The NerdHerd Reads: Lion Heart {by A.C. Gaughen}

Title: Lion Heart

Author: A.C. Gaughen

Series: Scarlet #3

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Source: NetGalley

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?

Oh man. I love this series so much and am so sad that it has come to an end. I decided to binge the whole series together, since I wanted to reread the first two anyway so everything was fresh in my mind, and I am so glad I did. This was such a good ending to the series. I will try to not spoil things from the first two books, but I make no promises.

Oh Scarlet. How I love her. She has been through so much, but she stays strong. Most importantly, she doesn't lose her heart. It would be so easy for her to become jaded, but she still cares for her people. She wants to do what's right, no matter the consequence to herself. We also see how much she's changed, from being less rash and reckless, to learning how to wield her power as a noblewoman. Learning that being willing to die for someone isn't always the way to help them (insert Hamilton reference - "dying is easy, young man. Living is harder").

And Robin. I feel that we didn't see him as much. That is, he was definitely there a lot. But developmentally, I feel this book focused solely on Scarlet. However, Scarlet and Robin together grow and mature, but I feel that we also got to see more of all the secondary cast, as they also learn that they can help. Scarlet and Rob don't have to do this all by themselves, and it was so great to see their friends rally around them.

And like the other novels, it was fast-paced and suspenseful the whole way. it will definitely keep you on your toes until the end. In fact, when it did end, at first I didn't believe it. Surely there had to be more?!? But then I realized that it was, in fact, a great ending for the story. I love this series so much, and I would definitely recommend it if you haven't started it already (what are you waiting for??).

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