Great concept, absolutely adored the characters. The Arthurian influence on this world was really engaging and fun. The way the story unravels is also interesting, you really fall in love with the characters, it’s funny, relaxing, sweet but also there are undercurrents of things happening below the surface leading to a conclusion that’s thrilling and tense. I couldn’t put it down and had such a good time reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this book! It looked so cute - queer Arthurian-ish romcom, described as A Knight’s Tale-esque. Let’s just say there is nobody in this book nearly as charming as Heath Ledger.

The characters are fine, they definitely grow on you, but they start out fairly annoying and immature. I don’t think the dual perspectives works particularly well, especially at the start. I’d say the biggest issue is the pacing, and characters not figuring things out that seem incredibly obvious. There’s one particular “reveal” that I saw coming half the book away, and they don’t even piece it together! Like they start to piece together half of it, but not in time to actually do anything about it, and then the other half they don’t figure out at all until after it’s already happened and some random person that works for the kingdom has to be like “oh yeah this thing happened”.

It’s also a bit hard to parse exactly when this is meant to be taking place / how true this is meant to be to history OR mythology. Clearly not 100%, which is fine, but it feels jarringly different sometimes in a way that isn’t really explained. I kept wondering if maybe I just don’t know enough about Arthurian legends or if it just felt off in general.

This book isn’t bad necessarily. The couples are cute. The main friendship is sweet once they get past being annoying. If you’re into battles, you might enjoy it more than I did. But it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Gwen and Art are Not in Love 3.8/5
In this queer teenage camelot retelling, there’s inclusivity, girls with swords, boys with feels, Riverdale quotes that made me snort in public places, and about 70% of the way in it takes a turn and reminds us that it is about that transition of a kingdom in the middle ages.
Set in England with a few references to other countries such as Iran, it presents a cute little alternative history fantasy story involving King Arthur cultists, lovable teenage dirtbags, and characters you can SO CLEARLY envision it was the easiest visually for me in a long time.
A little bit long, but the 2020 Emma soundtrack made the time fly!

Loved this! I loved the relationship dynamics, and the period drama of it. I didn't like the pacing towards the end: I thought the wrap-up was a bit sloppy and needed some more work. Otherwise, fun book that I'd recommend to any heavy YA fans who want something different than the average high school romance!

It’s books like this that keep me coming back to YA time and time again. I am completely in love with this book and will be shouting about it from the rooftops!

This queer coming-of-age story set in medieval times ties together Arthurian legend, lots of pining after one another, and high expectations. Princess Gwen is betrothed to the infuriating Arthur and their resentment to one another is about to rekindle when Arthur is sent to officially court Gwen. Gwen finds Arthur in a precarious situation and Arthur digs up (literal) dirt about Gwen and a reluctant alliance is formed. Throw in the kingdom’s only lady knight competing in the tournament and a certain princess’s brother and feelings get even more complicated. Despite budding feelings, the pressure of familial expectations creates tension and fear as Gwen and Art find themselves along the way.

I absolutely love how the characters hook you in with their wit and humor (and sometimes chaos) from the start. I loved the banter and even the side characters play a large role and are just as charming. It was heartbreaking watching the characters come to terms with their feelings, especially when they felt like they wouldn’t be accepted by others and that it would cause turmoil. But at the same time, it was heartwarming watching Gwen and Gabriel’s sibling bond strengthen as they worked through their feelings and how they gave each other support or even a push when needed. I love Bridget and how she didn’t let the sexism get to her as she trained to be the best knight and saved various characters throughout the story. I love that Arthur’s character hid behind a carefree mask when in reality he was fighting his own battles and still finding himself. And even though Sidney and Agnes were considered side characters, they perfectly complimented the friend group and were just as charming.

The writing in this book was spectacular and I breezed through this book as it was so entertaining. I loved the plot and how we start with some lost and unsure young adults and finish with them stepping up and ready to finally be themselves publicly. It’s a fantastic ride from start to finish and exactly the kind of book that I needed when I was younger as it’s full of adventure and hope. You’ll be throughly entertained from start to finish and finding yourself on a rollercoaster of emotions.

first off, this book is FUNNY. i was maybe 6 pages in, hit with one ridiculous riverdale reference, and i didn’t stop laughing. lex has this way of being so effortlessly funny in their work that it’s a joy to just turn the page and see what new hilarity awaits you.

second, the characters. omg, this book had me hair-twirling, kicking my feet giddy & in no time, i found myself a little bit in love with all of them.

arthur and his swagger and sarcasm - “needing to be constantly entertained” as a front for his pain; gwen’s snarky, anxious mouth as she navigates the world and her heart; gabriel with his ink-stained fingertips and messy hair, struggling with his destiny; the dreamboat knight, lady bridget, filled with so much ambition, courageous and confident— to quote gwen, “god, i hope she stabs me.”

I LOVED THIS BOOK AND CANT WAIT FOR ITS RELEASE.

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for this eARC.

This was a fun spin on the stereotypical Medieval/Arthurian tale of secret love or forbidden love.

They find common ground in their separate but similar interest of other people and a love that's still forbidden, but isn't between FMC & MMC.

3.5/5 stars (keep in mind a three star is typically an 'Okay' read, not bad, just okay).

I will be honest, this book... wasn't it for me.

I don't think this book was polished very well before it was released as an ARC. Does it have some amazing potential to be a 4-5 star read? Absolutely.

Did it lag a lot in between? Sadly.

Did it still have the amazing ability to twist what the norm is and make it a great book? Yes.

Overall my thoughts on this book are this: If you are all for the LGBTQ+ variety of books, enjoy YA, and don't mind historical (ish) fiction? This book is right up your alley.

I, however, am not the biggest fan of Historical Fiction, but I wanted to give this one a go. It did exceed expectations in that department, but it just isn't a book made for a reader like me.

Conceptually, the book sounds great. Unfortunately, I felt like the book was telling rather than showing, and I wasn’t interested or invested in the characters enough to care. I stopped at 4%.

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

Just finished this ARC and I'm seriously so excited to hold the published version once it releases !

It was established straight away that Gwen and Arthur were far from being in a position to fall in love with each other and I loved it ! It felt like it gave more room for them to interact as "enemies", Because of this it made those arguments and insults thrown at each other transition seamlessly into friendly bickering/teasing. And I am a huge sucker for friendships that develop when both parties don't realize they aren't putting as much bite into their insults anymore.

As for the love interests, I almost wish they were introduced just a little bit sooner. Almost. Because I loved all the time we had with our two main characters getting to know each other, truly. The character growth was incredible and perfectly paced. But it took up just a little (seriously very small) space that could have been used for the romantic relationships. The chemistry and growth was there of course but seeing just a little more into those relationships would have been cool too. But again !! It was such a small thing it truly does nothing to bring down how great the relationships were developed.

The conclusion to this book was also so cool ! I wasn't expecting such a big end to be honest but once everything started taking place I was completely on the edge of my seat to see how it would play out !! Truly such a thrilling ending to read. And the very last chapter ? Absolutely amazing. And of course the cover is absolutely gorgeous !!! Just- everything about this book has me so excited to recommend it to EVERYONE !

GOD this is probably one my favourite books ever now? It was absolutely hilarious and both romances were so so sweet and paced perfectly. Definitely not your traditional romcom and I LOVED that. The author found a way to write about queer issues in arthurian-ish times and still make it so seamless and emotional and heart-wrenching. So many quotes from this book made me so emotional and I love Lex Croucher for that. Gwen's not-like-other-girls arc specifically WAS SO GOOD, as well as Arthur validating her bisexuality and the struggle with Arthur and Lancelot's letters. Each and every relationship that the characters had, be it Arthur and Sidney's friendship or both of the romances or Gwen and Agnes learning to trust each other, was so well fleshed out. I have no complaints. Just. Everything.

BRB about to force every customer that interacts with me to preorder this title! 10/10 would die for every character but specifically Gwen and Gabriel (and also Sidney and Arthur and Agnes and Bridget).

Thanks to the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

4 stars

I loved all of the main characters in this book so much. Gwen and Arthur were both entertaining narrators. I didn’t really care about the first half of the book, but the second half was amazing.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC of this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I love the concept of this book. It’s so cool and unique. It was so witty. Gwen and Arthur’s banter was so quick and natural. It read like a comedy show in the best way possible. The jokes always landed perfectly for me, whether it was inner thoughts or actual dialogue. It was such a good comedy and I could picture all the scenes and what the characters looked like vividly. It was like watching a movie in my head, the way it ended too, I love it.

Everyone were such real characters. All their struggles and happiness, it made you connect with them. It was easy to empathize with them, sharing their sadness, or getting excited for their joys.

I wish we got more of the couples interacting. As much as I loved Gwen and Arthur’s banter (it made me laugh out loud multiple times) it seemed like we got content of them together more than their love interests. I understand they are the main characters, but I would have liked to see the relationships build a little more. That was my only small complaint about the book. That is not to say that we didn’t get any development for the relationships, I just wanted to see more because I loved them together so much.

I did love Gwen and Arthur’s friendship though, it truly was a gift. Any time they insulted each other or bickered back and forth it was just so funny. I love friendships like that. When Gwen talked to Arthur about how much he helped her understand herself, that brought tears to my eyes. It was such a touching moment between the two of them; it really hit close to home.

Bridget was an awesome character. She’s the definition of a girl boss. Watching her and Gwen’s relationship progress was so good. The scene where she was training Gwen and tilted her head up with her sword…..I was giddy it was so romantic. It was so cute to see Gwen get flustered all the time around Bridget. I liked how it wasn’t an instant “I am in love with you and will do anything for you.” They had their struggles and they didn’t immediately stay together just because they both liked each other.

I really liked Gabriel’s storyline, even if we didn’t see him that often. Maybe because he was quiet and read books that I really connected with him. Reading about his struggle of wanting to do his duty but it went against what he truly wanted, was so important to show. Even though I wish we saw a little more of Arthur and Gabriel actually together, I appreciated that it didn’t come easy as well. It made it more realistic and didn’t have any insta-love.

The communication between all of the characters was great to read. Sure they wouldn’t always tell their true feelings or what was going on RIGHT away, but they were open and honest with each other when they needed to be, even if it needed a little prompting.

Arthur I think was my favorite character, just because he was so funny and honestly a bit of a dork if you think about it, which made him endearing to me. I thought Sidney was a great addition to the book, he added light banter to the mix as well, so he was a super fun character for me.

The ending was a change of pace from the rest of the book, but a very good and exciting one at that. I couldn’t put the book down at that point, wanting to see what happened next. There were so many twist and turns. I’m glad that there were stakes; people died, people got hurt.

Overall it made for a really well rounded book. There was humor, angst, touching moments, important topics, and an interesting plot line. I could keep reading about these characters and never get sick of it. I would highly recommend this book!

I got this book as an ARC from St. Martin's Press and Wednesday Books for free in exchange for my honest feedback.

This book is amazing! It's playfully anachronistic and very well written. It takes a little bit to get going, but once it does, it takes off and you can't put it down. I cannot wait for this book to come out.

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love explains right off the bat why they aren't in love. They are far from it. And then they discover that there's another reason on top of just being enemies. Arthur is very much into boys, (especially one particular prince) and Gwen can't seem to keep her eyes off a Lady Knight.

There's a lot of stolen kisses, sneaking out, a cat with two names qhos probably having an identity crisis-the poor thing, way too much wine consumed, and of course, it wouldn't be an Authurian tale without a battle to the death, where one of our heros can barely even walk, yet somehow makes it out alive, probably just because of the fact that they're too stubborn to die.

I loved this book! I immediately loved Arthur and Gwen instantly. Each had their own personalities that were just too big for each other. But over the summer they were stuck together, they leanered to care about each other. Just not in the romantic way. Actually quite the opposite. They learned to care about each other because of the fact that they dont–and never will–care about each other romantically.

There was just one thing I thought was missing when I read it, and that was why Gabriel felt the way he did for Author. It's clearly stated that he's liked him for years, but it never quite says why, especially since Author was always so mean to his sister, who Gabriel has always been close with. Was it just physical attraction? Surely not. Knowing Gabriel and how passionate he is about things, I would love to know why he' grows so passionate about Author, because of things that happen both during the story–but because of the shenanigans that happened before the story takes place. What is it about Arthur that Gabriel found enticing before Arthur came to stay at Camelot, bringing the expected chaos with him?

I love Arthurian tales, and this one is no different! Of course I love it even more than usual because it's queer. And it has birds and a cat. Who could ask for anything more in a book?

first of all, I LOVE the book cover 😍
and secondly, I absolutely loved the book and the characters.
the banter between Gwen and Arthur was hilarious and I loved how their relationship went from hating each other to being genuine friends. Gwen and Brigit owns my heart, their relationship was heartwarming and I couldn't stop smiling every single time either of them was mentioned. Gabe and Arthur had a little more complex story but heartwarming and lovely nonetheless. even the side characters had a lovely relationship with their partners. I was rooting for every single character till the end.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Heartstopper meets the Guinevere Deception in this gorgeous coming of age queer romance! Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is a literary masterpiece of character design, romance and humour. There is just enough plot to keep the story moving while still giving lots of time to the developing friendships and love stories. One of my favourite parts about this book was the focus on the platonic friendship that grows between Gwen and Arthur. It is a great reminder that enemies-to-disgruntled BFFs is just as good as enemies-to-lovers. This book is perfect and I will be buying a copy for everyone I know.

3.5 ⭐️

really incredible premise but it was just ok? I didn't love Gwen or Art and it kinda flopped as it was kind of cringy at some times but I know booktok especially will love this one. I just didn't vibe well with it unfortunately.

I just finished reading this incredible book. I wasn't expecting much going in and I loved every moment of this book. It made me laugh at times and at others on the verge of tears. I have always loved books that take place in the past; this one was no exception. In most of those books, the characters are straight and I love that this one shows characters that love anyone they want. I feel like that is really needed in more historical books. I would recommend this to people who want a funny and queer cast of characters and those who love reading about history.

The MCs are not in love (thank goodness for that), the kingdom is facing a revolt, and those last few chapters had my heart in my throat. Well-written, witty banter, and good character development (although not as much romantic relationship development). The author eases the reader into this medieval world and sets a good pace. I must admit to feeling impatient with the Gwen and Bridget sections and doing a bit of speedreading to get to the parts with Arthur and Gabriel, but that's just my preference. I also wish we got a bit of Gabriel's and Bridget's POV, but maybe that can be a future novella. This story ends on a hopeful note that is definitely open enough for a sequel about a "grown-up" King and Prince Consort -- hint, hint, Lex Croucher! I recommend this book as an interesting change of pace and scenery for anyone who typically reads adult LGBTQ+ novels.

Arc received from NetGalley -- looking forward to this coming out in November!

I did enjoy this for the most part. I found Art and Gwen's relationship fascinating, but the hatred Arthur has for Gwen feels weird for the most part considering it wasn't a set up for a traditional enemies to lovers story.

I liked Gwen and Bridget's story more than Arthur and Gabriel's, but they both were cute.

The thing I didn't really care for is how unhistorical this feels. I'm a history minor and taught history for years and it just feels like the author did minimal research into how people would've acted and talked in medieval times. This took me out of the story quite a bit and it was really jarring.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for a review.