Little Red Shadow (A Talented Fairy Tale #2)

Scarlett wears shadows like a comfortable coat, and has hidden from society since both her parents were murdered by the Royal Police for being talented. Scarlett portrays her friend, Georgette Ward, jewel of the social season at a ball to flush out the assassin making threats to her life. The would-be assassin, Lord Benedict Pearce, is caught up in the gang wars due to gambling debts owed by his father, the duke. Scarlett and Benedict investigate the Wolves gang while pretending to pose as a courting couple, and uncover more than they bargained for with the Wolves crime ring. Will Scarlett’s heart be able to come out of the shadows since she’s fallen hard for Benedict? Or will she continue to shadow her heart and get stuck in the depths of the gang forever?

A fantastic tale with a little magic, fighting, deception, true love, and adventure. In a couple of passages it seems the wrong character is mentioned, and required a read-over to determine which character should be mentioned, but all the characters were well written and a delight to discover. The book is incredibly hard to put down with so many laughable lines, and the interaction between Scarlett and Benedict are priceless. Scarlett hiding herself to protect all those she cares for while putting herself in harm’s way to protect them, but not comprehending when those around her want to do the same for her, is relatable to so many people. Reading her journey to uncover the hidden pieces of herself and meld her old life together with the new is heartwarming, and watching her friends discover bits about themselves along the way is terrific.

Amy Rubottom