4.25⭐️
This novel is described as a “queer medieval rom com” and that part didn’t disappoint. The text is filled with cute, adorable, and funny scenes. Once I got 60% in, I don’t think I put the book down. Despite absolutely loving it, there were some things that could have been better.
The beginning of this book was a bit difficult to get through. While it did pick up about 15% in, there were a few scenes in the first chapter that felt unnecessary and kinda icky. I also found Gwen unlikable, so I was just skimming thru her pov to get to Arthur’s. The plot was also slow until 60% in, and once it picked up, it felt pretty predictable.
As for the Arthurian part, I’ve never read King Arthur, but I do think the book would’ve been better without the lore. It was just kinda infodumped onto to reader, and while it did sort of play a part, the novel would’ve been the same if the characters were just the descendants of a random king.
If you’re reading this for a cute queer love story, I think you’ll love it. If you’re looking for a more plot heavy book, you might not enjoy it as much. (Also, this book isn’t fantasy, idk why I thought it was, but it isn’t).
I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book more than exceeded my expectations, which are pretty high already for a Lex Croucher book. I saw it marketed as a queer retelling of Arthurian legend; however, the book is so very much more.

In fact, the Arthurian content is more of a backdrop for the setting in a time when Arthurian legend is regarded more as fairly recent history which creates the socio-political landscape the main characters have to navigate. Art, Gwen, and Gabriel have a destiny- which is to basically re-enact the traditional roles of the Arthurian trio. Unfortunately, none of them are temperamentally suited to these roles.

Art and Gwen have been destined from birth to marry. At first, they think they hate each other, but they gradually learn what they really hate is having the terms of their lives dictated. They rebel- at first against each other, and then against the system that has boxed them into these roles. When Art discovers Gwen has a thing for Lady Bridget and Gwen finds Art kissing a cute blonde guy, they join forces to help each other live their own lives. Gwen and Art do grow to love each other. They may not be IN love like the story is supposed to go, but their banter, vulnerability in showing someone else who they really are, and support for one another will have readers calling them their new comfort characters. In contrast, Gabriel tries to do his duty, to be the king that Arthur was and that his father wants him to be. This is made quite complicated by the fact that he's by nature an academic who values social justice and is hopelessly in love with Art. Gabriel sees no path to a life where he can have what and who he wants without letting down the country. The stakes are raised when the threat of rebellion looms over Camelot and England.

The dialogue is the truly outstanding feature of this book. Each character has a distinct voice and the banter is not only clever, but effectively drives the plot. Much of this book, including the dialogue, is anachronistic, but that's rather the point. Come for the enemies to lovers, enemies to friends, and found family. This is delightful and moving and one of the best reads of the year.

This was so, so wholesome. I really greatly enjoyed this book and how gay it was. Rarely do I read a YA romcom and want to keep following the characters instead of having the bite of them I got, but I would genuinely love to see where our little queers go next. I wish I had this when I was a closeted teen, frankly.

The only reason it’s 4 stars instead of 5 is that I absolutely hated Gwen and Art at the beginning. They were insufferable until about 20% in, and then I said “you know what, they’re just closeted confused teens” and decided to like them. Conveniently that’s also around when they decided they weren’t mortal enemies. After that I loved them all.

Amazing delightful queer YA retelling. I saw someone describe this as a knight’s Tale, but make it Gay. And that is a PERFECT description. This book was an absolute joy to read. I laughed. I cried. I wanted to give everyone a big hug! The banter is incredible and you will simply fall in love with all the characters. I adored Sidney and Gwen so much, but truly- every character is just so well written and colorful. This is my top comfort read of the year so far! And I’m not even a big YA fan. Excellent!

Pub Date: 11/28/23
CW: death, parental death, homophobia, misogyny, sexism, blood

THAAAAAANK YOU NETGALLEY!!!! I was so excited to receive this arc, since I LOVE any and all things Arthurian.

So.

It took me three weeks to finish this book. Usually with arcs, that’s not the case. I try to finish them asap, so I can get my review up but G&AaNiL was really, kinda, slow. I mean, nothing major happened till like the last 30% of the book. I felt like it was lacking a plot, besides the whole “Arthur and Gwen cover for each other”, which was kinda disappointing considering how great this book and the premise could’ve been.

There was really no lead up to the big reveal, the major event, or anything. There was really no explanation for WHY certain things happened, just that they did. I’m not gonna say much else to avoid spoilers, but a certain character got super hurt and after he healed and all that, he wasn’t the same. All things considered—YES, his injuries were bad, but NO—they weren’t that bad unless you put into account the time period. Same goes for the other character that got super hurt… they were more normal afterwards than the first character that got hurt, despite the injury, imo, being a bit worse.

But overall, the book was good. Arthur and Sidney’s banter was top notch and Arthur’s personality itself was great.

Listen! It's no Astolat's Emblazoning but it's about as close as you can get and still be a published work of original fiction! I laughed, I cried, I empathized with the characters and their situations. A strong recommend for anyone who enjoys Arthurian content.

Absolute perfection! As a queer fan of fantasy, it's so rare to find a story that combines both of these interests. The story is fun to follow and will be a hit with Young Adults and Adults alike. The main characters are lovable but also well thought out and complex. Hearing the story from both Gwen and Art's point of view was a great choice! Taking place decades after King Arthur of Camelot's rule, any fantasy fan would find themselves enjoying the ride.

Gwen & Art are Not in Love is a wonderfully queer and wholesome story of a group of young adults finding love and friendship in a world of expectation and duty. Set sometime in the medieval period in England, it follows crown princess Gwen as she navigates her betrothal with the rakish and charming Arthur, although they soon find out neither of them are particularly well suited to the match. Gwen only has eyes for Bridget, the only female knight, and Art is more keen on getting to know Gwen’s brother— Englands crown prince Gabriel. As soon as the two realise each other’s preferences, they decide to keep up the betrothal ruse to allow them to follow their romantic hearts. WLW and MLM solidarity for the win!

I loved the found family aspect of this story and how everyone seemed to genuinely love and care for each other. The groups dynamics were hilarious and reminded me of being a teenager, despite the time period and setting. I also loved the bit of Arthurian legend mixed in, especially the letters. Most of the plot revolves around the romance, with a side dash of political intrigue to spice things up. It was a little bit long and the middle dragged a tad without a higher stakes plot, but that won’t be an issue for readers looking for a cozier story. The prose and relationships are well suited to the age demographic and I think this will go down very well with teen readers. Overall, Gwen & Art are Not in Love was an easy, fun read, perfect for anyone looking a heartwarming queer YA love story set in a medieval time period. 4/5 stars!

“Gwen & Art Are Not in Love” 4.5/5 ⭐️

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for sending me the ARC of this book! 🫶🏻

First of all, the banter and dialogue in this book are phenomenal! I was literally giggling while reading the back-and-forth between the characters. Arthur and Gwen especially were hilarious!

I loveeeeee the sibling dynamic between Gwen and Gabriel. They have such a good relationship and really care for one another, which I love. Family and one’s legacy in general are important themes in this book, which is interesting. I enjoyed the tension it created between duty and autonomy.

The relationships in this book are also great! I love the representation of both WLW and MLM relationships! (Bridget Leclair >>>)

I also enjoyed the ending of this book! It wasn’t something I really expected. The last 15 pages had me in my feels 🥺

Overall, I loved this book! I think the concept is super cool. I always love a good historical fantasy, especially one set in this time period.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC!

Overall vibes: This was such a fun read! It's the perfect mixture of silly and serious, and the characters are so well-developed and entertaining. It's not historically accurate, but in a way that's funny for people who read historicals while also being approachable to people who don't!

Pros:
-I loved the characters so much! I could read one-off stories about any of them, or prequels, or sequels.
-Croucher was so intentional when creating her backstories for her characters. The depth added so much to these characters who could have just been very surface-level.
-I wasn't sure how the book could be resolved in a way that felt natural, but I thought the ending was really well done!

Cons:
-I think it was just a little bit longer than necessary. The pacing dipped around the 60% mark, but by then I loved the characters so much that it didn't bother me much.

I enjoyed the mixture in language due to the book’s era and the combination of modern language. It is definitely a good young adult book and it’s exciting to see media with queer siblings. A personal peeve is the alternating perspectives, so if you’re not into books like be aware but still try it!

I am a huge fan of King Arthur retellings and this one stood out to me the most in cover art and synopsis-wise. This was really different from all the others I had ever read. Art and Gwen just becoming allies and just having their own side relationships was simply everything I was expecting and more. I love the found family trope that is within this novel and all the shenanigans. The pacing is great and so are the dialogues between characters. I am sad that I have to wait until November to get my hands on the physical copy but it is worth the wait. Thank you for giving me the e-arc copy. I needed this queer retelling of my favorite classic tale King Arthur's adventures.

this? was? amazing? showstopping. breathtaking even.

i don’t know why but i went into this book expecting only a couple things and instead got a whole lot more, and i’m not mad about it. my only complaint is the ending, nothing is wrong with it but it just felt too rushed & wrapped up. i just wanted more, need more.

👑: the characters are by far the best part of this book. i will never not love a little found family group, it’s just the best. we have our royals, gwen & gabriel. i love love love them. and then we have arthur, the second pov & main character, and bridget, the love interest of gwen. and we can’t forgot our secondary characters agnes & sidney, sidney & arthur being the comedic duo of this book, while gwen & arthur are my absolute babies. love them. i admit when it comes to characters, i ended up favoring arthur out of them all, but god this little group of characters have found their way into my heart so quickly.

👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨: nothing i love more than a forbidden romance with some angst. but god there was a LOT here. a part of me just wanted more after i guess. like after all the angst and will they won’t they, and after all the fighting, i just wanted more after. the epilogue was perfect with that, but it feels so incomplete, like idk if this is just me wanting a second book, but god. besides that though, the romance was everything & more. i seen heartstopper and thought this was going to be a cutesy little romance and boy was i wrong, and i’m so glad. no matter how much i love heartstopper, i’m always gonna love a lot of angst & drama over fluff. and there more than just the main romances too, there’s a little side character romance too that i genuinely enjoyed.

🗡️: there this sort-of plot twist that i personally didn’t see coming, since i was more consumed with the romance and everything, that i want to go back & reread it so i can prepare for it. it actually makes me wish that this was an action book first, romance second. but the fighting, and betrayal, mwah. perfectly done. it’s another thing i just wish there was more of.

i mean i feel like the general conclusion of this review is that i just want more. more of our characters & romance, more of the fighting & drama, more more more. i mean with that ending, there so much more that can be done. i really hope this ends up being more than 1 book, regardless if it’s a duology, trilogy, or full on series. i just need more.

5 stars <33
★ ★ ★ ★ ★/☆☆☆☆☆

thank you netgalley, st. martin press, & wednesday books for granting me access to this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Enemies to (fake) lovers to friends? Women with swords? Queer Arthurian retelling? SIGN ME UP

This was such a cozy, quick read full of fantastic banter and loveable characters. Do not go into this expecting historical accuracy, but it is so much fun to read and I genuinely loved all the characters (even while they frustrated me at times!)

Ultimately I did feel like there was some development missing from the overall plot. The background plot that goes on outside of the romance felt like it could have used some extra work to improve the pacing. I also wish that we had gotten a little more time to see how Gabriel overcame some of his fears about being his true self, especially after he spent most of the book rejecting his feelings.

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the advance copy!

4.5 stars. Thanks NetGalley for the arc ! This book made me feel all the feels. I loved this book so much! The representation was perfect, the story was adorable but also powerful, the flow and pacing was perfect! I wish I could read about these characters forever! Arthur is one of my favorite characters in a book and his relationship with Sidney was my favorite pairing. Thanks again NetGalley for the opportunity !

When I first saw the cover art for this book, I knew it was something I needed to read. Gwen and Arthur style retelling where both are queer? Incredible. But when I started reading this, the joy I felt from the cover started to fade. It did have what I was promised, but it was just not captivating. I enjoyed the snarkiness and rebelliousness of the characters but when it came to actual story, it fell flat. I was constantly putting this book down in favor of other books and while an actual story occurs throughout this novel, it really felt like nothing was happening. Lex Croucher has another novel on my want to read list, and I will still give it a try, maybe this isn't what is to be expected out of their typical writing but it was disappointing. I hate to describe a piece of work as mediocre but that's the best term I can think of to describe what I read. It wasn't awful or mind-boggling bad, but it was just meh. I eventually got through it but I wouldn't say I enjoyed it or felt interested by the story. Again, this could be all my fault, in that this style of plot and writing just isn't for me. I think the only true way to know if this is your kind of book, is to read it. So I do recommend people to read this, because I think it does fit someone's list, unfortunately, it just doesn't fit mine.

Enemies to pretend lovers to best friends because it turns out they are both queer? But also add in the fact that it's Arthurian and there's a hot female knight and a very funny bodyguard?

Gwen and Art are definitely not in love, but their story was quite lovely either way. There was great banter throughout the book but along the way very meaningful conversations about being queer and accepting that about yourself and about others. Even though it takes place hundreds of years ago, every bit of it was just as important to remember today.

This was a very quick read that kept me engaged throughout.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. The plot was well paced and the characters felt fully developed. I would recommend this book to others and am looking forward to other works by this author.

Don't read this for historical accuracy. Do read this for a perfect comfort read full of banter.

It seems like YA historical fiction is starting to become more popular again, and I couldn't be happier about it. This is such a fun romcom, full of genuinely funny moments and dialogues, with both an f/f and m/m romance that I guarantee you will love. Like I said, it's an excellent comfort read, and I loved how it pokes fun at Arthurian legend.

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is a tale full of adventure, mishaps, blackmail, and misunderstandings. Gwen, princess of England, has been engaged to Arthur, future duke and distant descendant of King Arthur, since birth. Their relationship up til now has consisted of pranks, insults, and broken bones, but Gwen's parents have decided it's time for the two to start preparing for the wedding. There are a few issues with this: Gwen catches Arthur kissing another boy, and Arthur finds Gwen's diary where she daydreams about kissing the beautiful and strong knight, Bridget Leclair. If you like LGBTQIA+ stories with lovable characters, you'll enjoy reading Gwen & Art Are Not in Love.