Thank Your to the crew over at Net Galley for an ARC of this book.

"This one is for me" <3
Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is a quirky, (not quiet a) retelling inspired by the Arthurian tales. You can tell, throughout the book, the love, care, and passion the author has for the old classics, delving into enough details to connect history with the flow of the novel. I loved how the plot gently pulled the characters along, giving them believable challenges varying in difficulty and acting more as a tug to action instead of a rush forwards.
"It felt tantamount to treason, although Gwen couldn't tell who they were actually committing it against." (Ch. 13)

The characters themselves on the other hand were a bit two dimensional. I enjoyed each character presented, but I felt we never really had enough time in anyone's head to really feel or understand them. Gwen is anxious, her interests and actions working closely with how she processes information, but her growth is a big stagnant and she doesn't have a whole lot of depth beyond this base personality. Art, as well, responded to his anxiety in an entirely different way, and I felt he was his own worst enemy. Though I loved the perspectives each character brought to the table, it felt like each was a breath away from stumbling clumsily over themselves and setting everything back to square one. Plot progressed, the characters did not. I feel like both Art and Gwen could have had their own books to explore the deeper questions better.

That being said, the book does an excellent job delving into that romance-- it's why we're all here. The queer relationships are detailed, delicate, and shaped by the reality of their circumstances. I more wish there was time between the characters to flush out that development, fill in the space between moments, and build that tension. The relationships between familiar characters, like Gwen and Gabriel (siblings) or Art and Sidney (siblings in spirit) felt far more authentic than anything explored between Gwen and her love interest, or Art and his.

"Sidney is going to lean against this wall here and have a nap" <3
I was almost always smiling throughout this book, with enough cheeky one liners to brighten a room. All in all, however, it was sweet and enjoyable! I especially liked how the surrounding world dabbled with a diverse cast and asked difficult questions. I'd recommend this to people who liked Heartstopper, or want a gentler Red, White & Royal Blue.

I absolutely adored this book. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. I definitely will be purchasing a physical copy.

It has been a while since I laughed out loud at dialogue. Every single character added to the story, non detracted. I could vividly picture the world that Croucher created, and felt immersed in it. Someone make this a movie, please!

My only issue, and it was a minor one at that, is that the character of Gwen got really whiny and annoying. Of course, it only seemed to last for maybe 10-15% of the novel. Arthur was the shining star. I want an entire book dedicated just to him and Sidney. Was the plot somewhat predictable? Yes, but I enjoyed the twists and journey anyway. I wasn't bored by the directions the author took the characters.

I will be recommending this to everyone. This is now one of my top 10 (maybe even top 5) favorite YA novels of all time.
I beg Lex Croucher to never stop writing.

First, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Have you watched Rosaline on Hulu? Because if you haven't you need to, then you need to read this book because the vibes are immaculate and quite similar!

This is not a retelling of the Arthurian legend per se, but instead a fun twist on the characters. Taking place hundreds of years after the death of the original Arthur Pendragon, this book follows the current Princess- Gwen, and her betrothed- Art, who could not hate each other more if they tried. However, after learning that they have more in common than previously thought, they come to an agreement that benefits them both in this engagement.

Jousting, sword fighting lesbians, gay pining, and witty repartee to spare, this book is truly a delight to read! It's more romance than fantasy but I did not mind that at all, in fact, the characters really shine throughout this book. I loved getting to see the characters develop and come into their own as well as find a balance in their personal relationships with each other.

This is really a fun, light book that I think is very easy to enjoy. The quippy banter is terrific and so, so worth it!

Gwen and art is a fantastic, funny and joyful story. Full of so much heart and fun and wonderful characters and relationships that this is a world you will no doubt fall in love with.

Reading this was just a good experience, I was laughing, blushing and crying alongside the characters with every single moment and scene. The setting was wonderfully described and had an array of scenes in other set locations which allowed for a broader overview of the characters themselves.

I've rated this 5 stars here but it's much more a high 4 star. The characters were the star of the show for me, I adored all of them, in particular Gabriel and Bridget. I really think this book would have excelled if it had been told from the 4 main perspectives instead of just 2 as the love interests had the most depth and interest to them.

As well as this, the relationships themselves needed further depth, this book isn't entirely a romance but I would have loved to see just that bit more from the inner relationships between characters and even the sibling relationship between Gabriel and Gwen. A lot of the story in this regard suffered from telling not showing.

But!!! This was still just overall a really fun reading experience and a joy to follow along with despite any qualms I had with it. I strongly recommend.

This was a fun one!

I was not a fan of Gwen or Arthur at first. They were so busy fighting that it made the first few chapters hard to get through. I didn't like that Gwen tried to "tattle" on Arthur for liking men (she did not decide against this out of the goodness of her heart but because he blackmailed her) and that she starts out as a "not like other girls" protag (she specifically calls the other women at court "blithering airheads"). Arthur was also pretty frustrating at first.

HOWEVER... I did like their character development a lot. I especially liked when Arthur and Gwen became friends and helped each other out in their respective quests for love. This development was so well-paced and natural, it didn't feel rushed at all and I loved that. Once they realize that they've misjudged each other, they become much more likable, which made it a far more enjoyable read.

Really, my main problem with this book was that the romances did not feel all that... gripping. They were cute, but the relationships also felt very one-sided. Gwen is clearly into Bridget, and while Bridget *says* she feels the same, we don't really see it. I liked their interactions but I would have liked to see more of the internal pining from Bridget's side. Some of the other reviews mentioned that this might have been resolved by adding Bridget and Gabriel's POVs and I agree. I had sort of the same issue with Arthur and Gabriel's relationship, but to a lesser extent, since Gabriel's flustered reactions even from Arthur's POV made him more of an open book. Bridget is much harder to read so it's difficult to see how she is feeling.

Overall, I liked this book and I think it is a cute read. Even though it's a romance novel, the shining star for me was actually Gwen and Arthur's (eventual) cute, supportive friendship. I just would have liked to see more from Bridget and Gabriel.

This book was a wild yet welcome roller coaster ride. I spent about 80% of the book screaming into my fists because this is a cast of /idiots/, But they're also ~lovable~ idiots, which is why I kept reading and why I couldn't stop thinking about the characters when I wasn't actively reading it, and why I can't stop thinking about them now. I'm especially fascinated with how effectively Croucher managed to weave Arthur's narrative. I /loathed/ him in the first chapter. I was like "damn, this guy is TERRIBLE." And since we'd started with Gwen's point of view, and I liked her immediately, I was ready to hate him.
But then time went on, and he just /grew/ on me. I can't even pinpoint exactly why. I only know that when we got to the 70% mark or so, I was ready to die for both him and Sidney, bless their souls. That is masterful writing right there. I did find Gwen to shift from likable, to annoying, and then even out somewhere in between by the end. That might have been personal, however--I did love where she was by the very end, but would have liked more beats that got her there.
This book is definitely worth reading for the big cast of characters and their dramatic shenanigans alone, but you will also not be left wanting by the snappy plot and intricate world building. If you watched the show Merlin and wished it was gay, this is most certainly for you.

4.5/5

I thoroughly enjoyed this fast-paced read. This book is carefully balanced between historical and modern, indulgent and serious. It has it all—sword sapphics, pining gays who share custody of a cat, scheming siblings, and a token straight couple with a refreshing lack of drama. My only reservation with this book is that once I reached the end it still felt like some of the loose threads weren't resolved, particularly those having to do more with magic and myth. I may have felt that way because I assumed right out the gate that this would be a fantasy novel, and it wasn't. But I can also hold out hope that those issues will be addressed in a sequel (pretty please??). Either way, I will certainly be reading more Arthurian retellings and more from Lex Croucher.

Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

{4/5 Stars!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️}

super cute & queer historical fantasy romance !!! hello???? sign me up! I genuinely really enjoyed it and I was so grateful that NetGalley gave me an ARC copy to read/review because GOSH i am such a mood reader and this would be **the** perfect book to read during ren faire season! :)

[small warning for all my other ppl w a vomit fear (etmetaphobes) out there: there's a part towards the end where a character vomits (Not Spoilers btw!!!) and it's just kinda.. gross and makes me uncomfy so just a small warning there! overall, very slight, very passable, it didn't take anything away from how I felt about the current plot at all!)

I enjoyed reading this book, but I have been so spoiled by adult romance that ya books just don't hit as hard as they used to. Still a great read.

It took a while for me to get into this story. I wasn't actually very interested in the characters or narrative until I surpassed the halfway point, and then I stayed up until 1:30am reading it!

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love is one of the best books I’ve ever read inspired by Arthurian legend! Please note, this book is under no circumstances a retelling of King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable. Instead, it’s an interesting exploration of England in the generations after King Arthur entered his supposed magical sleep.

I am so in love with Gwen, Art, Gabriel, Bridget, Sidney, and Agnes!! They are quite the humorous band of characters and I’d put them in charge of any kingdom. I especially loved how the world building was centered around believing in or questioning the King Arthur myth, all while presenting this version of medieval history as inclusive and diverse. It takes historical decorum and expectations and turns them right on their head - women can be knights, royalty should serve their people (not the other way around), and all people should be free to be who they are and love who they choose.

If you’re looking for a humorous YA historical fiction that touches on some important issues (coming out, being yourself, parental expectations, etc.) - this book is absolutely for you! My favorite book by Lex Croucher to date!

Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I am a sucker for a retelling and a King Author retelling is always fun. I loved that this one was queer. It wasn't my favorite retelling but it was fun and a solid retelling.

So, so charming! what a sweet book. I'm not generally into romcoms, but the combo of queer and Arthuriana goes a long way for me. I love a lot of things about this book: I love its nebulous "post-Arthur" Camelot, where Arthur Pendragon and Morgana and Mordred etc are ancestors slowly passing into myth but still recent enough that everyone's naming their kids and possibly-magical pets after them like they're celebrities; I love the way this book offers predictable but warmly satisfying plot beats and conflicts and resolutions without ever feeling rote or boring. I love how hopeful it feels, and how self-indulgent. Why yes, I DO deserve to read about cute queers understanding themselves and changing the world around them, especially when there are lady knights and bookish animal-loving boys and tender friendships involved.

I also could have guessed without reading the acknowledgements that the author comes from fandom (and I'm presuming from a fanfiction background specifically), and I mean that in the best way! A lot of my recent favorite books have been written by authors who cut their teeth on fic, and I wish I could articulate what ties them together for me but I find it hard to pin down. In this book, it comes through as an almost folkloric sense of how things should proceed (which is maybe also a romance thing, but I don't read romance enough to know), the pleasure and comfort of understanding the structure, like listening to a new piece of music and sensing when the drop or the bridge or the chorus will come in. The charming banter and the straightforward queer delight really feel like they come out of fic culture to me too. So truly delightful!

going into this, i wasn’t sure what to expect. i knew generally the plot, but i was excited to see how croucher wrote it.

firstly, i adored all the characters. i felt like they were complex, and while it was just art and gwen with the perspectives, i didn’t mind either pov to read. however, because this felt like a character centric book, i would have liked to have more povs from gabriel and bridget. i felt like both of them were so elusive (gabriel more so), and while i liked him, i found it difficult to buy into his relationship with art because we could only see one side.

which i guess brings me to the next aspect: the romance. i loved bridget and gwen, and how gwen just seemed to be so willing to be there for bridget (after some time of course). but art and gabriel seemed to fall flat. i loved seeing art’s perspective, but i would have loved to have seen more pining. this is why i think having all povs would have been beneficial.

lastly, the pacing of this book felt… slow. at first it seemed like a slice of life plot almost because they were all going through the motions every day. but then it picked up at 75% and i was almost shocked by the plot and the way it was going. maybe that was the point since it was unexpected for the characters as well, but honestly as a reader, it didn’t seem to flow and all the action that is typically in a fantasy was present from about 80-90% of the story.

overall, i thought it was cute. the characters are funny and have many qualities and hopes and dreams, and i would recommend it to anyone who wants a somewhat cozy fantasy. thanks to netgalley for the arc!

I really enjoyed this, it was my 2nd favorite Lex Croucher novel. I love the characters and the humor and all of the relationships.

I would give this book 2.5 stars, but I’m going to award a .5 star for the level of pining that Gwen did for Bridget. The level of teenage longing she goes through for her lady knight is epic. Gwen’s scenes where she is watching Bridget knight-ing or gets to talk with her, and OH-M-G when she gets to touch her … I was swooning! She was so cute.

Now…First, the cover is freaking adorable! The premise is charming and cute! Can we say a YA version of A Knights Tale? Love it! An LGBTQ YA Historical Romance? Sign me up! However, the execution just wasn’t there.

The biggest glaring issue was that this book tried to be too much! It’s tackling LGBTQ, gender equality, freedom of religion, and being diverse. And did I mention that there is clearly a coup going on in the kingdom? I mean! WOAH… Tis’. A. Lot.

I did enjoy how the author covered diversity by just making the cast of characters from all over, especially when the setting is medieval England. Very similar to Bridgerton (Netflix/Shondaland version… not OG Julia Quinn version), the book is very diverse with no explanation why.

Listen all these are important issues and need to be written about. But … when an author chooses ALL of them there’s just not enough time to come to any sort of resolution with everything. If I’m honest I felt a little left in the dark on where we ended on any of them. I guess they’re all still working it out in the end…

This book is written from two POVs, we have Gwendoline, the princess, and Arthur, her betrothed from birth. And hear me out… I think it would have been better if it were written in four.

We switch back and forth between these two and along the way I found myself wanting to skip most of Arthur’s POVs. He’s drunk most of the time, he is selfish, complains, and is only likeable when he imparts some wisdom upon occasion about being yourself. Also, he knows nothing about what is happening in England politically. So, his only purpose is to tell everyone to be themselves and to loosen up and have some fun. I was so fed up with him as a main character. I think what would have made him more endearing to me would be to know how exactly Gabriel (the prince) felt about him, and what he saw in him. Because it honestly felt like ‘you’re gay and I’m gay… let’s be gay together!’. They lacked any chemistry! AND speaking of Gabe, it would have given us readers a deeper insight about what’s happening in the politicking of the castle and in England all together. Of which I felt very left out.

Now for Gwen… Lived for her chapters! I found her lovable and her annoyance with Arthur to be completely valid. (I did LOVE their banter though!) I think my main problem from Gwen’s POV was that her lusting over Bridget felt so one sided. I really would like to have read about Bridget fawning over her as well. Maybe heard about her troubles being one of the only female knights? I also needed a little more personality from Bridget. Because it really seemed like Gwen liked her because she was a beast of a female knight. But I guess that’s fair. I just don’t see that making the basis for a strong relationship.

The ending…. Once again because this author covered sooo many topics the ending was rushed. This review is already too long. So, I’ll leave y’all with this… I give all these characters a year tops.


Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Lex Croucher for an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

'"Cheers," Arthur said despondently. "To a long and happy life together."
"Don't say that," Gwen said, wincing and taking a sip of her own tea. "I'm already depressed enough as it is."'

Thank you St Martin's Press and Netgalley for this eARC!
What a fun concept this book was. I had such a good time reading it. Queer historical fiction romance novels are some of my favorite niche books, but I've never heard of an Arthurian one before. Placing this book in this setting made this book really unique, and overall a really fun time. Knights, duels, arranged marriage but make it queer, and political intrigue in the background, what more could you ask for. I think I would have been content if this book was no plot just vibes, but the added politic aspect was a really pleasant surprise

"Bridget had disarmed him and knocked him flat on his back, with none of the gentleness she had shown Gwen.
'Would you like to go again?' Bridget asked.
'I want to schedule an exorcism,' Arthur said bitterly, as he scrambled to his feet. 'You've been possessed by the spirit of a-a massive block with a sword.'"

While the concept of this book is wonderful and original, the real star of the show was the banter. This book had me laughing from the first interaction. Gwen and Art's interactions were definitely my favorite, but Sidney and Arthur are definitely a close second. I love how I could see in a straight romance Gwen and Art having a classic enemies-to-lovers arc but this book queered up the arranged marriage trope in a wonderful way. The kiss scene felt like a great nod to this idea, and I love the small details like that throughout the book.

'"plus I'm a fantastic kisser. If you'd kissed me, you'd be singing a different tune.'
'That's not a tune,' Gwen said. 'That's the sound of retching.'"

I think my only critique is I wish we got a bit more Gwen and Bridget and Art and Gabriel moments. Like I mentioned before, Gwen and Art were really the centers of this book, so the romantic interactions were plot drivers, but also secondary in some way. I understand why there weren't as many, as all the moments in the book felt important, and adding more scenes probably would have dragged on by making the book longer than need be, but nonetheless. I just love all the characters so much, what can I say? I just want more of all of them.

"'Off to bed then?' he said, for lack of anything else.
'Actually, I-I'll probably go to the library.'
'In the middle of the night?'
'In the middle of the night.'
'Oh,' said Arthur. 'That's...admirable, I suppose.'
'Is it?'
'Well, somebody's got to do it.'"

Medieval queer love story? Yes please!

This book was everything I needed it to be AND MORE - the characters felt fresh and so relatable! The plot was equal parts touching and just so much fun!

Coming out stories are important, queer stories are important and especially so in the world of YA literature. Crouch has created something so special here and I can’t wait to hear about all of the people who fall in love with this book, who see bits of themselves in these characters!

I could not put this book down!
If you’re looking for a sweet and fun-filled romance, you need to check out Gwen and Art are not in Love!!

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is a unique retelling of the King Arthur legend and very, very sweet! Perfect if you're a fan of quirky and charming characters.

Well done! Very much enjoyed this retellings with the Camelot tie ins, the compelling characters, and the humor. Will be featured on a future episode of Your Rainbow Reads podcast.