This book was a super fun read, but it did not meet the high expectations I had for it. The plot was action packed and had me on the edge of my seat the entire book. I couldn’t put it down. I loved all the action and twist and mischief and mayhem. I also found the main group of characters so lovable. Each one was so sweet, and they created such a wholesome found family together. They were also so funny with all their antics. I also loved the chemistry between Mariel and Clem and how well they complimented each other. I am glad we got both of their perspectives. Mariel in particular had good character development. However, I did find the characters a bit shallow overall. They felt like they lacked nuance, reading more like caricatures. Clem clearly had a traumatic history, but it was barely touched on. I wish there had been a better balance between deep emotions and lightheartedness. I also struggled a bit was the ending of the book. I didn’t like the direction the plot took, and found it a bit rushed. But overall I enjoyed this book.

An accidental kidnapping turned love story? Count me in! This is the second YA queer historical fiction novel I’ve read by the author and it sure better not be my last. The works that’s created is so vivid and the charters is swoon-worthy, it really does make you feel like a teen falling in love all over again.

Such a fun and creative retelling. I loved this one. It was funny, clever, and just so well done. Definitely a fun read!

This was a delightful book. I really enjoyed this version of the Robin Hood legend. I liked the banter between Mariel and Clem so much.
Mariel was very grumpy and Clem was a little ray of sunshine (even though she was kidnapped) and quite hilarious. She did not have an off button and just said what she thought.
I very much look forward to the next book by Lex Croucher and recommend this one whole heartedly!

Well this was delightful.

The found family part of this was everything. And I really appreciated Clem's sense of humour and sarcastic remarks, and made it very easy to fall in love with her and Mariel together. Clem's moral center was so unflappable that although she is thrust forth as the main character, its really nice to see everyone else's emotional development around her.

The plot was well done, and I liked the alternative to a Robin Hood retelling. It felt fresh and unassuming, just "here's a solid young adult sapphic romance where the queerness isn't the conflict", and really everything I needed it to be. Something to be said about characters who are comfortable in their queerness and it's not up for debate.

I listened to the audiobook, and both of the narrators really nailed their characters. Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martins Press and Netgalley for an early copy.

Robin Hood's granddaughter, Mariel, is out to prove herself to her father, Jack Hartley, and the rest of the Merry Men. She leads a band of misfits who kidnap Clem, a healer, in retribution for her guardian treating the Sheriff of Nottingham. But then Mariel's father is kidnapped and Mariel tries to lead a daring rescue, with kidnap victim, Clem, in tow.
Adorable romance. Found family and a lot of straightening out of those Merry Men. (Such a dated name, since they're not all men, nor merry.)

*Special thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this e-arc.*

I enjoyed this alternative spin on Robin Hood but liked the author's previous book, Gwen & Art are Not in Love, more. I think I wanted more characters featured than the main two. Teens will dig it I'm sure as they aren't as picky as adult librarians!

This book is so much fan, I just adore it. It made me laugh but also made me think. And I adore Lex Crouched and how they write worlds when queerness is not an issue. Their worlds are queernormative and I love it. I want to live in those worlds. Please.
I really enjoyed the reading and especially the relationship between Mariel and Clem. Clem is a little bit annoying sometimes, but she has to be, and she grow up so much in the story. She’s my favorite, I have to admit it.
And I love the retelling of the Robin Hood’s mythology. Very clever.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

I love Lex's queernormative worlds, it's something I always enjoy about their books and look forward to.

YA is pretty hit or miss for me nowadays (and mostly misses) but I've enjoyed their books in the past so wanted to try out this one especially since it's sapphic. And it just didn't work for me quite as well as some of their other books! Clem was incredibly naive and immature which just really frustrated me particularly in the latter half of the book. And then Mariel, who I didn't think was super naive, ended up also struggling with naivety towards the end of the book. I ultimately had a hard time not getting distracted while listening to the book which definitely may have affected my enjoyment.

Another fun read from Croucher, who’s always brilliant at assembling a rag-tag group of lovable heroes figuring out life together as they grapple with family pressures, find their unique voices, and fall in love. Here, they’re also journeying through the Sherwood Forest and carrying on Robin Hood’s legacy, though it’s a surprisingly quiet book. Despite a pair of daring rescues that anchor the plot, Croucher keeps the action scenes brief, focusing largely on conversations around campfires as one heroine gradually forges a new sense of independence after living under her father’s imposing shadow and the other reframes her idyllic understanding of the Merry Men while she goes from captive to comrade. The banter, as always with a Croucher novel, is sharp and wry, and I suspect teen readers especially will relate to the exploration of identity, bravery, compassion, and found family. It’s a very warm book, and modern within its historic setting, accessible and joyful, with relatable characters and lots of fun twists on the source material.

I laughed out loud, I cried my face off and loved every minute of it!

This book is filled to the brim with found family, peril and adventure, and slow burn romance; all of which I adore in a book. Robin Hood was always a favourite of mine whether Disney versions (love the subtle nod in the beginning), the Kevin Costner movie from the 90s, or Men In Tights spoof also from the 90s. Mix my love for Robin Hood and his Merry Men with the fact that I have loved everything I've read by Lex Croucher previously and I was all in.

I absolutely adore Clem and her witty jabs throughout the story and I loved her chemistry with frosty (but slowly thawing) Mariel. Kit, Baxter, Josey, and Morgan made the perfect ragtag band of characters to travel along with the two MC and I fell in love with all of them. Their care and love for each other was heartwarming and helped break up the more harsh moments in the book. The twists and turns that the story took were also surprising and wonderful. I found myself having to tell my husband because I was like you're not going to believe this!!

Special shout out to the Underwood because it will stay with me always now. I want to live there and dance and sing and be Merry. Also, consider yourself warned that they will break your heart though and there might be sobbing. There was at least for me as I grew so attached to the characters.

I loved this book so much and know it will be one I will reread and enjoy again sometime. I hope Lex revisits the Wood again soon because I know I am not done with these characters.

I received an early digital reader copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

You had me at sapphic Robin Hood. Honestly, you had me at Lex Croucher.

Not For The Faint of Heart centers around a healer, Clem, who lives in the woods that still bear the legends of Robin Hood's Merry Men. One day, they show up at her door—and take her as hostage. Not only are they different from the legends she's heard of, they've gained a reputation in the places around the woods as a new leader took hold and made them into more militia, less merry. The faction of the group Clem is taken by is run by the leader's daughter—and Robin Hood's granddaughter—Mariel. Clem becomes less of a captive and more of a compatriot to the charming, ragtag subset of merry men, a perfect outsider to show the reader the way this group has changed and shifted over time through a rousing chain of events.

The events, all that being said, are for me the least important part of this book. The most incredible part of this book lies in its characters—while the two leads are also extremely well written, Croucher does an incredible job at building out the faction of merry men (men! women! non-binary folks!) into a ragtag group of queer characters that you grow to love. They all have their own backstories, to the point where I wish that we had gotten a little more storyline development for each of them throughout the book. I would love to continue to read their tales. The author also does an incredible job at establishing the merry men as an entity as a group that can go through character development of its own, and I wish that had been explored a little more or treated with a little bit more of a gray area. But maybe that's just my interest in the intricacies of the group!

When it comes to our main characters—and their romance—for the most part I found Clem and Mariel an extremely interesting opposites attract romance. Clem is brash and straightforward and optimistic; she says what's on her mind and follows her code of ethics even when the situation may make it seem a little silly. Mariel is both the same and different; she's far more closed off after years of emulating her harsh father and attempting to live up to his standards as a leader of the merry men. But she too has her own code, one she adopted from him; and the way that code is challenged and her worldview is challenged by the arrival of Clem was for me her best plot. I did often find her a difficult character to read, not because she was poorly written, but because she was often frustrating and I felt there were moments where the flaws in her logic were perhaps too obvious even for her to not see yet.

This particularly comes into play in the last 15% of the book or so, which is where this book faltered for me; there is an event that happens with about 15 to 20% left of the book that for me after an extremely charming book that still had stakes but was still lighter, took an extreme turn for the grim. The after effects of this event emotionally are never for me dealt with properly and are caused by Mariel's stubbornness. And so I understand the loyalty of compatriots and friends, I don't know that I felt the way the other characters dealt with the event and forgiving her for this occurrence ever felt gratifying to the other characters who were affected.

Subsequently the last 10% of this book that deals with wrapping up a lot of loose ends often felt very fast and a little bit illogical. It didn't necessarily ruin my enjoyment for the book but I did finish feeling a little dissatisfied with how everything concluded. It doesn't impact how much I loved the rest of this journey in the woods, but all of that is the primary reason for me rating this book four stars instead of five.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Lex Croucher is back with another historical rom com, this one set in Sherwood Forest a few decades after Robin Hood's time. Now the Merry Men are a hierarchical army of bandits in constant war with the Sheriff. When a troop led by all-business captain Mariel kidnap an unconventional healer, Clem, she gets to know the members and transforms their mission and worldview.

This is a grumpy/sunshine sapphic rom-com; it's also a friendship story, a political drama, and a coming-of-age tale for several of the characters. Because this is Lex Croucher, there's plenty of LGBTQ+ representation (all very matter-of-fact, like when a male character goes swimming and turns out to have "chest bindings") and plenty of liberties taken with historical diction and attitudes. Also because this is Lex Croucher, the romance is sweet, the characters are irreverent, and the writing is flat-out hilarious whether it's about politics or love or a swordfight. A great read.

A great read! The writing style of Lex Croucher is engaging and fast paced to make this book easy to read in one sitting. Loved the LGBTQIA+ representation. Definitely recommend this novel!

Lex Croucher knows how to write a charming RomCom, emphasis on the Com. This is a clever retelling of Robin Hood that I think many young adults will enjoy. Mariel is the granddaughter of Robin Hood, and part of the Merry Men of Sherwood Forest. She accidentally kidnaps Clem, who is a healer. Clem is fun and easygoing while Mariel is more by the book. Of course, their differences are complementary, and this is a sweet Sapphic Romance. There’s tons of adventure in this book, and a great cast of supporting characters. A very quick read.

Thank you NetGalley for the free digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

i ADORED Gwen & Art Are Not in Love, so i was super excited when this galley popped up!! and Croucher did not disappoint, they might be the only author writing romance right now that i enjoy INCLUDING the romantic plotline and not IN SPITE of.

not gonna lie, this book works a very particular kind of magic on me. Croucher's writing is so swift and sharp and funny, and their characters all feel simultaneously very real and charmingly heightened. what a true joy to read a book where the twists still surprise me—i was set up and knocked down easy as bowling pins—but the predictable beats of a romance are tender and queer and rewarding instead of boring and rote. i laughed a TON reading this book, and cried too.

i was enchanted by gruff Mariel, and the motley group of young Merry Men (of many genders) in her command. sensible and honest Clem felt immediately like a friend. the actual plot of the story was gripping and moved at an exciting clip, and it was wonderful! but the real treasure here was two women who fall for each other in spite of their strange circumstances, who then continue to communicate with each other through failure and triumph. we stan two flawed queers being gentle with each other and giving each other the benefit of the doubt.

honestly, i'm so delighted. this is a high quality potato chip book for me: craveable, gone too fast, indulgent. i would read a hundred more books just like this, if Lex Croucher wrote them.

OMG. This book. I am not a romantic comedy, or even romance girly. However, I do love Robin Hood and I love a good twist on the classics. This book is so fun and precious. I absolutely loved every second of it. The characters are immediately loveable, and you immediately ship Clem and Mariel. UGH. These two have my heart. The writing is witty, cozy, and makes me kick my feet in the air in happiness. If you're looking to add a quick, loveable, cozy read during the winter seasons. Run and pick up a copy of this. Lex Croucher may have just opened my eyes to a new genre. I can't wait to see what else she writes!

I love that this author writes stories that are based on fairytales! I really enjoyed her first one and I enjoyed this one just as much! I love how she makes the stories LGBTQ+ friendly. The way the characters interact is so enjoyable and that one scene near the end, the gasp I GASPED! I thoroughly enjoyed this one and I can’t wait to see what she’ll come up with next!

This is a good read, but could have been great if it had more room to breathe. I think it could have been a duology and then things wouldn't be so rushed. So many events had a very big "blink and you might miss it" vibe. The ending was especially rushed.

On the other end of things, I really enjoyed the characters and the witty banter. I think the banter is very easily made to be over the top in many other examples, but it was done well here. I also enjoyed how sexual and gender identity were represented as... normal. Because that's what it is. They didn't have to beat you over the head with it to make it clear how each person identified and I really appreciated it.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

A very enjoyable Robin Hood retelling! The plot was fun and adventurous, and I enjoyed the romance! It did feel a little more rushed towards the end, like the author was trying to tie up and any loose ends, but overall it was an enjoyable read!