Review: In Spite of Lions by Scarlette Pike

In Spite of Lions by Scarlette Pike

Publication Date: December 12, 2017

Sweetwater Books

eBook & Paperback; 272 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

How does a young lady of means escape her high society fate? By booking passage on the first ship to Africa and promptly tossing her petticoats overboard! Now Anna's trading London's luxuries and restrictions for the wild unknown. Of course, shedding her old life would be much easier without the disapproving looks of a handsome sea captain and the demons in her past haunting her from worlds away.

My Review

4 Stars.

It's been a great year for reading already and my streak of fabulous reads continues with Scarlette Pike's In Spite of Lions! My goal this year was to read more books set outside the US and UK and more books featuring Bad Ass Women and this book met both criteria.

In Spite of Lions will take you on a wonderful adventure from London to Africa. Our protagonist is running away from her life and boards a ship, not knowing what the ultimate destination is. Nor does she want to know. Despite the warnings, she is determined to make a new life for herself, on her own terms, in Africa. We learn more about her past and why she left London as the novel progresses, in flash backs and memories.

Pike's writing is exceptional. I thought that she did a fabulous job with the descriptions and setting, and the characters were fleshed out well. I loved our main Bad Ass Woman - she was tough and brave, and it was fun to see her break from social norms (and seeing the reactions to that).

I thoroughly enjoyed In Spite of Lions and I highly recommend it to fans of historical fiction, those interested in Africa, and readers of strong female leads.

Thanks to Scarlette Pike and Cedar Fort Books for my review copy. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I am giving away a paperback copy of this book on my Facebook Page! Click HERE to enter!

About the Author

Scarlette Pike grew to lackluster maturity on the banks of the Virgin River in Southern Utah. After her fair share of wandering she realized that historical fiction had always been in her suitcase. Following a desperate prayer and a simple idea, she began to write a historical fiction novel. She was drawn to African explorers David and Mary Livingstone and David's one and only convert: Chief Sechele. The mix of Victorian etiquette and African survival inspired her and she wrote "In Spite of Lions" in a tiny, tiny apartment in central freezing Utah. She plans on writing the sequel in a real grownup house with better heat.

For more information on Scarlette, you can visit http://www.scarlettepike.com.