Not for the Faint of Heart

by Lex Croucher Narrated by Kat Griffiths, Olivia Dowd

Overview

From New York Times bestselling author Lex Croucher comes a queer historical YA romance, with all the swoons, laughs, and heart-pounding moments you'd expect from a story about the granddaughter of Robin Hood and the girl she's accidentally kidnapped.

`You aren't merry,' Clem said to her captor. `And you aren't all men. So there's been some marketing confusion somewhere along the line.'

Mariel, a newly blooded and perpetually grumpy captain of the Merry Men, is desperate to live up to the legacy of her grandfather, the legendary Robin Hood. Clem, a too-perky backwoods healer known for her new-fangled cures, just wants to help people.

When Mariel's ramshackle band of bandits 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 and crack relentlessly terrible jokes, Mariel begins to doubt the noble cause to which she has devoted her life. As the two of them grow closer, forced by circumstances to share a single horse and bed, one thing is clear. They must prepare to fight for their lives and for those of everyone they've sworn to protect.

Lex Croucher's Not for the Faint of Heart is a thrilling adventure full of hijinks, found family, and romance destined to change the lives of the inhabitants of the Greenwood Forest forever.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Bookpage, "Most anticipated YA books of fall 2024"

Paste Magazine, "The Most Anticipated YA Books of Fall 2024"

"Well-paced, witty, and thrilling...A captivating, action-packed, queer reimagining of the Robin Hood legend through the sharp eyes of his granddaughter." - Kirkus

"Extremely lighthearted [and] genuinely funny... works as well as any late-aughts BBC series." - Booklist

“Makes me want to don my greenest tights and head for the woods.” - Lily Lindon, author of Double Booked

“I know I can rely completely on Lex Croucher for a book that cheerfully flays my emotions with one hand and makes me laughter-snort tea up my nose with the other. I had an amazing time with this bold and lively queer adventure." - Freya Marske, bestselling author of The Last Binding trilogy

“Lex has written a truly magical romcom. Dashing, daring and brilliantly funny. It’s a heartfelt tale of found family, adventure and love that will have you swooning in no time!” - Beth Reekles, New York Times bestselling author of The Kissing Booth series

“Hilarious and full of heart, Not for the Faint of Heart is Heartstopper meets Robin Hood and had me hooked from the first page to the last… the perfect blend of campy fun and arrow-through-your-chest emotion. Lex Croucher is an absolute genius.” - Holly Race, author of Midnight’s Twins

“A total joy! Combines heart-pounding adventure, a gleefully tropey grumpy/sunshine romance and a found family of loveable rogues with wit and humor to make something utterly delicious.” - Laura Wood, award -winning author of A Single Thread of Moonlight and The Agency for Scandal

Praise for the instant New York Times bestseller Gwen & Art Are Not in Love:

"In this frivolous medieval romp of a queer rom-com, Lex Croucher toys with Arthurian legend to delightful effect." - Entertainment Weekly

"An enjoyable Arthurian-adjacent story with a charming cast of diverse queer characters, Gwen & Art Are Not In Love applies a modern sensibility to its historical roots...A sweet, lighthearted story about friendship and found family, with a dash of popular romance tropes on top." - Paste Magazine

"Croucher’s simultaneously sharp and subtle prose boasts delicious banter and a propulsive story populated by intersectionally diverse characters whose interactions feel fresh and vital through the novel’s climactic conclusion." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Lex Croucher offers readers a quirky, queer Arthurian remix in which lighthearted, entertaining banter alternates with political machinations and intense battlefield scenes." - BookPage (starred review)

"A wonderful expansion of the YA romance genre...Frankly a delight." - Kirkus

"A high-spirited medieval adventure with a modern heart." - Booklist

"A humorous and charming ode to found family and true love, this queer YA novel is a perfect find for fans of Merlin and Alice Oseman novels." - In Between Drafts

"Every time I think about this book, which has the royals-in-love (though not with each other!) vibes of Red, White & Royal Blue yet set in a distinctly A Knight’s Tale-esque setting, I just grin...Every autumn should have at least one queer remixed SFF romp like this." - LitHub

"If you have an afternoon and a fireplace and a cat and a cup of something hot and any amount of fondness for a romance novel, this will surely satisfy." - XTra Magazine

"Swoonworthy, hilarious and full of witty repartee, this gorgeous historical romance will sweep readers off their feet." ― The Bookseller Teen & YA Editor's Choice

“Lex Croucher’s debut young adult novel is crowned a huge success...Gwen and Art are not in Love is the perfect book to read after a long day, and can be finished all in one sitting but will leave a lasting impression.” - Children’s Books Ireland

“[A] fun Knight’s Tale-esque medieval story that’s part romantic romp, part subversive comedy, and all kinds of brilliant.” - Culture Fly

“Finally… A historical rom-com that’s queer as hell. And fun! Pitched as ‘A Knight’s Tale’ meets ‘Heartstopper’, this medieval story has everything: sword-fighting, sharp wit and ridiculous shenanigans to warm the heart.” - Gay Times, "11 LGBTQ+ Books to Read This Summer"

"Smart dialogue drives this outrageously entertaining take on the fake dating trope." - The Guardian (UK)

“A queer Knight’s Tale (that should persuade you already) this rom-com has a glittering cast of adorable characters, cheeky world-building (the royalty are so obsessed with their potentially magic lineage to King Arthur that there’s a court wizard) and more witty repartee than you can shake a sword at…Croucher writes with vivid exaggeration and touching relatability the wild adventures of love and lust, yearning and horniness. We all dutifully pledge allegiance.”- LoveReading

"A queer medieval romp with contemporary sensibilities...Smart dialogue drives this outrageously entertaining take on the fake dating trope." ― Observer

"A total, rollicking delight. Gwen & Art gave me the same cheeky, swoony, giddy, irresistible high of the first time I saw A Knight’s Tale. 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

“Fun and genuinely funny, with lovely friendships and first-rate dialogue. Gwen and Art may not be in love, but I fell for both of them.” - Rainbow Rowell, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Simon Snow trilogy

“Gwen & Art Are Not in Love was exactly what I needed right now—a delightful, heart-warming, hilarious historical romp, overflowing with queer panic and terrible jokes. I loved it.” - Alice Oseman, New York Times bestselling author of the Heartstopper series

"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, New York Times bestselling author of Kate in Waiting and Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

“An utter delight. Croucher conjures a fresh new Camelot, full of jousts, hijinks and exuberantly queer characters that will make you swoon. This is the gay Camelot I always wanted!” - C.S. Pacat, New York Times bestselling author of Dark Rise

“This book does a flirty tango with the Arthurian legends while also sticking a KICK ME sign on their back: it contains enough sword fights and banter to keep the pages flying, but it’s also a sharp and compassionate look at the terrifying wonder of being a queer young person coming to terms with yourself. Gwen and Art Are Not in Love is a work of hilarious and heart-mending genius. I read it in a joyous rush and I can’t wait to buy it for literally everyone I know.” - Freya Marske, nationally-bestselling author of A Marvellous Light

“This is the queer YA take on A Knight's Tale I’ve always dreamed of! A charming, witty, and completely unputdownable adventure.” - Ava Reid, New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning

Kirkus Reviews

2024-07-19
The once-celebrated Merry Men have lost their way in the years since Robin Hood left the cause, making them nearly as feared as the Sheriff of Nottingham.

Serious, unflappable Mariel Hartley-Hood has a lot to live up to as Captain of the Merry Men. Her father is Commander Hartley, and she’s the granddaughter of Robin Hood himself. Her ragtag team is on the right track until a botched kidnapping lands her with a very annoying (and distractingly cute) captive: Clemence Causey. Clem is a wisecracking, skilled natural healer from a far corner of the forest. Eventually, Clem’s humor and lightheartedness chip away at Muriel’s stoic exterior, and sharp banter and tender moments stoke a romantic fire between the two. When Mariel learns that her father has been captured by the Sheriff, the Merry Men (and Clem) embark on a rescue mission. Told from Clem’s and Mariel’s alternating third-person perspectives, this queer enemies-to-lovers romp 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. Clem and Mariel read white. Croucher peppers their well-paced, witty, and thrilling novel with battle scenes. The story takes as many twists as the winding forest paths and hums with an undercurrent of friendship, honor, and the importance of found family.

A captivating, action-packed, queer reimagining of the Robin Hood legend through the sharp eyes of his granddaughter.(Fiction. 14-18)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940191555126
Publisher:	Macmillan Audio
Publication date:	11/26/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged