Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC!

This book was so good! Gwen & Art was one of my favorite books that I read last year, so I was excited to see that Lex was writing queer version of Robin Hood. This book had a lot of the same elements that I loved from Gwen & Art: an amazing group dynamic, hilarious banter, and a sweet romance.

I loved Clem and Mariel’s relationship. They were insanely adorable and I loved the grumpy x sunshine dynamic they had going on. I also loved how several of the side characters were also queer and it wasn’t made out to be a big deal. Like that’s just who they were and it was accepted.

I listened on audio while I read along to this book. It was very confusing throughout due to the number of characters and the switch of referring to them between first names and last names. I eventually figured it out, but I think this distracted immensely from my enjoyment of this retelling of the Robin Hood tale with a twist.

Four-Star Book Review: Not for the Faint of Heart by Lex Croucher

Not for the Faint of Heart begins as a seemingly cozy tale but gradually deepens into a story with moments of genuine consequence and danger. Lex Croucher delivers a unique blend of charm and suspense, similar to their work in Gwen and Art Are Not in Love, making this book an enjoyable read, even if it doesn’t quite achieve its full potential.

The story's immediate pairing of Mariel and Clem felt a bit odd at first, as their connection was never fully explored or explained. While their relationship had moments of interest, it left me wishing for more depth and clarity. Clem, however, was a standout character—well-developed and compelling. In contrast, Mariel often felt one-dimensional, her angst dominating much of the story. Though her character eventually grew, the change came a little too late to fully redeem her in my eyes.

The band of friends added a lively dynamic to the book. They were likable and fun, though I found myself wanting even more banter and insights from them. They provided much of the charm but could have been utilized more to enhance the story's lighter moments.

The twist, while not entirely unexpected, was well-executed and brought a satisfying layer of intrigue. The interplay between the characters during the reveal was particularly engaging, making it a highlight of the book.

Overall, Not for the Faint of Heart is a solid and enjoyable read. While it had room for more development in some areas, Lex Croucher’s storytelling kept me engaged. I’m looking forward to reading more from them in this genre!

Wow, did I love this book. I loved Gwen and Art so much, so I had pretty high hopes for this one. And every single one of them were met.

This book really was the ultimate grumpy/sunshine. Mariel is the granddaughter of Robin Hood, but when her father took over, he made some major changes to the Merry Men. Clem is a healer that Mariel kidnaps on orders of her father. She might just be the worst kidnapped person in history, though. Have you seen those TikTok‘s where people are too excited to be kidnapped and the kidnapper quickly gets annoyed with them? That’s basically the first half of this book.

This book had an incredible ensemble of background characters. I love a quirky friend group, and that is exactly what Mariel’s small but mighty command are. I especially loved the trans and enby representation! And they were such incredible banter amongst them all that had me literally laughing out loud at times.

That’s not to say that this book was a walk in the park. The stakes were very high, and I found myself sobbing in a nail salon while reading the last chunk of the book.

As someone who was not super familiar with the Robin Hood story, I still found this book to be so lovable - bonus points for making Robin bisexual!

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this title. Lex Croucher can do no wrong, imo!! This fast-paced novel is immersive, fun, and thoughtful. I loved all the characters (flaws and all) and the central romance was believable and exciting. Plus, I can never pass up a great gay story set in a world I already know and love.

I love the vibe of ‘in a universe and part of it’ but not as a retelling. There was not one moment where I wanted to put it down (needing to sleep aside). Very excited to shout at people to read this book ;)

Imagine you’re living in the world of Robin Hood but instead you’re following the story of his granddaughter. Mariel, the grumpy granddaughter, is living in the world of the Merry Men and has orders to kidnap a healer. Clem, the aforementioned kidnapper healer, is an optimistic girl with a passion for fixing the broken and doesn’t seem to be at all bothered that she has been taken by the Merry Men.

This book genuinely didn’t go at all how I pictured based on my initial first impressions but I loved it and I genuinely wish I would have jumped into it sooner. I’ve never thought to read a sapphic, Middle Ages Robin Hood story but I absolutely devoured this one. The enemies to lovers romance and the found family tropes are my absolute favorite of all tropes and this gave me both. I will recommend this book forever. Thanks so so much to the publishers and netgalley for being given the privilege of finding a new book to add to my favorites list.

Delightful, diverse characters and humor that is both timeless and somehow contemporary and adapted to the world make this book fun and funny, start to finish I love the dual POV that gives us insight into how the characters feel about each other. The diversity is woven into the story so naturally, it’s as the world should be.
I am absolutely adding Lex Croucher to my automatic read list,

Lex Croucher is such a fun writer. This is the type of story telling that sucks you in and is a joy to read. While I did feel like this was a little long and not quite enough happened, I had such a fun time and will definitely be recommending it to students.

This work is set in the Greenwood after Robin Hood is no longer the leader of the Merry Men, and explores the troubles that can arise after a legend retires. The work heavily relies on tongue-in-cheek humor, which at times got a little more slapstick and forced than I generally prefer. The work also starts off quite slowly and takes over a third of the way through until it really picks up into something interesting. This wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing, but I didn’t really like the set up for the romance between Mariel and Clem and so wasn’t invested in seeing those details in so much depth. And then the ending felt like it was concluded too quickly to be fully satisfying.

There were also plenty of modern terms/vernacular incorporated throughout, which I always find off putting in historical fiction. I did like the queer representation and how well it was incorporated, despite the modern terms used.

If you like YA reads that almost feel Disney-like relating to the humor/quirkiness of the characters, than you may enjoy this one. My thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I was a huge fan of the first book from this author. Not only did she have an entertaining plot, but her wit with conversation and relationship building was on par.

She still does have that flair for wit in conversations, but indistinguishable characters and a low key boring plot hindered this second outing. I forced myself to finish this and I do plan on picking up her next book. It has to get better from here, right?

Not for the Faint of Heart by Lex Croucher is an imaginative, feel-good take on what happens after the Robin Hood legend ends. The premise of exploring how the Merry Men carried on after Robin Hood retires was a really clever and unique story and totally delivered on the fun and humour as well

The audiobook narration was great and I loved the dual POV. The narrator really brought all the characters to life perfectly. There was a great found family dynamic and every character felt really well-developed and fleshed out making it easy to want to follow the story and find out what ultimately happens to them. I really have to point out how funny the book was as well, sometimes in fantasy too many jokes can feel forced or out of place but I thought it suited the characters really well and worked each time. I even laughed out loud a few times!

The story has a great fee-good vibe, and everything wrapped up nicely with no loose ends. The cover art is really nice, it would be a great book to display. Overall, I really enjoyed this story and the characters. It was a perfect easy and fun read, and I’d absolutely pick up more from Lex Croucher. Their focus on reimagining medieval stories feels fresh and original, and I’m excited to see what they do next.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ALC that I chose to read and review.

This is my first sapphic story and I loved the rollercoaster ride, the electric chemistry, and the action packed adventure.

I didn’t realize this book was YA until I started it. Clem and Mariel were the cutest pair and I thoroughly enjoyed watching them bicker and grow closer. They’re just adorable together and I loved experiencing their story with them.

Overall I’d recommend this book to anyone who’s interested in a sapphic romance YA book.

This Queer YA novel about the younger generation of Robin Hood’s Merry Men was very merry, with significantly fewer men than its source material (which I’m not mad about)!

As any good enemies-to-lovers adventure does, Not for the Faint of Heart starts with a kidnapping; although, is it really a kidnapping if the victim volunteers? When Clem is taken by a band of Merry Men led by Robin Hood’s surly granddaughter, her quick wit and healing abilities quickly endear her to the company. All except for Captain Mariel Hartley-Hood, that is, who is just as determined to prove herself to her father as she is to silence Clem’s incessant prattling. As they spar with the Sheriff and set out on a rescue mission, Mariel learns that her legacy is not all she believes it to be, and Clem worms her way into the captain’s cold, cold heart.

Was this a little trope-y and a little slow in the middle? Sure. However, it was also full of endearing characters, animated fight scenes, and swoon-worthy romance. It’s easy to root for the girls and their companions as they navigate identity, relationships, and morality. It does have a few darker moments, but the reader is left with the sense that, in the end, they’ll get their happy-ever-after.

Fans of Ashley Herring-Blake and the BBC’s Merlin will love this foray into the forest, and I give it a solid 3.5 stars for a rollicking good time.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me the eARC (and audiobook, which I highly recommend)!

What a wonderful romp! Clem was the perfect amount of quippy for me, I think that the kidnapping plot was able to work because of her personality. Mariel is flawed in a way that feels human and relatable. The twists in this book are executed so well, I was audibly gasping while reading this. Now I just want a Robin and Will prequel, please Lex.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Not For the Faint of Heart by Lex Croucher

I randomly stumbled upon Lex Croucher’s debut novel, Reputation, and quickly fell in love with their writing style. Not For The Faint of Heart is their second YA historical romance novel, a Robin Hood inspired sapphic love story between Robin Hood’s granddaughter and a country healer. The Merry Men cast of characters alongside our two main characters, Mariel and Clementine, are an absolutely wholesome found family group of misfits. This novel was fast-paced, action packed, inclusive and full of love, both romantic and familial. I adored the characters and appreciated the complexity and ambiguity in some of the character development.

This story did read as YA to me but was still well structured with a solid plot and romance byline. The spice was minimal and the love was inclusive and diverse. I really like Lex Croucher’s adult and YA books and can’t wait to see what they come out with next!

For fans of:
Robin Hood
Sapphic YA love stories
Strong LGBTQIA representation

Thank you to (Publisher) and Netgalley for my copy of this book; all opinions are my own.

Lex Croucher does it again! Not for the Faint of Heart is a very sweet and charming historical queer adventure romance set in the world of Robin Hood. Grumpy vs. Sunshine? Forced Proximity? ONE BED?!? Say less.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for an advanced electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.

I adored Lex Croucher's Gwen & Art are Not in Love, and that legacy carried through this novel.
With a very light grumpy/sunshine dynamic, Clem and Mariel leap off the page. The way they push and pull at each other reminds me of my own first girl on girl crush. I saw a bit of myself in each character, like Mariel's desperation for her Dad's approval.
Like Gwen& Art, it started out a bit slow, I'll admit. All banter not much action-until it picks up very quickly a little after halfway through. Like G&A, the conclusion felt a little quick and a little too tied up, but it didn't ruin my enjoyment of the book at all.
I adore Lex Croucher, I will read more of their books given half a chance, and I recommend their books to anyone and everyone who loves a goos LGBT YA slowburn!!
Thank you to netgalley and Croucher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review

3.5⭐️

Clem has worked as a healer apprentice for Rosie since she was orphaned at the age of ten. When the Merry Men come to take Rosie in for questioning for treating the Sherriff of Nottingham's men, Clem volunteers to take her place. That's where Clem meets Mariel, the granddaughter of the legendary Robin Hood and captain of a small group of Merry Men. The people of Sherwood Forest have started to suspect that the Merry Man, now under the command of Mariel's father, were no longer on the right side of the fight

This was a slow build and at times lost my attention. In the first half of the book, we met a lot of people but I never really felt like there was any real conflict or urgency to get anything done. And even though the readers are introduced to a whole bunch of people, I didn't feel like I really knew anything about any of them. Any attraction between Clem and Mariel wasn't obvious until they were literally kissing. Their relationship felt more like it was out of convince and proximity rather than a true great love.

I did really enjoy the found family aspect of this and that really always felt like an integral part of the The Merry Men. Robin Hood actually being featured in this and being progressive enough to agree that things don't always have to stay the same was a nice touch. I think Lex Croucher's way of expanding an old story that everyone knows is always a great premise, but this one just left something to be desired.

Thanks Netgalley and Wednesday for providing this ARC to me as well as a finished copy!

love, love, love, love, loved it - I love Lex's writing style and the story - I fell in love with the characters, and I'll be picking up every book Lex writes