Gwen and Art Are Not in Love: ‘An outrageously entertaining take on the fake dating trope’

Product Information

Unconventional royal romances are a lot more fun that I give them credit for. This one was an all-around good time with easy banter between protagonists, and several heartwarming moments between both couples. Art and his bodyguard were too funny for their own good, while Gwen and her brother tugged at my heartstrings all throughout this story. I flew through this book in a day, which is a commendable achievement considering how slowly I’ve been reading because of school. It was dangerous to want things, and Gwen was out of practice. in fact, the only thing she had truly wanted for years was to be left alone.“ It had me laughing out loud, especially with Arthur who is truly a wonderful character (but then I have a penchant for messy characters who can't help themselves). If you don't like sarcastic, self-deprecating lordlings, never fear because there are strapping lady-knights to sweep you off your feet, beautiful princesses, and sensitive book nerds.

Strangely enough, the only character I really did like was Gabriel - despite his own personal misgivings and view on the world, I would have liked to have known more about him. Maybe I'm so accustomed to dual POV's alternating between the two love interests, I FELT SOMEWHAT deprived of getting a glimpse into his mind - what he was thinking, what he was truly feeling at those moments with Arthur. 😢 An utter delight. Croucher conjures a fresh new Camelot, full of jousts, hijinks and exuberantly queer characters that will make you swoon. This is the gay Camelot I always wanted!” - C.S. Pacat, New York Times bestselling author of Dark Rise to be truly brave, first you must be afraid—and to be afraid, you must have something you cannot bear to lose.”

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher – at a glance

If you enjoyed that movie from yester-year, The Knight's Tale, then I'm sure the writing would definitely be to your liking. It was just too hip, too modern, too uncharacteristically unfitting to the timeline it was representing. I get that it's 'historical-ish' and I should just treat it as an Arthurian romcom set in a medieval-ish setting, but there's only so much I can take when 'shit' is part of their daily vocabulary or knowing what century the characters were living in! 😩 Gwen & Art might not be in love, but I’m in love with them and with Gabriel, Bridget, and above all Sidney! F.T. Lukens’ vibrancy and banter meets Alexis Hall’s wit and drama. However, I did think that the book suffered from an uneven tone. The first half of the book is very light-hearted, so the sudden swerve into much darker territory in the second half is jarring, even though the actual plot points were foreshadowed earlier on. I feel that I would have enjoyed the book better had the escalation in stakes was smoother. I also wished we got more of an understanding of Bridget and Gabriel; though we spend plenty of time with them, I didn't feel that we got in their heads as much as I would have liked, especially Bridget. I mean, for one thing, I don’t really believe you,’ said Sidney. ‘And for another – don’t you think you should meet people where they are?’ The ending was bittersweet rightfully so, but rather abrupt; unless the author intends to continue the story, I would have liked some more closure to how people would react to the future king and his shift in values. I am glad everyone got their own version of a happy ending, in whatever possible way conceivable, but it just felt like something was missing to tie it all together. 😔

a divinely soft and alternately heart-wrenching tale of awkwardly coming into one’s own, i will cherish gwen & art are not in love with every particle of my being.

Reviews

CASEY MCQUISTON, #1 New York Times bestselling author of I KISSED SHARA WHEELER and RED, WHITE AND ROYAL BLUE Gwen and Art Are Not in Love is non-binary author’s Lex Croucher (they/them) YA debut, having previously written adult romcoms. They bring a welcome breath of fresh air to the genre with this diverse tale of reluctant allies and the search for self-acceptance in a polarised world.