[Dual Review] Lady Thief & Lion Heart by A.C. Gaughen

Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen

Rating: 5 Stars

Series: Scaret #2

Version: Paperback

 Release Date: February 11, 2014 

Goodreads synopsis:

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.

Lion Heart by A.C. Gaughen

Rating: 5 Stars

Series: Scaret #3

Version: eBook

Release Date:  May 19, 2015

Goodreads synopsis:

Imprisoned by Prince John for months, Scarlet finds herself a long way from Nottinghamshire. After a daring escape from the Prince's clutches, she learns that King Richard’s life is in jeopardy, and Eleanor of Aquitaine demands a service Scarlet can’t refuse: spy for her and help bring Richard home safe. But fate—and her heart—won’t allow her to stay away from Nottinghamshire for long, and together, Scarlet and Rob must stop Prince John from going through with his dark plans for England. They can not rest until he’s stopped, but will their love be enough to save them once and for all?

I decided to write a dual review for these two books because I put off reviewing Lady Thief in order to read Lion Heart and now that I'm done, all I want to do is ramble on about how wonderful this series is and how I'm simultaneously sad and happy that Scarlet & Robin Hood's story has come to an end.

This was honestly a brilliant series and I can't believe I waited so long after reading Scarlet last year to read the rest of the trilogy. Lady Thief picks up right after Scarlet, and Lion Heart picks up a couple months after Lady Thief.

I think the best thing about these two books are the characters. There is a large ensemble of "side" characters that help Scar and Rob along the way and I absolutely adore them all; Winchester, Margaret, Bess, Much, Eleanor, David, Allan, John (Little, not the Prince) and by the end of Lion Heart, pretty much all the Earls. A.K.A THE BEST CAST OF CHARACTERS. Some of them may not be major characters, but A.C. Gaughen does such a wonderful job with them that we know personal bits of information about even the most minor of characters and it really helps in connecting the reader to the characters. Heck, at the end of Lady Thief, I even felt bad for Gisbourne. Honestly, Prince John and de Clare are the only characters that can't be redeemed.

However, the connection that develops between the reader and all the characters is also kind of brutal because Gaughen is not afraid of spilling blood.  The ending of Lady Thief was absolutely heart wrenching because of this and I still don't think I'm over it yet. Although there were a lot of realllly sad stuff, I'm also kind of glad that Gaughen went ahead and did this because the best books are the ones that make readers weep, right? 

The plot was also very engaging and there was never a dull moment. It was all adventure and action and every scene/moment was meaningful. There's no fluff in this trilogy, folks. Although I do think there was a lot of kissing going on between Scar and Rob in both books, I also ship them so hard so it's alright. I'm also glad there wasn't a love triangle since Scar and Rob are so dedicated to each other and a love triangle just wouldn't make sense. Also, no spoilers, but there are other couples in both books and I SHIP THEM ALL.

The ending of Lady Thief is a cliffhanger, so you definitely want to have Lion Heart on hand right after. The ending of Lion Heart was great and really gives a feeling of content to the readers. I'm glad Gaughen ends the trilogy the way she does.

Scarlet and Robin Hood's story may have come to an end, but their story is one that will stay with me for much longer. :-)

[Review] Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Rating: 4.5 Stars
Series: Scarlet #1
Release Date: February 2012

Goodreads synopsis:

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.


Scarlet is a retelling of the legend of Robin Hood, but rather than focusing on Robin himself, A.C. Gaughen chooses to shine the limelight on Will Scarlet, a member of Robin Hood's merry men in the original tale. Gaughen modifies all of the characters in ways that enhance the story and lends an original touch to a classic tale. All three of the main characters, Scarlet, Robin, and John, are likable and well written. Scarlet proves herself to be independent and determined, Robin fulfills his role as a hero to the core, and John displays a caring and loving side to complement his playful ways. However, like all believable and realistic characters, our heroine and heroes are flawed. For example, Scarlet has a split personality in some cases; she leads John on one day but shuts him down the next without any explanation.

I didn't really favor the writing style, since it is told through Scarlet's point of view, and she speaks in poor grammar and uses an abundance of slang words. Although I was annoyed with this at first, the explanation that comes in the later part of the story explains it well. The writing contributes to Scarlet's character and is a part of who she is, which makes the prose much more tolerable and understandable.

I am definitely a Scarbin...or Roblet... shipper and they are absolutely adorable together! I enjoyed the scenes with Scarlet and Robin and love their relationship with each other. It's stormy and far from perfect, but they're both willing to try to make it work!

Rather than give all the characters a fairy tale "happily ever after", A.C. doesn't hesitate to hurt our heroes and make plans go awry. This makes it, again, much more realistic. I find that happily ever after endings where the bad guys are taken out of the picture completely and the good guys get to rejoice are overdone in YA. Of course, there is a sequel, so this is probably expected. I can't wait to see how A.C. makes it all work in the second book, Lady Thief.