Lex Croucher delivers a delightful blend of adventure, romance, and sharp humor in Not for the Faint of Heart, reimagining the Robin Hood legend with queer characters and a fresh, modern twist.

Mariel, the grumpy and fiercely loyal captain of the Merry Men, and Clem, the hilariously upbeat healer, are an unlikely pair whose dynamic lights up the story. Their banter and slow-burning connection are equal parts heartwarming and hilarious, making the enemies-to-lovers trope shine in this historical YA romance.

The Greenwood Forest is brought vividly to life, populated with flawed but lovable characters that feel like a true found family. Themes of loyalty, legacy, and questioning one’s purpose are woven seamlessly into the fast-paced narrative.

While the story occasionally stumbles with uneven pacing, particularly in the final act, the emotional payoff and action-packed climax more than make up for it. Mariel’s internal struggle to reconcile her grandfather’s legacy with the present-day reality adds depth, while Clem’s humor and optimism provide balance.

Not for the Faint of Heart is a thrilling, romantic, and joyful romp through a reimagined legend that reminds us all of the importance of love, friendship, and fighting for what truly matters. Perfect for fans of queer historical fiction with a touch of whimsy.

I'm a big fan of Lex Croucher's adult work and was pleasantly surprised with his highly nuanced YA debut. This reimagining and continuance of the Robin Hood tale is a deeply affecting story. Croucher's ability to write characters who feel so real is quite the superpower. Overwhlmingly enjoyed.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for my advance electronic copy via NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

When Clem is kidnapped by Marial, a captain of the Merry Men, at first she thinks it's because they've heard of her experiments and studies in healing that have already saved life and limb. But when it turns out to be retribution for aiding the Sherriff of Nottingham (their sworn enemy), Clem decides to make the best of it and merrily becomes the most helpful kidnappee Sherwood Forest has ever seen. But when the Merry Men's leader (who is also Marial's father) is captured, Marial's motley crew and Clem become much closer than anyone ever planned. Especially Marial and Clem.

This was equally parts lovely romp and dark struggle for me. First, I adored the LGBTQ+ rep, and Robin Hood was my favorite growing up so I loved this "what happens after" imagining was perfection! What an odd, loveable band of men/women/nonbinary adventurers. It was irreverent and very much about feeling healthy feelings while trying to grow past trauma. But on the other hand the trauma was real. It was a properly angsty YA book, but more than that it was about making it through suffering (of the everyday kind as well as bigger kinds). Some kids have to grow up too fast, and the moment when you realize your own parents are human isn't always an easy one. But the positive mental health messaging and the acceptance of people as they are outshone the downs for me, and in the end it was lovely to follow these fascinating characters along on their adventure!

Triggers: torture, death, emotional abuse, cheating spouse

This book was a very solid 4 stars!! I thought the writing and pacing were very strong. I loved the side characters, I just felt like we needed more time to sit with the main characters since this book is on the shorter side. The FF romance was cute, if a bit underdeveloped, but I still enjoyed reading this one. A great, diverse take on Robin Hood and the Merry Men, a few generations later!

🌈Queer rep: Main FF couple. Secondary MM couples, nonbinary person, trans man, bi man.

Thank you to the publisher for my gifted copy! Having read Lex Croucher's previous Camelot inspired YA novel, I was more or less prepared to have the same formula into this read. NFTFOH is in the realm of Robin Hood or at least Robin Hood adjacent. I find that the roles of the Merry Men was done well in line with finding camaraderie while also adding in the mystery of who the mole might be. I did find the romance to be lacking from a slow burn to a sudden thrust into something that I wasn't sure was truly needed. Everything was fine but quite detailed to the point of being added ad nauseum.

YA RomCom • Robin Hood • Sapphic
Pub Date • 26 November 2024

Thank you @wednesdaybooks and @macmillan.audio for the free finished copy and 🎧 ALC!

Pick this one up if in the mood for...
➳ Cheeky, cozy, queer, medieval gallivanting around the woods with a band of merry men
➝ who are not all men it turns out...
➳ Robbing the rich ♔ to feed the poor and all that jazz
➳ YA romcom where scenes fade to black and the friendships take up as much space as the romance

This is a vibes book with campy humor, heartwarming moments, and a wholesome tale of getting lost and finding yourself again.

Mariel is the grumpy, stoic captain, granddaughter of Robin Hood, who by the way is in retirement somewhere in France it seems. Clem is a healer by trade who somehow gets abducted, and then inducted, into the band of “merry men” scoundrels.

But who are the good guys and who are the villains? The plot is a tad light as the merry men wander through the woods and into random towns, but in the second half a couple of rescue missions give the book the needed punch to keep it interesting until the end.

Robin Hood himself is largely absent from the book — but he does get a short cameo which was fun for me as a long time fan. Overall, a cute and wholesome read with a few sad moments, but ultimately a happy ending.

🏹 This book is out next Tuesday, November 26th 🏹

I was very invested in Clem and her happiness, and in many of the secondary characters. Having almost a whole society of Merry Men, a couple generations removed from Robin Hood himself, was an interesting concept to play with. But overall I found this novel not as well plotted as Lex Croucher's previous (the excellent Gwen and Art Are Not In Love) and the romance wasn't anywhere near as engaging (okay, I thought there was no way Clem should have to put up with Mariel. Like, sure, the heart wants what it wants—maybe try to want something healthier, girl! Circle back on this after everybody has many years of therapy!)

It has two things I love in historical fiction: Gay and Historically Inaccurate.
Give me this over a historically accurate period piece about a white heterosexual couple any day.

I thought this was great and I love that Lex Croucher has found such a niche for their writing. They are so good at Gay and Historically Inaccurate and I will eat it up every time.

I had such a great time reading this 🥹 I really love this authors YA historical retellings, and this makes it 2/2. I found it very sweet and fun while still touching on real problems the characters & the Wood experienced, and the end had me crying in the club 😭😭😭 really hope they continue to write these and I can’t see what comes next!!

“There she went again, just asking for what she wanted, like it was the easiest thing in the world. Mariel was awed and horrified by it.”

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, & the publishers who sent me this ARC to read & review! <3

I enjoyed Lex’s other book, Gwen and Art Are Not in Love, and this one was good as well! I appreciated the world building here, with an entire society built around Robin Hood. Very cool!

I am such a fan of Lex Croucher, so I will happily read whatever they publish. It's even better when it's another fun, queer twist on a classic tale. This time around, Croucher reimagines the future of Robin Hood's Merry Men and focuses on Captain Mariel and her eccentric crew. When they are directed to kidnap a healer for providing treatment to the Sheriff of Nottingham, Mariel might have finally met her match in the sunny and capable Clem.

There's adventure, daring rescues, genuinely funny banter, hidden underground sanctuaries, found family, and romance. Fair warning that things do get a little dark along the way, and I unexpectedly ended up crying at one point. Highly recommend this and all of Croucher's previous delightful work.

A queer historical YA romance book about Robin Hood’s granddaughter? Yes, please!

Not for the Faint of Heart had me hooked from the first sentence, and the rest of the book didn’t disappoint. We get drawn into the forest following accidentally kidnapped Clem and Robin Hood’s granddaughter Mariel (and of course her crew of Merry Men are there for the adventures too). Be ready to be drawn into adventure, romance, and found family dynamics. It is impossible for me to sum up the journeys they took in this book, you’ve got to read it yourself - trust me, it’s worth it!

This is one of my favorite reads of 2024 - highly recommend grabbing this book!

This was an absolute delight.

What I liked:

I enjoyed the Robin Hood and his merry men lore - one of our main characters is Robin Hood’s granddaughter. This new generation of merry men was so fun to read.

Clem & Muriel are fantastic. We love a grumpy x sunshine trope around here.

Muriel’s group of rag tag thieves are so fun. I really liked this little found family.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well that was just delightful! Classic tropes like grumpy/sunshine, enemies to lovers, and found family. There’s beautiful queer representation that makes me excited for a world in which people could actually be that open and loving in their own fashion and it’s just accepted… My only comment that comes close to a critique is that there was a surprising amount of gore and wounds based on the tone of the rest of the book, which made it all the more extreme and jarring. But overall if you’re looking for a cute YA romantasy with great nods to classic Robin Hood tales, this one will satisfy.

This was so so amazing. I love Lex Croucher's writing style and Gwen & Art was one of my favourite reads from last year, so when I got approved for this I was so excited!
Oh boy, this DID NOT DISAPPOINT! Mariel and Clem were such good characters, and seeing both their POVs was such an amazing contrast and it was so fun to see the relationship blossom from both sides. They were very well written and felt authentic.
The writing in this was their signature style - easy and humourous to read, with amazing deeper messaging woven throughout the novel. Speaking of, this book was laugh-out-loud levels of funny (which I don't usually say!!), and especially the group dynamic of humour was very realistic to today (using my friends as an example), while still having that slight medieval feel.
Honestly the one small issue for me was this one was harder to get into than Gwen & Art. It felt like it had more stage-setting after the initial attention-grabbing scene, and it felt like it took longer to get to the meat of it, even though this was quite short.
Overall though, I loved the romance, loved the characters, and the found-family dynamics were so cute TvT- and that ending, ahh! I can't do their abrupt endings, they leave you needing so much more! (in a good way haha)
I would absolutely recommend this! (4.25/5)
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review <3

Not for the Faint of Heart literally made me laugh out loud! It is a witty and hilarious take on what would happen if the granddaughter of Robin Hood (Mariel) sort of accidentally kidnapped a healer (Clem). The world of the Merry Men has changed since Robin Hood retired and not necessarily for the better. As Clem and Mariel adventure through the woods, Mariel starts to see that something is wrong with the structure of the Merry Men. As the Sheriff cracks down, can Mariel and Clem work together to change the woods for the better?

I absolutely loved this book! Clem was one of my favorite characters; she was so committed to healing anyone that she could help. I loved how she fit into the found family of the Merry Men, much to Mariel’s confusion. Mariel is another strong character who desperately wants to do the right thing and make her family proud. I appreciated how she learned to think for herself, with the help of Clem and her friends. I also loved the side characters! Clem and Mariel’s relationship has fantastic growth as they start to see that they are more than the assumptions they first made about each other. I can’t wait to read whatever Lex Croucher writes next!

Readers who love found family, enemies-to-lovers, and hilarious dialogue need to read Not for the Faint of Heart!

Thank you to Lex Croucher, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

4.5/5 ☆

Another fabulous book from Lex. The way they craft these stories is magical, and I've yet to be disappointed by the ending. I loved our troupe of Merry Men and the growth that happens through the story.

I will say that it started slow and it took me a but to get into the storyline, however, the last 1/2 of the book FLEW and was turn after turn of "oh my GOSH, WHAT?!" as I races towards the conclusion.

For my reader friends who want a cute, queer, YA Robin Hood story, dont sleep on this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

It makes me sad I did not enjoy this because I loved Lex Croucher’s first book! This felt like a completely different story teller.

I hate to say it, but this one was just boring. It felt like the plot was going nowhere and I didn’t really understand the point of the story.

Croucher has a quick and witty banter, which is the one thing I felt was done right in this book. I liked all the characters, but I didn’t like them enough to really care about the story. They were all charming in their own way.

I thought the relationship between Clem and Mariel came together naturally. I liked the natural progression on how they got together, but even then I wasn’t super invested in them as a couple.

Usually I don’t like things that are slow paced, especially to start a book, but this could have started off much slower. I feel like it jumped into the plot way too quickly and didn’t have enough build up of the characters or why we should want to follow their journey and root for them.

With about 60 pages left it finally picked up, but by then I was just excited to be done with it. I do appreciate, like I did in “Gwen and Art Are Not In Love,” that the author put actual stakes in this book and it isn’t always just a happy ending, especially when there is fighting involved. Even though I was very sad at the sacrifice; it was realistic to a story like this.

I enjoyed that last little bit because it felt like it finally got into some action. The plot was finally starting to get somewhere and it was entertaining. Other than that, I just don’t think it’s worth it.

I feel bad I think this way, but this just felt like a completely different author.

Do yourself a favor and pick up “Gwen and Art Are Not In Love” instead of this one. You will enjoy it a lot more!!

This delightful take on Robin Hood’s Merry Men takes Mariel, Hood’s granddaughter who is desperate to prove herself, and Clem, an overly-optimistic and kind-hearted healer, on an adventure to fight for their friends, the freedom of the forest, and a chance at love. It is an adventurous romp through Greenwood Forest with a tightknit band of LGBT Q+ bandits. It was the palate cleanser that I needed with just the right mix of action, romance, and laughter.

A fantastic follow up from Lex Croucher, I think this author has become a must read, favorite author of mine for sure and I can't wait to read what comes next from them.