**Book Review: "Not for the Faint of Heart" by Lex Croucher**

Lex Croucher's "Not for the Faint of Heart" is an enchanting queer historical YA romance that seamlessly blends adventure, humor, and a touch of whimsy. This vibrant retelling of the Robin Hood legend introduces readers to a new generation of heroes, particularly Mariel, the grumpy granddaughter of the legendary outlaw, and Clem, the unexpectedly delightful girl who finds herself accidentally kidnapped.

From the outset, Croucher's witty prose shines through, as seen in Clem's sharp quips about her captors. The humor is both clever and refreshing, setting the tone for a story that is equal parts fun and heartfelt. Mariel, as the newly appointed captain of the Merry Men, grapples with the weight of her grandfather's legacy, making her character relatable and compelling. Her fierce determination to prove herself, despite her initial grumpiness, adds depth to her journey.

Clem, on the other hand, is a breath of fresh air. Her cheerful disposition and unorthodox healing methods challenge Mariel’s views and add an engaging dynamic to their relationship. As they navigate the dangers of the Greenwood Forest together, their banter evolves into a budding romance that is both sweet and authentic. The slow burn of their connection is beautifully crafted, allowing readers to feel the tension and chemistry that develops in the midst of chaos.

Croucher’s portrayal of the Merry Men as a somewhat flawed group struggling with their relevance in a changing world adds a layer of complexity to the narrative. The themes of loyalty, identity, and the moral dilemmas of their cause resonate throughout the story. As Mariel begins to question the righteousness of her mission, readers are drawn into a larger conversation about what it means to be a hero in a world filled with gray areas.

The pacing is brisk, keeping the adventure lively while also allowing for moments of introspection and character growth. Croucher expertly balances action sequences with heartfelt moments, ensuring that the stakes feel high while also providing ample opportunities for laughter.

"Not for the Faint of Heart" is a delightful romp filled with hijinks, camaraderie, and a romance that is sure to tug at your heartstrings. Croucher’s rich world-building and engaging characters make this novel a standout. It’s a story about found family, self-discovery, and the power of love—perfect for readers looking for a fun yet poignant tale.

In summary, this book is an absolute must-read for fans of queer historical fiction, adventure, and romance. Croucher has crafted a charming narrative that will leave readers eager for more adventures in the Greenwood Forest. Highly recommended!

Loved this book. The dynamic between the characters made it unputdownable. I can’t wait to read future books by this author and recommend on my platforms

Super cute! I always love Lex Croucher's wry humor. The beginning of the book was a little slow, and I think maybe 30 pages of this book could've been cut, but otherwise it was super cute, action-packed, and gay, which is all I can ask for. I love the way Croucher writes found family and isn't afraid to shy away from complex dynamics/plot points. It's a fun, cute romp, but it's not always a fun, cute world. Looking forward to reading more of this author's queer folklore/historical(ish) YA books

A laugh out loud, slow burn sapphic rom-com featuring a grumpy-sunshine pairing, this book was such a fun read!

The story is character driven and while there's plenty of action and adventure, the focus is on character interactions and relationships. The romance between Mariel and Clem was a slow build, but their opposing personalities led to such fun exchanges and banter. The supporting characters are fantastic and I fell in love with each of them! The witty humor had me laughing out loud, with loveable characters that made for a truly enjoyable reading experience.

Balancing out the comedic elements, there is also pain, loss, and grief. Mariel must contend with her father's impossible to meet expectations while Clem's tragic past haunts her every night. The Merry Men's skirmishes with the Sheriff's people don't always end well. But there is also healing, character growth, and found family.

The world seems to be queer normative and in addition to sapphic rep, there is also non-binary, trans, and MLM rep. The author has content warnings available on their website.

Tottaly understated and unexpected is what I felt about these books. I did not expect to quickly fall in love with the story and characters like I did. Bravo

I decided to DNF this book at 35%. I appreciated the atmospheric setting and the clear potential of the characters—who were all very likable—I found myself drawn to the sense of found family, which I absolutely loved. However, I struggled with the writing style. From what I read, the tone was fun and quirky, but it felt overdone at times. The frequent use of sarcasm and witty remarks in nearly every dialogue pulled me out of the story, making it difficult to stay immersed.

That being said, I can see this being a favorite for readers who enjoy this kind of humor. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC.

This was a fun story about what happens with the Merry Men after Robin Hood retires, featuring his granddaughter and a young village healer. If you like folklore and queer stories, this is worth a read. It's fast paced, adventurous, and emotional.

Mariel and Clem are both relatable characters in different regards, trying to do their best to help people and keep their friends alive.

I enjoyed this novel more than Lex Croucher's previous Gwen and Art Are Not in Love.

This book was so much fun. You have Mariel, who is the granddaughter of Robin Hood, and Clem, who is the healer that she's ordered to kidnap.

It's queer, it's diverse, it's full of adventure, and it has such a good grumpy/sunshine duo. Mariel might be one of the most stubborn characters I've read in a while (and we love her for it). The side characters are well developed and lovable, and the dynamic between the whole group is just sweet and endearing. The pacing is fairly quick, but it's an easier read, and the banter between all the characters is entertaining.

This book had great witty banter and fun characters! The banter occasionally felt out of place for a medieval setting, but it didn't bug me too much. My problem was that the plot didn't feel fully thought out, and I would've appreciated more action scenes. It started to pick up around 50% through, but it was a little boring up until that point. But, there is a cute sapphic romance, good conversations, and a medieval setting, so if you really are just looking for those aspects and don't care as much about the plot, this book will definitely fulfill your needs!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Gay Robin Hood + gay descendents of Robin Hood = yes yes yes sign me up immediately.

This is my favorite flavor of grumpy/sunshine where sunshine learns how to be a little stabby, and grumpy learns to love and be loved. The found family was lovely and hilariously chaotic

What I love most about Lex Croucher’s writing is how they show queer characters building community and persevering in spite of those who would harm them. I hope they keep writing these witty and beautifully heart-wrenching historical fantasy rom-coms because I totally adore them!

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the eARC!

Okay. Most of us (okay a small, specific type of group) called it, right? We all knew Robin Hood had to be at least a LITTLE BIT gay, right?
I mean, come on!
The style? The sass? His group of “Merry Men?”
I mean, really?
Everyone who called it pat yourself on the back and then let’s get into the review!

Plot Summary:

Clemence is a simple healer working alongside her elderly mentor, Rosie, when she is kidnapped by a group of Merry Men. Who aren’t very merry. And certainly aren’t all men. Suddenly thrust into the thick of things, Clem finds herself working alongside a rag-tag group of teens to rescue the captain of the Merry Men.
Meanwhile, hardened Captain Mariel is struggling to prove her worth and dedication to her father, the leader of the Merry Men. When she kidnaps Clem, it’s purely to impress him and prove that she has what it takes to lead her small group of Men. But when her father is kidnapped, Mariel finds herself trusting the healer and employing her help as they work to free him from the Sheriff’s clutches.
But what if the Merry Men aren’t what they used to be under the guidance of Robin Hood? And what if Mariel and Clem suddenly find themselves on the same side and fighting their mutual attraction?

Plot Review:

First of all, this book is chock-full of Queer representation. We have gay characters, lesbian characters, BISEXUAL ROBIN HOOD, and basically every other form of representation that we could possibly get.
And it’s so amazing.
I’m just really grateful for authors like Croucher who are doing their part to fill shelves with books full of representation and the casual acceptance of it.
Best part of the book, hands down, was what it did to represent the Queer community to the fullest.
However…
Some of the plot of this book was a bit shaky.
Usually, I really enjoy the fast-paced style employed in Not for the Faint of Heart, but it just felt like we were going and going and going, and NEVER really slowing down. Because of that, we don’t really get a full blossoming of Mariel and Clem’s relationship. I’m all about that slow burn and subtle romance, but when they did get together it felt really out of the blue.
We need that build up to really believe that they have feelings for each other, but that never really happened.
Speaking of the main plotline, of freeing Mariel’s father, well, it was strong at first, but later became a bit murky. There was an unexpected villain introduced with no real build up or reason. Not even a single hint of them being behind any of it at all.
But, at least it was a real surprise, I guess?
Speaking now of world building, I think we get a decent introduction to this aspect of the plot. The scenes in the Underwood were among my favorite and offered a really interesting world to explore!
No complaints there!
But, another minor problem I had was with Clem’s kidnapping. We’re made to believe it serves a purpose, but it is never followed up on. Or maybe it was and I didn’t notice?
Because, I must confess, I was hopped up on cold medicine during the last pages of this book so my understanding of most of the ending is quite murky…
Overall, though, I loved the representation depicted here but not a lot of the plotlines.

Characters:

Starting on characters, boy were they a highlight!
Clem who is courageous, kind, understanding, and just an overall amazing person! And she’s also just outrageously funny and snarky! Furthermore, she’s also a curvy girl which is MUCH appreciated! I love curvy girls in books; especially when they are redheads. It’s just such a good combination!
And Mariel is a solid character, too. She has a lot of growth throughout the book, but is still our grumpy little captain. I didn’t care for her character nearly as much as the others, but I still found her to be realistic and a nice contrast to Clem’s sunshine personality.
Now, onto our rag-tag group of Merry men!
As I said in the beginning, this representation is legendary! We have two gay characters, one who prefers he/him pronouns and wears a chest binder (I hardly see this in books, so yay!), a character, Morgan, who is referred to as they/them, and BISEXUAL ROBIN HOOD!
Sorry, got excited again!
And the great thing about all of this representation is that it is treated so casually and normally. No one questions why Moran prefers they/them and no one finds it strange that Clem and Mariel like each other, either. It’s just treated as a normal part of these people and I ADORE that!
What I would have enjoyed more, though, is a deeper exploration of Morgan’s character. We see a lot of interesting content and references concerning their lineage and backstory, but no follow through. Morgan was such an interesting and likable character that I wanted to get to know more! It would have been great if their story had been more expanded upon.
In fact, more about all of the side characters would have been appreciated. I feel like we barely scratched the surface of their lives because the book is so fast paced. We could have slowed down and explored everyone’s thoughts and feelings a bit more, but, unfortunately, that simply wasn’t the case.

Overall Thoughts:

Funny, lighthearted, yet lacks a bit of refining. Gotta love that representation though!
(BISEXUAL ROBIN HOOD, GUYS!)

I found this book to be so fun and clever. The characters, especially side characters, were compelling and had great rapport that made the book engaging. The story was simple but easy to follow and made for a great queer take on Robin Hood.

🏹 Not for the Faint of Heart 🏹

This was a hilarious Robin Hood reimagining adventure, with a side a sapphic romance. The writing was laugh out loud funny, especially the dialogue, and I struggled to put it down because I was having so much fun.

There are two aspects of this book that really stood out to me. The first is the plot itself. Although I’ve read a few Robin Hood retellings, this is the first that’s been about his legacy, and how easily it can be for the generations that come after to twist our vision to suit their own purposes.

The second was all the LGBTQ+ representation. This book truly embodies the beliefs that love is love and that gender identity is a personal choice that should be accepted by others. I think having this level of acceptance is important in any book, but especially those that are YA, like this one.

Mariel and Clem were great MCs and I enjoyed each of their POVs. Clem is unfailingly optimistic and compassionate and a reminder to stay true to our values. Mariel was a bad ass, whose story emphasizes the struggle of being “good enough” in the shadows of others expectations.

As much as I enjoyed this book, I wasn’t impressed with the romance aspect. The chemistry was a little lacking between Clem and Mariel. I honestly think the story would have been better if it was about their friendship, which was much more palpable then any romantic feelings. Thankfully, it wasn’t a major part of the plot, and the rest of the book more than made up for these scattered awkward moments.

So, if you’re in it for a cute sapphic love story, you may be disappointed. If you’re looking for an queer adventure that will keep you smiling while you read, I highly recommend this read. Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pub Date: November 25, 2024

As a major Lex Croucher fan (particularly Gwen and Art Are Not in Love), I eagerly anticipated Not for the Faint of Heart. While full of the typical Croucher witty banter and queer-forward reinterpretations of British legends, I felt that this latest foray came up a bit short. Clem and Mariel, as the main focus of the romance story and only POV characters, felt strongly realized and brought individual histories and issues that helped move the plot forward (including some fun twists). However, the chemistry between the two fell a bit flat, with very little lead-up causing a lack of believability in their relationship once it was established. This disappointed me because I know Croucher is more than capable of doing slow burn very well from previous novels!

I also loved the wide range of characters that were imagined as the third generation Merry Men (Mariel is Robin Hood’s granddaughter and some of her friends are descended from other familiar-to-Sherwood Forest names), but wanted to hear more about them. We see snippets of romance with Kit and Baxter (honestly, their relationship was more believable to me than the main pair!) and get some general personality traits for the other members of Mariel’s band—but in general they, like the main romance, er underdeveloped.

The story follows a rollicking adventure format with a fast-moving plot and a few twists, so those looking for story over character may find this a more rewarding read.

3.5/5 stars

An exciting read that kept me engaged from beginning to end. This was a fun "What happens now" when the next generation take on the tale of the Merry Men vs the Sheriff of Nottingham. There was plenty of nods and glimpses of familiar faces but it was it's own fresh tale on the bones of the classic.

Marian and Clem were two fun, unique perspectives, and it was especially enjoyable to watch Marian's development.

Would've loved to see more of the side characters but what little vignettes we saw of them solidified their personalities.

The dialogue was fun and humorous, but occasionally a little too modern.

I wasnt a big fan of Gwen and Art, but this one I'm going to be purchasing for my own shelf.

What I adore so much about authors like Lex and Lex themself, is retellings of classic stories we know and love. As a kid I wasn’t the biggest fan of Robin Hood but, after reading Lex’s first book about King Arthur, I was very much excited to see how this book would turn out. I was not disappointed!

This is honestly one of my favorite enemies to lovers story as you can naturally see why Mariel and Clem fall for each other. At first we are made to think Mariel is a one dimensional ass but we grow to realize why she is the way she is. I LOVE when this book trope is done right!

📔: Not for the Faint of Heart-a standalone

✍️ By: Lex Croucher-I read Gwen & Art Are Not in Love and gave it 3.5/5 ⭐

📃 Page Count: 392 e-book

🗓️ Publication Date: 11-26-24 | Read: 9-14-24

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books this ARC 💚! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Genre: YA, LGBTQIA+, Historical

🌏Setting: Greenwood Forest

Tropes:
🐎1 bed/1 horse
🐎fairytale telling-Robin Hood
🐎forced proximity
🐎found family
🐎grumpy/sunshine
🐎sapphic romance
🐎slow burn romance
🐎journey/companions

⚠️ TW: war battle, kidnapping, poisoning, sexism, parental death

POV: 3rd person, dual

💭 Summary 💭 Mariel and the Merry Men kidnap Clem by accident while war is raging for Nottinghamshire. Mariel wants to prove she can be a leader of men like her father. As Mariel and Clem spend more time together, they must face betrayal and their feelings for each other.

Heroine: Mariel Hartley-Hood (18)- granddaughter to Robin Hood, new captain of the Merry Men

Heroine: Clemence "Clem" Causey (17)-a healer from Oak Vale

Side cast:
Rosalind Sweetland /Rosie-Clem's guardian and a healer
Jack Hartley-Mariel's father
The Merry Men-a group of thieves who rob from the rich and give to the poor. Her crew: Morgan, Josey Abara, Baxter, Chisaka/Kit
Sheriff of Nottingham-Roland de Rainault
Sheriff's son- Frederic de Rainault- Mariel's nemesis

My Thoughts: I loved the banter and chemistry between Mariel, her men, and Clem. They provided humor as Mariel and Clem grew closer while being forced to spend time together. Mariel had some daddy issues walking in his shadow but learns that he nor her mother Regan were good parents. She finds family in the Merry Men, and they accept her and Clem without question.

Range of emotions: 😬🤔🙄
🌶️: Spice 1/5
😭: Emotion 3/5
❤️: Couple 4/5
⭐️: Rating 4/5

Thank you Wednesday Books and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. Clem was an orphan and raised by a healer named Rosie. Mariel’s the granddaughter of Robin Hood. When they find that someone has been passing on information about the merry men, they believe it’s Rosie. By mistake they kidnap Clem instead. The two are brought together and sparks fly! Action packed with lots of witty humor and a sweet sapphic romance! So cute and the way they interacted with one another was swoon worthy! Highly recommend!

4.75 stars, rounded up.

I have been obsessed with Lex Croucher since I received an ARC of their last novel, Trouble. That book was so much fun and the writing so very witty. I have been wanting to her some their other novels but have not had a chance so when I saw this available on NetGalley, I knew I had to request it! I'm so glad it was approved because this is definitely one of my top reads of the year.

This book was the perfect kick off to my fall reading! It gave all of the adventure romcom, chilly out in the woods by a campfire vibes that I have been yearning for. I love the concept of this story, a reimagining that follows the Merry Men post Robin Hood's leadership. The ensemble cast of characters was absolutely perfect. Clem is an absolute riot and I love the way her character is written. She is well rounded and I love her. The rest of the characters are equally as entertaining and compliment each other well, even the morally questionable villains. Croucher does a great job of changing POV between Clem and Mariel. It is pretty seamless. The first time it happened, I was a bit confused but after I wrapped my mind around it, I liked it! It was not choppy, like only changing POVs during new chapters.

There were only two things that I didn't fully enjoy in this book: Mariel and how quickly the ending wrapped up. It was very hard for me to like Mariel as the other main character/love interest. She is not very likable to me and I couldn't understand her rationalizations. The other thing that I didn't love is how quickly it ended. I wish it was like 20 pages longer.. I just wanted to sit in the world a bit more.

Tropes: found family, grumpy x sunshine, kidnapee/kidnaper romance (lmao)

Croucher's writing is always fast paced, witty, and entertaining. I have noticed that her romance is mostly banter and then closed door.
Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for this arc!

If you’re in the mood for a book that’s all about the vibes, then this one’s a perfect pick! It’s a sapphic YA fantasy with a dash of enemies-to-lovers slow burn that revolves around Mariel, the granddaughter of Robin Hood, and Clem, the girl she accidentally kidnaps. While the romance unfolds at a deliciously slow pace, the plot itself is a whirlwind of action and fun, making it incredibly easy to get swept up in.

Mariel and Clem are an absolute delight together, their playful bickering adding a lot of charm to the story. This book shines as a rom-com, and it doesn’t shy away from showcasing sharp, witty writing. Plus, I was particularly impressed by the way anxiety is portrayed—it adds a layer of depth and relatability to the characters. Overall, this one’s a captivating blend of adventure, romance, and humor that’s sure to leave you with a smile.