4 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is an adorable fun book. It’s funny and light-hearted while dealing well with serious topics. An amazing part of this book is the representation. Obviously, the LGBTQ+ rep was the main focus of the book, however it also deals a little bit with things disabilities (this isn’t a HUGE portion of the book, but I still felt like I should mention it) This book was a nice comfy read. I found myself smiling and laughing along with the characters, who I loved even more than I expected. I’d have to say my favorite character was Gabriel, although I ended up loving all of the main cast.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I expected to like it but I was blown away by how much FUN I had while reading it. 4 stars easily.

Cute, fun queer rom-com that had me smiling and laughing from page one. I really loved the different and refreshing take on Arthurian Legend. The characters were fun, relatable, and endearing, but the plot didn't have enough momentum to really keep me hooked. This book will be a great hit for anyone looking for a fluffy rom-com and for an opportunity to escape into a world of beautiful lady knights and handsome princes!

<i>“It’s a bad break. It doesn’t heal by itself. Other people have to care about you—bring you food and protect you while you heal—when really they should just leave you behind to die. They have to make sacrifices that make absolutely no logical sense for their own survival. They have to defy all rationality, in the name of love.”</i>

Ever since my young obsession with Morgana from BBC Merlin, I have always gravitated towards Arthurian retellings. Gwen and Art Are Not in Love is not that. The story takes place in a Camelot many many generations after the original legend, and though the two main characters share their names with the iconic heroes, they are far from them.

The characters are so fully formed, and that is rare for YA romances. Even the side characters have so much life to them. I loved Gwen and her dreamy love interest Bridget almost immediately, and related to Gwen's struggles with herself a lot. Bridget is the lady knight of my dreams, and I loved her little arc, and that she wasn't just the love interest. I admit that it took me a second to like Arthur; I'm just not a huge fan of the jerk with a heart of gold trope on men, but he grew on me a lot. Gabriel had a lot of depth and potential to him, but I wish there was a bit more with him.

I will warn that this is one of those books where the author throws in modern references and jokes, so if you can't stand that you should probably steer clear. Otherwise this was a fun and surprisingly emotional read.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

- I didn’t really like the pacing of the story - the beginning and end felt rushed, and I didn’t feel like there were very substantial plot points throughout, just the characters sneaking around with one another.

- the political uprising and (SPOILER) kings death felt almost too dramatic/high stakes for what the story was intending to be (royal historical fluffy romance). The book couldn’t decide if it wanted to be unserious and fluffy or more mature thematically, and fell in an awkward middle.

-there were way too many things that happened out of convenience, plot points/conflicts that were rushed through/solved without substantial or clear effort put into them.

- the main characters were initially quite unlikeable. There was character growth, but it was done lazily. The characters were just suddenly, at the end of the book, like “oh no sorry I was wrong I’ll be a better person now!” Rather than to be shown actively learning from their mistakes/understanding why they got off on the wrong foot

- for a book that seemed to be intending to focus primarily on the romance/coming of age and not taking itself too seriously, said things felt pretty dissatisfactory. The romances felt rushed and poorly developed, and there was no payoff as there was a timeskip right as the characters actually got together. As for the coming of age, the same teen/sexuality anxieties were rehashed in the same way over and over again, only for the growth/payoff/lessons learned from these things to be summarized in a sentence at the time skip conclusion of the book.

aside from all of this, this book is still almost a 3 star, because I did enjoy reading it most of the time. A lot of the aforementioned flaws were distracting at times and prevented it from being a truly quality story, but I was for the most part engaged and entertained. The characters weren’t particularly loveable or well developed but it got big points in my book I think for checking a lot of my favorite trope boxes. While I enjoyed a lot of the middle, I ended up being ultimately dissatisfied.

This was an absolutely delightful tale! A queer YA medieval romcom isn’t something I knew I needed in my life until I read this!

Gwen and Art, despite being betrothed since childhood, cannot stand to be in each other’s company. They quickly realize they have more in common than they thought, and become reluctant allies. As they each get to know the people they’re truly interested in - in Gwen’s case, the knight Lady Bridget Leclair, and in Arthur’s case, Gwen’s brother and the crown prince, Gabriel - they forge a genuine friendship. This was heartwarming and funny, and I will definitely be buying a copy once this is released!

When I first found this YA novel, I expected it to be a retelling of the legend of Arthur and the Round Table. Instead it is the delightful story of Gwen and Art, descendants from members of King Arthur’s Court. They were betrothed as children, but cannot stand each other. I’m this love story, they don’t fall for each other, but instead band together to save the kingdom from those who would destroy. Gwen falls for a lady knight while Art falls for a future king. Both Gwen and Art and spoiled children at the beginning of this novel. Both doing their best to not grow up. Yet over the course of the book, they each find strength within themselves they didn’t know they had. This story is slow to start, but picks up quickly. I loved the LGBT storyline. I would love to get immersed in this world again.
I received this book for free and am voluntarily giving this review.

My thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

This book was tremendous fun. Croucher does a great job of keeping the tone and language true to the period while also making it all feel relatable and timeless. The comparison to A Night's Tale in the blurb is spot on. I really liked all the characters but, in particular, adored Arther, scoundrel that he was!

An enjoyable romp all around.

A fantasy romcom masterpiece!

Gwen and Art Are Not In Love is the queer fantasy romcom I didn't know my heart needed. From the first chapter, the character of Gwen, Art, and their beloved friends come alive and off the page, feeling like I've known them all along. I fell instantly in love with the roguish, silly Art (I'm a sucker for sarcastic cinnamon roll boys) and, of course, with his opposite, the refined Gwen. I rooted with them through a series of unfortunate events that had me laughing hysterically (and getting misty eyed).

More than that, there were moments that this book gave more than what I would expect from a romcom. The discussion of internalized homophobia, the individual character growth, the unexpected disability rep, and even thumbing the nose at doctors who write off women for "women problems" (Lex Croucher, I APPLAUD YOU!) make this book so much more than the 'weird' book the author describes it as in the acknowledgements.

I think this book will be loved by fans of Red, White, and Royal Blue, but adds a fantasy setting with lots of Arthurian myths in. I think it deserves to be a bestseller, and I will recommend it to every single person I know. My only complaint is that it ended, because I want so much MORE of these characters.

I received a free ARC of this book through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

** I'd like to thank St. Martin's Press for giving me an eARC of Gwen & Art Are Not in Love in exchange for an honest review **

rating: 3.8 ⭐️'s

I loved the aspect of this book and the overall storyline presentation. I enjoyed the queer representation, angst and finding oneself, and overall coming into your skin. Both characters are relatable, but both can rub people wrong depending on how they relate to characters. The relationships were slow burn, but could've received a bit more attention (particularly Arthur and his boy). The story dragged a few times, but that's bound to happen with such a long book! Overall, this is a good read full of comedy and the feels - perfect for any people looking for wlw and mlm romance mixed in one. Though, it might have been better presented as a duology with each book focusing on Arthur and Gwen respectively to build them up equally.

Highly recommend, but it doesn't not have faults. Happy reading!!

This was a super fun Arthurian tale with a queer twist, that will appeal to fans of Heartstopper as well as the Miracle Workers television show. I really enjoyed the way the author let the characters be the teens that they are, even teens about to become kings. Funny, often silly, and a fun read!

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher

5/5

I’m a strong believer that the best types of characters are idiots. The main characters who are super capable and yet also incredibly stupid and oblivious to the most obvious things. In fantasy they’re capable of leading armies and ruling countries, but would never guess that someone they know may have feelings for them. ‘Gwen and Art Are Not in Love’ is full of these types of characters and it’s what makes this book as good as it is.

This novel is incredibly lighthearted and fun and every character has something to add to the story. While the plot itself has lots of action, battles and royals causing chaos. This Arthurian rom com follows Gwen and Art, who are NOT in love, despite their betrothal. They hate each other and are complete opposites in every way, or so they think. Don’t be fooled however, this is not an enemies to lovers story (it’s even better). When Gwen soon discovers Art kissing a boy and Art discovers Gwen’s romantic interest in a lady knight, they agree to cover for each other. They discover hidden plots while sneaking around the castle and must find a way to protect camelot while struggling with their respective potential relationships. Full of cute and awkward romantic relationships, entertaining sibling dynamics and friendships, the writing in this book is full of humour and heart and makes this story beyond enjoyable.

If you’re looking for a character driven romance fantasy with hilarious characters that’s full of jokes and doesn’t take itself too seriously this one is for you

"To be truly brave, first you must be afraid- and to be afraid, you must have something you cannot bear to lose."

I was hooked from page one. That was by far one of the best new adult romances I’ve ever read. It has everything I love; lgbtqia+ romance, witty banter, swordplay, politics, war, a spicy cat, a LIBRARY! I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect book.
Sidney and Arthur are by far the best male friendship ever. The unconditional love they have for each other is something everyone should strive to obtain.
Bridget is a badass and I’m actually in love with her.
Gwen and Gabriel come so far in terms of finding themselves and what they stand for.
Just, wow. I can’t wait until this is published so that I can add a physical copy to my shelves. This was beyond good.

4.5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of these thoughts and opinions are my own.

I absolutely adored this book! It was laugh-out-loud funny in a way that never made me cringe. The writing was a super fun mix that gave you modern day mixed with aurthurian legend. The characters were spectacular, and I especially fell in love with Art. Each is distinct and grounded in a very real way, each has understandable motivations and flaws. At one point I thought the book was going in a very predictable direction, but it did a quick 180 on me and flipped that on its head, completely surprising me. I loved that! Would highly recommend this super fun and heartfelt read.

Gwen is betrothed to Arthur from birth, but as their wedding date grows near, it is apparent that not only do they not get along, they’re both queer (Gwen is bi and Arthur is gay).

Not quite a King Arthur retelling but more like an alternate Camelot universe, this enemies to friends story is a fun read.

I struggled with the first 30% or so of this book. Gwen is 17 and a princess and Art is a 19 year old nobleman. They’re both bratty and entitled and self centered and pretty insufferable. It’s probably a combination of character growth and the characters growing on you but by 1/3 way through they became more tolerable. I think more than the multiple blooming romances at Camelot, I enjoyed Gwen and Art becoming friends. There was plenty of levity and comic relief - overall and enjoyable read.

This was so good! This book is a lot of things, some expected and some very unexpected. The expected were the cute relationships: f/f, m/m, and m/f. I liked seeing Gwen and Arthur go from enemies to friends as they realize exactly why they’re not a good match. The story is both cute, sweet, and a bit heart wrenching as they all come to terms with who they’re attracted to, the implications, and finding ways to be open with each other and their love interests. Gabriel squeezed my heart the most as the one who struggled the most with who he wanted to be.
The last 80% went crazy though! I was not entirely expecting the bloody action movie it turned into, and what each of our characters had to go through. The ending was ultimately hopeful and sweet. I would have loved a more drawn out and definitive ending or an epilogue though. But I still really enjoyed this book and highly recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a requested copy to review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to the publisher for sending this to me as an ARC!

Lex Croucher creates a mystifying world that would captivate any reader on first glance. Medieval worlds, captivating characters, and laugh out loud moments set this book up to be one of the biggest queer romances of the year, in my opinion.

I do, however, think that this world falls a bit short in the first half. Worldbuilding that becomes important later in the story is only half explored at the beginning, making most mentions of it confusing in the first half of the story. The entire plotline about Catholics vs. cultists could have been fleshed out much more quickly and would have made for a much smoother read in my opinion. Along with this, I think that almost all of our character development happens in the back half of this book, making the first half not feel nearly as important.

Despite these flaws, though, Gwen and Art Are Not in Love shines in its witty characters who made me audibly laugh at times, and the relationships in this found family, as well as Lex Croucher's ability to explain emotions that many young people experience in a way that is palatable for any reader. Sindey was easily my favorite character in this book. He is a side character who's romance with Agnes I'd read an entire spin off book of. He is the cause of many of the laughs in this book for me, and his unwavering loyalty is something that I love in a character. The way that the author describes Gwen's emotions throughout the story as she battles her sexuality in a world that doesn't accept her has made me more aware of my own feelings, and I'm sure will put names to feelings of many young queer kiddos who need it. A beautiful example of this is:

"Gwen felt like a child clutching at handfuls of water, unable to understand why it wouldn't stop running through her fingers."

This is just one example. Gwen explores who she is through this novel and as she describes her feelings for Bridget, it opens up the reader to think, "oh, I've felt that, too."

All of this to say that while Gwen and Art is not perfectly written, it will make an impact on this generation of queer readers, and it sure did make an impact on me. I think that is more important than any world building mishap that most teens won't notice anyway.

I wanna preface this by saying that on my rating scale, 3/5 means that the book was pretty good, just not a favorite.

I really enjoyed the messages given in this novel. I REALLY connected with the characters and love how this showed the struggled in self-discovery and acceptance as an LGBTQ+ individual, especially when other paths are expected of you. Croucher did an amazing job at not straying away from this coming-of-age focus to only highlight the blooming romances we see.

With that, I do think that the relationships could have been developed a smidge more. While I do appreciate that it wasn’t just “i’m gay, you’re gay, problem solved”, I would have enjoyed if the characters, especially Arthur and Gabriel, were developed a bit more — even if this was through means other than romance such as friendship or relating to one another. Because of this, I think the book seemed a bit slow and/or repetitive at times, seeming to expand parts that didn’t necessarily need to be prolonged.

Anyways, I loved each and every character and found them all EXTREMELY relatable in one way or another. Art deserves the world, the G siblings are literally me and have my heart, and we stan Bridget for literally everything she’s ever done ever.

This was a fabulous book. It was enjoyable and had wonderful pacing. I would read this author again. I would recommend this book to others.

Overall, Gwen and Art Are Not in Love is a delightful read that is sure to please fans of queer romance, medieval fiction, and witty humor. I highly recommend it.

The story follows Gwen, a young woman who is forced to marry Arthur, a prince she doesn't know. Despite their initial dislike for each other, Gwen and Arthur slowly start to love each other as they work together to solve a series of mysteries.

One of the things that makes Gwen and Art Are Not in Love so enjoyable is the characters. Gwen is a strong, independent woman who is not afraid to speak her mind. Arthur is a kind and gentle soul who is just as intelligent as he is handsome. The supporting characters are also well-developed, and they add a lot of humor and heart to the story.

The plot of Gwen and Art Are Not in Love is fast-paced and engaging. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep readers guessing, and the ending is satisfying. The author does a great job of weaving Arthurian lore into the story, and this adds an extra layer of depth and interest.

Thank you to Lex Croucher, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Lex Croucher for providing me with this eARC.

As a queer imagining of Arthurian legend I knew I had to pick up this book, even though it’s not a retelling. I genuinely loved the characters from Gwen and Art Are Not in Love so much. Each of them grew in their own ways on an individual level and within their relationships. Despite there being less of a focus on the romance between Gwen and her love interest, Bridget, and Art and his love interest, Gabe, than I expected I found that didn’t really matter to me. I was much more invested in Gwen and Art’s friendships, both with each other and the other characters, including their own and each other’s love interests. The book was very character driven, but the very end was quite plot driven. The ending was very interesting and enjoyable but it felt like there was too slow of a buildup to it. Besides that one detail I truly loved the book and the characters in it.