What an outstanding debut from Lex Croucher. I am not usually one for retellings, but I adored this take on King Arthur and Camelot. The stories and characters we are seeing as readers lately are more accurately reflecting the lives we live and it’s so refreshing. There were times when I thought this novel could have been more fleshed out, but all in all it was cozy, well developed, and FUN to read. I love the way complex emotions and trauma are dealt with. Not only was there (mostly) clear communication between all characters there was always the underlying feelings things would work out. It was great writing from Croucher. Cannot wait to see the novels we get from them in the future. For now, will be recommending this queer retelling to all of my friends & waiting to get a physical copy for my shelf!

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher
Pub day is 11/28 🎉

Gwen and Art have been arranged to be married since Gwen was born and Arthur was two. When Arthur is sent to spend the summer getting to know his betrothed before their upcoming wedding, Gwen discovers him kissing a boy and Arthur uncovers Gwen's crush on the kingdom's only lady knight! 🤭 This premise!!!! It's perfect! They strike a deal to keep each other's secrets and pursue their own love stories! 💕

⚔️ The synopsis promised Heartstopper meets A Knight's Tale, and Lex Croucher delivered.
🐎 I love that this turns out to be an HEA x3! 👏
⚔️ I have always loved coming out stories and queer awakening stories. Other than Twilight, gay stories were pretty much the only fiction that captured my interest in my teen years. And I've definitely never tired of it. Gwen and Gabriel's (siblings not lovers, mind you) queer awakenings, their personal conflicts, and journeys are so different in this novel, but I really fell in love with both of these brave souls.
🐎 I loved the humor. Arthur really is something else. He banters and bickers with everyone. And his character arc also turns out to be so endearing, too!
⚔️I think I wanted a little more swoon in the Gwen and Bridget story, or perhaps just *more* of them together in general.
🐎 Lex Croucher books (this is the third one I've read) are not really historical romance... despite having romantic plots in historical settings. This book as well as Reputation and Infamous are more like... historical teens behaving badly and also kissing! Not a complaint, but it doesn't have the same pace or style of HEA as a historical romance and shouldn't be categorized as a histrom! 👍
⚔️To sum it up, this book starts off so freaking charming, gets surprisingly heavy, and ends happy!! In a nutshell, I got exactly what I wanted from a YA/NA, queer, historically set romance-ish, impossible-to-slot-neatly-into-a-genre story!

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this ARC! All.opinons are my own!

A funny and lighthearted rom-com set in an alternative Camelot, where many years after King Arthur’s reign, his descendants are up to no good.

I was immediately drawn to A Knight’s Tale description and it delivered! It was silly and modern, I fell for these characters and their struggles (and shenanigans!) I wanted a few more sword fights but the finale was acceptable.

While I connected more with Gwen’s story, her romance was developed significantly better than Arthur’s, many of the relationships were heartwarming and sweet. But Arthur also had his moments! I thought him and Sidney were two peas in a pod, they were hilarious and ridiculous and I wouldn’t mind reading more of their adventures.

Overall it’s a pretty wholesome book and I love the contrast of making it a queer story set in a medieval period!

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for an early copy to review.

Realistically I probably should've loved this more than I did but nonetheless it was fun, had a unique take on a retelling (though it wasn't quite a retelling being that Arthur et al. actually existed but you get it..) that mashes up all the vibes indicated in the pitch, and almost achieved a balance between the aforementioned fun, and the ridiculousness of it all, with the seriousness of some of the events taking place.

I say almost because the latter half of the book did feel rather out of place with the rest of it all.

I don't really have a whole lot to say about this one but I can confirm it'll absolutely make you want to watch A Knight's Tale once you're through. So I'm off to do that now.

This was a fun spin on the story of Arthur and Gwen.

Set in an England where King Arthur is long dead, his descendent, also called Arthur, is supposed to marry the princess Gwendoline. One problem. Arthur and Gwen are both gay.

Although I was drawn to this story by the idea of a Sapphic Gwen, I actually liked Arthur much more. His friendship with his bodyguard is absolutely wonderful, and the relationship he develops is more believable and romantic than the one Gwen finds. Gwen found some redemption in the end, and I didn't hate her or anything. The banter was fantastic.

This was okay. I’ve read other queer telling a of King Arthur and all have been mediocre. This was no different

I don't want to support an author who goes to hateful rallies and rages against my very culture on Instagram when we try to reach out to their morality, so I'll be DNFing this one.

Let me begin this review by saying that Lex Croucher is really doing something innovative: she's writing New Adult books in a historical setting. It's important to note that she's not writing romances, nor are they YA. Her books feature young protagonists (17-23) who are figuring out what kind of adults they want to be. Sure, this can include elements of romance, in the sense that part of growing up means learning about interpersonal relationships, but the love story is not necessarily the point.

In Gwen & Art Are Not in Love, Croucher takes us to a misty non-historically-accurate medieval England. Gwen (short for Gwendolyn) is the daughter of the King of England, and Art (short for Arthur) is her betrothed. They hate each other, and have ever since they were children. Not only do they hate each other, Art is gay and Gwen is bi+. He's got a crush on her brother; she's got a crush on the only woman knight.

Does this sound farcical? Because Croucher takes it seriously, and expects the reader to, as well. In the tradition of historical romance, she uses the setting to explore contemporary issues from a "safe" unrealistic perspective. Only, unlike historical romance, she focuses on contemporary issues like parental expectations, questioning your sexual identity, or coming out as a young adult in a society that may or may not be accepting of it.

This is an honest review, so I will admit that the book itself just isn't for me. I am not a New Adult reader and I just don't think I ever will be. That said, the book is well written, and I think will appeal to NA readers, especially those who are intrigued by a historical setting. If this sounds like something you'd like, you probably will!

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

There were things I really enjoyed about this one and things that didn’t really grab me. I’ll start with what I liked. Arthur was an absolute delight to read. He was witty and sarcastic and I loved his friendship with Sidney. I also liked his character growth from being a borderline alcoholic who doesn’t think much of himself to someone who cares and tries and ends up a hero. I liked the mythology and legends of King Arthur and how they played into the political and royal climate of Camelot (this is not a retelling, FYI). The last 30% was where I was REALLY flying through the book because there was so much happening with court politics and everything and I loved that. Now, for what didn’t really work for me: Gwen. Gwen and honestly Gabriel were both really bland to me. Maybe it’s because Arthur was such a character, but I just did not connect with them at all. They did grow on me a bit during the end, but not enough to really make a difference. I didn’t really feel anything for Bridget and Gwen’s flirtation or Gabe and Arthur’s. Both felt very awkward and not quite as developed as I would have liked. I struggled through the first 60ish%, especially with Gwen’s chapters, but I kept going because I knew something was coming and I’m glad I did. I think a lot of readers are going to enjoy this one and I am happy I read it, but I had very high expectations for this one and overall it fell a bit flat for me.


Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Where do I even start with this book it was just everything I wanted and more it reminded me of how I felt when I first read Red White and Royal Blue with the same level of humor and drama.

If you’re a fan of character driven books I would say this one for you, or if your looking for a book to help you get into more character focused books I would suggest this one. I found that I had become so attached and in love with these characters so quickly that when they celebrated I celebrated and when they cried so did I. Getting to watch Gwen and Art find love and getting to read their character growth was so splendid and well done. But also the friendships were beautiful written Art and Sid’s friendship was so amusing and felt so real and right and Gwen’s friendship with her brother made me wish I had, had a close friend in my brothers like her. I think this is a book that truly everyone will enjoy.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest review.

You had me at queer romance, chaos, drama, pining, and historical fiction.

What an utter delight of a book. It’s absolutely worth it to spend a few hours with these characters — you’ll grow to love them all.

Just so much fun overall.

This book was a rollicking good time.

Gwen and Arthur (no, not THAT Gwen and Arthur, but yes, this is Camelot, just about 100 years later) might not be in love, but they ARE supposed to have an arranged marriage. Except Gwen's actually mooning over the knight Lady Bridget from afar and Arthur can't stop looking at Gwen's brother Gabriel. Their solution is to pretend to be madly in love and act as each other's beards - surely nothing will go wrong. (Something will go wrong.)

I laughed out loud more than once during this book. Gwen and Art are hilarious, if a bit childish, and I loved their dynamic. Honorable mention to Sidney, Art's long-suffering sidekick, who deserves not only a raise but also a big glass of beer. The banter throughout the book was top-notch. Each character had a distinct voice - I'll read another of Croucher's books purely based off of the dialogue here.

If you're a regular historical fiction fan or an Arthurian buff, you might be bothered by the anachronisms. Just know going in that this is written with a very modern voice with a modern perspective. The setting is medieval, but that's mostly in name only. (But there IS jousting!) I enjoyed this, but I wasn't reading it for the historical accuracy.

Overall, I had a great time reading this book - Lex Croucher has written a book filled with queer joy and queer love .

Humorous, fun, and the characters are just so easy to love!
“to be truly brave, first you must be afraid—and to be afraid, you must have something you cannot bear to lose.” UGH MY HEART.
Absolutely exceeded my expectations!

This was absolutely fantastic. Queer romance, historical fiction, fantasy, Arthurian cults, drama, witter banter, pining... What more could you ask for?

I absolutely loved Gwen, Arthur, Gabriel and the gang. I do wish we had some of Gabriel's perspective, as I felt myself wanting to know him better. Nevertheless, this was a 5 star read I couldn't put down!

For fans of Heartstopper and Red, White and Royal Blue, you'll love Gwen & Art Are Not In Love.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lex Croucher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review!

This was a fun book! Gwen and Art are betrothed but haven't really seen each other since they were little. There is some fun chemistry among the main characters, including Gwen's brother Gabriel and a knight, Bridget Leclair.

This was a fairly lighthearted read, and it was enjoyable to step back in time to read this one. Thanks to Netgalley for the book!

4.5/5 rounded up
It's time for me to confess that I absolutely judge books by their cover. Normally, <i> Gwen & Art Are Not in Love </i> is not the book I would pick up at the library or bookstore because 1) I don't love books that are primarily romance centered and 2) I absolutely cannot stand this new trend of book covers with the monochrome cartoon drawings on EVERY. SINGLE. COVER. I've never been so happy to be so wrong and humbled, this book really was an absolute pleasure to read.

The story takes place in Medieval England with heavy influence from King Arthur's mythology. The story is centered around Gwen, a princess, who is betrothed to Arthur, a son of a lord, and their engagement they had no choice in. Turns out, both of them not only cannot stand each other but are also not straight! The story follows the hijinx and antics that ensues with a lavender marriage. While the plot wasn't the most groundbreaking, it was such a fun story to read. The characters, while sometimes grating, are horribly endearing and hilarious (especially Arthur). The book, while formulaic at times, was heartwarming as our cast of oddballs become like family to each other as the story progresses. I was shocked at how much the characters grew on me until I was sobbing reading later in the book. While the m/m romance in the book was well-developed and interesting to read, I found the f/f romance lacking. Despite this, it was such a fun read and tugged at my emotions in a surprising way. I enjoyed reading every minute of this book, and it may have me rethinking my stance on book covers.

I'm settling on a 3 star for this book. I struggled through the first 40%, but will say this was a book that I'm glad I stuck it out for. The second half did grab my attention and I thought overall it was a fun read. I enjoyed the modern take, set in the Arthurian world. I really wish the characters and romantic relationships were fleshed out better, they fell flat for me unfortunately. The most developed relationship we get is Gwen and Art, I did love the development of their friendship. I just really wanted more from the love interests.

GWEN & ART ARE NOT IN LOVE is a really interesting book for a variety of reasons. I think what I was expecting was not what I got, but in a great way. With concepts of found family, finding your identity, and being faithful and true to yourself, you have a great story that, while there is action with sword fighting, also focuses on how a person can live authentically, even if they are not within the "norms" (because, really, what does normal truly mean anyway?) of what society values.

Part of what makes this book so special, as I've stated, is that this book considers the idea of living as your true self. We meet Gwen, who has been engaged to Arthur since childhood, as a princess in Medieval England where the legend of King Arthur has become just that: a myth . They despise each other. Yet they find common ground in the fact that they are both gay in a time where that is frowned upon or that needs to be hidden. While this seems heavy, and it is in some places, it is more about becoming who you were always meant to be, to be accepting of what makes you unique, and to go for what you truly want to live as you see fit, not as society tells you. Mix that in with some really fun banter and you've got yourself a novel that was an enjoyable read. And the interactions with side characters like Sidney and Arthur? They were just incredibly well written and so much fun.

While I loved those aspects of the story, it does get a little repetitive between Gwen and Arthur and their hatred of one another. And because this is more an introspective, character growth novel, I would say the plot moves a bit slow at times and then rushes towards the end. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but I think the length could be reduced a bit to have that be more balanced.

However, I think that this story is definitely worth reading, especially if you love the idea of living authentically, love some Medieval LGBTQIA+ love (with a lady knight and a prince!), and character driven novels.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of GWEN & ART ARE NOT IN LOVE by Lex Croucher. I've enjoyed all of Croucher's books I've read so far, though this one was different in age category, genre, and tone. It was full of so much witty banter and had A Knight's Tale/Spamalot kind of anachronistic, goofy humor that I found delightful. I was surprised that it was not an Arthurian retelling, but more Medieval, hundreds of years after Arthur's time in a society that's kind of obsessed with the legend. It also wasn't really a romance, though there was plenty of that. Because while Gwen and Art are definitely not in love, their enemies-to-friends relationship and how it helps them grow and develop as characters is the main focus on the story. It was fun and light-hearted and I overall enjoyed myself.

I'm a huge fan of Lex Croucher, and this did not disappoint.

I love these LGBTQ historical fictions, and Croucher is a master at them. The hilarious characters, bickering over their expected marriage and any other topic within reach, resent each other for the circumstances they are in. Once they start to get to know one another and realize this is not initially what either would have chosen, they start to work together and form a friendship.