Arthur and Gwenivieve, a love for the ages. But Art and Gwen… not so much..

In "Gwen & Art Are Not in Love," the betrothed descendants of King Arthur and the Princess of England despise each other. However, when they are forced to spend time together, they discover each other's secrets and form an unlikely alliance. As the annual royal tournament approaches, romantic shenanigans ensue.

Run, don’t walk, to read this book! I was absolutely obsessed from the beginning and Lex Croucher is definitely high on my favorite authors list now after this one. The quirky characters and constant banter had me grinning from ear to ear.

Recommended if you love:
✨Forbidden Love
✨Opposites Attract
✨Enemies to Friends
✨Fake Relationship
✨LGBTQ Romance

Totally adorable and I hope everyone reads it! I had a great time reading this book. Well balanced between the light hearted banter and deeper emotional moments. Loved it!

Often I ignore comparative titles in book blurbs, but as a queer person who watched a A Knight’s Tale far too much growing up, this book scratched an itch there that I didn't even know I had.
Is it historically accurate? No. Just like A Knight’s Tale, it finds the fun in using a world we mostly know from stories to set off a fun and satisfying tale. I deeply enjoyed this book from start to finish, the writing was solid and the storytelling was engaging. Something I value in romcom novels is there being more to the story than just the rom & com, and Gwen & Art Are Not in Love does this perfectly, with each of the MCs finding different challenges along the way and growing, with a backdrop of political intrigue, just for funzies.
The one thing I will flag is that the last quarter of the book does include some violence and non-romance heartbreak, thanks to that political intrigue I mentioned, but I feel that the author artfully wrapped things up by the end in a way that allows the reader to feel the emotions of the dramatics, without ruining the feel-good mood we normally expect when we pick up a rom-com to read.
Thank you to netgalley arc in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars


In general, I really liked this book.
The only thing that kinda bothered me is the language/colloquialisms used. Sometimes the characters would speak in a manner that was definitely “Ye Olde English” and then other times, I expected someone to whip out a cell phone.

I always love seeing books take on the man, the myth, the legend that is King Arthur & his Circular Sitting Area. This was fun — seeing Arthur being fully secure and confident in who he is, as well as making space for his comrades to gain that confidence too…mad respect for Lil Arthur Two Hats.

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Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for the eARC.

4.25 stars

Add this to your TBR right now. It's a queer YA medieval rom-com advertised as "Heartstopper" meets "A Knight's Tale" and it had me guffawing and binging most of it in a day. I don't know how it happened that most of my planned ARC reads this month are medieval and humor-based but I am having the best time.

The title might throw you, but this is not a retelling. It takes place in Camelot a handful of generations after King Arthur's time, and his story has already faded into more legend than fact. The myths surrounding King Arthur and his court motivate a sect of cultists who believe he will return one day and take his place as true king, and you know I love a religious fanatic subplot, but this isn't about THAT Arthur and Gwen.

The story is dual POV, switching between Gwen, a second-born princess of Camelot, and Arthur (again, not that one), a lord and her betrothed since birth. Unfortunately, they hate each other, so a happily ever after is not imminent. Until they realize that they're both queer and that if they carry off a fake dating/courting scheme, they can be each other's beards and maybe even ... friends? Gwen has a fat crush on Lady Bridget LeClair, the only female knight in the realm and a total badass. Arthur is just generally here for a good time, maybe specifically with Gwen's uptight and unattainable brother, the crown prince, Gabriel. Gabe rescues injured corvids, names all his pets after Arthurian figures, reads books, and is repressed. We love him, but not as much as we love Arthur, because he is a delightful disaster.

Arthur and his bodyguard, Sidney, are some of my favorite characters I've read recently. Their friendship and banter had me wheezing and highlighting entire pages, I loved them so much. I think if this book had been only from Arthur's POV, or even Arthur and Gabriel, I may have given it 5 stars on vibes alone, but I didn't love Gwen as much as the boys, so even though she grew on me as she came into herself her chapters weren't my favorites. I do always appreciate a good m/f platonic relationship though, and her and Arthur were adorable friends by the end.

The majority of this book is just hijinks, but then the last ~25% takes a turn and goes darker when some of the political foreshadowing comes to fruition, which caught me by surprise. I wanted a little more from the ending, it felt a bit abrupt even though the events themselves fit. I mostly just wanted to hang out with these characters for a bit longer, though. I'll definitely be checking out Lex Croucher's other work!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, & the author for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was, as always from Lex Croucher, adorable. Arthur, a future lord and general and charming wastrel, is engaged to Gwendolyn, the princess of England. They have hated each other since childhood but knew that one day, they'd have to be married. Arthur's father sends him to Camelot to get to know his betrothed and within 24 hours, Gwen discovers Art kissing a boy and Art discovers that Gwen has a crush on the realm's only lady knight, Brigid Leclair. Highjinks ensue and Gwen and Art decide they'd make better friends than enemies.. Funny and sweet, I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.

*Special thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-arc.*

This book was a little bit of a roller coaster for me. It had a somewhat slow start, then got really good in the middle and towards the end, then left me feeling a little let down by the ending. At some points I was thinking it would be a 5 star read, but overall I think it was a four star book for me.

The VIBES: Red, White and Royal Blue meets A Knights Tale. I laughed out loud quite a few times while reading, and the humor was my favorite part. I liked the romances but they are more side elements of the book than the focus. I could have used a few more feels, but overall it was an enjoyable reading experience.

The CHARACTERS: This had a great cast of characters, including the side characters. The relationship between Arthur and his bodyguard, while entirely platonic, was my favorite. The main characters are very unlikeable at times. They make bad choices. They are self-centered. They are full of flaws. But they definitely grew on me and I think the reasons for their flaws are evident. But you are absolutely gonna want to shout at them at certain points in the book. I did wish we got to know Bridget a little better. She's a total hottie badass, and I loved every time she was on page, but I wanted to know more about her flaws and quirks. Make her afraid of spiders or something and give her a funny scene. I wanted a bit more.

The PLOT and WORLDBUILDING: I could have used a bit more worldbuilding and backstory, but it wasn't a sticking point for me. Once the plot got rolling I was super engaged and it went some directions I hadn't expected. Again, plotting could have been a bit tighter, but I found it quite entertaining. I would have liked to know more about the cultists and about those protective necklaces that sort of seemed to be included in the plot for no reason?

The PACING: Here's where I ran into some issues. Some parts in the beginning felt a bit slow, which okay is a common thing, but then once the ball got rolling things were so exciting and so much was happening and I was really being propelled along at a great pace and then BAM all that momentum ended too abruptly. I wanted more from the ending. It wasn't unsatisfying exactly, but I wanted more from it. This would have been a great place to get a few more feels and to get more of a feel for how these couples work when they are actually together. Also, I wanted to hear the speech dammit! Give me a rousing speech! Make me cry!

FAVORITE PARTS: Every single time Arthur and Sidney interacted. The cat, obviously. The scene with the doctors totally dismissing Bridget's menstrual issues. (The more things change the more they stay the same, etc etc...)

I'd happily recommend this one. It wasn't perfect but it was a very enjoyable read and quite entertaining.

This books defied my expectations in the best possible way. Based on the title, I’d expected this to be a queer Arthurian legend retelling. It’s not. Gwen and Art aren’t THAT Gwen and Art, though Gwen lives in Camelot and this Arthur is a descendant of Arthur Pendragon. Also, many hilarious Arthurian legend references are included throughout.

Gwen has been betrothed to Arthur since the moment she was born. They can’t stand each other, something probably not helped by the fact they’re both gay and therefore immune to each others romantic charms. This Arthur is an even bigger prat than his namesake on the BBC show Merlin. Plus, he has a bad habit of drowning his sorrows in wine. Gwen, on the other hand, is everything she’s been raised to be: prim, proper, and powerless (or so she thinks). However, she’s quite taken with Lady Knight Bridget Leclair.

To get their parents off their back, and keep their true infatuations secret, Gwen and Art agree to a fake courtship. The result is a banter-filled enemies-to-reluctant friendship that I didn’t want to put down. While it’s not all lighthearted—there’s some quite impressive action toward the end—it’s still an entertaining romp from start to finish. Highly recommended to anyone who loves swoony sword sapphics and/or wished Merlin and Arthur would kiss.

Lex Croucher is quickly becoming a must-read author for me since I also thoroughly enjoyed and recommend Infamous.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.

⚔️ Gwen and Art are Not In Love ⚔️

“So what do you want to do with your one slightly dull but nonetheless precious life?”

Y’all how fun was this one! Set in Camelot, we follow Arthur who has come to spend the summer with his betrothed, Gwen. Despite their history of animosity, they strike a true to pretend to be enamored with each other. An unlikely friendship is born as Arthur shows Gwen how to be herself and love who she wants to love, even as Arthur is constantly distracted by Gwen’s boring and bookish older brother, Gabriel, the future king of England.

Come for the Camelot, stay for the
⚔️ Coming of age YA
⚔️ Queer romance
⚔️ Hilarious banter
⚔️ Top notch cast of characters friend group
⚔️ Dual POV love story of friendship

Great for a quick, light read with important representation, even in times of Camelot! Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday books for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

Omg I loved this so much!!! I’ve been having a very meh reading month so this was such a pleasant surprise!! The queer found family of it all was the true shining point of this story but literally every other aspect was so great too! Gwen & Bridget, Art & Gabe, Sydney & Agnes, the overall mystery, the atmosphere, the King Arthur aspect, the humor, just seriously everything was so good!! I cannot recommend this one more 😍

Big thanks to NetGalley for supplying this ARC to me in exchange for a review!
DNF @ 17% - I’m so sorry, I don’t think this book is the worst by any means but I just kept dreading to read more. It did not draw me in at all and reading a chapter was like pulling teeth. I thought Gwen was just insufferable and I didn’t care enough about her or Arthur or anyone else to slog through it.

As soon as I started the book, I was surprised that there was no formatting whatsoever for the chapter starting pages. If you are giving an ARC for review, the book needs to have some form of formatting. Readers, no matter who they are and at what point they are reading the book, should judge the book as a whole. They judge the art, the formatting, and the many POVs that are not labeled—literally everything. So it's not been a great start so far.

I have been reading ARCs for a while now, and my main pet peeve is unlabeled multi-points of view. I don’t care if it's two POVs or seven. If there are multiple points of view, YOU MUST LABLE THEM.

As I was reading this book, it constantly felt like I was waiting for it to pick up in tension, conflict, or something, but it didn’t. I like how every character had some flaws and pluses, but Gwendoline didn’t have anything to her; she was a very flat character. For example, Arthur is snarky, has a troubled family home or life, was trained in certain aspects of being an heir, and is very gay. Sidney is a Casanova who would literally waste his time to pursue a girl but is a great friend and good at his job. Gabriel is the unfortunate heir to the king who loves reading and studying and wants to be the best king he could be, but in his own way with no violence. But for Gwen, she is just very complain-y and is in love with a woman knight (I don't know what the proper term is), and she does embroidery; she is so painfully bossy. I would recommend this book to people who like lots of monologue-forward stories.

I started getting into the book around chapter 15, but then at chapter 35 it fell through, and I had trouble finishing it. I just think it's because the book keeps going back and forth between POVs and it's hard to keep track. I do like the ending I think it was wrapped up nicely. I will reread this and update my review accordingly.

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is such a fun book—it turns the traditional tail on its head with a LGBT+ twist.

The characters were lively and vibrant and deliciously interesting to read about. I immediately felt immersed in this world and was captivated by it! I do wish we got more perspective from Bridget Leclair; I understand why we didn't but with the way the characters and chapter perspectives were set up, I kept hoping we'd get at least something.

The writing itself was so lovely—there were moments where I was truly laughing out loud or texting my friend (who had already read an ARC) about specific lines. I think this is such a fun book that young adults will just eat up. It's clear, too, that Lex Croucher knew her world, her characters, her in-novel politics inside and out; the worldbuilding just felt natural.

The only flaw I have is that, even though Croucher set up the last third of the book, it still kind of came abruptly. It also felt very quick, given the serious nature of the plot. I remember looking at the page numbers going 'how are we going to wrap this up?' It wasn't bad per se, but I could see readers who got swept completely in the romance to be a bit taken off guard and thrown off. She left clues along the way of what was to come, but I do think the pacing felt a bit off and that there should have been a bit more time devoted to it.

It's been a moment since I finished so, looking back, I would probably give Gwen & Art are Not In Love closer to a 4.5 rating out of 5 but, when I finished the novel, I was so delighted by queer love, brass female characters, and snarky medieval characters that I had to give it 5 stars and I want to honor that.

What a delightful read--a queer re-telling of Camelot with lots of fun, and MM and FF and MF love galore. A found family develops in the course of the book and the characters surprise you Nice contrasts between the MCs. Wonderful re-imagining of the legend of King Arthur--those missing letters!

At first, I felt the book was a bit long but then I settled into the author's leisurely pace and quite enjoyed it all. The author writes well. That said, did Arthur become at bit tiresome? Yes. If you are a stickler for characters whose speech is of their time, this is not for you. They all speak like 21st century teens--which allows for snarky humor but is a bit disconcerting.

Still a fun read with serious themes--and a few heavy scenes. Stayed up late to finish!

Thanks to NetGalley for a free ARC of this book.

What a delightfully strange New Adult novel with elements of romance and politics but an unabashed focus on found family.

Set in an alternative Camelot where the remnants of the Knights of the Round Table are ever present, this story is far from a retelling. Croucher uses the cast of original characters to paint the backdrop of the political factions in this Camelot-- those loyal to the King, and those loyal to another faction fueled by occult artifacts and a belief in Morgaine's magic.

While set in medieval times, Croucher uses modern humor and hijinks, and somehow pulls off the balance.

The premise is as farcical as you can imagine: Gwen is the princess of England who was betrothed to the son of a cultist, Arthur, at birth, in an attempt to bridge factions for a long lasting peace. Gwen and Art are childhood antagonists and are thrust back together in near adulthood to build a better relationship before their marriage. But they still rankle each other. Before long, Gwen finds out that Art is gay and has a crush on her brother (heir to the throne) while Art finds Gwen (who is bi) mooning over the only woman knight.

The characters were fully fleshed out and easy to love. Art and his right hand man Sidney were straight out of Monty Python at times. Their friendship was a high point of the novel & Sidney's evolution from slut to devoted amour was fun to watch. Art is dealing with the alcoholism he's developed to blunt the meanness of his father's abuse and his betrothal to a woman despite being gay, but masks this in humor. Gwen is a prickly royal prone to aloneness. As is her brother

Not much happens in regard to plot until the last 20% (which is pure action), but Croucher builds the political tension and eventual betrayals well.

My main critique is that I think this book maybe bit off a bit more than it could chew. Both romances didn't get their due, and neither did the political backdrop with fantasy elements. I almost think it should have been a series or at least a duology. Either way, it's a fun and heartwarming read.

Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC. All thoughts my own.

This is not a genre I usually read, but I did enjoy this book. I will be looking for more titles by this author. I would definitely recommend this book. It was a quick, easy, fun read!

I really enjoyed this. Set in a kind of alternate medieval England/Wales several generations after King Arthur and his ilk were all definitely real, historic people (the verdict is still out on the veracity of the magic), it's a queer coming-of-age story combining siblings, first loves, kingdoms, fighting, and politics. A little deeper, darker, and more interesting than just pure wish fulfillment (though I would have accepted pure wish fulfillment, too!)

Gwen and Art are not in love - 3.5-4 stars

GWART was an enjoyable read. I would love to go back and read it again and really look into all the little things that I am sure I have missed (also when I don’t have a million assignments that also take priority and make it so it takes weeks to get through the book). Gwen and Art are definitely not in love, but I enjoy the way that they went from enemies to friends. I like that Art was able to get Gwen out of her shell and that Gwen was able to enjoy the world that Art was able to show her.

The romances were not huge, which I think for a more coming of age book was a great subplot rather than taking over the whole story. The book really focused on friendships, and one I enjoyed was the friendship between Gwen and Agnes, although it did not grow much, I enjoyed their connection. The third act conflict kept me on the edge of my seat because it just kept going and going and going. Although it felt like a lot as one thing happened after another it was so good! I needed to know how it ended up. Overall I really enjoyed it

I absolutely adored this retelling of Camelot's beloved characters. While set centuries ago, the characters' challenges, dreams, and inner turmoil is definitely relatable for readers not just in the YA age range but also adult. All the characters had very distinct personalities that complimented each other and added to the story. I was invested in each one of their growth journeys - yes, all 6 of them.

Reader beware: the last quarter of the book takes a big dark turn which can be bit shocking considering the routine the reader gets into with the characters and their banter. Check out trigger warnings before picking this up.

I really hope the classification of this book as YA doesn't turn off adults from picking it up and that fans of this author's other books read this one, too.

This is a charming queer romantic comedy set at Camelot hundreds of years after King Arthur. Despite the medieval setting and frequent (mostly amusing) callbacks to the Arthurian legends, it has a very contemporary feel. I loved the quirky characters, the banter, and the found family, although the romances were a bit underdeveloped. The book takes a surprisingly dark and violent turn towards the end as the political intrigue hinted at throughout the book suddenly dominates the plot, but the difficult situations force the lead characters into some much-needed growth, and I think the ending will satisfy romance lovers’ desire for a happy ending.

I found Art charming despite all of his flaws, and I absolutely loved the supporting characters Sidney, Agnes, and Lady Bridget Leclair. Princess Gwen and her heir to the throne brother Gabriel could be quite frustrating at times, but they become much more likable as they learn to live more authentically. I also enjoyed the animals, including a cat named Merlin/Lucifer and a crow named Morgana.

If you enjoy books by Alexis Hall and Casey McQuiston, you should give this a try.

I received a free advanced review copy of the ebook and audiobook through NetGalley. I volunteered to provide an honest review.