new comfort book just dropped<3

gwen and art are not in love. in fact, they can’t stand each other. but they are promised to each other due to a deal their fathers made when they were young. they’re spending the summer together in camelot, where gwen lives, and within twenty-four hours they discover something about each other: gwen saw arthur kissing a boy, and arthur found gwen’s diary, in which she describes lady leclair very romantically. they agree to cover for each other, which proves especially helpful as gwen grows closer to lady leclair…and arthur to gwen’s brother.

ahhh i thought this would be a five-star read, but i didn’t go in expecting it to be a new favorite. i can definitely see myself revisiting this book. there were so many funny moments, and i actually laughed out loud at some points. plus, all the romantic moments were so sweet, and i loved both of the main couples (+ the side couple) so much. i fell in love with each character and was so sad to say goodbye at the end.

i highly recommend to anyone looking for a queer historical romance that will make you laugh, swoon, and even cry.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for allowing me to read a cop of this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All of the opinions and views expressed in this review are purely my own and not affiliated with any brand.

This was a fun book! Arthur might be my new favorite literary character! He had me laughing all the time! Sidney was also a great character and an amazing best fiend. Lex Croucher does an amazing job of taking a classic story and making is something that is completely new and their own! This is a great read for anyone looking for a character who has a good time!

This is my favourite book I've read in a LONG time. Every character spoke to me on a deep level. It was witty, sappy, silly and beautiful all at once. The found family between Gwen, Arthur, Gabe, Bridget, Sidney and Agnes made my heart happy. Gabe is my favourite character due to his sensitive, sweet soul. I loved everything about this book; from the Arthurian lore, the battle scenes and the soft whispers between characters. This book is amazing. I need everyone to read it.

Gwen (a princess) and Arthur (a lord’s son) have despised each other since they were children, coincidentally the same amount of time they have been betrothed to one another. Arthur is sent to Camelot to begin formally courting Gwen, and the two become reluctant allies when they figure out each other’s secrets: Arthur prefers boys and Gwen has her eyes on a particular lady knight.

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is a delightful queer coming-of-age story filled with witty banter and heartwarming moments! The characters and relationships all felt so real. I loved this so so so much!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for the digital ARC!

Setting: England
Rep: bi FMC; gay MMC

Lex Croucher strikes again with another brilliant, funny, modern-feeling historical book. I liked this so much more than I thought it would! It was soooo close to a 5* but just didn't quite make it, but I still really enjoyed it. It's genuinely funny - Lex Croucher is one of few actually amusing writers I've ever come across!

I almost never DNF books that I'm reviewing, but I couldn't get through this one. Even though it's being pitched as a fun, light-hearted Arthurian adjacent romp, it was heavy on the trauma and processing about being queer. Maybe it turned around eventually, but I was not in it for the "I cannot be gay, this is the worst thing that has happened to me, I want better for my sister than this life of awful queerness so I'm going to shame her even though we have this in common." This was such a fun concept, and the execution was so much more bleak and upsetting than I was expecting.

On the plus side? The writing was a lot of fun, I loved the anachronistic and playful tone with the medieval setting. I just wanted the content of the book to be as playful as the tone.

More light, fun, silly queer books, please.

I had a lot of fun reading this book. I liked the Chemistry between Art & Gwen, not enough books spend as much time on building friendships as they would romances. Speaking of romances I loved both couples in this book, both of them felt so real and organic. The only thing I didn’t like about it was that there was so little description about the setting. Most of it I had to just guess myself, which is fine but if we were told about it a little more I would have really gotten absorbed in the book.

*I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review; thanks to the publisher and/or author for the opportunity*

If I didn't know better, I would think Lex Croucher read my mind and decided to write this book as a gift, specifically for me. Gwen and Art are Not in Love is a delightfully funny, queer coming-of-age romcom, submerged in Arthurian mythos; a book I’ve been waiting for since watching the first seasons of BBC’s Merlin more than a decade ago. And, more importantly, it is not a love triangle. Target audience: me.

To summarize, the book follows betrothed-at-birth Gwendolyn and Arthur, almost in the style of a comedy of errors, as they navigate their testy engagement, their burgeoning partnership, and their growing feelings for the object of their affection. Though it’s clear from, well, the title, that Gwen and Art are not in love with each other, it was the slow crocheting of their friendship that I found most charming. What can I say? I love my Enemies-to-Best Friends as much as my Enemies-to-Lovers.

I think it’s important to explain –for fans of historical fiction– that historical immersion isn’t the book’s biggest strength. In fact, depending on your reading preferences, it might be its biggest weakness: there’s a lot of hand-waving at the political and religious intricacies happening in the background, and I’m not sure when the plot’s supposedly taking place, though certainly a few decades after King Arthur’s passing? The setting is clearly medieval, but foggy on the details, very drafty in its worldbuilding. The modern dialog, too, though clearly an intentional decision, could be off-putting.

This, however, mustn’t be a detriment, if you come to the book for its virtues: a strong cast of characters, the wittiest banter to grace Camelot, and a charming, touching tale about coming to terms with oneself, and our histories: past, present, future. Its inclusivity, of course, goes without mention.

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tl;dr: If you were a fan of Merlin (2008) and wish Merthur had been canon, and aren’t too finicky about your historical inaccuracies, then this YA will be a tailor-fit for you!

Trigger warnings: genre-typical violence; mild blood and gore; instances of internalized homophobia.

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love is highly enjoyable for the following reasons: snappy dialogue, a strong supporting cast of characters, multiple characters who represent the LGBTQIA spectrum, and--most importantly--a significant friendship between a man who loves men and a woman who loves women.

I would recommend this book to other LGBTQIA readers looking for a light fantasy read, particularly ones who appreciate a writer with a more razor-sharp/biting tone. However, it needs to be said that the book does suffer from some weaknesses, particularly in the B-storyline related to the politics of fictional England. There is lots of world-building with competing parties and conspiracies that confuse the reader, plot points that appear and disappear seemingly at random, and questions about what is happening in this world that are never fully answered. This novel could have used some streamlining of the secondary politics and, frankly, a clearer decision on whether or not the Arthuriana was--for lack of a better term--real.

Still, while perhaps not as strong as Reputation, Gwen and Art is an enjoyable addition to Croucher's work and is a welcome addition to LGBTQIA Young Adult.

4.66 stars Thanks NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! The gay spirit of humor infused in early seasons of BBC Merlin surely hovered over the UK before entering Croucher’s body during the 2020 London lockdowns. This book had me laughing and rolling my eyes at the antics whilst simultaneously emotional at the struggles and character development of these lil medieval beans.

Set in a time period after the original Arthur Pendragon’s death, the first Saxon takeover, and subsequent Catholic Church conquest, Gwen and Art are promised to marry one another but both dislike the other and, if that weren’t enough, are hella gay. The unlikely duo make a pact (blackmail the other) to keep each other’s secret while simultaneously spurring on the other’s crush. Gwen’s fallen for the lovely Bridget from the Sukhothai Kingdom in modern day Thailand while Arthur’s harboring a surprising crush on the future king of Camelot.

While it’s not toooooo difficult to figure out who the big bad is or the end of the story (much like BBC’s Merlin) and my reason for not giving a /full/ 5 stars, the antics along the way make it well worth the read.

A fake dating? fake engagement? Well I guess betrothal, and just so gay. I was surprised by where the story went, fully expecting some cute quick little romcom of a book in Camelot but was pleasantly surprised by swordplay and political intrigue all wrapped up in a feel good queer novel.

Gwen & Art may not be in love, but the friendship that they develop throughout the story is absolutely lovely. The medieval themes and political tension is cut so nicely with the softness of the romances. Set a few centuries after the OG King Arthur, these young main characters were all so likable and I was deeply invested in each of their happiness(es). There were so many moments I was just squealing from the cuteness. This is the queer representation that is needed in the YA genre!

Honestly what a funny, well thought out story. I am a sucker for a good queer romance and this one really got me! The characters were all flawed in their own ways but completely lovable. The banter between Art and Gwen and just Sidney’s whole character really shined to make this funny. Sure, the subplot was a bit predictable but, who cares?! The book wasn’t about the subplot, it was about the character development. This was just a fun read and interesting retelling.

My one complaint is that the book was so character driven that there was very little setting description. I think the idea is that everyone has their own idea of Camelot and Excalibur and medieval England, but a bit more description of the castle and grounds would have been helpful! Other than that, this was a great, quick read. I would read one of the author’s books again for sure.

I had some high hopes for this book, Arthurian book? Heartstopper comparison? Couldn't wait, but honestly, I felt a bit let down by it.

I'll say up front that I liked the plot idea and it had a lot of potential to be a charming and lighthearted read, which it was for the most part, but here are some things that I didn't care for in the book:

First, the characters. For most of the book, they seemed a little flat. Aside from telling you that Gwen and Arthur hated each other as kids, Gwen has red hair, and Gabriel is shy, there wasn't too much in character building. This in part interfered with the romance aspect of the book as it's difficult to see romance when you can't really see who the characters are in the first place. For me, this ended with the characters being not dislikable, but murky and a bit bland.

For plot, there were moments that I think could have been rewritten to give more of a twist or left more of an impact. Some plot points seemed a bit out of nowhere and unnecessary to the story as a whole. Moments that were big and dramatic were condensed into short sequences and told from a far away perspective so we never got the actual interesting side of the story. If this was done for the sake of keeping it more lighthearted, then it may have been best to leave these points out all together.

Finally, general writing style. There was a moment in I think the first 5 pages that I put down the book and had to take a break because of a Riverdale reference. By reference, I mean an almost direct quote of the infamous "highs and lows of high school football". I think that set the bar for somewhat inconsistent tone and style throughout the book. After that reference, I don't think there was another pop culture type reference in the book (keep in mind this takes place in ye olde times with knights and monarchs being the absolute rule). Some moments felt like the work of an immature writer (for lack of a better phrase), and it felt like it dipped a little more towards middle grades language at times.

Overall, I was fairly meh about this book, not falling squarely on either side. If you're looking for a light romance, you might enjoy this. I should note that this book does contain homophobia and sexism as well as a brief on page description of someone being beaten.

4.5/5

Thank you thank you thank you thank you THANK YOU.

I was stressed out all afternoon over this one. Loved the characters, loved the concept, love the queer love. I can't write a long and cohesive review for this book because it has left my head empty and my heart full.

If you want a fake dating trope where they don't end up together because they're gay and in love with other people set with Arthurian legend around it and a female knight, you GOTTA READ THIS. It did take me a little while to settle in (a few chapters) and I didn't always find Arthur charming, but overall I just heckin' loved this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of Gwen and Art Are Not In Love in exchange for an honest review!

This book gave readers a new spin on a King Arthur retelling. As a huge fan of King Arthur and the history of the Knights of the Round Table, I’m used to reading different versions of this story. Normally, authors choose to keep the love triangle of Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot, front and centre. Gwen and Art Are Not in Love gives its readers a spin on this, with each of our main characters finding different love interests. Gwen has her eyes set on Bridget Leclaire, the only female knight competing in the tournament that the royal family is hosting. Art, while dubbed as a player at the beginning of the book, falls for Gabriel, who happens to be the Prince and Gwen’s brother. I found myself rooting for Gwen and Bridget throughout the book, and was content with how the author brought them back together and gave them a happy ending. I was never really sold on Art and Gabriel’s relationship, and I’m not sure that I believe that Gabriel would come out, and risk his safety and status as King to be with Art. Regardless, the author chose to wrap up all of these relationships and give these characters a happy ending.

Overall, I found the book got off to a slow start and continued that way until the end of the book. Most of the action took place in the last ten chapters of the book, which I found to be the most exciting. I thoroughly enjoyed the battle scenes, and the alternating perspectives of Gwen and Art during these moments. I would have to say that my favourite character would have to be Bridget, and I enjoyed that the author essentially made her the hero throughout the book, especially during the end battle scene.

While this was not my favourite King Arthur retelling, I did enjoy how different the story was from the original and how many of the important moments were shown from the eyes of both of our main characters, with these alternating chapter perspectives. I think some readers may absolutely love this book, and I wish I had enjoyed it more than I did.

<b>Characters:</b>
Gwen is the princess of Camelot. She is introverted and wants nothing more than to be left alone and dream about female knight Bridget Leclair. She's very stubborn, cowardly, and anxious. I really liked her character. Art is the son of the lord Maidvale and Gwen's fiancé since birth. He's a prat and quite unlikable. Even for a teenage boy character I found him to be very immature and mean. Even when we as the audience are supposed to feel for him I failed to connect. He's very judgmental, projects a lot onto others, and can do so because he doesn't have the same responsibilities as the other two. Gabriel is Gwen's brother and heir to the throne. I loved how earnest he is about being a good king for all of his people as he believes King Arthur was even though the way he goes about it is not good.


<b>Plot:</b>
Since her birth, Gwen has been betrothed to Art and since her birth they held a childish dislike of each other. As their marriage looms Arthur is forced is spend the summer at court, Gwen sees him kiss a man. This leads to them brokering a deal of peace because Art figures out her crush on Bridget. I didn't like the blackmailing aspect. It's a personal pet peeve of mine. I also feel like the reason Arthur hated Gwen as much as it did needed to be bigger. She did nothing to him, it was all his own personal issues. The crux of my issue with this book is the setting. Since it was an infusion of being modern but also medieval it was hard to tell what the stakes were. The last 25% was a real shift that would have been more interesting if I had liked the characters more and cared about the world more.


<b>Rating:</b> I give this book a <b>2/5🌟 rating.</b> The concept of the book was very interesting but it's execution was not quite there. I think if the characters were more interesting and it built a better understanding of the world and time period I would have liked it more. I didn't connect to it.

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I enjoyed the journey of self discovery that all of the characters went on. I really liked the enemies to friends dynamic that happened, I really wish that had been a bit more of the focal point of the story.
I think the first half of the book was super slow, but about halfway is when the relationships started to develop more.
Overall, it was an ok story, but not something I would read again or recommend to my friends.

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love is a fun, medieval YA book. Gwen and Art have been betrothed since they were children and are less than fond of each other. They soon make a pact when they each discover that the other has a *secret.*

The characters and their relationships are wonderful and truly carry this book. Each character (especially Gwen and Art, but the secondly characters as well) had such a fun personality and their bickering, jokes, and even heartfelt talks were delightful and kept me coming back for more.

However, not much happens outside of their interactions as it is a very character driven book. The last 10% of the book felt as if the plot was thrown in because not much else happened for the previous 90%. Despite this, it was a fun read that I really enjoyed.

Huge thank you to Net Galley for the ARC!

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC!
Every character in Gwen and Art are Not in Love are so, so dear to me. Each of them are wonderfully fleshed out, even as they fit perfectly into their stereotypes—the titular Gwen, an anxious, fearful young girl slowly learning to break out of her shell; Arthur, a messy, broken boy desperate to hide the ravaged, bruised edges of his personality; Bridget, a sharp-tongued warrior with a heart of gold; Gabriel, the quiet, book-obsessed crown prince; and Sidney and Agnes, side characters and servants (of a sort) who are loyal to their respective employers. This book is centered around Gwen and Art's betrothal, though the title pretty much gives it away: they are not in love. In fact, both of them quickly fall in love with members of the same sex, though it should be noted I found this less of a romance book than a coming-of-age tale. Gwen's determination to become the woman she wants to be—brave and outspoken—is balanced by Arthur's brash demeanor, which hides a softer, damaged part of him. While they start the book as reluctant allies, even rivals, they become each others' closest confidants—not lovers, but as close to soulmates as best friends can be. It is their friendship that carries this book. Even the side characters, from Bridget to Gabriel, from Sidney to Agnes, have their burdens to carry; Lex Croucher balances stereotypes with careful vulnerability, crafting each character with a sort of love and affection not many authors hold for their characters.

The one qualm I hold with the book is its worldbuilding. It's half modern, half medieval, if that makes sense; the backdrop is painted with castles and turrets and magic and swordfighting, but the characters are almost flesh and blood. I can imagine them in front of iPads. I could not place where exactly the characters were supposed to fit in terms of the time period, and the mythology sometimes went foggy and careless in places. There were plot points that should have been explored more, and kingdoms that should have been developed, but ultimately this is a very character-driven book, so maybe that was a false expectation of mine.

Ultimately, this book is heartwarming and heartbreaking at the all right places, and it is exactly the sort of thing Arthurian legend needs: a set of gorgeous queer characters right at the heart of it,