Not for the Faint of Heart
from the award-winning author of Gwen and Art Are Not in Love
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- USD 9.99
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- USD 9.99
Descripción editorial
Rip-roaringly romantic, fast-paced and funny - discover the brand new Sapphic historical fantasy adventure from the author of Cafe Nero Award shortlisted, YA Book Prize winner and Books Are My Bag Reader's Award winner, Gwen and Art Are Not in Love
'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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Croucher (Gwen and Art are Not in Love) presents a queer reimagining of the Robin Hood legend through the eyes of his granddaughter. As the daughter of the leader of the Merry Men, Mariel Hartley-Hood has a lot to prove when her father takes over following her grandfather Robin Hood's retirement. After a hostage situation goes sideways and her father is captured, Mariel gears up for a daring rescue—provided that her increasingly complicated feelings for her cheery, chatty hostage Clemence "Clem" Causey don't get in the way. Anachronistic humor (Clem calls herself a "five-star abduction" and jokingly refers to her kidnappers as an "all-star line-up") and the modern cadence of the dialogue prevent this hijinks-filled historical romance from feeling fully rooted in the medieval setting. Depictions of Robin Hood's anarchist mutual aid collective of Merry Men juxtaposed with Mariel's father's leadership adds teeth to this lighthearted rom-com adventure, which features explosively described fight sequences and a wealth of fun and campy tropes, including a slow-burning enemies-to-lovers romance. Mariel and Clem are white and queer; supporting characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 13–up.
