**This post is lovingly and wittingly co-authored by Ellie, a candy-stealing, reading, sleeping, ninja wanna be.

*** However, I take FULL credit for that gorgeous work of art above. I think my effort on that manip is evident.

We’re fairly sure that the past couple of weeks have alerted you all to the awesomeness of Outlander, Diana Gabaldon, and Jamie Fraser. Maybe you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon yet. Maybe you’re still caught up in our book choices for this month’s Boozy Book Club, and haven’t gotten around to it yet. Maybe you didn’t think Sam Heughan was hot enough for you to bother with an 8 book epic historical series (sidenote: YOU MUST BE CRAZY). Whatever’s holding you back, this is the post that will tip you over the edge*.

WHY are we so obsessed with Outlander and JAMMF lately? Well, the epic book series is becoming a brand new series on Starz next year. AND the man himself was recently cast, and we felt compelled to welcome Sam Heughan with a series of reasons why he is perfectly cast and why we are better than other Outlander fans. #NoJudgment #HoWhyIsYouHere

But about the fictional man in question. Why is he so great, you Outlander virgins may ask? Is he really better than Barrons or Four or Edward or the guys from Nashville or Henry Cavill or JGL or our other book boyfriends? Really?

Yes. Here’s why.

NOTE: There may be some book spoilers ahead. We are going to be quoting passages and dialogue from the first book, so read at your own risk. It’s safe to read if you already assume the following about the book:

Claire travels back in time in 18th century Scotland and meets Jamie
Claire and Jamie get married
They do married stuff (brown chicken brown cow)
They are also SUPA DUPA in love

If that much was clear to you, then proceed.

He’s Honorable

This might seem like a requisite characteristic for a book boyfriend, but nobody has more opportunity to prove it.

When they first meet, Jamie is injured but still offers to put Claire on his horse as they ride off in the night. As the horse ride continues Claire begins to see bits of JAMMF’s endearing personality begin to emerge. He keeps her warm with his plaid and then takes the blame for her obnoxiously loud stomach growls.

“Better have a wee nip,” he whispered to me. “It willna fill your belly, but it will make ye forget you’re hungry.” – chapter 3

Long before they are married, while traveling with some of Jamie’s clan, Claire wakes and is irritated to find Jamie asleep outside the door to her room at the inn.

“It may interest ye to know there’s a small party of English dragoons stopped in to the taproom below,” he informed me coldly. “They’re a bit gone in drink, and disporting themselves a bit reckless with two women from the town. Since there’s but the two lasses, and five men, some of the soldiers seemed a bit inclined to venture upward in search of uh . . . partners. I didna think you’d care overmuch for such intentions.” – chapter 12

Claire watches Jamie take a public punishment for a young girl. Basically, he gets his head beaten in because this idiot girl is a piece of crap.

“What did you do that for?” I asked curiously.

“What?” he said, straightening up and wiping his face on his sleeve. He felt the split lip gingerly, wincing slightly.

“Offer to take that girl’s punishment for her. Do you know her?” I felt a certain diffidence about asking, but I really wanted to know what lay behind that quixotic gesture.

“I ken who she is. Havena spoken to her, though.”

“Then why did you do it?”

He shrugged, a movement that also made him wince.

“It would have shamed the lass, to be beaten in Hall. Easier for me.”

“Easier?” I echoed incredulously, looking at his smashed face. He was probing his bruised ribs experimentally with his free hand, but looked up and gave me a one-sided grin.

“Aye. She’s verra young. She would ha’ been shamed before everyone as knows her, and it would take a long time to get over it. I’m sore, but no really damaged; I’ll get over it in a day or two.”

“But why you?” I asked. He looked as though he thought this an odd question.

“Why not me?” he said. – chapter 10

He’s even honorable when it’s totally not in his best interests.

I prayed all the way up that hill yesterday … I prayed I’d be strong enough to send ye away. I said, ‘Lord, if I’ve never had courage in my life before, let me have it now. Let me brave enough not to fall to my knees and beg her to stay.’ … Hardest thing I ever did, Sassenach. – chapter 25

He’s Amusing

We are all in agreement that no book boyfriend can be hot and not be funny, right? Who wants to *ahem* a dry piece of toast?

“You’re, er, quite sizable, aren’t you?” I said. A half-smile curved his lips and he nodded, clearly wondering what I was up to.

“Big enough for most things,” he answered.

I was encouraged, and moved casually closer, so as not to be overheard by any stragglers from the square. “And tolerably strong in the fingers?” I asked.

He flexed one hand and the smile widened. “Aye, that’s so. Happen you’ve a few chestnuts you want cracked?” He looked down at me with a shrewd and merry glint.

GEEZ, Jamie. She just wants you to help out this little kid stuck to post. PERV.

Except, he kind of IS a perv. This is right after a fight when they’re outside sleeping with like everyone they know. All dudes.

“Are ye tired, Sassenach?” he asked with concern. “Dinna worry, I won’t take long.” Now both hands were at it, rucking the heavy fabric up in front. “No!” I replied, all too mindful of the twenty men lying a few feet away. “I’m not tired, it’s just —” I gasped as his groping hand found its way between my legs. “Lord,” he said softly. “It’s slippery as a waterweed.” – chapter 18

They have this sweet moment when he’s telling her he’s loved her all along, and he turns it into this business while Claire basically hurls shit at him.

“When I woke in the dark under that tree on the road to Leoch, with you sitting on my chest, cursing me for bleeding to death, I said to myself, ‘Jamie Fraser, for all ye canna see what she looks like, and for all she weighs as much as a good draft horse, this is the woman.’ … He dodged around a chair. “But then that ride through the dark together” – he paused to sigh theatrically, neatly evading my grab at his sleeve — “with that lovely broad arse wedged between my thighs” — he ducked a blow aimed at his left ear … “and that rock-solid head thumping me in the chest … I said to myself …” He was laughing so hard at this point that he had to gasp for breath between phrases. “Jamie … I said … for all she’s a Sassenach bitch … with a tongue like an adder’s … with a bum like that … what does it matter if she’s a f-face like a sh-sh-sheep?” – chapter 27

He’s Protective

No one has ever saved anyone’s life as much as Jamie saves Claire’s. She kind of saves his too, but let’s focus on the hotness of his protectiveness for a minute, aye?

Here he is making a promise to her when they barely know one another.

“Ye need not be scairt of me,” he said softly. “Nor of anyone here, so long as I’m with ye.” – chapter 4

Here he is promising her he’s totes gonna protect her with his hotness and stuff.

“You are safe,” he said firmly. “You have my name and my family, my clan, and if necessary, the protection of my body as well.” … It was no romantic pledge he had made me, but the blunt promise to guard my safety at the cost of his own. – chapter 15

Here he is getting her to safety and being totally surreptitious and sexy while doing it.

He seized my earlobe between his teeth and whispered … “Someone’s near…D’ye see the small opening in the rock?” … He clasped my face and nuzzled me lovingly. “When I say go, get into it and stay there. Have ye the dirk?” He had insisted I keep the dirk … in one of the deep pockets of my gown. He ran a hand playfully down my leg, checking to make sure of its presence. – chapter 18

Here he is saving her life from a total asshole.

“You bluffed your way in here with an empty gun?” I croaked hysterically.“If it were loaded, I would ha just shot him in the first place, wouldn’t I?!” Jamie hissed. – chapter 21

Oh, here he is saving her life again with LOGIC.

I swore an oath before the altar of God to protect this woman. And if you’re tellin’ me that ye consider your own authority to be greater than that of the Almighty, then I must inform ye that I’m no of that opinion, myself. – chapter 25

He’s Brave

This might go without saying, but he’s like LITERALLY the bravest.

When Claire is pretty overcome by some scars from his past flogging.

“There’s worse has happened to others lass,” he said quietly. -chapter 4

His uncle Dougal telling Claire how Jamie got those scars. Poor boy.

“Come Jamie’s turn, he walks up to the post—some men have to be dragged, but not him—and holds out his hands so the corporal can unlock the manacles he’s wearing. The corporal goes to pull his arm, like, to haul him into place, but Jamie shakes him off and steps back a pace. I was half expectin’ him to make a dash for it, but instead he just pulls off his shirt. It’s torn here and there and filthy as a clout, but he folds it up careful like it was his Sunday best, and lays it on the ground. Then he walks over to the post steady as a soldier and puts his hands up to be bound . . . Courage like that is uncommon rare. It wasna ignorance, mind; he’d just seen two men flogged and he knew the same was coming to him. It’s just he had made up his mind there was no help for it. Boldness in battle is nothing out of the way for a Scotsman, ye ken, but to face down fear in cold blood is rare in any man. He was but nineteen at the time,” Dougal added as an afterthought. – chapter 13

And his own feelings about the limits to his courage.

“I can bear pain, myself,” he said softly, “but I couldna bear yours. That would take more strength than I have.” – chapter 32

HE’S DEVOTED

Devoted is better than just being romantic – that could work with anyone, anywhere. He’s romantic inclinations are Claire specific.

“ There are things that I canna tell you, at least not yet And I’ll ask nothing of ye that ye canna give me. But what I would ask of ye- when you do tell me something, let it be the truth. And I’ll promise ye the same. We have nothing now between us, save-respect, perhaps. And I think that respect has maybe room for secrets, but not for lies, Do ye agree?” He spread his hands out, palms up, inviting me. -chapter 14

“It’s only … well, I dreamed you were lost, and I couldna find ye. It woke me, and … I wanted to look at ye, is all. To fix ye in my mind, to remember while I’m gone.” –chapter 24

“He said the greatest thing in a man’s life it to lie wi’ a woman he loves,” he said softly. He smiled at me, eyes blue as the sky overhead. “He was right.” – chapter 28

“Ye werena the first lass I kissed,: he said softly. “But I swear you’ll be the last.” And he bent his head to my upturned face. – chapter 28

“I was crying for joy, my Sassenach,” he said softly. He reached out slowly and took my face between his hands. “And thanking God that I have two hands. That I have two hands to hold you with. To serve you with, to love you with. Thanking God that I am a whole man still, because of you.” – chapter 41

HE’S SEXY

You were waiting for the good stuff, right?

On their wedding day. Confidence is hot, James.

Suddenly the inn door opened, and the sun came out, in the person of James. If I was a radiant bride, the groom was positively resplendent. My mouth fell open and stayed that way.

Well over six feet tall, broad in proportion, and striking of feature, he was a far cry from the grubby horse-handler I was accustomed to – and he knew it. Making a leg in courtly fashion, he swept me a bow of impeccable grace, murmuring, ‘Your servant, ma’am,’ eyes glinting in mischief. -chapter 14

I’m skipping the honeymoon chapters because that would make this already WAY too long post WAY TOO TOO LONGEST. But here’s the culmination.

Much later on the edge of sleep, I felt Jamie’s arm around my waist, and felt his breath warm against my neck. “Does it ever stop? The wanting you.” His hand came around to caress my breast. “Even when I’ve just left ye, I want you so much my chest feels tight and my fingers ache with wanting ye to touch me again.” – chapter 17

Claire, upon waking from a dream about a meadow (no relation to that other dream about another meadow).

I floated gently to the surface of reality, and found that the butterfly feet against my stomach were the flaming tendrils of Jamie’s soft red thatch, and the butterfly trapped between my thighs was his tongue. – chapter 24

Being all playful.

“I like to hear the Latin names for things; I never dreamed it would be so pleasant to make love to a physician.” “That,” I said primly, “is an areola, and you know it, because I told you last week.” “So ye did,” he murmured. “And there’s another one, fancy that.” … “And what’s this then?” “You tell me,” I said, clutching his head. But he was incapable of speech. – chapter 24 (which has a lot of downstairs time in it)

Before Jamie leaves for a hunting trip:

“Open your legs,” he whispered. ‘I mean to be sure you’ll remember me while I’m gone.”

Ok, this admittedly, is a line you may have heard before but then he says this:

“I’m sorry. I didna mean to hurt ye. But I do want to be in you, to stay in you, so deep. I want to leave the feel of me deep inside ye with my seed. I want to hold ye so and stay wi’ you ‘til dawn, and leave you sleeping and go, with the shapes of you warm in my hands.” -chapter 24

FLIBBERTY GIBBET.

Trust me, the trade paperback I have sitting next to me is 627 pages. There is A LOT more where that came from. It just does NOT get any better than Jamie Fraser … oh, until later books when he’s ALL OLDER MAN AND STUFF. #GAH

*This post may have been written solely for Bekah’s personal reference. I will not comment further.

**Ellie wrote all the cuss words, mom.