A heartwarming romp through the Sherwood Forest! I am loving Lex Croucher’s historical fiction novels based on British myths and legends. Like Gwen and Art Are Not in Love, Not for the Faint of Heart is the perfect balance of comedic prose and serious themes.

I loved how much Clem and Mariel were polar opposites - choosing to deal with their childhood trauma in vastly different ways. Each of the members of the Merry Men were well developed - I believe stories are built on the backs of side characters and this cast did not disappoint. I also loved how Croucher seamlessly weaved the legend of Robin Hood into her queernormative world. Overall, this story was a moving exploration of family, friendship, and the bonds of legacy. Highly recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley, Wednesday Books, and St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is a grumpy/sunshine enemies-to-lovers LGBTQ historical romance.

Healer Clem is kidnapped by Mariel's band of bandits when she volunteers to be a hostage in place of her elderly mentor. Clem is annoyingly cheerful and unperturbed about her predicament. There are some skirmishes, deaths, and political machinations but ultimately this is about the group of bandits and their growth in their romances and as people. Diverse LGBTQ representation.

So far, I have enjoyed every single one of Lex Croucher's books.

This was such a fun and adventurous follow up to the first. I absolutely loved it. Lex Croucher is becoming one of my favorite authors. I love Lex's writing style - the storytelling is brilliant.

Anyone who likes Robin Hood, queer romance, black cat/golden retriever dynamics, found family, or adventures through the forest with arrows and swords and horses will absolutely love this book. I laughed, I cried, I feel like I adopted six children. Lex is a master as always at creating complicated flawed queer characters that we fall in love with not despite their flaws but because of them.

Lex Croucher has done it again! After Gwen and Art Are Not in Love, I knew I would read anything that she wrote. Her characters are so well written and unique, and her dialogue snappy and fun. Not For the Faint of Heart is just as witty as Gwen and Art and I fell in love with these characters too. Clem in particular was very endearing to me with her, with how she talked relentlessly, making me laugh every time. Mariel was also a very intriguing character. While not being very relatable, her backstory sets her up so well that you can see exactly how she became the way she is. It was interesting to see how Croucher envisioned legends like Robin Hood and Maid Marian might continue their family and who those people would be.
The other members of Mariel’s company of Merry Men were also great, though I have a particular soft spot for Morgan, the youngest recruit with goblin like tendencies.
The writing was well done, moving the story along swiftly but still setting the mood very well. I loved the woodsy ambience and how it impacted the storyline.
There was one plot point that I felt was unnecessary, which I won’t mention for spoilers sake, though you will probably know what I’m talking about when you read it. Which I highly recommend! I assume it was done for realism sake, but that’s not why I read books personally. Other than this detail, I adored this book. I will definitely be picking up the next Lex Croucher book too!
I received an early DRC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Very YA which is fine but I think I was looking for a little bit more. I kind of felt like nothing happened until 60%? It honestly could have been a novella. I wanted more character development, more plot- the concept was very cool and I loved the representation but overall it just fell a little flat for me. Still a three star read and one we’ll be adding to our library order!

This was a fun and adventurous read. The side characters are just as lovable and fleshed out as Clem and Mariel. The storyline is heartfelt and substantial so that the romance isn’t the entire main storyline. Clem and Mariel both grow and change in satisfying ways. Croucher knows how to write some witty banter and make you fall for their characters every time.

3.5 star review rounded up.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a fun adventure, but I did find it a little muddied at times. I think the storyline had great potential, but there wasn't really enough of any aspect of it. I wish that it had been fleshed out a lot more.

Clem's character was endearing and I enjoyed her banter. She made me laugh out loud on several occasions.

I didn't feel like Mariel's character got the depth that she deserved. The twist ending wrapped up too quickly for my taste, and I wish there had been loads more romance involved.

It was very, very fun and fulfilling to see a reimagined Sherwood Forest where queerness is just part of the culture, and for that, I would recommend it.

3.5 stars rounded up. This book (like Gwen & Art Are Not in Love) is pure escapism. It’s sweet, funny, and has some great action. I love the queer representation and diversity of the cast of characters. It was a little slow to get going, but the second half made up for that and got me interested. It’s fun, and now I really want to rewatch Disney’s Robin Hood.

This was super cute!! A new take on Robin Hood lore.
Parental expectations are always difficult and when you keep trying to prove yourself as the grandchild of Robin Hood you might end up kidnapping a cute girl!
It was very enjoyable, the characters likeable and I am definitely going to get the audiobook when it’s released.

I love Lex Croucher, but this was the weakest of their work I've read yet. It still has the trademarks of their writing: funny, irreverent, heartfelt, but the pacing felt strange and it wasn't as engaging for me. There may have been too many characters and they blended together a bit. The romance was okay, though not the focus of the book as the blurb and cover would lead you to believe. Still, I can imagine that there are readers who would enjoy this.

for the most part, this book was an absolute and unmitigated delight. i have two very small quibbles (well not so small, but in the grand scheme of things i am willing to let them go)
to start with the good:
clem, you absolute beauty, i would do literally anything for you. you and the other characters in this book are clever and funny and real. it has been a long time since i have been willing to give a book the title of As Clever As It Thinks It Is. this book deserves a prize just for that.
i loved the friendships, the queerness, and the fact that this book was funny enough to give me the ability to ignore my disbelief that a gang of teenagers roving the forest would be an efficient guerrilla military operation.
i see a lot of content online about people deconstructing religion, usually evangelical christianity. seeing mariel go through a similar process in regards to her father was fascinating. i wish it didn't take her quite so long, and the backtracking took away from some of the satisfaction (this is quibble number one), but i understand why it happened the way it did.
my only real, actual problem is that... <spoiler>i don't think baxter should have died. i don't think it was the storytelling choice it was supposed to be, and honestly i don't think it accomplished much. this is not a book about futility and senseless death, or at least it isn't in that way. i think it took away from the found family that was so strong in the rest of the book, and which is truly the reason i love lex croucher's writing so much.</spoiler>
this book is overall wonderful, and i really enjoyed reading it. i would be fascinated to know where these characters end up in several years, and i hope it is as happy as they deserve.

Not for the Faint of Heart is a Robin Hood retelling with queer characters and a queer romance. I appreciated the representation across the characters and the way that they were just part of who the characters were -- it wasn't about their struggles as LGBTQIA characters; they just existed as part of the story. Furthermore, strong, capable female and LGBTQIA characters who are leads and not side characters was exciting to read. For these reasons, I think this one is worth adding to any library. I enjoyed the dual POV and the ways the characters, especially the main characters, played off of each other. I would recommend it to anyone who likes retellings, myths, the story of Robinhood, or the time period.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for this advanced copy! You can pick up Not for the Faint of Heart on November 26, 2024.

I love how Lex Croucher continues to turn classic tales on their heads and explore how we can retell these stories in 2024. I haven't read a Robin Hood retelling before, but I appreciated the abundance of queer people and relationships, the hilarious tone, and how the characters' journeys help us resonate with the story. Mariel and Clem were fantastic protagonists, helping each other break down walls and confront what they thought they knew about the world (and those closest to them).

While I do wish the middle had been a bit more exciting, the ending was a nonstop emotional rollercoaster. I didn't expect certain character deaths to hit so hard, and the conflict afterward really amped up the stakes in the story. I'm looking forward to seeing what story Lex Croucher reinterprets next!

A Monty Python-esque book with a twist. When given the chance to be kidnapped by the Merry Men, Clem all but jumps at the opportunity. When she meets gruff Captain Mariel, granddaughter to Robin Hood, Clem becomes less of a willing captive and more like a member of he rag-tag team. The characters will have you laughing and crying along with them and will win your heart.

not for the faint of heart | lex croucher

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
_____

Captain Mariel Hartley-Hood, granddaughter of the ever-famous Robin Hood, is doing her best to live up to her legacy. When an assignment goes a little awry and she finds herself the kidnapper of an overly chipper (and kind of pretty) healer, she begins to wonder if the ways of the Merry Men have strayed from the days of her grandfather.

This book is all about the fun, the banter, and the vibes of this small and eccentric band of Merry Men. If you’ve read Gwen and Art are Not in Love, the pace of this book is similar. For the majority of it, we are following the Merry Men as they jaunt through the woods, occasionally making stops on the way to their final destination. I loved the slow, easy going storyline! Just like in Gwen and Art, the plot picks up around the 2/3 mark, where the stakes are raised and things start to get extra adventurous. The slow building of our characters and their backgrounds comes to a head, and the loyalty of this band of thieves is put to the test!

The banter between all the characters is snappy and delightful, and Clem’s positive energy had me giggling (because I am a chronic look-on-the-bright-side-er? errr…. maybe). The wide range of representation in the cast of characters was wonderful, and I enjoyed the found family vibes immensely!

If you’re looking for a lighthearted, Robin Hood inspired, sapphic adventure, pick this one up!


THINGS TO LOVE:
+ mideival romcom
+ Robin Hood’s granddaughter
+ an accidental kidnapping
+ an eclectic band of merry men
+ lgbtq+ rep
+ jailbreaks
+ grumpy/sunshine
+ counting squirrels
+ anxiety rep
+ hilarious banter

{a gigantic thank you to Lex Croucher, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the advanced copy!! Out 11/26/24}

HOUGHTS

This book is tongue-in-cheek silly and fun, which is exactly what you might expect in a Lex Croucher book. Definitely not for a history buff, this book doesn't take itself too seriously. I enjoyed the read here, though I will say that the tropey goofiness didn't work quite as well here as it did in Gwen and Art are Not in Love, at least in my opinion. I found this book more silly than charming, but that might just be a matter of taste.


PROS
Tropey Romance: It wouldn't be a Lex Croucher book if it didn't play with some fun tropes, dealing out a romance that would have 2010s tumblr swooning. This book embraces a grumpy-sunshine pairing with a touch of enemies-to-lovers, and there just aren't enough beds to go around. And it's fun.

Casual Queerness: It's really nice to have a piece of escapist literature that doesn't put any sort of pressure on queer characters. Even in a fluff piece, authors can dig into the harsher realities of queer life, but that's just not the case here. People are allowed to be whatever they want, and there aren't any hard or probing questions asked in this book. And that makes for a fun little fantasy world to escape into, where everyone can, you know, just be.

Real Consequences: This is an adventure story at its core, and it is also a fluffy romance. And combining those two things can be hard, because an author might not want to tarnish the fluff with, you know, real bloodshed. But people get hurt here. There are definite ramifications of bad choices made. People die. And I can appreciate that, because it holds true to the nature of the adventure (while also not really diminishing the fluff).


CONS
Weird Anachronisms: This book isn't for the history buff. I get it. And somebody just looking for a fluffy sapphic romance probably won't mind these things. But they did rankle me a bit. Describing the Merry Men as "the most popular kids at a dance" doesn't feel right with the setting, and that's just the start of all the questions I had. Why does this Nottinghamshire forest girl know about octopi? How are there already potatoes in England? And why are we using the term "fascists," even if appropriate? It's not serious, but I don't think I was enjoying this book enough for me to forgive these little sins like I did in Gwen and Art. I just don't do a silly read that well.

Content Mismatch: Some of what made this book harder for me to enjoy is that Robin Hood isn't as interesting to me as the King Arthur myth, and I think this might extend to other readers simply based on the fact that more people will be familiar with the intricacies of Arthurian legend than the side characters of Robin Hood. I wasn't as excited about getting to know descendants of the original Merry Men because the name drops just weren't as meaningful, at least to me. Someone who adores Robin Hood more than me, however, might equally adore this book more. It just wasn't quite the right fit.

Tonal Confusion: I loved the sass in Gwen and Art, and this book has equal sass... with less developed characters. I think there are just more characters, so they all feel a little underdeveloped. This makes the sass come off more one-dimensional than in Croucher's previous YA work, and that meant the silly tone didn't work quite as well. Everyone felt more like a character archetype than an actual character, and that was a definite detractor.


Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
7/10
Fans of Lex Croucher's Gwen and Art are Not in Love will adore this tongue-in-cheek dive into another bit of legendary English "history." Those who enjoy The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle will like entering a world inspired by those Merry Men and what comes next.

Thank you to Macmillian Audio and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I've been able to finish after being in a several month (nearly a year) reading slump. It was fun, relatable, and queer as hell. All the things that I adore in a book. I really appreciated that a classic trope of grumpy and sunshine came together in such a fun way. Clem's struggle with panic attacks and an uncompromising moral compass to help others coupled with Mariel's militaristic grumpy monster vibes were perfect. I also loved every single side character with Kit and Josie obviously being my ultimate favorites. I'd recommend this one to anyone.

Great LGBTQIA rep but it’s not the really a book that’s I’d usually read. Just because it’s wasn’t my cup of tea doesn’t mean it won’t be appealing to others.

Lex Croucher has done it again folks! They have created a beautiful retelling of Robin Hood while using the original characters from the old fable in their book. This book is an amazing story of unconventional friendship, found family, love, and loss, all in a neat little adventure package. The character and world-building are exquisite and you truly become absorbed into their writing.