Not For the Faint of Heart

I absolutely loved Not For the Faint of Heart (US publication day 11/26/2024) by Lex Croucher! With the granddaughter of Robin Hood, Mariel, leading a group of Merry Men and the sturdy healer using actual science, Clem, it’s a delightful romp with some serious moments.

Croucher starts us off with Clemence being kidnapped by Mariel’s group of Merry Men as a substitute for Old Rosie, who Mariel has heard has been doing healing work for the Sheriff of Nottingham. Clem is drugged and blindfolded, and when she comes to, she is not afraid to talk back to her captors. Her skills as a healer are needed soon enough, and Mariel learns how useful it is to have a healer around, even if she is annoying and cheerful all of the time. Mariel is trying to impress her father, the leader of the Merry Men, as Mariel is the youngest Captain and he doesn’t trust her with very important missions yet.

When Mariel’s father and two other leaders, including Little John, are all kidnapped by the Sheriff in an ambush, Mariel knows she has to step up and take bold action. She will need all of her crew. Even though she gives Clem the option of going back to the village with Old Rosie, Clem stays because this group needs healing regularly, and they’ve started to grow on her.

I loved the grumpy/sunshine of Mariel and Clem, that Clem is short but not small, the diversity of the Merry Men, and the camaraderie among them. The tropes were there—including only one bed and forced proximity–but as this is considered a YA novel, nothing is very explicit. I also thought Croucher was sensitive in how they had all of the characters deal with trauma. They are becoming one of my faves!