Lex Croucher's queer medieval rom-com--the author's debut young-adult novel--is an absolute gem; it's full of excellent banter and lots of heart. I smiled while reading this one.

“Nobody else is ever going to care as much as you do about the things that you want, Gwendoline. So it's up to you --you can put them aside forever, if you can live with that, or you can put on your big-girl girdle and demand more for yourself.”
It's hundreds of years after King Arthur's reign, and his descendant and namesake Arthur, a future lord and committed partier and social butterfly, has long been betrothed to the short-tempered princess Gwendoline.

Gwendoline has strong opinions and is feeling constricted in her prescribed royal role even without the weight of her pending marriage upon her.

But Gwendoline and Arthur detest each other. And when they're forced to spend the summer together at Camelot to prepare for their upcoming nuptials, it doesn't take long for them to realize that Art has been kissing a boy and that Gwen has a crush on the only female knight in the kingdom.

They would make better allies than enemies, and as they agree to cover for each other amid sword-fighting, royal court goings-on, and romantic dramas, they forge a friendship that just might last.

The premise of Lex Croucher's Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is irresistible, the pacing is great, and the banter is excellent--funny dialogue is a favorite element of mine. I adored the voices of the characters and witnessing their growth over the course of the story.

I just loved the redefining of class-driven limitations (as with the attraction between Gwen's lady's maid and Arthur's right-hand-man); the unorthodox and touching loyalty within a reimagined Gwen-Arthur relationship; and the LGBTQ-positive, actively reinvented possibilities for the royals.

This didn't feel strictly young adult to me, although it's certainly romantic without being explicit regarding scenes of attraction and expressions of love. The story deals with issues of identity, showing resolve in the face of strict societal expectations, and redefining relationships and traditional roles.

I received a digital edition of this title courtesy of NetGalley and St. Martin's Press.

Lex Croucher is also the author of Infamous, Reputation, Trouble, the upcoming Not for the Faint of Heart, and other books.

A cute, queer coming-of-age story about two young people who are betrothed and wish desperately that they weren't. Or at least, not to each other.

The writing was fun and story was engaging enough to hold my attention. The characterization of Gwen and Art felt new and fresh and relatable.

I went into this book not enjoying the other Lex Croucher book I read, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one! The banter and snakiness was the absolute best — I found myself laughing out loud at several conversations the characters made. I was also a bit worried about how the book was going to resolve, and I liked that it was left unfinished and without the ability for the characters to continue to grow since I didn’t think they were ready to completely commit to anything and still had lots to learn. Croucher has redeemed themselves with this book in my mind, and I will be recommending this book to others!

So charming! This was everything I hoped it would be. Delightfully queer, funny, and full of characters I wanted to root for.

This was a super queer very entertaining re-imaging(?) of the world of King Arthur. We follow siblings Gabriel and Gwen as they have to fulfill their duties to the throne, whether that means following through with a marriage or finding someone to marry. Neither sibling wants what life has in store and with the help of Gwen's "betrothed" the manage to create of very convincing scheme. Set alongside a tournament with cultists uprisings it's hard enough being a royal let alone ones that don't fit the mold. Overall, a great and very heartfelt story (also I would love a sequel or another book in this universe).


Thank you to the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

In support of the SMP boycott, I will be withholding my review of this title until SMP speaks out. If the boycott is resolved, I will update with a full review.

This was unfortunately a DNF for me. I just really didn’t click with the writing at all. I really wish I had loved it because I was super excited to read it for such a long time. I was enticed by everything the story was inspired by but did not like interpretation. I’m interested in giving another book by the author a try in the future,

It was fun and fast paced. It isn't perfect by any stretch, but it wasn't trying to be. It was just what it was and that is enough. Fans of the Mackenzi Lee will have a lot to like here. The swapping narrators was a good touch and the end was just right. We didn't need an epilogue. Lots of books like this would have that and it would ruin a lot of the work.

I DNF'ed eventually, I just didn't feel like I was the target audience of this writing style. The characters were fun and I appreciated the queer representation, it just really was not my thing. Happy reading!

I’ve had this eARC for the better part of a year and FINALLY read it - glad I did. This is a tongue in cheek, queer, King Arthur YA retelling combined with A Knight’s Tale, with both Sapphic and Achillean pairings.

Gwen & Art have been betrothed since childhood - but as they grew older - they couldn’t be less interested in that. The story unfolds, hysterically, with sharp writing and humor - with just the right amount of Arthur & Merlin lore without losing the story in historical legend. I enjoyed both Gwen and Art, for different reasons and was excited to see how each grew & got their HEA.

Come for the fluffy Arthurian romances - stay for the snappy/snarky humor and surprising political intrigue of Camelot’s Kingdom.

Thanks to @lexcanroar @stmartinspress @wednesdaybooks for the chance to review this story in exchange for an honest review.

This is a queer, medieval romance set in Camelot! It's really a fun read. It keeps your attention from start to finish. I recommend this one whole heartedly!

Many thanks to Net Galley and MacMillan Audio for an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I will be withholding my review until St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books addresses the racist and Islamophobic actions of their employee. Stand in solidarity with Palestinians. Always. #SpeakUpSMP

I will be withholding my review until St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books addresses the racist and Islamophobic actions of their employee. Stand in solidarity with Palestinians. Always. #SpeakUpSMP

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lex Croucher had me at queer medieval rom-com.

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love was such a fun young adult romance! There were so many romantic shenanigans and even though it took place in a medieval setting it felt like it could have taken place when I was a young teen. I'm not super huge on the King Arthur tale, but the little nods were familiar enough for me, a novice, to pick up and it was thoroughly enjoyable!

Now I'm going to watch A Knight's Tale and I'm going to enjoy every second of it.

I WILL NOT BE RATING OR REVIEWING THIS BOOK PUBLICLY UNTIL THE SMP BOYCOTT IS RESOLVED. This is what I will post once all demands have been met:

I don't think it's fair for me to rate this book. It just wasn't for me, but I enjoyed the writing and I know a lot of people will absolutely adore it. I'm just not a fan of historical romances or historical fiction that take place before like the 1970s. Lol I don't know why, but it's hard for me to focus on the actual plot without getting distracted by how gross things were back then. I really appreciate the author giving us a queer reimagining of medieval times, though!!

There are so, so many people who will adore this, but I was not one of them.

<b>Thank you so much NetGalley & Wednesday Books for the advanced reader's copy!!</b>

This was such a cute, fun book. I really think that fans of F.T. Lukens or Heartstopper will really enjoy it. I loved every single character and was pleasantly surprised that it isn't just an exact Arthurian retelling. I was expecting just an almost exact retelling with a *sprinkle* of gay. But this was it's whole own thing with a *sprinkle* of Arthurian legend and it was exactly what I wanted from it.

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher has sword-fighting, found family, and romantic shenanigans. It’s been hundreds of years since King Arthur’s reign. His descendant, Arthur, a future Lord and general gadabout, has been betrothed to Gwendoline, the quick-witted, short-tempered princess of England, since birth. The only thing they can agree on is that they despise each other. They’re forced to spend the summer together at Camelot in the run up to their nuptials, and within 24 hours, Gwen has discovered Arthur kissing a boy and Arthur has gone digging for Gwen's childhood diary and found confessions about her crush on the kingdom's only lady knight, Bridget Leclair. Realizing they might make better allies than enemies, they make a reluctant pact to cover for each other, and as things heat up at the annual royal tournament, Gwen is swept off her feet by her knight and Arthur takes an interest in Gwen's royal brother.

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is a book with a little bit of everything- but no one aspect of the book takes precedence. There is romance, there is coming of age and trying to figure out who you really want to be. There is also danger, family, and intrigue. I enjoyed the read and the way the book uses legends combined with the struggles of people trying to find their place amid expectations, social pressures, and conflicting desires. I love how timeless some of these ideas are, and that the era and setting of this book do not make these themes any further removed from the reader than the pages of the book. There characters were well written, as imperfect and questioning as real people even though they are facing things we are never going to. I think this book will be a much loved book for many young, new, and those of us older adults.

I really enjoyed this! Queer princess joins forces with her Queer betrothed and we get an excellent cast of characters!

It was cute and funny and lighthearted. The only thing I didn’t love is that it felt like everything sort of happens at the very end and it doesn’t leave enough time to wrap it up as much as I’d like. The conflict is resolved, I just wish we got a little more, or even a clear sense of what might be to come.

But definitely give it a go if you’re looking for something low-angst and fun!

Boycotting st. martins press, including wednesday books, will come back to this and post a full review when the publisher takes accountability.

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love was a beautifully written and fun filled historical romance with beautiful character building and a beautiful storyline. You couldn't ask for more than Lex Croucher has provided in this beautiful read. Art and Gwen are so easy to love, and the story just gives us so much more than the retelling of a story. You can't help but to fall in love.

Thank you to NetGalley for sharing this beautiful story with me in exchange for an honest review. Easily a 5 star read!