What a bingeable read. I loved Reputation by Lex Croucher and was so excited to see how they would handle a different time in history as a setting. I was so glad to see all the usual current humour and colloquialisms blended perfectly against the backdrop of post Arthurian England. The queer take on these often played out historical tales was so fresh and the side characters were GOLD (Sid? Can he be in every book I read).

Seriously this is an adorable forray into YA for Croucher and I'll continue to read everything they write.

3.5 stars - GWEN AND ART ARE NOT IN LOVE is an enjoyable book that is humorous and poignant in equal measure, giving a much needed and refreshing queer rep to the historical genre that typically deems queer people non-existent.

The characters and their dynamics are what make this book. They all struggle with living up to or reject others' expectations with being true to themselves, the stakes higher with their social positions. We see them wrestle both without and within, and ultimately grow and develop all while relying on one another. Gwen and Art comprise an enemies-to-friends combo that actually lives up to the trope; Gwen and Bridget are smoldering together; Art and Sidney the bro-est besties.

The book is appropriately serious and poignant when it needs to be, but Croucher's use of humor is perhaps my favorite thing about the book. The narrative voice is memorably wry and the characters - especially Art - are effortlessly hilarious, be it with their words, actions or situations they find themselves in. However, while the climax is surprisingly but welcomingly action-packed and dramatic, I wish the ending was at least a little longer. Currently the aftermath of the violent coup is only mentioned offhandedly in the last chapter with only a couple of sentences, inadequate in showing the full aftermath of a significant event that has both high personal and political stakes for the main characters. Art's father, for example, has been shown to be an abusive and despicable man, and I wish we learned what comeuppance he got in the end.

In sum, this is a rollicking book that is equally poignant and humorous, led by a cast of lovable and multidimensional characters, one whose ending I wish was less abrupt.

(Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for the digital ARC—please refer to my Goodreads for the full review!)

4.5 STARS - To be completely honest, the only thing I know about Arthurian legend comes from LEGENDBORN by Tracy Deonn, and I requested this book just because I thought the cover looked cool (and also because I’m a sucker for found family and historical fiction and retellings that aren’t (but kind of are?) retellings). I expected it to be good, but GWEN AND ART ARE NOT IN LOVE completely surpassed any and all expectations I had when I first started reading. This book is told from two perspectives: the first being Gwendoline’s, the princess of medieval England, and the other being Arthur’s (not Pendragon), a future lord and Gwen’s betrothed. We learn very quickly that they are not betrothed by choice, however, because Gwen and Art hate each other. They cannot stand each other—the title is a gross understatement. After years of avoiding each other, the queen informs Gwen that Arthur will be staying in Camelot for the summer and the two will be married by the end of the season. As it turns out, though, they may (begrudgingly) have one thing in common, and that is their complete disinterest in each other on top of their mutual hatred. Gwen has her eye on Bridget Leclair, the infamous lady knight of Camelot, and Arthur is starting to think that Gwen’s brother Gabriel may not be quite as menacing as he seems.

The first 75% of this book relies on a loose plot that consists of character interactions and Arthur convincing Sidney, his bodyguard/best friend/scapegoat, to let him make stupid decisions. I know some people don’t love this style of writing because it’s not super action-heavy and it's more just Characters Doing Things, but I swear these types of plots were created solely for my enjoyment. I can also see some readers being frustrated with this book's lack of historical accuracy, but I never found it to be an issue. Normally I am such a stickler for writing styles—I wouldn’t be able to tell you directly what it is about certain writing styles that I like better than others, but there’s something about them that just makes them superior (perspective, humor, tendency to make the whole book feel like it was laced with crack, etc.) The characters in this story are set in a centuries-old time period, but their more modern language never seemed to bother me in the way that other YA historical fiction tends to. It helps that the humor in this book was so fantastic that I very genuinely laughed out loud multiple times and was probably reading this book with the biggest (and dumbest) grin on my face the entire time—I am not generally a romcom girlie but this book is making me reconsider that.

I also saw some people say that this was their new comfort read, and I think you guys are delusional because I have never been more stressed than I was reading the last 25% of this book. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it uses the miscommunication trope (which feels like an insult and GWEN AND ART ARE NOT IN LOVE deserves much better), but I can say that Lex Croucher must have been out for blood when writing the climax and I was clearly the intended target. The characters and the Arthurian-inspired world Croucher builds are so realistic that when Arthur puts together the pieces of the cultists’ plot towards the end, it really does feel like his panic is your panic. This book is escapism at its finest, with just enough relatability that it keeps you reading through the end.

My one complaint (which really shouldn’t even be much of a complaint, but I’m really trying my best to be as critical as possible here) is that I think the ending fell a bit flat. The climax was so emotionally packed and the ending just…wasn’t? The end was also a bit too short for my liking, but maybe I’m just having withdrawals from this book and wanted more Gwen/Arthur/Bridget/Gabriel/Sidney/Agnes content. I just think the characters could’ve done with a little more closure!

There’s probably a lot more I could say about GWEN AND ART ARE NOT IN LOVE (The relationships??? The character complexity??? The Lancelot letters????????) but if I don’t stop talking now, then whichever intern at St. Martin’s Press accidentally approved me for this book is really going to figure out that they made a mistake and they’re never going to approve me for another YA historical fiction romcom (or any book, for that matter) ever again. Go read this when it releases in November or else Arthur Delacey is going to dig up all of your darkest secrets and tell everyone that you wrote about Bridget Leclair in your diary.

Fun and full of snark, this book gives women a lot of agency they most certainly did not have for this time period, but that is not a bad thing. I think teen readers would baulk if the women in this book were historically accurate. I like the freedom they are able to have, although there is still plenty of historically accurate male-centeredness.
I love snarky dialogue, and this book has plenty of that.

Swooning for Gwen & Art! This book is a breath of fresh air- a YA retelling with classic references to Camelot and medieval England. An arranged marriage between Arthur and Princess Gwendoline, childhood enemies, turns into a journey of alliances supporting sexuality and queer love.

This book had me smiling and laughing into my kindle. Lovable characters paired with unexpected twists and turns! I wish I had a book like this when I was in high school.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC! Look out for this booking coming to shelves November 2023.

4/5

This was a really creative interpretation of the traditional Arthurian legend that goes beyond its source material. I enjoyed how the main cast learned to trust (and love) each other, becoming a family. The plot moved forward at a steady pace, not feeling rushed or dragging on too long.

I loved Arthur's personality the best. He had an endearing growth arc In realizing he is more than the selfish man he thought he was. My least favorite character was Gwen. She definitely redeems herself to me at the end, but for most of the story she comes across as whiny and sheltered. I get that she was supposed to grow stronger in her experiences, but she just got on my nerves at times. This doesn't take away from my rating but I wanted to mention it.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it.

I received a copy of this eARC from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for sending me an ARC of Gwen & Art Are Not In Love in exchange for an honest review!

"It turns out we've been living up to the ideals of Arthur Pendragon all along. I think it's time people knew that. I think... it's time to do things differently."

Gwen & Art Are Not In Love follows the two royal siblings of Camelot, Gwendoline and Gabriel, trying to navigate royal responsibilities, sexual identity crisises, friendships, and young love several hundred years after Arthur Pendragon ruled Camelot. Gabriel is struggling with the fact that he is the heir to the throne and is obsessed with trying to possess every aspect of Arthur Pendragon. Meanwhile, Gwendoline, or Gwen for short, is fighting the arranged marriage created by her parents to Lord Arthur Delacey and dealing with an identity crisis.

This YA novel was so much fun from beginning to end! The development of relationships between the characters was so fantastic and I rooted for everybody from the very first page, especially Arthur and Gabriel. Arthur and Sidney were incredibly funny as they built a friendship with Gwen and Agnes. There were so many beautiful moments throughout this book between Gabriel and Gwen that I definitely connected with because of the relationship between my brother and myself. Bridget was also a fantastic character, who really helped Gwen come into her own.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait to read it again in the future. Based on the ending, I'm also hoping that maybe there will be a sequel at some point in the future. Do yourself a favor and go read this book! 5/5 stars!

This book was a thoroughly enjoyable, quick read for me! I enjoyed the plot and the romance.
One down side is I did find some of the characters a bit off putting at times, just some of their written quirks had me not loving them as much as I expected.
That said, very well written and easy to love! Would pick up another title from the author and look forward to buying a physical copy when it releases.
Thanks for the ARC!

A descendant of King Arthur, Art i s betrothed to England's princess, Gwendoline. Since childhood, they have not gotten along, and not they are forced to spend a summer together in Camelot. After Gwen discovers Art kissing a boy, and Art learning Gwen's long time crush on a lady night, they become unlikely allies.

This was a refreshing read set during the medieval times. Gwen and Art may have had strong hatred for each other since childhood, but as teens, they are more alike than they thought. The banter not just between the two main MCs but also among the other characters is fun and entertaining. While it is a romcom, the plot is not all about love itself-there is love, friendship, and learning about oneself.

Gwen & Art are not in love? HAHAHAH. That's hilarious.

Right from the title, I knew I was in for a treat with this one. The cover is gorgeous, and I love the details of each character.

While Gwen & Art might not be in love, I am MOST definitely in love with them. But I can't forget Gabriel, Bridget, and don't you forget Sidney! This was such an upbeat and sharp-humor story, making it delightful to read. I had a smile on my face multiple times thanks to the humor in this. This contains so much laughter, heartfelt moments, and uplifting vibes, but at the same time a serious story.

This historical YA romance is one to add to your TBRs. Coming out November 2023!

I am ABSOLUTELY hoping for a sequel!

I stayed up until 4 am reading this because I HAD to know what was going to happen. The story itself was intriguing and was made all the better by the main four characters all of whom had individualistic dimension and charm.

I was a huge Merlin fan back in the day having watched the show three times over and this story delivered a contemporary, LGBTQIA+, YA, and romantic version/re-telling that had me blowing through the book. The relationships between Gwen, Art, Bridget, and Gabriel were cute and loveable but also complex and believable. I found myself laughing out loud through at least half the book and then giggling the other half. I was so invested in these characters and their relationships with one another that I physically couldn't put it down until I knew how they'd unfold.

Each character's growth individually was made more apparent and important thanks to the influence of the others around them. Art's carefree nature and ability to accept himself helped Gwen loosen up and go after what she wanted. Gwen's strong will and determination helped show Art there's more to life than booze and hidden romps in the hay. And both of them helped show Gabriel that he didn't have to hide who he was or become someone he didn't truly want to be. And Bridget showed Gwen that there's validity to standing up for what you want, even if it isn't necessarily what everyone else wants. Overall, the characters grew individually while helping those around them change.

In addition, the book's medieval spin throws a comforting lens over some pretty intense/important topics. Struggles with sexuality, familial obligation, personal expectations, and even familial pride were talked about and confronted during the story making the characters more relatable.

Overall, this was a hilarious, wonderful, insightful, and joyous read that I'd recommend to just about anyone!

Lex Croucher's Gwen and Art Are Not in Love gave all the right vibes! Tons of representation and lovable characters!

I usually stick to books that are around 250 pages because they are more fast-paced, but although this book was around 400 pages, it still kept a decent pace (especially in the second half of the book).

My favorite thing about this book was how funny it was! The amount of sarcasm had me giggling on EVERY. SINGLE. PAGE.

The main characters were so relatable and amazingly written, and I can't wait to read more of Croucher's books!

Overall, I rated this book 4/5 stars because although it was almost perfectly written, the first half of the story was slightly too slow, making it hard to get invested in.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

So, I guess this was a "me" thing. I don't know enough of the Arthurian legend to have fully comprehended this book. Parts of it were amusing - the whole knights and maidens speaking in 21st-century vernacular was fun. Usually, historical inaccuracies get under my skin. But, you could tell this was intentional and I had fun with it. I just couldn't keep up with the battles and the backstory. It's not the author's fault, it's mine.
Thank you St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC in return for an honest review.

I adore this book. I think the full cast works well together although I do find Gabriel slightly annoying. This was marketed excellently for fans of A Knights Tale because I love that movie and if this book becomes a movie I will love that too.

A kind thank you to NetGalley and to Wednesday Books for an e-arc of Gwen & Art Are Not in Love in exchange for my honest review.

Let's start off with my rating--I'm between a 3.5 and 3.75 star rating. Did I have fun while reading this? Absolutely. However I do have some issues that I want to point out where the story fell a little flat for me.

My main issue with the story was the pacing, but most importantly the first 100ish pages. I found myself waiting for something to grab my attention or something exciting to happen in the first hundred pages but it never really came. It felt slow, and that might be because the books I had read prior to this one had me flying through the first chapters, so this one having a slower pace didn't really do it for me. I think if you go into this book knowing that for the most part, it is a slower paced read then you'll benefit from being able to manage your expectations of what to expect.

That being said, there were some things I really did enjoy! I LOVED the humor and witty dialogue between the characters. Gwen, Arthur, and Sydney specifically seemed to make an impression on me as being very quick with their retorts, and I found it entertaining and caught myself giggling at times.
I also loved that this was an enemies to allies, I'm more used to reading enemies to lovers but it was nice to read something a little different and see the progression of Gwen and Art's relationship.

I will also note that although I did enjoy the romance aspect of the novel, by the end of the story, I felt like I still wanted a little more, I think this is mostly up to preference to be honest. I really really wanted to love this one and had really high hopes, but with a slow pace and not a lot happening until the last few chapters, it didn't seem to work for me.

If you're looking for an easy-going somewhat low-stakes fantasy-ish read, then this might be the one for you! It's funny and smart and I loved the queer rep.

It is a bit trope-heavy, but it was also a fast and easy read. I didn’t care much for Gwen, but I did like the rest of the characters quite a bit, especially Arthur. Some of the characters felt a bit flat or one-dimensional, and bits felt like they could have been fleshed out more such as the coup, the bad guys who just showed up at the end, and the way the king’s main person ended up being a double agent. But as I said, it was a fun read and a new cute take on Arthurian stories. Plus it has a whole host of representation in it.

historical fiction usually isn’t my cup of tea, but i was pleasantly surprised with this one. it’s set in medieval times, 100 years after the reign of king arthur, and his descendent, gwendoline is betrothed to arthur since they were children. however, they both aren’t really each other’s type, and instead gwendoline is enamored with the only female knight in the kingdom, bridget leclair, and arthur is in love with gwen’s brother, gabriel. and it follows how the teens come to terms with their sexuality, and how they balance their political duties (and their parents wishes) for what they want out of life.

now THIS sounds straight up my alley, but i think my approach to the book kind of put a damper on my reading experience. while i loved the banter between the characters as well as the exploration and conflict between doing what is “right” and what you want to do, everything just felt flat. the first 100 pages to me were so boring, nothing was really happening (and i understand that the world needed to be set up and that there were character dynamics that needed to be explained) and it was a bit of struggle to push through. then in terms of the characters and the romance, i just wished they were fleshed out a bit more. i think i approached this book as a non-ya and felt that the pining between the characters could have been elaborated on more and most of them just felt underdeveloped.

the book did start to pick up at the end, and so many things were thrown at the reader that i felt like it was a bit disorientating, so maybe the pacing could have been a bit better—especially elaborating the political situation and importance earlier on. but, i do have to say bridget leclair is so hot, like there is no one who doesn’t want to be with her.

overall, while this book wasn’t necessarily for me, i know plenty of other people would devour this and enjoy it a lot more!

thank you to netgalley and wednesday books for providing this arc for me to read in exchange for an honest review!

Gwen & Art are not in love is my favorite book by Lex Croucher. I loved the banter and sharp dialogue. It was a perfect comfort historical ya romance. It has both a m/m and f/f romance. I also loved how it poked fun of the King Arthur legend. It has love, fake dating, self discovery, and friendship. I had a great time!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this kind ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is such a cute story with lovable characters and a wonderful nod to Arthurian legend. Although it’s obvious that the book is written in a medieval setting, it still reads in a modern way and is easily digestible.

I liked how Gwen and art hated each other from a young age until they found out they had something in common (both being gay) & the banter was everything I found myself laughing throughout the book and I also didn’t expect the whole battle from something I thought was mainly going to be a rom com, but overall I feel like the author did really well with the character development. Most characters stayed with the same flaws from the beginning till the very end. However I really didn’t like the ending as much just because I expected more & at times I did feel like time era of the book was kinda everywhere. BUT I did think the enemies to friends was a new spin that I did appreciate