Reviews with content warning for Physical abuse - Gwen and Art Are Not in Love

Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher

23 reviews

sneaky_snake22's review against another edition

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adventurous 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? No

4.0

Great book, very sweet.

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jkneebone's review against another edition

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adventurous 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? It's complicated

3.5

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love takes place in a sort of alternate-history, King Arthur-inspired England. In this world, Arthur and co. are distant, maybe-mythological figures who still heavily influence the political landscape of England - the country is ruled by Catholics, but there is also a faction of cultists who believe that King Arthur was a real person who will eventually return to rule again.

Against this backdrop, we have the story of Gwen (the princess) and Arthur (a lord's son who is descended from/named for the legendary king himself), who have been betrothed since they were children. There's just one problem: they absolutely hate each other. Although they haven't seen each other since they were children, when Gwen tricked Arthur into breaking his arm, this is the summer they are finally going to be married. So Arthur and his manservant/best friend/bodyguard Sidney arrive in Camelot, glad to be away from Arthur's controlling father and ready to wreak havoc.

Although our POV characters are Gwen and Art, we also get a lot of screen time from Gabe, Gwen's bookish older brother who is the reluctant heir to the throne; Bridget, the only female knight in the country, who Gwen is fascinated by; the aforementioned Sidney; and Agnes, Gwen's lady-in-waiting. The impetus of the plot is that, after Gwen and Art discover that they both aren't interested in marrying someone of the opposite gender, they decide to pretend to be infatuated with each other to get everyone else off of their scents. Although at first they are still putting up with each other, they eventually become friends, while also growing their romantic relationships with other characters.

One thing I really enjoyed about Gwen and Are Are Not in Love was how it felt fresh and modern, but also semi-believably historic. Croucher clearly put some thought into the King Arthur-obsessed alternate historical background, and it paid off. The characters were diverse in terms of race, sexuality, and even neurodivergence, but not in a way that felt like putting modern diagnoses or terms into a setting where they didn't belong. (Maybe it's just my reading, but I definitely got neurodiverse vibes from most of the main characters, haha.) The dynamics between all of the different characters were equally lovely - Gwen and Gabe's sweet sibling relationship, Gwen and Art's reluctant friendship, Sidney being so ride-or-die for Arthur, and of course the romantic relationships as well - and I loved how they all became a group working together by the end. I also liked the backstory/subplot of unrest between the Catholics and the cultists, and Gabe's preparation for becoming the next king of England.

For me, this is only a 3.5 star read rather than a 4 star read because of the tone shift at the end.

Although I didn't really mind the suddenly raised stakes of the battle, I wish that Gwen had been given more of an opportunity to shine w/r/t strategy and kingdom management, which I thought was where things were headed. And even though part of me liked the ending, I did feel it was a little too happily-ever-after - even in this alternate history, I thought Gabe announcing all of their relationships was pushing credulity. I would have liked it better if they'd come up with some kind of plan to let them fly under the radar for longer.

However, I do think it is a super fun read. It's not actually a fantasy, but it has more fantasy than historical fiction vibes; I think the feel is modern enough that even readers who aren't usually into those genres might be persuaded to give it a go.

In terms of language (none/extremely minimal) and sexual content (on page kissing and extremely brief allusions to more) this is totally high school appropriate. I'd hesitate to hand it to a younger reader because Arthur and Sidney are drunk a lot in the first half-ish of the book. Obviously this is a situation where the characters are teenagers, but adults in the world of the story, so it's not underage as such; it's also made pretty clear by the other characters' reactions - and even Arthur's own self reflection - that he knows his drinking is a problem.

He even decides to stop at the end of the book, although it's fairly glossed over.

That being said, it felt excessive and uncomfortable to me as an adult reader, because it was clearly unhealthy, but I wouldn't want this to be a younger reader's first introduction to how teenagers should or do interact with alcohol.

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fatimaelf'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

This was a fun read! It felt like a weird rom-com, found family book for about two-thirds of it, then turned quickly into a fast-paced espionage royalty novel as the ending picked up a whole lot of speed. This book isn’t set in Arthurian times, but a hundred years after, but it kind of resembles modern times in terms of attitudes and speech — minus, of course, the pretense of monarchy, knights, and tourneys. The cultists versus the Catholics, though, felt very relevant. I will say that I found Arthur unbearable for a lot of the book; his sarcasm, barbs, and general demeanor were just cruel, and the explanation of his abusive father didn’t do enough to make him sympathetic. I would have liked to have seen much more interaction between Arthur and Gwen, Gwen and Bridget, and Arthur and Gabriel, because all of their relationships felt just a bit rushed, but I enjoyed when they came together and the dialogue was witty and fun. The world building was sufficient for a YA novel, and did a great job of setting each scene. The ending wasn’t quite unexpected — it wasn’t a book that relied too heavily on mystery — but it was satisfying enough and I put the book down feeling as if it had delivered its promise. Overall a mostly light-hearted, very enjoyable book.

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mattiedancer's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted sad 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

Writing: 4.5⭐️/5

Lex Croucher did a good job with this novel. Not only did I feel – viscerally and fully – the emotions and internal conflicts of the character, but I also understood deeply the mood and tone of the novel with ease. I liked the ease of writing, which at moments did turn to beautiful prose.

Characters: 4.5⭐️/5

I thought the characters were extremely fun to read about. Where some of the characters may have felt a little trope-y, I’m willing to forgive because they also felt real and raw and conflicted. I loved their struggles to come to terms with both their histories and their desires and how to move forward in a world that is unlikely to accept them.

Plot: 3.5⭐️/5

I think 90% of the plot is so well done. At the end of the novel, it takes a turn I wasn’t expecting and, though it made sense in the course of the book, it really moved it from a fun, romantasy read to a more serious fantasy plot. The sudden change was jarring, but overall the plot was still enjoyable.

Who Should Read This Book?

Fans of King Arthur retellings – with twists
Those looking for a light fantasy-esque novel with LGBTQIA+ vibes

Content Warnings?

Death of parent, death, war, violence, homophobia, biphobia, outing, misogyny, sexism, gore, blood, classism, emotional abuse, gaslighting, injury, injury detail, excrement, vomit, physical abuse,

Post-Reading Rating: 4⭐️/5

Cute, sweet, and a little jarring at the end.

Final Rating: 4⭐️/5

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amanda_mh's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious sad tense slow-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

5.0

This is everything I needed in a story! It’s all about love, friendship and unexpectedly a little bit of kingdom politics. The characters are so real and my heart goes out to the main six 🥰 the writing is heart warming, tear jerking, while also being laugh out loud funny in different moments.

🥰 It’s a story of a princess betrothed to a boy , but the boy likes her brother, and the princess likes the only lady knight in the kingdom. 🏳️‍🌈 🧡🩷 💚💙

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gidgetdraws's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I wanted to like this book more, I mean, fruity A Knights Tale? What wouldn’t be to love? But I’m realizing Lex Croucher might not be for me as an author.

This is my second Lex Croucher book (the first being Infamous) and in both works I was disappointed by the lack of trigger warnings for more upsetting content that was in no way hinted at in the marketing of either book. I also liked the side characters way more than the main characters. I will say I liked this book more than Infamous, but I struggled to stay motivated to finish the book in a timely manner.

That being said, I wouldn’t dissuade anyone from reading this book as there were very cute moments and entertaining banter/shenanigans, however bare in mind the following trigger warnings: parental verbal/physical abuse, graphic depictions of violence/gore/war of a medieval type setting, blood, and homophobia.

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nearbethexperience's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing tense 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

4.5

SUCH a fun read. It was a really smart choice on the author's part to set the book in a post-Arthurian world, to be able to play with it and not be burdened by the actual myth. If you don't like anachronistic dialogue this book is not for you, but I thought it was fun and the Riverdale reference made me actually laugh out loud! I did feel the HEA ending was a little bit unearned but that is just the tiniest critique, and hey it's YA. Overall this book was a balm for my inner Arthurian nerd child!

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nefariousbee's review against another edition

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emotional relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

an easy YA read. there are two romances in this book so there was not enough space to really dive into both. it's not necessary bad, it's just a thing that has to be done if you wanted to have an average length novel.
some things bothered me, like the way race was underdeveloped (that's not fair. not developed is better) even tho it was tapped into, the internalised homophobia, the domestic abuse, it was all laid there and then it didn't have time to get into in any meaningful way and that's a shame, really.
as it is now, it's an easy, sweet YA romance book inspired by the Arthurian myths. nothing more, but also nothing less

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ezwolf's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

I love all things Arthurian legend so this title grabbed my attention right away. I wasn't fully sure what to expect, but I enjoyed it immensely. This book fully embraced the potential for queer jokes which I found hilarious and relatable as well.

Gwen was incredibly relatable for me and her and Bridget's relationship was my favorite in the book, but I enjoyed Arthur point of view and his relationship with Gabriel too. Gwen and Gabriel's sibling relationship was also great, I liked how much they were there for each other.

This is the third or fourth book I've read this year that's included periods and it's such a little thing but I can't really remember reading any books growing up that normalized periods in any regard, let alone in a historical (fantasy-ish?) kind of book.

Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!

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emily_mh's review against another edition

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lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

For a romance book this was just not very…romantic. It seemed like Arthur only got a crush on Gabe because of proximity, meanwhile we never find out why Gabe likes Arthur at all. I didn’t like how Gabe got to have a D+M about his challenges, but they didn’t have a similar conversation about Arthur’s, as this left their connection feeling shallow. They just didn’t seem to be into each other very much (and no, I’m not referring to Gabe’s personal obstacle and how it impacted their relationship), and their ending was only really an HFN. The situation with Gwen and Bridget was similar. It appears that Gwen gets a crush on Bridget because of proximity, and we never know why Bridget likes her back. Their connection seem to be purely physical, and their ending was barely an HFN. The dual HFNs were rendered even worse as the author tried to establish them in the light of a tragic event which happens with like, 20 pages to go. I was just so disappointed in how lacklustre the romance was. I wanted to be swept away in a whirlwind of romance, historical pining and soulmate-level bonding, but all I got was a small gust of air.

The characters themselves were similarly disappointing. I’ll begin with the MCs, Gwen and Arthur, whose perspectives we read from. Honestly, Gwen’s storyline was about getting her hand held by those less privileged than her as she realises that maybe she should use her power to help others. There was development in this area, which was something, but overall I found it exasperating.

There was so much potential with Arthur’s character, but it was squandered. Arthur is suffering domestic abuse and (let’s be real) with alcoholism, yet neither of these factors are given the weight they deserve. I feel like no one talked to him properly about his home life; he never got that chat and chance for support and connection regarding it. Arthur also has an alcohol problem which he decides won’t be a problem anymore and then miraculously it’s gone. Also, his trust issues, which are set up in the beginning, aren’t actually a thing? When situations crop up that would trigger them, they don’t. Instead his character is reduced to someone who exists to support Gwen and Gabe. This is a poor way to treat any character, but is especially concerning in light of the fact that Arthur is Iranian, and Gabe and Gwen are white. (Please let me know if I’m stepping out of my lane here, or have read the situation wrong.)

Bridget, Gwen’s love interest, is similarly poorly developed. We never get a sense of her as a person. Granted, we know what she likes, what she is good at and wants to do, but Croucher gives her no depth. For example, what is her history? Was she born in England or did she move? Where are her parents, who are so important to her? Also, we don’t see her just talk, just be, we only really see her framed by Gwen’s physical attraction. Like Arthur, she ends up existing only to handhold Gwen. This is again a poor way to write a character, even more so considering Bridget is Thai while Gwen is white. (Again, please let me know if I’m stepping out of my lane here, or have read the situation wrong.) Furthermore, Bridget has endo but this rep felt tokenised. If you’re going to give your character a chronic illness, then you need to show it as a consistent part of their character, not as something that shows up once. Bridget’s symptoms only make the page once when she is on her period (this book takes place over several months, by the way, and endometriosis symptoms are not limited to times of menstruation).

On a more positive note, Gabe was the most interesting and dynamic character to me, and we didn’t even get his POV! I was so engaged by how he was torn between duty and himself, being so focussed on serving others that he didn’t even know what he wanted for himself, let alone allow himself to voice and seek those wants. I was struck by the ways in which Gabe set impossible standards for himself, and the lengths he would go to to meet them, including suppressing an essential part of who he was. He felt like an actual person with real and understandable reactions to the impossible situation he found himself in.

In terms of plot, it was meandering at times with repetitive moments, especially between Arthur and Gabe. I wish there had been a little more direction with fewer random time jumps. With the writing style, I wasn’t a fan of the attempts at humour. I think authors think the type of dialogue employed here is unique when nowadays it’s very much not, and so makes characters seem generic. Also, it was just overdone in this specific instance.

So given all the negatives I’ve recorded here, why the 2.5 stars? Firstly, because I found the book to be a comforting space to be in, in terms of the nostalgic European fantasy vibes. The political element was compelling. Also, I genuinely was enjoying it for a while, because I was expecting it to go places. It didn’t.

Rep: sapphic MC, gay biracial English-Iranian MC, Thai sapphic LI with endometriosis, gay LI

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