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.

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.