This queer medieval rom com was certainly a unique read. Certainly, a must-read for lovers of Arthurian mythology who dislike how heterosexual the medieval times seem to be in historical fiction.

REVIEW: SPOILERS AHEAD

In full honesty, this book took a little bit of time for me to warm up to. I found Gwen and Art’s hatred for each other annoying, and I wish the author had focused on less petty reasons for their hatred. Perhaps, the author could have made Gwen a little less annoying and spoiled, but I believe that was the point, and she does get better as the book moves forward.

But, I loved Gwen and Art’s friendship once they finally got there. I also enjoyed Art and Gabriel’s relationship. Unfortunately, I feel like Gwen and Bridget’s relationship didn’t have the same strength in the development of their characters. I wish I got to see more regarding Bridget’s personality because I love a badass woman with a sword.

I am so disappointed in this book and I am so sad that I have to write this. I wanted to love this book - the premise truly pulled me in. I love Arthurian tales and put a queer spin on it? Sign me up! Unfortunately, this did not live up to the hype I made up in my head. I was honestly bored by most of the story and wound up not finishing this one. It just wasn't for me.

Thank you so very much for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book regardless.

I absolutely adored this book! I love Arthurian legends so I went in with high expectations and it did not disappoint! I laughed, I cried, these gays own my heart

[netgalley arc] WOWWW it's been a while since i read a romcom this good. i was literally so obsessed with this that i was reading chapters during my breaks at work. gwen and art are such lovable and realistic characters -- i think the highlight of this book was their friendship (although both romances were also great). the only complaint that i rly have is that the the entire middle chunk of the book was like 80% dialogue... great, realistic dialogue but still... a lot of dialogue.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

4.5 stars! Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is a fun rom-com that follows a group of teenagers as they discover love, friendship, and their identities. While this is not a retelling, it does take place generations after the legend of Arthur Pendragon and the lore was weaved in throughout the story in an interesting way. If you're looking for a light hearted, coming-of-age historical romance, this is the one! This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023 and Lex Croucher delivered.

There is humour, there is romance, there is politics, and I was kicking my feet, giggling throughout it all. Every single character is lovable and flawed in their own way. The banter between the characters is genuinely funny and endearing and I found myself unable to put the book down for the last half. Lex Croucher managed to inject the right amount of humour into even the heavier scenes.

My only qualms with this book were that for an otherwise historical setting, the random pieces of modern dialogue were jarring and the ending wrapped up a bit too quickly for my liking (I wanted to see more about how the two couples resolved their conflicts to end up together). The political plot line was predictable as well, but the real draw of the story is the developing relationships between all the characters anyway.

This is a good fit for fans of The Other Merlin by Robyn Schneider.

4.5 I had so much fun reading this and falling in love with all of the characters. Arthur and Gwen's dynamic had me laughing all the time and I love how everything played out. Sidney also has a special place in my heart (along with Bridget because sword-wielding lesbians reign supreme). This is one of the most entertaining books I've read in a while, I had a stupid grin on my face for most of it. In addition to the fun, this was a refreshing change from all the retellings and it really stood out. To emphasize how much I enjoyed this book, I started at 8pm and finished at 9:50pm.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this Digital ARC

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is a fun, sweet, and heartfelt story of love of all kinds, even in a society that may try to tell you who you should or shouldn’t love.
  
The main strength of this book was definitely the relationships, and not just the romantic ones. Gwen and Gabriel’s sibling dynamic was really lovely—they care about each other a lot, but they’re also not afraid to call each other out on their poor behavior or decisions. However, my favorite non-romantic duo was absolutely Arthur and his best friend, Sidney—I was always happy to read a scene with the two of them, because I knew I was going to be laughing out loud at the shenanigans they'd get into together.
 
That’s not to say that I didn’t love the romantic couples, though! Gwen and Bridget was the more pining-filled, slower burn of the two, whereas Arthur and Gabriel had a lot of ups and downs when it came to them figuring out their feelings for each other, and that difference between their romantic arcs made reading each of them compelling—I was concerned going into it that they might end up being too similar to one another, so I was pleased that it wasn’t the case.
 
And of course, we get to see Gwen and Arthur’s friendship grow and become something really wonderful as well. I’m a sucker for solid fictional friendships, and they had just the perfect “rivals to best friends” arc. For each of them, they really only had their own respective best friends—Gabriel for Gwen and Sidney for Arthur—so it was wonderful to watch as they both opened up to the new people in their lives, and the ways they helped one another do that.

So while the overall tone is mostly humorous, but it does shift to more dramatic as the book approaches its end, and I thought that balance between humor and drama was done pretty well throughout, so that even when serious events happen, it’s not too upsetting, even if you feel for the characters. However, it did feel like a lot of the plot threads were often forgotten about in favor of the relationship developments—for example, the reason Bridget is there is for a tournament she’s participating in, and the tournament does become plot relevant by the end, but for pretty much the entire time leading up to that point, it didn’t feel like it was brought in as well as it could’ve been. That’s the largest example, but there was a lot going on outside of the romance, and at times it didn’t seem as though those plot threads were being utilized to their fullest potential.
 
But, that aside, this was a really fun read! If you like the Montague Siblings books, or the BBC Merlin show, I think you’d enjoy this book. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, even if it deals with some serious topics, and I couldn’t help but smile the entire time I was reading it.

First of all I would like to thank Lex Croucher for writing the story and thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Growing up and figuring out yourself is hard enough to do without the added struggles that come with being betrothed to the son of a cultist who is a descendant of Arthur Pendragon who is sent to Camelot to court you in preparation for your wedding. But Gwen and Arthur both quick discover that they’re both hiding secrets, and neither one of them is interested in the other. Arthur is caught kissing a guy and Gwen is found to have a crush on the kingdoms only female knight.

This book was one I really had a hard time putting down. The way that Croucher wrote both of the main characters, Arthur and Gwen, was truly amazing. Their constant banter and the way the reader gets immersed in a genuine friendship being built between the two of them is amazing. I truly fell in love with both of these characters, for many different reasons.

While the setting of the story is far from the world we live in today (medieval England), there are many problems that the main characters face that anyone in the LGBTQIA+ community would be familiar with and be able to relate to. Sacrificing the life you’ve known forever for being able to live as your true self is easier said than done, even if it would be for the good of an entire kingdom in this case.

Found family is strong in this story, and is something that almost anyone in the LGBTQIA+ community can relate to. The relationships that the characters create in this story are truly beautiful, and I could see them continuing to grow in Camelot if Croucher chose to do so.

I’m so very grateful to have had this opportunity to read this book, and I hope to read more by Croucher in the future, especially if they choose to return to the world of Camelot.

I have posted these reviews to good reads and storygraph immediately and will post it to instagram at a future date.

A medieval, queer rom com? Yes!!! From the first few chapters I knew this was going to be one of my favourites this year. I was just hoping the ending wouldn't disappoint (with the usual miscommunication-two-week-breakup in every romcom, which I hate!!) but the end had me literally at the edge of my seat, trying to read faster and faster to get to the end sooner, I was so stressed.

This novel had both the romance AND the comedy. I've never laughed at a book before this one, I was constantly grinning. The chemistry between all 6 MCs, the banter, the jokes, it was all *chef's kiss*! I caught myself looking at upcoming pages and getting excited when I saw a lot of dialogue, all the conversations were so fun and interesting or cute and flirty!

This book also doesn't skimp out on character flaws, sad, scary and stressful moments either! It's a good balance of happy and sad and the characters even reflect on their lows - they don't just ignore them!! That was one of my favourites parts, one character goes through something hard and the next chapter they go over how it made them feel and how they'll get through it. It was awesome.

Last but not least, the couples!!!! The romance!!!! The flirting!!!!! It was perfect. I love all these characters ❤️

I can't wait to buy the physical copy once it comes out. I WILL be rereading this! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love is a fun, warm-hearted medieval YA romance. Princess Gwendoline and noblemen Arthur have been betrothed since childhood. Forced to spend the summer together, the two realize they must keep each others’ secrets when Gwen catches Art kissing a boy and Art discovers Gwen’s crush on a female knight.

Enemies-to-Supportive-Gay- Best-Friends might be my new favourite trope! I loved all the characters, particularly Bridget and Gabriel. I also like how Arthurian legend was woven into the story – this was not a retelling, but rather a society still very much in awe of King Arthur.

It does take a bit of time for the story to build, and the first few chapters are a little slow. However, the last section of the book is extremely fast paced in an action-packed ending. Overall, this was an easy, whimsical read, and I enjoyed it very much.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an eARC!

My rating: 5/5 stars

I am going to be honest. I have no complaints. I loved this book. I stayed up extremely late when I had classes the next day to finish it. I loved all the characters, especially one Bridget Leclair (I’m actually in love with her). I loved the plot, it was the perfect balance of light hearted and high stakes.

One of my favorite things about this book was the point where Bridget got her period. She is in immense pain and even faints at one point. As someone who experiences chronic periods this made me inexplicably happy. It was also a very important moment to see how everyone but Gwen (the main character obvi) ignores her pain, even the doctor. It is very reflective of my own experiences with healthcare in the modern day and I could talk about the implications of that all day but this is a book review so I will not. This is all to say I very much enjoyed this part of the book.

Seeing how Gwen and Art transition from enemies to such close friends at such a natural pace was such an amazing part of the book. I’ve never really read an enemies to friends story and the way this one was executed makes me want to read more.

Although this was historical fiction, it is still rife with the humorous moments readers of YA romance will be familiar with. Especially Arthur and his best friend Sidney have the funniest interactions, but all of the characters are hilarious in that way teenagers tend to be.

Honestly I think Arthurian retellings are my new thing because I have loved every single one I have read, including of course this one. 5/5 stars without a doubt, I highly highly recommend this. I have absolutely no complaints, even though I honestly tried to find even one thing I did not like.

Anyway, please please read this. That’s all thank you so much for reading!!

I loved this book! I will definitely recommend it. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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

I finished this book a couple of days ago, but when it came to this review, I didn't know where to start because there was just so much I enjoyed!

The writing is witty. The banter is impeccable. I loved the sworn-enemies turned reluctant-allies. The tension. The vulnerability. The ANGST! It's a tale as old as time, yet Croucher made it feel new.

A journey of self- discovery and the bravery it takes to get there. There's nothing more relatable than that.

Thanks to netgalley I was able to get an acr so as a thank you, I thought I’d leave a review!

So onto the book review! First off the cover and title are adorable!! I really enjoyed reading this book by the end, there were some parts where I got kinda bored/not as invested but I think it was because I was so tired and just ready for bed. Going into this book I didn’t really know a lot of medieval history/stories(?) other than that one Disney movie with Brit Robinson and Greg sulkin(? Bella thrones ex boyfriend or mason from wizards of waverly place lol) and even that was fuzzy, so during some points I felt like I was bit confused, like midway or a little less than halfway through the book. But like an absolute champ, I continued reading and got sucked back into the book and found myself absolutely rooting for the ginger twins(who aren’t really twins) and their love interests to figure it out! All MCs; Art or Arthur, Gwen, Gabe and Bridget were so adorable and the side characters but not really side characters Sidney and Agnes were super likeable too. Could really use a Sidney in my life tbh.

Anywho, this was a really enjoyable read towards the end and I highly recommend reading it!

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, Lex Croucher, and NetGalley, for the ARC.

I loved this book. It has Merlin and A Knights Tales vibes, one of my favorite shows and movies. Arthur took me a bit to like, but it was hard to put this book down once I did. The characters are great. The storytelling is fantastic.

I love the dynamic between Gwen and Gabe, siblings that grew up as royalty and can only trust each other. There is no way to know what growing up as that can be like. The author did a great job of showing how close they are. I like Bridget and Arthur's friendship. It is sweet. I wish they would have gone a little more in-depth with them.

I liked that they were not King Arthur and Gwen, but it was hundreds of years after. They played off the legend, but it wasn't the main story.

I recommend reading this book.

This fun filled book is a clever take on Arthurian legends. It will give you all of the feels as you read it.

Did you watch A Knight’s Tale more than any one person should? Did you watch BBC Merlin and think “well this is gay, but it could certainly be gayer”? Then this is absolutely the book for you!

A few hundred years after Arthur Pendragon ruled Camelot, the new king is getting ready to marry off his daughter Gwen to Arthur Delacey. Only one problem with that plan. Well, two problems, really.

One: they can’t stand each other.

Two: they’re both queer.

When they both discover neither is as straight as they pretend to be, they decide to fake the relationship and sell their engagement. There’s also Gabe, Gwen’s brother who is majorly crushing on Art. Bridget, the one true second coming of Arthur Pendragon who Gwen’s been crushing on for ages. Agnes and Sidney, Gwen and Art’s ride or die bros, who also get their own little love story going.

There’s also tourneys and parties and coups and conspiracies and many a reference to the OG Arthur and Morgana. It’s an all around good time.

Gwen and Art might not be in love, but they absolutely love each other and the found family they’ve made together, and that’s beautiful!

Thanks to Wednesday Books for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley & Wednesday Books for the Arc that I will be shrieking about from the mountains for months.

This was incredible. If you're fans of found family, enemies to friends, Arthurian legends, smiling so hard your face hurts and queer kids being queer kids- this is absolutely perfect for you.

It's so clever and quick and action-packed at the right moments. The entire cast of characters is perfect, full marks, no misses, 10/10 would marry every single one of them. It had important conversations and humour in equal measure and was just such a joy to read.

One of those books that reminds me why I love reading. Absolutely recommend picking this up when it's out.

This book was so quirky and fun and I’m so glad I decided to read it during February…the month of love! I really loved the whole cast of characters and I wanted all of them to get their HEA. I was rooting for them with my whole heart. They weren’t one dimensional but very well thought out and flawed. This book’s banter was hilarious and had me laughing out loud on numerous occasions and the love stories were just what I needed. I’m struggling to find anything I didn’t like about it. I’ll be giving it a 5 out of 5 and reviewing it when it gets closer to its release date. Thank you for the Arc!

If there’s a retelling, I’ll be the first in line to read it. Add in King Arthur retelling with an LGBTQIA + set of characters. Romantic comedy, with funny quips like “a knights tale”- you have a recipe for success.

This wasn’t over the top, this was a fun balance of romcom with an actual plot.


Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and author for allowing me an early copy in exchange for my honest review- all thoughts and opinions are my own!