very sweet and funny at times, though i do feel like it went on for a little longer than was necessary, it's also hard to pin point the time period. the language can be pretty modern at times. i think the friendships were what really sold this. gwen and art's slow-burn friendship was probably the most interesting aspects of this story, and for that, i highly recommend!

This is not an Arthur and the roundtable retelling, or reimagining. The characters, while they share names with the legendary King, are not related to Arthur - well, actually one is.
This story follows Gwendolyn and Arthur, betrothed since birth and totally annoyed about it.

I loved this read and had such a fun time. I cried with the characters and loved with them. It had some very funny moments and great drama as well. I couldn't put the book down for the final act.

I am officially a Lex Croucher fan and will read anything she writes.

4.25

A queer, medieval rom-com where the two love interests from history hate each other.

“I don’t think doing a difficult thing and being happy are mutually exclusive, Gabriel. I think you could both have some of the things you want, if you’re brave enough to ask for them.”

The character's banter and their relationships with each other was such a fun and enjoyable read! I especially loved the depth of the friendships outside the main relationships, showing how great both platonic and romantic relationships can be. Sometimes the main characters Gwen and Art were a bit bratty to me, but I had to remember that this is a YA book and most of the characters are in their late teens- so it's understandable. However, I will reiterate, that the banter between everyone was so fun and felt like such a comfort read! The ending deals with heavy topics and darker imagery, different from the beginning of the book, so it was a bit unexpected and came a little sudden. The only thing I will say about the book is that I wish there was more of a transition from the beginning to the end.

Overall, the book was such a fun and gay read that I absolutely devoured it! I wasn't expecting to like it so much since I haven't been into rom-coms recently, but this was different than I expected. It's not your average rom-com or Arthurian retelling! I'm super excited for it to come out next month in November!

Thank you, NetGalley for the Arc!

“Gwen and Art Are Not In Love” was a wonderful exploration of love, friendship, history and self-discovery. I was fully engaged, laughing out loud, absolutely lost in the story and characters. I absolutely adored every single one of the characters, and they all felt like fully-formed, real people, and the banter felt like falling in with old friends. Gwen and Art were so cute with their enemies to best friends storyline. The love interests were so strong as well. Bridget was badass and ready to fight at the drop of a hat. I loved how loyal, strong, and independent she was. I did enjoy the development of the relationships in the story, but I wish we got more of the couples interacting. As much as I loved Gwen and Arthur’s banter, it seemed like we got them together more than their love interests. I understand they are the main characters, but I would have liked to see the relationships build a little more. I just wanted to see more because I loved them together so much. Overall, it’s a cute and fun LGBTQ+ romance book with coming of age characters. Thanks to Lex Croucher, Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Wednesday Books for an e-arc in exchange for my thoughts. I would recommend this book. I look forward to reading what Lex writes next!

I'm not usually one for historical stories but I loved this one so much! I found the characters were well-written and very lovable and the whole idea of the plot was super fun and I thought that was also written well. I loved seeing Gwen and Art go from enemies to allies and honestly they made quite the platonic pair. Also all of the character growth was wonderful to read, if anything I would've loved to see more from Gabriel since there was so much more growth that could've happened with his character. And the banter between all the characters, but especially Art and Gabriel. was just fantastic.
I will say this is NOT a retelling, it is inspired by Arthurian Legend but that's not the same thing.... not that I minded one bit. Having a story inspired by Arthurian Legend that's also queer af is is the absolute best.

thank you to netgalley for the ARC!

I cannot stress enough how freaking excited I was for this book!! it was practically hand-tailored to my interests: arranged marriage, queer in opposite directions, enemies-to-friends, arthurian legends, lady knights, useless lesbians, queer rich boys with daddy issues, medieval setting... oh YEAH. I was only maybe 20% in when I decided to add it to my "favorites" shelf (which I only created this year and has TWO total books on it, so that is high freaking praise from me.)

but as much as I loved the CONCEPT of this book......... the execution was even better! I didn't expect much from the plot, since I was absolutely willing to let it coast on vibes alone (and the vibes were in fact immaculate), but it actually blew me away. the back third of the book is all action and attack! I feel like this book totally took me back to the YA medieval fantasies I was reading in elementary school when I was way too young to fully understand them, and I love it so much for that. the hints of what's happening in the background of this romcom are beautifully placed, whispered conversations and casually-dropped clues that came out JUST often enough to keep reminding you that the protagonists don't have all the information. (I'm not going to spoil anything for y'all, but trust your gut as you read.) I love stories where the author is dropping hints the whole time -- I hate to feel blindsided by random *plot* happening in a romcom, but when I can tell the plot is coming... hehehe. I was sitting there rubbing my hands together like a disney villain.

seriously, I thought because of how much I loved the premise, I'd read this book in a single sitting. but I actually read this one incredibly slowly! I kept putting it DOWN because I didn't want it to end too soon! and literally as soon as I was done, I wanted to reread (instead I picked up Cleat Cute, because I was way behind on that ARC (whoops. look for that review next.) and desperately needed a distraction)!!

sidenote: I am getting real sick of writing my own summaries for ARCs because let's be honest, the goodreads' summary is RIGHT there, so unless I think it's a misleading/incomplete summary, I'm not gonna waste anymore time trying to summarize these books myself. instead I'm just going to focus on what I loved! (and for other books, what I didn't love... but not for this one lol.)

- the characters are all so loveable. they are totally spoiled royals with very little understanding of their own kingdoms, but their growth is everything to me. seriously you guys..... I need a physical copy of this so badly.

- the love stories are both soooooo cute. I need to see a sequel focusing on

- the world-building??? so cool??? I loved the between the Catholics and the cultists, and the references to the various cultures and religions found in Camelot.

- romance with plot - my favorite kind of romance! this so easily could have just been about Gwen, Art, and their crushes with no effort put into the greater universe they're in, but like I said before, the plot was beautifully developed and once I got to the back third of the book I really couldn't put it down despite my best efforts to savor this book as long as I could. this is without a doubt a romcom first and foremost, but it holds up as a medieval fantasy, too. (please don't ask me if it's romantasy. I do not know what that term means. maybe??)

- siblings!!!!! Gwen and Gabriel are the best siblings, they're so believable, and their relationship just about broke my heart at times. (I should call my sister.) the way they teased each other, relied on each other, HURT EACH OTHER (a little bit).... ugh. they were so real. no notes

- the VOICE. (voices, I guess. two narrators.) Gwen and Art were both so interesting and full of life and color and I'm SERIOUS you guys I need a sequel STAT. I need more of them!!!

really, you guys, I am COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS until november 28th. it is not a want but I need. will be buying in hardcover and paperback asap. (I need a shelf copy and a tote bag copy, what can I say??). RUN DON'T WALK TO PREORDER!!

Where to start? This book has everything that makes a good young adult fantasy novel. From knights in shining armor (bridget ily) to leading lads who are just one-hair-away from falling apart (arthur you lovable little fool).

The dual POV between Gwen and Art worked really well. In the beginning, Gwen’s POVs were a little stale and I found it hard to relate to her but I loved seeing her growth throughout the novel. By the end I appreciated how much Gwen had changed and her willingness to try new things and be more open were huge improvements from her abrasive personality when Arthur first showed up in Camelot.

Arthur! So sorry to the author who continuously described him as dark haired but all I could see was Bradley James’ Arthur from the BBC show, Merlin. Lex Croucher’s Arthur was just as witty and flirty and fun as show Arthur and it’s so refreshing to see a “retelling” that adds its own flair to the character while still staying true to their core traits. (yes the show is my holy grail of prince arthur retellings).

Both love interests were developed really nicely; I could separate them from their other halves and still like the characters by themselves. Often in romance novels the side characters are just kinda thrown in to support the main characters but both Sidney and Agnes had their own motivations and personalities that made them easy to support and love.

My only gripe (and it’s a very little one) is the political motivations. This is just my personal taste but I would’ve liked the final conflict to be hyped up a little more, especially the political ramifications of the event. (I’m trying so hard to keep this spoiler free guys). I know that this book is mostly categorized as a romance, so it’s not too big of an issue.

Overall, highly recommend!! Cute romance, fun setting, goofy MCs make this book worth reading.

Wow! This was a GREAT book! It has romance, friendships, action, humor and LGBTQ+ representation. This will definitely be one of my favorite reads of the year.

Gwen & Art Art Not in Love was one of my most anticipated books of 2023! I was excepting a cute, sapphic love story, but did not know quite what to expect. I am happy to report that this book was SO CUTE, and I had a blast reading it. I do not want to give any spoilers, but Gwen & Art truly filled the "Merlin" hole in my heart. It is full of LGBTQIA+ rep, and I thought that all of the relationship felt organic and genuine. I would (and have been) recommending this book to all of my friends.

If you’ve ever watched an episode of Merlin or picked up any Arthurian remix, you know by the end that Lancelot belongs with Arthur. Now, while “Gwen & Art are Not in Love” by Lex Croucher doesn’t strictly follow the lives of Lancelot and King Arthur, these characters find their courage to be authentically themselves while embroiled in a similar situation. Croucher’s novel follows Princess Gwendoline and Lord Arthur, two young adults destined for an arranged marriage that neither of them wants – especially since they’ve been enemies since childhood. But when opportunity presents itself, these two hatch a plan to get everything they want while surviving the marriage their parents set up for them.

After all, it’s awfully difficult to fall in love with each other when neither one of you has eyes for the opposite sex. As Gwendoline begins to woo Bridget Leclair, the kingdom’s only female knight, Arthur sets his sights on Gwen’s brother, who just so happens to be the future King.

Croucher does a wonderful job taking the audience through the ups and downs of hidden relationships, combining romance and humor along the way, even sprinkling in some heartache when appropriate. I was an enthusiastic reader going into this, and I came out the other side feeling just as entertained, if not more so, by the end of this novel.

This novel is well worth the read, and with a release date of November, it’ll make the perfect holiday gift for any of the people in your life who enjoy a queer romcom without the typical ‘bury your gays’ trope that often plagues us.

I received an arc of this novel in exchange for an unbiased review. Rounded down from 4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC!

This was really fun! It was easy to read and the banter was funny, and the characters were charming. While it definitely has its hands in Arthurian legend this book definitely isn't a retelling, so if that's what you're looking for, this one isn't going to scratch that itch! I really enjoyed that it wasn't a retelling because it felt less like I had to know all the details of Arthurian legend. I know some but not a TON and I didn't feel like I was lost while I was reading this.

It was a LOT of banter (and some of it was very uncharacteristic for the time period I was picturing this in, but it still managed to be fun?) and the characters had really great chemistry. It really was just a super fun, easy-to-read romp.

The characters had decent development (especially Gwen, who I wasn't super fond of at the start!) and I liked seeing their motivations and relationships shift. Gabriel has my whole heart.

My only criticism is that the final climax of the book felt a little like it was stuffed into the end--there was a ton of very lighthearted interactions and developments throughout the first 85% of the book, and I think the mystery or the Uh Oh! moments could have started slightly sooner or been a little more present in the earlier portions of the story.

Definitely recommend! Gay historical fiction is the only kind of historical fiction you can make me read!

J'ai aimé l'histoire et le contexte du roman. Cependant, je n'ai vraiment pas accroché aux personnages. J'aime habituellement bien les personnages ambigu (cough cough Cardan), mais je n'ai pas réussi à aimer Arthur. Il était méchant envers Gwen pour aucune raison. De plus, il avait une certain air hautain que je ne pouvais pas supporter. Bridget était aussi un autre personnage que je n'ai pas aimé. Je la trouvais tellement négative et un peu i'm not like other girl vibe (ce que je n'aime habituellement pas.) Cependant, j'ai vraiment aimé Gwen et Gabriel. J'ai beaucoup aimé leur relation (enfin une histoire où frère et soeur se supporte!) Point positif, je trouve que c'est une très belle histoire pour les gens qui recherche des livres LGBTQ+ YA avec une touche histoire. J'ai aussi aimé la plume de l'auteure. Bref, ce livre est un 3 étoiles pour moi.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc of this title in exchange for this honest review.

I was super excited for this book, but i sadly didnt enjoy it as much as i had expected to. It was very sweet, but also a bit mediocre.

So I've been sitting on reviewing this for a bit now, and... I've honestly forgotten most details of what happened in the book. 😅

But let's consult my notes! We've got...

• Banter! So much good banter! I genuinely loved the characters' interactions. I highlighted so many sections of dialogue that my kindle flagged my notebook document when I went to export it.
• An incredibly queer cast of characters. Gwen in particular is demi bi, and I always love to see demi rep.
• The barest amount of Muslim rep ‐ it's mentioned like once that Art's mom was Muslim - but it's there, so I guess it counts for something?
• Period pain. Bridget can walk away from being run through with a sword, but period cramps can take her down, and I can respect that.
• Dagger-to-the-throat, hurt-comfort, and miscommunication tropes.

Now this is largely a light-hearted, humorous young adult / coming of age book, but there is a dramatic and abrupt tone shift at the ~70% mark where it becomes decidedly darker. Like hate crimes and gory war battles darker. I personally didn't care for this and felt it did the book a disservice, but maybe you'll have a better time with it now that you're forewarned.

I would recommend this book to anyone who's up for a queer, historical, young adult, romantic comedy, keeping in mind the warning about the content in the last ~30% of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc! 💌

4.5/5
I've grown rather fond of this book and enjoyed every second of it (except when my feelings took a direct hit iykyk). I was laughing, crying, squealing, and kicking my feet throughout. The characters were as relatable as they could be, considering they're royalty. One unique thing about this book is that it follows two love stories, one sapphic and one mlm, which I really enjoyed and I think it will be easy for people to find a character that they can relate to and see themselves in!
I think the only thing that didn't sit quite right with me was towards the end, it felt like an abrupt change compared to the rest of the book leading up to that moment but I won't go into details in order to keep this spoil free. Despite that, I will still be recommending this book to my friends and anyone willing to listen.
Do yourself a favor and grab a copy of this book on November 28th if you haven't preordered it already <3

I’m sad to say that I didn’t love this book the way I was hoping I would when I first started reading it. I really loved the premise and thought it sounded like a lot of fun! It wasn’t bad but it just didn’t give what I thought it would. I liked the characters and both the main relationships fine but wished we had gotten more from them. I wasn’t really attached to the idea of either of them being together.
I also didn’t love the last part of the book. The battle didn’t capture my attention at all and honestly, I could’ve done without it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for giving me access to this book!

I finished this one in two days. This book took me by suprise at points because I was really thinking it would be more historical or to follow more of the King Arthur story. I suppose I went into this thinking it was going to be a twist on the King Arthur Camelot story, like a remix AU type thing. It was really more of a romcommy book playing into cameos of the Camelot story. It was still good just not what I was expecting. The story is really cute at first following Gwen betrothed to the disastrous Arthur who hate each other and yet form a truce after a particular event land them in a (No spoiler) situation. My favorite character was actually Arthur who I feel was written in the first half to be an unlikeable character, This is mostly because we are seeing him through Gwen's eyes. I love their eventual friendship and I love Arthur and Sidney's as well. Gabriel and Arthur were my favorite characters however because you can see the shift in Arthur's personality around him, which tells a lot more about his character that is not expressly told through the Author or through the various point of views. His edge and demeanor soften in the presence of Gabriel and you watch him soften towards everyone else as the book continues. I did not expect the last 80 pages however, and while I didn't think they were entirely necessary it was still good in furthering the characters bonds.

This book is fantastic. Gwen and Art begin this story alone, with few confidants and throughout they just keep expanding their circles and growing as people. It can be heart breaking but also healing. I loved the entire main cast and how they also grew! This book is sweet but adventurous and so very fun.

This was a fun book! I loved the characters and the plot, and it was funny. I liked this book a lot and it was a great take on the myths of King Arthur and the impacts they might have on generations down the line. 4.5/5

This book is a bit slow getting off the ground but once it does it's good. I like the characters and the plot.