You had me at sapphic Robin Hood. Honestly, you had me at Lex Croucher.

Not For The Faint of Heart centers around a healer, Clem, who lives in the woods that still bear the legends of Robin Hood's Merry Men. One day, they show up at her door—and take her as hostage. Not only are they different from the legends she's heard of, they've gained a reputation in the places around the woods as a new leader took hold and made them into more militia, less merry. The faction of the group Clem is taken by is run by the leader's daughter—and Robin Hood's granddaughter—Mariel. Clem becomes less of a captive and more of a compatriot to the charming, ragtag subset of merry men, a perfect outsider to show the reader the way this group has changed and shifted over time through a rousing chain of events.

The events, all that being said, are for me the least important part of this book. The most incredible part of this book lies in its characters—while the two leads are also extremely well written, Croucher does an incredible job at building out the faction of merry men (men! women! non-binary folks!) into a ragtag group of queer characters that you grow to love. They all have their own backstories, to the point where I wish that we had gotten a little more storyline development for each of them throughout the book. I would love to continue to read their tales. The author also does an incredible job at establishing the merry men as an entity as a group that can go through character development of its own, and I wish that had been explored a little more or treated with a little bit more of a gray area. But maybe that's just my interest in the intricacies of the group!

When it comes to our main characters—and their romance—for the most part I found Clem and Mariel an extremely interesting opposites attract romance. Clem is brash and straightforward and optimistic; she says what's on her mind and follows her code of ethics even when the situation may make it seem a little silly. Mariel is both the same and different; she's far more closed off after years of emulating her harsh father and attempting to live up to his standards as a leader of the merry men. But she too has her own code, one she adopted from him; and the way that code is challenged and her worldview is challenged by the arrival of Clem was for me her best plot. I did often find her a difficult character to read, not because she was poorly written, but because she was often frustrating and I felt there were moments where the flaws in her logic were perhaps too obvious even for her to not see yet.

This particularly comes into play in the last 15% of the book or so, which is where this book faltered for me; there is an event that happens with about 15 to 20% left of the book that for me after an extremely charming book that still had stakes but was still lighter, took an extreme turn for the grim. The after effects of this event emotionally are never for me dealt with properly and are caused by Mariel's stubbornness. And so I understand the loyalty of compatriots and friends, I don't know that I felt the way the other characters dealt with the event and forgiving her for this occurrence ever felt gratifying to the other characters who were affected.

Subsequently the last 10% of this book that deals with wrapping up a lot of loose ends often felt very fast and a little bit illogical. It didn't necessarily ruin my enjoyment for the book but I did finish feeling a little dissatisfied with how everything concluded. It doesn't impact how much I loved the rest of this journey in the woods, but all of that is the primary reason for me rating this book four stars instead of five.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Lex Croucher is back with another historical rom com, this one set in Sherwood Forest a few decades after Robin Hood's time. Now the Merry Men are a hierarchical army of bandits in constant war with the Sheriff. When a troop led by all-business captain Mariel kidnap an unconventional healer, Clem, she gets to know the members and transforms their mission and worldview.

This is a grumpy/sunshine sapphic rom-com; it's also a friendship story, a political drama, and a coming-of-age tale for several of the characters. Because this is Lex Croucher, there's plenty of LGBTQ+ representation (all very matter-of-fact, like when a male character goes swimming and turns out to have "chest bindings") and plenty of liberties taken with historical diction and attitudes. Also because this is Lex Croucher, the romance is sweet, the characters are irreverent, and the writing is flat-out hilarious whether it's about politics or love or a swordfight. A great read.

A great read! The writing style of Lex Croucher is engaging and fast paced to make this book easy to read in one sitting. Loved the LGBTQIA+ representation. Definitely recommend this novel!

Lex Croucher knows how to write a charming RomCom, emphasis on the Com. This is a clever retelling of Robin Hood that I think many young adults will enjoy. Mariel is the granddaughter of Robin Hood, and part of the Merry Men of Sherwood Forest. She accidentally kidnaps Clem, who is a healer. Clem is fun and easygoing while Mariel is more by the book. Of course, their differences are complementary, and this is a sweet Sapphic Romance. There’s tons of adventure in this book, and a great cast of supporting characters. A very quick read.

Thank you NetGalley for the free digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

i ADORED Gwen & Art Are Not in Love, so i was super excited when this galley popped up!! and Croucher did not disappoint, they might be the only author writing romance right now that i enjoy INCLUDING the romantic plotline and not IN SPITE of.

not gonna lie, this book works a very particular kind of magic on me. Croucher's writing is so swift and sharp and funny, and their characters all feel simultaneously very real and charmingly heightened. what a true joy to read a book where the twists still surprise me—i was set up and knocked down easy as bowling pins—but the predictable beats of a romance are tender and queer and rewarding instead of boring and rote. i laughed a TON reading this book, and cried too.

i was enchanted by gruff Mariel, and the motley group of young Merry Men (of many genders) in her command. sensible and honest Clem felt immediately like a friend. the actual plot of the story was gripping and moved at an exciting clip, and it was wonderful! but the real treasure here was two women who fall for each other in spite of their strange circumstances, who then continue to communicate with each other through failure and triumph. we stan two flawed queers being gentle with each other and giving each other the benefit of the doubt.

honestly, i'm so delighted. this is a high quality potato chip book for me: craveable, gone too fast, indulgent. i would read a hundred more books just like this, if Lex Croucher wrote them.

OMG. This book. I am not a romantic comedy, or even romance girly. However, I do love Robin Hood and I love a good twist on the classics. This book is so fun and precious. I absolutely loved every second of it. The characters are immediately loveable, and you immediately ship Clem and Mariel. UGH. These two have my heart. The writing is witty, cozy, and makes me kick my feet in the air in happiness. If you're looking to add a quick, loveable, cozy read during the winter seasons. Run and pick up a copy of this. Lex Croucher may have just opened my eyes to a new genre. I can't wait to see what else she writes!

I love that this author writes stories that are based on fairytales! I really enjoyed her first one and I enjoyed this one just as much! I love how she makes the stories LGBTQ+ friendly. The way the characters interact is so enjoyable and that one scene near the end, the gasp I GASPED! I thoroughly enjoyed this one and I can’t wait to see what she’ll come up with next!

This is a good read, but could have been great if it had more room to breathe. I think it could have been a duology and then things wouldn't be so rushed. So many events had a very big "blink and you might miss it" vibe. The ending was especially rushed.

On the other end of things, I really enjoyed the characters and the witty banter. I think the banter is very easily made to be over the top in many other examples, but it was done well here. I also enjoyed how sexual and gender identity were represented as... normal. Because that's what it is. They didn't have to beat you over the head with it to make it clear how each person identified and I really appreciated it.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

A very enjoyable Robin Hood retelling! The plot was fun and adventurous, and I enjoyed the romance! It did feel a little more rushed towards the end, like the author was trying to tie up and any loose ends, but overall it was an enjoyable read!

I am really loving these new retellings of classic stories. This is another by a great author. I really loved these characters and this new look on this story.

Not for the Faint of Heart by Lex Croucher is a ya Robin Hood retelling featuring the grumpy and sunshine
Clem is an apprentice healer with a strength of heart that is admirable. She is loyal to a fault and incredibly still sees the best in anyone despite being abducted and forced to heal for the enemy of the crown.
Mariel is grumpy and paranoid, rightfully so as she leads a group of the merry men. Sent to kidnap the village healer, she ends up coming back with Clem can her command survive?
Not for the Faint of Heart is a book that sits with you. Lex Croucher’s writing lingers in the back of your mind quietly and at rare moments pops up with fond remembrance. This has been true for both books I picked up. I believe anyone with a love for retellings can find a home for at least a while with in these pages.
I received an arc copy and have left this review of my own volition.

Not for the Faint of Heart by Lex Croucher is a perfect fit for readers who crave a thrilling and romantic adventure with a strong, queer female lead, a dash of historical flair, and a swoon-worthy love story that reimagines the classic tale of Robin Hood with a sapphic twist.

“Not for the Faint of Heart” is strongly based on the lore and legend of Robin Hood, but very similarly to “Gwen and Art are Not In Love”, it has more modern and funny twist to the story we know. Retellings/re-imaginings of classic stories or legends always go one of two ways: either extremely well or extremely terribly. Luckily, this book is so, so fun and engaging. I loved that it was a dual POV and that we got both Clem and Mariel's perspectives. It makes it so much easier to see why they fell for each other when you can read from both views. Clem is a character that has quickly been added to my list of "characters I want to be friends with." An eternal optimist, ahead of her time and with a heart of gold, she faces everything that meets her with a warm smile. Mariel, is the yin to Clem's yang. A gruff, apparently emotionally stunted, captain in the Merry Men, tasked with kidnapping Clem. I loved seeing Mariel develop as I read the pages. She also has a heart of gold, even if it's buried, deep, deep, down in her armor. Every member of Mariel's band of Merry Men is distinct in their personality and just a joy to read on the page. The action scenes in this book were really well paced, and I enjoyed reading about the gang plotting and scheming before a raid or a rescue mission. The found family and the group dynamics in this book were so wholesome and lovely. Robin’s return at the end of the book was a nice surprise. However, I did suffer through the travelling, and well, there is A LOT of travelling. The parts I enjoyed the most were indeed the moments where they managed to settle for a bit. But, again, I found the pacing quite slow and the travelling just made it very difficult to hold my attention. I can't wait to see what Lex Croucher decides to tackle next. I'm sure whatever it will be, it will be spectacular! Overall this book is well written and a very pleasant, easy and cozy read. It ticks a lot of boxes for me, I loved the writing style, the characters’ development, the tropes and, the sense of humor. Thanks to Lex Croucher, Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Wednesday Books. I am so looking forward to reading the next book!

I suppose Lex Croucher just isn’t for me. I really liked Gwen & Art, but have been rather mixed on her adult books. This one was deathly slow, and I checked out at around 13%.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

Not for the Faint of Heart is a charming rom-com/found family story that feels like a warm hug (after all the sword fighting, of course). It is set in the world of Robin Hood, though the main characters are his descendants and a new band of Merry Men. The story is funny and I loved all the positive representation of the LGBTQ+ community. I did struggle with the pacing of the first quarter or so, as it felt a tad slow and I had a hard time connecting to the characters. But, as the story progressed the pacing settled into a good rhythm.

I love Lex Croucher's writing so it was no surprise how much I loved Not for the Faint of Heart! The modern references and language were so on point, enough that they made me laugh but not too many that it took me out of it. And of course, I absolutely loved Mariel and Clem!

I was so ready for a fun, light-hearted-until-it's-not romp in the same vein of Gwen and Art, this time using Robin Hood as the legendary inspiration. And at times, that's what we get, but for the most part, there's just something that doesn't quite fit. Maybe it's due to making Mariel Robin Hood's granddaughter, and thus much closer to the original tales and characters, or maybe it has more to do with the way the setting feels like it's modern kids LARPing medieval England or the main characters got transmigrated from modern times (the phrase "fuck the fascists" appears, along with everyone having last names, modern military structure, etc.) in such a way that kept throwing me out of the story.

I also never quite clicked with Mariel - she's supposed to be the archetypical grumpy, uptight perfectionist, angling for respect, but we never really get a sense of /why/ she's that way, and all the attempts to explain her devotion to her father fall short (I also never bought her mother's excuses, not to mention they sort of came out of nowhere). This was especially a problem because it meant she felt out of place as a love interest for Clem, who has much better chemistry with everyone else in the crew.

That said, great found family vibes overall.

A creative, original, and deeply enjoyable Robin Hood retelling that takes a well-known, popular tale and gives it a refreshing spin. Though the plot is recognizably Robin Hood, Croucher takes just enough liberties to make the world feel entirely new. It's a fun jaunt of a book overall with a lighthearted enemies-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romance, but in Croucher's interpretation is an unexpectedly poignant and grounded commentary on social movements and the struggles and pitfalls of organizations fighting for change. Action-packed, difficult to put down, and utterly captivating.

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.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Wednesday Books for providing me with a free advanced review copy through NetGalley. I volunteered to provide an honest review.

I've loved all of Lex Croucher's books so far and I'm so honoured to be getting them as advanced copies but this one was a total miss for me. I found it really hard to connect with any of the characters or the plot at all. I don't mind diving straight into the action but this one just seemed really weirdly paced for me and I couldn't get into a flow with it at all. Unfortunately not my favourite!