Not for the faint of heart A novel

There was always something queer about Robin Hood and his Merry Men. Croucher (Gwen and Art Are Not in Love, 2023) goes whole hog on that thought, setting this kidnapping romance two generations later with Robin's uptight granddaughter, Mariel, who captains her own rainbow crew of every hue. Nowadays, though, these men are more militant than merry, thanks to Mariel's ambitious father/commander. When he's captured during an ambush, she'll do whatever it takes to rescue him and win his respect. The other half of the central grumpy/sunshine pairing is Clem, a healer consensually abducted by Mariel's squad to aid its cause. This extremely lighthearted adventure leans, in Clem's chapters, on the healer's relentlessly sunny, quippy disposition to keep the vibes bright. There's a self-awareness to the dialogue and world building that gives Croucher free rein to play, filling pages with modern concepts and steering around contemporary expectations of a Robin Hood adventure. Though more com than rom and more ren-faire than hist-fic, it's genuinely funny and still, somehow, works as well as any late-aughts BBC series.

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. Agent: Chloe Seager, Madeleine Milburn Literary. (Nov.)

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) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.