Sherwood by Meagan Spooner is not on my TBR. And this is because I’ve already read it! I guarantee that, had I not already gotten an ARC for this book, it would probably still be on my TBR. The truth is, Sherwood was probably my number one most anticipated read from 2019 way back before I read it. Unfortunately, I actually found Spooner’s genderbent Robin Hood retelling to be incredibl disappointing. Not only did it turn out to be immensely insulting to Robin Hood in general, but the worst and most egregious problem with this novel was the inclusion of a romance between Marian and a character that never should have been given the role of her love interest in the first place. So, at the end of the day, a part of me wishes that I’d never bothered to read it. I left the book more angry than anything else. It’s really frustrating, after all, to have the hard work of an incredibly strong woman destroyed by the inclusion of a problematic love interest. And that will forever leave me having issues with this book.

But, I mean, you should still read it and decide for yourself if it’s a book you’re interested in. For me, it breaks my heart how much I didn’t love this book, because I really wanted to. I go into a little more depth in my review for this book, so you can click over and read it if you’d like to. All in all, I think I’ll be looking elsewhere for a good genderbent Robin Hood retelling. Hopefully the next one I pick up won’t be as disappointing as Sherwood was.

Robin of Locksley is dead.

Maid Marian doesn’t know how she’ll go on, but the people of Locksley town, persecuted by the Sheriff of Nottingham, need a protector. And the dreadful Guy of Gisborne, the Sheriff’s right hand, wishes to step into Robin’s shoes as Lord of Locksley andMarian’s fiancé.

Who is there to stop them?

Marian never meant to tread in Robin’s footsteps—never intended to stand as a beacon of hope to those awaiting his triumphant return. But with a sweep of his green cloak and the flash of her sword, Marian makes the choice to become her own hero: Robin Hood.

What are your feelings on this book? Do you think it’s one you’d be interested in adding to your TBR? Is it a book you’d rather not read? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments! Especially if you’ve read it and thought the romance ruined everything! Happy reading, everyone!

| Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram |