I enjoyed this book a lot! Full of adventure, funny moments, and romantic tension. I did, at times, forget this was a romance book because the action and politics were so intriguing, but I don't see that as a bad thing! Thank you to this book for finally pulling me out of my reading slump!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing an ARC through NetGalley. Sorry it's a bit late. The aforementioned slump was a tough one to beat.

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 Macmillan audio for this ALC that I chose to read and review.

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)!

This book had me in a chokehold from the very beginning!! I was constantly thinking about this book when I wasn't able to listen to it. I loved the story of Robin Hood and his Merrymen as a kid. It was so interesting to see what it was like after he retired. There was a great group of diverse and interesting characters. I absolutely loved Clem. Her personality, her outlook, and absolutely her sass! This book is full to the brim with good banter and an amazing story. Mariel was so smart and quick witted. I loved getting to watch her grow and realize that doing things for the good of the Wood was more important than following orders. This book made me laugh, cry, and kick my feet like a little kid. I am so excited to read whatever comes next from Lex Croucher!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced listeners copy!

This was a fun one! I liked th unique take on the story of Robin hood and Co. Hope to see more from them.in the future!

A fun adventure/romance! Especially in our current climate, I appreciated a story about young people grappling with the legacy that their parents' politics have left for them. The romance was adorable and I enjoyed the camaraderie amongst the merry men. I listened to the audiobook. I loved the narrators, but I think I prefer this as an eyeball read because of the number of characters and because the action is so fast at times that I missed details if I blinked. I think this is a fun read for teens and YA fans. Thanks to NetGalley for the ALC!

I ended up being really disappointed by this new book from Lex Croucher. After loving Gwen and Art Are Not in Love last year, I was excited to read more YA titles from the author. Not for the Faint of Heart disappointed me on two fronts:
1. The quality of the story. I was so bored for the majority of the book. It didn't feel like there was an actual plot line until 70% of the way through. There were also so many characters that weren't properly fleshed out, and as a result, I ended up feeling like all of them were interchangable.
2. The quality of the audiobook. Both narrators sounded like they were talking with wads of cotton in their mouths. The sound quality sounded so muffled and I had a hard time making out what they were saying.
Overall, a disappointment for me.

This book is perfection. As a child of the 90’s I’ve always been obsessed with Robin Hood lore, and this is such a fun twist (not a retelling) putting Robin Hood’s granddaughter together with the girl she is supposed to kidnap. Hilarity, so much heart, found family, adventure, and swoony moments make this a fun romantic YA five star read. I hate to admit, but this was my first Lex Croucher book, and it will absolutely not be my last. I plan to immediately read Gwen and Art Are Not in Love, and cannot wait to see what they write next. If you are searching for a book that will fly by, yet with characters that will linger in your mind, pick up this one next.

Thank you to Wednesday books for my gifted copy and to MacMillan audio for my audiobook. Narrators, Kat Griffiths & Olivia Dowd, slayed the performance, bringing out the grumpy and sunshiny characteristics of our leads will delivering comedic timing and tension.

This gender bent retelling of Robin Hood features Croucher’s signature snark and heart with all the magic of the merry men you remember. Set a generation removed from the original Robin’s exploits, the mission is muddled and the sense of family muted, but that doesn’t stop the true meaning of belonging and justice from growing in the forest. I really loved the found family goodness, the awkward and wholesome grumpy/sunshine romance, and the great plot arc.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

A delightful adventure full of memorable characters, witty and endearing banter, a sapphic romance, and the most wonderful found family.

I know what when I pick up Croucher’s books, there is always a fantastic found family within the pages just waiting to steal my heart. This group of merry folk was such a joy to spend time with. Their boisterous joy was contagious, their hilarious hijinks and cheekiness beyond entertaining, and the fierce loyalty that bound them together was beyond endearing and moving. Driven by a strong sense of justice, this group sought to reform the Merry Men, turn over a new leaf in the forest, and put an end to the fight of the previous generations.

I adored every character and love how Croucher makes the side characters so cheeky and charming that they shine just as bright as the leads.

The audiobook narration brought this cheeky romp to life and was such fun to get lost in!

NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART by Lex Croucher was unbelievably cute and spunky. Lex's YA books are such easy reads, and I prefer them to her Bridgerton-esque more new adult series. I love her take on such classic tales, and how she makes them queer and fun :)

This was a fun, dual POV, queer YA Sapphic reimagining of the Robin Hood story featuring the next generation of Merry Men. Robin's granddaughter, Mariel is the defacto captain of a new ragtag bunch of bandits who are in serious need of a mission statement rebranding. When they take hostage, Clem, a healer, whose guardian aided the Sherriff of Nottingham, the forced proximity, banter and enemies to lovers tension between the two women is priceless!

Full of adventure, witty one-liners, romance and a fantastic cast of quirky, queer characters. This is perfect for fans of her earlier book, Gwen & Art are not in love, and was also good on audio narrated by Kat Griffiths and Olivia Dowd. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio and finished copy in exchange for my honest review!!

This was a wonderful retelling of Robin Hood and had me involved with the story the entire time! Clem and Mariel are wonderful characters and have so much growth. The only downside I have is with the narrators but aside from that a wonderful, fun, and interesting read. Full of representation and fun moments. 4/5 stars for me!

Not for the Faint of Heart is a delightful YA gender bent Robin Hood story. The story starts with the Merry Men kidnapping Clem, who quickly starts to bond with the members of the crew who are close to her age. The group she hangs out with is lead by Mariel - Robin Hood's granddaughter. I think this book is perfect for a teen reader who wants a lighthearted book with found family vibes and some heist energy. There is also a lot of interesting conversations about how movements can change and lose sight of their original goals over time.

Readers who are bothered by modern language or slang in historical books may have trouble connecting with this one. For me, there wasn't quite enough focus on the actual romance in the first half of the book to hold my interest. Other readers may enjoy the slow burn and the time spent getting to know all of the characters and the world building. There are also a lot of fun skirmishes and action!

I found the audiobook really clear and easy to follow. I knew who's POV I was in, and thought that the narration matched all of the characters really well! I would recommend this one on audio.

I call this a cozy mystery with a definite warning about the death and gore included. Focusing on found family and a sapphic romance, Not for the Faint of Heart is a retelling/add-on to the Robin Hood legends. A lovely jaunt in the woods that leads to a captivating story!

DNF at 15%. This isn't anything against this book, I was quite enjoying it and I enjoyed the other book similar to this one the author released last year. I have just. had not motivation to pick it back up. It hadn't completely grasped my attention, and while I am still early in the book, I believe I should have been wanting to come back for more at this stage.

I didn’t hate this book but I didn’t love it either. I found myself losing interest quite often in the beginning, but the ending really picked up and was enjoyable. I loved the idea of Robin Hood’s daughter taking over for him. I always love a good sapphic romance, though I feel like the relationship between the two did not develop as much as I would have liked.

I did enjoy the narration of the audiobook!

Thank you to Macmillan audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review!

amazing! i loved the dual pov of both these girls and the sapphic retelling of robin hood it was so deliciously fun and adventurous and hilarious!

Not for the Faint of Heart is a fun take on the usual Robin Hood retelling. Looking to the future generations of the merry men instead of repainting the same crew in new colors. It’s a fun historical romance with a splash of excitement, though bearing a more somber tone than Lex Croucher’s previous Gwen and Art are Not in Love, and maybe lacking in some of the excitement because of it. Still a good read, emotional ending (though I’ve been left wondering if one of the character deaths was truly necessary for plot or if it was shock factor).

Not For The Faint Of Heart is a heartfelt and delightful novel that touches upon the legacy of Robin Hood, the difficulties of parental expectations and the hijinks-with a dash of romance-that ensue following the kidnapping of an optimistic healer who employs some unorthodox methods to assist others.

Told from the perspectives of the two female leads: Clemence-known as Clem-a perky healer with a strong desire to help people and a joke often at the ready and Mariel, the reserved granddaughter of Robin Hood, who struggles to earn the respect of her father, the uncompromising Commander of the Merry Men.

Following an ambush that leads to the kidnapping of Mariel’s father, Clem soon grows closer to the other members of group. The secondary characters presented are interesting and diverse-Josie and Morgan were particularly my favorites. Mariel’s relationship with Clem is a bit of slow-burn romance, but it is wonderful to witness her gradual softening towards her as her feelings begin to grow.

If I were to to discuss them using tropes, I believe the grumpy and sunshine descriptors would be quite accurate. And in an instance, there is also only one bed.

While amusing banter occurs frequently, Not For The Faint Of Heart also doesn’t shy away from the serious reprecussions of Mariel’s leadership decisions. There is some violence and death, but they aren’t gratuitous and serve a role within the story.

The narrations by Kat Griffiths and Olivia Dowd are fantastic and they play off one another wonderfully whether amidst Clem and Mariel’s verbal sparring or during the more serious moments. Their voices for their characters are quite distinct and are a pleasure to listen to.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Wednesday Books and NetGalley for access to this audiobook. All opinions expressed are solely my own.