Today we have the lovely Shelley Workinger on the blog for day 8 of the Winter Warmers Event. Shelley is joining us for a second year and we are so excited she has chosen to review Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen, it's another book we're adding to our to buy list! Over to you Shelley.
I loved this book.
I so wanted to follow a more traditional review path, beginning with a synopsis, then laying out the strengths and weaknesses of the story, and holding out until the end to weigh in with my personal opinion. But when I sat down to write this post, I just kept thinking, “I loved this book,” until I finally realized that I might never get past that point until I wrote that sentence. So whew; it’s out and now I can move onto the other stuff. ;)
I so wanted to follow a more traditional review path, beginning with a synopsis, then laying out the strengths and weaknesses of the story, and holding out until the end to weigh in with my personal opinion. But when I sat down to write this post, I just kept thinking, “I loved this book,” until I finally realized that I might never get past that point until I wrote that sentence. So whew; it’s out and now I can move onto the other stuff. ;)
Scarlet Is a fresh look at one of the most popular and beloved heroes of all time – Robin Hood. Or Rob, as Scarlet calls him. Scarlet being another member of the famed band of thieves; the one whom one character expresses the belief of most when he says, “Will Scarlet can do anything.” What the people don’t know is that the knife-throwing, branch-hopping, foxy right hand of Hood is actually a she.
And she’s simply a terrific character. She’s heroic in scaling the castle walls to break innocent people out of prison; she’s clever in her plot to undermine the thief-taker who’s come to town for Rob and crew; she’s vulnerable in the crush on Rob that she doesn’t even fully admit to herself; and she’s so soft-hearted that, despite all she does for the people, thinking of those she can’t help makes her chest hurt.
I so enjoyed not only Scar but every member of the band that I was truly sad to close the cover on this story. Luckily – and this is solely my wishful thinking; the author made no mention of nor hinted at any sort of sequel – the door stands wide open for this to evolve into a series. With King Richard the lion-hearted still off Crusading, England continues to cower under the wicked Prince John, leaving Scarlet and Rob with much to do: people to help, evil-doers to punish, love to pursue…
Bottom line: action, mystery, and romance are all covered in this book. Scarlet will appeal to both the readers (like myself) whose knowledge of Robin Hood is limited to the animated Disney film as well as aficionados of the legend because Gaughen did her homework to ensure that, even though this is a piece of fiction, her interpretation is possible (yes, even that Will Scarlet might’ve been a girl!). I actually believe you’d have a hard time finding someone who doesn’t like this one. :)
We would like to say a very big thank you to Shelley for finding the time to review Scarlet for our Winter Warmers Event! We need this book!! Follow the links below to learn more about both authors.
Shelley Workinger
A.C. Gaughen
2 comments:
Brilliant review! I really enjoyed Scarlet too and am so excited to know that there will now be a sequel. :)
yeah, it sounds like an interesting and a fun read. maybe it will be made into a movie some day.
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