Into the Wilderness by Sarah Donati

I just can't get "into" the Outlander obsession.  I know others do.  I read the first book.  I'm willing to read the second.
But I couldn't help but think that the characters are more suited to a Die Hard movie than a Historical fantasy/romance.

However, I *read* Outlander.  And in reading some of the hype surrounding it, someone said "If you like Outlander, you'll LOVE Donati's Wilderness books."  And I was intrigued.
I like Historical fiction.  I like the old west setting, with a touch of romance.  I (sometimes) like sagas.  I picked up "Into the Wilderness".
I didn't want to put it down!
Diana Gabaldon supposedly describes this series as a breath of fresh air...and I agree.  It's like wrapping yourself up in a warm blanket in front of a toasty fire with hot cocoa and your favorite gluten-free cookies.  Its a cross between "real reading" and "fluff" that I sheepishly admit to reading.  There's romance, er...a lot of it.  But there's also mystery.  And intrigue, adventure, excitement.  Some of it begins to test your limits of belief (Seriously?  He survived *that*?)  But, not nearly so far as Outlander did.  At least, in the first book.
The second book is in my library bag.  Calling to me.  Anxiously waiting for me to finish this blog post so I can....
Hey, what am I waiting for?  I've got 10 more minutes, and a good book to read.  So, I'm off dear reader.

Content warnings:  Prejudicial attitudes, explicit sexuality, and some violence.  I'm enjoying the series but it's definitely not one I can share with my kids just yet.

The series in order:
Into the Wilderness (Wilderness Saga 1)

Dawn on a Distant Shore (Wilderness, Book 2)
Lake in the Clouds
Fire Along the Sky
Queen of Swords
The Endless Forest: A Novel

***And for what it's worth, I've now plowed my way through the series.  I found book 5 a little trying, and 6 could have been better edited (there were some issues where a wrong name was used and I had to pause and think "Wait, Ethan isn't there yet..." or "Oh, she must mean Callie not Martha." 
But all in all, I loved the series.  It's well worth the read, it takes us through New York, Canada, Across the sea to Ireland, down to New Orleans and back to Paradise.  We see prejudices, the introduction of vaccines, and wars that get very little attention in school but were important to the forming of our country. 
Now what on Earth will I bury myself in next?