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Scarlett Fever
On a girl's night out with her friends; fifty-something, divorced, and really not looking for any attention, Claudia Maddox is somewhat surprised when girls' night takes on a whole new meaning. Ending up in bed with a woman twenty years her junior, hadn’t been the plan, but it was a night she certainly wouldn’t forget. Scarlett was sexy, and fun and knew just what she was doing. But for Claudia, it was a one-night stand. An opportunity to blow off the cobwebs following her divorce from Jack, and her impending redundancy.
Scarlett had just been a fascinating experience she would think of now and then because Claudia is straight, and Scarlett was a one-off. Right? I mean, who gets to her age and suddenly discovers they might be into women?
As a mother to three grown children, Claudia already has enough on her plate, when her eldest Diana asks for a favour. Her best friend from Uni needs a place to stay for a few days. Claudia agrees to take her in, after all, her youngest, Zara, is already home for the week, what harm could it be?
Scarlett Fever is an age gap, toaster oven, Contemporary Romance, with a dash of humour and a whole heap of spice, don’t miss it.
Scarlett had just been a fascinating experience she would think of now and then because Claudia is straight, and Scarlett was a one-off. Right? I mean, who gets to her age and suddenly discovers they might be into women?
As a mother to three grown children, Claudia already has enough on her plate, when her eldest Diana asks for a favour. Her best friend from Uni needs a place to stay for a few days. Claudia agrees to take her in, after all, her youngest, Zara, is already home for the week, what harm could it be?
Scarlett Fever is an age gap, toaster oven, Contemporary Romance, with a dash of humour and a whole heap of spice, don’t miss it.
305 pages, Paperback
First published February 8, 2023
285 people are currently reading
934 people want to read
About the author
Claire Highton-Stevenson
43 books366 followersAward-Winning and best selling, Claire Highton-Stevenson is an Independent author of contemporary romance and crime novels.
Having worked for many years in emergency services, Claire now spends her time writing, traveling, researching ancestry, following Liverpool FC and enjoying life as much as possible.
She lives in West Sussex, UK. Along with her wife and fur babies.
Having worked for many years in emergency services, Claire now spends her time writing, traveling, researching ancestry, following Liverpool FC and enjoying life as much as possible.
She lives in West Sussex, UK. Along with her wife and fur babies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
February 13, 2023
since the blurb seems to be missing right now, I am going to stick it here:
On a girl's night out with her friends; fifty-something, divorced, and really not looking for any attention, Claudia Maddox is somewhat surprised when girls' night takes on a whole new meaning. Ending up in bed with a woman twenty years her junior, hadn’t been the plan, but it was a night she certainly wouldn’t forget. Scarlett was sexy, and fun and knew just what she was doing. But for Claudia, it was a one-night stand. An opportunity to blow off the cobwebs following her divorce from Jack, and her impending redundancy.
Scarlett had just been a fascinating experience she would think of now and then because Claudia is straight, and Scarlett was a one-off. Right? I mean, who gets to her age and suddenly discovers they might be into women?
As a mother to three grown children, Claudia already has enough on her plate, when her eldest Diana asks for a favour. Her best friend from Uni needs a place to stay for a few days. Claudia agrees to take her in, after all, her youngest, Zara, is already home for the week, what harm could it be?
My Review:
5 Stars - started slow, finished awesome
I was wondering how this would compare with a similar story Mistakes Were Made and I am happy to say that it holds its own. On the surface, they might seem the same but they are actually very much their own tales. And both very worthing or a read if the subject matter is to your taste.
I loved Claudia and Scarlett. Both were just genuinely nice people and once the story got past the initial "one-night stand" it really picked up for me. I had a grin on my face while reading. There were several moments that had me chuckling and I found myself rooting for them the whole time. The story really ends up having very little angst. What there is, is understandable, realistic and mostly from factors outside their relationship. The story also gets high marks for excellent communication between the MCs and no 80% dark moment while still keeping me totally invested and interested in the outcome/conclusion.
Highly recommend.
shelved:
sapphic-romance, kindle-unlimited, age-gap, not-so-straight, coming-out, funny, location-england, taboo-adjacent
On a girl's night out with her friends; fifty-something, divorced, and really not looking for any attention, Claudia Maddox is somewhat surprised when girls' night takes on a whole new meaning. Ending up in bed with a woman twenty years her junior, hadn’t been the plan, but it was a night she certainly wouldn’t forget. Scarlett was sexy, and fun and knew just what she was doing. But for Claudia, it was a one-night stand. An opportunity to blow off the cobwebs following her divorce from Jack, and her impending redundancy.
Scarlett had just been a fascinating experience she would think of now and then because Claudia is straight, and Scarlett was a one-off. Right? I mean, who gets to her age and suddenly discovers they might be into women?
As a mother to three grown children, Claudia already has enough on her plate, when her eldest Diana asks for a favour. Her best friend from Uni needs a place to stay for a few days. Claudia agrees to take her in, after all, her youngest, Zara, is already home for the week, what harm could it be?
My Review:
5 Stars - started slow, finished awesome
I was wondering how this would compare with a similar story Mistakes Were Made and I am happy to say that it holds its own. On the surface, they might seem the same but they are actually very much their own tales. And both very worthing or a read if the subject matter is to your taste.
I loved Claudia and Scarlett. Both were just genuinely nice people and once the story got past the initial "one-night stand" it really picked up for me. I had a grin on my face while reading. There were several moments that had me chuckling and I found myself rooting for them the whole time. The story really ends up having very little angst. What there is, is understandable, realistic and mostly from factors outside their relationship. The story also gets high marks for excellent communication between the MCs and no 80% dark moment while still keeping me totally invested and interested in the outcome/conclusion.
Highly recommend.
shelved:
sapphic-romance, kindle-unlimited, age-gap, not-so-straight, coming-out, funny, location-england, taboo-adjacent
February 9, 2023
If I would only be allowed to give you a short summary of this book I would say this definitely isn’t a story that will let anyone cold, it’s definitely totally the opposite. It’s an age-gap story with great family dynamics, totally a page turner and I loved it.
But because we all know I’m not able to write short reviews, of course this isn’t everything I wanna say about this book. even though I think it already says a lot. ☺️ so where was I? First of all the characters and I wanna start with Scarlett because I honestly adore her. She is this wonderful human being, thoughtful and caring. She didn’t have the most loving upbringing and her relationship to her father never got better. Sometimes I just wanted to give her a big hug.
When she and Claudia meet they don’t know about their connection. They don’t know Scarlett is a friend of Claudia’s daughter. They also think it’s just a one night stand. Especially because until this day Claudia never thought of her being interested in other women. But Scarlett isn’t just another woman, which she notices very fast when they see each other again. Realising Scarlett is her daughters friend makes it impossible to go any further right? But well if the pull and the connection are so strong what else are you going to do than give in? And well we definitely get some very interesting, sometimes hot, sometimes funny and even hilarious scenes. Most of all because Claudia’s three children can’t know. Then what would they even think?
I loved the humour Claire Highton-Stevenson included. Then let’s be honest when you look at this blurb and start reading it, we all think this one is going to be a story with lots of angst and it will end in a huge disaster. I don’t wanna give away any spoilers but let me tell you I got surprised a few times and the way the story flowed was perfect. I had so much fun and didn’t want that the book ends. Most of all because for me they just fit perfectly.
Out of all the side characters Zara, Claudia‘s youngest daughter definitely was the one who grew the most to me. Not that I didn’t love the others. They were great too and I loved how different the siblings were but when it mattered they stuck together.
I could go on for much longer then we all know me and short reviews don’t go together, but well at some point I think I have to right? So I will just end this one and say if you’re a fan of spicy age-gap stories with some wonderful family dynamics this is your book! I highly recommend it.
I received an advance reader copy from the author and voluntarily leaving an honest and unbiased review.
But because we all know I’m not able to write short reviews, of course this isn’t everything I wanna say about this book. even though I think it already says a lot. ☺️ so where was I? First of all the characters and I wanna start with Scarlett because I honestly adore her. She is this wonderful human being, thoughtful and caring. She didn’t have the most loving upbringing and her relationship to her father never got better. Sometimes I just wanted to give her a big hug.
When she and Claudia meet they don’t know about their connection. They don’t know Scarlett is a friend of Claudia’s daughter. They also think it’s just a one night stand. Especially because until this day Claudia never thought of her being interested in other women. But Scarlett isn’t just another woman, which she notices very fast when they see each other again. Realising Scarlett is her daughters friend makes it impossible to go any further right? But well if the pull and the connection are so strong what else are you going to do than give in? And well we definitely get some very interesting, sometimes hot, sometimes funny and even hilarious scenes. Most of all because Claudia’s three children can’t know. Then what would they even think?
I loved the humour Claire Highton-Stevenson included. Then let’s be honest when you look at this blurb and start reading it, we all think this one is going to be a story with lots of angst and it will end in a huge disaster. I don’t wanna give away any spoilers but let me tell you I got surprised a few times and the way the story flowed was perfect. I had so much fun and didn’t want that the book ends. Most of all because for me they just fit perfectly.
Out of all the side characters Zara, Claudia‘s youngest daughter definitely was the one who grew the most to me. Not that I didn’t love the others. They were great too and I loved how different the siblings were but when it mattered they stuck together.
I could go on for much longer then we all know me and short reviews don’t go together, but well at some point I think I have to right? So I will just end this one and say if you’re a fan of spicy age-gap stories with some wonderful family dynamics this is your book! I highly recommend it.
I received an advance reader copy from the author and voluntarily leaving an honest and unbiased review.
November 16, 2024
I really enjoyed certain elements of this book, especially the steamy scenes and how all the characters—Claudia’s kids in particular—felt like real, mature adults. It was refreshing that they weren’t just causing drama for the sake of it over her relationship with a younger woman. That said, something didn’t quite click for me. The romance between Scarlett and Claudia leaned a bit too heavily into the insta-love territory for my taste. But hey, if insta-love is your thing, you'll probably find a lot to enjoy here!
February 9, 2023
Just when I thought this would be yet another book of "mother falls in love with her daughter's friend and sneaks around endlessly" the story picked up and had some pretty funny and intriguing twists and turns that kept my interest. I can't say it was entirely unpredictable but the humor and the complex characters with distinct personalities saved it for me.
September 3, 2023
Super well done age gap romance between a mother and one of her daughter's friends. That said, there is a lot behind that and how they meet that makes the story less "forbidden". Their chemistry was off the charts and super steamy. Really enjoyed this one and would recommend it if you're in the mood for a spicy romance.
March 5, 2023
4 stars
I enjoyed this book. Nice main characters and good story. Loved the real warmth between Claudia and her kids and between Claudia and Scarlett. I liked the way Claudia and Scarlett communicated about the issues coming with their relationship, with Claudia woman with adult children and Scarlett so much younger. The writing was very good too.
Very nice read for a relaxed weekend at home.
I enjoyed this book. Nice main characters and good story. Loved the real warmth between Claudia and her kids and between Claudia and Scarlett. I liked the way Claudia and Scarlett communicated about the issues coming with their relationship, with Claudia woman with adult children and Scarlett so much younger. The writing was very good too.
Very nice read for a relaxed weekend at home.
September 25, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
A wide age gap romance with more than 20 years between 50+ y/o not so straight Claudia Maddox and Scarlett Taylor who between the 2 of them have a common connection that they aren’t aware of when they first met; i.e. Diana Maddox, Claudia’s eldest daughter, and Scarlett’s Uni friend. Claudia & Scarlett met at a club and what was meant to be just a one-night stand for them with both parties going their separate ways after spending the night together turned out to be anything but that when they both met again when Diana invited Scarlett to stay with Mummy dearest when Scarlett came to town for their Uni’s reunion. What follows next for both Claudia and Scarlett are awkward moments when they meet again, stolen discreet time together when they finally acknowledge their attraction to one another, many sexy times, and an uncomfortable moment when they are caught by a family member just when they are about to get intimate!
A very enjoyable and entertaining read. Loved the banters, conversations and family dynamics between Claudia and her 3 children who have each other backs even though they may squabble half the time!
A wide age gap romance with more than 20 years between 50+ y/o not so straight Claudia Maddox and Scarlett Taylor who between the 2 of them have a common connection that they aren’t aware of when they first met; i.e. Diana Maddox, Claudia’s eldest daughter, and Scarlett’s Uni friend. Claudia & Scarlett met at a club and what was meant to be just a one-night stand for them with both parties going their separate ways after spending the night together turned out to be anything but that when they both met again when Diana invited Scarlett to stay with Mummy dearest when Scarlett came to town for their Uni’s reunion. What follows next for both Claudia and Scarlett are awkward moments when they meet again, stolen discreet time together when they finally acknowledge their attraction to one another, many sexy times, and an uncomfortable moment when they are caught by a family member just when they are about to get intimate!
A very enjoyable and entertaining read. Loved the banters, conversations and family dynamics between Claudia and her 3 children who have each other backs even though they may squabble half the time!
June 15, 2023
Lovely story about a family coming to terms with divorced Mum going with a friend of her daughters. Well written, funny situations and a fast actioned book which kept me hooked. Recommended.
September 15, 2023
Who doesn't love age gap love stories?!! I know I do! Claudia and Scarlett meet a club, not realizing that they are connected by Claudia's daughter Diana, as Scarlett and Diana are friends. Claudia is divorced from her cheating husband Jack. When she and Scarlett meet up they think it's a one night stand. Then Diana asks if her friend Letty can stay in her old room for a few days until their college reunion is over. Claudia is shocked when Letty is non other than Scarlett. And then the fun begins! I couldn't put this book down! I read it in one day, with bouts of giggles, and fanning myself too! You'll do yourself a favor by reading this book! 5 stars!!
November 3, 2023
4.25 for me.
Lovely MCs, great chemistry in a well-paced and enjoyable story. I would prefer that most of the men don't get demonized so thoroughly, tho. Claudia's son Adam is the only one not to get severly tarnished with ultra-broad strokes! 😯
Why do I care? I ask myself. I guess becauase I wish literature would help, not hinder, genders (ethnicities, etc.) to understand each other more. More nuanced depictions would feel more real and serve us all better, I like to think.
Having said that, it's not Ms. Highton-Stevenson's job to cause change in people's perceptions in a story such as this, whose focus is wlw. And I'll accept arguments that say added page time spent away from the MCs on characters with whom we connect less, in the story and in real life, might harm pacing and focus.
In any case, I've got the next book in the series, so I'm not complaining too much 😊. The story is low on angst between the girls, with the conflict of Claudia coming to terms with her new-found sexuality and how that will imapct her family told enjoyably.
This is a fun read and I recommend it for when you're looking for a light, enjoyable, mid-spice wlw romance 😀.
Lovely MCs, great chemistry in a well-paced and enjoyable story. I would prefer that most of the men don't get demonized so thoroughly, tho. Claudia's son Adam is the only one not to get severly tarnished with ultra-broad strokes! 😯
Why do I care? I ask myself. I guess becauase I wish literature would help, not hinder, genders (ethnicities, etc.) to understand each other more. More nuanced depictions would feel more real and serve us all better, I like to think.
Having said that, it's not Ms. Highton-Stevenson's job to cause change in people's perceptions in a story such as this, whose focus is wlw. And I'll accept arguments that say added page time spent away from the MCs on characters with whom we connect less, in the story and in real life, might harm pacing and focus.
In any case, I've got the next book in the series, so I'm not complaining too much 😊. The story is low on angst between the girls, with the conflict of Claudia coming to terms with her new-found sexuality and how that will imapct her family told enjoyably.
This is a fun read and I recommend it for when you're looking for a light, enjoyable, mid-spice wlw romance 😀.
February 13, 2023
What gives fever never-ending sparks that Jumpstart the body and soul.
Oh my, what a delightful story, Scarlett is wise beyond her years. Claudia has needed a partner who loves her. Her marriage was less than one could hope for but her children are her joy. When these two meet for what was just a fun night to let loose neither could see the journey ahead. I loved how Zara and Diane had their Mom's back but wow what unfolds challenges everyone. The super hot connection between Scarlett and Claudia filled the pages. Read it alone. The dialog was magnificent and issue were tough to walk through for all. Oh my though it was a fun and delicious read. Claire Highton-Stevenson never disappoints I love this story and all the self discovery makes this book soo good.
Oh my, what a delightful story, Scarlett is wise beyond her years. Claudia has needed a partner who loves her. Her marriage was less than one could hope for but her children are her joy. When these two meet for what was just a fun night to let loose neither could see the journey ahead. I loved how Zara and Diane had their Mom's back but wow what unfolds challenges everyone. The super hot connection between Scarlett and Claudia filled the pages. Read it alone. The dialog was magnificent and issue were tough to walk through for all. Oh my though it was a fun and delicious read. Claire Highton-Stevenson never disappoints I love this story and all the self discovery makes this book soo good.
February 14, 2023
Sweet, Spicy and Sentimental!
I love this writer and I love her storytelling. Claudia is fifty four and divorced. Her job may not be around soon and feeling low, her friends decide to force her out. They take her to a gay club and there she meets Scarlett. Realizing this girl was so much younger than her and being a mom of three grownup kids, this should not happen. But there was something about Scarlett and how she was confident, sexy and how she looked at her made her heart flutter. As with one night stands, you have to live with the aftermath. In this case it was a sweet, tender and eye opening experience. It is so worth reading. I have to say that this seemed a little tame for Claire Highton-Stevenson. I was expecting something else big to happen. I still loved it.
I love this writer and I love her storytelling. Claudia is fifty four and divorced. Her job may not be around soon and feeling low, her friends decide to force her out. They take her to a gay club and there she meets Scarlett. Realizing this girl was so much younger than her and being a mom of three grownup kids, this should not happen. But there was something about Scarlett and how she was confident, sexy and how she looked at her made her heart flutter. As with one night stands, you have to live with the aftermath. In this case it was a sweet, tender and eye opening experience. It is so worth reading. I have to say that this seemed a little tame for Claire Highton-Stevenson. I was expecting something else big to happen. I still loved it.
February 10, 2023
Fun
A great fun read of age gap romance. Characters filled with love, support and humor. A HEA that touches your heart.
A great fun read of age gap romance. Characters filled with love, support and humor. A HEA that touches your heart.
June 2, 2023
2.5⭐
Es quizá el libro más aburrido que he leído en el año, o sea, no pasa nada, no hay drama, el romance es soso, tan inventado, personajes sin personalidad. Terrible.
No sé bien que paso, porque el anterior libro que le leí a la autora, estuvo bastante bien.
Es quizá el libro más aburrido que he leído en el año, o sea, no pasa nada, no hay drama, el romance es soso, tan inventado, personajes sin personalidad. Terrible.
No sé bien que paso, porque el anterior libro que le leí a la autora, estuvo bastante bien.
September 2, 2023
“And I’m an open book that can’t hide my pages, because she has scoured every word and memorised it and now, every touch of her fingertips ignites me.”
3.5 stars. I had to soft DNF this a couple times earlier this year because I really couldn't get into it. Something about the formatting just does not appeal to my eyes. (You either indent paragraphs or do a space between paragraphs but both just looks ugly!! ...And trust me, I know this is an incredibly stupid nitpick to have.) And I saw so much weird punctuation that I couldn't not get distracted by it. Something convinced me to give the audiobook a try at least, because this is an author that a lot of people seem to like. And I'm really glad I went for it because there was something so simple and sweet and sexy about this romance.
And I mean, right off the bat, it hit a lot of my easiest buttons: taboo, age gap, toaster oven, friend's mother. But all of those things aren't handled with a bunch of drama or over the top focus on the taboo nature of it. Claudia is a divorced woman trying to have fun/rediscover her spark, and ends up having a one night stand with a woman for the very first time in her life. The fact that Scarlett is so much younger than her definitely gives her pause at first, but they have a lot of chemistry and they fit together. Of course, they later figure out that Scarlett is a friend of one of her daughters, and things go on from there. There's some sneaking around, clandestine meetings, conflict about the nature of their relationship, but most of it just felt like a really natural progression of any romance. There was something so sweet about them, even though this was a pretty sexy book. With age gaps like this, I need to be convinced that the two people can be on each other's level, and Claudia and Scarlett are def. that for each other. We see it in their emotional scenes and we see it in their intimate scenes. And I really like how both of their personal stories play into the romance, and how Claudia's children are such a wonderful and natural part of her life. She's such a great parent and it's a small thing, but it was just really sweet to see in this book. I know that it's a taboo romance, but I just really appreciate that there wasn't any huge drama, and the conflict, when it arose, just felt very appropriate for the situation that they were in. They communicated well when they had to, and they were soooo hot together. I don't often say this, but I feel like there were a few fade to black scenes that I wish were extended. 👀
I had various little complaints, of course. It really did feel that sometimes the author was giving us information that we didn't need, or padding out a scene that could have been simpler, or using up word space that could have gone to something else. Like at one point I was convinced that there was going to be a plot with the Uber drivers, because we keep kept getting their full license plate numbers. It felt so weird. There was head-hopping, which I truly wish authors would leave in the past, in the ground, where it belongs. And anytime I tried to read along with the ebook I had to stop, because the punctuation really did bug me, and I got the red pen urge something fierce. So many run-on sentences.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Morticia Creed and she made it all worthwhile. She didn't keep the bad pacing from the text; it didn't feel like there were any run-on sentences, and all of the pauses felt natural. I also just really loved the kind of husky voice that she did for Claudia. Really sexy. Always nice to discover a new author! Tho unless she starts editing differently, I'll probably stick to her audiobooks.
March 14, 2025
Brilliant
I really enjoyed this. The writing style was perfect, easy to fall into and gripping enough not to put down!
This spicy little number, features an age gap, toaster style romance between divorcee Claudia and art therapist, Scarlett. Claudia was out on the tiles, having fun with friends when she meets Scarlett. After a fun night together, a chance encounter brings them into each other’s orbit and has them questioning whether the one night remains that way or if there could be more.
I loved the self assurance Claudia possesses in every aspect of her life. The undeniable attraction and chemistry between her and Scarlett jumps off the page. Scarlett has such wonderful integrity that you know she deserves happiness.
What worked so well in this book, was that it was relatively low angst. It was a delightful read that brought moments of very British humour whilst carving some beautiful characters.
The spice is spicing too, so, especially as it’s on KU, definitely worth a read!
I really enjoyed this. The writing style was perfect, easy to fall into and gripping enough not to put down!
This spicy little number, features an age gap, toaster style romance between divorcee Claudia and art therapist, Scarlett. Claudia was out on the tiles, having fun with friends when she meets Scarlett. After a fun night together, a chance encounter brings them into each other’s orbit and has them questioning whether the one night remains that way or if there could be more.
I loved the self assurance Claudia possesses in every aspect of her life. The undeniable attraction and chemistry between her and Scarlett jumps off the page. Scarlett has such wonderful integrity that you know she deserves happiness.
What worked so well in this book, was that it was relatively low angst. It was a delightful read that brought moments of very British humour whilst carving some beautiful characters.
The spice is spicing too, so, especially as it’s on KU, definitely worth a read!
January 22, 2024
4 Stars
I am quite surprised that I truly enjoyed this story even though this type of age-gap trope where a character finds themselves in a great upheaval while being middle-aged has been written over and over by many lesfic authors. I reckon it’s the characters’ elaborate personalities and family relations that charmed me to this story.
I am quite surprised that I truly enjoyed this story even though this type of age-gap trope where a character finds themselves in a great upheaval while being middle-aged has been written over and over by many lesfic authors. I reckon it’s the characters’ elaborate personalities and family relations that charmed me to this story.
February 21, 2023
A fun and surprisingly sweet read with lots of characters to fall in love with and drive you just a pinch crazy.
February 9, 2023
Out standing!!!
Wow amazing another great book, couldn't put it down love all the relationships. Sexy, funny, sweet and eye opening. I highly recommend this book, can't wait till Claire Highton-stevenson next book.
Wow amazing another great book, couldn't put it down love all the relationships. Sexy, funny, sweet and eye opening. I highly recommend this book, can't wait till Claire Highton-stevenson next book.
March 8, 2023
Flirty and fun!
Claudia meets Scarlett on a night out and indulges in what she thinks will just be a one night stand. When her daughter Diana asks if a friend can stay in her old room because of issues with her own parents, Scarlett is the last person she expected to be sharing her home with.
There was so much to love about this. It was an inviting and engaging story about finding yourself and being free to love and enjoy life no matter what you age or preferences. Everything for me was completely relatable. Claire always delivers a thrilling story, with lots you can empathise with, will have experienced at some point in your own life, or just something that is fun, a little bit of a risk, and completely everyday normal coincidences or situations that can get out of hand or progressed just because we are human and don’t necessarily handle each and every situation as well as we could have.
Scarlett was totally infectious and it was completely understandable that Claudia wasn’t going to be able to ignore the desires she had to explore the connection they shared. Being very mature about things, even if she didn’t always agree, Scarlett wanted to do what was best for Claudia and proved it time and time again. While Claudia had hesitations that I completely understood. Her relationship with Scarlett had the potential to do so much damage and she just wanted to be sure if she did be open and honest about and the worst happened it wasn’t all on a whim.
Something I absolutely love and adore about Claire’s writing is how easy it is to immerse yourself in the story and not put it down. There are always these little nuances in there too that make it personal (sometimes it really feels like Claire has been in my head and just knows I’ll get these things) that make it special to read.
Really, really enjoyed this and cannot recommend it enough. It’s flirty, fun, and a real feel good story about love, connection, and family.
Claudia meets Scarlett on a night out and indulges in what she thinks will just be a one night stand. When her daughter Diana asks if a friend can stay in her old room because of issues with her own parents, Scarlett is the last person she expected to be sharing her home with.
There was so much to love about this. It was an inviting and engaging story about finding yourself and being free to love and enjoy life no matter what you age or preferences. Everything for me was completely relatable. Claire always delivers a thrilling story, with lots you can empathise with, will have experienced at some point in your own life, or just something that is fun, a little bit of a risk, and completely everyday normal coincidences or situations that can get out of hand or progressed just because we are human and don’t necessarily handle each and every situation as well as we could have.
Scarlett was totally infectious and it was completely understandable that Claudia wasn’t going to be able to ignore the desires she had to explore the connection they shared. Being very mature about things, even if she didn’t always agree, Scarlett wanted to do what was best for Claudia and proved it time and time again. While Claudia had hesitations that I completely understood. Her relationship with Scarlett had the potential to do so much damage and she just wanted to be sure if she did be open and honest about and the worst happened it wasn’t all on a whim.
Something I absolutely love and adore about Claire’s writing is how easy it is to immerse yourself in the story and not put it down. There are always these little nuances in there too that make it personal (sometimes it really feels like Claire has been in my head and just knows I’ll get these things) that make it special to read.
Really, really enjoyed this and cannot recommend it enough. It’s flirty, fun, and a real feel good story about love, connection, and family.
February 10, 2023
Fabulous
A brilliant book, easy reading and a lovely story. The characters and situations made me laugh, love love, loved it
A brilliant book, easy reading and a lovely story. The characters and situations made me laugh, love love, loved it
February 28, 2023
Scarlett Fever
This was a fun romance by Claire Highton-Stevenson. I enjoyed the premise. It had excellent chemistry. I feel as though some holes could have been resolved. I will continue to read books by this author.
This was a fun romance by Claire Highton-Stevenson. I enjoyed the premise. It had excellent chemistry. I feel as though some holes could have been resolved. I will continue to read books by this author.
May 7, 2024
3.5*
February 12, 2024
Book started off great but got kinda meh throughout. Just a constant back and forth of not telling significant people in your life the truth. Also so confused why they always mentioned the Uber stuff? Like full license plate every time…so strange.
September 26, 2023
The lesbian Eastenders I never knew I needed.
What it's about: Claudia is a 50-something suburban mom with 3 grown children. After a messy divorce, she has re-entered the workforce and is slowly reclaiming her life. When her friends take her out to a gay bar, the last thing she expects is company - but that's exactly what she gets.
What I thought: despite the cover, this isn't a particularly sexy book. I would put it somewhere between Lana Harper's the Witches of Thistle Grove and Meryl Wilsner's Mistakes Were Made in terms of spice. That is to say: there's plenty of action, but most of it is skippable.
What makes this book interesting is Claudia's relationship with her children. Zara, Diana and Adam are all fully-fledged adults - and their presence in Claudia's life is given the significance it deserves. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that the Scarlett series is one of the few f-f romances in which an ensemble drama really works. Readers will end up rooting for all of these characters, and not just the MCs.
The central romance is cute, if not spectacular. I personally preferred Mistakes Were Made , but that's just me. This series is different enough that you won't lose out by reading both.
Claudia is a lovely character. She is thoughtful, grounded, and kind - and I think that most readers will end up falling very hard for her. Scarlett is a little harder to like, mainly because we don't get as much of her point of view and because her persistence might be off-putting to some. Personally, I didn't really start gelling with her personality until the sequel: Scarlett .
TL;DR: I personally found Scarlett Fever the weakest in the series: it's a perfectly well-behaved romance about a suburban mom who has a sexual awakening. Cool, but it's nothing that we haven't seen before. Where author Highton-Stevenson really hits her stride is in the sequel, which (trigger warnings apply) managed to surprise me in the best possible way.
Some of you are going to hate this series, and some of you will find it hilarious. If you managed to laugh at Season 6 of the L Word, you owe it to yourself to give this a try.
What it's about: Claudia is a 50-something suburban mom with 3 grown children. After a messy divorce, she has re-entered the workforce and is slowly reclaiming her life. When her friends take her out to a gay bar, the last thing she expects is company - but that's exactly what she gets.
What I thought: despite the cover, this isn't a particularly sexy book. I would put it somewhere between Lana Harper's the Witches of Thistle Grove and Meryl Wilsner's Mistakes Were Made in terms of spice. That is to say: there's plenty of action, but most of it is skippable.
What makes this book interesting is Claudia's relationship with her children. Zara, Diana and Adam are all fully-fledged adults - and their presence in Claudia's life is given the significance it deserves. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that the Scarlett series is one of the few f-f romances in which an ensemble drama really works. Readers will end up rooting for all of these characters, and not just the MCs.
The central romance is cute, if not spectacular. I personally preferred Mistakes Were Made , but that's just me. This series is different enough that you won't lose out by reading both.
Claudia is a lovely character. She is thoughtful, grounded, and kind - and I think that most readers will end up falling very hard for her. Scarlett is a little harder to like, mainly because we don't get as much of her point of view and because her persistence might be off-putting to some. Personally, I didn't really start gelling with her personality until the sequel: Scarlett .
TL;DR: I personally found Scarlett Fever the weakest in the series: it's a perfectly well-behaved romance about a suburban mom who has a sexual awakening. Cool, but it's nothing that we haven't seen before. Where author Highton-Stevenson really hits her stride is in the sequel, which (trigger warnings apply) managed to surprise me in the best possible way.
Some of you are going to hate this series, and some of you will find it hilarious. If you managed to laugh at Season 6 of the L Word, you owe it to yourself to give this a try.
March 21, 2023
~Scarlett~ is embedded throughout!
This is a great love story between unlikely women. Scarlett, Art Therapist, 30 something, searching to find the one-enter 50 something divorcé Claudia Maddox. Claudia hits it and quits it…or so she thinks. Then fever sets in!🥵🤩. Scarlett just won’t leave Claudia’s brain 🧠 or…other parts. Claudia comes home later to find her daughter and *shock* Scarlett sitting on her sofa! Kismet! Magnetism. Resistance is futile! Then all hell lets loose. Loving, funny and at the heart 💜 family.
This is a great love story between unlikely women. Scarlett, Art Therapist, 30 something, searching to find the one-enter 50 something divorcé Claudia Maddox. Claudia hits it and quits it…or so she thinks. Then fever sets in!🥵🤩. Scarlett just won’t leave Claudia’s brain 🧠 or…other parts. Claudia comes home later to find her daughter and *shock* Scarlett sitting on her sofa! Kismet! Magnetism. Resistance is futile! Then all hell lets loose. Loving, funny and at the heart 💜 family.
January 13, 2024
Picked up this audio book because I saw someone say "whoever liked 'Mistakes Were Made' by Meryl Wilsner, will probably like this one. Quite right :D
February 15, 2023
I loved reading this book even though in a few places I had a stitch from laughing so much. The main characters are so well-suited to each other and the supporting siblings are so well-defined. If I had to choose a family to belong to it would be Claudia's. If you are needing a sexy laugh then I recommend this book.
June 2, 2023
I think Meryl Wilsner's Mistakes Were Made is still my favourite book in this subgenre, but I still really loved this. The only thing holding it back from a five star rating is the poor grammar throughout the book. Still, the story was more than good enough for me to ignore it. Oh, and Scarlett and Claudia are the absolute sweetest and must be protected at all costs.
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