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pipettesandpages's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Murder, and War
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Homophobia and Vomit
savage_book_review's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-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
3.5
Princess Gwendoline of Camelot has been betrothed to Arthur DeLacey since the day she was born. There are two problems with this: 1, they cannot stand each other. And 2, her romantic interests lie elsewhere. When Art is sent to Camelot for the summer to prepare for their upcoming nuptials, it goes about as well as expected. Until Gwen discovers Art has a secret love too. Playing along to distract the world from their real feelings, might events conspire to allow them a true happily ever after? Or will they be stuck together forever, definitely not in love?
I'm not usually one for the fake dating trope, but the fact that this one comes with a bit of a twist makes it much more enjoyable to me. I was more invested in the development of the relationship between Gwen and Art purely because it was clear that there wouldn't be any romance between them; I was intrigued to see how far they would move from enemies to friends, and just how it would be achieved. While they do bounce off of each other very well, I will be honest and say that I much prefer Art as a character - he's the lovable rogue; the confident, cocky young buck compared to the petulant teenager that is Gwen. She does improve as the book progresses, but even her 'heroic' moment is quite muted compared to Art's.
While the story overall is a fun, lighthearted ride, and the ingenuity of the setting - a Camelot that knows King Arthur existed and is trying to recapture his magic, even though his story has faded into legend - is brilliant, I did feel that the writing lacked purpose. None of the characters, with the possible exception of Art, have much depth to them; even the love interests feel more like rough outlines rather than fully fleshed out people.
Similarly, the plot was fairly limited and, while there are a couple of moments that hit the mark, more seem to be trying to set up a sub-plot that don't go anywhere, or are moments of intrigue introduced far too late and wound up far too quickly. Likewise, a lot of the 'revelations' lose their impact or are overshadowed by wider events - it feels like there are so many missed opportunities. I just wanted more of everything!
Nevertheless, it is an enjoyable read and I would like to see a sequel dealing with the newest version of Camelot - there's plenty of scope for more from these characters!
I'm not usually one for the fake dating trope, but the fact that this one comes with a bit of a twist makes it much more enjoyable to me. I was more invested in the development of the relationship between Gwen and Art purely because it was clear that there wouldn't be any romance between them; I was intrigued to see how far they would move from enemies to friends, and just how it would be achieved. While they do bounce off of each other very well, I will be honest and say that I much prefer Art as a character - he's the lovable rogue; the confident, cocky young buck compared to the petulant teenager that is Gwen. She does improve as the book progresses, but even her 'heroic' moment is quite muted compared to Art's.
While the story overall is a fun, lighthearted ride, and the ingenuity of the setting - a Camelot that knows King Arthur existed and is trying to recapture his magic, even though his story has faded into legend - is brilliant, I did feel that the writing lacked purpose. None of the characters, with the possible exception of Art, have much depth to them; even the love interests feel more like rough outlines rather than fully fleshed out people.
Similarly, the plot was fairly limited and, while there are a couple of moments that hit the mark, more seem to be trying to set up a sub-plot that don't go anywhere, or are moments of intrigue introduced far too late and wound up far too quickly. Likewise, a lot of the 'revelations' lose their impact or are overshadowed by wider events - it feels like there are so many missed opportunities. I just wanted more of everything!
Nevertheless, it is an enjoyable read and I would like to see a sequel dealing with the newest version of Camelot - there's plenty of scope for more from these characters!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cursing, Homophobia, Vomit, Grief, and Lesbophobia
lindseyhall44's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.5
I listened to Gwen and Art are Not in Love via audiobook, and it did not disappoint! The cast of narrators were phenomenal, and they brought to life such a fun, engaging read. I especially loved Bridget and Gwen’s relationship, and Gwen’s character development over the course of the novel. The last 30% or so did catch me off guard, but it was still a read I would highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and War
Moderate: Vomit
sea_sea's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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
5.0
I loved this book so so much!!! The romances were so cute and well written and the plot too!!
The twists and turns this story had?!?!? Also it was so funny xD
A cute queer camelot romcom! xD
Would 100% recommend!
The only thing that threw me of a bit in the beginning was the modern language, because the book plays in medieval times, but I got used to it quickly.
The twists and turns this story had?!?!? Also it was so funny xD
A cute queer camelot romcom! xD
Would 100% recommend!
The only thing that threw me of a bit in the beginning was the modern language, because the book plays in medieval times, but I got used to it quickly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, and War
augustrogue's review against another edition
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
4.75
This was very fun - excellent prose, entertaining characters that I found myself invested in, good banter and pacing. The romance (and friendship!) between the characters was very cute. I think Gabriel was probably my favorite - I always wanted even more of him interacting with Arthur, and really enjoyed his internal conflict and complexity. (I also found the anachronistic language and occasional modern meme reference to be fun and charming, but I also love things like A Knight's Tale and the Locked Tomb series, so your mileage may vary there.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Vomit, and Grief
knockoffrainbow's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Gore, and Grief
shoohoob's review against another edition
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
I was really looking forward to this book and was let down :( For one, the narrator for Arthur’s chapters was not the most pleasant to listen to. I also couldn’t really discern when this book was supposed to take place in history. I also wasn’t super convinced about the romance between Arthur and Gabriel.
That being said, I LOVED Bridget and Gwendolyn. I honestly would love a whole book just on them. The narrator for Gwen’s chapters was much more captivating and I found myself wanting more Gwen chapters.
That being said, I LOVED Bridget and Gwendolyn. I honestly would love a whole book just on them. The narrator for Gwen’s chapters was much more captivating and I found myself wanting more Gwen chapters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Homophobia
_polaris_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I really enjoyed this book. The romance made me so happy, while the overarching conflict is really engaging.
I feel like it started a bit slow. Gwen and Arthur were a set in there ways for too long and then the story developed very rapidly. But I loved to see there friendship bloom. And really enjoyed their character development.
I feel like it started a bit slow. Gwen and Arthur were a set in there ways for too long and then the story developed very rapidly. But I loved to see there friendship bloom. And really enjoyed their character development.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Homophobia
gondorgirl's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
hmatt's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
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
4.5
This is such a fun Arthurian exploration. I found it both age-appropriate for YA and supremely entertaining to me, which is kind of a feat. The characters are nuanced and loveable, and it's silly at times but the heavier plot points are handled appropriately as well.
My biggest gripe is with the narrator for Art's perspective, who seems not to have understood the tone of anything they were reading. Inflection is completely missed. This really got in the way, for me.
My biggest gripe is with the narrator for Art's perspective, who seems not to have understood the tone of anything they were reading. Inflection is completely missed. This really got in the way, for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Vomit, and Religious bigotry