Gwen and Art are not THE Guinevere and Arthur of legend, but they've been betrothed since they were little and everyone expects this great love story. Unfortunately, Gwen likes a lady knight named Brigid, and Art is into men. Plus, they hate each other. Now forced to actually spend time together, they make a pact to cover up for each other.

This read like a rom-com set in a vaguely medieval society but with some modern speak. I was hoping more for a "Knight's Tale" take on things but too much time was spent on the romantic entanglements and banter. The plot felt thrown in at the end - for most of the book I wasn't sure where exactly it was going. Art behaved like a brat and Gabriel was stoic to the point where I couldn't figure out if he liked Art back. Gwen and Brigid (who was very much like Lady Brienne from GoT) were the best part of this. I just wish it had been a bit shorter and less indulgent.

So I actually finished this like... I don't even know, a week or more ago but the business of a new job distracted me from reviewing, and honestly I think the book may benefited from that time because my opinion of it improved once I realized it put me on a medieval/Arthurian kick again.

The tone of this story is very much in the vein of A Knight's Tale or Merlin (the British tv show). It's set in an alternate England in which King Arthur and Camelot was all real but happened a couple hundred years previously. The main conflict is the relationship drama of the two main (and secretly gay) leads, but there's an underlying conflict that is all about the opposition/attempted integration between followers of the Camelot dream and cultists who follow Morgana. These two conflicts are frequently interwoven, which left me disappointed in the lack of details of the latter, since the majority of the story is focused on the teen romances.

Which, I get this is a YA teen romance, but I was so fascinated by this world and culture Croucher created, so I was disappointed we didn't get more information and history on the politics behind these two conflicting viewpoints. The most we get from this is the story's final battle, which is quite exciting with some high stakes. I also enjoyed the ridiculous antagonists lol

The main characters and their love interests were overall fun to spend time with. I enjoyed Arthur and Sidney's friendship and how supportive they were with each other. Croucher could have given us a bit more of Bridget, as among the main four we get to know her the least, unfortunately.

I read the book while following along with the audiobook, which features some strong narration between the readers for Gwen (Sarah Ovens) and Art (Alex Singh) and definitely helped me get through some of the slower parts.

It just all really, really reminded me of A Knight's Tale but younger and gayer (and less comedic tbf). If that's your cup of tea then you'll enjoy Gwen & Art Are Not in Love.

This was such a fun, sweet YA novel.
Arthur and Gwendoline have been betrothed since birth. However the two have never gotten along. When Arthur is sent to spend the summer with Gwen to get to know her, the two realize that there's no chance of them EVER falling in love.
The narrators of this audiobook did such a good job. This is the perfect book for the dual narrators.

A fun and cute queer medieval rom-com.

This story follows Gwendoline and her betrothed, the honorable Arthur. Against their will, they find themselves forced to spend the summer days together within the walls of Camelot. However, events take an unexpected turn when Gwen stumbles upon Arthur engaged in a passionate embrace with another young lad. But little does she know, Arthur is not unaware of her longing for Brigidet, a valiant lady knight in her realm. Realizing the potential advantages of their situation, they reach a pact to feign affection towards each other, all the while pursuing their true romantic interests.

I absolutely adore the witty exchanges between Gwen and Arthur. However, I only wish the story had delved deeper into the secondary characters, allowing more growth and development alongside the main characters. Despite that, it was still a fun read. Perfect for fans of queer romance.

***Thank you to NetGalley, Lex Croucher, and Macmillan Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

This YA queer fantasy book was delightful! It takes place in the Camelot world of England with a princess named Gwen and her brother, Gabe. She is betrothed to a man named Arthur, who she cannot stand. Meanwhile, she has a huge crush on the only lady knight, Bridget (Lady Leclair). When she sees Arthur kissing a man in an alley, she thinks she can finally call the engagement off, except that Arthur discovers her diary and they decide to form a bet: act as if they are in love while they pursue their queer romances in secret.

What I adored about this book
- The audiobook voice actor and actress were hilariously talented and I couldn’t help but smile every minute of listening
- Arthur comes across as a reckless fool at the beginning, but his layers and character growth are truly endearing
- Gwen has the best friendship with her brother Gabe, and Gabe’s bookish personality is so nerdy and fantastic
- The discussion of trying to hide a part of who you are is a strong theme in this book and written so well
- Lady Leclair is so strong and level headed, that she balances out Gwen and inspires her character growth to be more courageous
- The dialogue and banter in this book were on point
- The side character, Sidney (Arthur’s bodyguard) was such a sweet and hilarious guy. His friendship with Arthur was so loyal and cute.

What I didn’t love
- For some reason the ending felt like a dramatic shift in tone from incredibly lows stakes to violence, high stakes, and danger. I wasn’t expecting such a sudden shift and I think the author could have handled that transition a little better
- The ending felt rushed overall. I would have liked more time to ease into the rapid changes going on in the last 30 minutes of the audiobook.

This is one of my new all-time favorite queer YA reads and I will be recommending it to everyone I know! :)

This was a cute story. I liked the premise but I didn’t totally love the book. I think perhaps I just don’t vibe with the author. I don’t have any specific criticisms, it’s just not for me unfortunately. I think most people that pick this up will truly enjoy it!

I was so excited for Gwen and Art Are Not in Love. A queer love story set in an Arthurian world (this is not a retelling). Yes, please! Gwen and Art had all the makings of an incredible book. However, the execution fell flat. I think the author tried to do too much. I was never really invested in the characters or the plot.

The first 2/3rds is a meandering tale of four young adults discovering their sexuality while finding their place in the world. It almost felt like a slice-of-life romance set against the backdrop of castles, knights, ladies, and lords. A slow-paced book usually doesn't ruin a story for me. However, here I found myself struggling to push forward. Then the back 1/3 felt like an entirely different book. It was fast-paced and action-packed, but by this point, I didn't care what was happening anymore.

So many of my friends loved this book. They loved the characters and the story. This may be a case of it wasn't for me.

I did this via audio, and thought the narrators did a good job telling the story. I especially liked Alex Singh.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! I ended up switching between reading the physical book and listening to the audio, and I actually preferred the audio a little more. I loved how the narrators switched between the chapters. I felt like it was more of a noticeable switch than reading the physical book. But overall, I do recommend this book in whatever format you want to read it! It was such a fun take on this retelling. I loved that this had LBGT rep. I actually thought this book was going to be a contemporary book that was a play or something that high schoolers were doing. However, I was completely wrong. This is actually a historical fiction book and it was such a great read! I laughed out loud on several occasions and loved the author's writing style!

Rating: 4/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

This book is not a retelling of Gwen & Art and their love for each other but instead a book that was inspired by the Arthurian Legend, I thought the author did a great job with making this book something new, filled with fun banter, great characters; ones that are just trying to figure out where they belong in their world because they’re not your average cookie cutter characters from the legend.

I loved that in this book the author made it fun, and focused on issues that we would see in the real world now: a young adult parents’ expectation for them, sexual identity, how to tell people how you feel about your loved ones if they are or are not the same sex. I liked that we got to see a new twist on this legend, and I can say that I was happy that this version was not ruined and that I didn’t hate this book because it ruined my favorite legends.

I do agree with a lot of the reviewers on that the ending to me just didn’t fit the rest of the book and I won’t say why because I don’t want to discourage others from reading the book to see if they like or not because I still think the book was great but I do wish that it wasn’t like 30% of the book that was just different from the rest. I liked that the characters were always getting themselves into situations and having to solve mysteries all while having to sort through their own feelings.

I received the book and the audio of this, I read the book when I was able and listened to the audio when I couldn’t read. I can say that I enjoyed the narrators of the book, and they helped a lot with building the setting around me.

I want to thank NetGalley Macmillan Audio/ & Wednesday Books for the opportunity to review this book.

This book was the epitome ‘Comfy Cozy (Yet Sort of Dangerous) Queer Medieval YA Romance-y Comedy/Found Family’

The characters we wonderful and genuine and didn’t seem “too young adult” or naive as some times young adult novels can go!! Seeing them become their true selves was so refreshing and fun. The narrators were perfect and I instantly felt like I was transported to setting! ALSO THE ONE LINERS SPRINKLED THROUGHOUT THE BOOK WERE SO LOL-WORTHY!

4.25⭐️

This book is ⭐️OUT NOW⭐️ so go pick it up!!!

Special thanks to NetGalley, @macmillan.audio and Macmillan Young Listeners for the review ALC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Dual narration at 1.75x speed to account for the accents. Both narrators did a great job evoking emotion and adding subtle voice changes to help differentiate the characters.

Journeying back to King Arthur and the knights of his time, siblings Gwen and Gabriel are aware of their places within the royal court and yet unsatisfied by the societal pressures that accompany every day life. An arranged marriage to Arthur--a nemesis from childhood--looms for Gwen and the demands of being a progressive, yet traditional ruler weigh heavy on Gabriel. Soon enough, though, the siblings each move beyond their comfort zones to build the lives that they want.

The story is very queer-centric, which is great because it explores a variety of stages that accompany coming out and love. The end of the story does take a bit of a darker turn, but things end on the same trajectory you'd expect them to based on the rest of the story. It's largely predictable, but still enjoyable.

Overall: 4 stars

I'll tell my students about: language, LGBTQ+, parental death, violence

**Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners for the free ALC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

“you knew, and it made perfect sense to you even when it didn’t to me. I didn’t have to try to justify it to you, or beg for your understanding—it wasn’t something that even needed explaining. I had no idea how much that would mean to me. When I talked to you about it, even when you were being a bit of a nightmare, you always made me feel like it was . . . completely ordinary.”
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Heartstopper meets A Knight’s Tale in this queer medieval rom com YA debut about love, friendship, and being brave enough to change the course of history.
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This really did remind me of Knights Tale in some ways. The current speech and talk with the knight's dress and swords.
Loved that Gwen and Art were betrothed and were more enemies, teasing each other. It's more enemies to friends.
These aren’t THE Gwen and Art they are years after but from the same lineage or at least their fathers say so living in Camelot. Loved the queer take on this since this most definitely happened but in private. Loved the very strong female knight, Bridget, she was very swoony.
The fight sequences were epic and the battle scenes I felt mud caked and blood soaked and exhausted. Sydney was the perfect wingman for Art through definitely an enabler as he drank enough wine to drown a village.

Really enjoyed this story! The banter between the two and then there was a bit of a third act breakup but friends wise as they got some bad information and distanced themselves. Oh I didn’t mention Prince Gabriel- awkward, book loving, wallflower and heir to the throne. Art didn’t stand a chance.

Thank you wednesdaybooks for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.
Pub Date - 11/28/23
4.5

I was provided both a print and audio ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own. I really enjoyed the narrators on the audiobook. They did a great job brining Gwen and Art to life. I liked that there was a male and female narrator for their respective chapters.

I don't know why but I love King Arthur lore. I originally thought this was retelling, but it is not. It certainly is a nice twist on Arthurian lore and I really like what the author did with this.

Gwendoline is the daughter of the current king of Camelot and betrothed to Arthur, descendent of the famous King Arthur. Gwen and Arthur can't stand each other, but their parents have decided that they should spend the summer together getting to know each other before they wed. Shortly after his arrival, Gwen and Arthur discover secrets about one another and devise and advantageous plan that will help both of them. You see Arthur definitively likes boys, and while Gwen has no experience liking anyone she very much feels some sort of way about Lady Knight Bridget. They agree to play up their engagement, while seeking the company of their preferred partner. Antics ensue. In the meantime, Art and Gwen slowly develop a truce as they get to know one another.

This was a really cute coming of age story as the characters have to work together to save Camelot from those who seek to overthrow the King and seek love at the same time. Arthur was hilarious and always up to something ridiculous. Both Gwen and her brother Gabe were raised to believe in a set of rules and expectations that they had to abide by, whereas Art just did whatever he wanted no matter the consequences. Art really inspired them to step out of their comfort zones a bit, break some rules, and make some new ones.

This book is set in a historical setting but uses more modern language. I think that is important to note as it will throw some readers off. There are a few more violent scenes toward the end not related to the tournament that feel a bit out of place compared to the overall cozy nature of the book. Overall though, I really enjoyed this.

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher is a delightful read that takes you on a journey back to the time of King Arthur. The story revolves around Arthur and Gwendoline, who have been betrothed to each other since birth, but can hardly stand each other's company. They are forced to spend the summer together at Camelot, and within a day, they discover each other's secrets. Gwen finds out that Arthur was kissing a boy, and Arthur discovers Gwen's diary with confessions about her crush on the kingdom's only lady knight.

As they realize that they might make better allies than enemies, they form a pact to cover for each other. The story is full of sword-fighting, found family, and romantic shenanigans that are sure to keep readers hooked. As the annual royal tournament heats up, Gwen falls for her knight, and Arthur takes an interest in Gwen's royal brother.

Overall, I found Gwen & Art Are Not in Love to be a refreshing and engaging read. The characters are well-developed, and the plot is intriguing. Lex Croucher has done a fantastic job of creating a world that is both familiar and new. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good romance with a twist.

What a delightfully fun story! Gwen and Art have been betrothed since they were kids - and have been enemies since then. Finally forced to spend time together prior to their upcoming nuptials, they learn secrets about each other and decide to call a truce. Lo and behold, they come to realize that the other is not what they expected to be. A true coming of age story, you see the journey of two young adults learning to navigate the world and be true to themselves.

I loved this!
This was nothing like I have ever read before. Also, not a retelling like it seems!
The two main characters are royalty who are pledged to be married. However, they neither have any interest in each other (or the opposite sex). They do each have people they have their eyes on, so they decide to work together to get who they really want.
I highly recommend this to people who enjoyed the witty characters and writing of Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQustion or the Hulu show The Great.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan for the advanced audio copy of this book!

The narrators really hit it out of the park this one. The dialogue flowed really well, and the voice actors nailed the bratty nature of Gwen and Arthur.

Listen if you like:
🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQ Romances
📚 YA Books
⚔️ Historical Romances
🗡️ Arthur & Guinevere Retellings
🐴 A Knights Tale
💋 First Love
2️⃣ Dual POV
💍 Arranged Marriages
😂 Humor

Overall, this wasn’t my favorite from Lex, but still very much worth a listen! The narrators did a fantastic job, and really enjoyed my listening experience with this one just as I have Lex’s other books I e listened to. She is definitely my go to for lgbtq ya romances and historical romances especially where I don’t read/listen to a lot of YA or historical books, but for some reason Lex’s writing of these has me excited every time I see this combo coming from her.

What worked for me:
- I really enjoyed the relationship growth between Art and Gwen
- I liked the lighthearted feel and humor
- The narration
- The knights tale vibes
- The references to Arthur and Guineviere but making it lgbtqia+

What didn’t work for me:
- the darker aspects of the plot just didn’t work for me and fit the vibe, especially when I wasn't expecting it where Lex hasn’t really done this before
- The ending felt lackluster
- The pacing

Overall, I did enjoy this one even with it not being my fave, but I’ll def continue to read/listen to Lex’s books! Thanks so much to the publisher for my ALC in exchange for my review!

This was a pretty cute (and sad) take on forbidden sapphic and achillean romance. I would definitely be curious to read other titles by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lex Croucher, and MacMillan for the chance to view this eARC.

This is such a well written YA novel that melds humor and great banter with political intrigue over a backdrop of societal expectations for medieval royal siblings Gwen and Gabriel. Art is probably my favorite character within the book, and his relationship with Sid is great. Although Gwen and Art are not in love romantically, watching their relationship grow within the story was also a highlight. Art exudes an attitude of nonchalance, but at every turn acts in caring and thoughtful ways. Their plan to fake date while pursuing their crushes on Lady Leclair and Gabriel is a perfect setup to cover for the actual romantic pursuits that follow.

The audiobook for this was also really well done, with the tone of both narrators perfectly encapsulating Gwen and Art’s personalities. The reason this book landed at a 4 star is the massive tonal shift at around the 70% mark. I was so taken aback and never really recovered as the action ratcheted up that I found myself delaying finishing the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Macmillan Audio for giving this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!