I dove into this book blindly after reading only the first line of the description because I knew I’d love it, and I was right. Gwen and Art Are Not in Love was hilarious and provided a fresh take on the tale of King Arthur and what comes next.

The POV switches each chapter, alternating between Gwen and Art. We get introduced to Gwen, a princess who’s been told her whole life that she has no choice- it is her duty to have a political marriage. And her brother Gabriel, who is quiet and bookish and feels immense pressure knowing he is next in line to be king. Gwen and Gabriel have a great relationship as brother and sister, and seeing them both grow in confidence and power throughout the story was really cool.

Arthur is a total comedian, the class clown who doesn’t take anything seriously and always finds himself in chaotic situations. His character really grew on me. I was annoyed by him when he was first introduced, mainly because the only information we had from him was given from Gwen’s perspective and she despised him, but by the end of the book he was easily one of my favorite characters. There was a lot more depth to Arthur than I had expected.

This story was never boring. There’s a lot going on between the tournament being held at court, the budding romances between the main characters and their love interests, the court politics, the arranged marriage between Gwen and Art looming ever closer, and even some stuff about secret societies. This was the queer medieval rom com I didn’t know I needed.

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher was hilarious and heartwarming.

I loved the humor and I laughed out loud multiple times while reading. The relationships between characters were lovely to see. The banter and dialogue was fun to read.

My only complaint was that it got a bit slow in the middle. The same problems got rehashed with no progress. When it did pick up it was a relief.

Regardless, Gwen and Art Are Not in Love was fun and a good read.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

This book was strange, adorable, and laugh-out-loud-funny. I loved the alternate version of England these characters inhabit and the charms of some of the main characters (especially Arthur). I didn't necessarily feel tons of chemistry from the romantic relationships but the fun of the book outweighed that. I would highly recommend this to any fans of A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue and its sequels or perhaps (gasp) Red White & Royal Blue

I read Lex Croucher's first book and had a great time, but this was somehow even better! I am a sucker for a good queer romance, but Arthurian legend vibes, queer friendships, unlikeable to likeable main characters? Absolutely brilliant. This book was so funny, heartwarming, infuriating, and so well written. I can't wait for everyone else to read this too so I can finally discuss.

The writing in this book was flawless, and the idea of reimagining a very well-known story is very interesting in the manner in which this is presented. I can see this being a huge appeal to many and it will, most assuredly, fly off of shelves everywhere! It was funny, quirky, and a great twist on an extremely beloved story. Great work!

When I first saw the summary for this book on Netgalley, it looked interesting, so I thought I'd put a request in and see how things went. And for the first few pages, things were going...ok. But after a while I found myself slowly losing interest in the story, so I decided to put this book on my 'did not finish' pile. Now while I ended up not finishing this book, if you happen to be into queer romance and retellings of familiar stories (especially King Arthur retellings), I'd definitely recommend checking this book out when it comes out later this year.

I know I will love everything Lex Croucher writes, so perhaps it was unfair from the start, but this book will likely be my favourite read of the year. Yes, I’m aware it’s January 4th. But hear me out!

I’ve been waiting for this book for years, since Lex announced it even before we knew about Infamous coming out last year. I was excited for the mess and the jokes and queerness. But even with all of the hype, Gwen & Art Are Not In Love exceeded all of my expectations.

Some of the plot I saw coming, in the way that the foundations were well set up, foreshadowing clear, and the arc of the story was well established. Although this book was YA, there was nothing that prevented it from being totally enjoyable for an adult reader. Even though the form of the plot was familiar, it didn’t stop the hard-hitting emotional moments from being any less impactful. The betrayals still felt shocking, the victories still felt well-earned, the pain and sadness still felt raw. There was a level of emotional depth and nuance to this story that I never could have predicted, and it had me tearing up on multiple occasions.

I have absolutely no notes for the reading experience: I was fully engaged, laughing out loud, absolutely lost in the story and characters. It was one of those rare times where you really forget you’re reading. I absolutely adored every single one of the characters, Art especially, but Gwen, Bridget, Gabe, Sidney, and Agnes all felt like fully-formed, real people, and the banter felt like falling in with old friends.

Lex mentioned something on Instagram once about how in doing pass pages for Reputation, they were realizing how much they had improved as a writer since then. I think that is incredibly evident in GWART. It’s artfully put together, absolutely hilarious, and vividly written. It’s so clear how much Lex poured their heart and soul into the writing of it, but also clear how much fun they had. It makes me wonder just how impossibly good any future books from Lex Croucher will be.

3 ⭐️ When I first read the synopsis I was excited because i hadn’t heard of a story like this before. Both Art and Gwen despise each-other but decide to come together and hide one another’s secret. Art takes interest in Gwen’s brother, Gabriel, who happens to be next in like for King. Gwen takes interest in the kingdoms only lady knight, Bridget. The books is set in medieval time and inspired by Arthurian legends.

One of my issues with the book was that it wasn’t written as if it was set during that which made it difficult to imagine. I also felt the characters were a little underdeveloped. There was character development but it felt all too rushed. However I did enjoy the the development of the relationships in the story. Specifically seeing the friendship of Art and Gwen grow. Overall, it’s a cute and fun LGBTQ+ romance book with coming of age characters. Make sure to grab the book when it releases on November 28th!

Thank you NetGalley, St Martin’s Press, and Wednesday Books for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

thank you so much to netgalley and wednesday books for the arc! i never knew how much i needed a gay king arthur based book until now! this book was so wonderful, i felt very immersed into the story! the characters stole my heart. i personally loved gwen and was cheering her on throughout the whole book! her overall arc was done very well, and it was great to see her grow truly into herself. gabriel, a sweet bean whom i with protect with all of my heart. i loved all of his little animal friends, library late nights and quirks. of course we have arthur who really did grow on me, at first i wasn’t sure how i was going to feel about him but by the end he had stolen my heart alongside the rest of them!! i felt the storyline was done quite well, and the pacing was good. i also enjoyed that the book was continually entertaining and did not drag on at all! overall it was a wonderful debut ya romance and a great book to start the new year on! i very much am looking forward to reading lex’s future books!

Everything I want in a book is found in GWEN & ART ARE NOT IN LOVE. Lex Croucher's upcoming young adult debut is a gorgeous exploration of love, friendship, history, and self-discovery that joyfully tears down the notion that we must sacrifice our truths to be happy and make a difference in the world. It is a queer, medieval rom-com that follows the unintended betrothal of the princess of England and the descendant of King Arthur himself. I haven't read a book this year that has made me laugh, cry, and read with such fervor as this one has, and I can't wait to be as passionate and infuriating about it in the coming year.

Me when found family!!!!!! This book was so amazing. There was cute romance, both sapphic and achillean, beautiful friendships, and both really sad and really happy stuff. This is kind of a placeholder review, but overall, I just loved this book, and I'm totally preordering the UK edition because it comes out sooner.

If i could give this book a million stars, i would. I haven’t laughed so hard at a book in so long! This is exactly what I needed to start off the year. This book is the perfect combination of rom and com. I will definitely be thinking about this book for the rest of 2023.

A big thanks to @wednesdaybooks for this ARC. I LOVED THIS! It was the type of book that made me mad when people would interrupt me. It was LGBT+ rep at its best and Arthurian historical. It gave me the feeling of falling in love at the Renaissance faire! Hilarious and heartfelt! #GwenandArtAreNotinLove

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, the best way to sum up this book is that it made my brain go "brrrrr" in the best way possible. Are the politics well fleshed out in this? No! Does the worldbuilding make a ton of sense? Also no!

Were the character dynamics ranged and interesting enough that I was delighted by every single interaction between the main seven or so characters and their broad social webs? Yes! Did this feel like reading very fun fanfic that I would burn through in a single night because I can't sleep? Also yes!

I do really love the heart of this book -- the sense of grappling with what you want to be versus what other people want you to be is a classic theme for a reason, and it was pulled off in an exceedingly competent way here! It's probably not a book that I'm going to be dwelling on for ages, but it was written like a well oiled and charming machine that gave me a lot of joy in the moment of reading, so I'm going to deeply applaud it for that!

I have loved Lex Croucher's Regency books, so I was intrigued by their latest book. I was pleasantly surprised, though slightly disappointed, to discover that it's not a direct Arthurian retelling, but a story that tells of the medieval legacy of those legends. On the one hand, that's a very clever and unexpected move, but on the other hand, I love a good Arthurian fantasy. I loved the relationships that bloom in these books and that they explore all of the complicated feelings that can surround them. Overall, though, I thought the writing felt a bit silly. Croucher admits in the afterward that this book was written in a very silly mood during a very strange time, so it makes sense. It just wasn't quite what I was looking for right now. It is a fun piece for those looking for cute LGBTQ+ romances with a bit of political intrigue thrown in to keep you on your toes.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I was interested in this story by the cover art and summary and I was not disappointed. This is easily a new favorite of mine. This is a hilarious and adorable medieval story about two royal teenagers who are betrothed and hate each other passionately.

Gwen and Art have been engaged since Gwen was a baby and they want nothing to do with each other. Gwen is almost 18 and has been having secret fantasies about Bridget, the only woman knight in the kingdom. Art is used to sneaking around with boys but he begins to want the attention of Gabe, Gwen’s older brother who is the future king.

I loved every single character here. Gwen and Art were so cute with their enemies to best friends storyline. The love interests were so strong as well. I was rooting for Gabe even though he was an idiot, he obviously cared about Art and it was hard for him to accept himself for who he was. He was a good big brother to Gwen and even though he hurt her, they were best friends and they seemed to always have each other’s backs. Bridget was badass and ready to fight at the drop of a hat. I loved how loyal, strong, and independent she was.

Sydney and Agnes were another pair of great characters. Sydney and Agnes were such a cute couple and they both were such good friends to Gwen and Art. Even though Gwen didn’t see Agnes as a friend in the beginning, the way she grew to understand Agnes and want to get to know her was so sweet.

The best parts in this were the Gwen and Art friendship bits. Art throwing her a birthday party and trying to convince her to sneak out and have fun was so pure. He obviously cared about her and wanted her to live a little. The sibling bits with Gwen and Gabe were also some of my favorites. Gwen looked up to Gabe and wanted so much for him to understand her and he was the only one she told her secrets to.

I loved this story so much. I’ve been digging queer historical retellings and I’m glad this one was on my list. It comes out in November so make sure to check it out!

A blended perfection of hilarious, heart warming, and delightfully queer reimagining of post-Arthurian England.

Gwen and Art are young royals, betrothed since childhood to keep the delicate balance of Catholicism and Arthurian cultism in check. However, after Gwen realizes that the only thing her and Art have in common is their affinity for the same-sex, they form a truce to fool their parents so they may pursue their real true loves.

I was absolutely hooked by this book and read it with a goofy smile on my face at every page. I think this will be the best YA romantacy of 2023 with its down to earth prose, relatable struggles of finding ones self, and hilarious banter. I absolutely adored the characters and felt that each one was well-rounded with a balanced amount of page-time amongst them. A more specific note was how I enjoyed that Croucher really calls out the "enduring girlish gossip"/internalized misogyny we are currently seeing in fantasy books that feature female MC's. That rather than leaving "Gwen hating the court ladies for their girlish gossip", it was in fact, brought up that it was her veiled loneliness from feeling like the "other" for her inherent queerness she could not vocalize. I thought that was important as it is so easy to slip in those little woman-bashing moments into books.

Overall, this was my favorite YA read of 2022 and I thank the publisher St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

* Received a copy for review.*
This is an absolutely delightful romp. I love finding books where the Arthurian legend is spun on its head.

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher is a simply splendid YA queer medieval rom-com that grabs you with the first line and never lets you go.

I have loved every one of Croucher's books but this one holds a special place in my heart. This is a book that young me would have reveled in, would have read over and over, would have loved with every particle of my being, would have worn out the binding with my rereads. It hit every one of my loves--Arthuriana, medieval setting, romance, action, humor, and characters with depth and humanity and flaws and heart. This is a book I would have wanted to read as a young adult and a book that I am overjoyed to read as an adult. I've read it twice already, since getting the ARC, and I love it more with each read.

The writing is simply splendid--the alternating main character POVs rich and engaging, the banter top-notch, the plot providing both edge-of-your-seat breathless anticipation and laugh out loud funny moments, the secondary characters three dimensional with depth and individuality of their own.

Gwen and Art may be some of the most engaging leads I have encountered in a long time. They're complicated, well-developed, funny, heartbreaking, witty, and they live and breathe on the page. I would happily read more of their story--I truly didn't want the book to end.

I would say the same for the rest of the major characters: Gabriel, Bridget, Sidney, Agnes--they add so much to the story and are compelling and pivotal in their own unique ways. I can think of so many moments where each of them had my heart, Gabriel most of all.

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love is an exploration of friendship, trust, love, expectations, self-discovery, self-acceptance and being true to oneself. It's a book that gives us love in all its varied aspects--romantic, familial, friendship based. Every relationship has its moment here and I cared about every one. The protagonists and their friends and love interests have compelling character arcs, with growth and self-awareness and resolution that feels organic and rooted in who they are.

Gwen and Art may not be in love, but I certainly fell hard for them and for this book. I've read a lot of wonderful books this year but this may well be my favorite. It had everything I want and left me smiling at the end. I'll miss Gwen and Art, but I am so very grateful to have had the chance to immerse myself in their world. I will be shouting about this book to everyone I know in all the months before it's released and likely long after.

My highest rating. Don't miss this book. It's simply splendid. I'm smiling as I write and post this review. It doesn't get better than that.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this Digital ARC. And to Lex Croucher for writing this book.

(the cover is absolutely gorgeous!! I CANNOT WAIT to have this on my shelf)

My feelings when I found out Lex Croucher wrote a queer Arthurian coming-of-age rom-com! Not something I ever thought I would need but oh boy this was amazing.

This is three-for-three Lex Croucher you have done it again. I think she might be my favorite author at this point. Her writing is so descriptive and delightfully queer!

It has been a while since I have been captivated by a YA novel but this one stands above.
Arthur, Gwen, Sidney, Agnes, Gabriel, and Bridget go through so much growth and acceptance of themselves and each other during the book. I laughed and cried with them during all the twists and turns.

The friendships between all of the characters create a found family where they all can be their authentic selves. The witty dialog of Alexis Hall, the character development of Alice Osemen, and the story pacing of Casey McQuiston this has all my favorites compiled into one great novel.

🌶️ Spice Meter 🌶️ : 1 out of 5 Peppers - light make-out scenes

Final Thoughts: Perfect for anyone who enjoys a historical setting without historical values. Fast-paced and quick-witted where the characters are the star of the show.

Disclaimer: Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.