Lex Croucher

A Novel

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love

It’s been hundreds of years since King Arthur’s reign. His descendant, Arthur, a future Lord and general gadabout, has been betrothed to Gwendoline, the quick-witted, short-tempered princess of England, since birth. The only thing they can agree on is that they despise each other.

They’re forced to spend the summer together at Camelot in the run up to their nuptials, and within 24 hours, Gwen has discovered Arthur kissing a boy and Arthur has gone digging for Gwen's childhood diary and found confessions about her crush on the kingdom's only lady knight, Bridget Leclair.

Realizing they might make better allies than enemies, they make a reluctant pact to cover for each other, and as things heat up at the annual royal tournament, Gwen is swept off her feet by her knight and Arthur takes an interest in Gwen's royal brother. Lex Croucher's Gwen and Art Are Not in Love is chock full of sword-fighting, found family, and romantic shenanigans destined to make readers fall in love.

Laura Scanlan

some hurts ran so deep that they became part of your foundations

justine lim

‘Not everybody lives for the triumphs and defeats, the epic highs and lows of the little black and white squares,’ Gabriel said, ineffectively pushing a rook right back to where it had been two turns ago. ‘Sorry. I’m actually just this bad at chess.’

‘Your cat isn’t this bad at chess,’ Gwen scoffed. ‘And also, checkmate.’

‘Well. Very good. You’ve thoroughly obliterated my tenuous sense of self-worth.’

Gwen, the quick-witted Princess of England, and Arthur, future lord and general gadabout, have been betrothed since birth. Unfortunately, the only thing they can agree on is that they hate each other.

When Gwen catches Art kissing a boy and Art discovers where Gwen hides her diary (complete with racy entries about Bridget Leclair, the kingdom's only female knight), they become reluctant allies. By pretending to fall for each other, their mutual protection will be assured.

But how long can they keep up the ruse? With Gwen growing closer to Bridget, and Art becoming unaccountably fond of Gabriel, Gwen's infuriatingly serious, bookish brother, the path to true love is looking far from straight …

morgan

'Um ...' Gabriel shuffled through the pages. 

'To be truly brave, first you must be afraid ... and to be afraid, you must have something you cannot bear to lose.'

'That's nice,' said Arthur, 'I think you should have chosen the part about Lancelot's 

'It's not too late to cut you out of this speech.'

Izaac Richards

Gwen had never seen something so magnificent in all her life. 

Laura Dobie

“You're studying for life? For your life? Is there a- is there a how-to guide for monarchs? Tips and tricks for subjugating the masses? Prevent a revolt in ten easy steps?"

This was without a doubt the most Arthur had ever heard Gabriel talk. It stood to reason that it was about a cat.

He refused to acknowledge anybody at all until he had to attempt asmile to barter with the cook, who handed over half a loaf with a suspicious look as if he might be about to do some dark, yeasty ritual with it.

"Don't wink at him,” Gwen said. “The point is to make it seem like we're getting together, not that this is some kind of ... mildly incestuous free-for-all."

It did not make for happy family reunions. In fact, Gwen had only met Lord Willard once before, and had not liked the look of him one bit; he was very tall, grim-faced and brusque, and the enormous dark cloak he wore, sewn all over with various cultist symbols, had made him look like an ill-tempered bat.

'To be truly brave, first you must be afraid– and to be afraid, you must have something you cannot bear to lose.'

'Fine,' said Sidney, looking resigned. 'Which distraction, do you reckon? Number four? Number six?'

'Modified 1.5,' Arthur said, grinning at him.

'I hate modified 1.5,' Sidney said darkly, but he gamely walked away.

'The only way to get better at walking is to walk"

'I don't even like him,' Gwen said eventually, and Bridget laughed quietly.

'Like mold,' said Gwen. 'Like one of those plants that strangles trees.'

"I'll be the judge of that. I'm very familiar with stupidity."

'There's no separating the two,' Gabriel said quietly. 'I 

Does Art have a neck problem because this is the second time this has been brought up.

Of course, we know Art and Gabe eventually end up together, but that was unexpected and I went through so many emotions at once. 

Also, author quirk: alternates "__ said" and "said __". (Edit: until p.218, then they just give up.)

Arthur left the window, went to bed and stared dramatically at the canopy for another hour instead. It was far less romantic, but much easier on the neck.

"I am living with the consequences right now," Arthur said bitterly. "I am drinking juice with the consequences."

Oh, author must have CACKLED writing this.

"Let's just agree to be straight with each other," he said slowly.

So far, this is the kind of book you know eventually picks up so you're just reading to get to that part. Also did this book even have an editor.

...already rehearsing the charming niceties key to the acquisition of snacks

Eilidh 

"So you don't want any wine then," Sidney said. Gwendoline gave him a withering look. 

"I'm going back to go back to my bedroom to read," she said. "You can sit out here and drink as much as you want. Just let me know when our great romance is over for the evening." 

"Arthur is very sensitive about the fact that we're the same height," Gwen said to Gabriel by way of explanation. "He exaggerates, because if I'm a gigantic women, then he can pretend he's an average sized man."

"I've died," Arthur said dramatically from the floor. Gwen snorted.

"Not yet. But if I kill you now, I can just say you choked on your own vomit and nobody will be any the wiser." 

"Hullo, you old bastard," he said flatly. "Shagged any of your sisters lately?"

"Don't wink at him," Gwen said. "The point is to make it seem like we're getting together, not that this is some kind of... mildly incestuous free-for-all."

While I did enjoy the book, I think the best parts are definitely the stuff in the second half of the story. The start takes a while and while a slow build romance is cute, balancing two made things feel a little too gradual to happen - at least the Sid and Agnes romance provided a quicker pace. I think the greatest strength of the plot is the historical elements as all I could picture going through this was Merlin. 

oh to be a part of a found family walking bloodily out of a battle trying to change the world 

Samantha 

can't believe i was kicking my feet smiling like crazy at a romcom. loved it. wish that were me tbh. i get it now. love my ragtag crew. i want to inject this book into my veins. this is crazy. i feel crazy. happy new year! god. happy new year. happy new year to me.

this is 5 stars purely because I’m gay and I say so! it was so cute, so fun, and arthur is my little meow meow also who hasn’t seen a muscly woman wielding a sword and thought “please stab me” like it’s relatable content. so 5 stars! okay!

fris🐝

I’m so sad that it had to end. I could have read 300 more pages of these characters and not tire of the story. I’ll hold out hope that a sequel will get published some day. Absolutely loved this. 

Floofyflower

emily

🦇 Gwen & Art Are Not in Love Book Review 🦇

❓ #QOTD What classic story would you love to read a queer retelling of? ❓

🦇 Gwendoline and Arthur have been betrothed to one another since birth. Too bad they absolutely hate each other. When forced to spend a summer in Camelot together, Gwen and Arthur discover tantalizing secrets about one another: Gwen witnesses Arthur kissing a boy, while Arthur learns that Gwen has a crush on the kingdom's lone lady knight, Lady Bridget Leclair. Stuck at a stalemate, they make a reluctant pact to cover for one another. While Gwen and Bridget finally connect, Arthur finds himself enamored by Gwen's brother. Can they navigate their messy feelings to find their own places in history?

💜 Oh my goddess, the queer chaos in this is everything. Lex Croucher has spun Arthurian legends of old into a queer medieval YA rom-com that could easily alter history as we know it. Gwen is a bi baby, newly navigating her feelings for a badass lady knight, while Arthur is a gay, sassy messy shooting heart-eyes at Gwen's brother (the one-day king). The dialogue is EVERYTHING; sassy, quick-witted, and all too entertaining. There's somewhat sexy sword-fighting (come on, sword-fighting is always sexy, but when your queer crush is schooling you, it's all the better), fake dating (does it count as fake dating when you've been betrothed since childhood?), and heart-warming found family vibes. The queer panic and nervous humor were all too relatable, even though the story is set in medieval times. That's a true feat; you can connect with the queer chaos, even if you're shooting heart-eyes in the 21st century.

🦇 The only real hang-up for me was the pacing. The ending felt especially rushed, which was a disappointment after the queer chaos dragged a bit. I wonder if the writer paused for a moment, then returned to finish the latter half of the story. I also found the relationship between Arthur and Gabriel (Gwen's brother) a little underwhelming when it had so much potential at the start. Regardless, I appreciated all the queer hijinks and humor.

🦇 Recommended for fans of Heartstopper, Rainbow Rowell's Simon Snow trilogy, Red, White, & Royal Blue, and the TV show Merlin. Get ready for a swoon-worthy, medieval mess of pining and romance!

⚔️ All the Queer Ships (w/ Serious Queer Panic)

⚔️ Medieval/Historical Fiction/Rom-Com

🦇 Major thanks to the author @lexcanroar and publisher @stmartinspress / @wednesdaybooks for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #Netgalley #GwenandArtAreNotinLove

Jazelle H

🦇 Gwen & Art Are Not in Love Book Review 🦇

❓ #QOTD What classic story would you love to read a queer retelling of? ❓
 
🦇 Gwendoline and Arthur have been betrothed to one another since birth. Too bad they absolutely hate each other. When forced to spend a summer in Camelot together, Gwen and Arthur discover tantalizing secrets about one another: Gwen witnesses Arthur kissing a boy, while Arthur learns that Gwen has a crush on the kingdom's lone lady knight, Lady Bridget Leclair. Stuck at a stalemate, they make a reluctant pact to cover for one another. While Gwen and Bridget finally connect, Arthur finds himself enamored by Gwen's brother. Can they navigate their messy feelings to find their own places in history?

💜 Oh my goddess, the queer chaos in this is everything. Lex Croucher has spun Arthurian legends of old into a queer medieval YA rom-com that could easily alter history as we know it. Gwen is a bi baby, newly navigating her feelings for a badass lady knight, while Arthur is a gay, sassy messy shooting heart-eyes at Gwen's brother (the one-day king). The dialogue is EVERYTHING; sassy, quick-witted, and all too entertaining. There's somewhat sexy sword-fighting (come on, sword-fighting is always sexy, but when your queer crush is schooling you, it's all the better), fake dating (does it count as fake dating when you've been betrothed since childhood?), and heart-warming found family vibes. The queer panic and nervous humor were all too relatable, even though the story is set in medieval times. That's a true feat; you can connect with the queer chaos, even if you're shooting heart-eyes in the 21st century.

🦇 The only real hang-up for me was the pacing. The ending felt especially rushed, which was a disappointment after the queer chaos dragged a bit. I wonder if the writer paused for a moment, then returned to finish the latter half of the story. I also found the relationship between Arthur and Gabriel (Gwen's brother) a little underwhelming when it had so much potential at the start. Regardless, I appreciated all the queer hijinks and humor.

🦇 Recommended for fans of Heartstopper, Rainbow Rowell's Simon Snow trilogy, Red, White, & Royal Blue, and the TV show Merlin. Get ready for a swoon-worthy, medieval mess of pining and romance!

✨ The Vibes ✨
⚔️ All the Queer Ships (w/ Serious Queer Panic)
⚔️ Fake Dating
⚔️ YA Debut
⚔️ Found Family
⚔️ Medieval/Historical Fiction/Rom-Com
⚔️ Enemies to Allies

🦇 Major thanks to the author @lexcanroar and publisher @stmartinspress / @wednesdaybooks for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #Netgalley #GwenandArtAreNotinLove

thank you to st. martin's press, wednesday books, and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

give me all the arthurian shenanigans and i am 

lex croucher is officially an author i cannot believe i waited so long to finally read. honestly, i was particularly terrified of historical fiction as a genre, but this year has really truly been one that i’ve really enjoyed discovering. and this story was no exception. the writing, the humor, it all feels so modern.

i mean, hell, we have a riverdale reference in the first couple chapters of the book. and from that line on, i was hooked. this story uses so many of those cliche tropes: “oh. 

”, “i let go of a breath (sword) i didn’t realize i was holding”, and so on. genuinely, it was so laugh out loud, and i really can’t say that often about books in humor. but i was giggling and kicking my feet like an idiot the whole book. basically, if you liked the humor in any of casey mcquiston’s books, you will adore croucher’s humor.

now on to the actual story. well, really the characters. because that’s what we’re all hear for. i absolutely adored gwen and art. the two of them have the friendship of friendships. they help each other through their tough times, and love to pick on each other. their sibling dynamic is just so fun. it’s so wholesome and i want to be their friends. i loved being able to follow both of them through these events.

gabriel, the poor tortured soul, i love you so damn much. adding you to the list of characters i want to give the biggest hug too. seriously, who hurt you so much to make you think you have to be one thing and nothing less than your truest self.

bridget. god, you are so hot. teach me your ways!!! that is all.

one thing that's important to note is that this book isn't a retelling of king arthur's story. i know that's what i first thought, hearing the title. but rather it's a story set in an england, where king arthur isn't a myth but a true man. gwen (kind of) and art were named after their predecessors. and a lot of the politics and world building are built around these myth's being fact/legend in this world. and honestly, i think it was an interesting twist on the story.

genuinely, i am begging croucher to write a follow up book for each of the couples. i will devour it all in a heartbeat.

thank you to st. martin's press, wednesday books, and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
give me all the arthurian shenanigans and i am in!!!

lex croucher is officially an author i cannot believe i waited so long to finally read. honestly, i was particularly terrified of historical fiction as a genre, but this year has really truly been one that i’ve really enjoyed discovering. and this story was no exception. the writing, the humor, it all feels so modern.

i mean, hell, we have a riverdale reference in the first couple chapters of the book. and from that line on, i was hooked. this story uses so many of those cliche tropes: “oh. oh.”, “i let go of a breath (sword) i didn’t realize i was holding”, and so on. genuinely, it was so laugh out loud, and i really can’t say that often about books in humor. but i was giggling and kicking my feet like an idiot the whole book. basically, if you liked the humor in any of casey mcquiston’s books, you will adore croucher’s humor.

now on to the actual story. well, really the characters. because that’s what we’re all hear for. i absolutely adored gwen and art. the two of them have the friendship of friendships. they help each other through their tough times, and love to pick on each other. their sibling dynamic is just so fun. it’s so wholesome and i want to be their friends. i loved being able to follow both of them through these events.

gabriel, the poor tortured soul, i love you so damn much. adding you to the list of characters i want to give the biggest hug too. seriously, who hurt you so much to make you think you have to be one thing and nothing less than your truest self.

bridget. god, you are so hot. teach me your ways!!! that is all.

one thing that's important to note is that this book isn't a retelling of king arthur's story. i know that's what i first thought, hearing the title. but rather it's a story set in an england, where king arthur isn't a myth but a true man. gwen (kind of) and art were named after their predecessors. and a lot of the politics and world building are built around these myth's being fact/legend in this world. and honestly, i think it was an interesting twist on the story.

genuinely, i am begging croucher to write a follow up book for each of the couples. i will devour it all in a heartbeat.

Enjoyable, absorbing, funny, and touching. I flew through this book at a busy time.

Cannot recommend this enough! Got me out of my reading slump! 

Wendy Vencel

Gwen and Art are not in love but I am in love with both of them and their significant others. 

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love A Novel

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