Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a lot of fun! I love a good premise that follows through on its promises.

The characters (particularly our main ones, Gwen and Art) were well-developed and grew and changed in justified ways throughout the book. I loved getting to see their relationship with each other and themselves grow.

It's a little difficult for me to even talk about side characters because the primary side characters were written and characterized in such a thorough way that I almost never see in any book ever. It was a very pleasant surprise!

The story itself was pretty good. There was a tonal shift towards the end of the book that didn't feel totally earned and was a bit jarring, but ultimately I had a lot of fun and thoroughly enjoyed myself. 4/5.

Thanks to St Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy.

Gwen and Arthur are betrothed in spite of being enemies. Arthur is sent to spend the summer with Gwen when they both discover a mutual secret.

A cute, Queer romance with great characters and character development. This book was lightheaded and cozy for the majority and then it took a turn I didn't expect towards the end. It felt disjointed but still an overall great book!

3.5

This book was such a fun read! I was really hooked in the start - a medieval arthurian based love story mixed with some modern elements, it was right up my alley.

The strongest thing this book has is definitely its characters. The development they go through really felt earned, and seeing how their relationships (even beyond their love interests) blossomed was really what connected me throughout the story. More specifically, Gwen and Arthur’s shared trust and later on close friendship. I loved how they managed to grow together! Even Gwen + Gabriel’s sibling dynamic was the sweetest thing ever. It really brought “show don’t tell” into the relationship just from their interactions alone and FELT the sibling bond.

I even feel like on their own, they were pretty strong characters! Like I would love to read a story just about Bridget’s adventures as a knight (because she was a total badass) or Gabriel learning how to a be king because I just enjoyed them so much.

The one downside of this for me however was the ending. I felt like the political schemes came from left field and didn’t really fit the whole tone of the book. It started as this happy rom-com about falling in love and then turned into a war drama? Yes, while it was definitely interesting, it just didn’t feel like the same book but rather two different ones mashed together in the end. (That being said, I liked how bittersweet the ending was, all things considered)

Overall this was a pretty lighthearted read and can definitely be someone’s next comfort read! It has so much potential (especially for sequel books about the character’s individually) and I can’t wait to see what the author does next :)

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

*3.5 stars*

This was a cute queer YA romance with a medieval setting. Taking place hundreds of years after King Arthur and the knights of the round table, and perhaps distant relations, Gwen and Arthur are betrothed but are both secretly queer. They have to navigate their own dislike of each other, their impending marriage, and the feelings they have for other people.

I thought this could have been a little lighter and shorter being a young adult novel but overall it was cute and fun. If you’re looking for something cozy and sweet featuring two queer couples, this will definitely hit the spot.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this work. All opinions in this review are my own.

This book EATS. It's funny, it's charming, it's novel, it's a delight from start to finish. I wasn't expecting the crescendo into arthurian epic & battlefield, but I can't say I hated it? It just surprised me. And best of all, it's GAY! A slay all around.

I have always enjoyed the medieval tales especially Arthur and his knights.
The characters in this are so fun and really well written. They are also so relatable, which makes the book and storylines even better. The inter This book was good but it did take a moment to catch my interest. The plot is about a heist but the book mainly focuses on relationships and friendships. There was a twist ending which I wasn’t expecting and was so refreshing. The point of view was split three ways, which is not typically something I enjoy!- but for the premise of the story it worked really well! The Internalized homophobia was heartbreaking and again well tackled for a fun book like this. Honestly this has everything that you would expect from a medieval book from sword fights to magic all with representation. I don’t have a bad thing to say about this book!

I’m OBSESSED with this gem of a book!! It was so heartwarming and lighthearted despite the heavy subject matters of monarch legacies, war, and hidden identities.

The humorous one-liners and different character dynamics made the story really shine through all of the seriousness. And of course, the MLM AND WLW representation were fantastic.

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books for giving me an ARC of this book. It truly is a gem!!

Super cute romance that tries to tackle a bit too much in terms of plot. There was nothing included that I blatantly disliked, but I just wished the romance had more time to shine. The politics plot was underdeveloped and so was the romance plot, and for a romance book it’s obvious which one could stand to be cut back. Either way, absolutely adorable romance with very endearing characters!

Oh, this is one of those books you need to read. The characters are so much fun, and well-written. At first, I was a bit confused about the relation with King Arthur, but it took me a bit less than 40 pages to understand everything and oh that was so clever.

4.5⭐

I really enjoyed this quirky, fast paced read. I had lots of laughs out loud moments and loved the found family and queer representation!

Overall I thought this was a cute read. I love retellings, especially ones with LGBTQ+ representation. I enjoyed the book from start to finish, and thought it was really well written!

Fake dating, real (gay) dating, royals, and revolts...what more could I ask for? The romantic and platonic relationships between these characters are so flawed yet endearing that you can't help but root for them. I also enjoyed that the romance is the catalyst for much of the plot and the changes in the characters, but that they have lives and problems outside of who they love.

The setting feels like fantasy in a made-up "kingdom far, far away" sense, but nothing is magical. The legends of King Arthur's knights are referenced as historical truth in this universe, but it is acknowledged that the magical aspects either were embellishments or magic has disappeared over time. The amount of times that they mention "magical" traditions, like a replica sword in the stone or a non-mystical Wizard role in the court, had me convinced that someone was going to discover some power or fantastical object at some point but they never do.

I'm honestly only upset that there isn't more! I love these characters and I think that this could be a perfect duology. I really want to see how they grow and love after the life-changing events they went through.

If you like queer history, romance, gay stories, old-timey settings, or King Arthur stories, you should read this.

4.5 stars

First of all thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for approving me of an ARC!

This was definitely the funniest rom com I’ve read in a while. I loved everything about it - the banter, the comedic timing of the characters, the messages behind this book, the friendships, the romance, the characters’ dynamics and especially the characters. This book is soo witty and the banter is so smart and on point that I laughed so much while reading it. As someone who enjoys Casey McQuiston’s rom coms, I think this book has similar humor which I love. I love me a chaotic friend group and characters that are easy to love.

For a book centering two main romantic endeavors (and a third side one), however, I wished they were explored just a tad more but I think that’s the only issue I have with this book.

I enjoyed this one but the pacing was so slow that I kept drifting away. Gwen and Arthur (who are both annoyed by their names) have been betrothed to one another since they were children. They never really got off on the right foot and have been antagonistic toward the other for years. Now, Arthur is brought to be a guest in their kingdom and a date is set for their wedding.

But.

Arthur is really more interested in Gwen's brother Gabriel. Gwen has her eyes on a lady knight named Bridget Leclair.

I thought the end of the book was so action packed that it felt like a different book. I wish it had kept that energy all the way through. I liked all of the characters and thought they were all very interesting but thought they could have been running around so much more to solve the mysteries of what was happening around the castle than everything being a surprise in the end.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

CUTE CUTE CUTE. Mlm & wlw solidarity at its finest here. So cute!! Such an easy and enjoyable read. I will probably read it again!!

While it was well-written, it seemed that nothing really happened over the course of the story that made me want to keep reading. I didn't have that compulsion to keep asking "are they going to be together?" The stakes were incredibly low until the last 10% or so, and as a result the climax came as a sudden and drastic shift in pacing. I'll still recommend this to folks who are looking for soft, romance reads.

Gwen and Art start out as some of the most unlikeable characters I’ve ever encountered. Truly, they were both just awful- and most of the others were too! But the pair of them were so insanely self centered and self absorbed I had a brief moment of panic that this book wasn’t going to be for me. Thankfully, they begin to grow quickly, and become absolutely love able. This book was a (mostly) cute reimagining of medieval Arthurian legend and how that might’ve played out in an alternative timeline. There were some rather dark and heavy elements so please be sure to check any TW- namely for death, abuse, injury, war, homophobia, self harm (emotional), and forced compliance. Overall this was a good read and I enjoyed the story

Being a Princess isn’t too bad until you have to get married. Marriage doesn’t sound all bad if the man Gwendoline (Gwen for short) was marrying wasn’t Art (his full name is Arther, but no one really calls him that). Forced to spend the summer together before they are wed, the only thing the two can agree on is their distaste for each other. Within the first 24 hours, Gwen has caught Art making out with another man, and Art has found Gwen’s diary, where she has written many love letters to the kingdom’s only female knight. The two decide to be hesitant allies and cover for each other, allowing each to have a whirlwind summer romance (just not with each other).

I LOVED THIS BOOK. It was everything I wanted out of a royal queer romance. I can’t describe how much I loved this book, but it felt perfect. I loved all the characters and understood their struggles. At times, I was giggling and kicking my feet, while at others, I wanted to talk some sense into *certain* characters. Truly a fantastic book. If you enjoy queer romance, I must suggest this book.

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is a really entertaining queer story set in a medieval background. I loved the querulous banter between Gwen and Arthur. All the characters were so much fun with many having completely different personalities from other stories of King Arthur. Worth reading. 3.5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Betrothed since childhood, the time has finally come for Gwen and Arthur to set a date for marriage. The big surprise, they both would rather be in a same sex relationship. These enemies are complete opposites in this medieval story. Arthur is daring and not afraid of going after men he's attracted. While Gwen is serious and unsure.

For majority of this book nothing really happens except some stolen kisses. Why did this book need to be 400 pages?

Arthur is truly the heroine of this YA romance as he helps others navigate secret desires including Gwen. I enjoyed his romance more than Gwen's, and wanted more of it.

Thank you Wednesday Books for the complimentary copy.