THE MAID OF SHERWOOD FOREST: A MCQUIVEY’S COSTUME SHOP ROMANCE, by Sian Ann Bessey, Shadow Mountain, Nov. 4, 2025, Paperback, $18.99 (young adult/ new adult/ adult fiction)
A young woman is transported back in time and right into a legendary tale in The Maid of Sherwood Forest, by Sian Ann Bessey.
Nothing about Mariah Clinton’s passion for archery or her work as a sous-chef in contemporary London prepares her for the moment she’s pulled into another time—and another life. One minute, she’s stepping into McQuivey’s Costume Shop to rent a medieval gown. The next, she’s standing in a castle kitchen in twelfth-century Nottingham—with no idea how she got there or how to return to modern time. Forced to pose as a kitchen servant, she must draw on ingenuity and courage to survive in a world in which she shouldn’t exist. But when her skill with a bow draws the attention of outlaws in Sherwood Forest, she’s swept into a conflict that is more dangerous—and more thrilling—than she could ever have imagined.
Robin Hood has spent years outwitting the sheriff, protecting the innocent, and keeping his men one step ahead of Prince John’s reach. But when he crosses paths with a mysterious archer who shoots like no woman he’s ever met, he knows she’s hiding something. Her words, her ways, even the fire in her eyes—none of it belongs in his time. Yet the more she stands at his side, the harder it becomes to imagine Sherwood Forest without her.
Mariah is torn between a past she understands in modern-day London and an uncertain future with an outlaw who has stolen her heart. But as the sheriff’s grip tightens and betrayal looms, one truth becomes clear—some choices are impossible to undo, and love, once found, is not so easily left behind. —Synopsis provided by Shadow Mountain
The Maid of Sherwood Forest is the second book in Sian Ann Bessey’s McQuivey’s Costume Shop romance series. The first book, A Time Traveler’s Masquerade, transported readers to 1605 England. The second slips back even further to medieval England.
The Maid of Sherwood Forest is inspired by the tale of Robin Hood, complete with the well-known characters of the Sherrif of Nottingham, Little John and Friar Tuck. The twist comes in a modern-day Marian aka Mariah who finds herself smack dab in the middle of the tale.
The story unfolds through Mariah and Robin’s alternating viewpoints, offering readers two unique ways of looking at the situation. Robin initially comes across as brash, but as the book progresses, so do his layers. Mariah is easier to pin down, but her development is enjoyable, too.
Beside the adventure and romance, the biggest draw of The Maid of Sherwood Forest is the historical elements. From the rock-hard sleeping conditions and the massive oven to the spiral staircase the servants had to navigate, each element of medieval England is fascinating. And Bessey does a fine job incorporating it into Mariah’s impressions of the time and place.
The Maid of Sherwood Forest moves quickly and should appeal to fans of historical romances.
The Maid of Sherwood Forest is part of Shadow Mountain’s Proper Romance line, which features romances with clean or “chaste” storylines. This, and the age of the main characters, makes it appropriate and accessible for upper young adults and older.
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