When I saw this pop up on NetGalley and saw it comparing itself to not just Heartstopper but a personal teenage favorite, A Knight's Tale, I knew that I needed to put this on my TBR immediately! It definitely has all of the irreverent fun of A Knight's Tale; however, the only thing about Gwen and Art are Not in Love that is "like Heartstopper" is that your main characters are LGBTQIA+. That's it. I think a better pitch would be that this is like a queer take on A Knight's Tale.

All of that aside, I had SUCH a fun time with this tale. This is set in a world where Arthur Pendragon was 100% real but the few hundred years since have robbed us of the magics and mystery of his court. That doesn't stop noble families from naming absolutely everyone after members of the Round Table. Which brings us to Gwendolyn and Arthur. These two were betrothed to one another from birth but absolutely cannot stand each other. Now that Gwen is turning 18, its time to get these two married off. Only roguish Arthur is harboring a secret and Gwen is noticing strange new feelings for a young woman competing as a knight in this year's tournament.

This book was soooo good. I actually printed it out with 9 pages per page for convenience (I was given an online ARC). I loved the chemistry between the characters, the historical twists, and most of all, the nod to feminism and the fact that some members of the LGBTQ+ community do not accept themselves as queer. I loved Gwen's girlboss moments, as well as when she dropped her guard and felt vulnerable. Arthur was just so perfectly cocky, and paired with Gabriel's quiet wisdom created the greatest couple. Agens was unbearable sweet and Bridget was a character I cheered on. Sidney was the best possible sidekick. I adored this book and it made me look into the author's other books. This book had great character building and a beautiful world. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an opportunity to read this book as an online advanced reader copy before the release date, as well as to Lex Croucher for writing such a splendidly delightful story.

4.5/5 stars

This book was just amazing! As a queer, young adult this book meant so much to me!

Croucher did a phenomenal job with writing authentic characters that you can't help but fall in love with. Arthur was charming but stupid and from the very first moment I met him I loved him. His relatuonship with Gabe was everything! I love, love, love it when one person is super flirty and the other is more shy. Gwen was uptight and timid and at first she was a little boring but as she grew as a character her perspective became more and more enjoyable. Her romance with Bridget did seem to lack some chemistry though. They didn't really talk much throughout the novel. It also got better towards the end of the novel.

I loved the setting of Camelot several hundred years after Arthur's reign. It was such a unique idea and was well executed. I thought the battle between the two religions was also very well executed.

Overall, I really, really loved this book and highly recommend it.

I could not put this book down. Croucher's characters are bright and well thought out, with dialogue that is quick and snarky, yet sentimental. The author sets the scene so beautifully, it wasn't hard to get sucked in to this queer romance. The story came with plenty of laughs, romantic sighs, and a fair number of shocks. It does hit a lull about two thirds into the book, but the last fifty pages more than make up for it. I will be recommending this book to YA readers, queer readers, and romance readers.

Reading a book in the medieval-fantasy genre was completely outside of my comfort zone. I tend to shy away from books that I don’t know anything about. However, what really sparked my interest and drew me in was it was the YA and LGBTQIA+ take on the subject/genre. I’m really glad I was given the opportunity to read this book.

The writing was fantastic. I loved how the dialog was more modern but still fit in with the time and setting. One of the reasons I tend to shy away from books set in medieval times is because I have this connotation that they will always be written in very slow, and hard to understand “middle English”. This was not the case with this book. The conversations and banter between characters was laugh out loud funny. There were parts of this book where I was audibly chuckling at some of the things being said. Each character was lovable in their own way and they were all written in a way where I was able to feel a connection to each of them. It was easy to sense how each character had a bond with one another and how different each of the relationships were. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I feel like it’s the kind of book where there is something for everyone: The trust and friendship between siblings; between two best friends and confidants; same-sex feelings or relationships that must be kept hidden; the relationship with parents who don’t understand and more.

This book had almost as many action scenes as it did romance, which surprised me, but it was really well done. I was able to get a sense of what was happening and a feeling for what the characters were going through without it being too gory or graphic.

I’m once again so happy that I had the opportunity to enjoy this ARC thanks to Net Galley. I’m also an admirer of author Lex Croucher and that my eyes are now open to a whole new genre. Five stars!

I thoroughly enjoyed Gwen & Art Are Not in Love. Historical fiction isn't typically my jam but I couldn't resist a gay interpretation of the classic Arthurian tale. The love lives of Gwen and Art, plus the side characters, were so entertaining. I was wholeheartedly rooting for all of the couples. Plus the witty banter between the characters hits perfectly. It's a laugh-out-loud funny sort of book.
I was thrown off by the pacing of the book though. The first 200 pages followed the relationships. The development of the relationships, both platonic and romantic, was slower and sweet. Then, all of sudden, the pacing picked up and the content and tone got much darker, which I loved! I just wish there was a smoother transition to the climax.

Bottom line: The unconventional romance scenario totally worked.

AAAHHHH!!! ::flailing about on the floor:: 😍😍😍

Okay, I am going to attempt a more coherent review now...

I SO enjoyed this book. It is by far my favourite from Lex Croucher. I've enjoyed both Reputation and Infamous, but nowhere near as much as I loved this one.

I really liked the whole group of "friends" I guess I'll call them, though they certainly don't start out that way. I loved that even the characters that were maybe not supposed to be the nicest were still completely lovable. The book is dual POV between Gwen and Art, but all of the friend group are so well written, they could all be main characters. I also loved that, despite it being set in medieval times, there was still diversity in the book. It would have been so easy to just make everyone white, because that's how everyone thinks it was during that time period, but there were folks from other parts of the world and other cultures there at that time and I love that they were included. And I love that it explained how their families came to be in England. I've really appreciated the way that Croucher makes their books diverse, despite them being historical.

The book is also incredibly funny. It's set in medieval times, but obviously with modern language. It was great to see modern language used to make fun of the time period, as well as being used by the characters to make fun of each other and themselves.

I also LOVED (but also maybe hated a little bit) that one of the characters has the symptoms of endometriosis. This is only the second book I've ever read with that sort of rep and the reason I say I sort of hated it is because the character is treated the EXACT same way women (and people with uteruses) are today when they have these symptoms. They are not believed, male physicians downplay the severity of the symptoms, and they're not even prescribed proper painkillers. I loved it because it's such an obvious dig at the way current, modern medicine STILL treats folks who have these symptoms.

I so completely loved this book, if that wasn't already obvious from the 523456 times I've said love already in this review. So far each of Croucher's books have been better than the last, so I cannot wait to see what they write next!

Thanks to the publisher for sending me this eARC, but I will not be finishing this book. I predict I will pick this up again sometime after the release date just to give it another chance. If you are wanting a queer light-hearted, younger side of YA, and loosely historical fantasy this is a great book for you. It’s not for me. Every scene felt like a rough outline where the writer has a little note that says *will return to add in the details later* but there are no more added details. The historical tone/dialogue was very inconsistent, it rarely read as Medieval England fantasy, more like a contemporary fantasy.

This one was very fun, even for someone who sometimes struggles to follow along with more historical stories. I really loved the characterization in this one, All of our main characters felt like real people. Also, the fact that Bridget is a badass, but still struggles with painful periods? I loved her so much, she may be my favorite character in the whole story

Set in ye' olden days, Art and Gwen are queer, betrothed and do not get along. As they fall in love (with other people), plan schemes, and stir up trouble, Gwen and Art come to realize that though they might never be lovers they do have the potential to become great friends.

I'm a big fan of this type of historical fiction/fantasy in the vein of movies like Rosaline (2022), Ever After (1998) and Ella Enchanted (2004), so I knew that this was gonna be right up my alley. There are some great character dynamics in this novel both between the couples, between the duos like Art and his bodyguard (they were so funny and had me laughing out loud on the bus), and Art and Gwen themselves had a great friendship. The pacing at the begining could be improved, I felt that it was slow going for the first 100 pages and then it was full steam ahead. I also think the magical politics are a weak point since they don't get enough detail or attention as the romances and friendships take center stage, so that plot point had me a little lost until the end. I wish the ending was extended a bit more since the climax had me on the edge of my seat. I wanted more since it felt like things wrapped up too quickly, hopefully there will be a sequel!

Overall, this was a blast! I finished the book in one sitting, and once the plot got going, my attention was grabbed and I was on the edge of my seat. This book was filled with all those cozy first love and found family feels and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys the aforementioned films, or someone looking to get into historical/fantasy romance.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review (all opinions are my own).

Thank you NetGalley and St.Martins Press for this e-arc

Wow, basically if you are a fan of Red, White, and Royal Blue you are going to love this! It gave me the same adorable feelings as that book, but also the dynamic between Gabriel and Arthur was very comparable.

This was fantastically well done, depicting a re-imagined King Arthur-ish world (King Arthur had existed before and everyone is kind of just obsessed with him and his court which hey, I can relate to) where Gwen is a princess and betrothed to Arthur (a lord). But they hate each other. And if this wasn't a sapphic book then you'd probably guess this would be enemies to lovers, but Lex flips that whole expectation on its head. Instead, Gwen is mooning over a female knight and catches Arthur kissing a boy (gasp!). So they strike a deal, cover for each other and become reluctant friends before they are forced down the aisle. Shenanigans, battles, and kisses ensue, and I can't wait for everyone to become obsessed with this story.

This book is amazing! The plot is slower in the beggining, but by the end it gets a perfect pace, since more things happen.
Gwen is the character that grew the most. She went from being stuck-up, rude and a coward to using her priviledge as a royal to rule swiftly and justly. She acknolwedge the friend she'd always had, Agnes, and made new ones. She also started living her true life with Bridget!
Bridget is a great character. She's strong, determined and a real fighter. She knows what she wants and won't give up for anything.
Gabriel also had a lot of development, since he started accepting who he really is, as well as his role as the heir.
Arthur is a very complex character with many layers! He's a very sweet and sentimental person deep down, who had a terrible childhood. His best friend, Sydney keeps him safe and grounded, but a bigger support system helps him a lot!
I reallly recomend this for fans of Arthurian novels, queer history and fans of the found family trope!

TW:death, war, murder, sexism, homophobia, injury, assault.

2.5/5
I really liked the characters in this book, and found it to be emotionally well written. However, it feels like the author was trying to do too much with the plot. There’s conflict between Gwen and Art, they each have their respective romances, there’s conflict between the Arthurian cultists and the Catholics, there’s other political subterfuge, there’s parental conflict, and more, but none of it felt finished. No single idea felt like it was fully fleshed out nor reached a satisfying conclusion. Not to mention the severe and violent tone shift ~3/4 through the book. I really liked the pieces and ideas of this book, but they all ended up being very shallow

A straight up fun romp through a medieval romance that doesn't take itself too seriously. Every turn in this book was more entertaining than the last, and it kept up the sweetness and romance all of the way though. Qwen & Art Are Not in Love does not disappoint!

Thank you netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As an individual who doesn't know much about Arthurian tale, I think this queer romance was super freaking cute. it's probably not an accurate retelling (again, I wouldn't know) but it was a sweet and cozy read. This is certainly going to be a hit once it hits shelves. I can already see it overtaking booktok.

This was so good! I was so excited when I first heard about this book and even more ecstatic when I received an advanced copy from NetGalley to read! Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is queer, based off of the Arthurian Legend (it is NOT a retelling), and genuinely hysterical. There was so much wit in the dialogue, Art made me genuinely laugh-out-loud multiple times. Gwen made me want to tear my hair out at times, but was also endearing and her fierce love for her brother melted my heart. I don't want to sound dramatic or anything, but I would literally die for Gabe and I loved Bridget's severe personality, but fierce belief in herself and loyalty to those she cares about, I loved all the characters, they had their flaws, but that only made them more relatable and real. The slow enemies to friends dynamic between Art and Gwen made me feel so happy inside and the romances, though hard fought and difficult to read at times, were just as sweet.

Gwen and Art are getting married, too bad they have despised each other basically since birth, It doesn't help that both are interested in other people, people who happen to be the same sex as them, which is certainly not the done thing in Camelot, especially by the royal family. Torn between duty and heart, Gwen struggles to find a way to be happy in the life she is destined for. Art, on the other hand, has been told since he was a child that his marriage to Gwen was the only use his hateful father has for him. With self-worth ground down to nothing he hides behind alcohol and a careless playboy attitude. They both don't want to marry, but choose to try and make the most of it... that is until both find themselves giving their hearts to other people. To make matters even more complicated there is unrest in the kingdom, Gwen and her family are no longer safe and Art happens to be caught in the middle of all of it, literally.

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love was sweet and funny, but also had a lot of difficult moments. Croucher didn't shy away from deeper themes in the story, but there were lots of light moments to counteract the dark. I also appreciated the different take on the classic Arthurian legend and what Camelot may have been like hundreds of years after King Arthur's rule (still can't get over Excalibur 9). Gwen & Art Are Not in Love was a fantastic read, it had me gripped from start to finish. Definitely a worthwhile book to pick up!

I will never say no to a book inspired by Arthurian legend, and it was really fun reading a rom-com set in medieval England with modern anachronisms (Ut reminded me, in part, of "Catherine Called Birdy"). the ending was a bit underwhelming and didn't match the pace of the rest of the book, and I wish we got more development and time with the characters because the pining was executed better than the relationships themselves.

Thank you the publisher and NetGalley for providing the arc!

Thank you to netgalley for the arc; I read this book during valentines day and it was the perfect read. I loved the way Gwen and Arts relationship developed from enemies to allies once it was discovered that they had both fallen for other people; I came to this book for a cute sapphic romance and thats exactly what I got. This book is best paired with love story (Taylor's Version) and a good cup of tea.

this was nothing like what i was expecting but i loved it! i loved the lgbt+ retelling of arthur and i thought this book was hilariously good. the romances made me swoon and i loved the devleoped friendship between the two characters.

Thanks to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Someone needs to make this into a movie, posthaste. Please and thank you.

The back cover copy’s description of “Heartstopper meets A Knight’s Tale” is perfect. This is the queer YA medieval romance I never knew I needed with a good dose of humor, love and friendship that will have you cheering for the good guys to win the battle.

Gwen, the princess in this story who falls in love with knight Lady Bridget Leclair and her fake fiancée Arthur Delacey who falls in love with her brother, Prince Gabe, are delightfully complex characters who are just trying to figure out their places in the kingdom. The supporting characters like Gwen’s lady’s maid, Agnes and Arthur’s body man, Sidney, round out this amazing cast of characters.

Overall: I recommend this book to anyone who likes their queer YA romances with a bit of legend, a cranky orange cat, the ninth Excalibur, and a raven named Morgana.