I thought this was such a fun story. I love all things Arthurian and this book had a fun little twist to it. This is a queer medieval rom com and it is nothing like I have ever read before. I loved all the characters and the journey that they were on. It is a perfect read for anyone looking for a book about friendships, bravery and the courage to change history. 100% recommend.

This is my second book by Lex Croucher, and I utterly adored it. I was in it for the queer flirtation and pithy dialogue, so the fact it went in a much more intense direction for the finale was both startling and gratifying. I loved all of the characters, and their dynamics not only between couples but among friendships were very satisfying.

On top of it all, Croucher introduced the idea of nationalism in a way that works well for the story without being heavy-handed. In this world, Arthur and the knights of the round table are on the receiving end of a literal cult, which not only comes into play in the story’s plot quite directly, but also works well for the allegories about our view of history. Certain aspects of the Lancelot/Guinevere/Arthur love triangle (???) are left a bit vague, and it’s not clear if magic is real in this world or not. Mostly because it doesn’t matter; the story works either way. I appreciated how much worldbuilding went into this story, because the characters could have carried the book for me even with slapdash world development. The nuances of the Arthurian cult were the icing on the sarcastic, witty cake.

I adored this book. It works on so many levels, and I absolutely recommend it for anyone who’s a fan of the webcomic “High Class Homos.” Lex Croucher, congratulations, you’re now an autobuy author for me. 💜

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this as an ARC.

This was so so much fun!!

I had a feeling I would enjoy this when I started it and I was not disappointed at all! This was surprisingly more heartfelt than I was anticipating. The discussions surrounding queerness and coming out were so well-done, and the actual queer rep itself was amazing. I love the reluctant bromance between Gwen and Arthur—they’re so funny together! I do wish the romantic relationships had been a little more developed—I’m partial to slow-burns and pining that lasts 90% of the book—but the romantic scenes were cute and I enjoyed all the pairings. I’m also surprised by how much I enjoyed the more modern jokes that were sprinkled throughout (that Riverdale reference was a shock but I’m not mad at it).

The characters were fun, the relationships were cute, and the story was entertaining. It’s not a perfect book, but it’s definitely a great time. I can’t wait to get my hands on a finished copy!

I loved this book, it was so funny! And I personally love when books are funny, the funnier the better. Almost everything Arthur said made me laugh, especially when he was up to various shenanigans with Sidney. I just generally loved his dramatic ass and I want to be his best friend. I liked Gwen too! She also had her funny moments, and really like the relationship between her and her brother.
I also, of course, enjoyed the exponential amounts of queerness in this book. I especially liked all the different representations of it, we not only had someone who was comfortable in their sexuality, but also characters that were newly discovering it, or in denial. It wasn't just one without the other and I felt like it captured a lot more of the variation in experience by having them all there together.
There were things that I absolutely did not see coming towards, which I loved because it's hard for books to surprise me. I've gotten really into books like this lately, that are almost retellings but not quite.

GAY. HISTORICAL. RETELLING.

Okay not a retelling per se. It's not a retelling in the traditional sense, it's a retelling of the ancestors of the original tale of Camelot, but hey still counts. So in this story we have Gwen and Arthur, and although I am not a fan of enemies to lovers romance wise, I think I really like enemies to friends. It's so much better than enemies to lovers because there's a really gentle progression into the friendship. I really really did love the relationship between Arthur and Gwen. There were moments where they realized they were thinking of the other, or concerned, or laughing together where they had an "ewww gross I forgot for a second I hate them" moment. But as the story progressed these moments were further and further apart, and I truly loved everything about them together and how they brought out both the worst and the best in each other.

And then we have the ROMANCE, which ya know, is the basis of what this book is about.

Gwen has a secret crush on the knight Bridget, and Arthur likes...drinking way too much and avoiding his feelings. Arthur and his best friend/bodyguard Sidney get into a decent amount of trouble. Arthur however was by far my favorite character. He was charming and sometimes a bit of a douce - but he was also loving and kind and extremely loyal to the people he cared about. Even his drunken escapades just made him so much more likable.

The romantic pairings and the cute gushy scenes and figuring out romance were just so freaking cute and I loved all of them. In fact, so much about this book was just really cute and funny. The comedy aspect of this book was incredible and I really liked the way Arthur and Gwen's humor played off each other. It made for some truly genius moments that had me laughing.

Basically, this book was just a super fun and adorable read and I highly recommend it if you're into Aurthorian lore and romance.

This book is everything I wanted it to be! The humor was spot on, the pacing was just fast enough to keep me hooked but slow enough to flesh out all the finer details, and the adorable romance was balanced nicely with the intensity of the plot. This is honestly one of the best YA fiction novels I've read in a very long time and I've already convinced my coworkers to buy it when it comes out.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was such a fun read! I really enjoyed it. It was a great palette cleanser from all the fantasy and I can't wait to read more of Lex's work! Plus, that cover is so dang cute. I love it so much.

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is a queer King Arthur retelling that takes place during Medieval times. Gwen & Art are both noble teenagers (Gwen being a princess) and have been betrothed to one another essentially since birth. Unfortunately, they hate each other. When they realize they’re both hot for other people, they decide to call a truce and marry in hopes that they can carry on their extramarital love lives in secret. But the kingdom begins to find itself vulnerable to outside forces and many obstacles attempt to break the bond formed between G&A as well as the rest of their crew.

Ok so, my opinion time. [Takes a very deep inhale… exhale…] IFUCKINGLOVEDTHISBOOK!!!!!!!!! Y’all this book was incredible. It was so freaking funny and I had such a blast reading it. I really took my time with this one because I was having so much fun I didn’t want it to end. I started off side-eyeing both G&A pretty hard but by the end, I was ready to strap on some armor and go to battle for them. All of the characters in this book are so freaking lovable; I couldn’t imagine a minute without all of them. The diversity is so well thought out and executed. The character growth was chef’s freaking kiss for the two stubborn asshole MCs (said affectionately because they are in fact the lomls). And the medical rep! I won’t spoil the major medical rep at the end but the author did confirm that Bridget has endometriosis 🥹 Your girl loves to feel seen in books!

This was really the most fun read I’ve had, possibly ever. I was laughing the entire time but also had my whole heart invested in the seriousness of the plot. Absolutely brilliant work by Lex.

Also, I would commit crimes for a copy of Gabe’s speech at the end. Lex let me know if you can be persuaded to write this in the future 👀

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC

I truly loved YA historical romance when I was young... this would have blown my mind 30 years ago.

As it is, I loved reading this queer Arthurian retelling that has a happy ending for an arranged mixed orientation match-up. The characters are lovable, the banter is quick and hilarious, and the messages are inclusive. I loved this as I have loved all of Lex Croucher's work and this first foray into YA was super fun for me to read.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader's copy of this book.

took me a bit to get into it, but when i finally did i really loved it! the characters here are wonderfully flawed and feel very much like real people, and the progression of the relationships felt real and natural. i could see where the plot was coming together and was interested to see where it would go, though admittedly, i felt it all happened rather quickly, including the ending. i would have liked a little more time to experience the conflict and settle in with the aftermath, but it wasn't enough to detract from my enjoyment of this lovely novel overall.

thank you to netgalley, wednesday books, and lex croucher for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This is just cute. It was such a nice read and all the characters had their own struggles that made them both loveable and relatable. I think I'll ever re-read this one! It was super cute and I am so glad I got a chance to read it.

Review based on a NetGalley arc!!!

I started this book and immediately had a good time. Gwen and Art Are Not In Love has wonderful characters who are funny, motivated and just overall fun to read about.

4/5 because it took me all month to read because I'm a mood reader and for some reason couldn't get back into the mood at time for this. I don't know anything about Arthur and his real lore but it was still enjoyable (if you get beyond the whole coup and sword fighting scenes some of which could've been devoted to making some of the couples more fleshed out to the audience).

The Arthur in this story was funny and well meaning. Gwen was also a fantastic character. Everyone's relationships were well established. I will say some of the writing seemed to alternate so I wasn't sure what sure this was supposed to be when Sidney told someone to "chill" and Arthur made a comment about "Invading Normandy" but for the most part the book was a fun read.

I do wish Bridget and Gwen were more fleshed out as a couple. It seemed that towards the ending half of the book especially they seemed to have different interpretations regarding where their relationship stood.

I like the cover so all in all a positive reading experience.

I absolutely loved this book. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I finished reading it and I absolutely devoured it once I started.

The description is perfect when it says its Heartstopper meets A Knight’s Tale and I’d even add in that there’s a Shakespearean comedy vibe too. Full of sword fights and jousting as well as stolen kisses.

The best part for me was the witty banter especially Sidney and Arthur. I was laughing out loud so many times while I was reading it. I also adored how heartfelt this book was in handling the chars there and their queerness. They all had a unique experience both in accepting it but also how they expressed it and I really loved that. The conversations between Arthur and Gwen and then Arthur and Gabriel were so beautifully written and made me tear up. Arthur had these moments that were so heartbreaking with how broken he was that I just wanted to hug him but he also had this assuredness and heart that allowed him to be there for both Gwen and Gabriel in such a meaningful way.

I really hope there will be more to come in this universe with these characters because they have made a little home in my heart and I need to know what’s next.

I received a free advanced copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you're missing the fun of BBC's Merlin show or want a book similar to Alexis Hall's writing style, then Gwen & Art Are Not in Love might just be for you. It has some hilarious and disaster characters, along with some crazy situations with a bunch of young people just trying to find love. It's a lighthearted historical fiction comedy with romance and sword fighting thrown in.

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love follows two POV characters, Gwen, the current king's daughter, and Arthur, a descendant of King Arthur with none of his capabilities. Against their wishes, the two are engaged, even though Gwen likes a certain female knight and Arthur is very into men. So, they agree to make each others' lives easier and keep their secrets. What's entertaining after that is watching them become enemies to allies to sort-of friends. Both characters are complete messes.

I will say that in addition to the two protagonists, the other side characters, such as Bridget Leclair, the knight, and Arthur's friend, Sid, all are pretty flushed out characters. Bridget reminds me of Brienne of Tarth in personality, not appearance, which was very fun to read. However, I don't think the members of the royal family truly got a lot of development. I would've liked to have seen more, especially from Gabriel, Gwen's brother, and the king and queen. They felt a bit like afterthoughts at times.

Now, though I did enjoy this book, it took some time to get into. I think I had to get about 15% into the story before I truly immersed myself into the world, especially since I thought this was going to be an actual King Arthur retelling, just with gay characters, and instead it ended up having very little relevance to King Arthur at all. Honestly, that whole plot point could have been taken out. But anyway, I guess I should have read the description more closely. The plot overall, is very fun, though. Gwen and Art are trying to figure themselves out while fitting in some romance, and it's a wild ride. But the ending. I was not expecting the action that happened. Just when you think you're in a fluffy historical fiction book, BAM! Everything goes crazy! My eyes were glued to my Kindle.

All in all, Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is simply a cute, entertaining read. It will give you all the feels and make you wish to live in an age of knights and princesses. Just don't go into it thinking you're getting the actual tale of King Arthur, and you'll be all set for a quick, cheery read.

4 stars

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher is a fun-filled novel with mature, dark moments that blends elements of Arthurian legend with a contemporary young adult twist. Going into this story blind, I was a bit confused by the tone and genre of the story as the characters spoke in a very modern way, which felt at odds with the medieval setting. However, the more I read and the more I became immersed in the world, the less distracting this language became. Overall, the story was incredibly enjoyable and gripping, with both hilarious and devastating moments.

One of the highlights of the book is the fun and adorable scenes and relationships that unfold throughout. The interactions between the characters are cute and sweet, providing a lightheartedness that is perfect for a YA read. Arthur's character, in particular, stood out to me. His relationships with his friends are well-developed and endearing. Despite the title spoiling that Gwen and Art are NOT in love, it was delightful to see how they learned to care for each other and cultivate a strong friendship by the end of the novel. Another standout character was Bridget, and while she played a significant role in the book, I could not get enough and wish there was more of her! She brought a refreshing energy and dynamic to the story.

The ending of this story feels like a whirlwind. A lot happens within the last 100 pages, and I would have liked to see the ending expanded upon and the characters' reactions to the final events explored further. Regardless, I really enjoyed every part of this story and will be recommending it to everyone! I'll also be picking up a physical copy next time I'm at a bookstore! 4.5 stars, rounded up!

This wasn't for me. I know multiple people who would probably love this book but personally the pacing was too off. I wasn't drawn in until a little past halfway through, a mean reason being that Gwen seemed really mean compared to Arthur? She was one our main characters and I personally just didn't find her enjoyable for the first half of the book. When her relationship with Arthur was a little less mean spirited I liked her character much more but once again that took a WHILE.

The concept reminded me of my Merlin obsessed years and I think that people who liked that show might like this tbh. The Arthurian elements are pretty fascinatingly told and okay the idea of Gwen and Arthur being gay was CHEFS KISS. My favorite characters were all the "smaller characters" probably. A fan of the love interests and their conflicts, especially Gwen's brother, Gabriel. But I also liked Agnes and Sidney who were there to aid Gwen and Arthur respectively.

Overall this book wasn't bad once I got into it, its just that I really had to force myself to get into it which inevitably made my overall enjoyment lower than I was hoping. Still, I'm appreciative to Lex Croucher, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

Gwen and Art are absolutely not in love- which doesn't matter because their engagement is happening whether they like it or not. As Gwen and Art scheme to become unengaged, they reluctantly decide to work together. Queer chaos and joyous shenanigans are inevitable! Meanwhile, Gwen’s brother Gabe reckons with a new attraction and one of the kingdom’s lady knights arrives in Camelot to compete at a tournament. Can Gwen and Art find a way to follow their true passions (and true loves) before it’s too late?

Lex Croucher is quickly becoming one of my auto-buy authors! This book was absolutely hilarious. I loved the dialogue, the jokes, and the heartfelt characters. There are universally relatable themes of trying to figure out who you are and balancing personal happiness with parental expectations. I enjoyed the sibling relationship between Gwen and Gabe, particularly some of their one-on-one conversations where they discover truths about each other. I especially loved the pining and angst between Gwen and Bridget! Readers who enjoy queer found family, hilarious dialogue, and delightfully chaotic LGBTQ+ shenanigans will love this book.

Thank you so much to Lex Croucher, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc

A medieval queer rom-com about an arranged marriage doomed to fail. Gwen and Arthur, betrothed and mortal enemies to each other since childhood. When they're forced to spend time together hijinx and revealed truths show that maybe they'd be better allies than enemies...and maybe they have more in common than they think.

Sweet, heartfelt, and a wonderful story about being true to oneself and fighting for your happiness and your friends.

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love was fun and funny, with a bit of sad. It was not your average historical fiction/romance book, but more like a comedy of one.
I adored it from start to finish. I think I loved Arthur's character the best! He has this witty banter with everyone that was really just a shield for self loathing and was sometimes self deprocating.
Before I started reading, I honestly thought that this was a queer Arthurian Legend retelling, and honestly I'm almost glad that I was wrong (I am still looking for a queer arthurian legend retelling). Although the characters are descendents of Arthur and Arthurian legend is canon in the book, I'm glad that it wasn't simply a retelling. Also, very fun twist that they give Arthurian legend within the story. So refreshingly queer, but also heartbreakingly so.

DRAMA? You got it. Romance? It's there. Magic? Oh yeah. Fighting/jousting? You better believe it.

This book had me hooked from the minute I started reading it. Before I even get into the details: I can't recommend this book enough.

There is so much to this story that I love. To start, it isn't your basic love story, fake dating rom com- there was actual depth to it. So much so that we were able to not only become one with the world, but also truly connect to the main characters.

So much of what I loved about this book was in the writing style. We were able to see the witty comebacks and charisma of the characters that made it feel like we were watching this conversation go down in person. One of my favorite interactions showed this to a T by saying: "'I like it. It's hard and black, like my heart.' 'Your head is soft and yellow,' said Sidney. 'Like marzipan.'"

I truly have nothing negative to say about this book. We had layers, we had twists, we had turns, and we have simple language that made it easy to just sink into the story.

Be ready to gasp and enjoy!

"Excalibur nine??"