A fun, modern twist on the legendary tale. This LGBTQIA+ romance is stunning, heartwarming and a real insight into Gwen and Art themselves. I loved it so much. Huge thank you to the publisher for the chance to read this ARC and review.

We all agree that Arthuriana is only really good when it’s gay, right? Well, if you do agree with this statement, then you’re going to want to check out Gwen and Art Are Not in Love! Set in a fantasy historical world, where King Arthur had descendants and their bloodline propagated, it’s now an alternative 14th century (or so), and Gwen’s father is on the throne. Gwen is betrothed to Art, who she hates. The feeling’s mutual but, as each discovers the other’s most secret secret (Arthur likes kissing boys and Gwen has a crush on a girl), they make a reluctant pact to cover for one another.

If you’ve ever read any of Lex Croucher’s works before, you’ll know what to expect: snark and humour, found family and feelings. Gwen and Art is no different to the others in that respect, and at its heart is a feeling of love. Not only between the characters, but also for the characters and their audience too. It’s a book written for the LGBT community, imo, to celebrate it and to shower it in love. We get to erase homophobia from the narrative and read about creating a better world, about finding our people and making connections.

It’s a book that will warm the very cockles of your soul, one that feels like being wrapped in a big hug. Once you start this book, you won’t want to put it down, and once you’ve finished, you won’t want to leave these kids behind. Which, really, makes it the best kind of book.

Lex Croucher is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors. I am so in love with this book and I can't wait until it's out and I can start recommending it to people (hopefully I can order a copy for the library I work at too).
I did find the start a little slow, but once Gwen opened up a little, I was hooked! I especially love Sidney and I would very much like to go on a night out with him at reigns!

If you like Croucher's other work then this one is definitely worth the read and if you've never read one of their books before then why not start here!

I enjoyed this, far more than I expected tbh.
It’s really well written and I enjoyed the use of language, appreciating vocabulary that wasn’t ‘dumbed down’ for a YA audience. The characters were well drawn and believable and I found myself wondering whether medieval teenagers would really have interacted with each other like this… but why not, they’re still teenagers!
Funny, intriguing, thought-provoking and exciting with a good deal to it beyond the rom-com element.

I never knew that I needed a queer Arthurian rom com in my life but it turns out that this was exactly what I did need! The characters are engaging and well fleshed out and the action was visually depicted so that reading it was a cinematic experience. It's a funny book although towards the end it became increasingly bloody and violent too which I wasn't expecting but which nonetheless worked. Shout out to the scene where the completely badass female knight was flawed by appalling period pains- I don't think I've come across that in a book before and its casual inclusion was well done. Funny, exciting, queer Arthurian rom com that teens will love.

This book doesn't reflect historical accuracy, but if you are after a light read, perhaps go for it.

Gwen and Art have been betrothed to be married since they were children and they have hated each other just as long. This mismatched couple is not the original Guinevere and Arthur, but Princess Gwendolyn and Arthur Delacey, son of Lord Delacey, some generations later, but still living in a Camelot-centred kingdom. But now, at a time of upheaval, their parents decide it might be time for them to bury their resentment and get married, for the sake of political stability.

There are other obstacles to their union though, apart from their mutual loathing: Gwen is besotted with Lady Bridget Leclair - the first, and only female knight in Camelot, although she can't imagine any circumstances under which she'd ever be able to confess her crush. Arthur will kiss any stableboy who smiles at him, but since returning to Camelot he can't stop thinking about one person in particular. But when Gwen and Art discover each other's secret, they must strike a pact to get their parents off their backs and perhaps save Camelot as well in the process.

I really enjoyed 'Reputation', but I think this book is even better - a delightful cosy fantasy full of found family, queer romance and swashbuckling. It is also very funny, full of snarky dialogue and slapstick situations, but the characters are thoroughly warm and engaging - an absolute joy to read.

'Gwen and Art are Not in Love' is particularly perfect for those who loved the BBC series, Merlin, and mourned the happy ending that Merthur were denied.

Medieval YA rom-com where boy meets boy and girl meets girl against a backdrop of jousting and Arthurian legend. It's a fun, well-crafted romp of a book. (Copy received from Netgalley in return for an honest review)

"To be truly brave, first you must be afraid - and to be afraid, you must have something you cannot bare to lose."

I was so excited to read this book after reading Lex Croucher's 'Infamous' and this was just as good! Another historical romance with LGBT main characters, banter and an engaging storyline. Perfect for fans of the BBC series Merlin.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

Rating. 3 1/2 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Ever since I saw the cover for this book and read the summary, I knew I had to read it. Queer historical rom-com with hints of King Arthur- sign me up!

I enjoyed reading “Gwen and Art” and I made fairly speedy progress, which is always a sign of how much I’m enjoying a book, but I didn’t quite love it. I think I just always wanted more from it. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and the little twists and turns, although I had worked out the main villainous plot and who the betrayers were going to be pretty early on.

The characters are well rounded and you quickly warm to them but I wanted to spend more time with them. I wanted to see more of Agnes and Sidney’s relationship; I wanted to see more of the secret moments between Bridget and Gwen; and I would’ve happily spent the entire book with Arthur. I adore him! Crouched has written a character that will be going very high on the list of “characters you wish you could be friends with.” He’s a little bit damaged with a heart of gold that he protects by being sassy and funny, and regularly had me chuckling with his antics. The gang as a whole are a loveable bunch but Arthur is the stand-out for me.

I will definitely be recommending this book to my students and will be stocking it in the Library where I work as I can think of several students who will thoroughly enjoy this book.

Thank you Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ), Bloomsbury Children's Books and Netgalley for the arc of Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Alex Croucher in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

What a fabulous fun queer/sapphic romcom; I’ve not read anything by Alex Croucher before but, I will be promptly correcting this.

Set a couple of centuries after the rule of Arthur, this novel pulls and pokes at the traditional and lets be honest homophobic culture of society. Gwendoline is the youngest daughter of the royal family, betrothed since birth to Arthur, the son of a Lord known for his traditional (cultist) leanings, and Gabriel her older brother is the reluctant but, accepting heir to the throne.

As expectations for Gwen and Arthur’s marriage grow, they find themselves in a quandary, fake romance trope soon kicks in l, closely followed by some fun twists in the whole romance corner. This obviously leads the story down secret paths, but along the way also delivers great friendships, found family, great banter, a cat known as Lucifer/Merlín and of course Morgana the crow.

In addition to the great primary characters, there are some brilliant supporting protagonists, including Bridget, who epitomises strength of character, determination and confidence to fight for what you want; Agnes, who takes no crap from anyone and is a wonderfully honest and loyal friend, and finally Sidney, who is marvellous at handling Arthur and knowing when to look through the banter and bluster, plus like Bridget is fabulous in a fight.

This book isn’t perfect but, it delivers a plot that really picks up gears from 3rd to 6th in the second half, it’s got great characters, some truly hilarious and heartfelt moments, and it definitely delivers a total escape.

Lex Croucher's books never fail to make me feel good. Gwen and Art are not in love is no exception.
This book is deceptively profound, with characters who are nuanced, lovable, imperfectly perfect and fun. Although it is historical so many of thy characters, the experiences and the issues are incredible relatable to current day.
The found family vibes are strong, the romance is sweet and the banter present. What's not to love!

Thank you to Netgyand the publishers for a free eARC of the book.

*5.0 stars on StoryGraph*

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to an ARC of this book.

I loved this book and read it in about 5 hours, almost non-stop.
The characters were incredible from the very start, all written so incredibly well that I wish I had more from them! I think the dialogue was especially easy reading (and made me laugh out loud multiple times, which rarely happens!).

I felt that all the characters made so much progress from the beginning of the novel and I loved watching them grow + their stories change as the book went developed.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone, and will definitely find myself reading this again and again, and fully intend to buy a copy upon release.

This had been a highly anticipated read for me, since I absolutely fell in love with Croucher's romance novels, and adored the concept of this. I think this is why it fell slightly short for me, because I think I expected it to be something different than it was.
That's not to say I didn't enjoy it--there were lots of parts I loved. I really loved Arthur's banter and there were parts of his dialogue that genuinely made me laugh out loud. I also really liked Bridget's character--I thought she was a strong figure to have alongside Gwen, and loved that she often subverted expectations.
Gwen and Gabriel, however, I did find quite unlikeable at times, though I suppose that's partly the point. The internalised homophobia in this novel is high, and this is something that I don't think I expected quite to this degree. Without going into detail, I found the ending to be a little too neat, especially considering my previous point. It felt slightly rushed as well, in comparison to the battle and main conflict, which I found slightly confusing to follow at time, as I don't think enough time was spent laying the groundwork for it.
Overall, though, I do think the pace picked up in the second half, and I really liked the character development Gwen eventually got. This was a fun read, and I'd definitely recommend it.

Lex Croucher has delivered another delightfully fun historical fiction title, their first YA book and it lives up to the standards they set with their first two. I really loved the ensemble cast of characters in this one - they were all very distinct personalities who all developed really well over the course of the book. I loved the enemies to reluctant allies to friends arc for Gwen and Arthur, and Gwen and Gabriel's sibling relationship too - it all really worked, and I thought the minor ensemble characters (Sidney and Agnes) were well integrated. The sense of humour is great (though the normal, innocent men joke was maybe a little too much for me) and it was eminently readable - I raced through this book in a couple of days (and stayed up far too late to finish it!). I wasn't necessarily expecting such high stakes at the end but I really liked the climax of the book and was very invested in the outcome because of how much I cared about these characters - it also added a bit of potentially traumatic drama that wasn't related to the queerness of the characters. I think the one weakness was potentially in the world building, but I wasn't reading this book for that so I didn't pay much attention to the political nuances. After loving both Reputation and Infamous, Gwen and Art didn't disappoint and I will be eagerly awaiting Lex's next book.

This is everything I wanted in a story. It was heartwarming and exciting, filled with queer joy and amazing characters, and topped off with medieval Arthurian fun.
It had me laughing out loud, especially with Arthur who is truly a wonderful character (but then I have a penchant for messy characters who can't help themselves). If you don't like sarcastic, self-deprecating lordlings, never fear because there are strapping lady-knights to sweep you off your feet, beautiful princesses, and sensitive book nerds.
In other words, I loved everyone and everything in this book. The whole time I was kicking my feet and giggling at every interaction.
Perfect for fans of Heartstopper or people angry with the ending of BBC's Merlin. I'm now off to read all of Lex Croucher's work.

An Arthurian inspired queer historical tale where a princess (who actually fancies a female knight) & a noble (who really fancies her brother) are betrothed. Confusing world but lighthearted & funny.

Wow!! I am not surprised that Lex Croucher has done it again! Another incredibly funny and heartwarming story. Gwen and Art are wonderful characters and I wish I could stay in their world, with their rag-tag assembly of found family (and swoon over Bridget) for longer… I loved it! It’s refreshing to read such an accessible, queer and diverse story set as a medieval rom-com! Now I want a spin-off just about Bridget… and Lucifer!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Gwen and Art are Not in Love was written specifically for me. This I believe wholeheartedly. As someone whose greatest passions are silly little romcoms, the writing of Lex Croucher, and Arthurian legends, this book has been my most anticipated read since the moment it was announced. With so much excitement for this book, I was worried it might not live up to my own personal hype, but somehow it managed to surpass all my expectations.
Told in dual POV alternating between Gwen, the stubborn and highly-strung princess of England and Art, the rougeish and thoughtless man she has been betrothed to her entire life, the book manages to explore themes of internalised homophobia and coming-of-age with ease. Lex Croucher has a gift for making even the most frustrating characters incredibly lovable, and there wasn't a single member of the core cast that wasn't fully fleshed out and wonderful. Gwen and Art may not be in love, but I am in love with THEM, your honour. And Gabe and Bridget, for that matter.
The plot was perfectly paced and the twist was very well forshadowed in a way that made sure it didn't come from nowhere but was still shocking. I couldn't put the book down for the last third, I was so gripped! The ending was satisfying bittersweet in a way that almost made me cry, and Gabriel's journey of self acceptance especially was so incredibly crafted.

In conclusion, as I said after Infamous: Lex Croucher has done it again, folks.

A really sweet, queer YA novel about Gwen, a princess who likes girls and is engaged to Art - who likes boys. Very entertaining and funny at points, an engaging read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!