Lex Croucher has managed to bring these LGBTQIA+ storylines together so well for this book! This has become one of my favorite books to date, especially for this year. The story flows so well between Gwen and Art's point of view. Most YA books aren't well fleshed out like this story is, with such a great message built in. I cannot wait to read more of their work in the future! All characters in this book felt so easy to visualize and fall for. A definite high recommendation to anyone who wants a good and mostly cozy read!

An edge of your seat, heartwarming, queer, not quite fairy tale. The title is true, Gwen and Art are not in love, at least not with each other. But princes and lady knights earn their attentions, while Gwen and Art deal with parental expectations, their betrothal, and sinister forces with their own agendas.
This story ramps up as you read and keeps you interested with inseparable relationship and political drama, playing on the continued legend of King Arthur.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read, as it fulfills the fairy tale I wish I had when I was growing up. It is a strong piece that I believe will be important to queer teenagers and adults alike.
Thank you to Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy.

4.5 stars! One of the best romances I've read this year, queer or not. I normally judge the strength of a romance on whether I think I will ever want to pick it up again; most romances I read once and that's enough. I undoubtably will want to read Gwen and Art Are Not in Love multiple times.

First off, this book is genuinely funny, to the point you might find yourself laughing out loud. Which gay amongst us hasn't wishfully looked at a badass woman and thought "God, I hope she stabs me." I certainly would have happily let Bridget stab me... woof the description of her fighting were hot!

I appreciated how well-crafted the relationships between the characters were: not just the romances, but also the friendships too. For example, Arthur's conversation with Gabriel after he reacts badly to some news was so heartfelt. We've all longed for someone to stand up for us like Arthur did for Gwen. Because these dynamics were so well-written and developed, by the final chapter, you feel so at home amongst all the dynamics in the group - it feels like you're sitting with your own friends.

Finally, I found myself genuinely surprised by how caught up in the story I got beyond the romances. I thought I knew what this story would be, but the twists and turns along the way were not what I had predicted. I appreciated that the storyline kept me on my toes and guessing, and that it used the medieval time period to dodge some of the normal romance plot points.

Thank you to Lex Croucher, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I hope to read more books by Lex Croucher soon!

4.5
Gwen and Arthur have been betrothed since childhood the only issue is they can’t stand each other. When Arthur is forced to go and get to know his future bride better during the summer tournaments he and Gwen find out each others secret. Gwen catches Arthur with another man and Arthur realizes that Gwen only has eyes for the lady knight Bridget Leclair. They come up with a scheme, pretend to get along and keep each others secrets.
I enjoyed the book. Gwen and Arthur’s characters were very well done and entertaining. The love interest and side characters were also likable and the story line kept a good pace. I enjoyed Gwen and Arthur’s developments throughout the story both personally and together. My only slight issue is the ending felt a bit rushed, I would’ve liked a little bit more at the end with their relationship and them coming into their new roles in life but it was still cute.

This is written as a YA in most regards but I would give a **trigger warning for alcohol use, violence, death of a parent, depression, murder, chronic illness, misogyny, medical misogyny, and vague homophobic themes (which, let's face it, is real and alive today as well!)**

This was a great queer retelling of King Arthur’s story (sort-of). It was quirky and cute. I appreciated that the characters were not cookie-cutter copies of the original standard Camelot-Era characters that just happened to be LGBTQ+. The author did a good job of injecting humor into the story. And allowing for individual growth that felt true to the majority of the characters.

Art and Gwen have been betrothed since childhood but have never got along well. When they both realize that they both have something to gain by playing along, they hatch a plan to make it work. I was frustrated with Art’s (okay, most of the characters) attitude(s) at times during the book. But there was enough humor to break up the ridiculousness and the seriousness of young people testing their wings and beginning to find their stride. There were times when the characters acted younger than their stated ages, and the pacing was slow in a few places, but overall was a great read, and I would recommend you check it out!

Many thanks to author Lex Croucher, St Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

I am a sucker for a retelling, so I was so excited to read this! In this Camelot offshoot Arthur and Gwendolyn have been in an arranged marriage since Gwen's birth and have hated each other for almost as long. When their betrothal comes due and backing out is not an option they call a truce and pretend to get along. With the annual tournament going on we add in one attractive lady knight and one handsome prince and the summer gets more exciting than anyone expected.

I thought that the world building was very interesting. They have the Arthurian legend, of course, but people have split into factions. You have the Christians and the Cultists - those that are true to the legend and believe that King Arthur will rise again and that magic is real. Regardless of which faction people belong to you still have all the old names in play - Arthur, of course. Gwendolyn's family named here Guinevere adjacent. There is a mention of Lancelot, Gawain, and even a Merlin, although the last one is a cat.

The characters were all flawed and started the book with so much growing to do. Over the course of the summer the dynamics of Gwen, Art, Gwen's brother Gabriel, and the knight Bridget worked so wonderfully together and helped build the characters up in a natural progression rather than through a random epipheny. There were times when I felt that Arthur was a bit too much, but it was his gregarious personality that pushed the others to embrace their true selves.

While I did struggle a little with the pace in the middle of the book, it came together quite nicely in the end. Overall an enjoyable read.

I loved this book so much. I can see this becoming a comfort read for me.

I always get nervous when you follow more than one person in a book cause it's just so common for one POV to not be as interesting, but this was not the case with this book. I loved following both Art and Gwen equally.

The characters in this book are amazing. The banter and interactions between the characters are great, and I found myself chuckling quite a few times while reading this. You really do get invested in these characters fairly quickly. I would say the weakest reoccurring character for me was Agnes, and I wish we got more from her, but pretty much all the other characters were 10/10.

That big climax at the end had me STRESSED. I was worried for everyone. It was so epic. Maybe a little confusing at times just cause it seemed everything was moving so fast, but that's kind of the nature of it, so I get it.

The tagline says Heartstopper meets A Knight’s Tale. One of my favorite movies of all time (RIP Heath) meets one of my new favorite graphic novels? I SWOONED! Such a good book! 10/10 Recommend!

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher is a delightful YA romantic comedy that explores the complexities of love and acceptance. The story is filled with witty banter, relatable characters, and heartwarming moments. Croucher's writing style is engaging and her portrayal of the characters' emotions and struggles is both honest and nuanced. Overall, this book is perfect for those that are looking for a comforting and heartwarming read with queer representation.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for a review!

I'm a hardcore fantasy girlie. I normally read doorstoppers of books and get lost in worlds that aren't this one. I'm really not a romance person.

I've changed my mind. I'm specifically a Lex Croucher romance person because oh my god.
Gwen and Art Are Not in Love is presented as a romcom about two queer youths being forced to get along while pursuing their own interests- but it is also so much more.
I had heard about it on booktok, with people getting their scratch-off cover ARCs (no, I'm not jealous). The premise immediately interested me- I'm a sucker for Arthurian legend, especially when it's twisted like this (and NO, it is not a retelling. More of... inspired? Yet those familiar characters are still there, long in the distant past).
The characters are incredible, the banter lovely, the DRAMA?? Not to mention that reading Bridget is a fellow SEAsian really made me smile from ear to ear. I laughed out loud several times while reading, to the point where some friends of mine looked at me like I was nuts. I loved the way the relationships developed, and how the main cast wasn't one-dimensional and all had their own goals.
I will admit it took me a hot minute to actually start reading- I was reading an e-ARC, which I am eternally grateful for, but ebooks are hard for me. Now I'm mentally smacking myself because I REALLY should've gotten off my ass and finished reading sooner.
As a queer person of color from a religious background, parts of the novel hit hard for me (in a good way). It reminded me that there's still hope, and that things can change for the better. Maybe my own medieval romcom is sitting around the corner, waiting to be found.

In short, if the premise of Gwen and Art Are Not in Love interests you at all, I'm asking you to give it a shot, because you might find yourself pleasantly surprised like I did. A lovely debut, and I'm more than willing to read more of Croucher's work.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

**I was given an eARC in exchange for an honest review**

This is a really hard book to review, because I'm unsure if I didn't like it because of the actual quality, or if it was simply just not a book for me. I was reading it, mildly bored, and wondered if maybe I just wasn't in the mood for something like it.

I waited a very long time for something to happen. It didn't really feel like there as an actual plot or direction to the story. It wasn't until 75% in that I had any sense of what the plot would actually be, truly. And for the first 75% things were pretty fluffy until everything got serious. And it was *very* serious at that point, yet it seemed to wrap up nicely (perhaps too easily).

It was inherently character-driven, which is fine because I like character-drive stories, but the two protagonists/PoVs (Gwen & Art) weren't really captivating enough for that to work for me. They both had enough flaws to be interesting, but they lacked redeeming qualities that made you actually care about them. Growth was minimal and slow-coming, and honestly of the two, I think Gwen grew the most.

On that same note, the story obviously follows Gwen and Arthur as they're trying to sort out their sexualities. Art knows he's gay and isn't struggling with accepting that, just struggling with what that means in their society. Gwen is having a much harder time, partially because of the scrutiny of being not only a woman, but a princess. It's not as easy for her to explore her sexuality. This was an important thing to emphasize. However, while I totally grasped that she had a crush on Bridget, I struggled to actually feel the chemistry when they were actually interacting, rather than Gwen staring longingly at the knight. With Arthur and Gabriel, I just had a hard time accepting that Gabriel was into Arthur, mostly because it's hard to believe he had a longtime crush on someone who was such a nuisance to his sister, who was also his best friend.

The dialogue was witty and honestly my favourite part of the story. At times, however, it felt too witty. Even when scenes were supposed to be serious, it was witty, and this detracted from the story.

My more minor complaints include the lack of world-building. No clue what century this was supposed to take place in. Obviously it's an alternate of British history, in which King Arthur and magic existed at some point, probably the Medieval period as they say it was centuries after Arthur died (5th/6th century). But overall, could've used more there.

Overall, 3/5, I suppose? I'm conflicted. You would think I would score it lower because of my complaints, but it was a perfectly "meh" read. I wasn't excited to read it. I wasn't terribly motivated to keep going. But it was a book and I've read much worse.

I received a digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've been on a bit of a King Arthur kick lately, and most of those novels have been fairly serious retellings of the main legends. This was something different, and honestly, it was just what I needed to get me through a bit of a reading slump. If you're reading for historical accuracy, then you are in the wrong place, but if you are looking for something more along the lines of a cozy queer romance with a few coy nods to Arthurian legend, then this is the book for you.

The banter was great, and these characters were a lot of fun to get to know. At first, I thought this was really going to be mostly rom-com and kind of shallow, but as we learn more about these characters, we find out that they are struggling with some pretty intense issues. The novel gets a little slow in the middle and then gets a lot darker toward the end, which I wasn't expecting. If it hadn't been for those issues making it feel a little lopsided, I would easily have given this five stars, because everything else was just so enjoyable.

Arthurian lore not just retold but reimagined and reborn. This novel was so fun. It included some political intrigue and dynamics. Fun and funny rom come banter. Several queer characters just trying to figure out who they are and what they really want while navigating what they think they can have. Medieval royalty 🤴 It has so many wonderful elements and is definitely worth the read. It’s ultimately a story of being proud of who you are and advocating for that 💖

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC! I really enjoyed myself with this one.

huge thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for this eARC! I adored this book and I love the queer representation and how this cute unhinged friend group becomes so wholesome and supportive.

listen I love a good Arthur retelling but huge heads up, this is NOT one 😂

while it is set in a world where King Arthur exists, it’s many generations down the road where our two idiots NOT in love have their own romances and chaos.
Art has the misfortune of being named after THE King Arthur and even worse is betrothed to Gwen, also unfortunately named. Despite this, they couldn’t be more different than their namesakes. Art is truly a himbo of a man which I am enjoying and Gwen is definitely someone I relate to (leave me alone to do my hobby and occasionally make eyes at my forbidden crush). She’s super snarky and does not give men the time of day (me too bestie). Her development was so subtle that by the end of the book you’re like ofc she would do that why wouldn’t she😌💅🏼

The side characters are quite fun, I enjoy Sidney’s. A true teddy bear knight that I adore. Gabriel is sweet and I love a bookish boy who names his cat Merlin like a true Arthurian nerd. An “insufferable academic” someone says quite accurately. I love him and his own form of strength and how he just wants so much for his kingdom like he’s so stupidly pure and I adore him.

Sid and Agnes need a whole lil novella of them post book just because they deserve it. I love how loyal they are to Gwen and Art.

The writing itself is so lighthearted and reflects the romcom that it is. I love that Croucher pokes fun at what we know in the legends of K.A and how it was just a hot mess of medieval proportions. I’m truly shook by the end, that 14% had me in a tizzy and quite emotional.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this book and I can’t wait to have a physical copy with 🤩🩷

this was a really good! I liked the characters, and they were super well-developed. the plot was super cool and fun to read, and the writing was also smooth and easy to understand
highly recommend

A really fun concept of a book, and the amount of humor in it is perfect. It's a fun read!
The pacing felt weird, it spent a really brief time wrapping up the ending, but I still found the twist towards the rising action really compelling. There was a lot of lore that could have definitely interact more with the main characters.
However, I think this book is perfect for the YA audience.

I LOVED this novel so much. There was a lot that I enjoyed about this story. The characters, the love plots, the miniature war planning in the background of the story.

I don’t read as much lgbtq+ stories as much as I’d like to & this story had both a mlm story and a wlw story that tie together so WELL. You really get the best of both worlds with this story. Who doesn’t want a lady in knight and shining armor?!

I can’t say much about this book without giving the story away or including spoilers but this was one of the best books i’ve read this year!! im so happy i got to read an ARC ecopy of this book; This book releases in November 28, 2023 so keep your eyes out for this book because I will surely be buying a physical copy of this book.

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

I want to start out by saying that as a 30 something woman, I am not really the target audience for this book. If I had read this in high school where I was at the height of my obsession with Arthurian legends (I was v cool), this book would have been a 5 star read no notes. Queers in history? Hell yeah! However, now that I'm older I do have notes.

When in the hell does this take place. It vaguely states a few hundred years after King Arthur, but that's all we get. That really bothered me and I kept trying to place when this is supposed to be. This is very much a YA historical fiction novel, but there was too much modernity in the story for me. I kept imagining this was all taking place at a weirdly immersive ren faire.

One thing I did love was the friendships we made a long the way. And by that I mean the supporting characters. Being queer is hard. Falling in love the first time is hard and awkward. Having stalwart friends that will literally defend you with swords is priceless and timeless.

This book is perfect with I would say teens to early 20s crowd. It flows well, has a cute plot, though the end seemed out of place to me, it did give the characters space to effect real change in their world. While I didn't love love the book, I can always get behind a queer history novel. Gays existed throughout time, it's the victors who get to write the history of the repressed.

Basically more gay legends please.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is a very cozy rom-com read. While it is definitely a slow burn, seeing the characters grow together is worth it. Gwen and Art are the perfect enemies who realize they can actually work together for their goals. Along with Gwen’s brother, Gabriel, Bridget, Sidney, and Agnes, their world of friendship and romance grows and gives you all the feels.


Special thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Imagine an Arthur inspired story. Not quite Knights of the Round Table but very closer. Now add teenagers reminiscent of a classic 80s teen movie. Now make most of them gay.

This book somehow manages to combine these disparate ideas into a highly enjoyable medieval escapade. Art and Gwen make for great protagonists - each of them are fun in some ways, and faulty in others, making them relatable and intriguing. Their expanded set of friends / family are all interesting in their own way - Agnes was a stand out for me as someone hiding their complexity until deeper into the story.

I also particularly liked the someone revisionist way the book handled the characters being queer. It was an issue at the beginning of the book, but as Arthur recognized Gwen as also being queer, it immediately created a little queer found family. Whether hundreds of years ago or today, finding those groups is how we as queer people survive and it felt powerful to read a story of someone who could have done it so long ago.