Reviews : Lady Thief & Lion Heart by A.C Gaughen

Summary (from Goodreads) 

Title : Lady Thief (Scarlet #2)
Author : A.C Gaughen
Publication Date : February 11th 2014
Publisher : Walker Childrens
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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.

Personal Thoughts

While I thought that A.C Gaughen's Scarlet ended in a great place, I was really excited to find out that there would be more books, mostly because Rob and Scarlet make me so incredibly happy and I needed more time with these characters. And my goodness! Lady Thief was a phenomenal second book in a series and I think I loved it a lot more than I loved Scarlet.

The stakes were so much higher in Scarlet. There was just so much going on and it had me in a tight ball of nerves. I was so scared for Scarlet because along with the despicable Gisbourne, she also had to deal with the vile Prince John. That man sure did bring all kinds of angry emotions from me. He was one of those villains that I love to despise and by the end of the book, I was ready for Prince John to die a slow miserable death. Because of his actions, the emotional stakes in Lady Thief were certainly higher. It was a brutal book in many ways, and there were times I was very scared about what was happening to Scarlet. She was an amazing character, however, and one that was fierce and brave. I admired her so much and I was so proud for the way she fought back despite the odds being against her most of the time. Scarlet truly was a brilliant character in many ways. One reason why Lady Thief was one of the best books in this series for me was the romance. Talk about a swoon-fest! It was absolutely perfect now that Rob and Scarlet have finally admitted their feelings for each other. The kissing, the support and respect they had for each other was endearing and had me swooning. If a book's romance could kill me because of how romantic it was, then Rob and Scar would have slayed me. Gosh, I could go on and on about how beautiful their romance was, but this is one you need to experience. The plot was a lot more action-packed than Scarlet and I liked that quite a bit. The ending turned me into an emotional mess, however, and I couldn't get over certain twists.

Lady Thief was an emotional ride of a book for me and definitely one of my all-time favorite books. Basically this book catered to every book related desire of mine, a kick-butt main character, friendship, love-to-hate villains and a romance that made me so happy. If you haven't read this series yet, I highly recommend you do, preferably right away!

Rating 

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 5/5
Writing : 5/5

Summary (from Goodreads) 

Title : Lion Heart (Scarlet #3)
Author : A.C Gaughen
Publication Date : May 19th 2015
Publisher : Walker Childrens
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The eagerly-awaited conclusion to the Scarlet trilogy delivers another action-packed and romance-filled adventure.
Scarlet has captured the hearts of readers as well as the heart of Robin Hood, and after ceaseless obstacles and countless threats, readers will finally find out the fate of the Lady Thief.

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? 

Personal Thoughts 

I picked up Lion Heart straight after finishing Lady Thief because I was excited about all the great moments that were clearly coming my way. Lady Thief revealed quite the intriguing information about our loveable protagonist, Scarlet, and I was looking forward to seeing how A.C Gaughen was going to wrap this trilogy up. Let me tell you, she did a phenomenal job at it and I could not have asked for more.

Basically, throughout this entire book, my main thought was "FEELS", because yes, Lion Heart brought to the surface a wide range of emotions from me. Scarlet, my goodness! This girl has grown tremendously over the course of this series and watching her blossom into this gorgeous character had my heart filled with pride. I love the brave young woman she has become and I could not be happier with the inner strength that she has finally achieved. Scarlet, was the kind of character, who I crave for in YA fantasy books. She was at the same time vulnerable and completely bad-ass. She is right up there in top YA heroines. Along with Scarlet being a great main character, Lion Heart and this series offered some secondary characters that settled in my heart. I love the gang so much and it makes me sad that I won't get to see them again. Rob, particularly, has stolen my heart. This boy was battling with his own demons and was slowly learning to overcome them. His devotion, loyalty and love for Scarlet and his people was one of my favorite things about him. His and Scarlet's relationship was the kind of relationship that made me go scream "OTP FOR LIFE", because these two were perfect for each other. Lion Heart was filled with tender moments between Rob and Scar and there is one particular scene that took my breath away because of how beautifully done it was. I also loved how much Much had grown throughout the series. He has always been one of my favorite secondary characters, but my love for him increased by 10 fold in Lion Heart. He has a become an even more wonderful man and I may have teared up at what he did for his friends.  If I had one complaint about Lion Heart, it would have to be that Prince John did not get the punishment he deserved. At the same time however, I got what the author was attempting to do and it wound up not exactly bothering me as much. Speaking of the author, A.C Gaughen has an addicting writing style and I can't wait to devour more books by her. She is one talented lady and I'm totally ready to throw all my money at her and her books.

Lion Heart was the perfect conclusion to the Scarlet series. It's one that I can't recommend enough and it is one of my favorite series. This is the sort of series that I'll be reading over and over again. Thank you, A.C Gaughen, for introducing me to these characters who will forever have a special place in my heart.

Rating 

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 5/5
Writing : 5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the e-ARC of Lion Heart.