Finding Scarlet
About
Goodreads rating of 4.69 Stars
From award-winning author Kirsten Pursell, follow Scarlet as she navigates self-discovery, love and friendship later in life in this coming-of-middle-age romance. [Previously published as The Scarlet D*]
Fueled by the unrealistic expectations of Nicholas Sparks' novels, Scarlet sets her sights on South Carolina as the backdrop for her new beginning. After a thirty-year marriage, divorce offers her a chance to start over, far from the reminders of a past life.
Scarlet begins life on Sullivan's Island, seeking like-minded women as she joins a divorced women's book club. She finds herself in a world of unexpected complexities. When she revels her past, judgment is harsh.
On Sullivan's Island, Scarlet's dormant desires are awakened as she meets Ben, an attractive younger man. However, a chance encounter with the self-assured, age-appropriate Beau opens her heart to the possibility of love. But will the unexpected arrival of the man who nearly broke her reconsider her choices?
As Scarlet settles into her new life, she dissects her past, embraces second chances, and finds herself open to the complications of starting over in her fifties.
*The Scarlet D was the recipient of:
Firebird Book Awards Winner (2025): Divorce-Romance-Summer Beach Read
Book Excellence Award Finalist (2025)
Literary Titan Book Award Recipient (2024)
Reader's Favorite Five Stars (2024)
Praise for this book
Rarely does a book grab me by the heart and refuse to let go the way The Scarlet D did. Kirsten Pursell has written a deeply personal, beautifully vulnerable, and painfully honest exploration of what it means to start over in midlife.
There are books that tell a story, and then there are books that mirror your own life back at you—The Scarlet D is one of the latter. From the pain of a dissolving marriage to the thrill of rediscovering passion, Kirsten Pursell takes readers on a deeply personal, emotionally charged ride.
The Scarlet D is a book that sneaks up on you. At first, it feels like a simple story of reinvention, but as you turn the pages, it transforms into something deeply personal, raw, and incredibly moving. Kirsten Pursell has a way of making you feel like you’re sitting across from a close friend, sharing a bottle of wine and trading life’s hardest truths.