Not for the Faint of Heart introduces Robin Hood's granddaughter Mariel Hartley-Hood, who is captain of a diverse crew of Merry men and women. Her father has taken over the Merry Men after Robin’s retirement. The story begins with Mariel and her band abducting Clemence Causey, a healer, to heal various wounds they have suffered. Clem, whose light-hearted humor contrasts to Mariel’s serious ambition, finds herself enamored of not only the band's adventurous lifestyle, but also Mariel herself. When her father is abducted by the Sheriff of Nottingham, Mariel is determined to rescue him and prove herself worthy of being a leader. Told from Clem’s and Mariel’s alternating third-person perspectives, this action packed rom-com is filled with explosive fight sequences and tender moments highlighting the loyalty the members feel for each other.

Compared to their first book, this one fell extremely flat for me almost immediately. I don't know if it's that I'm not a big Robin Hood person or if the writing just wasn't hitting me right, but I didn't like this one at all.

I cannot say enough good things about this book, it was absolutely lovely!! Lex Croucher is quickly becoming a favorite author!

With so many retellings coming out recently it was refreshing to see one for Robin Hood! I thought the banther between Mariel and Clem kept things light and funny while also balancing some of the more serious topics such as Mariel's family dynamic and emotinal growth. While I was hoping for a bit more action, the end of the book really picked up and ended on a high note!

I found that this story had something missing. I didn’t enjoy it as much as her other book set in the same style. The connection wasn’t there for me.
For a queer Robin Hood retelling it had so much potential and somehow missed the mark. The military aspect was too much.
Clem’s humor was amazing though! She made the story fun

Not for the Faint of Heart was an adventure! I loved seeing what Robin Hood’s granddaughter got up to helping citizens of the wood!

Thank you, NetGalley, St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Mariel is the granddaughter of the legendary Robin Hodd and she will do anything in her power to live up to his standards, now she's the captain of the Merry Men. Clem, a perky backwoods healer, known for her fangled cure just wants to help people. When she's accidentally kidnapped, everything is turned upside down. The Merry Men wanted to capture her guardian, as retribution of having helped the Sheriff of Nottingham When Jack Hartley, Mariel's father and Commander of the Merry Men is captured, Mariel is ready to do anything to get him back. With her annoyingly kidnappee in tow, of course. People no longer seemed to believe the Merry Men are on the right side of history and, while Clem helps them with wounds, cracking terrible jokes, Mariel starts to doubt them as well. Forced to share a horse and a bed, Mariel and Clem become closer and closer, pushing them towards a fight that will change all their lives.

Not for the faint of heart is a queer historical YA novel and it's absolutely hilarious. Brilliant, funny, swoony, filled with tensive and funny moments, romance and laughs, you can't miss this book. Clem and Mariel are absolutely fantastic and I love their journey, both physical and romantical, their romance, banter, jokes and more in this found family novel.
I love them to bits and this book is so imaginative, such a cute "retelling" of Robin Hood and the Merry Men and I'm so in love with every single characters.

Full disclosure, this ebook was so poorly formatted that it was difficult for me to read without frustration. Numbers randomly appeared throughout and made it hard for me to get into the story. I tried not to let it interfere, with my review, but I’m sure it did. I liked the book ok, but didn’t feel very connected to the story. I would love to read a finished version and review without the formatting in the way.

After reading and loving GWEN & ART, I was so excited to dive into this one! It's another fun, queer YA novel from Lex Croucher that you can easily binge. So refreshing and just a great time!

Not for the faint of Heart is an arc I received prior to its publication from netgalley which I was truly grateful for as the storyline with two interesting female leads connected to Robin Hood very much appealed to me. I felt as if I was saving this for the right time to read as I wanted to be in the right mood to venture into an YA novel.

While I found the females to be quite intriguing with their own backgrounds I related to both of them however the one thing I felt missing from their relationship was an emotional bond which I did not feel until about 90% into the novel when the resolution was provided. The thing that I feel could have made this story better was a more deeper connection. Beyond that I enjoyed the external storyline and connection to the mythology of Robin Hood and seeing the familiar faces from the legend again, also seeing the leads becoming stronger versions of themselves.

I would recommend this for readers of fantasy and lovers of similar novels as I felt there was much substance found throughout the writings.

Not for the Faint of Heart is an intrinsically charming read. I'd read Gwen and Art are Not in Love, a title by the same author, before this book, and while I liked it, I found that the more serious moments didn't blend well with the humour. However, I found that Lex Croucher balanced the tone of Not for the Faint of Heart perfectly. I instantly fell in love with both of the main characters of this book, as well as the cast of side characters. Some deep topics are addressed throughout the story, but the book also had me laughing out loud every chapter. I found the plot a little slow at times, but the characters are so engaging that I never lost the desire to pick up this book. Overall, I had an incredible time reading this book and urge others to pick it up. If you aren't already convinced that this is the book for you, then let me lure you in with the novel's first line: "The morning the Merry Men came for Rosie, Clem was trying to put a hat on a fox."

Thanks to Wednesday Books & Netgalley for the arc.

Charming sapphic romantasy based off the Robin Hood legend.

I really enjoyed this book overall, though I’d say I still love ‘Gwen And Art Are Not In Love’ more. It took me a little bit longer to get into this one, even though the premise intrigued me as a kid who grew up loving Robin Hood and watching too many adventure movies. I think it felt a bit slow at times and it took a while for me to warm up to some of the characters. It was hard not to love Clem, but Mariel’s was a bit of a stretch for me (and I’m usually all about the grumpy lone wolf character who needs no one). I did really enjoy the sass and banter back and forth, the amusing band of merry ‘men’, and the found family vibes. If you like the author’s other books, ever thought of running away to live in the woods, or always wished Robin Hood was more queer, check this out - you’ll probably like it. Thanks to NetGalley for the book.

the premise? chef's kiss. the execution? it leaves a little to be desired. that said, i love sapphic fantasy retellings and how accessible lex makes them for people. i would have loved a book like this in my teenage years!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Not for the Faint of Heart by Lex Croucher!

Thank you for the ARC. Likable queer characters in the book, but the plot left a lot to be desired. Loved the premise though

DNF 15%. I thought a sapphic Robin Hood retelling would be a book I LOVED. I love the Robin Hood movie with the foxes and thought this would be a great and fun spin on that. I’ve read and enjoyed Lex Croucher in the past but the writing on this felt a bit choppy and disconnected? Sadly, I just wasn’t vibing with it. I think it has a lot of potential so maybe some will find it to be a home run for them!

Thank you NetGalley, Lex Croucher, and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

This was so stinkin' cute. Yet, I can't say it's quite cozy. The stakes are quite high most of the time and the characters get into real danger frequently. While I had hoped more for cozy, it was still warm and full of love. There's a great found family aspect with fleshed out and memorable characters. I especially loved Clem, the kidnapped love interest. Her wit and humor kept the story from getting too dark at times and I appreciated that.
The romance is more of a slow-burn but then turns around and wraps up incredibly quickly. I wish there could've been more towards the end about the future of the Merry Men as well, but I'm also content to just use my own imagination for that. I was ultimately satisfied and relieved at the way things had shaken out.
Finally, as someone who also loves historical settings and folktales (especially Robin Hood), I really appreciate historical worldbuilding that normalizes queer relationships. It's such a treat to just turn my brain off and enjoy a Sapphic story set in medieval(ish) times and not make a huge deal out of it. Historical accuracy be damned!

Another great book from Lex Croucher! I really enjoyed Gwen and Art are not in love and this one was much the same except with Robin Hood being the inspiration. I really liked the characters and the bonds they had as well as the main storyline. I will say that there was a death I did not appreciate in this one and cried like a baby over.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

I liked this queer robin hood retelling, that takes place years after the original Robin Hood, one of our mcs is his granddaughter., Mariel. She is doing everything she can to be the perfect captain and living up to her father’s expectations. Of course, she isn’t perfect, but she is likable if a little thorny to newcomers, including Clem. Clem is the opposite of Mariel, she is a lot more open and talkative. And the two of them worked out so well together. I liked what we saw of their romance, I just wish there was more of it. But there was still plenty to keep you hooked including a wonderful cast of side characters, which are basically a family to each other, and lots of action and adventure.