I really enjoyed this book. I love that there is a touch of romance, but in reality the story is more about accepting who we are and developing strong friendships. Gwen and Arthur clearly dislike each other in the beginning, but they become great friends as the story develops. I felt that all of the relationships were built as friends first. The lgbtqia storyline was refreshing and I didn’t feel like it was too over the top or in your face. I loved how all of the relationships developed.

“To be truly brave, first you must be afraid—and to be afraid, you must have something you cannot bear to lose.”

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is a YA romcom with an Arthurian setting. It was a sweet, quick read that made me laugh. I really liked the dual POVs for Gwen and Art. It was fun to read what they really thought of each other as they went from enemies to reluctant allies to friends. I enjoyed the friendships the characters developed just as much as the romantic relationships.

I really enjoyed this book and I’ll be picking up a copy when it comes out.

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love is like a breath of fresh air. It is the story of Princess Gwendoline and Arthur, who are set to marry at the end of the summer and must spend the season learning to get along. They have hated each other since they were children. But within the first few weeks of Arthur living at the castle, the two find out secrets about one another and make a deal to make sure they aren’t exposed. Let’s just say the two of them though not in love with each other do have their eyes on some knights in shining armor.

This book is hilarious! We have the wonderful cast of characters including Prince Gabriel, Lady Bridget, Sidney, and Agnes. The six of them truly get up to some unique shenanigans. The princess and prince learn to live a little more boldly, love a little more fiercely. I loved catching the foreshadows and predicting what might happen. I was constantly guessing and filling in blanks and waiting for the characters to figure out others’ motives. It kept me on my toes! There is an intensity to it all, there being two groups in the kingdom that can’t agree with one another. I thought everything was written so well and the voice/tone of the story kept things fresh.

I do not know if this is because The Hunger Games is already on my mind this month or if I would’ve made this connection anyway, but I think fans of Collins’ work will love this book. Gwen and Art’s historical romcom isn’t anything like THG but the dialogue/banter between the characters is very much like the more lighthearted conversations between Katniss and Peeta in book one, and their interactions with Finnick in books two and three. Gwen, Art, and their pack of friends are funny, sarcastic, and deadpan. There are more serious talks between the group that give us beautiful, quotable lines but overall they are so comical I was smiling throughout.

I will be recommending this book to everyone! It is such a sweet read. It was unique, bringing many elements together to create something entirely its own. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

I was procrastinating reading this one because I felt like I wouldn't like it. It's YA, it's in England, queer YA historical has enormous cringe potential. Much to my surprise I really enjoyed my time with this book. Like yes it's fully YA but it really worked for me.

Gwen and Art are queer (he's gay, she's queer), are in love or pining for someone and absolutely hate each other. Also they are engaged. When they find out each other's secret they must navigate their relationship amongst political scheming.

The characters were really fun in this one. Arthur and Gwen's relationship is a highlight .

The historical part is surprisingly well handled ? Like sure the characters mostly talk in a modern speech but it wasn't jarring and the political and historical context was very interesting. It is old England as a post-Arthur place where magic is slowly becoming a myth while Christianism is a growing presence.

Gwen & Art Are Not In Love was easy to read, fun and very catchy.

"Gwen & Art Are Not in Love" is a delightful YA medieval rom com. I loved all of these characters and their relationships, both romantic and friendly, are a lot of fun. You just can’t help but root for all of them.

Mixed in with the romance there are also some really sweet serious moments, mention of Arthurian legend, and even some action. I totally got swept up in the character dynamics and forgot there was other plot happening so the ending definitely caught me off guard 😅.

This was an amazing queer comfort read and I absolutely wouldn’t mind another book in this series…

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a cute story of crushes, crazy antics, and friendships!

While it was set in a renaissance era, it felt modern with its deep themes of being true to yourself, and being what’s “normal” to others. I enjoyed it, and thank you St Martins Press and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is exactly the book I've been wanting to read! It was so much fun, didn't take itself too seriously but still had an intriguing plot. My copy of this book has so many highlights in it, someone should have probably talked to me about abusing that feature. There are just so many lines I found absolutely hilarious I know I'm going to want to go back and refer to them when I need a good laugh. Gwen and Art have the most perfect banter, I loved reading each of their spats. I won't get into spoilers but god the development for these two characters was just *chef's kiss* perfection. To be honest all of the various relationships in this just hit right for me. The sibling relationship between Gwen and Gabriel as each other's best friend and confidant and the ways this got challenged in the book with their various secrets. Arthur and Sidney as the classic lord and bodyguard who are best friends constantly getting into trouble and share maybe one brain cell between the two of them. Gwen and Bridget literally gave me all of the feels. Every single scene where Gwen even got to just look at Bridget made me want to swoon, her pining was so great. I don't even know how to talk about Arthur and Gabriel. The moments between them built up really beautifully and I found their relationship equally sweet and heartbreaking throughout the book. There was also the bonus cotton candy sweetness of Sidney and Agnes, Gwen's lady-in-waiting. I honestly did not expect to get as invested in this relationship as I did.

I found the Arthurian references throughout the book to be a lot of fun! You don't really need any knowledge of them to enjoy the book as is but I think most people know the basics and it's nice to see how Arthur's legacy influenced this world. I was so sad when the release date for this book was pushed back so getting this arc was like a dream come true! I cannot wait for my preorder to arrive in November because I need that gorgeous book on my shelves! (Plus I'll probably be craving a reread by then!)

Questions on gender, sexuality, and familial duty— it's always refreshing to read through a work that manages to touch upon important topics while remaining tonally light. I'm going to do my best not to divulge too much that can't be gathered from reading the book's descriptions. Let's get into it!

the hits:
- bounciness: this book is playful. One could think of it as historical fiction, in a way, but it very much leans into the *fiction* of it all. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Anachronisms are scattered all across, and I think it's a nice reminder that good things, good reads, don't need to be all serious all of the time.
- framing of preferences: light spoilers, but there's no direct naming of sexualities/romantic preferences/what have you. There's certainly discussion, but I quite liked the approach— that characters simply address what they want and they proceed with their respective journeys in fulfilling their desires as opposed to getting lost in labels.
- interactions between non-paired characters: one thing that usually turns me off from romance novels is the hyper-focus on a single pairing. I get it. The stars of the show need their spotlight. What I really enjoyed here, however, is the sense of each character having their own distinct voice, and how those are subsequently pooled together. This really created an atmosphere wherein you can feel the camaraderie between all.

the misses:
- rough start: it took me a handful of sit-downs and restarts to really get into the work. Part of it came from the pacing, the way that it erred on the edge of rushing at first, only to find more consistency at about... The halfway mark? The establishing characterization seemed very rigid and bordering uninspired, but I can promise it gets better the further along.
- the world-building: I wasn't very invested in the setting-wide conflict. I know it wasn't exactly "the point," but the allusions to it were a little lackluster, to the point wherein the seriousness of the circumstances felt underplayed in the later parts of the book.
- reliance on prior knowledge: this might be more specific to me and my unfamiliarity with Arthurian text, but there are certain elements that rely on this sort of awareness. I feel as though I couldn't fully immerse myself due to certain references flying past my head. There may have been ways to help similar, non-familiar readers bridge that gap.

What else can I say? Despite it taking a considerable minute for me to really settle into the story, once I was in, I was in until the very end with only a single break to brew some tea up for the last quarter. I recommend Gwen & Art Are Not in Love for anyone looking for anyone in the mood for a work that flavourfully sprinkles seriousness into its silliness.

My thanks to the author, the publisher (St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books), and NetGalley, for providing the opportunity to read an eARC of this work.

Love the queer representation especially set in this time period it’s something that hasn’t been done before. Love the coming of age and finding oneself and sexuality aspects in this book as well.

If you are looking for a silly little queer and modern yet medieval time, this is the book for you! It was fun. Some books are truly just fun to read and this was one of them. I really look forward to checking out more by this author in the future. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

There’s something special about books that can make me genuinely laugh, and Gwen & Art Are Not In Love was full of those moments.

Following the dual POV perspectives of Gwen and Arthur, we follow along as they navigate their arranged marriage. In most “arranged marriage since childhood” stories, we watch as two characters gradually fall in love as they get older. Not here, they despise each other and make it actively known.

I loved how this entire story played out. It was entertaining, full of love and humor, had fun side characters (that really stole the show for me), and easily kept me engaged. There was a moment where it felt as though jumping to the conclusion they did was almost miscommunication. I understand why it happened, but for my personal tastes, I just don’t like when it feels as though something could have easily been solved by asking a question.

My thoughts on each of the characters:

Arthur - Must protect at all costs. I think he was my favorite character overall. The way he genuinely cared for everyone close to him even though he tried to play it off as if he didn’t was very evident. After being told consistently that you are worthless, it’s hard to truly believe that people don’t view you that way.

Sidney - He is the type of best friend that everyone should have in their lives. Someone that you can count on to be there through the good and bad times. His dynamic with Arthur was really fun to watch.

Gabriel - I don’t think there was anything wrong with Gabriel, I just didn’t really start connecting with him until about halfway through the story. He seemed almost in the background until he started to interact more with the others.

Gwen - Honestly, she was my least favorite. By the end of the story she did have some growth, but she maintained much of the same mindset until then. Even when she did show some progress, she immediately reverted backwards at the first sign of potential trouble.

Bridget - I really wanted more interactions with her and to learn more about her backstory. I understand that it was a standalone, so that would have been hard to do, but her story could have had so much more added to it. I still loved her character though.

Overall, I think this story is going to be such a success and cannot wait for all of you to fall in love with it as well! You don’t want to miss out on it!

Sensibilities of the modern world in a medieval-flavored setting where England has been inherited by the descendants of Arthur. The characters are delightfully human, flawed yet relatable and sympathetic. The fun rom-com vibe does a take a turn for the very serious before the end, but overall it's a fantastic take on being brave enough to be yourself.

I loved this. The story is cute, funny, and feels like a good twist on an Arthurian story. The characters are fun and fleshed out and I couldn't put it down. Great for fans of Becky Albertalli (she's the reason I bumped this up in my tbr) and twists on love stories you may already like.

Thank you, NetGalley, for access to this book.

I was absolutely delighted by this book. It made me laugh, gasp and tear up.
Gwen, Arthur, Gabriel and Bridget all felt like fully formed characters who I found myself rooting for throughout the entire book, even when their decisions made me want to shake them by the shoulders. I also love a good bad guy reveal and this book had that.

"Nobody else is ever going to care as much as you do about the things that you want, Gwendoline. So it's up to you -- you can put them aside forever, if you can live with that, or you can put on your big-girl girdle and demand more for yourself."
As someone who suffers from "oldest daughter syndrome," I especially connected with Gwen and her struggles with wanting things for herself rather than because it was expected of her. I rooted for her growth the entire book and was completely satisfied with it by the last page.

This book is perfect for someone who, like me, is dipping their toes into romance but doesn't want something too cliche or spicy. It's sweet, well-paced and full of laughs and surprises.

This book was a perfect read for a Sunday afternoon. Royalty, adventure, comedy and plenty of queer love!

3.5/5 stars. I really wanted to love this - I mean something dubbed as a medieval queer rom-com…yes please. Sadly, while I enjoyed the story, it was only ok for me with no real wow factor nor anything that truly engaged me the way I had hoped.

The characters were kind of cookie-cutter in a way and not very endearing or well developed. I mean honestly my favorite character was Bridget and she wasn’t technically a MC so much as the sapphic love interest. Gwen (female MC) was just a spoiled selfish princess for most of the story; and Art (male MC) was barely tolerable for the first half.

I’m sorry it wasn’t better for me personally but I’d still recommend this as a medieval rom-com for a younger audience. It was fun - it just was a bit too juvenile in execution for me.

I was provided an eARC of this by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Publishing. All opinions expressed are my own.

I loved Heartstopper and have been smitten with Arthurian legend since I was a kid, so this book was an easy yes for me. But I didn't expect it to surprise me so much.

Yes, it's a dual love story. Yes, the characters talk like actual young adults. Yes, there are stolen swoony kisses. But, the book is so much more than that, with a fully fleshed out world and complicated characters who are impossible not to root for.

I loved that people in their time refer to people who believe in the King Arthur legend as "cultists," and that this faction plays a surprisingly important role in the plot. I love that Gwen and Gabe and not just wrestling with new feelings, but also balancing that with their responsibilities as royalty, and ask some very compelling questions about love and expectations. I loved their relationship as brother and sister, too. In fact, I loved ALL of the couples, especially the bro-tastic relationship between Art and Sid.

Not to knock YA romances, but in some the characters are a little one dimensional, or they have TWO dimensions -- they're in love, and there is one obstacle standing in the way of that love. This book blew that model out of the water. It's messy, complicated, touching, philosophical, with some good old fashioned dueling for fun.

Speaking of fun, that's perhaps my only quibble. Arthur is THE BEST, clearly the most fun/funny/endearing character in the book. The story sings whenever he's in the scene. Gwen is a bit more of wet blanket. This makes her evolving friendship with Art more interesting, but it also means the book slows down a bit then the lens is merely on her. (Thank goodness she has a bad ass love interest to make up for it!)

Overall, this was a delightful surprise and a highly enjoyable read. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this. It was very funny and I adored the characters and their relationships, especially Gwen and Arthur's friendship and how close they become and how their platonic relationship is centered in the narrative and they very clearly say they love each other and go to each other for support and are physically affectionate! I liked the side relationships (friendships and romances!) as well, especially Gwen/Gabriel, Arthur/Sidney, and Arthur/Gabriel. and I love how the six of them (Gwen, Arthur, Gabriel, Sidney, Bridget, and Agnes) all became sort of a group who would go to each other individually in varying combinations (even if some were less common) to give and receive support and cared about each other. I also enjoyed all the character arcs.

The world was not super developed, but I cannot impress enough how little that mattered. I think it just added to the lighthearted tone and how the book was able not to take itself too seriously and therefore could do what it wanted with characters and relationships! (Which it did, excellently.) I appreciated it. That said, after how more or less fluffy the first 70% was, I don't think the shift to violence and more serious consequences was totally out of line, even though it startled me; I think it worked.

Overall, an excellent read I stayed up late to finish. I deeply, deeply loved the relationships, and the humor of the writing style was perfect for the story.

Honestly, I got about 40 pages in and knew this wasn’t for me. The premise was promising but the writing is too modern for the setting and a bit childish

I could see this being a very cute Netflix romcom. The characters were endearing and the storyline intriguing. Pulling in the history of King Arthur, while modernizing it but still keeping within the medieval age was a cool perspective. Highly recommend!