The roads in and out of Paris are heavily guarded, but the dead have easy passage out of the city. A ragged old woman transports the coffins of the most recent victims of the guillotine and is waved on unimpeded. Later, the same crone watches five French aristocrats step out of their coffins unscathed. Not beheaded, but spirited away to safety by that most elusive of spies: the Pimpernel. Or, as she’s known in polite society, Lady Scarlet Cavendish who presents herself as a fashionable, featherbrained young widow flitting about London. In truth, this façade is merely a diversion designed to conceal her clandestine work in France.
A retelling of the Scarlet Pimpernel & whilst an enjoyable read it wasn’t a patch on the original. That said I did enjoy the book, the pace was good & the characters had depth. There were edge of the seat moments & I was routing for Scarlet
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I loved this book! I am a big fan of Jens! She has way with writing that pulls you and make you feel apart of the story!! This is such a great version of the Scarlet Pimpernel!!

Scarlet is an interesting, gender-swapped twist on The Scarlet Pimpernel! I haven't read The Scarlet Pimpernel, just seen the movie with Anthony Andrews, so I can't speak much on how closely it follows the original (although, I did recognize a few movie scenes in this book). The romance was bit too quick and cheesy for me, but it was fun!

I really wanted to enjoy this one, unfortunately the story got confusing and hard to follow. I enjoyed the strong main female character though.

A French Revolution masterpiece. I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to reading more by this author.

*2.75*

Set after the French Revolution, Scarlet is the adventurous story of a young English widow who is, under another name, the french Pimpernel, one of the most elusive spies of her time.
When she's given the task to rescue Matteo Durant, a comte, feelings will get in her way and she will have to face a very difficult task: love.

I would say I enjoyed this book, more or less. It was a good historical fiction novel, where the historical part is somewhat present and it does not succumb to the main love story.
The two main characters were good. I empathize with them in some ways, but the chemistry between them was so sudden, too sudden for my tastes. Matteo falls in love with Scarlet right away, based on her looks, and even though he comes to know her as a person throughout the book, I can't shake the feeling that the two of them basically don't know each other and that they marry after not even a month of knowledge.
I liked the fact that in this retelling the Pimpernel is a woman, it is a good representation of the female genre way before the first feminist movements, and I particularly enjoyed how the author added a little bit about a group of women fighting for their rights.
If I remember well, the Bastille was demolished around 1789/1790 so I was really disappointed in seeing that it played an important role in the book. Maybe I am mistaken, but if I am right I can not condone such an error in a book set right after the French Revolution.
The ending seemed a bit rushed, but I enjoyed how all truth came out and how the love story was not affected by it.
I would recommend only if you want to read a romantic book with an historical surround.

I recently read The Scarlet Pimpernel for the first time, and during the reading discovered that there are many sequels and plays for the concept. The source material is very interesting, and I loved the idea of Scarlet. We need more historical fiction with strong females like this. Would recommend!

I've mixed feelings about Scarlet. One one hand, I found the idea interesting but the execution didn't satisfy.

I'm not familiar with The Scarlet Pimpernel and therein lies the problem. Johnson does very little development on the assumption that her audience comes with certain knowledge and familiarity. The end result is not particularly easy on readers who aren't in the know and creates the constant sensation that they've missed something and need to catch up.

The instant love story didn't work for me either and the character development thin but I did enjoy the politics of the piece and feel it solid enough for fans of lighter fiction

In the times of the French Revolution, there are those who will protect other people with everything they have. This is the story of such a person: the famous, strong-willed spy Pimpernel, or Lady Scarlet Cavendish.

While disguising herself as a vain and light-headed lady of upper society, Scarlet is, in fact, helping fugitives escape the horrible death of the guillotine. But when she is asked to save Comte Matteo Durand, things will get even more dangerous for her. This time, she is falling in love; and that is more dangerous than any death that might threaten her.

Scarlet is a book with a very interesting concept. Set up in one of the world's most difficult eras, it is admittedly difficult to read a book that accurately describes this specific time and place. Although the concept was very intriguing, the writing flow was quite hindered, and in times it was a difficult story to read.

However, it was a good book to read, one that fans of historical fiction will enjoy. A very good effort.

The beginning and ending of the book were difficult for me. The middle was very enjoyable. Once I got about a third the way into the book, I found it interesting and even captivating until the last 10 percent of the book. Johnson's writing style was easy to read and kept me coming back for more. I really enjoyed the details of the French Revolution and seeing it from the disguised Scarlet's perspective.

I had a really hard time getting into the book. First, it was very confusing to have Pimpernel be a woman. It was rattling. There was too much that was the same and yet too much that was different. It never quite settled. The second problem I had was that women in that era were not afforded many freedoms, such as owning property and traveling abroad by themselves, let alone being in charge of men and running highly dangerous missions. It was a stretch too far for me. I would have enjoyed a female Pimpernel if Johnson had modernized the story, taken it out of the French Revolution, and brought it to modern day or even the future.

The ending, too, was lacking. It reminded me of the super hero movies where you have to have ultra climaxes over and over again before you finally end.

The story and details in the middle redeemed the book from the struggles that I had in the beginning and the disappointing ending, and it brought my rating up to three stars. I liked the author and will read her again in the future. Thank you to Net Galley and Covenant Communication for a free e-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Whew! I don’t know why, but this one took me forever to finish. I’ve always liked the Scarlet Pimpernel movie, so it wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy this storyline, maybe it was more that I had an idea of what was coming so I could put the book down easily. Also, I hate it when there is such a big miscommunication between two people. If they had just talked for a second, or listened for a second longer, so much of the “problems” would be gone...but I guess that’s what makes a story. I’m just not a fan. ;)

That being said, I did enjoy the story and I did like the characters, too. A little after the half way point, I got really invested in the plot line and adventure, too. I think I would really enjoy this story (with Scarlet as the Pimpernel) as a movie or tv show.

If you’ve read or seen the original Scarlet Pimpernel (or read French history), you will know that there are some gruesome parts in this story. Lots of beheadings and some violence mentioned.

The plot is over-buried with names and the text is very descriptive, making the story move at very slow pace. And the tone seems to be set for the ones who like romances.

This is a historical fiction story. It is with the mindset of the Scarlet Pimpernel.
Scarlet is a very bright, smart, talented women. And, she is bound and determined to save the people being executed. She puts herself in dangerous situations to free persons from the guillotine. She does not do this alone. She has many that work with her. She is a clever character. What's most interesting is that a historical fiction is based on fact. The Author has extensively done her research for this book. She has added footnotes where actual people or places or quotes are used. I think that is an excellent idea. I loved this story. I would definitely recommend it to be read.

This was such a great read. It was a quick read, not cumbersome. I really wanted to know where the characters were taking the story and genuinely didn't want to put the book down.

Scarlet is an intriguing read. I look forward to more by Jen Geigle Johnson in the future. I give this one 4 stars.

As revolution spreads in France, and many nobles meet their end with Madame Guillotine, the Pimpernel evads all to rescue as many lives as possible. She risks all, including her heart, as she faces off against Robespierre and his cohorts.

This was is a retelling of the classic adventure/romance tale, The Scarlet Pimpernel, by baroness Orczy. Instead of a foppish gentleman as our hero, we have Lady Scarlet Cavendish, a widow who fools the vast majority of society as being a flighty, fashion obsessed emissary of Prince George. I will admit that while I do prefer Sir Percy Blakney of the original tale, Scarlet here is an admirable enough heroine. She and her friends play off each other exceptionally.

Her love interest, matteo, on the other hand, is a buffoon, and I did not like him at all. Also the “main character overhears part of a conversation and rushes away before she can hear what would explain the rest” cliche is tiresome. I disliked BOTH characters the further into the story I went for their lack of communication, which did not make sense at all.

Overall, it is a charming enough tale, though I will definitely pick up the original before I reread this one.

Simply put, this cover is gorgeous and the characters intriguing, and the main plot of the story held my interest. I love The Scarlet Pimpernel, so this book instantly caught my attention, and I'm thankful for the opportunity to read it.

Unfortunately, the story bored me. A lot of the small details went over my head (which possibly could be because my mind is really full right now with life), and by the end it was literally swimming. The romance put my off because it was insta-love followed by a deceptive marriage and misunderstandings, most of which could have been easily explained if both Scarlet and her husband took the time to talk! Several kisses were detailed, and I skimmed those, because they were really bordering on intimacy I didn't need to see. There are some awkward situations with a woman toward a married man...blech!

The premise of this book is amazing, and I loved seeing the historical aspects of this book. I also loved Simon's character, and especially Scarlet and Matteo's drive to save so many people from the Guillotine.

Some may enjoy this more than me, but overall it isn't a book I loved and I'd much prefer to read The Scarlet Pimpernel :)

Scarlet is breathtaking heroine. Her story takes place during the French Revolution, a time in history that disgusts me. Matt do is an aristo saved by Scarlet league.

The characters are well developed, the plot was excellent. Sadly, this history is brutal so I found it a bit sad to read. Very good story though.

This was everything I wanted it to be: a rip-roaring feminist nod to a favourite classic, a swashbuckling adventure, a swoony romance. Exceptionally well-researched and designed to make each page fly by swiftly, Johnson's Scarlet is an ode and homage to a favourite well-worn tome. I know that I will be returning to Scarlet's world again. The hero, of course, is dashing; but never so much as when he recognizes the unique and anomalous strengths of the eponymous heroine.

Jen handled her adaptation beautifully, she makes the history of this tumultuous era come alive. Those familiar with The fictional world of The Pimpernel will appreciate her salute to the original and lovers of history will applaud how she makes the French Revolution personal, and intimate.

She has a beautiful grasp on our innate desire for freedom and infuses that into her story. The plot is heart rending and suspenseful. The romance is toe tingling and the characters are so realistic, for the first time in my life, I felt emotionally connected to Marie Antoinette. With a strong female character you can root for this is one of my new favorite Pimpernel adaptations.