Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher

7 reviews

ekgranstro's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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bree_h_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I was really looking forward to this book, so I’m glad I overall found it enjoyable.
The characters are where my thoughts are the most varied. I found all the dynamics and relationships to be varied and unique. Each once seemed to interact in an understandable and in-character way. It really helped me to understand WHY they played off of each other the way they did. The family backgrounds being varied also lent really well to characterisation. Gwen and Gabriel had the most obvious family dynamic, but Arthur’s family was major in his character and even Bridget’s came up and gave more insight into who she is and why. It was a great way to build on characters and why they are the way they are. However, that’s not to say there were no flaws. I personally found the character arcs to be a bit weak. It felt like I was missing the deeper insight into WHY the characters were changing or having revelations. Then, there’s my problem with Arthur. Personally, I found him deeply obnoxious and self-absorbed for most of the book. When the time came for him to show his growth it caught me off guard as well. I don’t think this is entirely the fault of the writing. Personally I think the narrator chosen for Arthur’s POV just wasn’t the best choice. The voice he gave Arthur was never serious and always had a more chipper, carefree sense regardless of scene tone. He also made the women in the book sound whiny and obnoxious which left a bad taste in my mouth for the character.
I also think the balance between the romance and political plot could have been done better. The romances, understandably, had a lot of focus. Gwen and Bridget’s specifically was especially well-written. However, there was a lot lacking in the political plot. There would be crumbs hinting at a larger struggle that would shake the foundations of the characters’ world. It would grab my interest and get me properly interested, only for it to remain untouched for 75% of the book. It was disappointing and made the book feel lacking.
Finally, I think the discussions and theme the book aimed to explore were interesting. I think the exploration of struggling to understand being queer and come to terms in a society where that’s not a thing were well-done and very relatable. I also liked the additional discussion of historical queerness and its erasure to push a certain idea. What felt a little lacking was the books more feminist angle. It touched upon the struggles of gender roles and how women are put down for stepping outside of that, but never went deeper. When it’s such an influence on the sapphic romance, and even a minor one on the achillean romance, I feel like it should be given more attention. 
Overall it was a good read and I think if the book struck a better balance with the plot it could be an easy 4 stars.
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teajay_'s review against another edition

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adventurous funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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fanboyriot's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

♡ Rom Com
♡ Royal Fantasy Vibes
♡ The Lady Gets the Knight (but make it Sapphic)

I loved the humor in this book.  The way the characters interacted was nicely done as well. 

When I read this I wasn’t in much of a mood for it but pushed through and ended up really enjoying it.  The plot wasn’t too confusing as some fantasy books can be, but this kept my interest.  It was such an entertaining read.

And the queer rep was better than I was expecting actually.

Spice Level: n/a
Angst Level: 💧(1/5)
POV: Duel, Third Person
Release Date: 28, November 2023
Rep: Sapphic (Main Couple), Achillean (Main Couple), Thai (Side Character), Biracial Iranian/White (Side Character)
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vagaybond's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

giggling blushing twirling my hair kicking my feet copypasta

I mean to be clear some bad stuff happens but mostly I feel love for my gays
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bubbles_ishere's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

While I did really enjoy the book and the way the characters developed, I felt like it rushed at parts in order to have a lot of things happen. 

I would have preferred further introspection from the characters before acting, but for people who like to read books where things "happen", this is a good choice. 

The book very much feels like a romance that decides half way through that other plot events are more relevant and then decides to change genre. 

Spoiler for how plot/character focused the book was during certain events:
At first it felt like the book would focus further on the interpersonal relationships of the characters. In the beginning, a lot of time was spent on the characters panicking over being in situations. The first kisses of the couples got portrayed, after which the characters had to face various challenges to come to terms with their feelings. However, when it came to actually getting into a relationship or showing the conversations needed for that to happen the author skipped forward and just told the audience that the couples were now in functioning relationships, caused by a major plot event. 

Personally, I would've preferred to see how the characters got to where they are, instead of being told that the threat of death made them realise their priorities and then see them kiss.


I really liked how the characters developed and got more loveable to the reader; their actions seemed to make sense in the context of their character, and the development of their actions made sense. 

The romance itself felt a bit rushed to me, but it is still enjoyable, if somewhat frustrating because it doesn't go very in-depth and fails to resolve or address certain topics.

The book mentions a few tidbits that fans of Arthurian legends will recognise, which I thought was very nice. 

All in all an enjoyable read, in my opinion this book would've been 5/5 stars had it been 200 pages longer and actually explored the relationships and worldbuilding further. But then again I really like high-fantasy and worldbuilding.
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krisalexcole's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.75

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