Thank you NetGalley and St.Martins Press for this e-arc

Wow, basically if you are a fan of Red, White, and Royal Blue you are going to love this! It gave me the same adorable feelings as that book, but also the dynamic between Gabriel and Arthur was very comparable.

This was fantastically well done, depicting a re-imagined King Arthur-ish world (King Arthur had existed before and everyone is kind of just obsessed with him and his court which hey, I can relate to) where Gwen is a princess and betrothed to Arthur (a lord). But they hate each other. And if this wasn't a sapphic book then you'd probably guess this would be enemies to lovers, but Lex flips that whole expectation on its head. Instead, Gwen is mooning over a female knight and catches Arthur kissing a boy (gasp!). So they strike a deal, cover for each other and become reluctant friends before they are forced down the aisle. Shenanigans, battles, and kisses ensue, and I can't wait for everyone to become obsessed with this story.

This book is amazing! The plot is slower in the beggining, but by the end it gets a perfect pace, since more things happen.
Gwen is the character that grew the most. She went from being stuck-up, rude and a coward to using her priviledge as a royal to rule swiftly and justly. She acknolwedge the friend she'd always had, Agnes, and made new ones. She also started living her true life with Bridget!
Bridget is a great character. She's strong, determined and a real fighter. She knows what she wants and won't give up for anything.
Gabriel also had a lot of development, since he started accepting who he really is, as well as his role as the heir.
Arthur is a very complex character with many layers! He's a very sweet and sentimental person deep down, who had a terrible childhood. His best friend, Sydney keeps him safe and grounded, but a bigger support system helps him a lot!
I reallly recomend this for fans of Arthurian novels, queer history and fans of the found family trope!

TW:death, war, murder, sexism, homophobia, injury, assault.

2.5/5
I really liked the characters in this book, and found it to be emotionally well written. However, it feels like the author was trying to do too much with the plot. There’s conflict between Gwen and Art, they each have their respective romances, there’s conflict between the Arthurian cultists and the Catholics, there’s other political subterfuge, there’s parental conflict, and more, but none of it felt finished. No single idea felt like it was fully fleshed out nor reached a satisfying conclusion. Not to mention the severe and violent tone shift ~3/4 through the book. I really liked the pieces and ideas of this book, but they all ended up being very shallow

A straight up fun romp through a medieval romance that doesn't take itself too seriously. Every turn in this book was more entertaining than the last, and it kept up the sweetness and romance all of the way though. Qwen & Art Are Not in Love does not disappoint!

Thank you netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As an individual who doesn't know much about Arthurian tale, I think this queer romance was super freaking cute. it's probably not an accurate retelling (again, I wouldn't know) but it was a sweet and cozy read. This is certainly going to be a hit once it hits shelves. I can already see it overtaking booktok.

This was so good! I was so excited when I first heard about this book and even more ecstatic when I received an advanced copy from NetGalley to read! Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is queer, based off of the Arthurian Legend (it is NOT a retelling), and genuinely hysterical. There was so much wit in the dialogue, Art made me genuinely laugh-out-loud multiple times. Gwen made me want to tear my hair out at times, but was also endearing and her fierce love for her brother melted my heart. I don't want to sound dramatic or anything, but I would literally die for Gabe and I loved Bridget's severe personality, but fierce belief in herself and loyalty to those she cares about, I loved all the characters, they had their flaws, but that only made them more relatable and real. The slow enemies to friends dynamic between Art and Gwen made me feel so happy inside and the romances, though hard fought and difficult to read at times, were just as sweet.

Gwen and Art are getting married, too bad they have despised each other basically since birth, It doesn't help that both are interested in other people, people who happen to be the same sex as them, which is certainly not the done thing in Camelot, especially by the royal family. Torn between duty and heart, Gwen struggles to find a way to be happy in the life she is destined for. Art, on the other hand, has been told since he was a child that his marriage to Gwen was the only use his hateful father has for him. With self-worth ground down to nothing he hides behind alcohol and a careless playboy attitude. They both don't want to marry, but choose to try and make the most of it... that is until both find themselves giving their hearts to other people. To make matters even more complicated there is unrest in the kingdom, Gwen and her family are no longer safe and Art happens to be caught in the middle of all of it, literally.

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love was sweet and funny, but also had a lot of difficult moments. Croucher didn't shy away from deeper themes in the story, but there were lots of light moments to counteract the dark. I also appreciated the different take on the classic Arthurian legend and what Camelot may have been like hundreds of years after King Arthur's rule (still can't get over Excalibur 9). Gwen & Art Are Not in Love was a fantastic read, it had me gripped from start to finish. Definitely a worthwhile book to pick up!

I will never say no to a book inspired by Arthurian legend, and it was really fun reading a rom-com set in medieval England with modern anachronisms (Ut reminded me, in part, of "Catherine Called Birdy"). the ending was a bit underwhelming and didn't match the pace of the rest of the book, and I wish we got more development and time with the characters because the pining was executed better than the relationships themselves.

Thank you the publisher and NetGalley for providing the arc!

Thank you to netgalley for the arc; I read this book during valentines day and it was the perfect read. I loved the way Gwen and Arts relationship developed from enemies to allies once it was discovered that they had both fallen for other people; I came to this book for a cute sapphic romance and thats exactly what I got. This book is best paired with love story (Taylor's Version) and a good cup of tea.

this was nothing like what i was expecting but i loved it! i loved the lgbt+ retelling of arthur and i thought this book was hilariously good. the romances made me swoon and i loved the devleoped friendship between the two characters.

Thanks to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Someone needs to make this into a movie, posthaste. Please and thank you.

The back cover copy’s description of “Heartstopper meets A Knight’s Tale” is perfect. This is the queer YA medieval romance I never knew I needed with a good dose of humor, love and friendship that will have you cheering for the good guys to win the battle.

Gwen, the princess in this story who falls in love with knight Lady Bridget Leclair and her fake fiancée Arthur Delacey who falls in love with her brother, Prince Gabe, are delightfully complex characters who are just trying to figure out their places in the kingdom. The supporting characters like Gwen’s lady’s maid, Agnes and Arthur’s body man, Sidney, round out this amazing cast of characters.

Overall: I recommend this book to anyone who likes their queer YA romances with a bit of legend, a cranky orange cat, the ninth Excalibur, and a raven named Morgana.

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This book was an absolute joy to read and is going to stick with me for a very long time. While it is YA/NA I think it can and should be read at any age, there is so much readers can take away from this book. There were so many beautiful quotes in this book that I think we might all need to hear at some point in our lives.

Gwen and Arthur are betrothed to one another and Arthur is going to be staying with Gwen and her family during the tournament season. Unforunately they loath one another. While they might not love one another are key to one another finding love. When Gwen falls for Bridget and is trying to understand it all, while Arthur is falling for her brother Gabriel.

I really loved seeing the relationship between Gwen and Art develop through the story. At the beginning of the story they really don’t like one another but because of their roles and duties they are forced together. As they spend more time together you see this sort of reluctant bond between them develop. Gwen is going through a significant period in her life trying to figure out who she is and Arthur gives her some really good advice. When Gwen’s brother can’t be there for her when she needs him Arthur is there for her.

There are some hard moments in the book especially when it come to Gabriel’s own journey. Gabriel has to decide if he is going to what is expected of him or if he is going to do what he truly wants.

Unexpectedly this book got really stressful for me toward the last 10-15%. However it ties itself up really well.

CW/TW: death, violence, parental lose, and some internalized homophobia(it is overcome)

I would recommend this to anyone who like historical romances or found families. Someone who is looking for a good coming of age LGBTQIA+ story.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for giving me access to an arc.

I can honestly say that this is by far the best book that I have read so far this year and this would be my 28th read. So many things worked for me, especially the found family aspect of this book. Croucher does a wonderful job of making you care for all of the characters. I found them to all be extremely likable and they were able to have their own unique personalities, outside of one another.

This book, to me, deals with many things but especially our legacies and the tension between who we think we should be versus who we actually should be. The choices that we make about the life that we want to live. I think the blurb doesn't go far enough about explaining how deeply touching, heart-wrenching, and beautiful this story is. Sure, it is a sapphic and achlliean story but it is also bout love, expectations, and friendships. Croucher made me feel so invested in this story. Not only did she tell us but she showed us.

Lastly, I want to just say that the dialogue was superb. It was really funny! I was actually snorting and laughing out loud. It was witty. The banter was amazing because it felt so organic. Anyways, I just really loved this book so much and it definitely we become one of my comfort reads. Now I must read the rest of Croucher's books.

This was a cute, low-stakes YA read, pretty much exactly what you'd expect from the description. Two nobles who are betrothed figure out that they're both queer, decided to cover for each other, and hijinks ensue. I'd get it from the library personally, but it was a fun, easy read.

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC.

3.5/5
Yeah this is gay.
It truly is Heartstopper meets A Knight's Tale, but also meets Rosalind (on hulu 10/10 great movie).
I enjoyed having FOUR absolute gay disasters of characters in a setting that didn't need to make excuses as to why there are non-white characters in nobility ("ahem" Bridgerton). It was a cute and fun read, although the overarching conflict in the book of the Arthurian cultists vs. the crown fizzled and by the end, I forgot why there was a conflict in the first place.
If you just want a fun, YA romance with a happily ever after, this is for you!

I’m a sucker for a good King Arthur reimagining, and this was a fun, creative romp through and through. It had humor and heart. I thought Gwen and Art were vibrant characters and their banter was so fun to read. I loved watching their relationship go from enemies to reluctant allies to genuine friends who cared about one another and one another’s happiness, and I also enjoyed the romantic relationships developing here immensely.

My only problem is that the characters and their dynamics were so fun that the political plot felt severely sidelined and didn’t feel like it kicked until we were about 75 pages from the end, and I didn’t really care about it because we had spent so long favoring the plot as it was blurbed. I had no idea it would delve into anything deeper and it was just a personal preference of mine.

first things first: AHHHHHH
royal sapphic enemies-to-lovers? yes please. the blurb compares it to heartstopper, but truthfully, i liked this more than heartstopper. and i LOVED heartstopper. the characters in this book definitely hold a place in my heart. they each have depth and motivation, which made the story believable. the development of the main characters was so heartwarming, as they start off as enemies, but go through conflicts together that shape each of their characters. while humorous and fun, there were also serious moments in the book about being yourself, despite others' expectations of you.

the only thing that really didn't click with me was the worldbuilding. i believed this to be a sapphic medieval retelling set in England, but I couldn't tell when it was supposed to take place. the court politics part of the kingdom also was confusing, as i didn't understand how everything fit together. however, this is all made up by the fact that i loved reading this book.

five stars!

thank you NetGalley for the arc!

Oh so fun and lovely book! Great for fans of the Willow TV show, Sarah Rees Brennan’s In Other Lands, and anyone who wished that low stakes Arthurian fantasy was a little more (or way more) gay.

Arthur and Gwen have been engaged to unite the realm since they were children, but there’s two slight problems: they despise each other and Gwen is way more interested in the hot lady knight competing in her father’s tournament than she ever could be in Arthur. When Gwen finds Art kissing a boy in the stables, they begrudgingly enter a pact together to conceal their queer identities from the kingdom. Their friendship unfolds beautifully and hysterically as the story progresses, through tournaments, wild nights out on the town, and the general antics expected of gay teenage royalty.

This book checks all of my boxes: weird and wonderful medieval setting, queer romcom(s), sword lesbians, jousting tournaments, enemies to best friends, cutie sibling dynamics, sword lesbians, cozy fantasy-adjacent, excellent banter, sword lesbians…

This book does have few higher stakes situations and hard topics, which Croucher integrates gracefully without ever letting the book get too dark and lose its rom-com feel. The storyline and writing is so magnetic— this is the first book in a long time that has kept me up into the night, unable to put it down, literally giggling and kicking my feet.

Gwen & Art may not be in love, but I certainly am! Thank you so much to NetGalley & St. Martin’s press for the opportunity to read what will certainly be one of my favorite books of the year!


diverse representations: wlw, mlm, thai mc, half iranian mc, chronic illness (endometriosis-like, not named), amputee

trigger warnings on Readerly!

God, Gwen thought wistfully, I hope she stabs me.

+++++

His Royal Highness King Allmot of England lives with his wife and kids in Camelot. yes, that Camelot, but this is years after the legends were born and made and all that lingers now is the mythology (and people that are unaffectionately called "cultists").

the King has two children; the elder a boy named Gabriel, crown prince; the younger a girl named Gwendoline "Gwen" (yes, named after that Guinevere). Gabriel and Gwen are very close with one another and have few friends outside of their sibling, but neither seem particularly bothered by this. Gabriel is studious, largely reticent, unexcited to become king but determined to be a great one. Gwen is chafing at her place in Camelot's cogs; since she was a baby she has been engaged to a boy named Arthur (yes, named after that Arthur) and unfortunately, she hates him.

(also unfortunately, there's a hot knight at court staying for the annual competition. Lady Bridget Leclair is the only female knight in England and has made an enormous reputation for herself, including being an accomplished swordswoman and rider. Gwen likes to look longingly at her and pine.)

Arthur "Art" Delacey meanwhile, heir to the title Lord of Maidvale, long-haired and beautiful, is kind of an ass. the only person who seems to genuinely like him is his body-man slash bodyguard slash best friend Sidney "Sid" Fitzgilbert, a man whose vibe can only be described as "hold my beer".

the book opens with Gabriel coming to Gwen's room to tell her that he has found her dowry carefully written out in their father's office, a fact which implies that her inevitable wedding to Arthur Delacey will be happening soon. and sure enough, Arthur is shortly sent to court, to 'woo' his intended and make nice with the entire royal family.

instead of doing that, Arthur and Gwen argue bitterly with one another, realize they have more in common than either of them anticipated, and hatch a plan to help both of them get the happy ending they deserve.

I loved the beginning of this book but it was this turning point that really sold me on it. watching Arthur and Gwen's friendship develop was lovely and hilarious. this is at an earlier part of their relationship:



"Let's just agree to be straight with each other," he said slowly. "Can you manage that?"
"What do you mean?" Gwendoline said, clearly knowing exactly what he meant.
"You were lurking behind that wall-"
"I wasn't lurking."
"Okay, fine, you were reclining gracefully-with poise and dignity, as befits your noble house-behind that wall."



and their dialogue maintains that kind of levity and comedy the whole rest of the book. it was startlingly difficult to pick out which quotes I wanted to use in this review because there were so many that I loved, but I've condensed it to a few that I consider very, very good.

as Arthur and Gwen grow closer, their friendship solidifying into something real and reliable, their snarking gains an affectionate edge. the dialogue was one of the best aspects of this book in my opinion; Croucher captured the teenage angst and the historical drama and the ensemble cast's whip-quick wit with elegance.



"Oh no," Arthur said, gripping her by the shoulder and giving her what he hoped was a friendly little shake. "I'm actually proud of you. I don't... I don't really know what to do with that."
"Please," Gwen said," do absolutely nothing with it. It does not require action. And stop shaking me like a maraca, people will think we're odd."



as I am writing this review at the end of February I don't want to talk too much about the plot, as I think letting readers go into this fairly blind will be the best introduction possible. but I would like to suggest this book for anybody who likes historical fiction but wants to see more queers, and more importantly, wants to see those queer characters get happy endings.

this book isn't a fairy tale and not everything is rainbows and butterflies but I liked that. a magic happily ever after can be a little boring; a happily ever after that characters have sweat and bled and died for, that's my favorite kind.



"I made you a false mustache!" Arthur said, outraged. "I did crafts for you! The least you can do is act grateful."
"Thank you for my cat-hair mustache," Gwen said, rolling her eyes. "It's truly disgusting. I hope you washed it first."
Arthur winked at her in a way he probably imagined was roguish and charming. "I can guarantee you that I did not."

+++++

queer rep - bi/queer mc, achillean mc, sapphic love interest, achillean love interest
thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc ✨

Gwen and Art have been betrothed since they were young, but they are not in love. Just the opposite, actually - they absolutely cannot STAND one another, but when Arthur is forced to spend the summer at Camelot in preparation for their upcoming nuptials, their conflict comes to a head as both discover just who, exactly, the other is interested in.

I adored this book. It was a fun, funny read full of banter and queer romance and friendship, and I loved how the friendship between Art and Gwen grew organically into something so sweet and genuine - if you can't rib your bestie, who can you rib? Similarly, the friendship between Sidney and Art was so heartwarming; Sidney's acceptance and dedication to Art was honestly really rewarding.

The banter. The banter! I don't have a lot to say about it other than a) I love banter, b) this book has it in spades, c) it was hilarious, and d) the whole thing was right up my alley. There almost wasn't a single page without some sort of witty repartee, which I appreciated so very, very much.

Lady Bridget Leclair. That's it. That's the paragraph. I know you're with Gwen, Lady Bridget, but if it doesn't work out I am always available for you! (But honestly, the relationship between her and Gwen was really touching and cute and I was rooting for them!)

Honestly, this book was great. I can't think of a single thing that might have been done better. It's proud of what it is and never attempts to be anything else, and I respect it so much for that. It's exactly what it says on the tin, so if this is your particular flavor of read, definitely give it a shot!!! Thank you to Netgalley, Wednesday Books, and St. Martin's Press for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

I wanted to love this book. I really did. However, this book got in its own way. The first half of the book was very slow and tedious, which makes me wonder how many young adults will stick with it through to the end. However, the story is one that students will enjoy if they can forgive the repetitive scenes and dialogue that slow this book down. The characters and their attempts to hide their feelings from each other will resonate with my students. The fighting toward the end of the book will satisfy the need for action for those readers who did not come just for a light romance. I would recommend this book for a middle/high school/young adult section library and would also give this author another read in the future.