Compared to Lex's other books, I did find this one harder to get through. I don't know exactly what the reasoning was - but the characters weren't particularly likeable so it was very slow. They did eventually grow on me. Towards the end over the novel, a ton of things happen and there are so many loose threads that I wonder if this is a standalone or a potential series? If this remains as a standalone, it may not be for everyone because it ends on a cliffhanger. There are additional plots besides the romance and it is historical things. It's an interesting take on King Arthur.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I really wanted to like this book! A gay Arthurian novel is everything I've ever wanted, but I just couldn't love it. With unlikable characters and everything working out a little too nicely in the end.

If this book was about straight people, I would've given it two stars or even DNF. However, I'm desperate for LGBT+ romance at this point. I will admit the ending was cute and very sincere, but the lead up was rough. My favorite characters were the only straight characters in the novel (Sid & Agnes). The main four all feel very one dimensional. They don't have enough conflict resolution. They all just wake up one day and realize they don't hate each other anymore! Mostly because they ::check notes:: all figure out they're all gay!

I did find myself enjoying the characters more as the book went on. So maybe they do grow on you, but there still wasn't a main character that I would've enjoyed spending time with in real life. It was a difficult book to get through. Not one of my favorites. Not one I would actively recommend. But it did pass some time, and I was interested enough in the story to finish the book.

I also didn't like alcoholism being thrown around so blatantly without any well thought out resolution. There wasn't enough actual resolution of major issues in the book for me. It all worked out in a nice little bow on the outside with not enough work put on the inside. All in all it was a fun book, but not one I would reread or recommend to anyone looking for a book to fall into.

“𝘈𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘌𝘹𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘳 𝘕𝘪𝘯𝘦.”
“𝘌𝘹𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘳 𝘕𝘪𝘯𝘦? 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘌𝘹𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵?”
“𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺—𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘬𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.”

I feel like I talk a lot about how I’m pretty lenient with my high ratings—if I really enjoy something, I see no reason not to give it 5 stars. That being said—if a book can make my laugh out loud—throughout its entirety? Well deserving of 5 stars.

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love is not an Arthurian retelling persay, but it has strong Aurthurian elements and definitely makes fun of those elements. Princess Gwen is due to be wed to her betrothed arch rival Arthur at the end of the summer. They loath each other. Also they’re both very much not into the opposite gender so therein lies 2 problems. Gwen is not so surreptitiously mooning after the badass knight Lady Bridget Leclair. Art is crushing on the studious and quiet heir to the throne, and his betrothed’s brother, Gabriel. SHENANIGANS ENSUE, I TELL YOU.

The characters are absolutely delightful. You couldn’t find more of a dynamic duo built for chaos in Art and Sidney. Gwen and Bridget are learning their way around each other and are in Prime Awkward Flirting. They’re all charming and funny and I absolutely miss them already. It’s 100% a character driven tale and those are best done with such likable characters as these kids.

“I like my men emotionally repressed and unavailable.”

I’m fairly certain Arthur is one of my new favorite characters. He’s witty and snarky. He’s not afraid to be who he is despite his terrible upbringing. He’s got a truly awful father and his mother died when he was young. He has an amazing friend and body man in Sidney (also a new fave) and their banter is one of the many highlights.

The only minor note I have is I wish there was more development with Gabe and Art. There was definitely feelings known from before the present day, but I would’ve liked a few more heartfelt conversations—a few more moments besides the two or three we were blessed. It would’ve made the crush a little more believable if there was more communication. That being said, still wonderful.

Gwen and Bridget on the other hand, perfect. Their relationship and development was solid. Bridget saying she wants more from life than hiding in the shadows and being a lady in waiting and canoodling in the corner—YES. She’s built a reputation and wants to do more with it. You’re not just falling into the “I’d do anything to stay with you” trope! She is a knight, she is proud of that—she, like Art, is not ashamed of who she is or what she wants. She will fight for what she believes in. While Gwen means a lot to her—she’s not going to throw everything she’s worked for aside. Amazing characterization.

Gwen is charming and funny. She goes through a slew of emotions and consideration, finally coming to terms with who she is as a person, what she wants from life and what she will do to keep it. I adored her. The relationship between herself and every other character felt well developed and real.

The story is yes mostly about the romance, but there is a plot that culminates in quite the battle at the end of the book—I was definitely fearing for lives at one point!

I can safely slide this alongside Legends and Lattes in the Cozy Fantasy subgenre and I highly anticipate more fantasy from Lex Croucher in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley for this early copy!

𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐬𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬, 𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝.

This book was so much fun. A heart-warming tale with romance and humour, I loved every second of this book. The characters have depth and learn so much about themselves along the way. It’s a wonderful cozy fantasy, with plenty of intrigue, battles and pining to keep me hooked from start to finish.
4.5 stars from me! Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the eARC!

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.

This is genuinely the funniest book I've ever read. And it was so effortlessly hilarious!!

I'm not usually a historical romance person but when it's written in romcom form like this and with the best characters... I'll read a thousand more. All the sarcasm, the jokes, how hard Gwen and Gabriel were pining for Bridget and Arthur in plain sight, I just loved it so much and can't wait to read more from this author.

“To be truly brave, first you must be afraid—and to be afraid, you must have something you cannot bear to lose.”

Please believe me when I say that this is the next award winning book! I cannot recall the last book that made me laugh, cry, and annotate as much as Gwen & Art Are Not in Love. Carefully presented among elegant prose are our two leads - Princess Gwendoline, daughter to the King of England and Arthur Delacey, a distant descendant of King Arthur Pendragon. Although they are bethrothed from birth they resent one another. Gwen is introverted; she enjoys quiet walks, embroidery, and reading. Her primary source of comfort is her older brother Gabriel. Meanwhile Arthur is outgoing and playful, full of clever quips and sarcastic remarks.

Gwen wrestles with the societal and gendered expectations thrust upon her as a princess, along with her budding desire for the only female knight of England, Lady Bridget Leclair. Slipping from a feast to avoid dancing with Arthur, Gwen is able to catch a candid glimpse of Bridget. Hiding from both the knight and her feelings she ducks behind a low wall to wait. She soon discovers that Arthur has also left the feast with a servant of the castle to exchange kisses. The betrothed pair make eye contact and enter into an agreement to protect one another's secret.

Their friendship begins to truly bud and grow as they share the solidarity of same-sex romantic endeavors. Arthur aids the anxious and uptight Gwen in her pursuit of Bridget as he himself overcomes self-loathing and discovers his own self-worth. With the support of her new friends Gwen is able to shed the metaphorical chains that bound her and overcome her fears.

A sincere and heartfelt "thank you" to author Lex Croucher and publishing company Macmillan for providing an ARC. I am looking forward to all of the special editions that this book will surely have by 2024.

This book was a really fun twist on the King Arthur legend. I liked that it was a few generations later and that there was still this air of mystery and association with the original legend. I thought Gwen and Art were great. I enjoyed how their relationship changed from enemies via misunderstanding to friends to kind of almost siblings.

Gabriel was another fave. A soft boy with anxiety who just wanted to read and learn history and be in love.

The last 100 or so pages of this book were wild. I liked how the drama picked up and there was more action outside of just "within the castle walls".

Overall really fun read, I'm excited to get the final when it comes out.

I am not typically a romance novel reader, but I can never pass by anything that involves Arthurian mythology and is also queer. In the description of the book, it mentioned A Knights Tale as well, but this is not a retelling in any way. I really like the female knight vibe, though they missed an opportunity to name her some form of Lancelot which I mean, sure, but also Lancelot. And even though two of the main characters were POC, nothing there was explored where it could have enhanced the story and those characters, which I thought was too bad. It was very cute overall, even if it had the miscommunication trope which I loathe, and most of the stuff happened in the last like 30 pages of the book. But like I said, it was queer and arthurian mythology.

Heartstopper meets A Knight’s Tale and it’s a queer medieval romance?! What’s not to like? The characters in this story were well thought out and had substance to them. I enjoyed the banter and relationship Gwen and Arthur and how willing they were to help each other. I do wish we saw more romance. I feel like we didn’t delve deep enough, especially into Gwen and Bridget’s storyline. Overall it was a great read, I just wish that it was longer.

Thank you for the publisher and for Net Gallery for the ARC.

If you want a Historical romance with fake marriage thrown in, this book is for you. The banter was great and always had me laughing. The romance was so sweet.

That’s characters a fleshed out and relatable. The story is smooth and to the point. I loved how this story felt new and exciting and yet familiar at the same time!

I loved this book! The description of a Knights Tale meets Heartstopper is perfect! I loved all our characters, Gwen, Bridget and Arthur but especially Sidney and Agnes, just in love in their own world. Arthur and Sidney's snark exchanges were a highlight. I will definitely be recommending this title to the teens in my library!

3.5 Stars (rounded up)

I absolutely adored the premise of this book, and, on the whole, it delivered! This is the definition of a comfort read. It is uncomplicated and generally feel-good in a way that will make you feel warm and cozy by the time the book wraps up.

I do think it suffers from having too much happen in too short a time. By cycling between two characters that each have a love interest while also examining friendships, individual growth, and an unexpected political uprising, there is a LOT going on at any given time. Honestly, the addition of the political plots that flow throughout the book feels like the author's way of justifying a reworking of Arthurian legend without actually calling it a retelling or "modern"ization (since the time period is, likely intentionally, murky in this story).

I also felt like since we were focused on four characters and got the POVs of two of them, I thought the two love interests ended up lacking a little bit in terms of overall character development. I felt like we got an explanation of Gwen falling for Bridget, but we saw very little evidence of Bridget's feelings. I felt Gabriel had more build up, but still it felt very sudden.

Don't mistake my criticism for a lack of enjoyment, however, as I devoured this book over the course of just a couple days and sacrificed sleep to finish it!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC of Gwen & Art Are Not in Love, which published on November 28, 2023

I wanted to enjoy this one but I found the plot, story, and characterizations hard to follow and not really resonate the best for me at times.

Okay, first off, I have to say that I love this book cover and that I was so excited to read a gay Arthurian plot!

Synopsis: Gwen and Gabriel are the prince and princess of Camelot. Since birth, Gwen has been betrothed to Arthur - her arch nemesis since childhood. Arthur is sent to Camelot for a summer as their marriage looms - but why can't Gwen stop staring at and desiring female knight Bridget Leclair? And why did Gwen spot Arthur kissing a boy in the courtyard? Therein lies the deal that sets this book into motion - Gwen and Art agree to marry and support each other's true desires in secret. However, Arthur realizes he has feelings for a man he never thought he'd be interested in - someone who is shy and likes books?! And will Gwen, who loves to be alone, ever be brave enough to admit publicly that she's in love with a woman?

I love the modern medieval setting - so fun and different from anything I've read. However, I wish there was more focus on the love stories than the long battle chapters. It felt like the book was getting closer and closer, and we were waiting for big love moments between the two couples, and then those moments felt really rushed and muddied after a few dark battle chapters. And even when we did get the love proclamations, it still felt like there wasn't much of a wrap-up - are Bridget and Gwen still going to be loving from afar with Bridget on the road? Is the wedding off? Does Art announce who he truly loves to England? We are potentially being set up for a second book, but it still felt like we needed to get the firework love stories that I was so hoping for!

However, I love these characters individually. I was happy to see that Arthur grew but maintained his gruff, sarcastic demeanor. You could tell that Gwen, who was a very solitary person, grew out of her shell and challenged herself to try new things. Gabe, who studied how he wanted to rule only through books, felt the confidence, in the end, to lead England in a new way. And Bridget, well, I ALWAYS love Bridget!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

this is all that is good about ya fiction and fantasy. sweet romances, daring capers, and a little bit of magic. it was perfect and so enjoyable. my first five star read of 2023, and I cannot wait to read more from Lex Croucher. the medieval setting was wonderful and I just loved it.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

This historical YA romcom had queer A Knights Tale (you know the one staring Heath Ledger) energy. I absolutely adored having wlw and mlm romantic leads both at the forefront of this piece.

As stated in the title, Gwen and Art are not in love, BECAUSE
1. They are childhood enemies that have been betrothed since Gwen was born and
2. Gwen has a mega crush on Lady Bridget Leclair, the mega hottie sword wielding knight competing in the Kings tournament.

My absolute favorite part of the book (besides the tension in the bird shed) is the friendship built between Gwen and Art. From attempting to blackmail each other in the first 30 pages to helping each other follow their HEARTS. A close second favorite facet of the piece is the slight curveball we get in the final few acts. The political turmoil that had seemed just colorful background towards the beginning adds up into this major moment that amplifies the lessons the characters learn throughout the book. Such a fantastic execution for driving the author's points home.

On the flip side, I hold some critiques for the piece. The first critique was actually remedied over the course of the piece. At the open, I disliked both Gwen and Art. Gwen is entitled and untrusting. Art is pompous and a bit of an asshole. As the book moves forward, both of their character's defaults are explained and humanized. Thus, towards the end of the first act, I had grown to adore these two off-putting characters. My second critique is that there are a few word choices that pulled me out of the immersive experience of the novel. An example is that Bridget's jacket is mentioned maybe twice, and I know jackets existed during this time period but suddenly I’m picturing her in a zip-up hoodie.

I highly recommend this YA novel to my friends that loved Rosaline or A Knights Tale because it excels at providing medieval-esque vibes and nails the cute teen romance portion!

Highlights:
1. Gwen getting to practice spar with her crush
2. Gwen trying to blend in at a cultist celebration
3. Art and Sidney's ride-or-die friendship

Thank you, NetGalley for providing me an arc in exchange for my honest review!

I saw one of the first announcements for this book online and knew that as soon as it was published I would be buying it to read just based on the small description I read. I am not typically someone who reads a lot of fantasy books, but I wouldn't classify this book as solely fantasy. I finished it in probably 3 days, once I started reading it one night I didn't want to stop. There were some parts in the middle of the book that were a little slower in plot line, more character building but I loved the relationships that grew during the heights of the plot and all of the little things the author made sure to include about the characters. There were some points that genuinely made me laugh, and others that made me stop and think about that quote and how it would even play into my own life. Overall this was such a good book and I will for sure be recommending it to people I know when it comes out!

I honestly loved every second of this book! The characters, even when being terrible were extremely easy to like and root for. The development of not only the relationships but the friendships felt very natural and that translated into the dialogue making the interactions funny and accurate for young adults/almost adults (even if it was a little modern for the setting). I do wish we could have gotten to see more of the developed relationships but again, I really enjoyed the pacing of everything and this was just such a fun read!

I had high hopes for this book, and it, unfortunately, fell short. The romance aspect was not as prominent as I would have hoped. At one point the characters used the fact that they were gay as blackmail against each other, which I though was inappropriate. There was a lot of internalized homophobia, however, I do think that was the point, as the main characters were coming to terms with their sexuality. Overall, the plot was lacking and not a lot happened until the end and it all felt very rushed.