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

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Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher

102 reviews

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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defunctfridge's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.5

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callidoralblack's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional lighthearted

Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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blewballoon's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny 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

I wasn't super into this book at first. I found Arthur annoying, and I think part of that was the narrator for his chapters in the audiobook. I was hoping he might go through some character development and I'd like him more, which happened so gradually I didn't even realize it was happening until I was practically crying for him. The book in general has a bit of a slow start and it took me a while to get invested in the characters and get a sense of where the plot was going. The end kind of rushed at me and I found it hard to put down in the last 70%. There is a pretty big tonal shift after that point as well, I didn't expect it to go as dark as it did. I kind of wish this had stayed a bit more lighthearted.

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nikenacs's review against another edition

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sxndaze's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

witty and romantic! the first third was a bit slow but the plot and romance kicked in and made it a page turner in the end. a lovely queer historical romance.

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