Very cute book, but unfortunately I wasn't enthralled by any of the romances happening on page. I liked the plot, but I just wanted a little more out of the book.

A hilarious, queer, medieval rom-com full of banter, mishaps, and unexpected heart. Princess Gwen and nobleman Art can’t stand each other—until secrets, crushes, and courtly chaos force them into an unlikely bond. Charming, clever, and joyfully queer.

This book was really fun. I thought this was going to be a retelling but it's not actually one. It's a historical YA but set after the time of King Arthur. I really enjoyed the various relationships.

This book gets 3 stars from me...BUT. I loved the plot of it, and I think I genuinely would have loved everything about this if some of the characters hadn't been so unlikable. It genuinely had potential, but...yeah. 3 stars.

I unfortunately could not get into this book. It’s premise is really interesting and I tried multiple times to read this one but I think it’s just not for me

If you love historical romance, lgbt romance, fake dating, and friends to lovers then this is the book for you!

I had so much fun reading Gwen & Art Are Not in Love! I really enjoyed this YA take on historical romance where everyone gets to live their authentic best lives and find who and what really makes them happy and fulfilled.

Thank you NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review. I will admit, this eARC expired in 2023 and I had to finish this book through my library. Anyways! I will admit that this book is not my favourite.

The setting is in the olde medieval times, and it follows the story plot of Gwen and Arthur, who are betrothed but absolutely no interest in each other. They are also sworn enemies as they have never gotten along as children.

So when it comes to the summer when they are supposed to get married, and Gwen and Arthur are both caught up in some shenanigans that make each other both look bad, they begin a reluctant courtship to the public eye in the midst of blackmailing each other.


I can’t pinpoint exactly what I dislike about this book. I don’t really find the plot interesting because there’s never a threat to each other since they both have a secret. They don’t even like each other but they get along reluctantly even though they supposedly still hate each other? And I’m assuming the end was somewhat unexpected to me, but because I took so long to finish this book, I forgot about those key points that should have been warning signs to the plot.


More importantly, there’s far too many characters and not enough depth to them! They are very surface level characters and we don’t learn enough for me to care.

All in all, not my favourite read of 2025. 2.5 stars but I’ll round it up.

A perfectly fine YA romance, for someone but honestly one I couldn't find myself getting engrossed in. Usually I enjoy YA but this piece felt a bit like living through the nightmare that I woke up having to go back to high school. Perhaps a bit too on the nose for this reader. The writing was solid enough to warrant reading through enough to give at least three 3 stars. Not TERRIBLE. Not for me.

A fun historical romance! A fun take of lovers to friends actually, where they're actually friends and root for each other's romances. Even though Art was insufferable sometimes, he was a favorite character at the end.

This is my second book from this author, and they are quickly becoming a staple on my shelf. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The witty humor and characters made it a fun and easy read.

I ended up DNF'ing this book, I may try again someday but the characters were really annoying me? I couldn't get into it.

Oh my goodness. I was put off by the first chapter and put this book down for nearly a year. When I picked it back up and stuck with it, I was blown away. A YA book with actual stakes? Queer characters who are flawed and messy and deeply lovable? I know Lex Croucher’s semi-anachronistic style isn’t for everyone, but I think they strike a good balance that allows a classic to feel real and meaningful and relevant. This has made me seek out their other work and I will be following them in the future!

Utterly obsessed. This was such a cute YA remix of Arthurian legend, with Arthur and Gwen betrothed and hating each other, while both pining for people they can’t have. The plot and pacing was great, and so were all the characters. I’d love to read more from the author!

I received a copy of the book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Will admit that I am extremely disappointed that I just cannot get into this book. I don't think it's necessarily due to it being YA, but between the writing and the pacing, it's just not really for me. One of those books I want to love, but feel overall ambivalent about.

4.5 stars. Thanks NetGalley for the arc ! This book made me feel all the feels. I loved this book so much! The representation was perfect, the story was adorable but also powerful, the flow and pacing was perfect

Gwen & Art might not be in love, but I’m in love with them and with Gabriel, Bridget, and above all Sidney! F.T. Lukens’ vibrancy and banter meets Alexis Hall’s wit and drama.

I have a soft spot for sadder and darker stories, but I’m also a sucker for stories full of delightful dialogues and sharp humor that pull the corners of my mouth up and make lights dance in my eyes. As soon as I read the first page, I knew this would be a five-star read. It’s funny. It’s heartfelt. It’s uplifting. It’s serious at times. Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is a marvelous book that embraced me wholeheartedly and melted my heart.

I cheered Bridget on when she jumped into a fight to save someone, and I said aww, when Gabriel took care of a wounded baby crow. I laughed out loud when Sidney told Art that he probably wanted to be held like a baby crow too, and Gwen and Art, well, they just captured my heart. Gwen, who needed to be a bit braver to color outside the lines, and Art, who hid his self-hatred behind a wild and playful mask.

WOW am I obsessed with this book! Lex Croucher writes with such a sharp sense of humor that I was laughing out loud from the first chapter to the last. I simply adore these characters. There's nothing better than a book where you realize, "Oh, wait, everyone here is queer." I would read a million books set in this universe.

This was such a wonderful book with great queer joy. I feel like my only complaint would be I wish we were able to get more from our love interests than we got because they were really interesting characters we didn’t spend nearly enough time with. But regardless, the amount of interesting characters and components to this book was really well done and I look forward to reading more of this authors historical reimagining

Croucher writes dialogue well, and this Arthurian inspired queer YA romance was really fun. Some of the late book plot devices lost me a bit. But I think that the witty humor and sweet romance make this a great choice for readers looking for queer historical romance.

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is a highly enjoyable and unique Arthurian retelling! I loved the medieval setting, the friendships, the humor and banter, and of course the romance! This book was a delight!