What did I just agree to read?

Diana Gabaldon uses a lot of descriptive spectacle in her novel Outlander, and by that I mean her book contains an overwhelming amount of sex scenes.

In most novels I've read, if the "special moment" is described in any detail, it means that it's a significant and anticipated occasion, typically after pages and pages of flirtation and will-they-won't-they sexual tension. I recently read a 500+ page novel* in which the only physical intimacy described was a brief, awkward encounter in a car in which the couple almost kissed, and I was absolutely giddy with excitement. 

In Outlander, unfortunately, the opposite effect has occurred: I am so overburdened by all these sex scenes that they have all but lost their appeal. Much like an action movie that's nothing but explosions, Gabaldon's use of spectacle simply dulls the senses.

To be fair, I am not a bored 90s housewife in a book club, the demographic for which this series was presumably written. I also am a tad too practical-minded when reading these scenes, worrying about STDs and basic hygiene (see image below) instead of immersing myself in the seemingly unending pleasure of these two lovebirds. Still, after reading the word "thrust" for the umpteenth time, I just wanted to send Gabaldon a simple email, no subject line, one sentence: "WE GET IT."

 harkavagrant.com

I am still reading this book after the required binge days, as I actually do enjoy the story (when the plot decides to advance) and the mystical setting of 1750s Scotland. And perhaps it's the tween-girl in me, but I'll admit it is hard to resist the romance of it all, especially with a chivalrous hunk like Jamie Fraser stepping in to save the day at every turn. ... I just think maybe he could use some rest.

*For those interested, The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters