Starring... Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen {Review}

Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance. 

Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in.

It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

Book Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Fangirling Scale: Reaching for the Stars!

A new tale of Robin Hood is among us. Robin's band of thieves consists of a woman on his side and her name is Scarlet. Not to be thought of as weak, she's a missy not to be messed with or she will gut you with her knives. Bound to steal for the town of Nottingham, don't mess with Robin and his band because they will definitely steal your attention and heart.

I am very proud of the research clearly done for this book by Ms. Gaughen. She nailed the voice of where Scarlet takes us, the setting, the tale, and need I not say: my attention too! With the informal speech and correct English tone clearly shown in Scarlet's voice, I can envision her talking to the other characters which is a good thing for readers like me. (I'm not from England or anything but, I think Ms. Gaughen has gotten her voice right!) As well, the setting of the forest and Nottinghamshire is very easy to imagine. I could feel as if I am there with the characters in their story. Lastly I will boast about the research Ms. Gaughen has done on the tale of Robin Hood which she clearly did as she gave readers a list of sources she used to read more about Robin Hood. This retelling kept to the story very closely in my opinion and I loved that!

The characters in Scarlet are a great humorous bunch where their trust and hope is unconditional despite what they say to each other. It's clearly shown that Scarlet and the others love each other like family. Their lives have intertwined with one another's and that's what keeps them together. There is one character in particular that I respect and *cue applause*-Scarlet. She is an icon for strong women and female empowerment during the time. But, that's not the reason I respect her greatly. She can stand her own without the help of the guys. Scarlet can fight depending on her ability and strength as a person. At the same time, she is human too: her emotions and past cannot be hidden. (There is one person she is always honest to and guess who's that?)

If you guessed Robin Hood, then you are correct! The romance in this book resides with two of Scarlet's band mates. Another love triangle is in the air. However, I am swooning over and over for the relationship between Scarlet and Robin. (SORRY- but, I am SO going for Robin!) Ms. Gaughen writes a deep connection between the two throughout Scarlet when each time the other likes the other, which is displayed a lot, you can see (or should I say: read.) that Scarlet and Robin care for each other. Waiting for them to finally tell each other that they love each other took a while in Scarlet but, the time that it took for their relationship to take its ride is definitely worth it because that's how relationships form. Smiles and blushing covered my face the whole time when I read about them. (Oops, somehow I still can't wipe that smile off my face...)  

Scarlet is a retelling everyone should read. With an intriguing premise of the well-known tale of Robin Hood, Ms. Gaughen has written a heart-pumping story where the point of view doesn't follow Robin Hood himself but, Scarlet, a lady thief of sorts. Adventure, suspense, and romance is what stole my heart and are what I hope it takes to steal yours too.

Twinkling Quote:

Always looking for the star,

Starring... Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen {Review}

Scarlet’s true identity has been revealed, but her future is uncertain. Her forced marriage to Lord Gisbourne threatens Robin and Scarlet’s love, and as the royal court descends upon Nottingham for the appointment of a new Sheriff, the people of Nottingham hope that Prince John will appoint their beloved Robin Hood. But Prince John has different plans for Nottingham that revolve around a fateful secret from Scarlet’s past even she isn’t yet aware of. Forced to participate at court alongside her ruthless husband, Scarlet must bide her time and act the part of a noblewoman—a worthy sacrifice if it means helping Robin’s cause and a chance at a future with the man she loves. With a fresh line of intrigue and as much passion as ever, the next chapter in Scarlet’s tale will have readers talking once again.
Stars in: YA Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Book Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Fangirling Scale: Reaching for the Stars!

Robin Hood's band of thieves may have hit some bumps along the way to save their little town of Nottingham but, this time may not be easy to go by.What will Scarlet, Robin Hood, Much, and John do in order to save the town or themselves? Will their unselfish selves finally pay off to a life they wanted?

When I marathoned this series, I am so glad I did! A continuation of Scarlet's adventure in their pursuit to saving the town of Nottingham is the most suspenseful as compared to the previous book. Readers will see beloved characters (Robin, my beloved.) in pain and involved in serious trouble that puts their lives at stake. As Lady Thief is the sequel to Scarlet, I would say that the series is getting better and better! My heart was thumping of fear and excitement with the events that Ms. Gaughen has executed in this installment. Surely, Lady Thief was never a bore to read.

Readers revisit Scarlet's point of view and authentic voice in Lady Thief. Scarlet's speech is relatively evident to how people during the time the book is placed in with the slang and past tense of how she spoke. Not only does Scarlet have a great voice in her story, she is an amazing lead character. I'm officially announcing that Scarlet is part of the Strong Fictional Women Hall of Fame! Even with the pressures of the royal court and the expectations of her "husband" (whom I hate for separating my couple!), Scarlet never backs down to saving the rights she thinks women deserve according to that time period. No one will control this girl, not even Robin Hood. 

Seeing my glorious thieving bunch in pain in this book was heartbreaking but, very much appreciated in this book. One thing that I notice in epic series is that the sequel always display the aftermath from the events of predecessor. But, usually their pain does not outweigh their story and Lady Thief contradicts this statement. Robin suffers greatly from his dreams that seem to overrule him. This problem fits accordingly to the events of the previous book and purposely shows that our characters were extremely hurt. So basically what I'm trying to say is: I liked seeing how pain really does leave a mark in characters. And Lady Thief did just that!

My heart definitely will not come back to life after the events of Lady Thief. (Warning: Be ready my fragile fangirls.) Robin Hood and Scarlet work really hard for their relationship to stay and they really do deserve that despite all the things that force them to separate from each other. Their love for each other has formed from their current care for the other and that's what makes me ship them so hard. Love is what keeps them together even if Robin suffers from his dreams which physically hurts Scarlet. But, she takes the hits because that is what love does to people, showing one that love will survive if it is truly real. 

Once again, Ms. Gaughen has stole my heart and mental stability with the miserable outcome to Scarlet and Robin's romance because of a certain someone that I will certainly end up killing if Robin doesn't first. Now, I am eagerly anticipating and dreading the last Scarlet novel, Lionheart. I'm at the stage that I don't want it to end but, I gotta know what happens. Yeah, the Scarlet series has gotten me hooked...

Twinkling Quote: 

Always looking for the star,