LoveReading Says
Well, Croucher’s written another absolute banger. It’s really deliciously good. Croucher makes writing exquisite romcoms look easy – this should be infuriating, but they’re too damn enjoyable to be cross about.
We’ve got the swoon-worthy rom – a charming opposites attract between the sunshiney healer Clem, and her uptight ‘kidnapper’ Mariel, who is buff from all the chips on her shoulder that come with being the daughter of the Merry Men’s Commander, and a descendent of Robin Hood. And we’ve got the constant com – repartee from the wisecracking bunch of Merry Men (who, in Croucher’s version, are more a band of Querulous Queers) and the ridiculousness of a ‘kidnappee’ becoming a beloved member of the squad.
In this delightfully fresh revamping of the Robin Hood story, Croucher also takes aim at the politics of those who, as they become more powerful, have forgotten their old ethics of ‘steal from the rich and give to the poor’.
Makes me want to don my greenest tights and head for the woods.
If you loved Croucher’s other novels, you’re in for another absolute treat, and if you haven’t yet, you’re even luckier to have more of a feast to glut upon. I have previously reviewed others of Lex Croucher’s novels for this website. Not For the Faint of Heart is perhaps closest in vibe to Gwen and Art Are Not in Love, as it is set in a loosely mythic/mediaeval England, and with a group of younger main characters (most of whom are in their late teens). However, if you’re a fan of queer or historical romcoms in general, or just want an excellent escapist novel set in the dappled woods of legendary hordes, this is for you, whatever your age.
Lily Lindon
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Not for the Faint of Heart Synopsis
'You aren't merry,' said Clem to her captor. 'And you aren't all men. So there's been some marketing confusion somewhere along the line.'
Mariel, a newly blooded captain of the Merry Men, is desperate to live up to the legacy of her grandfather, the legendary Robin Hood. Clem, a backwoods assistant healer known for her new-fangled cures, just wants to help people.
When Mariel's ramshackle band kidnap Clem as retribution for her guardian helping the Sheriff of Nottingham, all seems to be going (sort of) to plan. until Jack Hartley, Mariel's father and Commander of the Merry Men, is captured in a deadly ambush. Determined to prove herself, Mariel sets out to get him back - with her annoyingly cheerful kidnappee in tow.
But the wood is at war. Many believe the Merry Men are no longer on the right side of history. Watching Clem tend the party's wounds, Mariel begins to doubt the cause to which she has devoted her life. As the two of them grow closer, one thing is clear. They must prepare to fight for their lives - and for the lives of everybody in the greenwood.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781526651846 |
| Publication date: |
9th May 2024 |
| Author: |
Lex Croucher |
| Publisher: |
Bloomsbury Childrens Books an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing PLC |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
377 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Humorous Fiction
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| Other Genres: |
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| Recommendations: |
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Lex Croucher Press Reviews
Exactly what I need right now – a delightful, heartwarming, hilarious historical romp, overflowing with queer panic and terrible jokes. I loved it - Alice Oseman, bestselling author of HEARTSTOPPER on GWEN AND ART ARE NOT IN LOVE
Fun and genuinely funny, with lovely friendships and first-rate dialogue. Gwen and Art may not be in love, but I fell for them both - Rainbow Rowell, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the SIMON SNOW Trilogy on GWEN AND ART ARE NOT IN LOVE
A total, rollicking delight … Lex Croucher is one of my favorite romcom authors, and they should be yours, too - Casey Mcquiston, #1 New York Times bestselling author of I KISSED SHARA WHEELER and RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE on GWEN AND ART ARE NOT IN LOVE
Congrats to Gwen and Arthur on their permanent acquisition of my ENTIRE heart. Suffice it to say that I loved this book to a degree that’s slightly ridiculous - Becky Albertalli, bestselling author of SIMON VS. THE HOMOSAPIENS AGENDA on GWEN AND ART ARE NOT IN LOVE
