I loved how this book took a novel approach to a story we thought we knew so well. I loved having the OG Arthur and Guenevere as the backdrop and seeing how their legendary status shaped this Art and Gwen's journeys to be true to themselves. I laughed out loud at several points but was also deeply endeared by both Art and Gwen's struggles. I was so glad to see them become close friends even if they never romantically ended up together. I think this is an excellent LGBTQ romance/story to recommend to YA readers and new adults alike.

This is an extremely entertaining twist on the whole Guinevere and Arthur story. I read it in one sitting and then reread it because it was so much fun.

Gwen and Art have been linked to be married but both of them can't stand each other.
When Art comes for a tournament they both realize there's more to the story.
Lgbtq
King Arthur retelling

A fun, cutesy, and queer Arthurian set YA.

This is not a retelling, and if you go into it thinking it will be, you will be disappointed.

This type of literature is so powerful for young readers, and this one especially is well written.

I didn't love the assault against Art, or the final battle. I felt like they were out of place in the story, despite seeing the knight's tournament earlier in the story. It made the story feel more adult than YA (which I didn't mind since I typically read adult fiction) but it felt a little out of place in the story.

Overall, a 4.5 star read rounded to 5!

The perfect LGBTQIA+ retelling of Arthur and Guinevere. Anyone who knows me knows Arthurian Legends are my favorite and this book did not disappoint. The struggles and fears of being judged are so real to life and the coming out dialogue was written so well that I teared up while reading. In addition to some tears being shed there were also quite a few laugh out loud moments because the banter in this book is on point, not just between the MCs. The relationship between Arthur and (name) was one of my favorite parts of the book. I felt the entire story flowed so well, I appreciated the cultist elements and the battle scenes had me sitting on the edge of my seat. I went into this not knowing exactly what to expect and loved the entire book. My only regret was not reading it sooner.
Thank you to Netgalley and McMillan Publishers for my free digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

A masterpiece of queer medieval rom-com, "Gwen & Art Are Not in Love" is an absolute gem that combines the charm of "Heartstopper" with the rollicking spirit of "A Knight's Tale." Lex Croucher's witty prose and endearing characters, reminiscent of Rainbow Rowell's best works, effortlessly sweep readers into a world brimming with sword-fighting, found family, and romantic escapades. Casey McQuiston was spot-on: this novel delivers the same cheeky, swoony delight as discovering a beloved cinematic classic for the first time. Lex Croucher cements their place as a must-read romcom author with this enchanting tale that is sure to leave readers grinning from ear to ear.

Closer to 3.5 stars. I read this all in a single sitting. At first I thought I might quit. I like the author’s writing style, but Arthur as a character was hard to enjoy at the beginning. However, I found myself more and more sucked in by the whole thing. I agree with the criticism that the side romantic characters lack depth and the ending felt all smushed together, but it’s worth it for the funny dialogue and found family elements.

You can sign me up for a Queer retelling anytime, so I was excited to give this one a shot. Overall, I don't really think this is so much a retelling as it is inspired by historical events and tales. This is definitely best geared toward YA readers, as I found some of the characters to be a bit whiny/exhausting, but they were lovable all the same. The Queer community always needs more fun representation and this one was great.

I really love all things King Arthur - Merlin, Kierstan White's Camelot series, etc., so I was very excited for this really cute take. Right off the bat, I liked the characters and and their relationship was set up to seem like enemies-to-lovers. I really liked how the novel itself seemed aware of the Camelot stories and addressed them in minor ways (Gwen saying her parents almost named her Guenevere to "match him.") Even though I know it's part of the YA genre, I do wish there was a bit more realism in the way they spoke. I do love Gabe being seen as "soft" or too kindhearted early on.

I love medieval gay people. I wish I was one. This book was light hearted (for the first 2/3rds), funny, entertaining, and immersive. This book was on the slower paced side but its worth it, I loved it. The author created an amazing story that I will be rereading and recommending to my audience. I gave it 4 stars. Thank you for the opportunity!

Gwen and Art live in the same world as King Arthur, but sometime apparently generations later. Gwen is the Princess and Arthur is the son of a Lord. They have been betrothed since they were children but not only do they not like each other, they both have a secret reason for not wanting to marry each other. When they discover each other’s secrets, they come to an agreement to act like they are getting along to avoid suspicion.

I can’t think of anything bad to say about this book. I’m not usually the biggest fan of YA romance but the medieval setting and LGBT characters really worked for me in this book. This is probably the best example of fake dating that I’ve ever read and all of the characters were just so lovable. I was rooting for all of the relationships and loved watching Gwen and Art’s friendship grow. Art and Sid’s friendship was such a great part of this book, and Sid is the perfect loyal best friend. And Bridget was the perfect badass sword slinging Lady love interest that reminded me of a young Brienne of Tarth.

The last third of the book definitely took a huge life changing turn but I was glad that it was something different from the usual third act miscommunication trope. Overall I really enjoyed this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the chance to read this early.

This book was a super fun twist and take on characters reimagined from legend. Both funny and fun, I enjoyed spending time with these characters in this world.

I have been a fan of Lex Croucher’s Regency era novels for adult readers, so I was both excited and curious to see what they would do with a YA novel set in the medieval era. Reader, the result is delightful.

Gwen and Art have spent so long in a state of mutual loathing that they never realize the potential for friendship. An alliance is just what they need to set about achieving their true goals. It was so much fun to get to see these two scheming together instead of plotting the other’s destruction. Either way, the banter is top-notch and the wit is rapier sharp. And of course, a cat manages to steal the show at every possible opportunity.

I will say that there is a point in the book where things take a sharp turn and become a lot more serious. Yes, there are hints along the way building up to that point, but it still took me by surprise. I don’t mention this as a criticism or even as a content warning, but more as a cautionary suggestion that things are not all jolly hockey sticks throughout the narrative. I will say, to Croucher’s credit, the transition is seamless and handled masterfully.

I would absolutely recommend Gwen & Art Are Not in Love. While this book is written for a YA audience, it still bears all the hallmarks of a Croucher novel and will therefore appeal to fans of Croucher’s other books. I am looking forward to Croucher’s next books!



I received a digital ARC of this book from St. Martin’s/NetGalley

Such an addictive, fun, wild, hilarious, and high-stakes fast-paced historical romance with memorable characters and fanfictionesque writing (slash pos of course.)

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy to review.

Representation: Queer MCs and supporting cast

Hundreds of years after King Arthur’s reign, his descendants still running the kingdom of Camelot. Arthur likes gallivanting about, and has been betrothed to Gwendoline, the princess of England, since birth. They’re forced to spend a summer together before their nuptials, and they can agree on one thing: they absolutely despise each other. But after discovering that both of them have secrets, Arthur being caught kissing a boy, Gwendoline having diary entires about a crush on a lady knight, they agree that they actually might be better as allies. They make an uneasy pact to cover for each other, and they nurture feelings for their respective love interests.

Rating: 4.25/5 This was a fun romp in Camelot and a great retelling of the Arthurian legend. I really appreciated that this wasn’t a typical enemies to lovers story, and was instead made very queer, more focused on building that initially fragile trust between mutual enemies. Sometimes, with enemies to friends or enemies to lovers, it can feel like they have some weird knowledge of the other’s actual self and that’s what leads them to not hate each other anymore. In this, it didn’t feel like that. It felt like the perspectives that they had on each other were as complete strangers, information only gathered from brief interactions with each other or rumors. The building of trust felt more authentic, and didn’t happen overnight. I really enjoyed reading this, and would recommend it to anyone who thinks they would enjoy a queer Arthurian retelling.

Gwen and Art was such a delight! I'm easy to please when it comes to YA LGBTQ+ romance and Lex Croucher did not disappoint. This book had everything: emotionally closed off handsome boys, bad-ass lady knights, himbo and lesbian solidarity, a really darling relationship between a bodyguard and his ward. I can't recommend it enough!

CW: homophobia, internalized homophobia, genre-typical violence, tournament violence, battle, loss of a loved one, possible hate crime-related physical attack

This was a really precious concept, but it feels a bit tonally confused and also seems reluctant to explore the characters and their relationships to the extent that I really wanted. Everyone in the cast has a big personality, but something feels shallow and cartoonish about them all. The book can't seem to decide if it wants to be funny or not - there's certain room to balance humor with serious conversations, but the two feel distinctly out of balance here, and every wink-wink modern joke and reference made me cringe a bit. I'm interested in the romance arcs but they also feel shallow and develop too quickly.

"Gwen & Art Are Not in Love" is part queer rom com, part historical romance. I wouldn't necessarily say it's fluffy, I think I was expecting this book to be happier than it is, but I enjoyed it and there was a lot of heart. Set in a quasi-medieval England where King Arthur was real, this takes place hundreds of years after his reign but in a similar era. No magic however. Gwendoline and Arthur have been betrothed since childhood to broker an uneasy peace between the king, Gwendoline's father, and the "cultists", a group that hold out that there should be a different king due to the Arthurian lineage. Gwen & Art, like in the title, are not in love and can barely stand each other at first, until the secret that they are both queer is revealed to them and they become allies. Two queer love stories in one. TW for a homophobic society and some graphic violence.

Oh goodness I loved this book so much ! Even though I wanted to smack Arthur in the beginning he totally stole my heart and ended up being one of my favorite characters. Honestly though Gwen , Art, Gabe, Bridget, and Sid were all fantastic characters. I was completely swept up in the setting, story telling , and the Queer romance!

I absolutely adored this book. There was so much about it with the internal character conflicts, the pining, it was all so good. I loved the writing of this book as well, it drew me in from the start with the dream and kept me enticed through every single page. Every character had their own moments with each other and it brought the book to life, sometimes making it feel like I was there, observing everything as well.