I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This book was an absolute joy to read and is going to stick with me for a very long time. While it is YA/NA I think it can and should be read at any age, there is so much readers can take away from this book. There were so many beautiful quotes in this book that I think we might all need to hear at some point in our lives.

Gwen and Arthur are betrothed to one another and Arthur is going to be staying with Gwen and her family during the tournament season. Unforunately they loath one another. While they might not love one another are key to one another finding love. When Gwen falls for Bridget and is trying to understand it all, while Arthur is falling for her brother Gabriel.

I really loved seeing the relationship between Gwen and Art develop through the story. At the beginning of the story they really don’t like one another but because of their roles and duties they are forced together. As they spend more time together you see this sort of reluctant bond between them develop. Gwen is going through a significant period in her life trying to figure out who she is and Arthur gives her some really good advice. When Gwen’s brother can’t be there for her when she needs him Arthur is there for her.

There are some hard moments in the book especially when it come to Gabriel’s own journey. Gabriel has to decide if he is going to what is expected of him or if he is going to do what he truly wants.

Unexpectedly this book got really stressful for me toward the last 10-15%. However it ties itself up really well.

CW/TW: death, violence, parental lose, and some internalized homophobia(it is overcome)

I would recommend this to anyone who like historical romances or found families. Someone who is looking for a good coming of age LGBTQIA+ story.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for giving me access to an arc.

I can honestly say that this is by far the best book that I have read so far this year and this would be my 28th read. So many things worked for me, especially the found family aspect of this book. Croucher does a wonderful job of making you care for all of the characters. I found them to all be extremely likable and they were able to have their own unique personalities, outside of one another.

This book, to me, deals with many things but especially our legacies and the tension between who we think we should be versus who we actually should be. The choices that we make about the life that we want to live. I think the blurb doesn't go far enough about explaining how deeply touching, heart-wrenching, and beautiful this story is. Sure, it is a sapphic and achlliean story but it is also bout love, expectations, and friendships. Croucher made me feel so invested in this story. Not only did she tell us but she showed us.

Lastly, I want to just say that the dialogue was superb. It was really funny! I was actually snorting and laughing out loud. It was witty. The banter was amazing because it felt so organic. Anyways, I just really loved this book so much and it definitely we become one of my comfort reads. Now I must read the rest of Croucher's books.

This was a cute, low-stakes YA read, pretty much exactly what you'd expect from the description. Two nobles who are betrothed figure out that they're both queer, decided to cover for each other, and hijinks ensue. I'd get it from the library personally, but it was a fun, easy read.

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC.

3.5/5
Yeah this is gay.
It truly is Heartstopper meets A Knight's Tale, but also meets Rosalind (on hulu 10/10 great movie).
I enjoyed having FOUR absolute gay disasters of characters in a setting that didn't need to make excuses as to why there are non-white characters in nobility ("ahem" Bridgerton). It was a cute and fun read, although the overarching conflict in the book of the Arthurian cultists vs. the crown fizzled and by the end, I forgot why there was a conflict in the first place.
If you just want a fun, YA romance with a happily ever after, this is for you!

I’m a sucker for a good King Arthur reimagining, and this was a fun, creative romp through and through. It had humor and heart. I thought Gwen and Art were vibrant characters and their banter was so fun to read. I loved watching their relationship go from enemies to reluctant allies to genuine friends who cared about one another and one another’s happiness, and I also enjoyed the romantic relationships developing here immensely.

My only problem is that the characters and their dynamics were so fun that the political plot felt severely sidelined and didn’t feel like it kicked until we were about 75 pages from the end, and I didn’t really care about it because we had spent so long favoring the plot as it was blurbed. I had no idea it would delve into anything deeper and it was just a personal preference of mine.

first things first: AHHHHHH
royal sapphic enemies-to-lovers? yes please. the blurb compares it to heartstopper, but truthfully, i liked this more than heartstopper. and i LOVED heartstopper. the characters in this book definitely hold a place in my heart. they each have depth and motivation, which made the story believable. the development of the main characters was so heartwarming, as they start off as enemies, but go through conflicts together that shape each of their characters. while humorous and fun, there were also serious moments in the book about being yourself, despite others' expectations of you.

the only thing that really didn't click with me was the worldbuilding. i believed this to be a sapphic medieval retelling set in England, but I couldn't tell when it was supposed to take place. the court politics part of the kingdom also was confusing, as i didn't understand how everything fit together. however, this is all made up by the fact that i loved reading this book.

five stars!

thank you NetGalley for the arc!

Oh so fun and lovely book! Great for fans of the Willow TV show, Sarah Rees Brennan’s In Other Lands, and anyone who wished that low stakes Arthurian fantasy was a little more (or way more) gay.

Arthur and Gwen have been engaged to unite the realm since they were children, but there’s two slight problems: they despise each other and Gwen is way more interested in the hot lady knight competing in her father’s tournament than she ever could be in Arthur. When Gwen finds Art kissing a boy in the stables, they begrudgingly enter a pact together to conceal their queer identities from the kingdom. Their friendship unfolds beautifully and hysterically as the story progresses, through tournaments, wild nights out on the town, and the general antics expected of gay teenage royalty.

This book checks all of my boxes: weird and wonderful medieval setting, queer romcom(s), sword lesbians, jousting tournaments, enemies to best friends, cutie sibling dynamics, sword lesbians, cozy fantasy-adjacent, excellent banter, sword lesbians…

This book does have few higher stakes situations and hard topics, which Croucher integrates gracefully without ever letting the book get too dark and lose its rom-com feel. The storyline and writing is so magnetic— this is the first book in a long time that has kept me up into the night, unable to put it down, literally giggling and kicking my feet.

Gwen & Art may not be in love, but I certainly am! Thank you so much to NetGalley & St. Martin’s press for the opportunity to read what will certainly be one of my favorite books of the year!


diverse representations: wlw, mlm, thai mc, half iranian mc, chronic illness (endometriosis-like, not named), amputee

trigger warnings on Readerly!

God, Gwen thought wistfully, I hope she stabs me.

+++++

His Royal Highness King Allmot of England lives with his wife and kids in Camelot. yes, that Camelot, but this is years after the legends were born and made and all that lingers now is the mythology (and people that are unaffectionately called "cultists").

the King has two children; the elder a boy named Gabriel, crown prince; the younger a girl named Gwendoline "Gwen" (yes, named after that Guinevere). Gabriel and Gwen are very close with one another and have few friends outside of their sibling, but neither seem particularly bothered by this. Gabriel is studious, largely reticent, unexcited to become king but determined to be a great one. Gwen is chafing at her place in Camelot's cogs; since she was a baby she has been engaged to a boy named Arthur (yes, named after that Arthur) and unfortunately, she hates him.

(also unfortunately, there's a hot knight at court staying for the annual competition. Lady Bridget Leclair is the only female knight in England and has made an enormous reputation for herself, including being an accomplished swordswoman and rider. Gwen likes to look longingly at her and pine.)

Arthur "Art" Delacey meanwhile, heir to the title Lord of Maidvale, long-haired and beautiful, is kind of an ass. the only person who seems to genuinely like him is his body-man slash bodyguard slash best friend Sidney "Sid" Fitzgilbert, a man whose vibe can only be described as "hold my beer".

the book opens with Gabriel coming to Gwen's room to tell her that he has found her dowry carefully written out in their father's office, a fact which implies that her inevitable wedding to Arthur Delacey will be happening soon. and sure enough, Arthur is shortly sent to court, to 'woo' his intended and make nice with the entire royal family.

instead of doing that, Arthur and Gwen argue bitterly with one another, realize they have more in common than either of them anticipated, and hatch a plan to help both of them get the happy ending they deserve.

I loved the beginning of this book but it was this turning point that really sold me on it. watching Arthur and Gwen's friendship develop was lovely and hilarious. this is at an earlier part of their relationship:



"Let's just agree to be straight with each other," he said slowly. "Can you manage that?"
"What do you mean?" Gwendoline said, clearly knowing exactly what he meant.
"You were lurking behind that wall-"
"I wasn't lurking."
"Okay, fine, you were reclining gracefully-with poise and dignity, as befits your noble house-behind that wall."



and their dialogue maintains that kind of levity and comedy the whole rest of the book. it was startlingly difficult to pick out which quotes I wanted to use in this review because there were so many that I loved, but I've condensed it to a few that I consider very, very good.

as Arthur and Gwen grow closer, their friendship solidifying into something real and reliable, their snarking gains an affectionate edge. the dialogue was one of the best aspects of this book in my opinion; Croucher captured the teenage angst and the historical drama and the ensemble cast's whip-quick wit with elegance.



"Oh no," Arthur said, gripping her by the shoulder and giving her what he hoped was a friendly little shake. "I'm actually proud of you. I don't... I don't really know what to do with that."
"Please," Gwen said," do absolutely nothing with it. It does not require action. And stop shaking me like a maraca, people will think we're odd."



as I am writing this review at the end of February I don't want to talk too much about the plot, as I think letting readers go into this fairly blind will be the best introduction possible. but I would like to suggest this book for anybody who likes historical fiction but wants to see more queers, and more importantly, wants to see those queer characters get happy endings.

this book isn't a fairy tale and not everything is rainbows and butterflies but I liked that. a magic happily ever after can be a little boring; a happily ever after that characters have sweat and bled and died for, that's my favorite kind.



"I made you a false mustache!" Arthur said, outraged. "I did crafts for you! The least you can do is act grateful."
"Thank you for my cat-hair mustache," Gwen said, rolling her eyes. "It's truly disgusting. I hope you washed it first."
Arthur winked at her in a way he probably imagined was roguish and charming. "I can guarantee you that I did not."

+++++

queer rep - bi/queer mc, achillean mc, sapphic love interest, achillean love interest
thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc ✨

Gwen and Art have been betrothed since they were young, but they are not in love. Just the opposite, actually - they absolutely cannot STAND one another, but when Arthur is forced to spend the summer at Camelot in preparation for their upcoming nuptials, their conflict comes to a head as both discover just who, exactly, the other is interested in.

I adored this book. It was a fun, funny read full of banter and queer romance and friendship, and I loved how the friendship between Art and Gwen grew organically into something so sweet and genuine - if you can't rib your bestie, who can you rib? Similarly, the friendship between Sidney and Art was so heartwarming; Sidney's acceptance and dedication to Art was honestly really rewarding.

The banter. The banter! I don't have a lot to say about it other than a) I love banter, b) this book has it in spades, c) it was hilarious, and d) the whole thing was right up my alley. There almost wasn't a single page without some sort of witty repartee, which I appreciated so very, very much.

Lady Bridget Leclair. That's it. That's the paragraph. I know you're with Gwen, Lady Bridget, but if it doesn't work out I am always available for you! (But honestly, the relationship between her and Gwen was really touching and cute and I was rooting for them!)

Honestly, this book was great. I can't think of a single thing that might have been done better. It's proud of what it is and never attempts to be anything else, and I respect it so much for that. It's exactly what it says on the tin, so if this is your particular flavor of read, definitely give it a shot!!! Thank you to Netgalley, Wednesday Books, and St. Martin's Press for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

I wanted to love this book. I really did. However, this book got in its own way. The first half of the book was very slow and tedious, which makes me wonder how many young adults will stick with it through to the end. However, the story is one that students will enjoy if they can forgive the repetitive scenes and dialogue that slow this book down. The characters and their attempts to hide their feelings from each other will resonate with my students. The fighting toward the end of the book will satisfy the need for action for those readers who did not come just for a light romance. I would recommend this book for a middle/high school/young adult section library and would also give this author another read in the future.

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is delightful. The characters are complex and loveable, the worldbuilding is skillful and believable, and the plot is crafted beautifully. All of this book's elements complement each other perfectly.

It is overall light, humorous, and romantic, but it is more serious in places. Sometimes I find the use of multiple romance tropes constrains characters, but here they allowed for deeper character exploration-- it was very well done.

There are two things I might recommend revisiting before publishing. First, there were two very obvious references in the first chapter (Riverdale and Twelfth Night) and none (that I picked up on at least) in the rest of the book-- this seems a bit unbalanced. Second, there wasn't a clear resolution to the issues one of the couples faced. After a disagreement/potential breakup, they kissed and agreed to talk, but they didn't actually resolve the underlying issues.

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is an easy five stars and I would highly recommend it to fans of LGBT romcoms and lighthearted fantasy.

Title: Gwen and Art are Not in Love
Author: Lex Croucher
Genre: Fiction, Fairy tale, Romance, LGBTQ+

_________________________________________________________________________
Overview: This book is a twist on the classic story of King Arthur. Only instead of a basic retelling, it makes use of the classic tale as part of its actual history. Gwen and Arthur have been betrothed to each other since birth and have never gotten along well with each other. So much so that they had even injured each other on many occasions and had to be separated until they were about ready to make their betrothal official. Still having harsh feelings towards one another, they soon learn that one another have at least one thing in common. Both of them find attraction in those they shouldn't. They keep each other's secrets and even go along as if they are trying to fall in love or at least taking a fancy to one another. All the while danger lurks around them and threats of internal war arise.

Favorite Things: I loved how real Gwen and Arthur's bickering felt. I could feel their hatred for each other and believe that it would continue on. And even when they began to reconcile their differences, it wasn't something that felt forced. They both had their reasons for acting as they did and even after they spoke their secrets and reasons to each other, they still acted towards each other in a way that made it feel natural. The way siblings fight for example is very much the vibe they gave off after they became friendly with each other, and it was apparent that both of them were relived to finally have some common ground between the two of them.

Least Favorite Things:
The idea that Gwen fell for a female knight was so beautiful, and there's nothing I hate about it, but for my least favorite part it would have to be the lack of communication between the two until the end. With Gabe and Arthur there were at least some instances where they spoke and flirted and got to know each other on a more personal level. However with Gwen and Bridget, it felt more like questioning turned to yearning for something 'dangerous' turned to being together in a very lose sense of the term. I would have loved to see them flirting more and getting to know more about each other. Instead their closest form of intimacy beforehand was Gwen consoling Bridget while she had very bad period cramps. It was sweet, but I would have liked more depth.



Overall opinions: This is a great fairy tale read that I would recommend to anyone who likes medieval type stories with bits of King Arthur lore thrown in the mix. The romance although at the forefront of the story is also very calm and slips by without too much force, making the entire story feel a bit more natural when you bring it all together. If you like slightly toxic romance, I will admit this is also that as there are many issues between the 'couples' that don't necessarily get resolved completely by the stories end.

Set in medieval England, the story begins with the reluctantly betrothed Princess Gwen and Lord Arthur, who have loathed each other since childhood. They couldn't be more different: Gwen enjoys her embroidery and alone time, while Art enjoys drinking, galavanting, and shirking his political responsibilities. With their wedding just around the corner, Art arrives at Camelot to spend the summer with Gwen. The two immediately butt heads and, when Gwen stumbles upon Art kissing a boy, he blackmails her with his own discovery of her crush on Lady Bridget Leclair. Thus begins their grudging truce: they will pretend to get along while covering for each other's romantic pursuits.

The setting may be medieval but the dialogue feels contemporary. Gwen and Art's constant bickering is delightfully hilarious, and from the first few pages I was laughing out loud. The banter isn't limited to the protagonists; the supporting characters are equally as fun and lovable. I love the diversity of the characters and the representation of women in this book. While the story leans cozy, it addresses the difficulties of coming out and trying to live up to parental expectations. The stakes are relegated to the background for most of the novel, but when things start to ramp up everything unfolds very quickly! This is easily one of the best queer romance novels I've read.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital galley.

Art and Gwen have been betrothed since birth. Gwen is a hard-headed princess of a country on the verge of war and Art a silver-tounged, dashing son of a Lord. Sounds like a match made in heaven, right? There's one problem, Gwen and Art are very much NOT in love. More specifically, a roguish female night has caught Gwen's attention while Gwen's brother, Gabriel, has caught Art's.

Gwen and Art finally reach the age where their marriage must become a reality yet they cannot stand each other. However, salvation comes in the form of a shaky truce to play nice in public and look the other way in private. Stubborn as they may be, the truce holds until tensions rise in between couples as well as tensions in the kingdom in between the cultists and the Catholics.

The flimsy peace Gabe and Gwen's father has been slowly crumbling, as the war comes to a head so does the truth about their real feelings. Gwen, Art and co. are full of heart, bravery and fun. This coming of age story has more than one revelation at it's core. It's about how to love family, friends and yourself amongst internal and external pressure. Most importantly, it's about paving your own way in the world and finding your voice amongst the crowd.

look i shouldn't be reviewing this because post-medieval romance is v much not my thing and I KNEW THAT GOING IN. it was fast paced a lot of the time, funny like lex croucher always is, full of queer chaos, but also just like, i couldn't care that much which i hate for me! i just genuinely am not moved by like jousting and scheming about kingdoms and like horses and swords and giant gowns in general. if you like those things, you will LOVE this book because it really is a romp! but, if you do not, i am sorry to inform you that i don't think that you will get over that distaste for these legitimately charming characters.

As a reader, I didn’t fall in love with book like I was hoping. The timeline and the history surrounding the story was a little confusing and well as a very slow pace. That being said, I think we need more gay characters in all stories and time periods. I think this book may be for a niche audience, but if I ever meet someone within that audience, I will happily recommend this book.

- Love a cute medieval LGBTQ+ romance!
- Arthur with the orange cat was so funny to me. “Begone tiny demon!” LOL
- All our characters related in the two couples are so likeable in their own ways
- Love the way our characters evolve so realistically and almost deny it in the beginning

This was a very out of the box read for me. I’m always apprehensive starting more fantasy based books because I worry about world building. I loved the way the story of Camelot was incorporated! It added an amazingly fun element.

Characters! The way each person falls in love and works off one another is both adorable and hilarious. I love Art and Sid’s banter. Gwen and Gabriel have a great bond too.

This story makes me hopeful for a sequel but if not I believe it’s a very good read on its own. I’m very excited to add it to my shelves!

This book was funny and I liked the concept, but it just wasn’t for me. The retelling aspect was interested and I really did find some parts funny. But I didn’t find it super intriguing for me and it didn’t hold my attention.

Five stars. This book is so, so much fun. This is what teens want from humour in YA fiction. The comedy doesn't undercut the important themes, or the enveloping feel of an Arthurian England setting, but it's there almost every step of the way... unless there's a dramatic moment that requires full gravitas. I devoured most of the book in one sitting, because its pull is strong enough to give "one more chapter" about twenty repeats. The Gwen and Arthur dynamic unfurls perfectly from enemies to friends/beards. The happy-for-now ending is perfect in a situation where these kids can't fully take their lives into their own hands, and where our valiant knight won't give up her dreams to play bodyguard. And again, the hilarious dialogue, from Arthur especially... Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is gold.

i genuinely loved this book so much, i finished it in less than a day because i could not put it down. i originally thought it was a retelling, but it isn’t, and is instead a nice mix of arthurian legend as well as a retelling.

i love gwen, arthur, bridget, and gabriel so much. in books i tend to not like some of the main or side characters, but in this story i liked them all. i don’t want to spoil too much because it isn’t yet published, but pick up this book when you can!

the only reason why it’s not a five star read is because i didn’t feel like there was enough world-building. it takes place in olden england but the characters definitely sound like they’ve seen an iPhone before. (despite that, i liked the riverdale reference, coming from someone who’s only seen the first episode).

i also wish we got more at the end, but that could be because i always want to read more about what happens after their endings.