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

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Gwen and Art Are Not in Love is a fast paced, funny, historical romance, with strong LGBTQ+ characters and touching sibling relationships. Told from their alternating points of view, Gwen and Art are strong protagonists, faced with very modern problems in a medieval world. It’s been centuries since the legendary King Arthur reigned, and now his descendent future lord Arthur Delacey has been betrothed to Gwen, the princess of Camelot, much to both of their dismay. Gwen and Arthur despise each other and can’t seem to agree on anything except the fact that are very much Not In Love. However, when Gwen discovers Arthur kissing a boy and Arthur finds out about Gwen’s crush on the knight Lady Leclair, the two reluctantly agree to help each other out, potentially changing history in the process.

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love is an engaging read that will appeal to fans of Rainbow Rowell and Alice Oseman who are looking to stretch their reading tastes into the realms of historical fiction. I lived for the cultural references in this book, which I know isn't for everybody, but they really made me fall in love with this book.Mt favourite parts of this book were definitely towards the end, but also the scene in the shed??? and the first kiss between Gwen and Bridget??? iconic, outstanding, never done before. Love it. Exactly what I needed right now – a delightful, heartwarming, hilarious historical romp, overflowing with queer panic and terrible jokes. I loved it' - ALICE OSEMAN, bestselling author of HEARTSTOPPER

arthur and his swagger and sarcasm - “needing to be constantly entertained” as a front for his pain; gwen’s snarky, anxious mouth as she navigates the world and her heart; gabriel with his ink-stained fingertips and messy hair, struggling with his destiny; the dreamboat knight, lady bridget, filled with so much ambition, courageous and confident— to quote gwen, “god, i hope she stabs me.” All the characters are so well-written. They are a bunch of lovable idiots who sometimes find themselves in the most ridiculous situations. I can't even choose who my favourite was or whose relationship I loved the most. this book messed me UP tho. i’m glad i had mariko to hold my hand bc i wouldn’t have survived otherwise lmaooo 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. But love stories are hardly straight-forward, and Gwen and Art find themselves in various bouts of trouble during the annual royal tournament. Gwen’s royal Parents are ushering her toward her nuptials at an alarming rate when all she wants is to cling to Bridget’s side and protect her through battles and stolen moments. Arthur is taking bookish Gabriel’s dismissals of how far their growing feelings could go to heart, despite encouragement from his best friend and sort-of wing-man, Sidney. And all the meanwhile, Camelot is in increasing danger from an enemy creeping close within. Even with rivals Gwen and Art throwing their shields down and actually growing on each other, it’s not enough to prepare for war—and just how much they’ve got that will be lost in the battle.Told in dual POV alternating between Gwen, the stubborn and highly-strung princess of England and Art, the rougeish and thoughtless man she has been betrothed to her entire life, the book manages to explore themes of internalised homophobia and coming-of-age with ease. Lex Croucher has a gift for making even the most frustrating characters incredibly lovable, and there wasn't a single member of the core cast that wasn't fully fleshed out and wonderful. Gwen and Art may not be in love, but I am in love with THEM, your honour. And Gabe and Bridget, for that matter. Heartstopper meets A Knight’s Tale in this queer medieval rom com YA debut about love, friendship, and being brave enough to change the course of history. Surprisingly the plot even kept me on my toes. You might wonder how a “Medieval romantic comedy”, could possibly do that… But the wonderful bits of Arthurian lore, strategically placed throughout the story, really created a wonderful book.