This was an entertaining, sweet read. I loved the relationships between all the characters but the friendships are the best part. Arthur and Sid, Arthur and Gwen, Gwen and Gabe - the banter, the communication and care between them: perfection.

I had a lot of laugh out loud moments with Art and a lot of moments of cheering on Gwen.

What a great book! I was a little hesitant about the Camelot themes since I’m not big into kings, queens, knights, etc. There is absolutely nothing old fashioned about these characters, despite the time period, jousting, and garb. Gwendoline (Gwen) and Arthur (Art) are intended to marry and have a tempestuous relationship for many underlying reasons that they are unaware of. The language and emotions are entirely modern, but they don’t feel anachronistic. It was helpful for someone like me who doesn’t necessarily love historical fiction. All of the characters’ emotions and reactions are entirely reasonable and sympathetic. I was rooting for everyone to have a happy ending, and while it took some dark twists to get there, I was ultimately satisfied. Definitely recommend!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books for kindly providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

⚔️🛡️🏆Gwen and Arthur find themselves betrothed in order to strengthen alliances between families. The problem is…they have hated each other since they were kids. The other problem? Gwen has been pining for the knight Lady Bridget Leclair for years, and Arthur is much more interested in Gabriel, who happens to be Gwen’s brother and second in line for the throne. Simple, right?🏆🛡️⚔️

I loved everything about this book! It was equally hilarious with plenty of sarcasm and scheming, and emotional with loads of angst and existential crises sprinkled in. There is also a called named Lucifer/Merlin and you can never go wrong with the addition of a feline companion. This was such a great read to end the year.

I can’t wait to read more from Lex Croucher!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc 🏰

I absolutely adored this! Gwen and Art may not be in love, but I certainly love them! This is a delightful romcom with sassy main characters that was an absolute delight to read. Do yourself a favour and indulge in this riotous tale.

Gwen & Art are Not in Love by Lex Croucher

Published: November 28, 2023
Wednesday Books
Genre: LGBTQ+ Romance for Young Adults
Pages: 352
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

I love a retelling of a classic story. However, Lex did not take the modern route. This is a medieval rom-com! I have never read a novel within this trope, and I immensely enjoyed it.

The writing was fantastic, and the characters were charming. I loved the use of humor and hijinks, but also the bit of twist and battle. That felt genuine for the period, so I did enjoy that.

I loved the relationships, both romantic and platonic, throughout this novel. My heart wanted to explode every chapter. This was an easy book to get lost in. The plot had me in my feelings several times.

If you want an unconventional but beautifully original love story, look no further.

“Arthur Delacey, heir to the title Lord of Maidvale, was—in Gwen’s opinion—the devil incarnate.”
Lex Croucher is giving reader’s a new take on the traditional Arthurian legends by giving us all a glimpse into medieval Camelot but with modern flair and not just one, but two queer romances. With a synopsis that begins with “Heartstopper meets A Knight’s Tale” I found myself both smitten and intrigued with the premise of Gwen & Art Are Not in Love.

I truly enjoyed the reimagined characters from the Camelot of lore. Gwen is the spare to her older brother’s heir status to their father, the King of Camelot. While not the once vibrant hub of legendary Arthur, Camelot has since devolved into a bit of a run-down attraction. Stuck between wanting to cling to traditions and the desperate need to be yanked into a more modern and progressive way of life is the point in which Gabriel, Gwen, and their father continually find contention. Betrothed to a peer since infancy, Gwen is quite determined to avoid marriage as long as possible. Her interests lie nowhere near her future husband, Arthur Delacey. Instead, she finds herself drawn to the enigmatic and chivalrous female knight, Bridget, who definitely doesn’t occupy her thoughts at all hours of the day.

“Why does the word ‘experienced’ sound like it means ‘ an unstoppable harlot’ coming out of your mouth?”
As luck would have it, Arthur isn’t interested in Gwen either. Sure, he’s got a reputation as notorious as the infamous thief from Sherwood Forest, but Arthur is more inclined to to marry Gwen’s brother, rather than Gwen herself. I think Arthur is the most affable character out of the main four that we are introduced to. His side kick, Sidney, nearly deposes Arthur as the comedic outlet. Balancing a dual-romance with two couples is no easy feat, and the presence of Sidney along with Agnes provides relief to an otherwise angsty teen romance.

It’s not easy to manage two couples in a YA romance, but Lex Croucher pulls it off well. Though we get a tremendous introduction to all the main characters, there is also the intrigue of a mutinous plot as well that is threaded throughout the story and becomes the climax to the novel. The humor is jam-packed throughout as well as some miscommunication and other hijnks that prevalent with a YA novel. Seeing the character transformation of Gwen and Bridget along with Arthur and Gabriel follow seamlessly with the overall plot made for a truly enjoyable read. Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is a tale that is guaranteed to charm you.

I remember DNF this book in chapter. 2. I could not get into this book. I will not continue with it because of the SMP boycott.

A fun and unique twist on Arthurian legend (I've never viewed it as a love story) and the hero's journey. Delving into relationships, fate, and societal norms in a way both teen and adult audiences will find relatable. It serves to expand one's thinking. I truly enjoyed the plot and setting, with the descriptions spot on for expectations in a fantastical yet modern medieval world.

Sometimes the main reason to read a story is to understand the perspectives of others. This story was no exception for me. The story itself wove together perfectly the events as they would unfold as well and the development of the characters within. I truly enjoyed the uniqueness of perspectives and rooted for each character as they made their way toward happily ever after.

I loved how the main characters were flawed. Each approaching their idea of their future exploring who they are AND what they wanted as two separate and believable journeys. It is not easy to be who you are no matter how extroverted someone may be with their expression of self. It's not easy to face family expectations, when knowing they do not fit in with what someone wants or needs for themselves. The characters and their journeys both all together, and individual were relatable and endearing - I was rooting for them all.

There is bravery in being who you are, and sharing your true self with the world. This story celebrates this beautifully.

Hundreds of years after King Arthur’s death, his descendant, Arthur, is betrothed to Princess Gwendoline. However, they can’t stand each other. They are forced to spend the entire summer together leading up to their eventual marriage. Soon after Arthur arrives at the palace, Gwen catches him kissing a boy. After she confronts him about it, Arthur finds Gwen’s diary where she fantasizes about kissing the only lady knight. Since they both like people of the same sex, they know they aren’t meant for each other, so they decide to work together. Gwen gets to spend more time with her lady knight, while Arthur gets closer to Gwen’s brother Gabriel. They eventually have to figure out a way to get around their future marriage and be with the ones they love.

This was a fun historical romance! It isn’t a retelling of the King Arthur story. Some of the characters are descendants of King Arthur, and most of them have been named after people from that era. Gwen, Arthur, and Lancelot were some of the names that were popular in the time period in the story. Though there were some serious moments, with the characters dealing with homophobia, there were also a lot of laugh out loud moments as well. It was very entertaining.

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love is a fun queer historical romance!

Thank you Wednesday Books for providing a finished copy of this book!

Content warnings: homophobia, death of parent

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review! This first book by Lex Croucher and it definitely will not be my last. This story was funny, engaging, and so heart-warming. it is so easy to fall in love with the characters. I thought there was great character development and that, the pacing suited the story well. I will be recommending this any who wants to pick up a young
adult rom-com.

Unfortunately I just couldn’t get into this. The characters speak and act in a thoroughly modern way, so much so I expected it to turn out to take place at a renaissance fair. But half way through it just seems like a very out of touch period piece.

The group of main characters is incredibly fun and diverse in terms of personality. They reminded me of ‘the life and death brigade’-friends in ‘gilmore girls’, because of their jokes and sneaking around.

I was dying to read this book when I first heard of it and I'm so glad that I got to it! It was an incredibly well-rounded retelling(ish) that kept me captivated the entire time. I was hooked from the very first chapter. I absolutely recommend it to any fantasy lovers!

Unfortunately I could not get into this book. I'm not sure if it was just the wrong time for me to read it, or something about the voice. Not for me. DNF.

Tales of King Arthur and Gwen are timeless, and Croucher reinvents these teenagers in yet another wonderful story! Adding queerness makes it more relatable, and with the writing, the characters jump off the page.

I LOVED this book. The ties to Arthurian legend were perfect, without encroaching on the already lore-rich stories of King Arthur, Gweneviere, and the Knights of the Round Table. In the most perfect way, Gwen and Arthur were just children and they were figuring out who they were in a very messy world, where they were betrothed and had absolutely no romantic love for each other. More so than the romance, the development of Arthur and Gwen as individuals and then as friends was just so perfect. Their friendship was so precious. Gabriel and Bridget served as the perfect accompaniment to their growing friendships. They both played vital roles in how Gwen and Art grew as people, while still standing alone as rich and unique individuals. I especially loved they slow burn between Arthur and Gabriel was so perfect, especially because it served as the perfect contrast to Gwen and Art's growing friendship, almost like it was the story that Gwen and Arthur could of had in their parent's ideal universe. All in all, this book was fantastic and absolutely everyone should read it.

Hundreds of years after the famed fall of Camelot, England has a new Arthur and Gwen in Gwen & Art Are Not in Love. As you can guess from the title, our main characters are not about to be swept off their feet… At least, not by each other. They may be betrothed, but they loathe one another. On top of that, Gwen is hopelessly crushing on the kingdom’s lone female knight and Art is a general gadabout who finds himself swiftly falling for Gwen’s brother. What are two decidedly not in love nobles to do? Why not put aside their differences and cover for each other?

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love starts off a bit slow as Art and Gwen clash, but it picks up steam as the two come together to, well, not be together. I really loved Gwen and Art’s growing friendship over the course of the story – it’s likely my favorite thing about the book. Gwen is formal and grumpy, but it hides a loneliness I don’t even think she sees at first. Art is impulsive and rarely serious, but his jokes cover a lot of pain. I liked seeing the two of them come into their own over the course of the story. I listened to this story on audiobook, and I feel like this is definitely a case where the narrators added to the story. Sarah Ovens hit the right notes as Gwen, but Alex Singh really made Art come alive for me. I’m not sure if I’d have enjoyed Art as much as I did had I just read the book. Singh brings such personality to the role that he really elevated it for me.

A romp with gay best friends would have been a solid story for me because Gwen and Art could be so much fun. But there’s romance here as well. Gwen has a major crush on Bridget and Art can’t help but fall for Gabriel. I do wish we’d have gotten Gabe and Bridget’s points of view because that would have rounded out the story much better. Still, as it stands I enjoyed seeing our protagonists fall in love, overcome obstacles, and take a risk on letting their true selves show.

I won’t spoil the story, but I will say that in the last quarter of the book Gwen & Art Are Not in Love takes a turn from fun romp with romance and adventure to violent and quite dark, with political machinations taking center stage in the final act. I can see what Lex Croucher was building to so I can’t say it came out of nowhere, but the shift in tone felt abrupt and I’m not sure I was satisfied with how the ending came about, but your mileage may vary.

I had mixed feelings about Gwen & Art Are Not in Love but overall I think it was entertaining. The middle of the book was delightful but the slow beginning and the change of tone at the end weren’t really my cup of tea. Still, there’s a lot to enjoy about this story – I love what Croucher did with the Arthurian legend and the friendships in this book were top-notch. Gwen and Art may not have been in love, but the themes of love, family, and finding the courage to stand up for who you are shine through this book.

I highly enjoyed this book and the relationships within it. It was so wonderfully done and is perfect for queer young adult audiences to see themselves represented in literature and experience a beautiful fantastical world!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this e-arc for an honest review

4.25⭐️

I absolutely loved “Gwen & Art are Not in Love” by Lex Croucher. I'm not usually big on historical fiction, but mix Arthurian legends, queer characters, and lots of banter, and I'm all in.

This book used all the cliché, commonly used tropes, but in opposite or ridiculous situations that just made them absolutely hilarious. We were also given characters that were annoying at the beginning but we slowly learned to love throughout the book. I loved Gwen and Art, and their dynamic, especially as they learned to tolerate each other, but also the romance we got to see between Gwen and Bridget, and Gabe and Arthur

The book started off in a rather slow pace that focused on the characters, but slowly progressed to also focus on the plot. The writing is modern but done in such a way that it didn’t take away from the historical setting but also made the book very easy to read.

I highly enjoyed this story and its characters, and I will definitely keep an eye out for more of Croucher’s books in the future.

Thank you, St Martin's Press and Wednesday Books, NetGalley, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

It's been hundred years since the original king Arthur and now is descendant, Arthur is bethroted to the quick-witted princess of England, Gwendoline, since their births. Pity they can't stand each other. When they are forced to spend the Summer together in Camelot, to plan the nuptials, Gwen discovers Arthur kissing a boy and Arthur digs into her diary, discovering her crush on the kingdom only lady knight, Bridget Leclair. After deciding to cover for each other, Arthur and Gwen slowly start to trust one other, while Gwen is engaging with Bridget and Arthur finds himself more and more involved with Gwen's brother..

I absolutely loved reading this book! It's fresh, original and filled with delicious banter, sweet and funny moments and vulnerable ones. Gwen and Art made me laugh and swoon and smile so hard my cheeks hurt! In this queer medieval rom com, Lex Croucher wrote a story about love and courage, friendship and crushes and the courage to be true to one's self and to change the history.
Funny and brilliant, Gwen and Arthur are amazing main characters and I loved how they are together, how they slowly start to trust one other, loving each other in a not romantic way, but still in a very important one. This take on the Arthurian legend is delightful and brilliant and Lex Croucher has a true way with the dialogues and the characterization. It's impossible not to love these characters and their journeys.
Filled with hearts and jokes, this book is a gem.