Calling all romantasy lovers! I just finished Not for the Faint of Heart by Lex Croucher, and my heart is officially full.

If you're looking for a book that's like a warm hug from a snarky best friend, this is it. It's got the perfect blend of magic, mayhem, and a slow-burn romance that will have you clutching your chest and yelling "JUST KISS ALREADY!"

Lex Croucher has a way of writing that's so fresh and fun, and this book is a truly enchanting escape.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC!

⭐️⭐️ (2 stars)

Not for the Faint of Heart had some fun elements, but overall it fell short for me. The story got off to a slow start, and the pacing never quite smoothed out, feeling uneven throughout. While the Robin Hood retelling premise was interesting, the execution left me wishing for more depth.

The characters, though generally likeable, often came across as a bit juvenile, which made it harder to stay invested. That said, the secondary characters were delightfully entertaining and added much-needed spark to the story.

Compared to the author’s previous book, Gwen and Art Are Not in Love, this one didn’t land as well for me—I didn’t find myself enjoying it nearly as much. Still, as a cute YA novel, it has its charm and might work better for readers looking for a light, playful adventure. Overall, just an okay read.

NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART follows Mariel, captain of the Merry Men and granddaughter of Robin Hood, and Clem, who the Merry Men have kidnapped as retribution for her guardian assisting the Sheriff of Nottingham. When Mariel’s father is captured, the Merry Men set out to free him, and Mariel learns along the way that there’s more to her family’s history than she’d thought.

I had a really hard time with this book. Initially, I blamed it on me not being in much of a fantasy mood at the moment (because summer is my prime romance/contemporary era), but the farther into the story I got, the more flaws I was seeing with it.

This whole story felt very haphazardly put together: the pacing was painfully slow for the first 3/4 of the book, only to reach a breakneck speed for the ending; the characters were difficult to root for or care about because we truly didn’t know much about any of them; and the romance was incredibly insta-lovey between two characters with no chemistry at all.

In addition, Mariel was so painfully naive that I struggled to suspend my disbelief as to how she even became “captain” of the Merry Men. She felt like one of those frustratingly clueless main characters that everyone else has to tiptoe around so they don’t shatter her fragile sense of reality.

There also weren’t any real stakes or urgency to this book. Most of it felt like the characters wandering around aimlessly with no real goal or plan, and I wondered more than once why we should care about these characters or this plot, when there was truly no tension to speak of. And in a Robin Hood retelling, I would’ve expected at least SOME tension.

Unfortunately, this was my first book from Lex Croucher, and it might be my last. This book was too disappointing for me to recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I like a good retelling, especially YA, and I haven't read many Robin Hood retellings so this was nice for me. I am not looking for anything too serious. Lex Croucher balanced humor and reality well. Here you have a gender-bent sapphic retelling featuring the grumpy/sunshine trope and forced proximity. If those things appeal to you then pick it up!

This was a fun and quirky adventure. I enjoyed the elements of found family and the fantastical/historical setting. I think this book does itself a disservice by marketing it as a rom-com, as the romance element is a minor sub-plot that is only explored briefly. There is also nicely done queer representation in this book.

Overall I liked the story, but felt it was missing something. I liked the cast of characters as a whole and loved the setting. I would’ve liked to see more of the romance between the two main characters since I didn’t find their connection very strong, or perhaps it just did not resonate with me. The side characters (especially Josey & Baxter) were really fun and they were my favorite part of the story. This was a chill read but I was left wanting it to be a bit more

The copy I read was courtesy of NetGalley.

Lex Croucher writes delightfully arch heroes and heroines that sound modern without being anachronistic. After conquering Regency, they tackle a queer reimagining of Robin Hood with Not for the Faint of Heart, with excellent, hilarious results.

It's clear that the author started with the concept of "gay Robin Hood" and really struggled to construct a plot around the idea, because the story runs in circles and isn't ultimately that interesting. Where Gwen & Art had some structure and propulsion backing up its fluffiness, this one has much less fluffiness and also almost no forward momentum whatsoever. It's a book where the story attempts to justify its existence but never really gets there. I found myself putting it down a lot because it didn't really hold my interest.

I liked the characters well enough--it's your standard found-family YA fantasy, and it has some of the same surprising darkness/sadness that we saw toward the end of Gwen & Art, which I always appreciate. The romance was OK but once it's acknowledged by the main characters it basically disappears.

I thought this was very much an OK book--forgettable, but not completely without good parts.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for an Advanced Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited opening my email to a new Lex Croucher book! I loved loved loved Gwen & Art Are Not In Love and while this one didnt quite hit as much for me as their previous release, I still had a great time with this one!

Mariel is the grumpy to Clem's sunshine. Oh and they're also her captor! So there's that! Through adventures and battles and rescue attempts and lots of giggles and word vomit from Clem (loved their internal monologue) they found eachother.

For some reason (and very disappointingly) I just did not vibe with this book. I enjoyed the author's other similar book Gwen and Art Are Not in Love, but this one did not meet my expectations following that one. I can't even really say why. The story didn't grab me, despite being a Robin Hood reimagining, and the characters weren't my favorites. Unfortunate, but I'd be willing to give Lex Croucher another shot in the future.

I have loved Lex Croucher's other books, and I'm happy to add this to my list. While this title is generic, revisiting the world of Robin Hood, not as a retelling, feels so fresh. Can't wait for the next book from this author.

I loved Croucher’s three Regency-era novels as well as their queer YA take on King Arthur, so I was excited about the opportunity to read their interpretation of Robin Hood.

This delightful grumpy/sunshine book brought me so much joy. Robin Hood has always been one of my favorite stories, so it was fascinating to see what happens to the Merry Men after Robin Hood. Clem’s hilarious asides kept me smiling and since I grew up on various iterations of Robin Hood, Mariel’s frustrations with the direction of her beloved band were easy to empathize with.

Clem and Mariel do become more than friends, but I appreciated that romance was a side effect of the plot rather than the main plot. There’s much more of an emphasis on found family and camaraderie and that’s just so nice.

I would absolutely recommend Not for the Faint of Heart. Lex Croucher is such a word wizard and I’ll read anything they write. This is just such a feel-good book and it makes me so happy.






I received a digital ARC of this book from St. Martin’s/NetGalley.

This dual POV sapphic Robin Hood retelling was cute. I enjoyed the queer normative universe filled with action and adventure. The kidnapped healer helped the band of merry men, led by a very grumpy commander.

While I enjoyed the premise and the characters were endearing, I found the plot to drag quite a bit. I found my mind wandering and was not motivated to pick up the story to find out what happened next. There was a lot of action, but the purpose of their adventure did not appeal to me. The grumpy commander wanted to find the mole and rescue the leaders of the merry men, including her father. The way that those leaders were described, particularly in their relationships and lack of respect for the FMC, did not lend itself to high interest in the outcome of the adventure.

Not for the Faint of Heart was a fun, quick paced story with lovable characters. If you’re a fan of YA fantasy that feels a lot like a more fast paced version of adult epic high fantasy, then this might be for you.

Not for the Faint of Heart is the second book I've read by Lex Croucher and I am obsessed! Not only does Croucher do an amazing job building chemistry between the main love interests, but they also create side characters and atmospheres worth reading. I will say, I was extremely unwell towards the end of this book because of how much I loved all of the characters (if you know, you know). Here is to hoping that Croucher will write more within this universe or with similar vibes! I would highly recommend this book (and Gwen and Art are Not in Love) to anyone looking for a queer historical young adult fantasy book full of tender, heart-wrenching moments.

Another fun Lex Croucher!!! I haven't read a single book of hers that disappoints me. Queen of queer historical romance.

Lex Croucher's Not for the Faint of Heart is Regency-era chaos with a modern, queer bite- think Bridgerton if it were funnier, gayer, and less invested in respectability politics. The main character, Gwen, is sharp-tongued and delightfully disinterested in being palatable, and her romance with the mysterious and brooding Flora feels both swoony and grounded.

This isn't your average corset-ripper. It's a story about autonomy, class, and rage-packaged in witty banter and secret glances. Croucher knows the tropes and wields them like a scalpel, cutting through genteel nonsense with glee. Is it a little over-the-top? Absolutely. That's

half the fun.

Perfect if you like your historical fiction with teeth and tenderness

I loved these merry teenage bandits. There's woodland adventure and found family and lots of emotional unpacking. Clem in unfaltering and daring and so very caring and while Murial is very antagonistic in the beginning she is loyal and she grows. Clem and Muriel and their Merry Men are very dear to me.

A continuation of the Robin Hood story, but from the perspective of his granddaughter and the sunny-tempered healer who becomes involved with the Merry Men.

Clemence "Clem" Causey works as a healer, and lives with her mentor Rosie. When a small team of the Merry Men arrive to kidnap Rosie, Clem volunteers herself, to protect the elderly woman.

What Clem finds is not the merry and lighthearted band of people redistributing wealth to those disenfranchised by the nobility and the Sheriff. Rather, she finds a grim bunch, who are actively contesting territorial boundaries, and for whom martial prowess is more important than helping the poor.

This is exemplified in Mariel, Robin Hood's granddaughter, who is also the daughter of the current head of the Merry Men, Robin's son-in-law, a thoroughly joyless, cold and harsh man for whom no matter how much Mariel trains and excels, she is never doing or being enough.

Mariel is not only puzzled by Clem's sunniness, but she's also incensed that Clem's code as a healer means she will help anyone who comes to her for care, regardless of who they are or what their affiliations are.

The bulk of the novel is concerned with these two opposites, and how they begin to appreciate and care for one another.

The pacing is on the slow side, and there is much running about the Greenwood after people and targets, with Mariel gritting her teeth and berating her small team and being mega-frustrated with Clem and Clem being constantly cheerful and kind.

It was easy to like Clem and the team (none of whom really made an impression on me except they all engaged in banter all the time). I found myself irritated with Mariel till almost the end of the book, even though I knew from what clues the author dropped how to interpret the relationship between Mariel and her father, which is one of manipulation, lies and emotional abuse. Much as I wanted to like Mariel, I found it very hard to.

I already mentioned the team, which is made up of a very diverse bunch (the whole band of Merry Men is, which I liked, acknowledging just how long and far back people have been travelling the length and breadth of Asia and Europe.)

I wish I had enjoyed this novel more (I liked Lex Croucher's adult-focused novels more), but this is an author whose work intrigues me, so I'll definitely check out more by them.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

- Set in the same world as GWEN AND ART ARE NOT IN LOVE, NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART follows healer Clemence and Robin Hood’s granddaughter Mariel as they take that age old journey from enemies to lovers.
- I loved this little clique within the Merry Men, and Croucher is at their best when writing the banter between them.
- I did have a hard time believing that Mariel was quite so ignorant of the internal politics of the Merry Men, given that she was so smart otherwise.

Lex Croucher’s storytelling is raw, honest, and genuinely hilarious...she’s got this effortless way of making tough topics feel relatable and even uplifting. The humor is sharp, but there’s real heart beneath all the laughs. I found myself laughing out loud and also getting a bit teary-eyed. It’s the kind of read that sticks with you, challenging you while still being totally enjoyable. If you want something real, funny, and inspiring, this one’s a must-read.