4.75 stars

This book had no business being this funny! Nearly every page, there was a moment or piece of dialogue that made me laugh and it was so refreshing. This story was just delightful and now I'm desperate to read more from the author! The characters were all very distinctive and each had such endearing qualities, you couldn't help but fall in love with each of them. I don't have the best knowledge on Arthurian lore but this book made it easy to understand, and while it's not a retelling, there are elements of Arthurian legend scattered throughout which were really cool to see. I do think the worldbuilding could have been developed a little bit more, in terms of bringing in the outside politics further into the story so I wasn't as surprised at the turning point of the book, but overall I loved this so so much! Now to read all of Lex Croucher's work!

4.5*

One of my most anticipated reads of the year and I'm glad to say it lived up to my expectations!

Set in a medieval England not quite our own where the legacy of King Arthur and magic lives on, Gwendoline and Gabriel are the children of the King of England, living in Camelot. Gwen has been engaged to Arthur, the son of a nobleman, since birth, but unfortunately as the title may suggest - Gwen and Arthur are NOT in love.

The primary focus of this book is definitely the relationships between the characters (as well as the characters themselves), both platonic and romantic, and they're where the book shines for me. I could probably wax poetical for far too long about how I love the relationships in this book and how well Lex Croucher develops them throughout. Gwen and Arthur are actually probably my favourite pair to watch develop, childhood enemies who come to understand, accept and love each other through their shared secret - they're both queer yet are still expected to marry. Their interactions are humourous yet heartfelt as their friendship progresses, and I loved the pair of them. Their growth as individuals is also a key part of the book, with Gwen learning to come out of her shell and Arthur learning to accept responsibility. Not exactly groundbreaking character arcs, however they're relatable and are executed well, and work nicely to round out both of their characters.

Their respective love interests are Bridget, the female Knight who Gwen has fawned over for years, and Gabriel, who Arthur takes a shine to. Both of the romantic relationships develop quite differently and at differing paces, which made them pleasant to read side by side as it didn't feel like reading the same relationship happening twice. While I overall preferred Gwen's chapters and her romance with Bridget, Arthur and Gabriel's relationship was still very well done and both will provide plenty of angst and pining for anyone who likes that in their romance books.

Also got to shout out Agnes and Sidney, the two most prominent side characters who were both excellent, probably some of my favourite side characters in any book.

The only real criticism I can give this book is for the secondary plot in the book, concerning a political uprising against the crown, and that is simply that for most of the book I found it underdeveloped. I believe it ultimately pays off very well, culminating in a much darker finale for the book than I expected (but enjoyed moreso for that), but the players involved in the plot still feel muddled in my head and all of them merge together. This probably could have been avoided with a little more care being put to explaining the politics of the land and defining the characters better, but ultimately its not too great an issue.

This will definitely be one of my go-to recommendations now, for anyone looking for a witty and romantic queer book.

A sweet, fun and funny romp through Arthurian England, I really enjoyed Gwen and Art are Not in Love. Light hearted with witty dialogue that had me laughing out loud, you'll leave the book with so much love for all of the characters and hope for their futures. I really liked how the author presented queer characters in a historical setting, not shying away from the internalised homophobia and prejudices they would face, but always balancing the dark with the lighter tones so you are left with a feeling of warmth and hope. While the romantic relationships are well written, I think the book's main strength lies in its platonic friendships - the sibling strife and love with Gabe and Gwen, the ridiculous Sidney and Art who would go into battle for each other (literally), and of course, Art and Gwen, who might not be in love, but have so much love for each other you it does pull at the heart strings.

"Nobody else is ever going to care as much as you do about the things that you want, Gwendoline."

Gwen and Art have been betrothed since birth. But one thing is for certain, they despise each other.

But when the years go by and the duo are reunited and pushed into courting the other, they realise the same thing, they do NOT want this.

What makes their courting even better is when Gwen finds Art one night kissing a boy, and Art finds Gwen's diary that retells her crush on Bridget Leclair, a female knight.

It is there that they agree to pretend that the courting is going well, more to get their parents off of their backs, as long as they both look out for the other if they wished to go about other activities.

This book mentions some historic details of King Arthur and the legend that the characters Gwen and Art come from, but just know that this is not a retelling. It is a story of two people who have had to hide their true identity.

I was really excited to read this book, being a lover of King Arthur and the TV series Merlin, I was certain that this would be right up my street!

For the most part, it was really enjoyable. I found myself laughing and smiling a lot at the banter in this book and really enjoyed the characters, especially Sidney. You really get to tell a lot about the characters from the first few chapters and just connect with them quickly and easily.

Unfortunately, one thing I had a problem with was the pacing and plot of the book. The pacing, at least for me felt a bit all over the place, sometimes I would find myself putting the book down because of how slow it felt while at other times there was so much going on! I just wished it was paced a bit more evenly.

As for the plot, other than fake dating, there was very little of it at least from my reading. It was more character-based than anything else which isn't really what I prefer when reading, so it's more of a preference that I know others will enjoy. By the end, I didn't feel as satisfied as I hoped I would.

But overall I did enjoy this book and I know many others will too!!

Thank you so much to the publishers for providing me with an eArc of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Happy Book Birthday to the amazing Gwen & Art Are Not In Love by Lex Croucher! I received a beautiful ARC of Gwen & Art for free in exchange for an honest review! Thank you so much to the lovely Nina & Bloomsbury Kids for my copy!

I have been so excited to read this book! It was one of my most anticipated reads for the year and this is one of the coolest proofs I have ever received, the scratch off reveal was so fun!

Everything about this book was so FUN! The humour throughout had me in stitches! I haven’t read a book that has made me fully laugh out loud in so long. The references and jokes had me dyinggg! I knew from the first few pages that I was going to LOVE this and it has become one of my favourite reads of the year so far! I’ve ordered Reputation and Infamous by Lex Croucher as well so I can devour them too!

I fell in love with the characters and loved all of the hijinks they got into! I don’t think I’ve ever related to a character more than when Gwen saw the dreamy female knight Bridget and said “I hope she stabs me”😂

Gwen & Art Are Not In Love is a hilarious and heartwarming story that I couldn’t put down!

"Historical fantasy romcom": Arthurian-set refreshing gay YA.

I was never quite sure how I felt about A Knight's Tale - I'm a Chaucer fan and the anachronisms didn't all sit right with me. Queen did for some reason. Here I felt I needed to let go of that kind of academic loftiness and just enjoy, enjoy the 'what if' of history if gay people had a greater role, had a chance to be themselves, had a hold of the plot for a change.

It's also NOT Arthur and Guinevere, as the story tells us. Though Arthur is a descendent. Gwen is Gwendoline, a princess betrothed to Art since birth, and not too happy about that. Neither is Art, and they share a mutual (toads in bed, tripping each other over) loathing throughout their childhoods. Now on the cusp of arranging a wedding date, Art is pushed towards Camelot and 'getting to know' his future bride. Yay.

Not only is the enforced marriage idea anathema to both, but both parties are also covering up their own secret longings, without realising they both have this in common.

You can see where this is going. And there's more. Not only do we get witty banter and 21st century phrases ("let's workshop it", "shelter in place", "up-and-coming") from the twosome, but the side characters are just as amusing and featured - a female knight, Art's man Sidney, Gwen's studious brother Gabriel. It's a melting pot of adolescent sweat, hormones, angst and barbed repartee.

There are some darker moments - drinking, family conflict, battles, politics, deaths. It doesn't detract from the overall mood and tone of the story, which fits a lot into the storylines of a brother, sister, betrothed and their associates.

The wordplay was right up my street ("you can put on your big-girl girdle and demand more for yourself,"). It's a great setting for teens to experience a familiar story of hidden loves, with a mythical-but-not-quite Arthurian landscape. And reminds us all that history itself was of course not as straight as the books written about it would have us believe.

Great fun. Great characters. Could make a great film (Taron Egerton for Sidney!).

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

Gwen and Art may not be in love with each other, but I’m a little bit in love with them!

Princess Gwen has been betrothed to Arthur, heir to a Lordship, since birth. Unfortunately, they loathe each other. When childhood pranks got so out of hand that Arthur’s wrist was broken and the Queen was (briefly) set on fire, it was decided that perhaps a few years apart would do them good! However, those years have passed and now both families have decided it’s time for them to become reacquainted so they can plan their nuptials. One thing is certain, despite a chance encounter early in Arthur’s stay that leads them to become grudging allies, Gwen and Art are NOT in love.

I absolutely adored the characters in Gwen and Art are not in love! We have Gwen, our awkward princess who just wants to be left to her routine. Arthur, who has always been a disappointment to his father and has decided to just lean into the role. Gabriel, who desperately wants to be a good king, even if it means changing everything about himself. Bridget, the dashing (and only) lady-knight who fiercely knows her own mind. And last but not least, Sidney, Arthur’s incorrigibly flirtatious body-man. Together they are a wonderfully loveable band of misfits, who all care deeply for the people they’re close to and just want what’s best for them.

I don’t want to give any spoilers, but there is plenty of LGBT rep and it is delightful. I laughed aloud when the characters made comments about there must be something in the water - especially in the context of a historical setting where people weren’t open about being gay, so the characters believe themselves unusual.

The plot is an enjoyable vehicle for the characters. It was fast paced and interesting. I liked the twists and turns, but I was mostly invested in seeing them come into their own and their relationships develop. One of the things I love about a multi-POV story is getting to see characters from their point of view and also from the outside, and seeing how much feelings colour their perception.

I enjoy Arthurian stories generally and I liked what it lent to the story. A familiar setting, Camelot, and a familiar time period gives the audience a sense of time, place, and general expectations of the time, which means the author doesn’t need to spend time explaining aspects of social obligation we already understand.

Overall, I absolutely adored Gwen and Art Are Not in Love. I read it in one afternoon and was absolutely delighted by this queer Arthurian-ish story. I will absolutely look out for more books by Lex Croucher in the future.

Thanks to the publisher via Netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

What a delight! I was a little nervous going into this, given that I'd never (in my recollection anyway) read a book set in the medieval period, never mind a YA. Our setting is Camelot, our protagonists Gwen and Arthur are life-long enemies, which is a bit awkward, since they're betrothed to one another. When Arthur comes to Camelot to officially start courting Gwen, they form an uncertain alliance, each knowing a secret about the other that could ruin everything - Gwen likes girls, and Arthur likes boys. So, this is a fake dating plot with a twist and a fun Medieval Times-style setting. Of course, historical accuracy isn't really the point here, and acts more like fun window dressing, but I can't complain. It's a hilarious medieval romp a la Ella Enchanted, or the Princess Bride. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a fun summer read that they can tear through in one sitting. Fans of Casey McQuiston will love!

At a glance, Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher looks like another Arthurian retelling, and firstly let’s get that out of the way; it’s not. The Gwen in question (she’s very grateful to be Gwendoline, thank you very much) has been betrothed to Arthur since they were kids, and she hates him with a fiery passion. It’s a feeling that is very much reciprocated by Arthur, who very vividly remembers the time that Gwen broke his wrist and generally acted like a spoiled brat at every chance. Neither of them are happy that the time for their courtship has officially begun now that they’re of age.

That’s until they both realise that neither of them want this wedding to happen because they’re both very queer. Art more so than Gwen, who is only just beginning to recognise that her teenage crush on the only female knight of the realm, Bridget Leclair, isn’t going away any time soon. Gwen is mortified when Art digs up (quite literally) her childhood diary and holds it over her, but she’s just seen him kissing the stable boy and holds her own. An uneasy alliance forms between the two as they hatch a plan to pretend to be in love, allowing Gwen time to unravel her feelings for Bridget and for Art to party with whoever he wishes…. which he slowly realises might just be Gwen’s quiet brother and heir to the throne, Gabriel.

I loved everything about Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher. I was hooked as soon as I read the synopsis, and the book proved to be even better than I hoped. Croucher has written a brilliantly witty and humorous tale of two young queer people who have been thrown together due to political events long before they were even born. They hate each other until their difference unites them. Neither of them are perfect. Gwen is incredibly self-entitled, sheltered, haughty and ignorant, while Art is self-destructive, arrogant, over-indulgent, smug and tactless. They both learn from each other, and one of the best parts of the book is the dialogue with their poor, long-suffering servants/friends who have to put up with their behaviour. Art’s body-man Sidney is one of the best bits of the book and doesn’t take Art seriously at all, giving him as good as he gets as though their relationship is best mates rather than a noble man and servant. Considering how often they go out on the town to get pissed, that’s probably more accurate.

While Croucher has wrapped the topic of coming out and coming to terms with your own queer identity in humour, this isn’t a book where it’s not taken seriously. It very much is, and the darker feelings of struggling with identity are also covered. The whole book, at least to me, felt very realistic. I could easily have been having any number of the conversations with my friends as a teenager, or now as an adult. There’s a moment when Art, thinking he’s being helpful, sets Gwen up with Bridget, and she thinks he’s done it to embarrass her. Stuff like that actually happens, and people do react like that. I facepalmed and giggled so hard while reading Gwen and Art Are Not in Love. It was impossible not to fall in love with these characters!

I like the way that Croucher took the history and myths of King Arthur and included them in their story, but without using them to create their story. As I said this isn’t a retelling, and while Art is a descendant of King Arthur it’s made clear that it’s so far back in his family tree that it doesn’t really count. It wouldn’t be mentionable if it was up to him, but his dad is obsessed with it. The idea of expectations is a huge theme in this book, and Croucher uses the history of King Arthur to build onto that. Camelot means something to us centuries later, and in Gwen and Art Are Not in Love Croucher explores what that legacy means to people living in the place that Arthur built. What it means to Gabriel as he’s thinking about what it means to be a king and eventually follow in his father’s footsteps.

There are so many layers to this book and Croucher has done an excellent job of weaving everything together without making the book fill overloaded. Instead, they have delivered a superb book about queer identity, finding oneself and choosing your own future. I also have to mention the fantastic cat scenes that are very accurate and will be extremely appreciated by anyone who has a feline companion. This has easily been one of my favourite reads of the year so far, and I highly recommend getting your hands on it ASAP!

I love Lex Crocher's previous two novels, and cannot wait for the fourth which is landing way sooner than expected ('Trouble' - out July 20th, two months after this one!) but this is probably the weakest so far,
I loved the premise, adored the characters and regularly laughed out loud at the dialogue. Few writers are as funny as Croucher, the exchanges between characters are so pithy and witty.
But I really struggled with the pacing, which felt scattershot rather than considered. At times it feels bitterly slow, and other times it races through to the point of losing the reader.
Unlike 'Reputation' and 'Infamous', which had clear and distinct plots, this was more character and vibe-centric. We follow the characters over a rather undefined period of time, as they learn to come to terms with themselves and each other. Then there's a big battle scene at the end. The result is unconventional and, for the most part, doesn't particularly gel.

A heart-warming and funny Arthurian queer YA. I loved this book from start to finish, I wish this had come out when I was a teenager. I have already started to recommend it to customers because I loved it so much. The characters are so easy to love and the story is so compelling. I think it might be the perfect book for summer this year!

I wasn't really expecting much from this, but the main characters all really grow on you.

Set a few hundred years after the orginal King Arthur, it revolves around Gwendowlin and her brother, Gabriel, children of the current king of England. Gwendowlin is betrothed to Arthur, the son of a neigbouring lord, and the marriage is seen as a political alliance between the fathers. Except that Gwen doesn't really like boys, and Arthur doesn't really like girls. Gwen has the hots for a female knight, and Arthur is increasingly drawn towards Gabriel, Gwen's brother and heir to the throne. Follow much wrangling between honouring what parents want and what they themselves really want.

All in all, it's a very readable mashup of historical setting and modern sensibilities written in a lighthearted way, and the ending, culminating in a big, bloody battle does blindside you..A good LGBTQ+ romance with a difference.

NOTE : Contains swearing throughout

I am a fan of Lex Croucher’s adult romance novels but despite the very fun premise, this didn’t work as well for me. A queer Arthurian retelling sounded excellent (and for many will be) but there is a twee-ness to this book that isn’t to my taste so reading it wasn’t a fun experience. That said, I liked Gwen’s character arc and thought it very well done. Plot-wise, most of the book felt very ‘little plot just vibes’ compared to the more action-heavy last section.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I fell in love with the characters in this fun, well-written, sassy novel. The book deserves to be recognised as a unique piece of modern YA literature as it melds the worlds of historical fantasy fiction with a relatable lgbtq+ storyline.
I will be suggesting this book to students who are fans of the two genres and those that aren’t due to its readability.
I enjoyed following the characters through the story from start to finish and look forward to reading more of this author’s work in the future.

A cute story about found family with all the wit you would expect from Lex. I loved their other novels too. An unconventional romance.

This was a very cute and quite fast paced romcom that made laugh out loud in places and tear up in others.

I highly enjoyed this! It’s funny, the story is charming, the found family vibes are a delight and it’s very gay. The characters are great and I would love to be their friend. This is my favourite Lex Croucher book yet!

Gwen and Art are not in love, is a delightful unconventional romance novel. This book is an easy read, with comical moments and well rounded characters. Croucher, has exceeding expectations (& they were high to begin with) with this book! The Arthurian lore, scattered throughout was well delivered. Amazing book.

Thank you for an ARC. I may expand once I’ve had a full chance to think!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury for an eARC in exchange for an honest review)

I loved this book!!! I went into it expecting an Arthurian retelling and was pleasantly surprised to see the story actually takes place years after King Arthur ruled. But whilst it's not a retelling exactly, I liked how the original tale still had some tweaks and originality to it. I also loved seeing how Arthurs's legacy was affecting society and what the world is like years later.

One of the best parts of this book was the characters. It's one of those books where you can’t help but love all the main characters. You cheer with them when things go well, you cry with them when things don’t and you just get really connected to them so quickly and the main reason for this is because they feel so real and human. All the characters are distinctive and unique, even after a couple of chapters I knew the type of people they were and had connected with them already. Also, the interactions between them all were brilliant, especially the dynamic between Gwen and Arthur but also Arthur and Sidney (the humour was top tier).

It was also written really well and the pace of the book was brilliant. I find most books I read tend to spread up at the end and rush things but this didn’t (which I really appreciate).

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for an ARC!

I adored Lex Croucher's last book (Infamous) which I also read as an arc so I was super excited for this one! I didn't realize until afterwards that this is technically YA instead of adult, but it's still just as good. If you like princess x knight, fake dating, fantasy, and subversive books, this one's for you. If you don't like those things... why? Read it anyway.

Of course we can all see that it's a King Arthur type story, right? Well, yes and no. I do like King Arthur so I was keen from the get go, but I was pleasantly surprised that this is not a retelling, it's something totally new. This takes place hundreds of years after the mythical King Arthur and, while his legacy is a huge driving force throughout the narrative, it's not his story.

The story is actually about young adult struggling to find their place in the world and make it a better place without losing sight of who they are as individuals. That's a typical YA theme, yet the book is still exciting and new. Both the main characters can be stupid at times, but, again, it's YA, these are really just kids figuring things out. They're never too insufferable to read and their character development does result in them becoming better people.

I would have loved to read this as a teen and I loved to read it now.