Lex Croucher writes the most fun YA I've read in years. not For the Faint of Heart does what it says on the packet. It lulls you into a false sense of adventure and brotherhood and then BAM chapter 30 hits and your left falling a little bit.

This story is fun, dumb and funny. Our protagonists are a delightful grumpy/sunshineix without being too tropey. In fact, one of Croucher's strengths is their ability to flesh out all characters in such a way that even the tropiest tropes are nuanced and considered with character depth and development.

It's fun, it's cute, it's popular to boot. The perfect style of YA with heart. Not as immediately unputdownanle as Gwen and Art but a genuinely gorgeous read.

As someone who thoroughly enjoyed Gwen and Art Are Not In Love, I was thrilled to get an arc of Lex Croucher's second YA novel. Unfortunately, I didn't love this as much as Gwen and Art. This reimagining of Robin Hood features the granddaughter of the aforementioned legend, her company of Merry Men, and the healer they've taken captive. It takes a while for the story to find its footing, with the book's last third bringing everything together. Lex does a wonderful job with the side characters in this book. I loved watching the camaraderie between Baxter, Morgan, Kit, Josey, Mariel, and Clem. The romance fumbles a little bit, but by the end of the book, you are taken by the grumpy sunshine of Mariel and Clem.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the advanced reader copy.

I was so excited to get this ARC because I absolutely loved Gwen and Art are Not in Love by Lex Croucher (check that book out if you enjoy Arthurian retellings). However, Not for the Faint of Heart fell flat for me. I was bored for the first 50-60% of the book, and it didn’t have the same sparkle as Gwen and Art.

In this book, a healer named Clem is kidnapped by Robin Hood’s granddaughter, Mariel. The book's first part had heavy info dumping, but then picked up. I enjoyed seeing the Merry Men help out and change the narrative that the current leader created. Clem was a delight and Mariel was very complex, but I had trouble connecting with her. The romance between Clem and Mariel came out of nowhere, but it was cute. I loved the LGBTQ+, non-binary, and ethnic representation. There were many lovely lessons about being human, making mistakes, and helping people. Unfortunately, the book didn’t sing to me like Croucher’s last book.

3.5 stars

This was unfortunately a bit of a let down. The pacing was almost unbearably slow, to the point where I couldn’t figure out what was happening because it seemed like nothing was. The romance came out of nowhere with no buildup, no chemistry, no development. There was no point during the book where it felt believable. This book also completely lacked emotion, even in the tense, action scenes (at least I think that’s what they were supposed to be)
I just could really get into this one and unfortunately it never picked up for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Clem is a happy-go-lucky healer, living in the town of Oak Vale following the death of her parents; she volunteers to be kidnapped in place of her mentor, and ends up in the company of Mariel. Mariel is the emotionally closed-off captain of a ragtag team of Merry Men, the granddaughter of Robin Hood and daughter of the current commander of the Merry Men.

Clem is charming and endearing, seemingly content with letting life take the lead and following the universe where it leads her (even if it leads her to being kidnapped). She’s full of witty comebacks and jokes, even when it probably isn’t the best time for it. The only thing in life she does take seriously is her healing, and she’s a damn good healer.

Mariel is, for lack of a better word, a control freak. She’s shouldering the heavy burden of her legacy while trying to earn the respect of her father, other captains, and her crew. She believes wholeheartedly in her father’s ability to lead the Merry Men to victory over the Sheriff’s men, and she wants to show him that she can be trusted to lead her crew to follow his orders. Mariel is a hardened pessimist to Clem’s eternal optimist.

Lex Croucher has a knack for creating characters that transcend the setting of the novel - it turns out having daddy issues is a pretty universal experience. The main characters are endlessly endearing, and it’s a joy to watch as they open up to each other and grow throughout the book. Mariel’s crew is a team of underdogs; it makes them easy to root for, both on and off the battlefield. The villains (or, perceived villains) have a complexity to them that was unexpected. There are moments where I found myself feeling a little bad for some of them despite myself.

The beginning of this book is a little bit slow, but it picks up roughly halfway through and the rest of the book feels like it flies by. Personally, I felt like the pacing was a little bit off in this. I would have loved if the ending had been a little bit more drawn out and expanded upon. There are a lot of twists and reveals that come towards the end of the book, and I would have loved a tiny bit more breathing room between them. Compared to the beginning of the book, the ending feels just a little bit rushed. I don’t often wish books were longer, but I could have read 100 more pages of this book easily.

I really enjoyed the LGBTQ+ representation in this book, especially outside of Clem and Mariel’s relationship to each other. I would have loved more backstory on Kit and Morgan, who both join Mariel’s team from lives outside of the Merry Men. Croucher’s ability to weave LGBTQ+ representation into this book in both explicit and implicit ways lends a sense of realism to the world. Queer people have always existed, and I love that they have taken the time to sprinkle in moments of queer representation that have minimal bearing on the plot. They serve to enhance the richness of the world and I really appreciate seeing queer rep in historical fantasy.

Overall this book is a joy to read, with two strong FMC’s, queer representation in every corner, and a plot that I genuinely couldn’t have predicted (in the best way).

Not for the Faint of Heart is a thrilling adventure by Lex Croucher, brimming with found family and a romance that will forever change the lives of the Greenwood Forest's inhabitants. As Mariel and Clem navigate their growing feelings for each other amidst the dangers of the forest, they must confront their pasts, challenge their beliefs, and decide where their true loyalties lie. Their journey is filled with intense moments of self-discovery, courage, and the unbreakable bonds of love and friendship. With its richly drawn characters and a story that seamlessly blends action, humor, and heartfelt emotion, this novel is destined to captivate readers and leave a lasting impression.

I really loved Croucher's previous novel but this was just all over the place and definitely needed a few more drafts.

This was amazing!

When Mariel, Robin Hood's granddaughter, kidnaps Clem and all hell breaks loose, it's up to Mariel and her Merry Men to save the day.

Mariel's dad is taken by the Sheriff of Nottingham along with her group of misfit bandits and Clem, Mariel sets off to rescue her father. But not everything goes as planned and many of the Merry Men think Mariel is wrong to attempt a rescue. What's even worse for Mariel is Clem. A cheerfully optimistic healer who doesn't seem to understand she is kidnapped. When the two of them are forced into close proximity they learn just how far they'll go to protect their loved ones and each other.

This queer historical romantasy is a must-read for anyone who enjoys an exciting plot, fun romance, and watching the good guys win!

True Rating: 2.5 Stars, rounded up, generously.

First, thank you NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, I was kind of disappointed with this one. I'm usually all for books with no-plot-all-vibes, but this was a little hard to read. More than anything, it feels like the book isn't what was advertised. This book is about Mariel, the new leader of the Merry Men. She is doing her level best to make sure she lives up to the role. She kidnaps Clem's friend (and Clem came along willingly) and over the course of the book, they find that they have feelings for each other.

Despite the interesting premise, I found the pace slow, which made Mariel and Clem's relationship come seemingly out of nowhere. There is a <i>lot</i> of travelling and whilst this has the capability of being super fascinating, it just didn't hit in the way it should have. I feel like this book would have been so much better if I had a better attention span, but I am, unfortunately, quite busy and rather exhausted, which made a lot of it just hard to read when I came back from work.

I see how this book would be enjoyed, but it's definitely not up to par with [book:Gwen & Art Are Not in Love|61885131], which was a more fast-paced, enjoyable read. I was close to DNFing this book many times but just finished it off in hopes it gets better (which it did, just nowhere near fast enough).

DNF'd at 36%. I really wanted to like this one, but despite really liking Clem, and some of the merry men, the story was too slow for my taste and I couldn't get invested. I can definitely see others liking this though!

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read Lex Croucher's newest, Not for the Faint of Heart.

I adored Gwen & Art are Not in Love last year and Lex Croucher's signature humor was front and center in Not in Love. Their writing style is just so joyful and made reading this so much fun. I was instantly enamored with Clem, our kidnapped healer, she's truly just here for a good time. Mariel, the granddaughter of Robin Hood took me a bit longer to warm up to. This is a girl who takes herself way too seriously in an attempt to prove herself to her father the current leader of the Merry Men. Mariel is a captain of her own band of Merry Travelers and I loved every single one of them. Hyper-competent badass Josey. Baxter, a gentle giant who's happy to join a fight if it's what his friends need. Kit, an excellent cook, decent healer, and flower enthusiast. Morgan rounds out the band as the absolute perfect personification on if a cat was a teen.

While I loved all the characters and the writing style itself I found the plot got a bit away from itself towards the end. There came a point where things were happening and I kind of had to sit back and be like, are we sure? That's how it's going to play out? Nonetheless, this was compulsively readable and I finished it in nearly one sitting. I can't wait to add my physical copy to my shelf in November

4.5 ⭐️

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love was one of my favorite books of last year so to say I was excited to read this book would be an understatement. I also love the story of Robin Hood so that just added to my high expectations.

Like Gwen & Art, I loved all the characters in this story. It took me a second to get a grasp on all of them, but I really liked the range. I am also a big fan of the grumpy/sunshine trope and was so happy that Clem and Mariel’s personalities led to that. The dynamic between the main group was genuine and so fun. It was such a good portrayal of found family. I felt that the great dialogue really helped in pushing all of them forward.

There were some aspects of the story that felt a little drawn out to me. However, I never felt bored and genuinely adored this book. The plot of Mariel saving her father and the romance were both there (though I could’ve done with a bit more romance given its marketing). While this is a slow burn, I think the author did a good job of sprinkling moments in to keep the relationship aspect going.

While I personally would’ve liked more romance and maybe a bit more character development, I really liked this. I’ve determined that I’ll read every future book from this author. While this is second to Gwen & Art story wise, the characters are just as great. It brought an aspect of nostalgia for me and introduced me to a set of entirely new lovable personalities. I highly recommend!

MINI PLAYLIST 🏹💚🌟
Long Live - Taylor Swift
Guilty Pleasure - Chappell Roan
cardigan - Taylor Swift

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! :)

I loved this book. I had a lot of fun reading it and I loved the personality of Clem's character especially. The dynamic of the two main characters was excellent and very entertaining, and they were well-supported by the secondary characters. The secondary characters also felt well-developed and I appreciate when they're their own people and not just there to support the main characters. The story beats did seem to move on very quickly, but I think that's more of a personal preference thing than an actual flaw with the story. Overall it was a really enjoyable book and I can't wait to be able to have it in my library.

Lex Croucher saves lives, say thank you. ( No I mean it, say thank you!)

This was an incredible all around, funny, lovely blinking back tears and shrieking into the night romp of a time and what else can you possibly want???

I am beyond thrilled to be adding this to my collection of books 16-year-old me would have been feral about and 28-year-old me is very unchill about to be frank.

Thank you to St Martins Press for this eARc! I’ll admit I was a bit lost in the woods for a majority of this book. There was a lot going on and it was kind of hard to follow. Nonetheless it was a fun time with engaging characters, it’s just going to have to be a reread to understand all the details.

I immediately loved Clem and the Merry “Men”—especially Kit, Morgan, and Josey. However, I was didn’t warm up to Mariel until about two-thirds of the way through the book when she finally allowed some of her armor to slip, but from that point on I truly enjoyed her grumpy dynamic paired with Clem’s sunshine personality. Bonus points for the super cute flirting by arm wrestling.

Despite their name, I was delighted that the Merry Men was made up of a variety of genders. I’d hoped for a tad more robbing the rich and romance, but this was still a rollicking good time filled with plenty of heart and humor.

Be aware that this is a sequel about Robin Hood’s granddaughter rather than a strict Robin Hood retelling. But if you’re a Robin Hood fan who would love a queer take on that world, you’ll probably enjoy this.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

This is my first book by Lex Croucher, and I'm happy to say that I'm a fan! Her voice comes out perfectly within the pages of "Not for the Faint of Heart", and she gives wonderful wit and charm to her cast of the Merry Men. Her cast is smart, diverse, and everything you'd expect from a spin off of Robin Hood -- loyal and properly daring. With a very sweet sapphic romance and a few plot twists, this was an incredibly enjoyable read, from beginning to end.

I hope to read more from Croucher soon!

I adored "Gwen and Art Are Not in Love" so I had faith that I'd feel much the same about Lex Croucher's second queer YA novel. While I enjoyed it, I don't think I liked it nearly as much as I liked their debut YA novel. Though I adored Clem and a few supporting characters, I had a very hard time being charmed by Mariel. I can certainly understand her disposition after the childhood she experienced, but the romantic subplot felt like it took a very long time to occur, and even then it was hard to see any true spark between the couple.

I also found the pacing to be a bit off, particularly towards the end where it felt rushed in wrapping up the plot. With that said, I truly did enjoy the retelling of 'Robin Hood' which included queer and POC characters that felt fleshed out and not shoved in for the sake of diversity. Morgan in particular was a favorite of mine! What Mariel lacks in warmth and compassion, Clem certainly makes up for so don't let Mariel's cold behavior put you off reading this book.

I look forward to reading the next novel by Lex Croucher (and secretly hoping we get the background love story of Robin Hood & Will Scarlet!)

This was everything I’ve come to expect from a Lex Croucher YA fantasy romance! Great characters, fantastic queer rep, easy to follow writing, snappy banter, and a delightful main pairing.

The plot of this Robin Hood reimagining flowed seamlessly and it smoothly took me from one scene to the next. Clem (the epitome of the ‘sunshine’ side of the pairing) and Mariel (the ‘grumpy’ MC we slowly get to know and love) were both well fleshed out and with interesting levels of depth. Usually, historical novels written in a modern tone irk me, but Croucher’s voice for their characters is so consistent, and their humor is so engaging, it fits perfectly with the concept of this novel.

A recommended book for anyone looking for an engaging romcom with a likeable cast of queer characters to read this summer!