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!

Sweet historical queer romance! I adore the MC Clem and the band of Merry Men she finds herself kidnapped by. I liked how the plot didn't focus entirely on the romance and there's strong character development for both Clem and Mariel. I'm a big fan of Lex's other books, and this one did not disappoint!

Lex does it again. This was everything I wanted it to be and more. It's an honor to have read this, honestly. A robin hood-esq sapphic?! OBSESSED

I would like to thank St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.


Clemence (Clem to her friends) was ten when she was orphaned, left to wander through the woods until she came upon the cabin of Rosie, the healer, the old woman the children called a witch. Clem became Rosie’s apprentice and learned the art of healing. Clem also experimented with different herbs and balms to promote healing. Clem believed there was a better way then using leeches and bloodletting.

Mariel is a captain of the merry men of Sherwood Forest. Mariel is the daughter of the leader of the merry men, and the granddaughter of Robin Hood. Someone has been passing on information about the merry men to the sheriff and her father orders her to kidnap the healer incase she was the mole. Mariel and her band take Clem by mistake.

Mariel is all business a real by-the-book type. Clem has a perpetually rosey outlook and is all smiles and smart comebacks ….especially considering she was kidnapped. She is the glass half full to Mariel’s glass half empty. Clem sees something special in Mariel and over time Mariel sees something special in Clem.

Mariel is caught up seeking her father’s approval. Even in the middle ages some parental dynamics are the same.

This story starts out slowly. The first quarter of the book while we are being introduced to the majority of the essential characters seems to take a little too long, the action is limited to smart quips which isn’t really enough to sustain the narrative. A third of the way into the book the pacing picks up significantly and the final 2/3 of the book flow quickly and easily.

The two main characters are engaging and likable and it is easy to root for them as they get to know and care about each other. The additional members of their immediate group are a joy to get to know.

I felt like the story wrapped up a little too quickly. I would have preferred a more expansive ending and some additional details about the relationship between our two FMCs. I enjoyed the LGBTQ representation, and I would have liked a little more about the back story of the character Morgan.

Historical fiction, with two wonderful FMC’s make this book very enjoyable.

A cute and fun little story. I enjoyed the ride immensely and thought both Mariel and Clem were refreshing and interesting characters.
I did feel like we were missing a little bit of romance in this semi-historical rom com, but I still found it to be a sweet story. Delightfully gay🥰
Thank you NetGalley and publisher!!
3.5 stars, if I had halves to give.

Robin Hood and his Merry Men of Sherwood Forest were famous outlaws and legendary characters. This YA novel continues with the Merry Men concept but they are not all men and their leader is not anything like the popular Robin.

I enjoyed the diverse characters and their camaraderie with each other especially Mariel and her group of young fighters. They were not perfect and didn’t always agree on decisions, but they supported their leader particularly through the most challenging periods.

This was an action adventure tale that contained fighting scenes. Characters were harmed and there were a few deaths. It also contained many humorous dialogue and romantic moments . So the story was nicely balanced.
I also enjoyed the few surprises the author created with some of the more familiar characters of the past.

Overall, this was an engaging and entertaining story.

I generally liked the book. It didn’t really feel like an extension to Robin Hood outside of just the name and folklore being mentioned, but the new characters were likable. It’s more fan-fiction than cannon of course.

The pacing felt a tad bit too slow but that wasn’t a deal breaker. The author used those slow moments to help us know the characters more which is what’s important in YA books in my opinion.

I do wish they spent more time with the love interest build up though. It felt do sudden and out character. But in the end, the pairing is believable. Not sure if that counts as a spoiler since the synopsis mentions romance.

This was a super cute story, and I loved the action elements! Clem and Mariel had the grumpy/sunshine trope in the cutest way and I loved seeing their personalities develop as the story progressed!

I love Lex Croucher's books, and this one did not disappoint. She has a great voice when storytelling that causes you to fall in love with the characters and root for them throughout the novel. This book was a great found family story, and I loved the characters, getting to know them, and seeing their interactions with one another. The pacing is fast and keeps you engaged; however, Croucher never skips characters and gives them each the attention they deserve, which shows a great balance between pacing and attention. This was a great book and I highly recommend it

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC e-copy of Not for the Faint of Heart by Lex Croucher.

Mariel, the daughter of Robin Hood (and current leader of the less-than-reputable Merry Men), wants nothing more than to prove herself to her legendary father. Clem, assistant to the wood’s regional healer, is just trying to get through the damn day. When the Merry Men kidnap Clem as collateral in a larger war, hijinks ensue, and an unexpected bond is forged…

Last year, I attempted to read an ARC of Lex Croucher’s other young adult comedy, “Gwen & Art Are Not in Love.” I couldn’t get through it, and unfortunately, it was the same case with this book. I’m shocked and puzzled because I have enjoyed other books of Lex Croucher’s, and I find her stories to be lighthearted and funny and her characters to be irritatingly adorable. For some reason, her young adult ventures just haven’t clicked with me. I believe I’ll have to give up on requesting them for the forseeable future.

All that said, I wouldn’t be opposed to reading this book someday when my mind feels more fresh and attuned to it. It truly seems delightful. There is certainly a market that would enjoy this queer romp.

☆ ☆ ☆ - DNF

Not for the Faint of Heart is a YA historical fantasy rom-com that follows Robin Hood’s granddaughter’s exploits with the Merry Men.

The problem? There are several. The Merry Men have morphed. Robin Hood’s vision is watered down. Less charitable, more power hungry. Also, they may have kidnapped a local healer and still have to fight the Sheriff’s gang.

This queer retelling is Croucher’s second YA attempt. It is action-packed and features a funny, dedicated ensemble of characters.

I recommend this fun read. If you like Robin Hood or The Princess Bride (but make it an enemies-to-lover, sapphic, romantic comedy), you will surely enjoy this story.

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press, and Wednesday Books for the ARC.

LGBTQIAP+ | Teens & YA
#NotfortheFaintofHeart #NetGalley

Maybe I just find Robin Hood retellings less interesting than Arthurian retellings, but I thought this was much slower and less compelling than Croucher's first YA book, I also thought both main characters came off as younger than they were supposed to be, which is the opposite problem that I had with Croucher's first YA (so maybe there was some overcorrecting going on here). There was nothing wrong with this book, I just didn't personally enjoy it very much.

2.5 ⭐️ rounded up

Hmmm, welp I am being generous with rounding up to 3 stars as I think this has a place for some folks just not me.
I’m completely flummoxed at the blurb for the book as I don’t think it captures it at all and is just plain inaccurate.


I am alway thankful to get the eGalley for free from Netgalley and St Martin’s Press so I can leave my voluntary and honest review.

if this wasn’t an ARC I probably would’ve DNF’d it at some point. It took me several days to get through as I kept losing interest and setting it aside but frankly wanted to get it off my docket so I buckled down.

The book is I guess a continuation of sort of Robin Hood and his Merry Men where you have his granddaughter Mariel leading the MM and much has changed from the patriarchal beginnings. Mariel has to lead all dealing with an accidental captive turned bizarre romance . Accidental in that a different person was to be taken but her apprentice Clem voluntarily came along as the captive instead. So not really “accidental” as Mariel absolutely commanded for the kidnapping , she just didn’t get exactly who she intended to get.

I’m sure some will like the sapphic nature of the relationships, switched gender roles and such as it’s a great concept. I just personally don’t think the execution was on point. To be honest, I was just plane bored and not invested at all
Despite being a big fan of Robin Hood lore and love twists on the story typically.


Rating
My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

I have recommended this to my neighbors, and my niece and nephews for a great summer book! This was phenomenal. Well done!

I was a big fan of Gwen and Art so was super excited to get an arc for this one and it did not disappoint. I was thoroughly entertained. The humor and loveable characters are the stars of the show for me. I also enjoyed all of the detail and character rounding- cant wait till the next adventure with Lex!

Led Croucher has done it again with a queer retelling of an old story we all know and love. If it’s gay, I’m in. And lex’s writing makes it so easy to fall into the story.

I AM IN LOVE!

Just like last time, Lex's writing is snapping. "Not for the Faint of Heart" is an adorable queer historical YA romance. There is nothing more to ask for found-family, slow burn, love, and humorous.

The start of the book was slow but worth it. This whole story was adventurous and entertaining, and every character was highlighted and likable. I loved the Merry Man.

If you are looking for a fun medieval rom-com, it's worth the read. Lex's books have to be made into a TV show, please! Overall if you have not picked up a Lex Croucher book, please do. I know new and old fans will be so excited about this book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.