This book is one of the sweetest, most pleasurable, and sharp stories that I've had the pleasure to read in a while. I'd compare it to a fantasy sitcom; the characters and their interactions are so witty and there is almost never a slow point or a joke which doesn't land within the first half. Beyond that, Gwen & Art provides an incredibly dynamic cast of characters that one, almost immediately falls in love with.

I will also say that this book feels almost handcrafted for the queer community. It is filled with so much love and joy in a time where we desperately need that. I say this about a lot of retellings, but we need these stories and to have versions of the classics, the heroes we grew up with that are like us, that have struggled like us, well, it's incredibly special

I must say though that the last 100 pages of this book? They change the tone completely and it becomes so much more intense, and in some ways riveting? I'm not sure if it's a 100% fit, as the shift (if you know the point, you know) is quite drastic, but I'd accredit those last 100 pages with being a lot of the reason why I loved reading this so much. It makes you feel, so incredibly deeply despite the jauntiness of the first half of the book and I think it balances out in a way that makes it feel even more worth it.

Overall, I ADORED this book. It was a genuine delight to read and it is one of those books that makes you just want to curl up in bed and hug something fluffy (a cat named Merlin perchance?), and then cry or just stare at a wall for a little bit once you get to the second half.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oh man, this was so cute and fun! While Gwen and Gabriel both go through some serious growth as they come to terms with who they are and how they want to represent the future of their kingdom, I also really loved Art and Bridget. There were so many laugh out loud moments and I adored how empowered the female characters were. There were also some interesting nuggets of Middle Ages history peppered in. I would definitely read more from this author!

If this book doesn't do well in the U.S. I am going to be extremely upset. This book is everything that I want from historical fiction- less history, more jousting and jokes. It has lovely LGBTQIA+ representation, I can see it front and center on several book displays. I hope Lex Croucher continues to write more YA in the future. I can't wait to reread this and recommend it to both friends and library patrons.

I really enjoyed this. It is definitely YA, which I appreciate when it’s listed that way. It’s a good story about love and friendship with a background of court politics and intrigue. Very well written.

I loved this book. I have no words to say this more eloquently. I’m usually not a big fan of historical romcoms but this one had me wrapped around its finger very quickly once every character was established. I had already considered reading this book before but for some reason, I was a little hesitant about it. That passed in an instant, thankfully. 

Every expectation I had of this book was surpassed as it went on and it went from a good read at the start to an amazing read once I was done. I expected two cute romances and I got so much more character depth, a rich storyline and so many funny lines that had me laughing out loud. 

The story of Gwen had me smiling all the time, while Arthur’s had me punching my pillow in exasperation. Both of them combined were a match made in heaven. Maybe if not in the way their parents expected. 

This book is for everyone who doesn’t want to decide between reading a wlw or a mlm story and who needs to have a good laugh every once in a while without missing out on any of the drama that comes with being betrothed to someone you don’t really want to marry.

I already hope that I can reread this book soon just so I can enjoy it all over again. It was lighthearted, it was fun, it was glued to my brain until I finished it.

i wasn’t that invested or attached to this. i ended up skimming a lot, but i could just not feeling this book at the moment. the past few months have been kind of rocky for me in terms of reading, so this definitely may just be because of that. maybe if i read this some other time, i would’ve liked it more.

also, i just want to say thank you to netgalley and wednesday for an arc of this book <3

I thought this was such a cute YA medieval queer romance! It made me laugh and swoon! It was really unique and fresh.
I loved the setting and would love more books set in medieval times!
3.5 ⭐️

This might be the best queer YA novel I've read since "Red, White & Royal Blue," although surprisingly, the romance plot isn't the highlight.

Croucher's YA debut takes place in an alternate medieval England, several centuries after the legendary King Arthur and his Round Table. Nobody believes the magical aspect of that story anymore except a few crazed cultists. The current king's daughter, Princess Gwendoline, has been betrothed since birth to Arthur Delacey, the son of a politically important nobleman. Unfortunately, Gwen and Art, who spent time together as children, viciously despise each other. But now Arthur is ordered to spend the entire summer at Camelot, with the not so subtle hint that it's time to get serious about the happy couple's upcoming nuptials.

Gwen is peevish and withdrawn, unhappy that she has no control over her life and confused by the strange feelings she gets when she sees Lady Bridget Leclair, the kingdom's only female knight. For his part, Art knows that he is gay, but due to his future as Gwen's husband, he is resigned to quick meaningless encounters. But there's something about the royal heir, Gabriel...not that Art has any feelings for the quiet, bookish prince, or that anything could happen if he did. Meanwhile, Gwen's lady-in-waiting Agnes and Art's snarky bodyguard Sidney are eyeing each other with interest.

The book's tone is light for the most part, with plenty of spirited (and modern-sounding) bro banter between Art and Sidney, and sarcastic one upmanship from Gwen and Art. The story becomes darker and more violent in the last 20% as Camelot's peace is brutally shattered. And despite all of the jokes, the MCs experience significant character growth; Gwen becomes less passive and more daring, while Art learns there are better ways to manage depression than binge drinking and extreme sarcasm.

My favorite arc of the book was actually the relationship between Gwen and Art. No, they are not in love, but as the story progresses they go from enemies to mutually-assured-destruction partners to supportive allies. They become less self-absorbed as they help each other, even if they rarely admit their mutual admiration. The romances are....fine, but they are underdeveloped. Art and Gabriel in particular have so few scenes together that it's difficult to worry about the futility of the future king considering an ongoing queer relationship.

The found family of the three couples (M/M, F/M, and F/F) is endearing. I wouldn't mind reading more about their adventures in the new, greatly changed Camelot, which would no doubt feature Gwen and Art still messing with each other into their old age.

I received an Uncorrected Digital Galley of this book from Net Galley almost nine months before publication, so it may change significantly before release (but I hope it won't).

Such a cute, feel good, cozy Arthurian retelling with amazing queer characters, banter, and so much fun! I had a blast reading this. We need more queer historical fiction!

All of these characters are so wonderfully written and I can’t behind to decide which is my favorite! I shall call them my band if merry idiots lol!

The banter and bickering back and forth between Gwen and Arthur was incredibly entertaining. Then you have the friendship between Syd and Arthur…. Syd is such a loyal and amazing friend!

For the most part this book was lighthearted and witty at least it was up until the last 20% or so.

The last part of the boom took me by surprise… I mean not the whole “who’s the bad guy part” I figured that out pretty quick. But it was the extent of the attack that happend. I just didn’t see it coming and it didn’t really fit in with everything else.

Also, not a retelling!!! I thought it might be at first but definitely not!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ArC

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a lot of fun! I love a good premise that follows through on its promises.

The characters (particularly our main ones, Gwen and Art) were well-developed and grew and changed in justified ways throughout the book. I loved getting to see their relationship with each other and themselves grow.

It's a little difficult for me to even talk about side characters because the primary side characters were written and characterized in such a thorough way that I almost never see in any book ever. It was a very pleasant surprise!

The story itself was pretty good. There was a tonal shift towards the end of the book that didn't feel totally earned and was a bit jarring, but ultimately I had a lot of fun and thoroughly enjoyed myself. 4/5.

Thanks to St Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy.

Gwen and Arthur are betrothed in spite of being enemies. Arthur is sent to spend the summer with Gwen when they both discover a mutual secret.

A cute, Queer romance with great characters and character development. This book was lightheaded and cozy for the majority and then it took a turn I didn't expect towards the end. It felt disjointed but still an overall great book!

3.5

This book was such a fun read! I was really hooked in the start - a medieval arthurian based love story mixed with some modern elements, it was right up my alley.

The strongest thing this book has is definitely its characters. The development they go through really felt earned, and seeing how their relationships (even beyond their love interests) blossomed was really what connected me throughout the story. More specifically, Gwen and Arthur’s shared trust and later on close friendship. I loved how they managed to grow together! Even Gwen + Gabriel’s sibling dynamic was the sweetest thing ever. It really brought “show don’t tell” into the relationship just from their interactions alone and FELT the sibling bond.

I even feel like on their own, they were pretty strong characters! Like I would love to read a story just about Bridget’s adventures as a knight (because she was a total badass) or Gabriel learning how to a be king because I just enjoyed them so much.

The one downside of this for me however was the ending. I felt like the political schemes came from left field and didn’t really fit the whole tone of the book. It started as this happy rom-com about falling in love and then turned into a war drama? Yes, while it was definitely interesting, it just didn’t feel like the same book but rather two different ones mashed together in the end. (That being said, I liked how bittersweet the ending was, all things considered)

Overall this was a pretty lighthearted read and can definitely be someone’s next comfort read! It has so much potential (especially for sequel books about the character’s individually) and I can’t wait to see what the author does next :)

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

*3.5 stars*

This was a cute queer YA romance with a medieval setting. Taking place hundreds of years after King Arthur and the knights of the round table, and perhaps distant relations, Gwen and Arthur are betrothed but are both secretly queer. They have to navigate their own dislike of each other, their impending marriage, and the feelings they have for other people.

I thought this could have been a little lighter and shorter being a young adult novel but overall it was cute and fun. If you’re looking for something cozy and sweet featuring two queer couples, this will definitely hit the spot.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this work. All opinions in this review are my own.

This book EATS. It's funny, it's charming, it's novel, it's a delight from start to finish. I wasn't expecting the crescendo into arthurian epic & battlefield, but I can't say I hated it? It just surprised me. And best of all, it's GAY! A slay all around.

I have always enjoyed the medieval tales especially Arthur and his knights.
The characters in this are so fun and really well written. They are also so relatable, which makes the book and storylines even better. The inter This book was good but it did take a moment to catch my interest. The plot is about a heist but the book mainly focuses on relationships and friendships. There was a twist ending which I wasn’t expecting and was so refreshing. The point of view was split three ways, which is not typically something I enjoy!- but for the premise of the story it worked really well! The Internalized homophobia was heartbreaking and again well tackled for a fun book like this. Honestly this has everything that you would expect from a medieval book from sword fights to magic all with representation. I don’t have a bad thing to say about this book!

I’m OBSESSED with this gem of a book!! It was so heartwarming and lighthearted despite the heavy subject matters of monarch legacies, war, and hidden identities.

The humorous one-liners and different character dynamics made the story really shine through all of the seriousness. And of course, the MLM AND WLW representation were fantastic.

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books for giving me an ARC of this book. It truly is a gem!!

Super cute romance that tries to tackle a bit too much in terms of plot. There was nothing included that I blatantly disliked, but I just wished the romance had more time to shine. The politics plot was underdeveloped and so was the romance plot, and for a romance book it’s obvious which one could stand to be cut back. Either way, absolutely adorable romance with very endearing characters!

Oh, this is one of those books you need to read. The characters are so much fun, and well-written. At first, I was a bit confused about the relation with King Arthur, but it took me a bit less than 40 pages to understand everything and oh that was so clever.

4.5⭐

I really enjoyed this quirky, fast paced read. I had lots of laughs out loud moments and loved the found family and queer representation!