Gwen & Art Are Not in Love- A Novel by Lex Croucher
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Web ID: 17337467Loved this book
I just finished reading *Gwen and Art Are Not in Love* by Lex Croucher. It's a hilarious romantic comedy about Arthur and Gwen, both of whom are gay. They are engaged to each other but decide to pretend to be in a loving relationship so they can use their fake romance as a cover while pursuing relationships with other people. This book is suitable for readers aged 14 and up. It features one spicy scene, but that’s the extent of it. I was laughing so hard; it’s such a fun read.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Midevil setting with a modern mindset
So, rom-coms aren’t normally my jam, but I knew I had to read this one. It did not disappoint. As a student of medieval literature, I was drawn to this one because of it’s ties to Arthurian myths, which I’ve always loved. The book starts hundreds of years after the rule of the mythical King Arthur and follows the ill-fated engagement of Arthur and Gwendoline. The pair have been engaged since birth and have nothing but derision for each other. There’s a running bit about when they were children Gwen broke Art’s arm. The two are forced to spend the summer together, in an effort to bring them closer together as eventually they will have to marry. No matter how much they both are trying to avoid it. Within the first day of being together, Gwen catches Art kissing a boy, and he digs up her diary and her crush on the only lady knight in the kingdom, Lady Bridget. Eventually, they do decide to lookout for one another, and try to care for each other. Gwen gets swept off her feet by a knight at the summer tournament, confusing her feelings for Lady Bridget, and Art falls head over heels for Gwen’s brother. This book was full of sarcastic humor, found family, classic rom-com misunderstandings and mishaps, and of course, epic sword fighting scenes. I really loved this book. There wasn’t anything to not like about it. The twist on the classic Arthur tale with LGBTQ characters felt totally natural, and not forced in any way. Lady Bridget was one of my favorite characters, and I loved the storyline that surrounded her. This book is a great example of a YA romance that gets things right- positive examples of relationships and boundaries, and great representation of what teens in love feel and act like. It was like a breath of fresh air that there weren’t any toxic romantic relationships in this book. By the end of it, I really just wanted to be in the friend group of these characters, they are so lively and fun you can’t help but be invested in their story. I’d recommend this one if you like twists on classic tales, LGBTQ romances, witty and sarcastic characters, or medieval settings with modern mindsets.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
The perfect LGBTQIA+ retelling of Arthur and Guine
The perfect LGBTQIA+ retelling of Arthur and Guinevere. Anyone who knows me knows Arthurian Legends are my favorite and this book did not disappoint. The struggles and fears of being judged are so real to life and the coming out dialogue was written so well that I teared up while reading. In addition to some tears being shed there were also quite a few laugh out loud moments because the banter in this book is on point, not just between the MCs. The relationship between Arthur and (name) was one of my favorite parts of the book. I felt the entire story flowed so well, I appreciated the cultist elements and the battle scenes had me sitting on the edge of my seat. I went into this not knowing exactly what to expect and loved the entire book. My only regret was not reading it sooner. Thank you to Netgalley and McMillan Publishers for my free digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
fun but a little long/meandering
Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher is a queer YA historical romance. The audiobook is narrated by Alex Singh and Sarah Ovens, and they both did a great job. Art(hur), a descendant of King Arthur, is betrothed to Gwen(dolyn), the princess of England. But turns out, Art is gay and Gwen is at least bi, so they strike a deal to pretend to be into their engagement to hide their true selves. This book was just okay for me, though I did laugh out loud a few times. I liked it enough to finish it, but it moved a little slow and was pretty long so it felt meandering at times. I also think it's a little bit more on the younger side of YA than I typically like to read. The prose was good, and I've read other things by this author and will continue to read from them. The end of the book had a lot more action than the first 3/4s and if it was more like that throughout I would have been more engaged in the plot. Aside from queer representation, Arthur is Iranian and Bridget, a lady night, is Thai. If you like YA books and you're looking for a queer spin on the mythology of King Arthur, you should give Gwen & Art Are Not In Love a try. I received a copy of this book to review. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary audio review copy and Wednesday Books for the physical copy. All opinions contained herein are my own.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Heartwarming and funny
Wow, I really loved this. I thought I would because it's compared to Heartstopper and Casey McQuiston's books, which are some of my favorite things. But I couldn't be sure until I actually started it. I knew this book would be for me seven pages in when a character paraphrases an iconic quote from Riverdale. (You probably know the one.) It made me laugh aloud and set a tone for the rest of the book. Because while this is fantasy, it reads much more like a contemporary. The characters often speak in a way that sounds modern (even when they're not quoting CW shows) and the plot and worldbuilding feel very tongue-in-cheek, as the author plays around with tropes, set pieces, and even characters that we all know and love. However, despite the general unseriousness of this book, there are actually very serious things happening, too. This book is funny and silly, but it's also pretty deep and emotional and surprisingly high stakes. (There's also a paraphrased Mary Oliver quote, which juxtaposed with Riverdale is-strange but apparently what I want in a book.) There are two romantic pairings, one enemies-to-friends relationship, and a sibling relationship to follow and care about. And I cared about all of them. These characters are lovable and flawed and funny, and I honestly wish we could get a sequel about them even though this works very well as a standalone. I just enjoy following them. If you like the romantic dynamics in Red, White, and Royal Blue, pick this up. If you like the friendships and queer solidarity in Heartstopper, pick this up. And also maybe if you like BBC's Merlin for its slight camp and silliness but also intense emotion, give this a shot. Since those are all my absolute favorite things, I obviously loved this. And I can't wait for read more from this author.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A delight!
This was a fantastic read! Reading the tag line- "Heartstopper meets A Knight’s Tale in this queer medieval rom com YA debut about love, friendship, and being brave enough to change the course of history." - I knew there was no way I wasn't going to love it. And to my great joy, it definitely lived up to the hype! Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is funny and witty, but also heartfelt and emotional. It was surprising in both good and heartbreaking ways, and it made me grin like a fool on more than one occasion. It really was a delight.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Great Fantasy Read (4 and 1/2 stars)
This book is such a great fantasy read. I love how it is kind of based on the legend of King Arthur so there are familiar characters and also that is has such a great LGBTQ+ rep in it. All the main characters are very loveable and the squad they form all together is one one would wish to have themselves. It also involves much action and humour that keeps the story rolling at a good pace.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Fantastic queer Arthurian reimagining
Gwen and Art are absolutely not in love- which doesn't matter because their engagement is happening whether they like it or not. As Gwen and Art scheme to become unengaged, they reluctantly decide to work together. Queer chaos and joyous shenanigans are inevitable! Meanwhile, Gwen’s brother Gabe reckons with a new attraction and one of the kingdom’s lady knights arrives in Camelot to compete at a tournament. Can Gwen and Art find a way to follow their true passions (and true loves) before it’s too late? Lex Croucher is quickly becoming one of my auto-buy authors! This book was absolutely hilarious. I loved the dialogue, the jokes, and the heartfelt characters. There are universally relatable themes of trying to figure out who you are and balancing personal happiness with parental expectations. I enjoyed the sibling relationship between Gwen and Gabe, particularly some of their one-on-one conversations where they discover truths about each other. I especially loved the pining and angst between Gwen and Bridget! Readers who enjoy queer found family, hilarious dialogue, and delightfully chaotic LGBTQ+ shenanigans will love this book.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com