This book was a really fun twist on the King Arthur legend. I liked that it was a few generations later and that there was still this air of mystery and association with the original legend. I thought Gwen and Art were great. I enjoyed how their relationship changed from enemies via misunderstanding to friends to kind of almost siblings.

Gabriel was another fave. A soft boy with anxiety who just wanted to read and learn history and be in love.

The last 100 or so pages of this book were wild. I liked how the drama picked up and there was more action outside of just "within the castle walls".

Overall really fun read, I'm excited to get the final when it comes out.

I am not typically a romance novel reader, but I can never pass by anything that involves Arthurian mythology and is also queer. In the description of the book, it mentioned A Knights Tale as well, but this is not a retelling in any way. I really like the female knight vibe, though they missed an opportunity to name her some form of Lancelot which I mean, sure, but also Lancelot. And even though two of the main characters were POC, nothing there was explored where it could have enhanced the story and those characters, which I thought was too bad. It was very cute overall, even if it had the miscommunication trope which I loathe, and most of the stuff happened in the last like 30 pages of the book. But like I said, it was queer and arthurian mythology.

Heartstopper meets A Knight’s Tale and it’s a queer medieval romance?! What’s not to like? The characters in this story were well thought out and had substance to them. I enjoyed the banter and relationship Gwen and Arthur and how willing they were to help each other. I do wish we saw more romance. I feel like we didn’t delve deep enough, especially into Gwen and Bridget’s storyline. Overall it was a great read, I just wish that it was longer.

Thank you for the publisher and for Net Gallery for the ARC.

If you want a Historical romance with fake marriage thrown in, this book is for you. The banter was great and always had me laughing. The romance was so sweet.

That’s characters a fleshed out and relatable. The story is smooth and to the point. I loved how this story felt new and exciting and yet familiar at the same time!

I loved this book! The description of a Knights Tale meets Heartstopper is perfect! I loved all our characters, Gwen, Bridget and Arthur but especially Sidney and Agnes, just in love in their own world. Arthur and Sidney's snark exchanges were a highlight. I will definitely be recommending this title to the teens in my library!

3.5 Stars (rounded up)

I absolutely adored the premise of this book, and, on the whole, it delivered! This is the definition of a comfort read. It is uncomplicated and generally feel-good in a way that will make you feel warm and cozy by the time the book wraps up.

I do think it suffers from having too much happen in too short a time. By cycling between two characters that each have a love interest while also examining friendships, individual growth, and an unexpected political uprising, there is a LOT going on at any given time. Honestly, the addition of the political plots that flow throughout the book feels like the author's way of justifying a reworking of Arthurian legend without actually calling it a retelling or "modern"ization (since the time period is, likely intentionally, murky in this story).

I also felt like since we were focused on four characters and got the POVs of two of them, I thought the two love interests ended up lacking a little bit in terms of overall character development. I felt like we got an explanation of Gwen falling for Bridget, but we saw very little evidence of Bridget's feelings. I felt Gabriel had more build up, but still it felt very sudden.

Don't mistake my criticism for a lack of enjoyment, however, as I devoured this book over the course of just a couple days and sacrificed sleep to finish it!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC of Gwen & Art Are Not in Love, which published on November 28, 2023

I wanted to enjoy this one but I found the plot, story, and characterizations hard to follow and not really resonate the best for me at times.

Okay, first off, I have to say that I love this book cover and that I was so excited to read a gay Arthurian plot!

Synopsis: Gwen and Gabriel are the prince and princess of Camelot. Since birth, Gwen has been betrothed to Arthur - her arch nemesis since childhood. Arthur is sent to Camelot for a summer as their marriage looms - but why can't Gwen stop staring at and desiring female knight Bridget Leclair? And why did Gwen spot Arthur kissing a boy in the courtyard? Therein lies the deal that sets this book into motion - Gwen and Art agree to marry and support each other's true desires in secret. However, Arthur realizes he has feelings for a man he never thought he'd be interested in - someone who is shy and likes books?! And will Gwen, who loves to be alone, ever be brave enough to admit publicly that she's in love with a woman?

I love the modern medieval setting - so fun and different from anything I've read. However, I wish there was more focus on the love stories than the long battle chapters. It felt like the book was getting closer and closer, and we were waiting for big love moments between the two couples, and then those moments felt really rushed and muddied after a few dark battle chapters. And even when we did get the love proclamations, it still felt like there wasn't much of a wrap-up - are Bridget and Gwen still going to be loving from afar with Bridget on the road? Is the wedding off? Does Art announce who he truly loves to England? We are potentially being set up for a second book, but it still felt like we needed to get the firework love stories that I was so hoping for!

However, I love these characters individually. I was happy to see that Arthur grew but maintained his gruff, sarcastic demeanor. You could tell that Gwen, who was a very solitary person, grew out of her shell and challenged herself to try new things. Gabe, who studied how he wanted to rule only through books, felt the confidence, in the end, to lead England in a new way. And Bridget, well, I ALWAYS love Bridget!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

this is all that is good about ya fiction and fantasy. sweet romances, daring capers, and a little bit of magic. it was perfect and so enjoyable. my first five star read of 2023, and I cannot wait to read more from Lex Croucher. the medieval setting was wonderful and I just loved it.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

This historical YA romcom had queer A Knights Tale (you know the one staring Heath Ledger) energy. I absolutely adored having wlw and mlm romantic leads both at the forefront of this piece.

As stated in the title, Gwen and Art are not in love, BECAUSE
1. They are childhood enemies that have been betrothed since Gwen was born and
2. Gwen has a mega crush on Lady Bridget Leclair, the mega hottie sword wielding knight competing in the Kings tournament.

My absolute favorite part of the book (besides the tension in the bird shed) is the friendship built between Gwen and Art. From attempting to blackmail each other in the first 30 pages to helping each other follow their HEARTS. A close second favorite facet of the piece is the slight curveball we get in the final few acts. The political turmoil that had seemed just colorful background towards the beginning adds up into this major moment that amplifies the lessons the characters learn throughout the book. Such a fantastic execution for driving the author's points home.

On the flip side, I hold some critiques for the piece. The first critique was actually remedied over the course of the piece. At the open, I disliked both Gwen and Art. Gwen is entitled and untrusting. Art is pompous and a bit of an asshole. As the book moves forward, both of their character's defaults are explained and humanized. Thus, towards the end of the first act, I had grown to adore these two off-putting characters. My second critique is that there are a few word choices that pulled me out of the immersive experience of the novel. An example is that Bridget's jacket is mentioned maybe twice, and I know jackets existed during this time period but suddenly I’m picturing her in a zip-up hoodie.

I highly recommend this YA novel to my friends that loved Rosaline or A Knights Tale because it excels at providing medieval-esque vibes and nails the cute teen romance portion!

Highlights:
1. Gwen getting to practice spar with her crush
2. Gwen trying to blend in at a cultist celebration
3. Art and Sidney's ride-or-die friendship

Thank you, NetGalley for providing me an arc in exchange for my honest review!

I saw one of the first announcements for this book online and knew that as soon as it was published I would be buying it to read just based on the small description I read. I am not typically someone who reads a lot of fantasy books, but I wouldn't classify this book as solely fantasy. I finished it in probably 3 days, once I started reading it one night I didn't want to stop. There were some parts in the middle of the book that were a little slower in plot line, more character building but I loved the relationships that grew during the heights of the plot and all of the little things the author made sure to include about the characters. There were some points that genuinely made me laugh, and others that made me stop and think about that quote and how it would even play into my own life. Overall this was such a good book and I will for sure be recommending it to people I know when it comes out!

I honestly loved every second of this book! The characters, even when being terrible were extremely easy to like and root for. The development of not only the relationships but the friendships felt very natural and that translated into the dialogue making the interactions funny and accurate for young adults/almost adults (even if it was a little modern for the setting). I do wish we could have gotten to see more of the developed relationships but again, I really enjoyed the pacing of everything and this was just such a fun read!

I had high hopes for this book, and it, unfortunately, fell short. The romance aspect was not as prominent as I would have hoped. At one point the characters used the fact that they were gay as blackmail against each other, which I though was inappropriate. There was a lot of internalized homophobia, however, I do think that was the point, as the main characters were coming to terms with their sexuality. Overall, the plot was lacking and not a lot happened until the end and it all felt very rushed.

these types of books are exactly what we queer people need. historical retellings that are gay as fuck because why do we need to hear over and over again the real history that's straight and boring when we can pretend this is what actually happened? right?

this book was very emotional, especially the last chapters. it's a very slow paced book that if u take your time to enjoy and appreciate, you'll be given an incredible story that will forever be in your heart.
the way the author wrote the characters reminded me of the way Alice Oseman wrote them in novels like Heartless and Loveless, and that couldn't be a better thing. everyone was charming and distinctive, and just a delight to read. following gwen who has to deal with how people see her and how she actually is, arthur who was loved carefree throughout his entire life and wants people to live like that too, gabe that it's the total opposite, not wanting any complications even if it means hiding a huge part of yourself and bridget, someone that has to carry the weight of everyone's judgements for wanting to be something else.

lverall, this author just created an amazing story that will be comforting to many of us, and that's exactly what our community needs.

Gwen and Art are not your ordinary medieval couple. Forced to marry for political reasons, these young nobles have other plans. Their schemes to convince everyone they are (actually) in love is filled with romance, intrigue, cunning capers, and heartwarming moments. I enjoyed every page as I laughed, cried, and tried to read faster. I want more of these characters!

I thought this was a fun book. It definitely is not a King Arthur's retelling, but such a fun love story. Watching Gwen fawn over Lady Bridget was amusing and defying the odds was satisfying. Arthur was my favorite character, he made me laugh and had me slapping my forehead thinking "This is such an Arthur thing." Watching Gabriel's deal with his feelings and having Arthur help was so sweet.

The writing was sloppy and felt as though I kept reading the same situation just written differently. Having random politics thrown in made no sense and was lost a lot of the time. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for letting me read this early!

new comfort book just dropped<3

gwen and art are not in love. in fact, they can’t stand each other. but they are promised to each other due to a deal their fathers made when they were young. they’re spending the summer together in camelot, where gwen lives, and within twenty-four hours they discover something about each other: gwen saw arthur kissing a boy, and arthur found gwen’s diary, in which she describes lady leclair very romantically. they agree to cover for each other, which proves especially helpful as gwen grows closer to lady leclair…and arthur to gwen’s brother.

ahhh i thought this would be a five-star read, but i didn’t go in expecting it to be a new favorite. i can definitely see myself revisiting this book. there were so many funny moments, and i actually laughed out loud at some points. plus, all the romantic moments were so sweet, and i loved both of the main couples (+ the side couple) so much. i fell in love with each character and was so sad to say goodbye at the end.

i highly recommend to anyone looking for a queer historical romance that will make you laugh, swoon, and even cry.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for allowing me to read a cop of this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All of the opinions and views expressed in this review are purely my own and not affiliated with any brand.

This was a fun book! Arthur might be my new favorite literary character! He had me laughing all the time! Sidney was also a great character and an amazing best fiend. Lex Croucher does an amazing job of taking a classic story and making is something that is completely new and their own! This is a great read for anyone looking for a character who has a good time!

This is my favourite book I've read in a LONG time. Every character spoke to me on a deep level. It was witty, sappy, silly and beautiful all at once. The found family between Gwen, Arthur, Gabe, Bridget, Sidney and Agnes made my heart happy. Gabe is my favourite character due to his sensitive, sweet soul. I loved everything about this book; from the Arthurian lore, the battle scenes and the soft whispers between characters. This book is amazing. I need everyone to read it.

Gwen (a princess) and Arthur (a lord’s son) have despised each other since they were children, coincidentally the same amount of time they have been betrothed to one another. Arthur is sent to Camelot to begin formally courting Gwen, and the two become reluctant allies when they figure out each other’s secrets: Arthur prefers boys and Gwen has her eyes on a particular lady knight.

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is a delightful queer coming-of-age story filled with witty banter and heartwarming moments! The characters and relationships all felt so real. I loved this so so so much!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for the digital ARC!