people are saying about FINDING FRASER...
"Jamie Fraser would be Deeply Gratified at having inspired such a charmingly funny, poignant story--and so am I." -Diana Gabaldon, author of the New York Times Bestselling OUTLANDER series
"I loved this book. It transported me to a Scotland I wished I'd grown up in. Everything about it is a delight, and it's all authentic--the environment, the characters, the dialogue and the sheer enjoyment of it all." - Jack Whyte, best-selling author of, most recently, THE GUARDIANS OF SCOTLAND series
"FINDING FRASER is for everyone who ever fell in love with a fictional character. Dyer blends humor, a love of Scotland, and romance into a page turner that will keep readers cheering on the main character and turning pages." -Eileen Cook, Author of REMEMBER, and other books for teens and adults
"FINDING FRASER is an absolute must-read for any Outlander fan. The story is both hilarious and romantic, as well as guaranteed to have readers turning the pages until the wee hours to discover if the heroine finds her very own Jamie Fraser." - Laura Bradbury, author of the best-selling MY GRAPE ESCAPE series
That he was fictional hardly entered into it.
At 29, Emma Sheridan's life is a disaster and she's tired of waiting for the perfect boyfriend to step from the pages of her favorite book. There's only one place to look, and it means selling everything and leaving her world behind. With an unexpected collection of allies along the way, can Emma face down a naked fishmonger, a randy gnome, a perfidious thief, and even her own abdominal muscles on the journey to find her Fraser?
What people are saying about FINDING FRASER...
"Jamie Fraser would be Deeply Gratified at having inspired such a charmingly funny, poignant story--and so am I." -Diana Gabaldon, author of the New York Times Bestselling OUTLANDER series
"I loved this book. It transported me to a Scotland I wished I'd grown up in. Everything about it is a delight, and it's all authentic--the environment, the characters, the dialogue and the sheer enjoyment of it all." - Jack Whyte, best-selling author of, most recently, THE GUARDIANS OF SCOTLAND series
"FINDING FRASER is for everyone who ever fell in love with a fictional character. Dyer blends humor, a love of Scotland, and romance into a page turner that will keep readers cheering on the main character and turning pages." -Eileen Cook, Author of REMEMBER, and other books for teens and adults
"FINDING FRASER is an absolute must-read for any Outlander fan. The story is both hilarious and romantic, as well as guaranteed to have readers turning the pages until the wee hours to discover if the heroine finds her very own Jamie Fraser." - Laura Bradbury, author of the best-selling MY GRAPE ESCAPE series
390 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2015
About the author
K.C. Dyer
10 books252 followerskc dyer loves travel and has literally flown around the world in search of fantastic stories. When not on the road, she resides in the wilds of British Columbia, where she walks her dogs in the woods and writes books. Her most recent novel, EIGHTY DAYS TO ELSEWHERE, is the madcap story of a young woman so desperate to save her family’s bookstore that she undertakes a race around the world, but ends up falling for her competition. kc is also the author of FINDING FRASER, an international bestseller in romantic comedy. And coming this fall, AN ACCIDENTAL ODYSSEY continues the ExLibris adventures: When an unexpected phone call derails a young woman’s wedding plans, it sparks an epic adventure around the magical, modern-day Mediterranean.
kc has spoken before thousands of readers — kids and adults — across Canada, the US, Europe and Asia. She's been writer-in-residence at New Westminster Secondary School, and a featured presenter at the Surrey International Writers Conference, the National Council of English Teachers in the US; YouthWrite BC, Young Authors Kamloops, WORD Vancouver, Canadian Authors’ Association, OLA Super-Conference, SFU Southbank Writers, WriteOn Bowen, Word on the Lake and many others.
She is represented by Laura Bradford of Bradford Literary Agency.
kc has spoken before thousands of readers — kids and adults — across Canada, the US, Europe and Asia. She's been writer-in-residence at New Westminster Secondary School, and a featured presenter at the Surrey International Writers Conference, the National Council of English Teachers in the US; YouthWrite BC, Young Authors Kamloops, WORD Vancouver, Canadian Authors’ Association, OLA Super-Conference, SFU Southbank Writers, WriteOn Bowen, Word on the Lake and many others.
She is represented by Laura Bradford of Bradford Literary Agency.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,363 reviews
July 24, 2015
3.5
Emma was…an idiot. I honestly don’t know of a nicer way to say it. I can’t say I loved the book, it was good and held my interest, but there were times that Emma was TSTL and they were just unbelievable. I just didn’t understand how someone who grew up in a big city, or lives in today’s world, would be so trusting. Ok sure, Emma did meet some great people along the way that did help her out, but she was also taken advantage of, robbed and left with no money or possessions except what she had on her back. As soon as she made that “friend” I knew there would be trouble. I mean, it’s one thing to chit-chat with someone in public and something else entirely to give them your whole life story. Emma was just way to trusting and sure enough, her new friend robbed her blind.
Emma did figure out a way to continue with her quest and stay in Scotland. She made some great friends and even thought she found her very on Jamie Fraser. The only problem was, she was so focused on physical appearance that she didn’t look for the qualities that made Jamie so awesome. So she ended up with a jerk when the perfect guy right in front of her. I loved Jack. As soon as he rescued her from the rowdy Outlander Convention and their “Jamie” stripper. I kept hoping she’d meet him again, and she did…multiple times. But unfortunately she thought he had a girlfriend (without actually finding out) and never considered him.
I did see some other reviews when I went to add this to my “currently reading list” and someone said that Emma didn’t act like a 29 yr old…and I have to agree with that. I don’t mind young at heart, and I’m not saying 29 is old, and I’m not saying that 29 yr olds don’t make mistakes; but she did act more like an 18 yr old.
My least favorite part of the book was Emma’s sister Sophia. I really hated her. She was supposed to be Emma’s younger sister yet she acted at least 10 years older than Emma and tried to act like Emma’s mother. I just felt like she was a huge bitch that needed to stop looking down on Emma for following her own path and stop treating her like crap.
With all the hype this book got, I couldn’t help but feel let down by it. I don’t know if it wasn’t what I was expecting or what. I guess I was hoping to find a guy that did come close to Jamie Fraser. Jack was a great guy but I wish we’d seen more of him. And honestly, even though Emma was on a quest for love with her very own Fraser, I wouldn’t call this a romance. It was definitely more of a journey/finding yourself type of book where the heroine just so happens to fall for a guy or two. Overall, it wasn’t a bad book. I can’t say I loved it and I did get more irritated than anything at her stupidity, but I couldn’t put it down because I had to know what stupid thing she was going to do next.
Emma was…an idiot. I honestly don’t know of a nicer way to say it. I can’t say I loved the book, it was good and held my interest, but there were times that Emma was TSTL and they were just unbelievable. I just didn’t understand how someone who grew up in a big city, or lives in today’s world, would be so trusting. Ok sure, Emma did meet some great people along the way that did help her out, but she was also taken advantage of, robbed and left with no money or possessions except what she had on her back. As soon as she made that “friend” I knew there would be trouble. I mean, it’s one thing to chit-chat with someone in public and something else entirely to give them your whole life story. Emma was just way to trusting and sure enough, her new friend robbed her blind.
Emma did figure out a way to continue with her quest and stay in Scotland. She made some great friends and even thought she found her very on Jamie Fraser. The only problem was, she was so focused on physical appearance that she didn’t look for the qualities that made Jamie so awesome. So she ended up with a jerk when the perfect guy right in front of her. I loved Jack. As soon as he rescued her from the rowdy Outlander Convention and their “Jamie” stripper. I kept hoping she’d meet him again, and she did…multiple times. But unfortunately she thought he had a girlfriend (without actually finding out) and never considered him.
I did see some other reviews when I went to add this to my “currently reading list” and someone said that Emma didn’t act like a 29 yr old…and I have to agree with that. I don’t mind young at heart, and I’m not saying 29 is old, and I’m not saying that 29 yr olds don’t make mistakes; but she did act more like an 18 yr old.
My least favorite part of the book was Emma’s sister Sophia. I really hated her. She was supposed to be Emma’s younger sister yet she acted at least 10 years older than Emma and tried to act like Emma’s mother. I just felt like she was a huge bitch that needed to stop looking down on Emma for following her own path and stop treating her like crap.
With all the hype this book got, I couldn’t help but feel let down by it. I don’t know if it wasn’t what I was expecting or what. I guess I was hoping to find a guy that did come close to Jamie Fraser. Jack was a great guy but I wish we’d seen more of him. And honestly, even though Emma was on a quest for love with her very own Fraser, I wouldn’t call this a romance. It was definitely more of a journey/finding yourself type of book where the heroine just so happens to fall for a guy or two. Overall, it wasn’t a bad book. I can’t say I loved it and I did get more irritated than anything at her stupidity, but I couldn’t put it down because I had to know what stupid thing she was going to do next.
Shelved as 'dnf'
November 19, 2015DNF at 26% - No Rating
This book is a proof that having Jamie Fraser (Outlander) present in a story does not guarantee a good read. I tried, but I could not get into this novel. Instead, I was bored through out all 26% I managed to read. If you want light contemporary self-discovery story, got for it. But if you are looking for profound and engaging story, I would suggest looking elsewhere.
This book is a proof that having Jamie Fraser (Outlander) present in a story does not guarantee a good read. I tried, but I could not get into this novel. Instead, I was bored through out all 26% I managed to read. If you want light contemporary self-discovery story, got for it. But if you are looking for profound and engaging story, I would suggest looking elsewhere.
June 1, 2015
I had really wanted to like this book...being a huge fan myself of the character Jamie Fraser. This had great potential of being a warm and charming book. It started out with humor and mishaps that endeared you to Emma. I was waiting for it to go from there. Unfortunately, the book never went anywhere. Her adventure was boring and sophomoric at best. Emma was supposed to be twentynine on the verge of a life crisis. She acted more like a nineteen year old girl who had no clue about life. Maybe that was the point...but Emma's decisions were just immature and naive, and yes, stupid at times. Her adventure was not that of a twentynine year old woman who had been married and who had been through life. Most importantly she was obsessed with finding a look-a-like of Jamie Fraser, not his true essence and thus why he is so beloved. She missed the mark of finding a deeper story here. If she was a true Jamie Fraser fan, then she should have been looking a lot harder for his character in the men she was coming across and not his red hair! She should of called this..Finding Someone Who Looks Like Fraser.
May 27, 2015
As an Outlander fan, and one who has seen most of the fandom dying over this book, I'm a little afraid to write this review.
I didn't hate this book. It was cute. While it was definitely a bit on the predictable side, I still enjoyed the story. There were a lot of fun characters and I enjoyed all the whole Outlander spin and seeing Scotland through a book fans eyes. I liked how the blog was tied in with the book, and it was a lot of fun to read at times. I even liked some of the crazy things that happened to her. It was a good story.
I just...didn't like Emma.
I think that's what it came down to and I gave up on the book for a bit because of it. I just didn't like Emma. I found she was every trope that bothers me in chick lit, a girl who has no direction in life and just worries about meeting a good man. She didn't go to Scotland for any other reason than to find her "Jamie" and kept berating herself for getting distracted. And then she got totally attached to a guy that clearly wasn't that into her simply because he was big like Jamie. Maybe if she had been younger I could have handled it but at 29, I just couldn't. She seemed so immature and silly. And I kept expecting growth or something, her realizing that she didn't need a Jamie to be Claire, and to figure out that she needed to concentrate on her. But no, instead she ran away from the police and was ready to go home with her tail between her legs until... gasp, a man saved her.
I wanted to cheer for her, I wanted to see what she was doing and understand it. I'm a horrible victim of wanderlust so god I wanted to get it. But mainly, I just agreed with her sister.
Cute story, just wish Emma had been a better character.
I didn't hate this book. It was cute. While it was definitely a bit on the predictable side, I still enjoyed the story. There were a lot of fun characters and I enjoyed all the whole Outlander spin and seeing Scotland through a book fans eyes. I liked how the blog was tied in with the book, and it was a lot of fun to read at times. I even liked some of the crazy things that happened to her. It was a good story.
I just...didn't like Emma.
I think that's what it came down to and I gave up on the book for a bit because of it. I just didn't like Emma. I found she was every trope that bothers me in chick lit, a girl who has no direction in life and just worries about meeting a good man. She didn't go to Scotland for any other reason than to find her "Jamie" and kept berating herself for getting distracted. And then she got totally attached to a guy that clearly wasn't that into her simply because he was big like Jamie. Maybe if she had been younger I could have handled it but at 29, I just couldn't. She seemed so immature and silly. And I kept expecting growth or something, her realizing that she didn't need a Jamie to be Claire, and to figure out that she needed to concentrate on her. But no, instead she ran away from the police and was ready to go home with her tail between her legs until... gasp, a man saved her.
I wanted to cheer for her, I wanted to see what she was doing and understand it. I'm a horrible victim of wanderlust so god I wanted to get it. But mainly, I just agreed with her sister.
Cute story, just wish Emma had been a better character.
July 22, 2017
What a waste of time. Terribly uneven story with ZERO character development. It went nowhere for the first quarter of the book, I almost quit.
Main character spends 2/3 of the book with a guy with no redeeming qualities. The author as narrator knows it, the readers know it, even the MC knows it and even elaborates on it at one point - and STILL decides to stay with him and "make" it work. Usually, characters like this are presented in such a way that they appear as heroes, only to have their flaws revealed to other characters and readers later on (e.g. George Wickham in Pride and Prejudice). No such attempt was made here.
Additionally, the hero/guy she winds up with is barely in the book at all. They have 2 meetings, and somehow he decides he is in love with her.
I gave it 2 stars instead of 1 because at least the writing mechanics - spelling, grammar, sentence construction, paragraph development - are flawless. ETA: I later changed it back to one star. Because it's that bad.
Main character spends 2/3 of the book with a guy with no redeeming qualities. The author as narrator knows it, the readers know it, even the MC knows it and even elaborates on it at one point - and STILL decides to stay with him and "make" it work. Usually, characters like this are presented in such a way that they appear as heroes, only to have their flaws revealed to other characters and readers later on (e.g. George Wickham in Pride and Prejudice). No such attempt was made here.
Additionally, the hero/guy she winds up with is barely in the book at all. They have 2 meetings, and somehow he decides he is in love with her.
I gave it 2 stars instead of 1 because at least the writing mechanics - spelling, grammar, sentence construction, paragraph development - are flawless. ETA: I later changed it back to one star. Because it's that bad.
May 21, 2016
Finding Fraser is a charming, well-written story about an obsessed Outlander fan trying to find her very own Jamie Fraser. It's actually not so much a romance as a story of self-discovery with elements of a romantic comedy. The heroine is a 29-year-old American who leaves her sorry life in Chicago behind and sets off for an extended trip round Scotland in search of a real-life Jamie Fraser. During her stay in various places (Edinburgh, Stirling, Nairn in the Highlands etc.) she has some funny adventures, meets some interesting characters and gets herself into some trouble.
If you've read at least the first book in the Outlander series (or maybe watched the TV program) (I listened to it on audio and really liked it), you might be more likely to enjoy this, as there are obviously quite a few references to the book. It's a lighthearted, sometimes comical story featuring an almost annoyingly naive woman. I couldn't believe she was meant to be 29. She really wasn't the brightest cookie in the jar.
I would recommend this for fans of Outlander, fans of Scotland, or anybody looking for an entertaining, quirky Rom-Com.
There is an audio version available. However, I would recommend reading this in print and imagining the various accents in your head. It's very difficult to pull off English, Scottish and Irish accents with authenticity and not every narrator is successful (yup, that's me attempting to be tactful). I can usually identify accents but I'm hopeless at trying to imitate them. Anyway, I appreciate that the narrator here had a difficult task. She was pretty good at portraying the protagonist's personality, though.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The audio version was purchased by myself.
If you've read at least the first book in the Outlander series (or maybe watched the TV program) (I listened to it on audio and really liked it), you might be more likely to enjoy this, as there are obviously quite a few references to the book. It's a lighthearted, sometimes comical story featuring an almost annoyingly naive woman. I couldn't believe she was meant to be 29. She really wasn't the brightest cookie in the jar.
I would recommend this for fans of Outlander, fans of Scotland, or anybody looking for an entertaining, quirky Rom-Com.
There is an audio version available. However, I would recommend reading this in print and imagining the various accents in your head. It's very difficult to pull off English, Scottish and Irish accents with authenticity and not every narrator is successful (yup, that's me attempting to be tactful). I can usually identify accents but I'm hopeless at trying to imitate them. Anyway, I appreciate that the narrator here had a difficult task. She was pretty good at portraying the protagonist's personality, though.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The audio version was purchased by myself.
July 23, 2018
I bought this book when it came out from Baker about three years ago, due to Diana Gabaldon's mention of it on her page. Fanfiction approved by the author? Intriguing. Could be great. Could be really freakin' awful.
This is me at the end of the book. This is a huge improvement over the me in evidence about 60 pages in, which was more like:
Let me explain.
Good things first. The writing is smooth, descriptions are detailed but not too much. I could see the places Emma was going in my mind, I could picture the people she was meeting. Great! Also I love all things Scotland, but I try really hard to keep a real and not touristy view of the country, and I think Dyer did a great job of bringing this out in the book. The story - once a certain amount of suspension of disbelief was applied - was amusing. I laughed out loud several times. The author is good at making even secondary characters different enough to remember (even if a couple of them turn out more caricature-like than I would prefer).
It's a fluffy, fast read. Actually, this is the first non-academic book I've finished in months, and I finished it in one evening (stayed up almost three hours past my usual bedtime to do so). So, if fluffy, ridiculous, entertaining books are your thing or you need a break from your usual thing, this book might do it for you. Please bear in mind, it pretty much reads like a fanfiction. Because...well, it is! It was approved/allowed by Diana Gabaldon, due to the heavy influence of her Outlander books on the writing. Ahem. I.e., FANFICTION. If you haven't read at least the first Outlander book, much of this one will make absolutely no sense and no doubt engender even more eye-rolling than it did for me (I love the Outlander series with a passion).
Now the reason for the Anger. Please excuse my undeniable urge to use caps.
WHAT THE EFF CENTURY ARE WE IN, THAT OUR MAIN CHARACTER DEDICATES HER ENTIRE LIFE TO FINDING A MATE?!? Are you freaking kidding me right now?!?
I think Emma needed a counselor more than she needed a trip to Scotland. She was clearly suffering from a horrible lack of self worth due to constantly comparing herself to her highly successful (and younger) sister, and by a chronic tendancy to derive her self worth from the amount of male attention she received or could obtain.
What, exactly, has Emma been doing with her life? I tried to figure it out, as just because one works at Starbucks at the age of 30 does not mean one has wasted one's life. Things happen, circumstances change...maybe I just missed it, but Emma seems unable to have pursued anything other than boyfriends with any real vigor.
No. Just no. Okay, so I still love a good HEA and cutesy romantic stuff as much as the next person...sometimes. When it is warranted. In this case, I chose to finish the book and suspend by disbelief/outrage/horror at Emma's underlying reasoning for "searching for her Jamie," and was able to somewhat enjoy the rest.
I gave three stars because of the quality of the writing, but I wouldn't read it again. Give me a book with a female MC with LIFE GOALS, not man goals.
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This is me at the end of the book. This is a huge improvement over the me in evidence about 60 pages in, which was more like:
Let me explain.
Good things first. The writing is smooth, descriptions are detailed but not too much. I could see the places Emma was going in my mind, I could picture the people she was meeting. Great! Also I love all things Scotland, but I try really hard to keep a real and not touristy view of the country, and I think Dyer did a great job of bringing this out in the book. The story - once a certain amount of suspension of disbelief was applied - was amusing. I laughed out loud several times. The author is good at making even secondary characters different enough to remember (even if a couple of them turn out more caricature-like than I would prefer).
It's a fluffy, fast read. Actually, this is the first non-academic book I've finished in months, and I finished it in one evening (stayed up almost three hours past my usual bedtime to do so). So, if fluffy, ridiculous, entertaining books are your thing or you need a break from your usual thing, this book might do it for you. Please bear in mind, it pretty much reads like a fanfiction. Because...well, it is! It was approved/allowed by Diana Gabaldon, due to the heavy influence of her Outlander books on the writing. Ahem. I.e., FANFICTION. If you haven't read at least the first Outlander book, much of this one will make absolutely no sense and no doubt engender even more eye-rolling than it did for me (I love the Outlander series with a passion).
Now the reason for the Anger. Please excuse my undeniable urge to use caps.
WHAT THE EFF CENTURY ARE WE IN, THAT OUR MAIN CHARACTER DEDICATES HER ENTIRE LIFE TO FINDING A MATE?!? Are you freaking kidding me right now?!?
I think Emma needed a counselor more than she needed a trip to Scotland. She was clearly suffering from a horrible lack of self worth due to constantly comparing herself to her highly successful (and younger) sister, and by a chronic tendancy to derive her self worth from the amount of male attention she received or could obtain.
What, exactly, has Emma been doing with her life? I tried to figure it out, as just because one works at Starbucks at the age of 30 does not mean one has wasted one's life. Things happen, circumstances change...maybe I just missed it, but Emma seems unable to have pursued anything other than boyfriends with any real vigor.
No. Just no. Okay, so I still love a good HEA and cutesy romantic stuff as much as the next person...sometimes. When it is warranted. In this case, I chose to finish the book and suspend by disbelief/outrage/horror at Emma's underlying reasoning for "searching for her Jamie," and was able to somewhat enjoy the rest.
I gave three stars because of the quality of the writing, but I wouldn't read it again. Give me a book with a female MC with LIFE GOALS, not man goals.
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September 17, 2020
I don't remember how old was I when I first met Jamie Fraser, but I know it was in my twenties. I might not hold him to the high standard of male perfection as Emma does, but who can blame the girl! So, the slightly insane idea to travel to Scotland in pursuit of a real-life James Fraser was always gonna be an ideal bait for the Outlander fans. And I have been looking forward to reading this piece of fan fiction for a while.
I guess I really needed some decent dose of chick-lit after quite a long list of more serious and difficult literature. It was funny, adventurous, and made me want to go to Scotland immediately. I don't know if I was pulled in more by the descriptions of Scotland or Emma's adventures and mishaps. All I know that it was a good distraction in these no-travel times, and I pretty much devoured the book in a few days.
I guess I really needed some decent dose of chick-lit after quite a long list of more serious and difficult literature. It was funny, adventurous, and made me want to go to Scotland immediately. I don't know if I was pulled in more by the descriptions of Scotland or Emma's adventures and mishaps. All I know that it was a good distraction in these no-travel times, and I pretty much devoured the book in a few days.
May 16, 2015
The love-child of Eat, Pray, Love and Outlander, Finding Fraser is quirky, witty, laugh-out-loud hilarious, and haunting…
Emma Sheridan is every woman: courageous, independent, brave, impossibly insecure, cautious, loyal, impulsive, hopelessly romantic, and…single. Definitely still single, because the only man she's found that ticks all her boxes is Jamie Fraser, and he's taken (and fictional, but who's counting?), as all the good ones are, right? So, staring down her thirtieth birthday and determined not to spend the latter half of her life alone, she does what any normal, sane, and completely crazy woman would do to find the man of her dreams—she quits her day job and flies to Scotland in search of her very own, real live, Jamie Fraser. Oh, and she blogs about it.
This is the first Outlander spin-off fiction I've read that is fresh, real, and unique. The author did not attempt to recreate Diana Gabaldon's timeless love story; she simply used it as a jumping off point to create a delightful, wacky, and at times throat-achingly beautiful story that will echo in the bones of every woman who's ever wondered if she would—or will—find Mr. Right. Intelligently written and evocative, Finding Fraser frolics through modern Scotland on an age-old quest: the search for enduring love. It definitely ticks all my boxes!
Emma Sheridan is every woman: courageous, independent, brave, impossibly insecure, cautious, loyal, impulsive, hopelessly romantic, and…single. Definitely still single, because the only man she's found that ticks all her boxes is Jamie Fraser, and he's taken (and fictional, but who's counting?), as all the good ones are, right? So, staring down her thirtieth birthday and determined not to spend the latter half of her life alone, she does what any normal, sane, and completely crazy woman would do to find the man of her dreams—she quits her day job and flies to Scotland in search of her very own, real live, Jamie Fraser. Oh, and she blogs about it.
This is the first Outlander spin-off fiction I've read that is fresh, real, and unique. The author did not attempt to recreate Diana Gabaldon's timeless love story; she simply used it as a jumping off point to create a delightful, wacky, and at times throat-achingly beautiful story that will echo in the bones of every woman who's ever wondered if she would—or will—find Mr. Right. Intelligently written and evocative, Finding Fraser frolics through modern Scotland on an age-old quest: the search for enduring love. It definitely ticks all my boxes!
June 3, 2015
First Sentence: I met Jamie Fraser when I was nineteen years old.
Emma Sheridan has had a series of less-than-auspicious jobs and relationships, a fact that her sister is happy to point out. In frustration and depression, she decides to sell everything and travel to Scotland in search of a man who represents her idea—Jamie Fraser from the book “Outlander”—writing a blog along the way.
In Emma, Dyer has created a character whose aspects can be recognized by each of us, at some point of our lives. Many of can us also sympathize with her relationship with her sister. However, what is particularly nice, however, is that the character grows and develops with the story.
Emma has some help along with way from wonderful secondary characters, such Morag with the sheep farm, Katy the librarian, and Ashwin from the café in which Emma worked, and others. There is a lovely cameo/homage to Diana Gabaldon, Herself, which is delightful. And, it’s nice to know that the real Diana Gabaldon approves of this book
The book does have shades of “Julie and Julia,” but that’s okay. One can appreciate that the blog segments are printed in courier; a nice touch, and it’s delightful to see her following grow. It also becomes a lesson in distinguishing those are fans, and those who are truly supportive fans. There is even a bit of a mystery to the plot.
An exceptional aspect to the story is Ms. Dyers ability to convey the beauty, power and history of Scotland, along with descriptions of Edinburgh Castle, and references to Braveheart and Canterbury Tales. Dyers genuinely makes one feel her love for the country and its people.
“Finding Fraser” is an absolutely delightful read, particularly for those of us who love the series “Outlander.”
FINDING FRASER (Novel-Emma Sheridan-Scotland-Contemp) – Ex
Dyer, KC - Standalone
Lions Mountain Literary – May, 2015
Emma Sheridan has had a series of less-than-auspicious jobs and relationships, a fact that her sister is happy to point out. In frustration and depression, she decides to sell everything and travel to Scotland in search of a man who represents her idea—Jamie Fraser from the book “Outlander”—writing a blog along the way.
In Emma, Dyer has created a character whose aspects can be recognized by each of us, at some point of our lives. Many of can us also sympathize with her relationship with her sister. However, what is particularly nice, however, is that the character grows and develops with the story.
Emma has some help along with way from wonderful secondary characters, such Morag with the sheep farm, Katy the librarian, and Ashwin from the café in which Emma worked, and others. There is a lovely cameo/homage to Diana Gabaldon, Herself, which is delightful. And, it’s nice to know that the real Diana Gabaldon approves of this book
The book does have shades of “Julie and Julia,” but that’s okay. One can appreciate that the blog segments are printed in courier; a nice touch, and it’s delightful to see her following grow. It also becomes a lesson in distinguishing those are fans, and those who are truly supportive fans. There is even a bit of a mystery to the plot.
An exceptional aspect to the story is Ms. Dyers ability to convey the beauty, power and history of Scotland, along with descriptions of Edinburgh Castle, and references to Braveheart and Canterbury Tales. Dyers genuinely makes one feel her love for the country and its people.
“Finding Fraser” is an absolutely delightful read, particularly for those of us who love the series “Outlander.”
FINDING FRASER (Novel-Emma Sheridan-Scotland-Contemp) – Ex
Dyer, KC - Standalone
Lions Mountain Literary – May, 2015
May 16, 2015
A lovely, cute book. Was pointed toward it by Herself on facebook and read it all in one sitting. Thoroughly enjoyed it!
May 1, 2016
This author took a creative spark and some literary license and crafted a humorous look at the lengths some of us will go to to find the perfect man. Creating a character like Emma, who decides to blog her actions and trip, much to the chagrin of her sister, Emma started her excursion off with a bang.
We meet plenty of interesting characters along the way and enjoy Emma’s blog posts. With her eye on the goal of finding her Fraser, she ends up in some sticky situations.
Amusement and humorous situations abound in this quirky read. The author captures the true life situations that can happen when traveling alone to a foreign country; learning to figure out systems and who to trust. Plus enjoying the history of the land and the difference in cultures as well.
There are some things that I have loved about this book but there are a few that really annoyed me. For one, Emma is so focused on finding the perfect Fraser that she allows herself to be weak and shallow. Plus not seeing what’s in front of her face is most likely obvious to most people reading this story.
But, I love the ending. It was fun and humorous and you wanted to cheer when she finally realized what was in front of her. Falling in love with the land and the guy, we can only hope she is finally satisfied with life.
We meet plenty of interesting characters along the way and enjoy Emma’s blog posts. With her eye on the goal of finding her Fraser, she ends up in some sticky situations.
Amusement and humorous situations abound in this quirky read. The author captures the true life situations that can happen when traveling alone to a foreign country; learning to figure out systems and who to trust. Plus enjoying the history of the land and the difference in cultures as well.
There are some things that I have loved about this book but there are a few that really annoyed me. For one, Emma is so focused on finding the perfect Fraser that she allows herself to be weak and shallow. Plus not seeing what’s in front of her face is most likely obvious to most people reading this story.
But, I love the ending. It was fun and humorous and you wanted to cheer when she finally realized what was in front of her. Falling in love with the land and the guy, we can only hope she is finally satisfied with life.
May 3, 2016
Did someone mention Jamie Fraser? Yep, I perked right up when I saw that this book was tied to Outlander and Jamie Fraser. I may have acquired a mini-obsession over this series about five years ago when I started the first book in that series.
I was eager to read a story about a woman who went beyond loyal fan and book boyfriend crush to shaping her whole romantic hopes on tracking down her own real life Jamie Fraser and not just any place, but by tramping through the Scottish Highlands. It was a story of finding one's self, growing as a person, and in the process of trial and- pitiful, sometimes embarrassing- error getting exactly what is needed for happiness.
I took the time to read through an author interview transcript and even some other readers' thoughts before I dove in which is not my usual way of taking up a story. See, I didn't want to make the mistake of having the wrong expectation of this book. Which, if I had gone into it with just a cursory read of the blurb or the seeing the cover, probably would have happened.
This book is not about Jamie Fraser or Outlander. It is a book about a woman who obsesses about Jamie Fraser and Outlander. Knowing this makes the difference in how I approached the book.
But that is not to say that there is not plenty of Outlander and other Scottish goodness along with heartwarming story and characters to appreciate and enjoy. I laughed and sighed.
After, losing the latest boyfriend and then her job, Emma Sheridan, takes stock of her life. Nearly thirty, no steady career, no relationship, a bit of tension around her perfect younger sister who has already achieved? Yeah, time to go about this life thing very differently.
Only Emma's idea of figuring out life is a scheme that has her family and best friend convinced she is insane. Emma sells nearly everything she owns and let's her Chicago apartment go. Everything she owns fits into her luggage including her laptop and well-read copy of Outlander. Emma has started a travel blog, Finding Jamie Fraser, and that is exactly what she plans to do. From selling it all, there are funds enough for a two month journey. She is going on a trek to Scotland, follow in the Outlander heroine's footsteps and along the way, she will find her own handsome, Highlander warrior.
Romance convention, Jamie Fraser stripper, castles, cheap hostels, dubious encounters in pubs, wrong side of the road, ghost?, a professional thief, Fraser sightings, Scottish ways, seeing the sites, detours, quirky people, Highland Games, Loch Ness monster maybe, blogging, police, and Braveheart.
Along the way, she goes from feeling alone and scared, unsure, but determined, rigid in what she thinks she needs and needs to happen, then learning to step away from the plan and follow instinct. She draws a following on her blog, encounters some quirky and interesting people, some are good for her and some not so much. But Scotland? No matter what happens, Scotland was always a good idea and she learns to love it and find home. Love and Jamie Fraser stay elusive until she finds them in a surprising place.
This story was ultimately one of triumph after many different stops and starts along the way. It's a steady story that is more women's fiction than romance and yet romance is one of the themes at its core. Not to say there aren't some exciting moments and it is never dull around this girl who gets into scrapes and situations without even trying.
Emma is the central figure of this story and how the reader feels about her will determine if this is a win or a disappointment. I went from seeing the heroine as a flake who just needed a reality check to seeing her as one of those rare someones who have trouble fitting in. She really did get lucky with the adventure of a life time that led exactly to where she needed to be.
In the process, she grew on me and I started rooting hard for her. The character development was teased out and was an ongoing process until the end. Emma was made known through the blog posts throughout the book, but also her thoughts and actions. She is introspective very often and it makes sense since she has to find herself even though she thinks her adventure is about finding her soulmate.
The background characters who people this story- some in passing and some recurring- are colorful and engaging. There were quirky Outlander fans or Scottish personalities, there were those who helped Emma along the way and those who seemed good, but turned out to be disappointments for her, and there was her family. I enjoyed the friendships she formed along the way and the sometimes humorous experiences and interactions. Humor is rife through this book.
As to setting, I felt Scotland was well drawn. As modern Scotland- city and countryside, but also the feeling of the history and mystery of the place. There are a couple occasions with the reader is left wondering if there was some ancient magic happening and a bit of magical realism. Also, the author did a nice job of describing Emma's story, but also showing her great love and appreciation for the world of Outlander. Like I said earlier, this is not about Outlander, but for a fan there were several scenes and moments that bring a smile and the itch to snatch up a copy of the book or the show and immerse one's self. The reader had Emma's description of locales, but also her reaction to it which for me, made me very envious of Emma.
So, I found this an engaging read that had me disappointed when it was over. I loved this 'finding herself' travel adventure. The quest, humorous, and heartwarming moments were sheer delight. Contemporary romance who don't mind a mild romance and women's fiction fans should definitely give this a try.
My thanks to Penguin Group for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 19, 2019
Rounding up from 3.5 stars.
For any devoted Outlander fan, Finding Fraser is sure to ring true -- if only escapist fictional escapades ever really happened in real life.
Emma, at 29, is frustrated by her career (or lack thereof), her love life (or lack thereof), and her prospects in general. Why can't she ever find a man who even comes close to the perfection of Jamie Fraser? Fed up and in need of a change, Emma sells everything and -- against the sensible scolding of her younger but more practical sister -- heads off across American towards the plane that will take her to Scotland.
Needless to say, all sorts of mishaps ensue, even before she leaves the country. Emma has a variety of run-ins with Outlander fans of the sane and not-so-sane variety, actually meets Herself (that would be the beloved author of the Outlander series, Diana Gabaldon) but bursts into tears when it's finally her turn to greet her, has the unpleasant experience of seeing a stripper in a kilt and fake red wig, and meets some die-hard Braveheart fans who are willing to defend their story with knitting needles and other pointy objects.
Emma doesn't have all that much of a plan when she arrives in Scotland, other than using her Outlander paperback as a guide to follow in Claire's footsteps and, hopefully, meet the kilted Scottish warrior of her dreams. Real life rarely follows careful plans, much less dreams, so Emma's path is not smooth, and she encounters all sorts of challenges that could easily have sent her running back to the safety of her overbearing sister and a steady (boring) job.
Instead, she decides to stick it out, and finds a way to stay in Scotland, earn enough to pay for room and board, make friends and start to build what feels like home, and yes, fall in love. But is he the man of her dreams, or just a stand-in for what she really wants?
Finding Fraser is engaging and endearing. Of course, Emma's plans are impractical and unlikely, but she throws herself into them, even when down to her last bit of cash and after having all her belongings stolen. She starts a blog, thinking to chronicle her journey, and develops a cheering squad of followers who encourage her not to give up hope. Readers will identify early on who the true love interest should be, but it takes Emma the entire book to catch up. Meanwhile, she ends up in a relationship with a guy who is clearly just so, so very wrong -- except for the looks and the fact of being Scottish. I wanted to give Emma a good shake every time she starts to realize that maybe Hamish isn't such a great catch after all... and then talks herself into giving him another (and another and another) chance.
It was super sweet to see her find a home for herself, make friends, and start to feel a part of the town where she rather haphazardly ends up. Her stay is ended abruptly by immigration woes that seem a bit shoe-horned in for the sake of drama, but that's okay. The real point is Emma's search for her own perfect Jamie... and her ultimate realization that what she really needed all along was to find her own inner Claire.
Finding Fraser is a delightful summer read, perfect for a chair on the beach or a cozy hammock. It's light and fluffy, but full of heart and more than a little humor. It'll definitely hit the sweet spot for Outlander lovers. Wouldn't we all love to hop a plane and go find our own Jamie?
For any devoted Outlander fan, Finding Fraser is sure to ring true -- if only escapist fictional escapades ever really happened in real life.
Emma, at 29, is frustrated by her career (or lack thereof), her love life (or lack thereof), and her prospects in general. Why can't she ever find a man who even comes close to the perfection of Jamie Fraser? Fed up and in need of a change, Emma sells everything and -- against the sensible scolding of her younger but more practical sister -- heads off across American towards the plane that will take her to Scotland.
Needless to say, all sorts of mishaps ensue, even before she leaves the country. Emma has a variety of run-ins with Outlander fans of the sane and not-so-sane variety, actually meets Herself (that would be the beloved author of the Outlander series, Diana Gabaldon) but bursts into tears when it's finally her turn to greet her, has the unpleasant experience of seeing a stripper in a kilt and fake red wig, and meets some die-hard Braveheart fans who are willing to defend their story with knitting needles and other pointy objects.
... the very thought of meeting Herself in the flesh made my hands start to shake. She was the woman who created Jamie Fraser, who built him up from clay -- or from ink and paper, at least. She has gone on to beat him, wound him, torture him in every possible way, and still nurture his unending love for Claire over the course of the entire series.
Emma doesn't have all that much of a plan when she arrives in Scotland, other than using her Outlander paperback as a guide to follow in Claire's footsteps and, hopefully, meet the kilted Scottish warrior of her dreams. Real life rarely follows careful plans, much less dreams, so Emma's path is not smooth, and she encounters all sorts of challenges that could easily have sent her running back to the safety of her overbearing sister and a steady (boring) job.
Instead, she decides to stick it out, and finds a way to stay in Scotland, earn enough to pay for room and board, make friends and start to build what feels like home, and yes, fall in love. But is he the man of her dreams, or just a stand-in for what she really wants?
Finding Fraser is engaging and endearing. Of course, Emma's plans are impractical and unlikely, but she throws herself into them, even when down to her last bit of cash and after having all her belongings stolen. She starts a blog, thinking to chronicle her journey, and develops a cheering squad of followers who encourage her not to give up hope. Readers will identify early on who the true love interest should be, but it takes Emma the entire book to catch up. Meanwhile, she ends up in a relationship with a guy who is clearly just so, so very wrong -- except for the looks and the fact of being Scottish. I wanted to give Emma a good shake every time she starts to realize that maybe Hamish isn't such a great catch after all... and then talks herself into giving him another (and another and another) chance.
It was super sweet to see her find a home for herself, make friends, and start to feel a part of the town where she rather haphazardly ends up. Her stay is ended abruptly by immigration woes that seem a bit shoe-horned in for the sake of drama, but that's okay. The real point is Emma's search for her own perfect Jamie... and her ultimate realization that what she really needed all along was to find her own inner Claire.
What I hadn't really thought about -- beyond tracing the journey in the front of the novel -- was Claire's part in the love story. Claire's heart was true, but there was never any doubt that the woman had standards. Jamie literally lived through hell and more to meet those standards. Even living with uncertainty and chaos all around her, she knew what she wanted.
Finding Fraser is a delightful summer read, perfect for a chair on the beach or a cozy hammock. It's light and fluffy, but full of heart and more than a little humor. It'll definitely hit the sweet spot for Outlander lovers. Wouldn't we all love to hop a plane and go find our own Jamie?
December 31, 2016
I am a rabid Outlander fan. I make no apologies for it. Outlander, book 1, has been my #1 most favorite book since I was about 13-14 years old. I’ve read the entire series multiple times. More importantly, James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser is the literary love of my life. I would gladly hop backwards 200 years if he were there to catch me and keep me safe. (I would add in something cute here about not telling my husband, but that would mean he didn’t already know. He totally does.)
In addition to my obsession with JAMMF, I did hop a train in my youth and go backpacking in a strange place, all in search of a love. (In this case it was Boston, 1998, and I was searching for Jordan Knight, but potato potahto.)
Add those two together and you have the premise of Finding Fraser – The story of a girl who hops a flight to Scotland in search of her own Jamie. Come on! Finding Fraser was written for a fan like me!
Right off the bat I was captivated by the story. Emma as the MC was charming and funny. She reminded me a bit of Bridget Jones, in terms of being cute but in a self-deprecating type of way. I seriously loved her blog, and the comments that came with it. I could picture her so clearly, and I related to her as a nervous girl who was off on this big giant adventure, one that she was just slightly embarrassed about. -It wasn’t easy to tell people I was in Boston searching for Jordan Knight… so, I get it Emma. You and I, Kindred Souls.
In addition to how much I liked Emma, I also loved the amount of Jamie chatter there was. The fans Emma encountered along the way were hilarious, and I can imagine something very similar happening if we were on this real life journey, like Stripper Jamie. The arguments over who was a better hero, Jamie or William Wallace were entertaining. All of these little quirky situations led to crazy things happening to Emma, that for the most part kept me entertained. (I was especially thrilled any time Jack was in the picture. Love Jack.)
There are some criticisms, though. There are reasons why I rated Finding Fraser only 3.5 stars. First, at times the book was almost too historical. Perhaps I’m wrong; it’s hard for me to believe that someone who doesn’t know who Jamie is would pick this book up. I read and reviwed with the understanding that the main core of Finding Fraser’s readers are Outlander fans. We pretty much all already know this history. The repetition caused large sections’s of the story to drag, especially when paired with the long pages of landscape description. The thing is, if a non-fan picks up this book I think that they’d be even more bored with the history and landscape lessons than I was. They won’t even have that rabid love of all things Outlander to fall back on. Trust me, I understand why the story was descriptive, it’s Scotland! But it should have been toned down in order to give us more time with the actual plot of the story: Would Emma find her Jamie.
Which leads me to my second issue. I feel like it’s kind of obvious to anyone reading who Emma’s going to fall in love with. Yet, there are only about 4 scenes that contain him until the big bang at the end. (pun intended.) Other area’s of the story really needed pairing down so that we got more one on one time with these two characters. Either that, or it should have left the story more open-ended. What we got was too little throughout the whole story, than too much at the end.
Still, I’m glad I read this, and I’m glad I feel so much like Emma. I would have gladly followed her blog, and chatted with her in the comment section about how envious I was and how much I hoped she found her true love.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for providing a copy of his book, in exchange for an honest review.
For this and other reviews like it, please visit Badass Book Reviews!
In addition to my obsession with JAMMF, I did hop a train in my youth and go backpacking in a strange place, all in search of a love. (In this case it was Boston, 1998, and I was searching for Jordan Knight, but potato potahto.)
Add those two together and you have the premise of Finding Fraser – The story of a girl who hops a flight to Scotland in search of her own Jamie. Come on! Finding Fraser was written for a fan like me!
Right off the bat I was captivated by the story. Emma as the MC was charming and funny. She reminded me a bit of Bridget Jones, in terms of being cute but in a self-deprecating type of way. I seriously loved her blog, and the comments that came with it. I could picture her so clearly, and I related to her as a nervous girl who was off on this big giant adventure, one that she was just slightly embarrassed about. -It wasn’t easy to tell people I was in Boston searching for Jordan Knight… so, I get it Emma. You and I, Kindred Souls.
In addition to how much I liked Emma, I also loved the amount of Jamie chatter there was. The fans Emma encountered along the way were hilarious, and I can imagine something very similar happening if we were on this real life journey, like Stripper Jamie. The arguments over who was a better hero, Jamie or William Wallace were entertaining. All of these little quirky situations led to crazy things happening to Emma, that for the most part kept me entertained. (I was especially thrilled any time Jack was in the picture. Love Jack.)
There are some criticisms, though. There are reasons why I rated Finding Fraser only 3.5 stars. First, at times the book was almost too historical. Perhaps I’m wrong; it’s hard for me to believe that someone who doesn’t know who Jamie is would pick this book up. I read and reviwed with the understanding that the main core of Finding Fraser’s readers are Outlander fans. We pretty much all already know this history. The repetition caused large sections’s of the story to drag, especially when paired with the long pages of landscape description. The thing is, if a non-fan picks up this book I think that they’d be even more bored with the history and landscape lessons than I was. They won’t even have that rabid love of all things Outlander to fall back on. Trust me, I understand why the story was descriptive, it’s Scotland! But it should have been toned down in order to give us more time with the actual plot of the story: Would Emma find her Jamie.
Which leads me to my second issue. I feel like it’s kind of obvious to anyone reading who Emma’s going to fall in love with. Yet, there are only about 4 scenes that contain him until the big bang at the end. (pun intended.) Other area’s of the story really needed pairing down so that we got more one on one time with these two characters. Either that, or it should have left the story more open-ended. What we got was too little throughout the whole story, than too much at the end.
Still, I’m glad I read this, and I’m glad I feel so much like Emma. I would have gladly followed her blog, and chatted with her in the comment section about how envious I was and how much I hoped she found her true love.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for providing a copy of his book, in exchange for an honest review.
For this and other reviews like it, please visit Badass Book Reviews!
January 18, 2016
This was a fun, entertaining read. It was a nice change from some of the heavier reading I'd been doing. Emma's adventures in Scotland, where she hopes to find her very own Jamie Fraser had me chuckling. There were some truly hilarious moments and some romantic ones. Not sure if you need to be a fan of the Outlander series to enjoy this one but I am and I certainly did enjoy it. But even without the draw card of Gabaldon's books this is quite a trip on it's own.
September 17, 2015
This was a fun story, for the most part. I enjoyed the journey the character took to find her own 'Jamie'. The description of the places she visited in Scotland had me standing right there with her and created a wonderful atmosphere.
The characters were really interesting and came to life in the story.
However, I found thestupidness naivety of the main character toe curling. For someone who is 29 she sure does not have good sense or judgement. Some of the instances she found herself in, I saw coming a mile away. That wasn't bad enough, but she just ignored the obvious and went merrily along. That really took some of the enjoyment out of the story for me.
Another instance is she outlined her route through Scotland to see all the sites mentioned in the Outlander book. As far as I can tell, that plan was abandoned pretty early on, but was the whole purpose of her travel.
Even though these points did not sit well with me, I'd still recommend this book as a fun, fast read.
The characters were really interesting and came to life in the story.
However, I found the
Another instance is she outlined her route through Scotland to see all the sites mentioned in the Outlander book. As far as I can tell, that plan was abandoned pretty early on, but was the whole purpose of her travel.
Even though these points did not sit well with me, I'd still recommend this book as a fun, fast read.
September 18, 2015
A Fun read for Outlander Fans. After all what massive Jamie Fraser fan hasn’t thought of packing up & going to find their very own JAMMF, even if only for a second :)
Only downside was Emma, she was certainly not the “brightest crayon in the box”. She started off fun & adventurous but it wasn’t long before she became completely naïve & annoying (especially for a 29 year old) You can’t be that obsessed with a man’s looks that you miss the very obvious signs that he is a complete moron.
Only downside was Emma, she was certainly not the “brightest crayon in the box”. She started off fun & adventurous but it wasn’t long before she became completely naïve & annoying (especially for a 29 year old) You can’t be that obsessed with a man’s looks that you miss the very obvious signs that he is a complete moron.
August 20, 2015
How can I NOT give an ode-to-Outlander 5 stars?
I honestly haven't had this much fun with a book in a while. I actually laughed out loud as I closed the book!
I loved the main character and her quest to find true love in Scotland. Along the way, there are many references to the Outlander series, Gabaldon, and the characters (Jamie and Clare).
This is not my type of book, usually. I'm pretty strict historical fiction, and I consider this a chick-lit sort. In spite of that, I had the best time reading this.
Hey, maybe I should lighten up on my reading standards more often.
I honestly haven't had this much fun with a book in a while. I actually laughed out loud as I closed the book!
I loved the main character and her quest to find true love in Scotland. Along the way, there are many references to the Outlander series, Gabaldon, and the characters (Jamie and Clare).
This is not my type of book, usually. I'm pretty strict historical fiction, and I consider this a chick-lit sort. In spite of that, I had the best time reading this.
Hey, maybe I should lighten up on my reading standards more often.
December 23, 2016
2,5/5
J'aimais beaucoup l'idée de départ, mais ce roman manque énormément d'enjeux et de tension (c'est lent, c'est long, et on ne comprend pas franchement pourquoi puisque les motivations de la protagoniste sont très vagues, presque creuses) et de crédibilité (impossible de croire à certaines décisions de la protagoniste et à son aveuglement - ou alors il lui manque vraiment un peu de bon sens, voire quelques neurones !). Malgré tout, quelques passages sympathiques, une fin satisfaisante et le lien avec Outlander est chouette pour les fans. Pas de regret mais certainement pas un must !
J'aimais beaucoup l'idée de départ, mais ce roman manque énormément d'enjeux et de tension (c'est lent, c'est long, et on ne comprend pas franchement pourquoi puisque les motivations de la protagoniste sont très vagues, presque creuses) et de crédibilité (impossible de croire à certaines décisions de la protagoniste et à son aveuglement - ou alors il lui manque vraiment un peu de bon sens, voire quelques neurones !). Malgré tout, quelques passages sympathiques, une fin satisfaisante et le lien avec Outlander est chouette pour les fans. Pas de regret mais certainement pas un must !
April 6, 2016
I admit it's a little slow at times, but overall I really enjoyed Finding Fraser and would definitely recommend it. I think it helps a great deal to really "get it" if you're a fan of the Outlander books. There are a lot of funny moments as well as some " I can't believe she did that." Sometimes Emma seems very brave and sometimes a little foolish, but overall I liked her. I loved that she had a blog :)
January 19, 2021
what a cute excellently executed concept! I loved Emma and Jack and Morag and Ash. Hamish was a right douchebag.
July 23, 2015
You simply Must Read this warm and witty book of a young woman's search of the Scottish highlands for her very own Jamie Fraser. Dyer's voice is infectious, winning, and just plain fun!
June 21, 2016
Finding Fraser is a journey in which Emma takes off to Scottland in the hopes of finding her beloved fictional character, Jamie Fraser. Obviously, she's not expecting to actually find him but more or less the modern day version of him. She's been in love with his character from Outlander and is convinced that she needs to find a Jamie of her very own. So, she drops everything, packs a backpack of stuff, and flies across "the pond" on her quest.
Finding Fraser was written in an interesting way. Granted, we follow Emma throughout her jounrey as expected, but she also starts a blog to post about her trip at the beginning of her Finding Fraser quest and getting to read her posts and some of the comments was really interesting. I mean, you see the things she goes through, how hard of a time she's having, but her posts always reflect what she wants her followers to read. Not to mention that in the beginning all her comments were spam for erectile dysfunction medication. That made me laugh so hard since I get those ALL THE TIME on my site. Even with my spam blocker up they still slip through occasionally. So, it was fun not only witnessing her journey but also reading her blog posts and comments as well.
Not only do we get to witness Emma bumble through Scotland, but it almost felt like I was experiencing Scotland for the first time. Between the small villages, the people, the touristy things, it was really quite a journey for the reader as well. Now, that's not saying that I won't be going to Scotland because I read this book, in fact, Finding Fraser made me want to go even more.
All the characters in this were... well characters in themselves. I mean, we meet Rabbie the perverted Gnome, Jack the chivalrous author, Hamish the wannabe California boy, Ash the 16 going on 30 year old boy, and the list goes on. I mean, there were so many characters in this book but each one stuck out so much that when they popped up in the story, I pictured them right away. I have to say, for such a colorful group of people that Emma comes across, none of them felt cliche.
Finding Fraser is a delightful read. I was taken on an adventure right alongside Emma and I loved all the Outlander references. I'm sure this would still be an enjoyable read for those who've not read Outlander, but for fans of the book... Finding Fraser is a must! I mean, not only does Emma go to Scotland to find her very own Jamie but she has mapped out all the places that Claire has been in the books and she sets herself on visiting each of those locations in the same order. Finding Fraser was an absolute blast and made me wish these characters are real.
Favorite part...
"It became immediately clear that our expectations of my job description differed.
Luckily, since one of us was naked, it took me only ten minutes or so to lose him on Crown Street. The fact that he didn't seem worries about chasing me through his neighborhood, crying, and calling my name--while stark naked--led me to believe it may have happened before. The public thoroughfare didn't slow him down any, either, but once I made it onto the Albert Bridge, I could no longer hear the telltale sound of his junk whacking against him legs as he ran."
Finding Fraser was written in an interesting way. Granted, we follow Emma throughout her jounrey as expected, but she also starts a blog to post about her trip at the beginning of her Finding Fraser quest and getting to read her posts and some of the comments was really interesting. I mean, you see the things she goes through, how hard of a time she's having, but her posts always reflect what she wants her followers to read. Not to mention that in the beginning all her comments were spam for erectile dysfunction medication. That made me laugh so hard since I get those ALL THE TIME on my site. Even with my spam blocker up they still slip through occasionally. So, it was fun not only witnessing her journey but also reading her blog posts and comments as well.
Not only do we get to witness Emma bumble through Scotland, but it almost felt like I was experiencing Scotland for the first time. Between the small villages, the people, the touristy things, it was really quite a journey for the reader as well. Now, that's not saying that I won't be going to Scotland because I read this book, in fact, Finding Fraser made me want to go even more.
All the characters in this were... well characters in themselves. I mean, we meet Rabbie the perverted Gnome, Jack the chivalrous author, Hamish the wannabe California boy, Ash the 16 going on 30 year old boy, and the list goes on. I mean, there were so many characters in this book but each one stuck out so much that when they popped up in the story, I pictured them right away. I have to say, for such a colorful group of people that Emma comes across, none of them felt cliche.
Finding Fraser is a delightful read. I was taken on an adventure right alongside Emma and I loved all the Outlander references. I'm sure this would still be an enjoyable read for those who've not read Outlander, but for fans of the book... Finding Fraser is a must! I mean, not only does Emma go to Scotland to find her very own Jamie but she has mapped out all the places that Claire has been in the books and she sets herself on visiting each of those locations in the same order. Finding Fraser was an absolute blast and made me wish these characters are real.
Favorite part...
"It became immediately clear that our expectations of my job description differed.
Luckily, since one of us was naked, it took me only ten minutes or so to lose him on Crown Street. The fact that he didn't seem worries about chasing me through his neighborhood, crying, and calling my name--while stark naked--led me to believe it may have happened before. The public thoroughfare didn't slow him down any, either, but once I made it onto the Albert Bridge, I could no longer hear the telltale sound of his junk whacking against him legs as he ran."
May 19, 2015
Two stars is generous, but what I kept thinking as I was reading was: it's not as bad as it could be. The book is a kind of fan fiction (ironic, because there's a scene where Dyer hated on fan-fic aficionados)--and would make zero sense to anyone who hadn't read the Outlander book series (or, at least, the first one).
I guess that's a good summary: a marginally acceptable rom-com starring a barely-plucky American girl in Scotland, and featuring a hundred or more references to Diana Gabaldon's books. Timing is everything, and this one seems timed to make hay for fans of the Outlander TV series, utilizing the least interesting and most hackneyed parts of Gabaldon's first novel. One and a half stars.
I guess that's a good summary: a marginally acceptable rom-com starring a barely-plucky American girl in Scotland, and featuring a hundred or more references to Diana Gabaldon's books. Timing is everything, and this one seems timed to make hay for fans of the Outlander TV series, utilizing the least interesting and most hackneyed parts of Gabaldon's first novel. One and a half stars.
June 30, 2015
Not being an Outlander fan (it's complicated), I dived in anyway. At first, I was a little disappointed at Emma's naivety, but then she met her Fraser, or so she thought. I found myself wishing I could jump in the novel and talk some sense into her as her sister had tried on numerous occasions, but alas, I had to let her figure it out for herself as I read furiously. The ending didn't disappoint since KC Dyer tied up all ends beautifully. And since I hang out at the same SiWC Conference KC Dyer does, I noticed two familiar characters--Herself and Jack Whyte. Could it be the young Jack in the story was based a little on the older Jack? If so, what a compliment! Anyway, because I read this book, I'm thinking I might try Outlander again. A little backward, but never too late.
July 12, 2020
This was a quick, cute piece of "fan fiction."
Emma loses her barista job on her 29th birthday. She is a huge fan of "Outlander," and in a moment of possible insanity, decides to chase down her own Jamie Fraser, and where better to do that than in Scotland? She sells everything she owns; takes a meandering trip to New York, w/ a memorable stop at a romance-writers' convention featuring Herself (what fans call Diana Gabaldon, Jamie Fraser's creator) and a bunch of quirky characters.
Emma arrives in Scotland and starts her self-defined tour of places mentioned in "Outlander." She meets a few interesting people, and suffers a really serious setback. She ends up in a town in the Highlands, where she spends the summer working in a cafe to earn the money lost during serious setback. In the small town, she finds her version of Jamie Fraser, named Hamish. Is he her Jamie though? Or is it someone else? Or, does she truly belong back in Chicago? She has to face the fact that her visitor's visa is expiring and that she needs to head "home," even though the Scottish town feels more like home by now than Chicago.
OK, there are some flaws in the plotline. For one, Emma is far too trusting of total strangers for a 29-year-old Chicagoan, and it severely bites her in the ass. But it doesn't feel like she learns from that, as she continues to trust, and it mostly pays off for her. Second, could a down-on-one's-luck American really find employment anywhere in the UK? I mean, most employers in America would RUN if they figured out they had an undocumented employee (except for Nebraska's meatpacking plants, but I digress)? Third, if she had a philandering husband, wouldn't her previous experience have given her a radar that her Jamie Fraser was NOT as into her as she was into him?
It was still a fun read, and a nice change of pace from my weightier recent reads. It was a fun way to spend a hot summer afternoon.
Emma loses her barista job on her 29th birthday. She is a huge fan of "Outlander," and in a moment of possible insanity, decides to chase down her own Jamie Fraser, and where better to do that than in Scotland? She sells everything she owns; takes a meandering trip to New York, w/ a memorable stop at a romance-writers' convention featuring Herself (what fans call Diana Gabaldon, Jamie Fraser's creator) and a bunch of quirky characters.
Emma arrives in Scotland and starts her self-defined tour of places mentioned in "Outlander." She meets a few interesting people, and suffers a really serious setback. She ends up in a town in the Highlands, where she spends the summer working in a cafe to earn the money lost during serious setback. In the small town, she finds her version of Jamie Fraser, named Hamish. Is he her Jamie though? Or is it someone else? Or, does she truly belong back in Chicago? She has to face the fact that her visitor's visa is expiring and that she needs to head "home," even though the Scottish town feels more like home by now than Chicago.
OK, there are some flaws in the plotline. For one, Emma is far too trusting of total strangers for a 29-year-old Chicagoan, and it severely bites her in the ass. But it doesn't feel like she learns from that, as she continues to trust, and it mostly pays off for her. Second, could a down-on-one's-luck American really find employment anywhere in the UK? I mean, most employers in America would RUN if they figured out they had an undocumented employee (except for Nebraska's meatpacking plants, but I digress)? Third, if she had a philandering husband, wouldn't her previous experience have given her a radar that her Jamie Fraser was NOT as into her as she was into him?
It was still a fun read, and a nice change of pace from my weightier recent reads. It was a fun way to spend a hot summer afternoon.
April 11, 2016
Daniella's review posted at Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
Okay...when pretty much every new book I have jumped at the chance to read in over six straight months has turned into a DNF (did not finish). With such a crapshoot, it begins to play on my mind whether I would ever find a book that was good again-unless I went to my go-to authors (of course). So when I jumped one more time at the chance to read and hopefully review a book, I was worried my DNF streak would continue when I volunteered to read "Finding Fraser" by KC Dyer. My worry was for naught!!!
When herself, Ms Gabaldon, approves of the book that has American Emma Sheridan selling everything and leaving everything behind to fly to Scotland to find her "Jamie" I was intrigued to read it.
I'll not give away much and there will be no spoilers with this review because it was hysterical, and sad, and a stubborn read; and not once did I want to put it down nor could put it down.
There was no character I loathed, I never wanted to climb in the book and "Gibbs-smack" Emma! It was a fun and fast read and total enjoyment!! Every quickly character has a reason for being there. Every reason Emma had for wanting to accomplish this goal made sense as I began to know her while her life unfolded before me.
I was annoyed at characters I knew I was suppose to be annoyed with - and let me tell you it was a fun and fantastic feeling!!!
Ms. Dyer, I applaud and heartily thank you for breaking and running over the crappies the streak no one ever wants to have!!!
If you love a book that makes for a refreshing weekend read, by all means read this one!
Review copy provided for an honest review.
Okay...when pretty much every new book I have jumped at the chance to read in over six straight months has turned into a DNF (did not finish). With such a crapshoot, it begins to play on my mind whether I would ever find a book that was good again-unless I went to my go-to authors (of course). So when I jumped one more time at the chance to read and hopefully review a book, I was worried my DNF streak would continue when I volunteered to read "Finding Fraser" by KC Dyer. My worry was for naught!!!
When herself, Ms Gabaldon, approves of the book that has American Emma Sheridan selling everything and leaving everything behind to fly to Scotland to find her "Jamie" I was intrigued to read it.
I'll not give away much and there will be no spoilers with this review because it was hysterical, and sad, and a stubborn read; and not once did I want to put it down nor could put it down.
There was no character I loathed, I never wanted to climb in the book and "Gibbs-smack" Emma! It was a fun and fast read and total enjoyment!! Every quickly character has a reason for being there. Every reason Emma had for wanting to accomplish this goal made sense as I began to know her while her life unfolded before me.
I was annoyed at characters I knew I was suppose to be annoyed with - and let me tell you it was a fun and fantastic feeling!!!
Ms. Dyer, I applaud and heartily thank you for breaking and running over the crappies the streak no one ever wants to have!!!
If you love a book that makes for a refreshing weekend read, by all means read this one!
Review copy provided for an honest review.
May 12, 2016
Disillusioned with her less than stellar track record when it comes to relationships and with her life in general, 29-year-old Emma Sheridan sets out on a journey through Scotland in search of a modern, real life version of the man of her dreams: one James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser. Perfect for any Outlander fan in the mood for a lighthearted, fun summer read, this was an adorable story and above all a heartfelt love letter to Scotland. Having travelled there myself last summer and visited numerous locations in the book, I could easily empathize with Emma's falling in love with the country. While her search for her Jamie got a little frustrating at times, especially when she was clinging for ages to what was so very obviously the wrong guy for her instead of finally realizing she'd had the right one under her nose from the start, the majority of her adventures and blog posts were a lot of fun. A quick and enjoyable read.
Shelved as 'dnf'
September 27, 2019DNF at 15%
Fellow readers, I tried. I picked up and put down this book three times over three years before I finally gave up. When a reading a particular book feels like a dreaded homework assignment, it's time to give up.
Finding Fraser simply isn't my cup of tea. I don't have to relate to the main character in a book in order to like it, so not connecting with Emma wasn't the problem. I just couldn't work up any interest in her character, her actions, her reactions, the situations she found herself in, or K.C. Dyer's writing style. Everything seemed shallow and disjointed. Nothing about Finding Fraser worked for me, and that's just fine. I'm just not a reader suited to this particular story.
Fellow readers, I tried. I picked up and put down this book three times over three years before I finally gave up. When a reading a particular book feels like a dreaded homework assignment, it's time to give up.
Finding Fraser simply isn't my cup of tea. I don't have to relate to the main character in a book in order to like it, so not connecting with Emma wasn't the problem. I just couldn't work up any interest in her character, her actions, her reactions, the situations she found herself in, or K.C. Dyer's writing style. Everything seemed shallow and disjointed. Nothing about Finding Fraser worked for me, and that's just fine. I'm just not a reader suited to this particular story.
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