Centuries after the time of King Arthur, Gwen, the second daughter of England's current queen, finds herself living in Camelot under the watchful eyes of her parents and her brother, Gabriel, the heir the throne. Many years ago, Gwen's father had promised that she would marry Arthur, the son of a lord who has been an important ally of the king. The only issue is that the two have hated each other since they first met. When Gwen and Arthur are forced to spend the summer together at Camelot, as a way to get reacquainted before their marriage, they initially find their feelings remain the same. But after they discover the other's secret, they agree to pretend to be in love and to cover for each other so they can each pursue their own interests. But as the annual royal tournament moves toward its conclusion, the two soon find outside events intruding on their lives and their futures.

This is a charming story, full of winning characters, a fun and fast-paced narrative, and a creative spin on the King Arthur legend.

Highly recommended!

This was such a disappointment for me. I considered DNFing quite a few times, but trudged along, assuming it would get better. It got interesting for maybe 20% of the middle of the book, but that was about it. There was a lot going on and none of it felt fully fleshed out. The characters were meant to be satirical and funny, I think, but I just found them incredibly annoying.

4.5 Stars for Gwen & Art Are Not in Love

This book was an incredibly clever and fun take on an age old story we've heard time and time again. I absolutely loved how our four main characters all had such unique personalities and voices without any of their screen time being compromised for any other. The book was well balanced between Gwen and Art and their respective stories and romances while focusing well on the underlying main plot.

Overall this was a really enjoyable story with plenty of action, humor and romance!

4.75⭐️

I genuinely had so much fun reading this book! I laughed at their banter and wanted to wrap them up to keep them safe. I loved watching them grow.

This isn't a retelling, but is set in a world of their descendants. The setting/era took me a minute to grasp.

I am by no means an expert, but I loved the conversations that were had it this book relating to sexuality. Each of the characters are in very different places with acknowledging and accepting their sexuality. Of course there are arguments, but there are incredibly empathetic interactions as well.

I can see this book being extremely important and touching to teenagers (or any age truly) since there are so many journeys to acceptance to relate to. And of course, there's more to the plot and development too! Finding one's voice, taking a stand, changing history, and so much more!

❗️Content Warnings Include: Violence, homophobia, unhealthy relationships with alcohol, parental abuse, parental death, and struggles with mental health including depression

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 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.

Gwen & Art is a completely brilliant and unique story that I absolutely adored.

Lex Croucher's new book is a contemporary historical fiction, with a focus on an alternate, Arthurian-inspired history and queer romance. I call it "contemporary historical" and "Arthurian-inspired" because it's worth emphasizing: this book is NOT a retelling of King Arthur's story, or a dense, historically-accurate novel. Rather, it takes place in a version of medieval Europe in which King Arthur, Morgana, Merlin, and the Knights were REAL people. At the time of this story, some people, referred to as "cultists", worship these historical figures and their magic. The religious conflict between these cultists and Christians is one of the many surprisingly complex plots woven through the romantic storyline.

In case you haven't heard of this book: The story follows the princess of England, Gwen, and her betrothed, Arthur. Though the two despise each other, they decide to "cover for each other" after she discovers Arthur kissing a boy and he unearths proof of Gwen's crush on the lady knight Bridget Leclair. The result? 300 pages of witty banter, high emotions, cute queer romance, and a heartwarming found family. Also lots of bullying and betrayal and political drama--but that's more of an impressive side plot.

This book and I got off to a rough start. I wasn't sure I'd enjoy the "romcom" meets "historical fiction" genre, and it seemed full of run-on sentences and childish characters. However, Lex Croucher develops their voice and writing style quickly as they settle into the pace of the story, and it became much more enjoyable to read.

The characters also grew on me. The focus on their flaws, though sometimes annoying, made them feel much more real. Their dynamics, from the sibling bonds to the friendships to the romantic relationships, killed me with cuteness. I laughed out loud at the banter, kicked my feet and giggled at the love confessions, and held my breath during the drama.

While Gwen & Art is very different from the books I normally read and didn't hook me right away, it won me over with its complex characters, worldbuilding, and plotlines. If you're looking for something lighthearted but still adventurous, I cannot recommend this book enough times.

4.25ish stars

I really enjoyed this YA novel. There were some funny (and cheesy) moments as well as some serious scenes, and both contributed to the effective telling of this story. I liked but didn’t always love the major characters, and that’s because they were realistic, fairly well-developed, and therefore flawed but interesting people. I didn’t mind the dual perspectives for the story (or stories), but I would have preferred that each chapter alternated its point of view consistently rather than sometimes having large chunks of multiple chapters from one perspective as I found myself losing track of the other narrative. Overall, though, this story was a good one, and I’ll probably look at buying a copy for my classroom library. I’m really loving everything that the writer creates, especially the focus on creating diverse, queer historical fiction. (I also liked the title and absolutely loved the cover design/art for the book.) I can’t wait to read the writer’s next one!

3.5 -⭐⭐⭐💫

"It was dangerous to want things, and Gwen was out of practice."

Gwen & Art Are Not In Love is the debut book of author Lex Croucher and is a YA Queer Historical Rom-Com set it none other than Camelot. In it we follow betrothed Gwen and Art as they are forced to spend the summer tournament together and, seeing as they have never gotten along, both are dreaded it. Yet when Gwen discovers Art kissing boys in stables and Art discovers Gwen's infatuation with a lady knight an opportunity strikes. Maybe, just maybe, they can find the happiness they both deserve...away from each other.

This is an adorable read. I really found the dynamic of Art and Gwen to really help tie this story together, Gwen plays in to rigid female trying to do all the right things...except she has this desire she keeps bottled up. Art is the playful character who, despite having a world of pressure on his shoulders thanks to his father, takes life by the reigns. He sees an opportunity and takes it. The dichotomy of these created humour and banter that drew me in time and time again.

Now the love interests. I'm not going to dig into too much but I honestly felt this was a bit weaker in the story. Gwen's story with the lady knight becomes a bit traditional with Art trying to be matchmaker and the "summer will end" vibe. Art's has the angsty push and pull as one is confident in who they are while the other is trying to find themselves. I felt it worked but I wasn't falling for the romance. This story has no spice as it is YA.

"You can't do my punchlines for me," Arthur said crossly. "They're quite literally all I have."

In terms of world and story I like the little nods to Camelot and the story of King Arthur but you don't need the knowledge to read this story. It very loosely draws and any deeper understanding just allows you to access easter eggs. I did get to a point in the book and started thinking we were launching into a book series because I felt the conflict and backstory of the politics was unleashed with little to no warning. I wished we got a bit more political intrigue and tidbit to build this world.

Meanwhile the story has a very cutesy idea with the tournaments...that then go bloody. i enjoyed the sportsmanship to help tie down the story while also getting Art and Gwen's journeys of discovery. I felt there was plenty of shenanigans to book involving secret rendezvous, old cults, and bird training. They kept the pace and fleshed things out. The final 30% took a pretty dramatic turn (lots of action and twists) that I was initially overwhelmed with but gradually got my bearings. I felt it would have better worked in a series but by the end I felt comfortable with the resolution. It ended on a good note for me.

Ultimately, if you like banter, camaraderie, and a good medieval tale this is definitely a book to sink your teeth into!

Thank you Wednesday's books for this arc!

This was such a cute medieval about queer love and friendship. I loved the relationships between Gwen and Bridget and Art and Gabe, both of which were adorable and full of love and took the risk to be with each other in medieval times. But my favorite relationship of this book was the unlikely friendship between Gwen and Art. They started out hating each other and ended up as family. Their relationship was also filled with banter that stayed throughout the course of their relationship. I also loved their individual growth and how they helped each other get the love the wanted and deserved.

Overall, I loved this book and highly recommend!

Read if you like…
•queer romance
•hate to friends
•Arthurian times (not a retelling)
•found family

Thank you netgalley and wednesday books for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review!

rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

enjoyed this book from start to finish! croucher's writing and characters are just incredibly fun and beautiful, brave, and the lgbtqia+ rep is unmatched. i definitely need more from this author! definitely recommend, i loved it so so much and i'd definitely do rereads.

I quite frankly enjoy Lex Croucher's approach to YA historical fiction and fantasy. Her protagonists always feel appropriately young and vibrant, animating the distant historical setting. Gwen and Art are Not in Love had been on my TBR for quite some time, so I'd forgotten some of the details of the synopsis. I knew it was a queer YA medieval story, but I'd forgotten that it wasn't an Arthurian retelling (the titular Art is, allegedly, a distant descendant of Arthur Pendragon). I'd somehow misremembered this story as either a YA King Arthur story (a la Avalon High) or a Ren Faire YA romance. Given my confusion, the exposition felt a little meandering. However, the richly drawn main characters hooked me into the story really quickly, as I love a found family. Gwen, Arthur, Gabriel, Sidney, Agnes, and Bridget are all delightful. I was also impressed that some of the more supporting characters felt more lived in.

This book is more of a coming of age story than a romance, but the comparison to Heartstopper is apt, as the characters navigate love and self-discovery and their place in the world. Once I settled into the story queer descendants of King Arthur's Camelot, I really enjoyed the story. It feels like a cozy hug in which the protagonists' exploration of queerness is a joy, not a crisis.

Easy 5 stars. Love love love this book. The story is new and exciting with enough references to Arthurian legend to make it somewhat familiar. It’s queer and lovely and wonderful, full of hilarious banter and mysterious court intrigue and the most delightful cast of central characters. I laughed. I cried. I was on the edge of my seat. I want to read it again.

Have you ever tried reading something that you have absolutely zero knowledge of but still end up enjoying it anyway? Well, that was this book for me, though it helps that it takes place years after the times of Arthur Pendragon and Merlin--aforementioned zero knowledge of.

Decedents of Arthur and Guinevere of legend, Art and Gwen respectively, are betrothed; only problem is they hate each other. But it also doesn't help that Gwen finds out very early on that Art is not into women at all, and Art finds Gwen in a similar state with women. So they come up with a plan: cover for each other while also pretending to be lovebirds in the spotlight. But things get more complicated when Gwen's long time crush, a knight named Bridget, starts to look her way. And similarly Art starts to find Gwen's brother, Gabriel, rather attractive. Throw in some crazy cultists, secret plots, and a lot of banter, and this book is what you get.

Gwen and Art, along with their romantic counterparts, are definitely the stars here. The banter between all four of them is rather adorable, though after awhile it began to get very repetitive. Surprisingly, this book did angst really well, especially in regards to the last 75% of the book and when it dealt with Arthur's depression, and I feel I am definitely in the minority on that opinion. But I think it really captured the harsh realities of being in a position of power like these two, and while the banter is great, I really found myself looking more forward to that aspect of the book rather than the banter. But regardless, the main four leads, in addition to Gwen and Art's companions Sidney and Agnes, were fun to get to know, even if their endless bickering began to get stale towards the middle.

Despite my grievances with the overabundance of banter in this book, I will admit it just isn't my thing as much as anyone else. I just enjoy a bit of depression and stakes in my books, yeah know? And the last quarter of the book really gave that to me! I just wish it was sprinkled a bit throughout a bit more. But don't get me wrong, I still very much enjoyed this book! And if you aren't like me--well versed in the Arthurian legends and a comedic banter lover--I don't think you can get much better here.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Lex Croucher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Gwen & Art Are Not in Love comes out November 28, 2023.

This was a very cute YA historical romance with lighthearted dialogue and warm romance. I lost a little interest during the middle, but the story does pick back up and the beginning was attention grabbing for sure. I wish I would have had queer stories like this while I was growing up, but it was a fun and heartwarming journey still. If you are looking for a fun and romantic story to get you through the winter, you should check out Gwen & Art Are Not in Love.

I really liked this book. I loved the characters and the plot. My only issue with it is that I lost a little bit of interest somewhere in the middle, but it picked back up pretty quickly.

This book was a breath of fresh and a fun new take on the Arthurian tales. Rather than a retelling, it was a queer reimagining with loveable characters and cute romances. The plot was interesting although the ending felt a little rushed, but the character development made up for that.

Unfortunately this was a DNF at 25%, which is about 6% further than I should have read, but I really wanted to love it. This was literally made for me with this being a mix of "A Knight's Tale" and "Heartstopper." It lacked the charm of both of those stories and really just had a lot of cheesy dialogue that was cringy. Gwen was an absolute misery to read from her POV due to her constant whining, but Art may have been worse because he was just boring and had silly one-liners and conversations that seemed pointless. This is probably one of my biggest disappointments of the year, BUT I can see why other people would like it. If you can get over the cheesiness and just ignore the conversations, this could be a fun read. Sadly, I couldn't. I'm giving this a 2 star because I would recommend it to a very certain select number of people, but overall would not.

This was my first Lex Croucher book and what a trip! While the title absolutely says all you need to know from the start (Gwen and Art are, in fact, not in love), there's a whole slew of events that unravel with plenty of twists and turns that keep you wanting to read more.

Gwen has been slated to marry Art since she was born, but she has always despised him. When he comes to court and they're forced to be playmates, chaos always ensues. It's unclear who hates each other more. Now, they are entering adulthood and must start the process of uniting their families, but they still loathe each other. They also definitely fancy other people. When Art discovers a secret about Gwen's true affections and Gwen also uncovers one about Art, they decide to join forces and fake their love for each other as a cover to explore their true affections with other people.

A classic case of fake dating, but one that doesn't eventually lead to them falling in love with each other. Instead, they come to terms with their identities and become close friends throughout the process. The book explores coming of age topics as well as the exploration of one's identity and sexuality.

Altogether, this was a really fun read! Croucher does an excellent job of developing characters so that they spring to life, and brings this historical fiction, queer, almost-retelling book to life and into the modern world!

Gwen and Art are not in Love is a Queer romance novel set in the Camelot era. It has good banter between characters, queer royals, a hot knight, and perhaps my favourite character, the loyal sidekick. It’s a story about finding yourself and risking it all to be who you are. I love a good middle ages/medieval story, and adding in not one but TWO queer love stories made this book so much fun.

I’d recommend this one to anyone looking for a fun YA romance!

This young adult historical fiction romance was SO fun! A princess who doesn’t want to marry the rude Lord’s son because she’s too interested in the Lady Knight competing in the summer tournament; and the Lord’s son who isn’t interested in the standoffish princess because he’s too interested in [redacted] (can’t spoil the whole thing, can I?)

The banter in this book was very good, very snappy, and I thought the plot outside of the romances was done well (albeit a bit obvious re: the bad guys lol)! The friendship between Gwen and Art was a high point for me. I just really loved the found family in this, and am thrilled that I get to look into Croucher’s other novels where I can hopefully find more of it!


Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing a copy in exchange for a honest review.