Reviews with content warning for Sexism - Gwen & Art Are Not in Love

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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shaipanda's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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

5.0

I absolutely loved this and desperately need to read the other books in Lex Croucher's backlist. The characters and story were incredibly well crafted, the character development was really well done and I felt the chemistry between the characters. As I go into more in the spoiler section, the only issue I had with this book was that there were some plot threads that didn't seem to really come to fruition which was a bit frustrating but overall this was an amazing read and definitely still a 5 star read for me :)

The only issue I had with this book is that there were a few details that were mentioned (especially regarding Merlin and Morgana which were never explained or really brought into the story. With the way they were being written about, I thought they were going to end up being shapeshifters or some significant part of the story but then that never really came to fruition.

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hanna's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted 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

3.0

This was an absolutely adorable medieval-esque romance and I really had a lot of fun with it!

Still, sometimes it did feel like Chroucher themself wasn't really sure what they wanted this book to be — we've got the Monty Python/Shrek humor but also so many serious plot points about child abuse, war or questions on how to run a country and all mushed together it is a bit messy.

A main characters gets majorly injured in the third act and especially that made the pacing for that act really weird.

While I felt like Gwen and thus her relationship with Bridget got much more attention than Arthur and Gabriel, all the different relationships were still really enjoyable and I really liked how Croucher really leaned into the positive aspects of YA and made Gwen and Arthur's friendship equally as important as the romantic relationships.

Overall, nothing life-changing but still a really enjoyable read!

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bunterobstkorb's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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betweentheshelves's review against another edition

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adventurous 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

Arthur and Gwendoline have been betrothed since their birth, but unfortunately, they can’t stand each other. As they get closer to their impending wedding, they are forced to spend a summer together at Camelot. But it’s not the summer either one of them anticipated.

On the first day, Gwen catches Arthur kissing another book. So Arthur does some digging and finds out about Gwen’s crush on the lady knight, Bridget Leclair. The two make a pact to cover for each other as they’re both swept up in different romances. Until a threat to the kingdom puts their new alliance in danger.

Thanks to Wednesday books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher to review! Being pitched as Heartstopper meets A Knight’s Tale, I knew that I absolutely had to read this. And what a delight it ended up being! I’d say that description is actually a pretty accurate description of this book.

First of all, the whole cast of characters in this is just a riot. They get themselves into ridiculous situations, especially as Gwen and Arthur are both falling in love with different people. Arthur in particular is just so entertaining. With the banter and the setting and everything that’s happening at court, you’ll just have a great time reading this book.

At least, for the first half to ¾ of the book. For the most part, this book has a very lighthearted tone, leaning heavily into the romances and the somewhat complex web they are weaving for themselves. Towards the end, the book takes a slightly odd turn toward a more violent storyline that feels like it comes a bit out of left field. Not that it doesn’t necessarily fit with the overall time period, but it did feel out of place with the tone of the rest of the book.

Nonetheless, this didn’t take away my enjoyment from the story. I still very much enjoyed the characters and the plot/setting. Teens will definitely enjoy it, especially those that love stories set during the King Arthur times.

If you’re looking for a book that will (mostly) be a good time while you’re reading it, I definitely recommend this one when it comes out in November.

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seren's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional lighthearted 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

4.75

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purplepenning's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

A queer medieval alt history with all the camp, humor, and heart of a Knight's Tale!

Betrothed enemies Gwen and Art become reluctant (read: blackmailed) beards for each other during a time of increasing unrest in the medieval kingdom descended from Camelot. An unlikely but hugely likeable group of friends emerge, splinter, and rise anew in a tale of hope, identity, courage, found family, shenanigans, and adventure.

Armor your heart — it's about to get battered, bruised, and absolutely stolen by this merry medieval band!

[I listened to the audiobook for part of this one, and did not prefer it.]

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