What A Scoundrel Wants (Zebra Debut) (Paperback)

by Carrie Lofty (Author)
Key Phrases: niter beds, Carrie Lofty, Will Scarlet, Loxley Manor (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
A swordsman for the Sheriff of Nottingham, Will Scarlet has finally emerged from his famous uncle's shadow. But when he's unwittingly drawn into a bloody battle between the Sheriff and a nobleman, it's impossible to tell friend from foe. A woman's screams lead Will straight into the carnage to save her - but the ravishing young lady is not the helpless maid she appears to be...Meg of Keyworth lost her sight to illness years ago, but that hasn't stopped her mission to save her imprisoned sister, who's been arrested by none other than Will Scarlet. Meg wants to hate Will for betraying her family, but he sparks heated desire in her heart - a desire that only he can satisfy. Meg is lovely and loving, and bedding her is sensual bliss. To please her in every way is what he wants most...for Will knows he will cherish her forever...

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Zebra (December 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1420104756
• ISBN-13: 978-1420104752
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #42,558 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent! A Must Read!, December 18, 2008

By	Shannon F "sadieloree" (Ohio, United States) - See all my reviews

It's been a while since I've read something completely out of my normal genre choices. Though I am an avid romance reader, I tend to gravitate toward regency or paranormal with a few contemporaries thrown in for balance. (I admit I do have a weakness for Scots, whatever the era.) But I saw this cover and was immediately grabbed when I discovered that none other than Will Scarlet is the hero. I couldn't possibly pass this book up. And I am very glad I didn't.

Will Scarlet believes himself a scoundrel. And while he may not be a virtuous knight in shining armor, he simply cannot stop himself from acting grudgingly heroic. In the very beginning of the story he finds himself on the wrong side of a fight, but manages to rescue a blind woman from the fray.
Which brings us to our heroine, Meg. Meg is blind, brilliant and has incendiary tendencies. Especially when paired with Will. She is trying to free her sister from jail while simultaneously trying to avoid being arrested herself. She is an alchemist who has attracted the attention of a few villainous characters who would use her for their own dastardly means.
The chemistry between Will and Meg is fantastic. Their physical attraction is immediate, but they must fumble their way to a satisfying emotional one. Through, and possibly in spite of, Will's sarcastic wit and Meg's often waspish exterior, Ms. lofty develops a very believable and thoroughly enjoyable relationship.
This story is filled with exciting action sequences, intelligent and snarky banter, and an intriguing plot. Not to mention Robin Hood makes an appearance. And while I may forever see Christian Slater as the Will Scarlet of my dreams, Lofty's version is just as memorable and enjoyable. A definite must read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What A Scoundrel Wants, December 17, 2008

By	Quilt Lady - See all my reviews

Carrie Lofty is an author that I will be watching in the future. Her debut novel What A Scoundrel Wants is a delightfully unique Robin Hood tale that really keeps you on your toes. This book was adventurous and intriguing, a real page turner. The way she wrote her characters made the story seem so real. I found this delightful story to be very engrossing. This is a very exciting book. I recommend it highly if you like a great romantic adventure story.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A stunning debut medieval romance and a new, passionate insight into the world surrounding Robin Hood, December 8, 2008

By	D. Merrimon Crawford - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Haunted by thoughts of Sherwood Forest, Will Scarlett journeys through Charnwood Forest. Separated from Robin Hood and Marian, the forest is a reminder of happier days and the longtime rift between Robin Hood and his nephew. When a battle between Lord Whitstowe and Roger Carlisle, representative of the Sheriff of Nottingham and Will's superior, breaks out, Will hardly knows which way to turn until he hears the screams of a woman in the background. Protecting her by instinct from Carlisle's men's plans, Will knows not where to go amidst all the plots and double crosses. Will Scarlet turns to the woman as the only witness to the truth, the only witness who might stand in the way of his hanging. For Meg of Kentworth, the lie is easy. She needs protection and if Will Scarlett can help her get there faster, all the better. Blind from an illness, she is determined to save her imprisoned sister Ada. Arrested by Will Scarlett himself, Meg has every reason to hate Will but the closeness brought on by their uneasy pairing sets off sparks of desire in both Meg and Scarlett. Can Will and Meg's growing passion for one another be enough to see them through the dangers of their journeys and even more, set the past aright?

Carrie Lofty's debut medieval romance WHAT A SCOUNDREL WANTS blazes onto the scene with a new chapter of the Robin Hood tale, a tale that makes this classic come alive like never before with emotion, passionate romance, and suspenseful adventure. With a hero and heroine at cross purposes, the tension between them is palpable in priceless dialogue as the two banter, each standing up to the other. Despite her blindness, Meg is a defiant and brave woman, just the woman to tame the man known as a scoundrel, the man who betrayed Robin Hood. Clever and creative, Meg has the power to heal not only physical wounds but deeper injuries. Torn between families and their love, the passion between them has the power to heal or divide.

Carrie Lofty has a gift for both the action scenes and also vivid descriptive detail that makes one feel the passions and thoughts of her characters. The physical landscape captures the imagination not only by placing the reader right there but also as part of the inner lives of her characters as can be seen in Will Scarlet's relationship to the forest and Meg's relationship to fire. WHAT A SCOUNDREL WANTS is a sensuous romance, with a passionate, emotional romance as well as sensuous in the action scenes. The sights, the smells, the touch come alive in vivid detail.

One scene in particular towards the end, blew me away with a riveting tension-filled moment, a moment so close to heart-breaking. Carrie Lofty takes the reader right to the edge and then, at just the right moment, with the perfect twist, the romance expands into such a passionate, joyous moment. In the midst of that dynamic edge moment, the author reaches deeper with such insight into her characters and love itself that I fell in love with both Will Scarlet and Meg. WHAT A SCOUNDREL WANTS is a fine mix of intrigue, action and emotional depth. The transformation in the hero and the heroine as they love one another is just beautiful. Carrie Lofty captures in fiction and precise imagery the essence of a good man. Even though Will Scarlet is very much a scoundrel bad boy, in some ways, in love, he has a self-presence to put Meg's interest above what is expedient, to trust her and protect her without diminishing her. Although set in distant times, WHAT A SCOUNDREL WANTS captures in imagery, psychological depth and imagination, a timeless truth in the way only fiction can. WHAT A SCOUNDREL WANTS is an exciting book --- a book to read slowly in order to savor in all its details. Keep a hanky for the ending --- not for tears of pain but joyful tears.