"Gwen & Art Are Not in Love" is exactly what this book is. Gwendoline is the princess of Camelot, not to be confused with Guinevere the original Arthurian Queen. And Arthur is a distant...100 years after...distant relative of the original King Arthur. Betrothed to be married, they both hold a secret...surprise we're queer. Arthur is self described as gay and Gwendoline is alluded to be Bi or Pan - sexual. Whilst I originally thought that the story would benefit from Gwen and Art already being in their respective queer relationships when they meet up again the summer of their wedding, I was pleasantly surprised by how the story took the plot line forward. The romance feeds into the story slowly and the conclusion of the tale comes with sacrifices. I felt the intended conflict was missing some information in parts, especially about the villain characters and their affiliation with the "cultists", as there was hardly a build up to the climax of the book. I did have a great time though watching the characters develop relationships that did not revolve around romance. There was great growth between Gwen & Art's relationship as they started initially as rivals, and the friendship that Gwen and her brother Gabriel had with each other was tender as well as stilted in the way that sibling relationships seem to be. Overall it was enjoyable to read but not exceptionally notable.

Would love to review this as I got an early copy, but Wednesday Books refuses to apologize and make amends for their employees islamophobic, anti-palestine, zionist remarks so here we are not reviewing it. Anyways if/when they finally apologize I'll review in depth.

This was such a fun, sweet queer historical romance! I really enjoyed the characters and the ways they interacted with each other. I especially enjoyed how Gwen and Art's friendship develops over time. There was a lot of humor and it was fun to have a lot of Arthurian references without it actually being set in Arthurian times.

i was so so excited for this but unfortunately very disappointed :( i’d seen lots of hype and heard great things about it but sadly it wasn’t for me.

*gwen & art are not in love* is a queer historical romance set in camelot, following gabriel, gwen (the prince & the princess), and arthur (gwen’s betrothed). arthur and gwen have hated each other since they were little, and the book starts with them learning that they will have to spend the summer together in camelot. when gwen sees arthur kissing a boy, and arthur finds gwen’s diary entries about her crush on bridget leclair, the kingdom’s only female knight, they decide to make a pact and act friendly with each other. the premise sounds *amazing* and so fun but unfortunately the execution wasn’t, at least for me.

i’m a very character-driven reader, i won’t care much about the plot as long as i like the characters, but i’ll probably end up hating the whole book if i don’t like the characters. and sadly i didn’t really like any of them here. i was starting to dislike gwen from the beginning but as the book went on i just started hating her, i couldn’t stand her. i thought i would like arthur less but i actually liked him! gabriel was just meh to be honest. i did not care much for sidney and agnes either. bridget was good but also not very special?

the whole book felt so slow to me, nothing was happening, i just got bored. so i skim read after about 65% and i was still extremely bored. i would've dnfed it if not for my curiosity about how gwen & bridget's relationship would end. the pacing towards the end felt quite weird, too.

i guess i’d have to say the part i liked the best was the banter between characters, it was fun! i also liked that it didn’t feel *too* historical, though i’m guessing most people won’t like that. it felt very “now”, i had to check whether it was supposed to be set in the past or an alternate future with castles and kingdoms while reading.

overall, this was a big disappointment for me but i’ve seen many people enjoy it! not sure i’d recommend it since i can’t imagine telling anyone “you’d *love* to sit through this book i was so bored of!” but i’m sure someone out there would like other aspects of the book.

I am withholding any review of this title until St. Martin’s Press addresses the racism and hatred perpetuated by their employee. I stand in solidarity with those boycotting St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and all associated imprints.

Should the demands of the boycott be met, I will post my feedback accordingly. I apologize to the author who is unfortunately caught in the middle of this. I wish your publisher would address this issue so that I can give your work the attention it deserves.

DNF @ 36% - I have been trying to read this since the end of July. I have read so many words and so many pages but it feels like nothing has happened in this book. I was so excited when I got approved for the ARC from NetGalley for this one. The description, the cover, ugh I was so stoked. And I wanted so badly to keep pushing through hoping things would get better or something plot wise would happen. But nothing happened. I mean there was some semi-funny dialogue moments. But sometimes the dialogue just felt too modern for the book’s setting. I made it to the middle of chapter 11 and the characters had barely even interacted with each other as much as I felt like they should have that far into the book. Overall, I just cannot do it anymore. Very disappointed.

I adore this book. The cast of characters was wonderfully lovable. I was swept away into this story, and I cannot wait to read more by Lex.

Arthur and Gwenivieve, a love for the ages. But Art and Gwen… not so much..

In "Gwen & Art Are Not in Love," the betrothed descendants of King Arthur and the Princess of England despise each other. However, when they are forced to spend time together, they discover each other's secrets and form an unlikely alliance. As the annual royal tournament approaches, romantic shenanigans ensue.

Run, don’t walk, to read this book! I was absolutely obsessed from the beginning and Lex Croucher is definitely high on my favorite authors list now after this one. The quirky characters and constant banter had me grinning from ear to ear.

Recommended if you love:
✨Forbidden Love
✨Opposites Attract
✨Enemies to Friends
✨Fake Relationship
✨LGBTQ Romance

Totally adorable and I hope everyone reads it! I had a great time reading this book. Well balanced between the light hearted banter and deeper emotional moments. Loved it!

Often I ignore comparative titles in book blurbs, but as a queer person who watched a A Knight’s Tale far too much growing up, this book scratched an itch there that I didn't even know I had.
Is it historically accurate? No. Just like A Knight’s Tale, it finds the fun in using a world we mostly know from stories to set off a fun and satisfying tale. I deeply enjoyed this book from start to finish, the writing was solid and the storytelling was engaging. Something I value in romcom novels is there being more to the story than just the rom & com, and Gwen & Art Are Not in Love does this perfectly, with each of the MCs finding different challenges along the way and growing, with a backdrop of political intrigue, just for funzies.
The one thing I will flag is that the last quarter of the book does include some violence and non-romance heartbreak, thanks to that political intrigue I mentioned, but I feel that the author artfully wrapped things up by the end in a way that allows the reader to feel the emotions of the dramatics, without ruining the feel-good mood we normally expect when we pick up a rom-com to read.
Thank you to netgalley arc in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars


In general, I really liked this book.
The only thing that kinda bothered me is the language/colloquialisms used. Sometimes the characters would speak in a manner that was definitely “Ye Olde English” and then other times, I expected someone to whip out a cell phone.

I always love seeing books take on the man, the myth, the legend that is King Arthur & his Circular Sitting Area. This was fun — seeing Arthur being fully secure and confident in who he is, as well as making space for his comrades to gain that confidence too…mad respect for Lil Arthur Two Hats.

————————

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for the eARC.

4.25 stars

Add this to your TBR right now. It's a queer YA medieval rom-com advertised as "Heartstopper" meets "A Knight's Tale" and it had me guffawing and binging most of it in a day. I don't know how it happened that most of my planned ARC reads this month are medieval and humor-based but I am having the best time.

The title might throw you, but this is not a retelling. It takes place in Camelot a handful of generations after King Arthur's time, and his story has already faded into more legend than fact. The myths surrounding King Arthur and his court motivate a sect of cultists who believe he will return one day and take his place as true king, and you know I love a religious fanatic subplot, but this isn't about THAT Arthur and Gwen.

The story is dual POV, switching between Gwen, a second-born princess of Camelot, and Arthur (again, not that one), a lord and her betrothed since birth. Unfortunately, they hate each other, so a happily ever after is not imminent. Until they realize that they're both queer and that if they carry off a fake dating/courting scheme, they can be each other's beards and maybe even ... friends? Gwen has a fat crush on Lady Bridget LeClair, the only female knight in the realm and a total badass. Arthur is just generally here for a good time, maybe specifically with Gwen's uptight and unattainable brother, the crown prince, Gabriel. Gabe rescues injured corvids, names all his pets after Arthurian figures, reads books, and is repressed. We love him, but not as much as we love Arthur, because he is a delightful disaster.

Arthur and his bodyguard, Sidney, are some of my favorite characters I've read recently. Their friendship and banter had me wheezing and highlighting entire pages, I loved them so much. I think if this book had been only from Arthur's POV, or even Arthur and Gabriel, I may have given it 5 stars on vibes alone, but I didn't love Gwen as much as the boys, so even though she grew on me as she came into herself her chapters weren't my favorites. I do always appreciate a good m/f platonic relationship though, and her and Arthur were adorable friends by the end.

The majority of this book is just hijinks, but then the last ~25% takes a turn and goes darker when some of the political foreshadowing comes to fruition, which caught me by surprise. I wanted a little more from the ending, it felt a bit abrupt even though the events themselves fit. I mostly just wanted to hang out with these characters for a bit longer, though. I'll definitely be checking out Lex Croucher's other work!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, & the author for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was, as always from Lex Croucher, adorable. Arthur, a future lord and general and charming wastrel, is engaged to Gwendolyn, the princess of England. They have hated each other since childhood but knew that one day, they'd have to be married. Arthur's father sends him to Camelot to get to know his betrothed and within 24 hours, Gwen discovers Art kissing a boy and Art discovers that Gwen has a crush on the realm's only lady knight, Brigid Leclair. Highjinks ensue and Gwen and Art decide they'd make better friends than enemies.. Funny and sweet, I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.

*Special thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-arc.*

This book was a little bit of a roller coaster for me. It had a somewhat slow start, then got really good in the middle and towards the end, then left me feeling a little let down by the ending. At some points I was thinking it would be a 5 star read, but overall I think it was a four star book for me.

The VIBES: Red, White and Royal Blue meets A Knights Tale. I laughed out loud quite a few times while reading, and the humor was my favorite part. I liked the romances but they are more side elements of the book than the focus. I could have used a few more feels, but overall it was an enjoyable reading experience.

The CHARACTERS: This had a great cast of characters, including the side characters. The relationship between Arthur and his bodyguard, while entirely platonic, was my favorite. The main characters are very unlikeable at times. They make bad choices. They are self-centered. They are full of flaws. But they definitely grew on me and I think the reasons for their flaws are evident. But you are absolutely gonna want to shout at them at certain points in the book. I did wish we got to know Bridget a little better. She's a total hottie badass, and I loved every time she was on page, but I wanted to know more about her flaws and quirks. Make her afraid of spiders or something and give her a funny scene. I wanted a bit more.

The PLOT and WORLDBUILDING: I could have used a bit more worldbuilding and backstory, but it wasn't a sticking point for me. Once the plot got rolling I was super engaged and it went some directions I hadn't expected. Again, plotting could have been a bit tighter, but I found it quite entertaining. I would have liked to know more about the cultists and about those protective necklaces that sort of seemed to be included in the plot for no reason?

The PACING: Here's where I ran into some issues. Some parts in the beginning felt a bit slow, which okay is a common thing, but then once the ball got rolling things were so exciting and so much was happening and I was really being propelled along at a great pace and then BAM all that momentum ended too abruptly. I wanted more from the ending. It wasn't unsatisfying exactly, but I wanted more from it. This would have been a great place to get a few more feels and to get more of a feel for how these couples work when they are actually together. Also, I wanted to hear the speech dammit! Give me a rousing speech! Make me cry!

FAVORITE PARTS: Every single time Arthur and Sidney interacted. The cat, obviously. The scene with the doctors totally dismissing Bridget's menstrual issues. (The more things change the more they stay the same, etc etc...)

I'd happily recommend this one. It wasn't perfect but it was a very enjoyable read and quite entertaining.

This books defied my expectations in the best possible way. Based on the title, I’d expected this to be a queer Arthurian legend retelling. It’s not. Gwen and Art aren’t THAT Gwen and Art, though Gwen lives in Camelot and this Arthur is a descendant of Arthur Pendragon. Also, many hilarious Arthurian legend references are included throughout.

Gwen has been betrothed to Arthur since the moment she was born. They can’t stand each other, something probably not helped by the fact they’re both gay and therefore immune to each others romantic charms. This Arthur is an even bigger prat than his namesake on the BBC show Merlin. Plus, he has a bad habit of drowning his sorrows in wine. Gwen, on the other hand, is everything she’s been raised to be: prim, proper, and powerless (or so she thinks). However, she’s quite taken with Lady Knight Bridget Leclair.

To get their parents off their back, and keep their true infatuations secret, Gwen and Art agree to a fake courtship. The result is a banter-filled enemies-to-reluctant friendship that I didn’t want to put down. While it’s not all lighthearted—there’s some quite impressive action toward the end—it’s still an entertaining romp from start to finish. Highly recommended to anyone who loves swoony sword sapphics and/or wished Merlin and Arthur would kiss.

Lex Croucher is quickly becoming a must-read author for me since I also thoroughly enjoyed and recommend Infamous.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.

⚔️ Gwen and Art are Not In Love ⚔️

“So what do you want to do with your one slightly dull but nonetheless precious life?”

Y’all how fun was this one! Set in Camelot, we follow Arthur who has come to spend the summer with his betrothed, Gwen. Despite their history of animosity, they strike a true to pretend to be enamored with each other. An unlikely friendship is born as Arthur shows Gwen how to be herself and love who she wants to love, even as Arthur is constantly distracted by Gwen’s boring and bookish older brother, Gabriel, the future king of England.

Come for the Camelot, stay for the
⚔️ Coming of age YA
⚔️ Queer romance
⚔️ Hilarious banter
⚔️ Top notch cast of characters friend group
⚔️ Dual POV love story of friendship

Great for a quick, light read with important representation, even in times of Camelot! Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday books for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

Omg I loved this so much!!! I’ve been having a very meh reading month so this was such a pleasant surprise!! The queer found family of it all was the true shining point of this story but literally every other aspect was so great too! Gwen & Bridget, Art & Gabe, Sydney & Agnes, the overall mystery, the atmosphere, the King Arthur aspect, the humor, just seriously everything was so good!! I cannot recommend this one more 😍

Big thanks to NetGalley for supplying this ARC to me in exchange for a review!
DNF @ 17% - I’m so sorry, I don’t think this book is the worst by any means but I just kept dreading to read more. It did not draw me in at all and reading a chapter was like pulling teeth. I thought Gwen was just insufferable and I didn’t care enough about her or Arthur or anyone else to slog through it.

As soon as I started the book, I was surprised that there was no formatting whatsoever for the chapter starting pages. If you are giving an ARC for review, the book needs to have some form of formatting. Readers, no matter who they are and at what point they are reading the book, should judge the book as a whole. They judge the art, the formatting, and the many POVs that are not labeled—literally everything. So it's not been a great start so far.

I have been reading ARCs for a while now, and my main pet peeve is unlabeled multi-points of view. I don’t care if it's two POVs or seven. If there are multiple points of view, YOU MUST LABLE THEM.

As I was reading this book, it constantly felt like I was waiting for it to pick up in tension, conflict, or something, but it didn’t. I like how every character had some flaws and pluses, but Gwendoline didn’t have anything to her; she was a very flat character. For example, Arthur is snarky, has a troubled family home or life, was trained in certain aspects of being an heir, and is very gay. Sidney is a Casanova who would literally waste his time to pursue a girl but is a great friend and good at his job. Gabriel is the unfortunate heir to the king who loves reading and studying and wants to be the best king he could be, but in his own way with no violence. But for Gwen, she is just very complain-y and is in love with a woman knight (I don't know what the proper term is), and she does embroidery; she is so painfully bossy. I would recommend this book to people who like lots of monologue-forward stories.

I started getting into the book around chapter 15, but then at chapter 35 it fell through, and I had trouble finishing it. I just think it's because the book keeps going back and forth between POVs and it's hard to keep track. I do like the ending I think it was wrapped up nicely. I will reread this and update my review accordingly.

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is such a fun book—it turns the traditional tail on its head with a LGBT+ twist.

The characters were lively and vibrant and deliciously interesting to read about. I immediately felt immersed in this world and was captivated by it! I do wish we got more perspective from Bridget Leclair; I understand why we didn't but with the way the characters and chapter perspectives were set up, I kept hoping we'd get at least something.

The writing itself was so lovely—there were moments where I was truly laughing out loud or texting my friend (who had already read an ARC) about specific lines. I think this is such a fun book that young adults will just eat up. It's clear, too, that Lex Croucher knew her world, her characters, her in-novel politics inside and out; the worldbuilding just felt natural.

The only flaw I have is that, even though Croucher set up the last third of the book, it still kind of came abruptly. It also felt very quick, given the serious nature of the plot. I remember looking at the page numbers going 'how are we going to wrap this up?' It wasn't bad per se, but I could see readers who got swept completely in the romance to be a bit taken off guard and thrown off. She left clues along the way of what was to come, but I do think the pacing felt a bit off and that there should have been a bit more time devoted to it.

It's been a moment since I finished so, looking back, I would probably give Gwen & Art are Not In Love closer to a 4.5 rating out of 5 but, when I finished the novel, I was so delighted by queer love, brass female characters, and snarky medieval characters that I had to give it 5 stars and I want to honor that.