An utter delight from the first page! I truly enjoyed the tone of this story, which was definitely felt like medieval times: a modern high school dramedy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for a fair review.

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love is such a breath of fresh air. The dialogue is absolutely hilarious (I was CACKLING every time Arthur opened his mouth), the writing itself is clever and immersive, the characters have such personality and the Arthurian setting was just so FUN to read about. Gwen starts off as such a closed off and stern character and by the end she was almost unrecognizable. You see her growth of acceptance throughout the story and it feels so natural. The romances were a slow build but were more than worth it. Bridget, the dazzling woman-knight, was just so fascinating. She is the perfect counterpart to Gwen, and I love that she never compromised on her goals. Arthur, while occasionally a prat, was just adorable. I couldn't help but love him, even when he was saying the worst things at the most inopportune times. Sidney and Arthur's friendship just felt so real! And Gabriel. My delightful bookworm prince. Gabe owns my heart.

The action at the end of this book had me on the edge of my seat! I really hope people don't sleep on this book, because I has made me obsessed with Arthurian legends again. While this book isn't in the fantasy genre, it still had layers of whimsy to it. Whether it be the dark taverns that the gang snuck off to, or Elaine's enchanted charms, there was a certain element of magic to this book. Even though the magic could be explained as love and friendship, and while this is definitely the moral in this story, it is nice to imagine little acts of magic within these pages.

The only thing that takes this away from a 5 star read is the politics in the beginning. It was a big of a drag to get through and because of that I wasn't paying too close attention. Although I think those that catch these details and hold them in their minds will love where this book heads.

I don't often pick up historical books like this but I am glad I did. Also, can we talk about the cover? Beautiful.

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love is exactly why I love to read. It was full of surprises, absurdity, and damn good writing. In full transparency I requested this ARC because of it's beautiful cover alone. Based on the description I expected it to be a nice little YA romance romp, and it was that, but also so much more! The premise is a little unhinged (in a good way): We are in medieval England - think A Knights Tale - but in this iteration, Camelot, Lancelot, Merlin, King Arthur, etc were real historic figures, having lived hundreds of years ago. Was Merlin really magic? Did Arthur really pull the sword out of the stone? Maybe...? While most people do not believe in the tales, there is a religious faction who do. Gwen is the current princess and she is engaged to Art, a distant descendent of THE King Arthur. This is unfortunate because a) they've hated each other since childhood and b) they're both queer. Fortunately for us, Art, Gwen, and their crew of siblings, friends, and love interests are complex, fundamentally kind, and funny (SO FUNNY) characters. While I did love the setting and schtick of this book, their story of self discovery and found family is so universal. This book is light without being flippant. These kids are dealing with real issues that they are probably too young to face. But they manage to surround themselves with love and find joy. I couldn't put this down and laughed a lot. ALL OF THE STARS! I will be adding all of Lex Croucher's backlist to my TBR immediately.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy in return for an honest review.

4.25 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (rounded up!)

okay! this book was good! it took me awhile (lol) to get through this book, which is mostly my fault, but! first, thank u to netgalley and wednesday’s books for the eARC! all opinions are my own! let's discuss! (*'▽'*) be warned that there are minor spoilers!

Gwen and Art Are Not In Love is not a retelling of Arthurian characters, get that out of your head before you picked up this book; this takes place way after their time. Second, it was unapologetically gay and sapphic, rightfully so! The book follows Gwen and Art's summer in Camelot when Art comes to visit for the summer and things happen, being told from two perspectives! My Shakespeare teacher would call this a comedy for sure.

Croucher's writing of the humor and banter is perfect. I found everyone funny, especially Sidney and Art. Every time Art had a chapter, I was rolling on the floor. I applaud the use of wit and humor between the characters since it felt refreshing.

Speaking of the characters, let's talk about them. First, I enjoyed Sidney and Art. They were very much peas in a pod with one another. They went together so well, which was so lovely to read. It took me a little longer to warm up to Gwen. I think part of the reason why it took me a long time to read is because Gwen's chapters in the beginning felt rigid, in a sense, but she warmed up to me. Gabriel and Bridget were also lovely. Gabriel was adorable and nerdy. I loved the relationship between him and Art, it felt realistic and overall, sweet.

I do wish we got to see more of Bridget. I feel like we didn't see enough of her and I wanted more buildup between Gwen and Bridget, but! I did enjoy how all the relationships between the characters progressed! I could feel the love and tension between them as the story progressed.

The reason I rated it 4.25 stars was because of the last 20-25% of the book. This is more about the sudden change of pace in the book. I knew there was something going on when there was a lot of discussion about the Cultists and the Catholics. In turn, it was predictable what was going to happen. It would have been nice to learn more about them; we only learn a little bit about them from Gabriel. They didn't feel very integral to the story, more like they were thrown in there for something to happen.

I loved all the characters and would happily die for them. I may get this when it gets released across the pond!

I saw this book all over my TikTok feed and curiosity killed the cat (and me) so I had to get a copy. OH MY GOSH WAS IT EVER WORTH IT! I came to the story for the queer, fake-dating trope but ended up staying because of the banging one-liners. I have aspired to have Arthur's sense of sarcasm and humor. A hysterical story that was everything it claimed to be, and then more.

The stunning cover did not disappoint!
I don’t know how but the story was even better than this beautiful intricate cover. I’m obsessed with these characters and will recommend them to all the people I know!

This was a highly anticipated book for me, but I was disappointed.

The leads were difficult to follow, intolerable at times, to the point where their dialogue and snideness dragged the story down. While I sided with Gwen more than Arthur, she had her frustrating moments. Arthur, on the other hand, was an extremely frustrating male lead, obnoxious, and I struggled to care for him throughout the book. Yes, Gwen was self-righteous on occasion, and at times, felt like a parody of a character, but I near despised having to read Arthur's dialogue, and the majority of the time he was on page. Someone else compared him to a frat boy, and I quite agree.

Bridget, Sidney, and Gabriel were the best characters of the novel, and I would have loved to see a book centered around Bridget specifically. I adore queer lady knights and would love to see more of them in YA and Adult fantasy.

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love is such a smart book. All of the characters are so well thought out. I found myself laughing out loud, and sitting on the edge of my seat. You can’t help but to root for Gwen and Art, even the side characters. The last few chapters had me speed reading. There was so much fast paced action, I loved it. I really seem to be into historical fiction these days, and it was such a neat experience to be dropped into the same world as King Arthur. I received this book as an ARC.

Trigger warning at the top: There is a scene where a homophobic hate crime is committed (off page, with injury descriptions on page) and may be upsetting to read about for queer readers.

While the title may indicate otherwise, this is not a retelling of King Arthur. In post Arthurian England with conflict between the Arthurian cultists who believe Arthur is due a second coming and the Catholic Church, we follow betrothed Gwen and Art, two arrogant, stubborn, lovable know-it-alls as they fall in love... just not with each other. The first half of the book is what I expected from the cover and description - a queer cute, if a little fluffy, hijinks filled rom-com. The plot was interesting, if a little predictable, and gave me all the feels!

However, personally, I was not prepared for the more serious shift in tone towards the back half of the book. Not only was there little warning, the light hearted fun I had enjoyed up to that point disappeared. It made for a difficult read, and while the author shifted tone again for the last few pages to a lighter finish, I thought the resolution was weaker than it could have been minus the hate crime. Overall, I enjoyed my read, and these characters are ones I will be thinking about for a long time.

3.5 Stars Rounded Up

I really enjoyed this book. It was a refreshing and new take on a queer YA romance. The fantasy aspect was easy to understand as if it was a contemporary rom com--if you enjoy a fantasy storyline but dislike the learning curve that comes with it, this book would be perfect for you. It was mlm and wlw solidarity at its finest. The found family in this book was also fantastic and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I would recommend this book to a wide range of people and there's a little bit for everyone. It was an simple and compelling read.

Princess Gwendolyn of England is betrothed to marry Arthur Delacey, the distant descendant of the once (and future?) King Arthur. But Arthur is insufferable and Gwen is much more interested in making heart-eyes at Lady Bridget Leclair, the only female knight at the Camelot summer tournament. When she discovers Arthur kissing a boy and Arthur discovers her desire to kiss a girl, the two make a truce pact of being civil throughout their engagement and keep each other's secrets. And maybe they can even become friends. But rebellions are brewing in the north and the kingdom might not be as united as the royal family thinks. And for Gwen and Art to get what they want, some things will have to change.

An absolute delight of a book. I was laughing, swooning, tearing up, and enjoying the entire ride. The characters were charming and stubborn, with just enough flaws and insecurities to be believable and lovable. The world was mostly standard “medieval times”, but with some fresh spins. I especially appreciated the tension between the Cultists (King Arthur believers) and the Catholics, and how the belief systems were affected people's views of the past and the present. And considering the themes of queerness and equality, the aspect of myths actually being history was very refreshing.

The writing was young and fun, at times a little too modern (someone said “Chill” at one point and I did a double take), but the dialogue flowed really well and very few things felt superfluous or stagnant. My only gripes are with some of the character development, as the character growth didn't always feel like it added up with what we were being shown, and some of it felt too fast or too slow, but it's also a YA and I'm not surprised I didn't always vibe with the development.

If you enjoy queer romances, A Knight's Tale, and happy endings, this one's gonna be right up your alley.

This book was a very slow start for me, and I actually set it down for a few weeks thinking it might be a DNF but when I picked it back up I couldn't put it down. The character development is believable and really enjoyable to be a part of. Such a good read.

This book was the perfect balance of sweet, funny, and romantic. Truly an amazing read! I loved the queer elements and the twist on a classic tale. I think this book is a great palette cleanser and is just a really lovely book!

first off, this wasn’t the arthurian retelling that i expected it to be, but it was still enjoyable. i loved the dynamics between all of the characters, both romantic and platonic ones. they had great banter with each other as well as a ton of compassion and love, even if that love is buried deeper down than others. their dialogue and interactions had me laughing so hard, and i loved how they never hesitated to tease or poke fun at each other.

all of them were also interesting as individuals. they all had deeper pasts or hidden secrets, so it was interesting to see everything play out. i do wish that we got more of arthur’s backstory though. i feel like it was brushed over very quickly and wasn’t as thought through as i would’ve liked it to be. otherwise, i really liked how their characters had a good balance of sass and seriousness. they were all super smart. i think i got attached to gwen the fastest, but arthur might be my favorite. he’s such a fun character.

i didn’t love the ending. i agree that it was a good way to wrap things up, but the execution was lacking. it felt rushed, and some things were barely talked about. i wish there was more time talking about the aftermath of all of the events, what happened afterwards. we got a glimpse of it, but it would’ve felt more complete if there was more details.

however, it was a fun read. it wasn’t too long, which is good so that my attention didn’t wane as much.

It pains me to give this book such a low rating, but I really struggled to get through it! It took me months to read this because I could not get into it at all. Something interesting finally happen around 75% but prior to that I couldn't connect with the writing or characters at all. I really understand what the author was trying to do but the book never clicked together for me. It takes place in Camelot, during the era of King Arthur's court. However, all the characters speak using modern day language and phrases with one another. There are also a lot of queer characters, which is great! I definitely believe there have always been queer people in every century. My issues with this specific storyline was that it seemed like everyone immediately jumped on board with people being gay in this era, which just seems way too far fetched.

I am sure others will enjoy this book, it just wasn't a fit for me! Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for an advanced copy of the ebook to read and review.

This is the most adorable Arthurian retelling I have ever read! I absolutely love the fake dating trope and love that they get their HEA. I would for sure re-read this again!

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

Oh, I am so glad I gave this book a chance. A wonderfully realized world inspired by legends of King Arthur, and characters and relationships that are lively and fun, while being truly heartfelt. The plot ebbs and flows at times, but it never drags as we sit with the characters grappling with the world around them, and the changes they make to it. The last third of the book moved almost too quickly— intoxicating in pace as everything that was built up finally came crashing down.

I cried more than once. The love stories are enough to make you swoon, and the friendships!!! So good. Soooo good. Who’s going to be my hot lady knight at ren faire this year??

Gwen & Art 5Ever ♥️

2.5 ⭐️

I really wanted to love this book. I haven’t read a YA book in quite some time, and I think I wasn’t in the right mindset to pick up this read. The characters felt very immature, selfish, and erratic. I didn’t care for Gwendoline, the FMC, at all. It took me until halfway into the book to warm up to Arthur, the MMC. I think I was expecting more banter and funny, cute moments. I don’t feel like I got that. I felt like this book was trying to take itself too seriously. I didn’t feel like the romances were focused on as much as they should have been. I think I was just waiting for something to click for me, to really draw me in. I don’t believe I ever got to that point.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Marten’s Press for the advanced copy.!

I loved this! It felt modern, while also feeling very much in its Arthurian era. It was a quick and easy read, the banter was good and the romances were cute! It did feel a little safe in parts, but it's a great addition to the YA category and I will definitely be encouraging students to pick it up!

Gwen and Art are certainly not in love, but I certainly love them both. This book was absolutely adorable and ridiculously funny. I found myself laughing out loud at the commentary and was also struck by how beautifully certain feelings and concepts were put into words by the author. This is a super cute and super queer Arthurian tale and I absolutely adored it.