I don't see too many retellings of Robin Hood these days, and with the genderbent lead I was getting major Keira Knightley Princess of Thieves vibes! Ellie is a great mix of funny and badass, I finished the entire thing in one sitting! I would have loved a little more romance between Ellie and Sir James, but that wasn't a big deal because it was still good. My biggest complaint about this book is that there wasn't enough of it. It would have worked great as a series. Seriously, if you read this, get ready for a lot of unanswered questions!

This just might be the most fun I’ve had reading a book in a while. It’s pure escapism, done really well.

Ellie Hudson, an Olympic-class archer, is in Nottingham, England, for a high-level competition. She follows a man strangely dressed in a friar’s robe into the tunnels below Nottingham’s castle and finds herself mysterious transported back in time to the late 1100s. Ellie has to figure out how to stay safe, avoid doing anything to change history, and find a way back to her own time. But all of that is easier said than done, especially since she begins her adventures by almost getting arrested by the shire reeve of Nottingham just for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. In fact, the shire reeve is an all-around bad guy, oppressing the good people of the area with high taxes and harsh punishments. In an era rife with that kind of injustice, what’s a twenty-first century archer to do?

Ellie is, without a doubt, the perfect person to time travel back to twelfth-century England. As an archer, she can defend herself. Ellie’s father is a theoretical physicist, her mother a professor of medieval history—so she can accept the idea of time travel and knows a lot about the period she winds up in. Ellie conveniently speaks both English and French. (All she would need is to know Latin, and she would have the medieval trifecta.) She’s slender enough to pass as a boy, so she’s able to disguise herself when needed. All of this is so perfect that it would strain belief if the reader let it.

But this reader didn’t, because Ellie’s adventures are just so terrifically fun to follow that it’s easy to ignore the unlikely elements of the story. Ellie is brave and quick-witted, and many of her reactions flow naturally from those qualities. (Jump off a bridge? Sure, why not, if it’s the best avenue of escape?) She maybe doesn’t always make the best choices, but she owns up to her mistakes and works to correct them. Ellie is also sarcastic and funny, which makes her even more likeable. It does take her a little too long to twig onto the fact that SHE is Robin Hood, though. It’s more than halfway through the book before she realizes, as she puts it, “I had become a fictional character.”

The author does a couple of things with the story that I especially appreciated. First, she acknowledges that it’s hard for Ellie and the people she meets to understand each other, which is something time travel books don’t always get right. For a speaker of modern English to try to understand Middle English would be something like listening to someone speak English with a heavy foreign accent, completely mangling some words, and randomly inserting unfamiliar words from their own language. (For example, the word “is” would have been pronounced more like ees, so even simple words would sound different.) She still makes it a lot easier for the characters to translate back and forth than it would be, but at least she doesn’t completely gloss over the problem.

The author also avoids the problem of romantic entanglements. There’s attraction, sure. But Ellie knows that it would be a bad idea to get involved, and the men she meets have their own issues to deal with. It was really refreshing to read a young adult novel where the focus remains firmly on the action rather than having the main characters get distracted by going googly-eyed over each other.

I’d highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a thoroughly fun, relatively quick read.

An eARC of this novel was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Yes, yes, yes! What a cool idea. I thought Dorothy Must Die was a neat concept, but No Good Deed manages that same sort of retelling with a historical fiction element to it and it is awesome. A retelling of Robin Hood sounds cool enough - changing the protagonist to a female is awesome itself. Making this a story where a girl on the archery team from present day accidentally travels back in time to medieval times while at Nottingham Castle. Oh and she is mistaken as a boy in the past, so she takes on the role of Robin Hood.

Sounds brilliant, right? Connolly blends the fantasy and historical fiction genre by way of time travel and incorporates it into a retelling of the classic Robin Hood tale. You’ll recognize numerous characters from the original story. There are neat little twists on familiar faces. The writing is fun and lighthearted with a snarky edge. The characters are funny and intriguing to read about. The story is wholly original. I’ve never read anything quite like it.

Historical details are laced throughout the story making the setting much more realistic. Keep in mind, there are minor inaccuracies to make the plot work. Also, bonus: zero romance. It wouldn’t have been necessary.

All in all, this is an original, fun, exciting retelling of Robin Hood. If you enjoyed Dorothy Must Die, or love a good retelling, be sure to check this one out today!

"Don't die. Don't change history. And get home." That's what Eleanor "Ellie" has to remind herself every day after she somehow gets transported to Twelfth Century France.

Ellie is a funny, teenager who is also a BA in archery. You know, in the Olympics BA. And one day while she's competing in the Olympics, she sees an odd man. She follows him. And then she's transported to a different time, a different century in fact.

No Good Deed is a retelling of Robin Hood, that is surprisingly well done. The author incorporated both elements from the original stories, and the adaptations. While the beginning is a little slow, after all of the "merry men" are introduced, the pace picks up and the comedy is amped up too. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the crazy things that were happening and even crazier thoughts the main character had. And then the ending was perfect.

I also really liked how there was VERY limited romance and a strong emphasis on the importance of family and friends. There was also mild cussing, and not any graphic content.

I can't say that I'm super familiar with the original tales of Robin Hood or even the adaptations, but a quick search on Wikipedia helps a lot to make sure that you get every joke. Also, it doesn't hurt to have a French-to-English translator. It's not necessary, but it adds to the enjoyment.

I want to thank to NetGalley and Random House Children's for providing me with this copy in exchange for an honest review


I really enjoyed reading this guys, I live for the time travel themes, that was in fact what make me to want to read this book and was handled in a super fun and interesting way, plus I'm so happy about the Doctor Who references , because I'm crazy Whovian so I hope you understand me

4/5 Stars

I like Robin Hood and everything that has to do with, ie, I know the story well, I'm not a fan but anyway I really liked the idea of seeing Ellie, this main character who is characterized by being a strong and Intelligent girl and also she's in n archery team !, how incredible is that ?, I can actually see in her a kind of hero, is a very well created character I liked to see her growth and to be present in her decisions, her intolerance to Injustice it was even adorable, she's temperamental but in a good way, a great character.


I've found an extremely original book and I recommend it a lot especially if you're tired of the typical plot in YA, this book breaks the schemes a little and makes of something that we always read, something unique and fun, in addition the end I think it's very good


I've Loved loved the setting of a Medieval England described in the book, was so amazing to be in the middle of all that action and adventure in the middle of that era, the descriptions were really good, it becameabsolutely my favorite thing of the whole book , Wish to be there


I was expecting a little more about the subject of time travel, ie, it was well managed and original, as I've already said, but maybe some kind of explanation of why everything happened in the first place, would have been great, yet it isn't something that should be there, but I would have liked to know more about it anyway


I wasn't at all interested in the romantic aspect of the book, but this is the first time that I feel that really doesn't matter. I feel the book has so much to give, it was so funny and original that it really doesn't need the romantic touch at all, and although it's present, it hasn't been relevant to me.
It holds up well with its action plot and its hilarious characters, are perfect. The personalities of each are very well defined and give a very special touch to the era. I was really sad when I finished it and I would surely read it again because I've had a fantastic time with it and it has been a very refreshing reading

I hope you give it a chance is a very fun book, its release date is just in a few days, you'll laugh and get excited, I highly recommend it

BEST BOOK OF 2017 SO FAR. I could NOT stop reading this. I loved every single second. I'm a huge Robin Hood fan and this was so so so good. I fangirled the entire time. Ellie is such an awesome character, she's headstrong, clever, and so sarcastic I LOVE HER. James and Gilbert though...just YES. They are such opposites but yet the same at their cores, it was so cool seeing their relationships develop with Ellie. Much is so cute and WILL I can't with him, he is literally amazing. Every single character was great. And the way Kara wrote this, the twist on Robin Hood, was so clever and original. Absolutely one of my favorite books of all time.

Wonderful time travel book with lots of great fun and adventures! Sincerely hoping for a sequel! I can recommend this book to anyone who loves history and fun!

Time travel + Robin Hood story? Yep. I was all in the moment I saw that.

I felt that this was a super unique retelling of Robin Hood. To have someone travel back in time to somehow be involved in the legend we hear about today? Genius.

I found this book to be an adventure, and escape from my reality. It moved quick and I found I was easily able to get lost in this world and in the adventures Ellie wad having. I loved watching her deal with being more modern than everyone else. I wouldn't have even though that the words I find so common today wouldn't have been a thing back then. It's not that I am unaware that they spoke differently, but how I speak is so natural to me. It would be so weird to have to really think about the words I was using.

I really enjoyed the characters. I didn't love Ellie at first, but as her strength and confidence grew my love for her grew as well. And all the merry men from the Robin Hood legend...they always have my heart. I love the Robin Hood legend, so I was pretty happy with this book.

If you need a fun adventure in Nottingham then look no further!

Long story short, I just found one of my favorite books of 2017.

This book was simply AMAZING. An absolute joy from start to finish. I read it in less than 24 hours, I was so pulled in to the story. It checked all my boxes:
-Time travel (YAAASSSSS!)
-Medieval England
-Archery
-Converse sneakers
-Snarky female main character
-Lovable band of misfits
-Good banter

I LOVED Ellie. What an awesome character. She's headstrong and rushes into things without thinking it through, but that's where the fun begins. She cares about people and wants to help, even when those people don't necesarily deserve it. I also loved that she was going for an Olympic gold in archery. She didn't just *happen* to be good, she worked hard for years to know how to shoot a bow that well! I loved seeing how Ellie becomes the legend against a more realistic historical setting.

The whole cast of characters is fun, lovable, and expressive in their personalities. From all the merry men -- Will Scarlet, Little John, and Much -- to Isabel, moody Guilber, and Sir James!!! Ohhhh James. What a hunk. Loved the very subtle chemistry between him and Ellie. The characters really bring the story to life.

The author subtly weaves in historical details that really flesh out the world, with the castles and villages and priories. The writing and prose drew me in and were filled with absolute gems, especially since we're hearing the story with Ellie's voice and through her observations. The plot is fast and filled with action and hilarity that had me laughing out loud. I liked that the author doesn't go into the specifics of how the time travel works. It just does and we get right to the story! I would have liked maybe a little more romance, but I also like that it didn't need a romance to work.

Overall, a rollicking fun adventure back to medieval England and a creative new twist on the legend of Robin Hood! Highly highly highly recommend!

This book was the last one I finished during my vacation and I was surprised to find this book was better than I expected. Even though there are a few plot holes and problems, in my opinion, the book still possessed delightful story.

Basically, Ellie is an excellent archer with dreams of someday competing in the Olympics. During the free time before one of her tournaments, she tours a nearby castle with her mom. While looking around the castle she decides to go off the path for tourists and ends up going back in time and through a spin of events she becomes Robin Hood.

Ellie was definitely a main character that you want to read more of. Her energy was enjoyable and the banter between her and the other characters was always funny. She was rightfully worried about how she could affect the future and the impact she would have to the people around her. Not only did she think about how she could affect the world, but she also showed an amount of love and empathy towards the people around her that other characters in the book seemed to lack.

Also, Robin Hood's merry men in this book were a little different than you would expect, but they fit right in with the plot and made the book what it is.

I did have a few problems with the book though. Ellie seemed to be immediately expected by the men she met which don't seem to fit the time era. I feel like they should have been at least a little more wary about what she was doing and if she could really have done all the things that she did. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed Ellie's interactions with the other characters in the book, but it doesn't seem to be totally accurate.

Not only that but the time travel was never thoroughly explained. Ellie just went into a tunnel under the castle and found her way into medieval times without even realizing it. You never found out how she was able to travel back in time or why which bugged me a little. I felt like Ellie should have been sent there for a reason, but she wasn't. She kind of just appeared in a different time and when she wanted to go back she was able to without any problems.


Overall, I would definitely recommend it to people that love time travel or Robin Hood. This book was definitely a new light in YA and was worth my time to read.

Ellie, an Olympic medalist, is transported back in time to the middle ages. She finds herself traveling through Nottingham and the Sherwood Forest. Ellie knows she has to get home before she changes anything in the past, but she can't help herself from assisting the poor and meeting some famous characters.

I had a great time with this book. I love a Robin Hood retell. This novel had me laughing-out-loud throughout. I love the repartee between characters.

This was a big let down for me I guess was expecting the next hunger games but quickly found out it definitely wasn't I think this book would be great for middle schoolers because it has a teeny bop feel to it but as I said just not for me I had hoped for it to be edgier.

This will post on my blog on Timeslip Tuesday, 7/18/17.

Eleanor Hudson is in England for an archery competition, but she isn't happy with her performance. It's even worse when she thinks she sees a monk on the shooting range and gets in trouble for alerting the authorities, who don't see anyone. After a nice lunch with her mother (who is a medieval history professor), Ellie decides to see some local sights, but is surprised when real guards come after her... and she realizes she has traveled back in time! She is mistaken for a spy (her short hair and jeans mark her as male), and she manages to escape only by jumping into the sewage filled moat. Luckily, she is rescued by the very attractive James, a Knight Templar who is home from the Holy Land and taking some time at a religious order to regroup. He takes Ellie to the Priory of St. Mary, where she is healed but where she still manages to get into a lot of trouble. Eventually, her cover as a boy is blown, even though she keeps wearing the same clothes, and she does get to use her tremendous archery skills on a real yew bow. Because of the place and time she has visited, she comes across all sorts of historical characters, from the Sheriff of Nottingham to her namesake, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Playing at being Robin Hood is both fun and dangerous, but most importantly, Ellie needs to figure out how to get home.
Strengths: I loved the details of Ellie's archery competition, and the details about modern day Nottingham, and appreciated that she didn't immediately talk and act like a typical person in the 12th century. (Not everyone is quite as prepared to time travel as I am!) The way that the people involved in the Robin Hood history/stories are introduced was particularly well done; true to the accounts I've read, but with a bit of a twist.
Weaknesses: The time travel was never really explained, and I had a little trouble believing that men in the 12th century would have accepted a woman so easily, but this was great fun once I suspended my disbelief.
What I really think: Fans of Pierce's Alana series or books like Cadet of Tildor or Longbow Girl will appreciate this Young Adult (but completely middle school appropriate) adventure. The incipient romance with James doesn't hurt the appeal of this one, either.

Ahoy there me mateys! I received this young adult fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .

no good deed (Kara Connolly)

Title: no good deed

Author: Kara Connolly

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group - Delacorte Press

Publication Date: TODAY!!! (hardcover/e-book)

ISBN: 9780385743938

Source: NetGalley

So mateys, why should ye check out this book? Because it is a fun romp of a tale about time travel and a female Robin Hood! Sign me up. As usual the cover first drew me interest.

[picture of cover]

Kick-ass girl with bow? Sign me up. I also like the target vibe going on. And I am so glad I read it. It is light and silly and fun watching Ellie set the Robin Hood myth into action. I thought she was a great character - spunky and intelligent.

The secondary characters of Sir Henry and Sir James were fun to read about also. I enjoyed their animosity towards each other. Another great character was the young boy, Much, who helpfully is related to practically everyone in Nottingham and surrounding environs. He is also sweet and endearing. Eleanor of Aquitane also makes an appearance too.

I had a few problems with the book that stemmed from the anachronistic elements of the story that the other characters seemed to just accept. Ellie being a girl for one. I suspended disbelief for this one. Other things like sneakers and passports I had slightly more problems with. But overall, once I stopped being so critical, I found even this silliness to be enjoyable.

Oh and also I learned an awesome fact from reading this book - where the word sheriff comes from - "shire-reeve" Further research led me to this fact: "The Anglo-Saxon word for chief was gerefa, later shortened to reeve. During the next two centuries, groups of hundreds banded together to form a new, higher unit of government called the shire. The shire was the forerunner of the modern county. Each shire had a chief (reeve) as well, and the more powerful official became known as a shire-reeve. The word shire-reeve became the modern English word sheriff - the chief of the county. The sheriff maintained law and order within his own county with the assistance of the citizens." source

I have to admit that I kept picturing the sheriff in this novel to be Alan Rickman's version in Robin Hood: Price of Thieves. Because Alan Rickman makes everything better. Anyways if ye want a quick paced retelling then give this one a try . . .

Side note: The author has a fun post showing showing photos and telling stories from her trip to THE Nottingham. Ye should check it out by clicking here.

So lastly . . .

Thank you Random House / Delacorte Books!

The author's website has this to say about the novel:

Fans of Dorothy Must Die will love this reimagining of the legend of Robin Hood. Girl power rules supreme when a modern girl finds herself in the middle of a medieval mess with only her smart mouth and her Olympic-archer aim to get her home.

Ellie Hudson is the front-runner on the road to gold for the U.S. Olympic archery team. All she has to do is qualify at the trials in jolly old England. When Ellie makes some kind of crazy wrong turn in the caverns under Nottingham Castle—yes, that Nottingham—she ends up in medieval England.

Ellie doesn’t care how she got to the Middle Ages; she just wants to go home before she gets the plague. But people are suffering in Nottingham, and Ellie has the skills to make it better. What’s an ace archer to do while she’s stuck in Sherwood Forest but make like Robin Hood?

Pulled into a past life as an outlaw, Ellie feels her present fading away next to daring do-gooding and a devilishly handsome knight. Only, Ellie is on the brink of rewriting history, and when she picks up her bow and arrow, her next shot could save her past—or doom civilization’s future.

To visit the author’s website go to:

Kara Connolly - Author

To buy the novel please visit:

no good deed - Book

To add to Goodreads go to:

Yer Ports for Plunder List

I hadn't heard of this book until I got the email from the publisher asking if I wanted to read it. I liked the cover and a lady Robin Hood? Yes please.

I liked Ellie. She's smart and strong and one hell of an archer. The rest of the group is introduced individually and it really works. I enjoyed the 12th century take on these well known characters that were separate from Robin Hood.

Plot wise, it moved at a decent pace. It was pretty clever having Ellie doing trials for the Olympics and for some reason, I liked that the time travel part wasn't explained at all. The world building was lacking, but I was all in for the constant bickering and shenanigans.

Overall, it did keep me interested and I liked the characters. I would have loved more at the ending, but it was pretty satisfying at the same time.

**Huge thanks to Delacorte Press for the invitation to read**

Such a fun and quick read!

While a female Robin Hood isn't a novel idea, combine that with time travel, hot knights, a funny heroine, and additional twists on historical characters, it creates a world that's fun to be a part of as a reader.

Eleanor, on the brink of becoming an Olympian archer finds herself trying to stop an assassination attempt on Prince John in the middle ages. Coming across her band of merry men, geared with jeans, sneakers, and a longbow, Ellie tramples through the middle ages doing good deeds while trying not to alter history.

I really liked No Good Deed and would read more books by Kara Connolly for sure.

Great book!

I'm not overly familiar with Robin Hood legends, so I can't say with any accuracy how well this book lines up with the general legends, but it seemed well done. The premise was great, the characters were nicely developed. I like how the sheriff's deputy was characterized as well. He wasn't simply "evil."

The female characters were also pretty tough, considering the times. Plus, Ellie was a good strong character, and I liked her little internal debate with her brother.

Romance wasn't a major plot, but it had a nice ending, considering how time travel romance normally runs, and compared to modern YA, this book is practically a clean read.

I definitely recommend this book. There's lots of action, fun scenes, and an overall great read.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Super fun read. This book takes you right back to that time. Love the time travel aspect. Great ride!

I loved this book! I absolutely loved the Robin Hood aspect. I've never read a book that had a Robin Hood tie in so this is a first for me! I'm very happy with the strong female lead that we have. I'm very excited to read more from this author in the future.