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.

Clem is a healer and being held captive by the Mariel of the Merry Men as retribution for helping the Sheriff of Nottingham. Mariel is the granddaughter of Robin Hood, and trying to live up to his legacy. But many people in the wood no longer believe the Merry Men are looking out for them. As Mariel and Clem face adventures together, they become closer and Mariel starts learning some well kept secrets.

This was a cute and unique YA read that was really well written. The plot was engaging and entertaining with funny moments and tons of adventure. The romance was predictable, but sweet and appropriate for a YA audience. There was clearly found family in this book, but it didn’t feel strong enough for me to really embrace and enjoy.

I listened to the audio which was enjoyable. Kat Griffiths and Olivia Dowd did a nice job bringing the characters to life and spoke clearly even when the audio was sped up. It did take me a bit of time to get used to one of the narrators, but I quickly adjusted and found their voice perfect for the story.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advance copy.

I made it about halfway through of the audiobook. I really enjoy the narrators and feel they bring a life to the story.

My confusion and frustrations come from the fact I can barely tell you what is going on. I have been listening, rewinding, and trudging through so much and have the faintest clue. I had wanted to give the author a second chance after reading "Gwen & Art Are Not in Love" and finding that enjoyable.

I may not be the perfect reader for this book, and judging by other reviews, I see there is a loyal base already towards it, which is great.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.
I do not know how to feel about this book. I read Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by the same author and really liked it, but this seemed a bit of a letdown. I don't know if it was due to the fact that I listened to the audio book instead this time or not, but I did not find myself enjoying it as much. I did not find myself enjoying the characters as much and I wasn't really invested in the relationships.

I really enjoyed this book so much!! It was a breath of fresh air in fantasy. I would highly recommend this if you love fantasy.

A rollicking good time! Robin Hood has retired and his granddaughter is desperately trying to make her way as a captain in the band of Merry Men. She accidentally kidnaps the wrong healer who decides to join her little band of queer found family fighters. And the adventures begin!

I loved this story. The dialogue was fun and snarky and the characters were adorable and I just wanted to adopt them all. The romance was sweet with just the right amount of heat for YA. And the setting was gorgeous. All my childhood Robin Hood fantasies come to life.

The plot was full of adventure with twists and turns I didn’t see coming. And I loved the ending.

This was a gorgeous historical fantasy with amazing queer characters that brought me back to my childhood dreams of following Robin Hood through the forest. I highly recommend it and am grateful to @netgalley as well as @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for my free ebook and audio copies to review.

Thank you netgalley for this advanced listening copy and thank you goodreads for advanced reader copy through giveaway, this is my honest review!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
💭My thoughts: The audiobook took me a bit to get used to at the beginning because the narrator had an accent but then I later adjusted and found it fitting considering the theme of the book.
Anyone who has been following along on my reading journey might be aware I’m not the type to enjoy historical fiction and YA that often either, but this YA historical romance was very enjoyable. I found myself laughing at the jokes and dialogue, especially with Clem. She has quite a personality and it really was brought to life. She really carried this story and might be why I stuck around for the ride this book took me on. Clem and Mariel are very much sunshine x grump through and through. They are the literal definition. I really liked the plot a lot. Mariel is Robin Hood’s grand daughter, her physically present, but emotionally distant parents are the sources of Mariel’s incapability of letting people in and trusting. Clem made her open up. The plot twist was perfect that once I got to it, I couldn’t put it down. I liked how the author wrapped it up and resolved it with a great ending for everyone, getting the happy ending they deserve. I definitely recommend this book!