Barbara Ann Wright has taken her readers back to the land of Sarras to tell the story of Zara del Amanecer in her newest novel, The Scout and the Scoundrel.
This is the second book in the “Sisters of Sarras Trilogy”. I’ve been looking forward to reading this story since I read The Noble and the Nightingale, the first in the series. I loved the first novel, and this one is just as good if not better.
The tale starts off with a bang and lets the reader meet Veronique (Roni) Bisset, the “scoundrel” in this story. Things don’t look good for Roni until she is conscripted from prison into Zara’s scouting command. However, danger follows Roni and grows for both women as they and the other soldiers in Zaras’ group head out for a routine scouting trip.
What made this novel so special were the characters, especially Roni and Zara. Zara grabbed my heartstrings from the beginning and never let go. She has this loveable, everything-is-black-and-white, no-filter personality that often gets her in trouble. She reminds me a bit of a female Sheldon Cooper from “The Big Bang Theory” but less irritating and definitely better looking. Roni is a perfect foil for Zara’s character, and the chemistry between them grows steadily as the two are thrown together. The danger and excitement in the story brings the two closer in spite of Zara’s initial loathing of Roni’s past.
This is a thrilling fantasy/adventure novel with a lovely enemies-to-lovers romance that I thoroughly enjoyed. While this book could be read as a standalone, I would suggest you read both books in order. Then we can all look forward to the third book in the series.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
Rainbow Reflections 