This book was given to me at no cost, by a generous acquaintance.

Let me start with the narrator for a change:
I've listened to Teri Schnaubelt before, so I was quite excited to find out that she narrated a series of historical fiction I'd been sneaking around for a while now, and I spontaneously decided that now was the time to read/listen to the series.

I wasn't disappointed. Once again, Teri does an excellent job with the narration: characters, dialects, moods -- all perfectly delivered, making it possible to immerse myself in the story.

And the story is great! True, in parts it reminds me of the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, but it is very different.

The story is set in North America of today, and North America of the 1850s, and we trek along the Oregon trail. Not being American, I have little knowledge of that time period, or of the geography.
However, this book inspired me to look it up, to search for photos of the described landmarks, etc.

So, not only was I being entertained by an adorably well narrated and thought-out story, but I learned something new into the bargain. It's probably one of the reasons why I love historical fiction, and I can't wait to listen to the second book. ( )

I loved this booked. I listened to the unabridged audio book and the reader brought the characters to life her accents were spot on. The story Oh My Goodness, one of the best if not the best time travel romances I have ever read. Kit finds the brooch and a letter from her 'father' who has just recently died so she knows she is going to be traveling back in time so there is none of the whimpering and whining of where am I what happened. She goes back with a plan and a purpose and very well prepared, to join a wagon train on the Oregon Trail, she isn't prepared to fall in love with the family that she travels with and with Colin Montgomery. I hope the rest of the books in the series are as good as this one. ( )

Well, it definitely is not "Outlander" but it does have some of the familiar twangs of the past. The saga begins with Kit Macklenna mourning the loss of her parents and boyfriend who have recently died in an car accident. She opens the hidden compartment her father showed her years ago- telling her not to open it until she was the owner of the farm. She learns that she isn't who she thought she was. Trying to uncover the details of her birth, and armed with a magical Ruby Brooch she sets off for the "Oregon Trail" (1800's Oregon Trail that is"!.There are many discrepancies that although, time travel may or may not be possible - this books seems very improbable. I didn't realize you could bring your cat, dog & horse as well as tons of medical items (including pregnancy tests) and and most unlikely an I-phone with you charge it and search online for answers to cure maladies.... oh well... the parts that seemed realistic will hopefully carry me through- So, I will give it a go and move on to the next in the Trilogy. Bottom line - if you are looking for Clare & Jamie its not here - this is more of a Teen read. Definitely a romance with a Heroine beyond belief and her macho cowboy/lawyer who survive unbelievable events! ( )

I was pretty excited to dive into this time travel novel because I played way too much Oregon Trail as a kid and this book is set in the mid-1800s along the Oregon Trail. Kit MacKlenna is a modern day paramedic living on her ancestral horse ranch. Yet she has questions about her heritage and a small package left to her tempts her into the past to discover her true roots. I really liked that she knowingly traveled to the past. She plans well, studying up on the time period and packing certain supplies. Now I will say that I was a little surprised by how many modern things she decided to take with her (flashlights, IVs, pregnancy tests, etc.) and I did worry that would lead to many, many questions for her later. Also, she chose to take her dog and cat along for the trip as well. While I do like having furry companions in any story, I did find this an odd choice and I deeply worried the pets were going to be Red Shirts for drama down the road.

Then we’re off into the semi-civilized lands of Missouri. She knows that it will be hard to get a place on a wagon train as a single woman so she’s hoping to find a group that will accept her. She’s capable of seeing to her own food, camping gear, and animals so it’s really a matter of bending the social norms of the time. At first, the mid-1800s characters held to their social morays but as the story progresses, I did notice that there were sometimes unlikely reactions to Kit’s modern attitudes. Those little breaks in character took me out of the story from time to time and I wish that Kit had to work harder to either hide her modern ways or win others over to her ways quietly.

There is a strong romantic element to this book. I did like Cullen though I found the insta-luv between him and Kit to be rather convenient. Cullen is an interesting character but once he becomes involved with Kit they had this silly emotional roller coaster. Flirting, fighting, showing off to one another, ignoring each other, kissing, making up, etc. I was much more interested in the historical elements of this story but, alas, those were rather lacking once the tale was set up and off and running. This is a romance story first and foremost and a historical fiction second.

Despite the silly romance, Kit is a woman who does get stuff done. She’s a good shot, knows how to ride well, and has her medical skills. She’s also skilled at sketching. So she has a lot going for her if she can just wrangle in her emotions and stay focused. This mystery about her true relatives eats away at her throughout the story. While I can understand how that mystery can drive a person, I did feel she was a bit too needy at times, forgetting all the good things her upbringing modern Kentucky did have. I can’t help comparing The Ruby Brooch to other time travel books by the likes of Diana Gabaldon and Connie Willis. This book isn’t on the same level as those works. It’s more romance than historical fiction.

Some of the other interesting characters include Braham McCabe, who adds a bit of comedy here and there.The Barrett Family was very good to Kit and I feel I got to know Mrs. Barrett and Frances the best among them. Elliot Fraser is Kit’s godfather in modern Kentucky and he provides wisdom and safe household to return to if needed. All told, 3.5/5 stars.

The Narration: Teri Schnaubelt was awesome as the narrator. I really liked her variety of accents and the range of voices she had for men and women. Kit cried so much in this book (a little too much for me) but Teri did a great job with all the emotions. Schnaubelt sounded engaged throughout the story and all her character voices were distinct. There were no technical issues with this recording. 5/5 stars.

➜ Susan received a free copy of this book from the narrator. Her opinions are 100% my own. ( )

I was not as impressed as many other reviewers with this book although I do believe that it deserved at least 2 stars because it was really well written. I think I had a hard time getting to know the characters. While they were developed great I felt that they were ot people that I would like. I have a love/hate relationship with time travel books and this one just happened to be on the latter side of the relationship. I found myself putting the book down several times and even thought about a DNF which is so unlike me. I am giving it 2 stars.

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