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!

Setting: England
Rep: bi FMC; gay MMC

Lex Croucher strikes again with another brilliant, funny, modern-feeling historical book. I liked this so much more than I thought it would! It was soooo close to a 5* but just didn't quite make it, but I still really enjoyed it. It's genuinely funny - Lex Croucher is one of few actually amusing writers I've ever come across!

I almost never DNF books that I'm reviewing, but I couldn't get through this one. Even though it's being pitched as a fun, light-hearted Arthurian adjacent romp, it was heavy on the trauma and processing about being queer. Maybe it turned around eventually, but I was not in it for the "I cannot be gay, this is the worst thing that has happened to me, I want better for my sister than this life of awful queerness so I'm going to shame her even though we have this in common." This was such a fun concept, and the execution was so much more bleak and upsetting than I was expecting.

On the plus side? The writing was a lot of fun, I loved the anachronistic and playful tone with the medieval setting. I just wanted the content of the book to be as playful as the tone.

More light, fun, silly queer books, please.

I had a lot of fun reading this book. I liked the Chemistry between Art & Gwen, not enough books spend as much time on building friendships as they would romances. Speaking of romances I loved both couples in this book, both of them felt so real and organic. The only thing I didn’t like about it was that there was so little description about the setting. Most of it I had to just guess myself, which is fine but if we were told about it a little more I would have really gotten absorbed in the book.

*I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review; thanks to the publisher and/or author for the opportunity*

If I didn't know better, I would think Lex Croucher read my mind and decided to write this book as a gift, specifically for me. Gwen and Art are Not in Love is a delightfully funny, queer coming-of-age romcom, submerged in Arthurian mythos; a book I’ve been waiting for since watching the first seasons of BBC’s Merlin more than a decade ago. And, more importantly, it is not a love triangle. Target audience: me.

To summarize, the book follows betrothed-at-birth Gwendolyn and Arthur, almost in the style of a comedy of errors, as they navigate their testy engagement, their burgeoning partnership, and their growing feelings for the object of their affection. Though it’s clear from, well, the title, that Gwen and Art are not in love with each other, it was the slow crocheting of their friendship that I found most charming. What can I say? I love my Enemies-to-Best Friends as much as my Enemies-to-Lovers.

I think it’s important to explain –for fans of historical fiction– that historical immersion isn’t the book’s biggest strength. In fact, depending on your reading preferences, it might be its biggest weakness: there’s a lot of hand-waving at the political and religious intricacies happening in the background, and I’m not sure when the plot’s supposedly taking place, though certainly a few decades after King Arthur’s passing? The setting is clearly medieval, but foggy on the details, very drafty in its worldbuilding. The modern dialog, too, though clearly an intentional decision, could be off-putting.

This, however, mustn’t be a detriment, if you come to the book for its virtues: a strong cast of characters, the wittiest banter to grace Camelot, and a charming, touching tale about coming to terms with oneself, and our histories: past, present, future. Its inclusivity, of course, goes without mention.

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tl;dr: If you were a fan of Merlin (2008) and wish Merthur had been canon, and aren’t too finicky about your historical inaccuracies, then this YA will be a tailor-fit for you!

Trigger warnings: genre-typical violence; mild blood and gore; instances of internalized homophobia.

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love is highly enjoyable for the following reasons: snappy dialogue, a strong supporting cast of characters, multiple characters who represent the LGBTQIA spectrum, and--most importantly--a significant friendship between a man who loves men and a woman who loves women.

I would recommend this book to other LGBTQIA readers looking for a light fantasy read, particularly ones who appreciate a writer with a more razor-sharp/biting tone. However, it needs to be said that the book does suffer from some weaknesses, particularly in the B-storyline related to the politics of fictional England. There is lots of world-building with competing parties and conspiracies that confuse the reader, plot points that appear and disappear seemingly at random, and questions about what is happening in this world that are never fully answered. This novel could have used some streamlining of the secondary politics and, frankly, a clearer decision on whether or not the Arthuriana was--for lack of a better term--real.

Still, while perhaps not as strong as Reputation, Gwen and Art is an enjoyable addition to Croucher's work and is a welcome addition to LGBTQIA Young Adult.

4.66 stars Thanks NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! The gay spirit of humor infused in early seasons of BBC Merlin surely hovered over the UK before entering Croucher’s body during the 2020 London lockdowns. This book had me laughing and rolling my eyes at the antics whilst simultaneously emotional at the struggles and character development of these lil medieval beans.

Set in a time period after the original Arthur Pendragon’s death, the first Saxon takeover, and subsequent Catholic Church conquest, Gwen and Art are promised to marry one another but both dislike the other and, if that weren’t enough, are hella gay. The unlikely duo make a pact (blackmail the other) to keep each other’s secret while simultaneously spurring on the other’s crush. Gwen’s fallen for the lovely Bridget from the Sukhothai Kingdom in modern day Thailand while Arthur’s harboring a surprising crush on the future king of Camelot.

While it’s not toooooo difficult to figure out who the big bad is or the end of the story (much like BBC’s Merlin) and my reason for not giving a /full/ 5 stars, the antics along the way make it well worth the read.

A fake dating? fake engagement? Well I guess betrothal, and just so gay. I was surprised by where the story went, fully expecting some cute quick little romcom of a book in Camelot but was pleasantly surprised by swordplay and political intrigue all wrapped up in a feel good queer novel.