This was such an adorable audio book. It was written well, albeit a little slow starting. The characters really made the story, and I enjoyed Clem and Mariel with the way their characters developed into a romance. The novel was all about action, adventure and love. The plot line was fun, characters very interesting, and the slow burn romance to top it all off. I will be recommending this book to other readers.

Thank you Net Galley ARC and Wednesday Books.

This book simply didn’t hold my interest.

Not for the Faint of Heart by Lex Croucher is a sapphic dual-POV romance following Clem, a healer who mistakenly gets kidnapped by Robin Hood’s Merry Men, and Mariel, a captain of the Merry Men and Clem’s captor. This book follows the two of them and the eclectic crew under Mariel as they become entrenched in the war against the Sheriff of Nottingham. I liked the first book I read by this author, Gwen and Art Are Not in Love, so naturally I thought this one would enjoy this one as well; however, this just didn’t do it for me. I found myself not really connecting with the characters when I could tell the author was writing them in specific ways to make you care and to make you emotional when bad things happen, but I just didn’t really feel that. I was also kind of bored by the plot, which is unfortunate because a good amount does happen in this book. I don’t think this book did anything inherently bad or wrong, but it just wasn’t for me. I will say that it gave autumnal vibes though.

I really tried for like this one, but it was so slow. The narrator is great, but I couldn't finish it.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.

I thought I was in for a cute story, similar to Gwen and Art, but this was so different. Mariel is the granddaughter of Robin Hood, and now she's also a captain of the Merry Men. Clem is a healer who is looked at as kind of weird for her new kinds of cures (modern medicine vs, say, leeches and bloodletting). When Mariel kidnaps Clem for her guardian helping the Sheriff of Nottingham, she comes back to find out her own father and leader of the Merry Men has been captured, forcing Mariel to work alongside Clem. Things get intense, feelings develop, and what you end up with is an adventure full of action and romance.

I really enjoyed this. The group within the Merry Men that we get to know really embodies the found family trope. The side characters really make this book so much more interesting than it would've been, and that's saying something considering we have a few other of my favorite tropes (one bed, kidnapping). But overall, the plot was fun, the characters were well rounded, the romance was slow burn and worth it, and the world building was done in a way that didn't feel clunky. I definitely recommend this.

This book had my heart racing and my jaw dropping throughout. There were very few twists that I could predict were coming, making it into an incredibly fun journey to be taken on. The slow building chemistry between the two main characters felt so natural for them to fall into. While it was obvious what was happening between them I still couldn’t contain my shock when they actually kissed. All of the characters were so strikingly well-written that a reader couldn’t help but root for them. This was a book that I couldn’t wait to come back to each time I had to put it down. The audiobook narrator did an excellent job pulling the reader into the story and conveying the characters emotions. I am a strong lover of the original Robin Hood mythology and thought Lex Croucher did a brilliant job expanding on the world in a way that doesn’t require a reader to have background knowledge going in.

Lex Croucher is rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors for their brilliant characterizations and hilarious dialog. If you’ve ever wondered what happened to the Merry Men after Robin Hood retired, Not for the Faint of Heart offers a satisfying story of what might have come next. It’s an exciting adventure filled with an admirably diverse group of flawed yet lovable characters, many of whom are queer in one way or another.

One aspect of the story is a slow-burn grumpy/sunshine Sapphic romance between obstinate Captain Mariel Hartley-Hood (granddaughter of Robin Hood), and Clem, the irrepressibly cheerful healer that Mariel and her little troop of Merry Men kidnap. I absolutely adored Clem from the moment I met her. Mariel could be frustrating, but as I got to know her better, it was easy to understand why she acted the way she did. And to her credit, she goes through a wonderful growth ARC by the story’s end.

The secondary characters were well developed and memorable, and there’s a strong sense of found family.

I loved the very matter of fact queer representation. This is a world where I did not notice any assumptions about or limitations based on gender or sexual orientation. People simply are who they are and love who they love.

I would recommend this book for fans of queer young adult historical romances, romantic comedies, and adventures. If you enjoy books by T. Kingfisher, Alexis Hall, or Casey McQuiston, you should definitely give this a try.

The audiobook production was good, and the story works well in audio. I generally enjoyed the duel narration by Kat Griffiths for Clem’s point of view and Olivia Dowd for Mariel’s point of view. They both have pleasant voices; clear pronunciation; distinctive voices and speech patterns to suit each character; and the ability to convey humor, mood, and emotion effectively. My only frustration is that Kat Griffiths often used a strange speech pattern… at the start of her chapters… with unnatural pauses… every few words. Once she got going, she sounded great, but then at the start of her next chapter, she’d include the weird pauses again.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for providing me with a free advanced review copy of the audiobook through NetGalley. I volunteered to provide an honest review.

In Croucher's second book, a Robin Hood retelling with queer characters in which Mariel, leading the band of Merry Men as a female, kidnap Clem, a healer in the woods with a sense of humor and a wry outlook. Just because of a connection to the Sherriff, she's now on her way along with Mariel to get revenge for Mariel's father from an ambush gone wrong.

There's a lot to question and with Mariel and Clem sharing a horse and a bed (oh no, whatever shall happen???!?!) that only gets more entertaining as the story goes on with Croucher's unique sense of reimagined history (including plenty of F bombs-- did those exist then?) and humor.

Entertaining in the way Croucher's books featuring queer stories and history are with their fantastically wild imagination and wit.

Audio review: I always love dual narrators when there are dual POVs! I have listened to Kit Griffith before and find their narration can be a little bit clippy, but easy to understand and follow. I haven't listened to any books narrated by Olivia Dowd before, and I enjoyed the portrayal of Mariel. Great quality audiobook!

Book review: This was a fun read! Come for the queerness and promise of adventure, and stay for the vibes. It's kind of slower paced early-on, but the last ~2/3 picks up the action, romance, and more.

Thank you Macmillan audio and NetGalley for the ALC!

A beautiful audiobook version of this wonderful book. An enchanting sequel to the wonderful Gwen and Art, this time following the granddaughter of Robin Hood as she struggles with finding her place in a world where myth becomes expectation. At turns laugh out loud funny with some moments of pure anguish, Croucher has succeeded at something many YA authors fail at and has created genuine, fully fleshed characters who are completely believable. I loved Gwen and Art and thought Not for the Faint of Heart was even better.

I’m a die-hard Robin Hood girlie, so this book was MADE for me! There’s so much to talk about here.

I was really impressed with the interactions with the original lore as well as the updates and plot twists that hit all the harder if you knew it. I think this is a really clever and kind queering, where the souls of known characters are still recognisable, new characters can thrive, and a totally new story is supported from multiple points. Gold star.

The two protagonists have a DELIGHTFUL rapport from jump. I really enjoyed their antagonistic banter. They both feel distinct in terms of both the writing and the jobs the two narrators did. Mariel’s portrayal felt more posh and reserved, while Clem’s frenetic energy suited both her dialogue and background. This audiobook was well-cast and performed excellently.

I loved the supporting characters as well! A solid little rag-tag group of thieves to root for.

I feel like my only hangups come in pacing on this one. At times it dragged to the point I almost gave up, and at others I felt it was moving so quickly I lost the plot. I think this was a solid idea with a solid central point and a solid romance, but it needed maybe a bit of a push to get it to astounding.

Still, will recommend it! Had a great time.

Lex Croucher, how dare you make me cry this much in one book.

Not For the Faint of Heart is a romantic tale of Mariel, Robin Hood's granddaughter, and Clementine, a healer that Mariel and her crew kidnap. Clem has always idolized the Merry Men and dreamed of joining them one day, so when she is kidnapped by them she is not very concerned. Mariel on the other hand is very concerned about pleasing her father- the commander of the Merry men- and kidnapping Clem is just another task on her quest to prove herself. When the band is caught in a deadly ambush and the officers of the Merry Men are captured- Clem's healing skills become very useful and she joins Mariel l and the rest of the band of bandits on the adventure of a lifetime. As the two grow closer throughout their journey, they will be forced to fight for everything they once believed in.

Croucher is so good at creating immersive stories and this was no different. I loved revisiting the tales of Robin Hood but in an entirely new way and I instantly fell in love with every single character in this book. Excellent!

I loved the concept of this book and I'm glad it was well-executed. I'm a fan of YA books that don't baby the reader, and it hit that mark for me (i.e. there are mature themes that the characters, who are young adults, experience). I found it a bit slow to start, but as a reader you're just thrown into the story so I was okay with figuring it out as I went.

The characters are loveable and fleshed-out, but I personally struggle in audio when there are more than 4 names to keep track of so this was right on the edge for me. But man, it would make such a good graphic novel. This author consistently writes really witty/funny moments, which are a highlight for me in their books.

Not for the Faint of Heart is a sapphic YA Robin Hood retelling and everything I never knew I wanted from a story like this. I adored both Mariel and Clem and the great banter they had between them. I also enjoyed the whole vibe of the story. The plot was easy to follow and keep readers engaged although it was a little slow to get started. It’s definitely worth sticking through the slower part. I am an absolute sucker for found family, so I loved the Merry Men. I also loved how Croucher used the grumpy/sunshine trope. I combo read this via ebook and audiobook. I loved the narration by Kat Griffiths and Olivia Dowd. They each did so well at bringing their respective characters to life. I also appreciated the use of different narrators to voice Mariel and Clem. Overall, this is a fun vibe read that I would recommend.

The story was intriguing and the romance was sweet. It really helped to have two narrators, so you could really understand the different tones of the main characters. The themes of found family and family trauma were well written, keeping the overall tone of the book on the positive side. The adventure and danger were a little lacking, but good enough to keep the story moving along, the romance was very sweet and all of the action happened behind closed doors.

It is not often I feel so lukewarm about a book. I had to make myself keep picking this back up, while I was interested in the story, the narration ( I was listening on audio) was just not hooking me, I do wonder if I read the book myself if I might enjoy it more. As it is, I pushed myself through it but it was hard to ever really sink my teeth in. I was never EXCITED about the story, I never found myself wanting more, it was ever and always a bit of a slog and I think a lot of why was the narration. Even a ho hum book can be elevated by good narration and I feel, truly, this was brought to it's knees by it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for a review copy of this book in exchange for my (maybe too honest) review.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for my free ALC of Title by Not for the Faint of Heart — available Nov 26!

» READ IF YOU «
🏹 love irreverent fairytale/folklore retellings
💚 are a sucker for a good found family trope
👯‍♀️ enjoy strong, vibrant women in your stories

» SYNOPSIS «
Clem finds herself a captive of the Merry Men, a group she idolizes (though they're neither merry nor men), and ends up acting as the team healer when things start to go south. Mariel, the captain, learns of her father's capture at the same time she starts to doubt the noble cause her represents to her, and the whole band of un-merry un-men will have to work together to save what they truly care about.

» REVIEW «
This was a super cute little adventure romance! I loved the grumpy-sunshine dynamics of Mariel and Clem (I'm such a sucker for this), and fell hard for the strong found family vibes throughout the book. This story was pitched to me as similar to "The Princess Bride" which is one of my all-time favorite movies — I also looooved Gwen and Art Are Not In Love by Lex Croucher — so my expectations were extremely high and not quite satisfied. Nevertheless, I had a great time with these quirky characters and their wild adventures! Narration was excellent as well.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

3.5 stars. This is a fun book about the granddaughter of Robin Hood and the (mis)adventures she and her company get into. There is a lot of humor in the story, though not as much as I'd expected. The characters are a group of goofy misfits and they get into tons of ridiculous situations. But there was also a lot of heavy/sad scenes in this book, so it's not quite cozy. I enjoyed the cast of characters, especially the side characters (Morgan and Baxter were my favorites).

I listened to the audiobook version. I enjoyed the narration (two narrators for the dial POVs). Because it was audio it was hard for me to judge how far into the story I wad and there were a few points that I thought were leading to the end but were only at the 50% and then 75% mark. So, the pacing felt odd there was a lot of action and a lot of down time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an ARC of this audiobook.

Croucher's last YA historical (fantasy?) novel set the bar really high for me in terms of humorous writing, and this new book didn't quite meet it—but it was still great fun. Her last book in this category was just hilarious line after line, and this book was more quirky characters, ridiculous situations, goofy and irreverent dialogue—so still enjoyable, just not quite the same. I especially enjoyed Clem for all her cheerful, funny remarks, and how good and self-assured she was. Their little teenage band was also really sweet and hit me the most in the feels. Overall, I thought it was a good time.

This was a good, action-packed story! I really liked the main characters, Mariel and Clem, and thought they had great chemistry. Personally, I was expecting a bit more romance than there was as well as more Robin Hood-like activities, but overall the story was very entertaining and I think the target audience will find this very fun and enjoyable.

I loved the two narrators for the audiobook and always appreciate when dual-POV stories are narrated by multiple voice actors. It is so much easier to keep track of and really adds to the experience. These voice actors were excellent and I loved their accents!

This review is for the audiobook of Not for the Faint of Heart by Lex Croucher, Lex Croucher, narrated by Kat Griffiths and Olivia Dowd. The narrators were excellent, both of them. They added life and spark to the story, and I can't really think of anyone else who would've been more suitable. The plot was a bit hard to follow, but the audiobook was top notch.