Clem is living a happy life in a cottage, providing medical care to the local community with her knowledge of herbs and anatomy, when she's abducted by the Merry Men. Yes, THOSE Merry Men.

Not so Merry now after Robin Hood has left, the Merry Men are led by Mariel's dad - Robin's son in law, and their goals have changed a little. Clem hits the road with Mariel and her band of bandits and quickly becomes involved in their lives.

I thought this was a cute story - queer, easy to read, lots of fun and interesting characters. If you liked Lex Croucher's other books, you'll probably enjoy this as well!

As always, an enormous ‘thank you’ goes out to both the publisher, Bloomsbury, and to the author themselves for an advanced copy, in exchange for an honest review.

‘Not for the Faint of Heart’ is the latest retelling of a beloved British myth and/or legend by Lex Croucher, arguably, best known for ‘Gwen and Art Are Not In Love’, the title that just won them this years’ YA Book Prize! Congratulations!

We open to the greenwood, in which Mariel, the grand-daughter of the man himself: Robin Hood, is now Captain of the Men. But things have changed greatly since her Grandfather was at the height of his fame. His Merry Men are distinctly, un-merry and are instead, a crew of motley folks of all genders. There is a lot less ‘stealing-from-the-rich-to-give-to-the-poor’ and a lot more ‘every man for themselves’. But the terrible reign of the notorious Sheriff is still felt by all, and Mariel’s father has been taken.

The Men have, unwittingly, gotten more than they bargained for in their latest recruit (see also, kidnapped): Clem, the local village healer who, as it turns out, really isn’t the best at being kidnapped. She’s a ray of sunshine throughout and a real pain for Mariel… To begin with at least.

This was the first of Lex’s works that I had read, being one to usually steer clear of romance of any kind, but the millennial in me was longing for some of the Robin Hood, since the TV show ended way back in 2009 (for those who haven’t seen it – go look it up. It is super queer-coded and a lot of fun). I have since, added their entire backlist onto my Goodreads TBR and plan to try out some of their Adult Fiction, as I am eagerly awaiting the return of ‘Bridgerton’ – I am hoping this will fill the Regency void I have in my life…

It has a lot of the popular tropes: forced proximity, enemies to lovers, huge black cat and golden retriever energy main characters, chaotic queers, found family… It’s just so cosy and sweet. For me, it was good: a very solid 4 stars. It was a nice change of pace to read something I usually steer clear from, and I love the humour and sarcasm that Lex infuses the story with, but I was DESPERATE for a character list or log – straight off the bat we are thrown a bunch of names and I was having a hard time keeping up with everyone. Mariel also uses surnames as a way of identifying people, rather than their given names, so I found it took me a good 40% of the book to realise she was still talking to Baxter, or Morgan. It’s the only real gripe I have. And most likely, it’s a ME thing.

What I did enjoy was the reworking (not a retelling) of Robin Hood himself. This book is a big cast of queers, including Robin himself and I love that the author had played with themes of sexuality that differs from what we are usually taught. If Alexander Hamilton was involved John Laurens, why shouldn’t Robin Hood re-marry a man?

Chef’s kiss.

This was a great robin hood retelling i really liked all the characters and the found family aspect. The romance was the weakest part. Overall it's an easy read with simple writting

An enjoyable slice of Sherwood-era hijinks that examines group politics and family loyalties, while also being a mostly-charming queer romance between doggedly helpful healer Clem and brusque Merry Men lieutenant Mariel.

This is fun, pacey queer story set in the time and world of Robin Hood. Here, his granddaughter, Mariel, is desperate to please her father, the leader of the Merry Men, and be taken seriously as a captain. This is made more difficult when the kidnapping of a confident, chatty, brazen healer makes both of her tasks very difficult.
As a massive fan of Lex Croucher's other books, especially the perfect Gwen and Art are Not in Love, I couldn't wait to read this. I wasn't disappointed. The banter, slow burn, brilliant characters (Mariel's group are the best) and the twisty, turny plot made this just great reading.

Gwen & Art Are Not In Love walked so this book could run!

A kidnapped healer, Robin Hood’s descendant and her band of Merry People? Queer love, fighting familial obligations, bloody sword fights and a rag tag crew? Heck yeah.

Lex Croucher’s second foray into YA gets a thumbs up 👍

As per the LC standard this is very much vibes over historically accurate plot.

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and have a good time while doing it.

5 ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

Not For The Faint of Heart was an incredibly enjoyable read.
I had loved Gwen and Art Are Not in Love and was extremely excited to see a new release from Lex Croucher. I did at first think it was going to be something of a sequel and was actually glad it wasn't as this stand-alone story gave me so much more!

Building on the legends of Robin Hood, the Merry Men and the Sheriff of Nottingham - on the surface this could seem light just a light-hearted romp in the forests but it's infinitely more than that. Corruption, found family, the pressure of legacy and familial expectations, queer relationships, trauma and so many more were beautifully explored in this novel.

Clem is part healer, part scientist and a whole lot comedic genius with her sarcasm, wit and defence mechanism of making Mariel infuriated at every moment. She's a fantastically well-rounded character that had me laughing, crying, squealing and metaphorically high-fiving at every moment.
Speaking of Mariel, the granddaughter of the great Robin Hood is only a part of her identity and we follow her own journey as she discovers that there's more to life than living up to what you think a parent wants you to be. She's a fantastic leader to her cadre, almost to a fault, but at the heart of everything she does is a desperate want to help and live up to the 'Merry Men' name. When she discovers the...shall we say 'faults' of her parents, she doesn't hesitate to choose to do what's right for her people and those that matter to her most.

Croucher's writing takes us on a journey from a seemingly inept bunch of Merry Men to heroics and courage and heartbreak. Just like before, I will now be anxiously awaiting her next awesome adventure.

Lex Croucher’s newest release is another YA novel set loosely in the medieval period, but this time we're off to Nottingham to follow Robin Hood's grandaughter Mariel - a captain within the Merry Men - and her accidental captive, Clem, an orphaned healer.

The representation in the book is great as always, as is the characterisation. Croucher does complicated but just-about-loveable really well, and I have always loved the depth it adds to their stories. Mariel's difficult upbringing and desperation to make her father proud are relatable even if some of her actions aren't, and I loved Clem who was optimistic and pithy to the extreme - and had some excellent one-liners.

The scenes in the Underwood (no spoilers here) were so fun and magical. There are many myths and legends surrounding Robin Hood and the Merry Men, as well as a lot of folklore tied up in forests and woodlands which I thought was utilised to fabulous effect to keep me turning the pages.

There is a lot of adventure and action within the book which leads me to a fairly heavy content warning for dying and death - it was totally appropriate and sensitively done but important to flag.

As well as the themes of found family and the buildingsroman of both main characters, the sapphic romance at the heart of the story followed the trope of a grumpy vs. sunshine dynamic and was sweet, as you'd expect from a YA novel.

I'm never disappointed with a Lex Croucher novel and this was no exception! If you want a fun-but-deep read that thunders on horseback around medieval Nottinghamshire this is the book for you.

Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing and Lex Croucher for an advanced copy in return for an honest review. I will post on Instagram 22/8/24

Fun read! Queer historical romance, Robin Hood reimagining, great characters. It took me a while to get into and took me longer than I expected to finish. It didn't quite grip me the way I hoped but I did still have fun. It was light hearted and a nice palette cleanser.

I loved this! I found the ‘descendants of Robin Hood and the Merry Men’ to be a lovely touch as it allowed for more creative freedom with how the merry men were now run, and some glimpses of how it was done previously. Mariel and Clem were fantastic protagonists and I loved the humour throughout, and the other merry men were really well-written. I couldn’t put the book down!

This book was so good. It took me a while to read, and it took time for me tor really get into it, but that's not a bad thing.
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I really liked the characters, except for Jack and Regan, for what I hope are obvious reasons if you've read it.
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Kidnapping is objectively a bad thing. However, the relationship between Clem and Mariel makes that worth it. I also really enjoyed the interactions between Mariel's particular band of Merry Men.
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I hate both of Mariel's parents, Jack and Regan, neither of them made good decisions, and they also both lied to Mariel for her whole life. They both made terrible decisions that impact many people, and I'm glad to Mariel eventually got to see that, and was able to learn from it and begin to heal.
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Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC copy of this book.

Not for the Faint of Heart is an excellent blend of humour, heart and queer historical romance that made my heart sing. It had excellently flirty dynamics that built from enemies to lovers and a touching exploration of legacy, expectations and found family.

Croucher’s character work is excellent, taking this ragtag group of misfits and instantly finding a place for them in your heart. I really connected with each of them, making the stakes that much higher and increasing the tension. You wanted the best for each of them and therefore your heart broke when this was not always achieved. It really feels like a love letter to found family, which is especially pertinent in a queer community. We sometimes have to find our people to allow ourselves to have the acceptance and love we deserve. So to see this in YA is heart-warming and delivers such an important message.

Our two central characters are Clem and Mariel, both shouldering the weight of legacies and familial expectations on their shoulders. Mariel has this magnified to the extreme and this often guides her actions throughout the narrative. Clem is a healer, wanting to save as many as she can, whereas Mariel has always been in the role of the leader, but striving to actually been seen as powerful. I loved how outspoken and passionate Clem was. Their dynamic is just everything to me and grew naturally over the pages. There is an initial evident dislike that grows into something more. Their chemistry spills out of the pages and their dialogue is often hilarious but also heartfelt, with a little extra charge in there that wasn’t there before. That’s something I really enjoyed here - the pitch perfect balance of humour and heart. It is sometimes a darker tale but keeps its focus on these brilliant characters.

Not for the Faint of Heart was such a fun and wholeheartedly excellent read.

"If she lived through this: no more doing other people favours. Probably. Maybe. She'd take weekends off, at least.”

I was very excited to receive this NetGalley arc and it did not disappoint. Lex has such a fun and joyful writing style that tells a great story without taking itself too seriously.
Clem is my perfect main character whose humour is top tier. She's joined by Mariel and a diverse cast of side characters each with their own intriguing arcs that are woven into the main narrative
Overall a super fun time

Very much enjoyed this queer-skewed reimagining/extending of the Robin Hood mythology. Loved the world-building, loved the characters, and the found family dynamic of the small band of Merry Men that we join. Literally laughed and cried, and kept putting off important tasks to keep reading.

I have, from the beginning, always enjoyed Lex Croucher’s books, so I had no doubt that Not for the Faint of Heart would go the same way. And, broadly, it did! It was a quick fun read, a romance based on Robin Hood tales, and a book that I would recommend.

But I have to admit that, compared to the rest of their books, it would be my least favourite. I don’t mean this in an I-didn’t-like-it way, just that it felt like it was missing something compared to the others. I think it was most likely in the central relationship or the found family, in a way I can’t really put into words, but mostly that I just didn’t connect with them in the same way as in Croucher’s previous books. They were funny, they seemed to have everything (or, as becomes apparent, almost everything) that I might want, but there was just something missing. That was most clear towards the end with some big emotional scenes that I just didn’t feel emotional about. Maybe that’s my feelings about YA now finally coming to affect even the authors I thought it would never touch, or maybe not. Either way, it had an impact here. (Of course, that’s not to say I wouldn’t still continue to read Croucher’s books. Let’s just chalk this up to an anomaly.)

If this doesn’t put you off then, what you can expect is much like the other books: found family, some good humour (I think Croucher may be one of the only authors who can make me laugh out loud while reading), and a fast-paced adventure alongside the romance plot. It was, despite everything, still a fun read and one that I’d definitely recommend.

A great story inspired by the Robin Hood myth. This time though, the Merry Men are not all men, They are not even all fully grown adults. The heroics of Mariel (grand daughter of Robin Hood) and her Merry Men - who as already stated are not all men - as they learn to trust their instincts, and each other, to be the protectors of the powerless that Robin would be proud of. Lex Croucher is a great champion of queer representation, they draw rounded characters whose lives and loves are ones you want to learn about.

Looking forward to their next retelling.

Vibrant and brimming with excitement, this enemies-to-lovers sapphic young adult fantasy is delightfully charming. It evokes a nostalgia for the youthful spirit within me that craved such tales during my teenage years.

The story is told from Clem’s and Mariel’s alternating perspectives. You follow Mariel, a fledgling captain of the Merry Men, as she strives to live up to her grandfather's legacy, the renowned Robin Hood. And Clem, a village healer with innovative remedies, simply wishes to aid those in need.

It all kicks off when Mariel's band of outlaws abducts Clem as retaliation for her guardian's assistance to the Sheriff of Nottingham, their plan takes a tumultuous turn when Mariel's father, Jack Hartley, is seized in a perilous trap. Conflict brews within the woodlands. Doubts arise about the Merry Men's allegiance to justice. While tending to the wounded, Mariel begins to question her lifelong dedication to a cause.

I loved that this queer enemies-to-lovers romp also features a cast of racially diverse Merry Men who, of course, are not all men—the gang members use a variety of pronouns and represent a range of sexualities. While Croucher captured my attention throughout, however, it is not perfect, the pacing was a bit off and other minor issues. Nevertheless, I found it to be a refreshing queer reimagining of a classic historical legend. Not For The Faint Of Heart is quite the sapphic romp!

Thanks Bloomsbury Publishing Plc and Netgalley for the arc

I adore everything about Lex Croucher but this one takes the cake. Sapphic, slowburn robin HOOD. Heck YES. This was the perfect summer romance. The plot was nice and the pacing great and if you love your slow burn then this is perfect.
Please give yourself a break and enjoy this book!

What a delightful read!

Our two fmcs are polar opposites, Mariel being a by-the-book, follow orders kinda character and Clem being more chilled, go with the flow, wisecracking vibes kinda gal. But these two had SUCH good chemistry. They made me so giddy! Clem had me snorting loudly (and embarrassingly) a multitude of times with her hilarious one liners. I loved her soft and gentle nature, being the ‘companies’ healer/kidnapee, and how that contrasted Mariels stoic resolve.

The other members of Mariels company were outstanding, a ragtag group of ruffians if ever there was!

After being eased into the story, with some cracking world building and deep dives into each character, it becomes quite obvious that Mariel is conflicted with how the Merry Men are ‘doing business’. As Robin Hoods granddaughter, she holds a prestigious position in the ranks, but still her Father is the one in charge. When he is captured, Mariel thinks it’s a perfect opportunity to prove herself to him, but also get back to the roots of the Merry Men, which means breaking some of her father’s rules!

With plenty of action, bloodshed, heart ache, adventure and humour, Not For The Faint of Heart had me laughing, crying, laughing til I was crying, kicking my feet with glee, (did I say laughing?!) gasping out loud and just generally having a good time.

Kudos to the lgbt rep, I need more Clemariel in my life 🥹 (and the others but I won’t spoil it!)

Also the Easter eggs/nods to the original Robin Hood storyline were tasteful yet refreshing, a new and unique spin on a story that made it thoroughly enjoyable!

It had a sweet round up toward the end (I was desperate for a bit more) the found family has my heart and I would now like a green cape to wear whilst I ride horseback through the forest. Anyone want to join?

First up, thanks publishers and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review!

The TLDR? I enjoyed it, it’s a light-hearted and easy read, with lots of queer representation, and likeable characters. Although it feels slow until the 2/3 mark when it really comes into its own!

The story follows Clem, an “apprentice” healer kidnapped by the Merry Men. And despite he name, the ragtag gang she finds herself in are queer as anything. Including their stoic leader, Mariel, the granddaughter of Robin Hood and daughter of the current gang leader.

I found the book started well, the kidnapping playing out quickly. But after that, the pace slumps. The Merry Men walk through the forest, go to camp, and Mariel has a lot of angst. Mariel has a huge chip on her shoulder, given her lineage, and does her best to act the hardened soldier. There are some cracks in the facade, but I found they were so tiny and infrequent it was hard to like her, although she is meant to be frustrating.

There is a slow-burn, grumpy one and sunshine one, romance. I found you can see it coming a mile off, but would have liked more build up before the eventual get/together. But at that point you are 2/3 through and the book finally finds its pace and runs easily and quickly to the end. Which I enjoyed much more, but means there isn’t much look at the couple as a couple.

As mentioned, the book really finds its feet at the 2/3 mark. From that point, I couldn’t put it down. The characters seemed their most rounded, and the action was quick. Before that, I did find the book quite slow.

As for the style, it’s typical to Croucher. The language is conversational and easy to understand.

The dialogue feels very human and snappy. And the eclectic cast of queer side characters were a joy to know. I wish we got a slightly deeper look at each of them, but that might be because I liked them more than the FMC. Although I found the descriptions of them scant and struggled to visualise them.

Overall, it’s a fun, light-hearted, incredibly queer book. Lots of representation all across the spectrum!

However, I am also biased because I have read Croucher’s previous work. This one didn’t stand out as much as Gwen and Art, it feels softer and more vibey. Very much the same feel though, so fans will enjoy it a lot.

Links to reviews elsewhere:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6720101405
https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/02492c84-1329-4a6d-9ec4-dde0d8593afc