I liiiiked this book. But unfortunately didn't love it. It never grabbed me like Croucher's former. It has a lot of heart and cute scenes though so don't pass it up if you're interested.

This was such a delightfully funny read, and I’m so glad for it! Clem is kidnapped by Mariel and her Merry Men — ahem, I mean “a collection of people experiencing a full range of emotions” and so kicks off an adventure in this queer YA novel. The crew consists of several mismatched characters with the singular goal of living up to Robin Hood’s name under the leadership of their captain, Mariel Hartley-Hood (yes, his granddaughter).

I appreciated how the author dealt with Mariel’s complicated relationship with both her parents and the accompanying trauma that it has caused in her life. Most importantly, however, I loved the character of Clem — her hilarious asides and general misguided optimism really made me give this book 5 stars. I liked this book so much more than Gwen and Art, and would recommend to anyone who wants a queer retelling of Robin Hood.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC!
This had a lot of the same humor that I loved from Gwen & Art Are Not in Love, and I loved the characters in Not for the Faint of Heart as well. While Gwen & Art is still my favorite, I think that Lex Croucher's writing is just as strong in this novel. I loved seeing Clem and Mariel argue with each other, and I immediately fell in love with the side characters as well. I've always loved the stories about Robin Hood and the Merry Men, and this is a wonderful addition.

I have mixed feelings about this book.

As a fan of Robin Hood retelling/spin-offs, I was excited to dive into this queer historical YA romance. However, the book didn’t quite meet my expectations in several areas.

Firstly, the “rip-roaringly romantic” aspect that was promised seemed to be missing. If it was there, I must have missed it. The romance between the characters felt underdeveloped and lacked the intensity I was hoping for.

Additionally, the book was described as “fast-paced,” but I found it to be quite the opposite. The story took an excruciating amount of time to pick up, and it wasn’t until about 55% of the way through that it started to feel more engaging. The initial chapters were slow and made it difficult to stay invested in the plot.

Despite these issues, there were elements of the book that I did enjoy. The concept of a Robin Hood spin-off a focus on found family was intriguing.

However, Mariel and Clem were boring to me. Kit and Baxter had me more intrigued and their dynamics added a layer of depth that kept me engaged..

While, Not for the Faint of Heart had some promising elements, it ultimately fell short of my expectations. I really wanted to love it, but I only ended up liking it.

If you’re a fan of slow-burn romances and enjoy unique takes on classic tales, you might still find this book worth a read.

The premise of this book and the gorgeous cover drew me in! Unfortunately, it didn't quite hit the spot for me, but it still had a lot of good.

The good:
- The Sherwood Forest setting was mystical, ethereal, and so easy to picture in my mind!
- The writing was beautiful and witty. It had me laughing so many times!
- There was such a strong cast of side characters. They were well fleshed out and probably my favorite part of the book.
- I loved that this was a queernormative world! We have two sapphic characters, a trans character, a gay character, and a non-binary character. In addition, Robin Hood is queer! The characters' queerness is included so naturally and they don't face any discrimination because of it. It was so comforting and lovely to read.

The less good:
- The pacing was inconsistent. Not a ton happens for the first 70% of the book and then we jump into a bunch of very intense and emotional battle scenes that move very quickly. It was a little jarring!
- I wanted to see character growth from Mariel earlier in the book. She is incredibly stubborn and when we finally reach a moment where it seems like she might be making progress, she digs in even harder. She turns things around eventually, but so close to the end of the book that I wasn't invested anymore.
- I would consider this more of a historical fiction set in the Robin Hood world rather than a rom-com. There was a big focus on the group of characters, which was delightful, rather than the two love interests so I was left feeling disconnected from the romance.

There were some aspects that prevented me from fully loving this book and I think it is important to read content warnings for this one since there were some very dark themes that took me by surprise. But overall, there is a lot to love about this book and I won't hesitate to recommend it to others! I think this will be the perfect read for many.

Not for the Faint of Heart by Lex Croucher is an adventurous dive into a post-Robin Hood world, brimming with humor, heart, and a touch of medieval chaos. The story follows Mariel, the granddaughter of the legendary Robin Hood, as she grapples with the weight of his legacy while navigating her own path as a captain among the Merry Men. It’s a slow burn that evolves into a fast-paced romp, but not without some hiccups along the way.

Mariel’s journey is both relatable and frustrating—caught between living up to her family’s name and trying to earn the respect she deserves. While the romance between Mariel and Clem, a kidnapped healer, doesn’t quite take center stage, their chemistry adds a sweet layer to the tale. The humor is there, though it can feel a bit forced at times. Still, if you’re a fan of queer medieval rom-coms with a strong ensemble cast, this one’s worth a read.

I enjoyed this title, but I will not be leaving a public review until St. Martin's Press makes a specific and official statement on how they will mitigate the harm caused by an employees racist posts online, and how they will protect their Palestinian and Muslim, as well as BIPOC, readers, influencers, authors, and employees moving forward.

NetGalley prerelease review!

I do not, as a rule, read YA. Just the words "young adult" generally makes me dismiss a title. I am so glad I've given Lex Croucher an exception to this rule as Gwen and Art and now Not for the Faint of Heart are two of my favorite books of the past couple years. I am particularly a fan of this one, as the Robin Hood tales are some of my childhood/teenage favorites and it felt so magical to have a story told in the aftermath of those legends. All of the characters are massively lovable, including the initial (apparent) villain, and I got immediately so attached to all of them. I really enjoyed this start to finish and am greatly looking forward to its release.

This book was very entertaining! It was a quick read but it did not feel rushed. It had twists that I did not expect! Very good!

Clem of Oak Vale is surprised to find herself kidnapped by the supposed Merry Men, lead by Mariel. A group that is not very Merry and, in fact, is becoming resented by the villagers.

Mariel wants the approval of her father, the current leader of the Merry Men, and kidnaps Clem on his orders. But the perky, cheerful woman causes her to start asking questions about what she's doing....

Good read. The cast is interesting, the relationship is a good slow burn and I liked the heroines. YA novel so low spice, solidly written tho there's a few plot twists I kind of went 'what' at.

(I kind of think Clem has ADHD more or less)

But yeah, a good, fun read.

I’m a huge fan of retellings or expansions of beloved favorites and Robin Hood is one of my all-time faves! Then the author makes it queer—I’m sold! But honestly, this was such a fun romp with love, great banter, and so much adventure! I absolutely loved Croucher’s first book and after reading this one, I know I will be reading everything they write!

This was a cute read. I enjoy that the essence of the book if different from common romance themes. Retellings type of books are not usually my forte, but this Robin Hood expansion story was not as bad as I was expecting. Not sure if I would've geared towards this without this ARC opportunity.

The banter? Phenomenal.
The romance? Absolutely lovely.
The adventure? I was on the edge of my seat!

Lex Croucher does it again in this Robin Hood romcom! It was difficult for me to put this book down! The characters were lovable and memorable! Clem is my favorite, and I absolutely love how feisty Mariel is. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book!

The first book i ever read by Lex Croucher was a masterpeice and this is nothing short of a masterpiece either. I absolutely loved reading this book.

Lex Croucher does it again!! I could not put this book down!
One of my favorite books so far this year. It has everything--Robin Hood setting, fantasy elements, romance, adventure, deeply relatable and engaging characters, believable dialogue, resonant character arcs and Croucher's wonderful sense of humor and timing.
The found family element in this book was profound and deeply emotional.
Clem is such an endearing protagonist--funny, dependable, brave, confident, but with deeply held trauma and history. Marian is the grumpy to Clem's sunshine but she carries so much on her shoulders--the care of her friends, her family's legacy, the complicated history that comes with that legacy.
This book made me laugh out loud, it made me cry. It made my heart ache and it made me yearn. I was on the edge of my seat and cheering these characters on. It made me want to hug them, make them a cup of tea, yell at them, and laugh around a fire with them.
All the stars. An absolute triumph of a book.

Not for the Faint of Heart
3.5/5 rating

Disclaimer: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley!!

I really enjoyed this book for the exact same reasons I loved ‘Gwen & Art Are Not in Love’. It was fast, fun, and full of witty banter.

While I did find Gwen and Art’s story a tad more enjoyable, I still think this novel has the same tone and sense of humor. The only reason this is not quite a 4 stars, is that the pacing was a bit off in the beginning of the novel for me.

I hope we get to see more fun adventures from Lex Croucher in the future!

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday for the Arc

This is my second Lex Croucher book. Not for the Faint of Heart follows in the footsteps of its predecessor by taking a classic Medevil story and flipping it to fit the modern day. Having this book be YA is perfect as it allows for the right amount of play between adaptation and the story of Robin Hood; Clem and Mariel were both fun characters to follow on their adventures while slowly falling for each other. I'm so excited to see the new generation of queer teens get to experience a story that, at its core, is about family and following your path.

Exclusively male Merry Men are sooo mid 15th century, it's time for more diverse representation! and Not for the Faint of Heart delivers on that premise. I do think that this book would appeal to a younger audience (I'm 30, so I'm sort of hanging on to YA by my fingernails at times) but I liked this book overall.

what I liked

- the vibes! they were very silly
- Mariel (granddaughter of the Robin Hood), and her “better to ask for forgiveness than permission” leadership style
- the quips and dialogue between the characters
- the memey-ness (which might not be for everyone or have a lot of staying power because trends change so quickly) examples: an arrow to the knee, “nope”-ing out of consciousness
- the characters talked like they were in modern-day high school which at first I didn’t like but then changed my mind and I thought the anachronistic parts of the story were really charming!

what didn’t quite work for me

- I almost thought that there were too many characters and it took me a long time to feel like I got to know them, especially the side characters
- the pacing was a bit slow in the beginning (but then it did pick up) there were also some longer stretches of backstory/internal monologuing where my mind started to wander
- I didn’t feel the chemistry between the characters was especially romantic at first, it took time to develop and it felt like more of an adventure story instead (which I liked!)

Overall I'd be interested to read more from Lex Croucher!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for a copy of the e-book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was such a fun escape into a new twist on a beloved story. I enjoyed the witty banter and the way affection for the characters sneaks up on you in the most wholesome way.

Clem is your everyday average healer. She spends her day healing folks regardless of their status in society or where they live in the woods. Mariel is the daughter of Robin Hood's daughter, Regan, and Jack Hartley-both leaders of the Merry Men. Mariel has put herself under immense pressure due to her dad and grandpa's legacy. Mariel and her squad have a mission--kidnap the healer. They do, except Clem wasn't the right healer... or was she? This enthusiastic ball of sunshine, Clem, is infatuated with the idea of the Merry Men; being captured by them has her fangirling. The woods have seen a change since Robin Hood's days and so have the Merry Men. Will the broody black dog stoic leader, Mariel, be able to work with her team to do more than just count squirrels?

Not for the Faint of Heart is the first YA of Coucher's that I've read. Croucher's other books have been some of my favorite for adult readers but Not for the Faint of Heart, truly isn't for the faint of heart. It's got drama, young love, squirrels, and most importantly sword fights. The plot, action, and dialogue all combined into a great novel. Croucher's style is unique for an American audience. It is truly the most British writing I have ever had the pleasure to read, which will lend to a great audio book but also truly descriptive for any reader who is consistently calling for more world building.

I was fortunate to have the ability to read an advance reader copy thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the writer in exchange for an honest review.