A thousand years ago, Arthurian tales were a shared world thing, with storytellers not only in England but France and all through the German speaking polities penning their own versions or spinoffs. When I see Arthurian-related stories now I think of Hartmann von Aue or Wolfram von Eschenbach writing their stories with an Arthurian setting, reflecting a lot of current life.

Just so, with some Arthurians now. I still like Carol Anne Douglas's Lancelot: Her Story best, but I enjoyed this one in spite of a somewhat odd structure. Arthur likes the boys. Gwen has a crush on a knightly woman. The queer-friendly setting drew me right in, and I relaxed with the breezy humor. It seemed like a light-hearted take on the old tale...until it wasn't. If you don't mind a sharp turn toward the end in the direction of the old tale--which after all is about a bunch of armored guys going around bashing the crap out of each other--then this might really work for you.

Happy release day!! 🥳 Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is one of the best rom-com I've read this year. Fun and funny.

The medieval settings are quite unique. I love the heavy Arthurian references, although that makes it a bit disappointing that there wasn't any real magic in this book's world. 😅 But then that gives space to more romance, comedy, and less dense/info-dumpy worldbuilding; all of which I enjoyed.

The ending was... surprising. I'd recommend this book!

I knew from the moment I read the synopsis for Gwen & Art Are Not in Love that I was going to enjoy the book, but I was not ready for how much I would fall in love with it! A Knights Tale meets Heartstopper is how it is described and oh man, is that spot on! I loved everything about Gwen & Art. Their interactions with each other, their love interests, their best friends, the drama, the romance, the fall-off-my-chair-laughing quips from everyone - it was all perfect. If it sounds like I'm gushing, it's because I am! This is a must read (if romance and good books are your thing), and will be a treasured re-read. Of all the ARC's I've read (and I've read quite a few this year), this is the first one that I instantly pre-ordered a physical copy for my collection. Thank you, thank you, thank you to Netgalley, Author Lex Croucher and St. Martin's Press Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I am eternally grateful!

Lex Croucher’s Gwen and Art are not In Love is a Medieval YA romcom that follows Gwen and Art—betrothed since childhood with a strong distaste for one another.

Our bratty Royal and self-deprecating jokester discover that the other queer as their enemies-to-friends bond begins to grow.

Gwen and Art is a lighthearted, slow-burn romance chock-full of humor, witty banter, and drama.

I fell hard for this found family of lovable idiots, especially Art—boy has LAYERS. Sidney is unfalteringly loyal to Art and their friendship is pure gold. Bridget, the only female knight, knows what she wants and fights hard to follow her dreams. Gwen finds herself as she becomes a more confident and courageous character. As Agnes’ personality unfolds, we see glimpses of how strong and loving she is. Gabe, well I needed more from Gabe personally.

There wasn’t much space for the romances to fully develop, but I feel like this allowed so much growth and development of the friendship of our MC’s.

The last 20% or so felt a little off and like it maybe didn’t fit the romcom vibe we had been getting, but otherwise it wrapped up fairly well.

If you have a “rapidly increasing appetite for chaos” like Arthur, this queer comfort read will charm your breeches off.

Not a retelling, but a re-imagining of Arthurian era tales. This features Gwen, daughter of the king, and Arthur, her beloathed bethrothed. Neither have ever gotten along their entire lives, but when Arthur is sent to Camelot to spend time with his future wife, they end up learning a lot more about each other, including the fact that they're both queer and infatuated with other people.

If you're looking for historical accuracy, this is not the book for you. The character all act extremely modern (one even references a Riverdale meme), and honestly aside from the last part of the book this could all take place at a like renfaire and largely track. It felt like a standard contemporary YA of fake dating and struggles with being closeted and coming to terms with your sexuality. The characters are pretty standard cookie cutter stereotypes, and the pacing is very strange. I did like seeing Gwen and Art grow to be reluctantly fond of each other, but it didn't outweigh everything else that didn't quite work for me.

This should be a pretty easy recommendation for people that like a historic-themed romcom, especially those that have been enjoying the classics retelling that have been coming out (haha) the last few years.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is a queer YA romcom which follows Gwendoline and Arthur, who have been betrothed since birth, and who reluctantly team up to allow each other to pursue their actual romantic interests.

This was such a fun book! The vibe of inspired-by-arthurian-legend meets YA romcom was absolute magic, so much so that I'm already itching to get my hands on another. It was sharp and witty, funny and heartwarming, sweet with some darker moments that really helped balance it all out. I can't wait for readers to pick this book up and meet Gwen, Art, Bridget, and Sidney, who were all such absolute delights to read about.

I enjoyed this quite a bit! I liked the character of Gwen right from the start, and while I wasn't immediately sold on Art, it only took a couple of chapters for him to grow on me. I liked most of this book, especially the characters and the relationships. I think the relationships between Gwen and Art as well as Gwen and her brother were built well, but I think the romantic relationships could have been developed just a little bit more, but was also good. The plot was pretty solid, but I found the last 25% iffy. This was a fun and fast-paced read that I flew through in less than two days. I had a great time reading this and while it's not a new favourite, I'd definitely pick up another book by this author!

3.5/5

I had really high hopes for this read but was let down. Basically, we have an Arthur and a Guinevere who are supposed to get married as a big deal to the kingdom and have them remember the original couple. Turns out both of them would rather not marry each other and have other love interests, that are their same gender. They both have romantic situations with their chosen lover but I feel like we do not truly get a real conclusion on the romance part in my opinion. <Spoiler> The book makes the point that the royal family is expected to get married and have children from that marriage, so how can they complete that 'requirement' if they marry someone of the same sex? I wish the ending was a bit more clear that we knew the individuals stayed with the person they wanted and were not

The best part of  “Gwen & Art Are Not In Love” by Lex Croucher are the beautiful relationships, especially the deep friendship that develops between Art and Gwen when they become allies. Part of what resonates with me is how each learns from the other, not how to be perfect but how to be brave in choosing what they want and standing strong against the ideas or people that would deny them love. This book is all about embracing your true self even when it is difficult to do so.

I love how deftly Lex Croucher weaves in the complicated relationships and the dynamics each has with their fathers. I also love the very real consequences, that none comes out unscathed but each chooses what is most important to them. The novel teaches us to love, not just those around us but also ourselves. 

If you love LGBTQ love stories, stories about family and love of all kinds, this is the novel for you. It has beautiful relationships, complex characters, complicated dynamics and is a completely glorious Arthurian story that feels like a cross between Heartstopper and A Knight’s Tale. And like both those stories, its very much about embracing your truth and loving yourself and those around you.

I received this ARC free from the publisher via NetGalley.

Did you love A Knight's Tale but thought "hey, this could be EVEN MORE queer?" (because A Knight's Tale is definitely a bit queer, let's be honest). Well, you'll love this book. There's jousting, secret kissing, sword play, character growth, silly side characters you fall in love with quickly, and the last 20% gets INTENSE. I cannot recommend this book enough. EASY 5 STARS! (And I'm not even a huge historical romance fan!)

This book was so fun and I found myself laughing so hard throughout the entire book. I loved the dynamic between Gwen and Art. Their whole betrothal since birth and dislike of each other reminded me of the Swan Princess (minus the falling in love at the end). I also really loved Gwen's personality, I defiantly related to it. I look forward to more books by Lex Croucher.

i dnf’d at 60%. I’m all here for books that focus on characters more than plot, but SOMETHING has to move the story along. There was no urgency to anything and it was really dragging for me.

Since the end of Merlin (BBC TV show) I have eagerly been seeking out Arthurian retelling without queerbaiting. This was a wonderful retelling and I appreciate that Gwen and Arthur (Art) are shown as not being at odds but rather desire to help each other achieve their own HEA/HFN.

What an absolute blessing to have been able to spend an entire lazy Sunday reading this delightful book! I have always had a fascination with Arthurian legends and have devoured many interpretations, but I have never read one quite so fun and heartwarming as Gwen & Art Are Not in Love. Technically I suppose I’m being a bit misleading in labelling this an interpretation of Arthurian legend; the names and the setting are unmistakeable callbacks, but the story takes place centuries after the reign of Arthur Pendragon. Featuring clever banter, lady knights, jousting, treason, and lots of queer angst, Lex Croucher has created the medieval YA romcom of my dreams.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy of this book.

I absolutely adored this one. It was fun, heartwarming, and adorable. The dialogue was really where the book shined. Gwen and Arthur are massive brats, but at least they're semi-self aware and Gwen's utilization of her royal powers to scare suitors made me laugh out loud.

The rom-com feel of the book was perfect. I've already pre-ordered a physical copy of it. Loved it.

Plot: 8/10

I really liked how this story took some fun, more contemporary romance tropes and put them into a historical setting. Historical romances can often be quite dramatic and perhaps not the best fit for the YA style, but Lex Croucher did a great job of creating a more lighthearted story that still didn't make me forget the setting. There was an unexpected bit of plot at the end; I certainly didn't anticipate it, and it felt a little out of left field, but I think it ultimately gave some good character development and provided a nice conclusion to the story.

There were some points where the actual situations the four main characters got into felt a little unrealistic. Like it was stretching my suspension of disbelief. However, that's pretty par for the course for romance. The worldbuilding was a lot more in-depth than I thought it would be. It was wildly historically inaccurate, but it brought a lot more diversity than is normally present in historical romances.

Characters: 10/10

I really liked the characters of this book, especially Gwen. The romance was great too, and I'll talk about that, but I appreciate that they all had their own arcs to follow and develop through outside their romantic attachments. Gwen has issues with her confidence, Arthur is the king of all daddy issues, Bridget struggles with her place in society as a female knight, and Gabriel has to come to terms with his sexuality. Them all having their own arcs really helps establish them as characters.

The romance itself was very sweet. Even if some of the situations were a bit unrealistic, the characters dealt with them very naturally and the build of both relationships felt well-paced. There was good conflict in both of them as well, ones where neither side was wrong or right and they had to come together to understand each other. By around halfway through the book if not sooner, I was wholeheartedly rooting for both Gwen and Arthur's happy endings with their love interests.

Writing Style: 8/10

Although this is a historical setting, the writing is quite modern (bonus points if you catch the Riverdale meme reference in the first few chapters). However, considering this is pitched as a romcom and makes no pretense of being historically accurate, I don't mind it. The tone and language is consistent throughout the book, and I really only think it's an issue if it changes between 'modern' and 'historical'. The writing itself isn't amazing, but it is still good and Croucher does a good job portraying emotion.

Overall: 9/10

This was a great historical romance. It was super sweet with a lot of great representation, even if it wasn't what most would consider historically accurate. Both relationships developed naturally with some pretty realistic bumps along the way. Some scenes felt a little forced, but more in the uncanny probability of the world, not the characters. Gwen was my favorite character, and I loved her arc of self-improvement. There was an unexpected bit of plot at the end, but I think it worked well in the context of how the characters were developing and what needed to occur for a happy ending.

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love was an absolute delight to read. I went into this book expecting witty humor and adorable romance, and that is exactly what the story delivered. I was surprised to find there was also a dash of court intrigue and some pretty brutal action at the end, which caused an odd tonal shift at times but made sense given the overarching plot.

I think reader expectations will be key to whether someone enjoys Gwen & Art Are Not in Love. If you are looking for historical fiction or an Arthurian re-telling, this probably isn't the book for you. This story reads like a YA rom-com that happens to have knights in it. It seems to happen outside of time almost, but the events of the story are impacted by the history and legends of King Arthur. The writing and dialogue were quite modern, and most of the time the story didn't seem to take itself very seriously. It created a fun tone to the storytelling that I enjoyed.

The characters and relationships in Gwen & Art Are Not in Love were all engaging and interesting to follow. The romantic partnerships were cute, and I adored all three of them. The real highlight for me, though, was the development of the friendship between Gwen and Arthur. They started out with a passionate hatred for one another, but they became very close over the course of the story as they slowly peeled away each others' layers of defense. The two of them had so many great scenes together that felt beautifully intimate. The supporting cast around them was fantastic, as well, leading to hilarious banter that had me cackling and heartfelt found family vibes that had me in my feelings.

Given the light tone of most of the story, I was not expecting Gwen & Art Are Not in Love to tackle heavy thematic content as hard as it did. Gwen and Gabriel dealt with a queer identity crisis and navigating whether to come out or continue to hide their true selves. Arthur struggled with core beliefs about worthlessness from a lifetime of abuse from his father, which also interacted with the way he viewed his sexual orientation and his ability to be loved. Bridget provided excellent commentary on gender roles and the struggle of being a woman in a male-dominated field. Each theme was explored in a way that made it accessible and entertaining while still being insightful.

All in all, Gwen & Art Are Not in Love was a great YA rom-com, with wonderful characters, side-splitting humor, and the exploration of important themes. I loved the way it linked to the Arthurian legends while still being entirely its own thing. I also really appreciated the 'queer was always here' message inherent within the story. Therefore, I rate this book 4.25 out of 5 stars.

This book is such a fun romp- As the reader, I felt like Gwen and Art are sibling-esque in that you want to both love and hate them at times. They drive you nuts but you want to see them succeed and have their "happily-ever-after". I adore the main love interests and a lot of the side characters are fun as well. The realism of Gwen's serving girl not wanting to be stuck with her at a party and her feelings of hurt during that scene were pretty much perfect. This book is absolutely worth the read!

Read if you like:
🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQ Romances
📚 YA Books
⚔️ Historical Romances
🗡️ Arthur & Guinevere Retellings
🐴 A Knights Tale
💋 First Love
2️⃣ Dual POV
💍 Arranged Marriages
😂 Humor

Overall, this wasn’t my favorite from Lex, but still very much worth a read! She is definitely my go to for lgbtq ya romances and historical romances especially where I don’t read/listen to a lot of YA or historical books, but for some reason Lex’s writing of these has me excited every time I see this combo coming from her.

What worked for me:
- I really enjoyed the relationship growth between Art and Gwen
- I liked the lighthearted feel and humor
- The narration
- The knights tale vibes
- The references to Arthur and Guineviere but making it lgbtqia+

What didn’t work for me:
- the darker aspects of the plot just didn’t work for me and fit the vibe, especially when I wasn't expecting it where Lex hasn’t really done this before
- The ending felt lackluster
- The pacing

Overall, I did enjoy this one even with it not being my fave, but I’ll def continue to read/listen to Lex’s books! Thanks so much to The Wednesday Books for my ARC in exchange for my review!

"GWEN AND ART ARE NOT IN LOVE" is a whimsical adventure set in a fantasy Medieval England, where the princess and her betrothed despise each other and have feelings for other people. The book is packed with tropes, but in a positive manner. The story takes place in a "vague medieval" alternate England, where Arthur existed centuries ago. I especially liked the hints about how history has changed since then, especially in eras I'm familiar with!