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

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Royal sons meant promise – they carried the hope and glory of their lineage however reluctantly; royal daughters were born to be promised to someone else. 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. Arthur and Gwen, were some of the sweetest, relatable characters I’ve experienced. And don’t even get me started on Sidney or Bridget! I immediately fell in love with each and every one of these characters, scars, flaws and all. The ridiculous situations and conversations they kept falling into, were hilarious and heartwarming at the same time. Lex Croucher has such talent for writing some of the most witty banter and cheeky humor! (My face actually hurt from smiling and laughing so much.) 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. Gwen and Gabriel, however, I did find quite unlikeable at times, though I suppose that's partly the point. The internalised homophobia in this novel is high, and this is something that I don't think I expected quite to this degree. Without going into detail, I found the ending to be a little too neat, especially considering my previous point. It felt slightly rushed as well, in comparison to the battle and main conflict, which I found slightly confusing to follow at time, as I don't think enough time was spent laying the groundwork for it.

Armistice Day: A Collection of Remembrance - Spark Interest and Educate Children about Historical MomentsGwen and Arthur may have been very unlikable characters at the start - not only to each other, but to me, as well - but what was very gratifying to watch was how their mixed and multiple experiences actually brought them closer together. Once their secrets were outed to each other, they shared a sense of camaraderie and kinship that actually made them appreciate one another. Arthur was VERY annoying at the start - I really could not stand him or anything that he was spouting from his mouth - believe me, I TRIED. 😥 But, as you learn more about him, get to see his real side, he became a better person in my eyes - but only a little bit. 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.

they're so cute and i love them, they practically have hearts in their eyes every time they see each other. i love how we get to know her better as gwen gets to know her better, we get to see how much of a lovely person she actually is outside of gwen's assumptions. And yes I DID love this book. A queer Knight’s Tale(that should persuade you already) this romcom has a glittering cast of adorable characters, cheeky world-building (the royalty are so obsessed with their potentially magic lineage to King Arthur that there’s a court wizard) and more witty repartee than you can shake a sword at.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. 😢 The chapters alternated between Gwen and Arthur's perspectives at a rather imbalanced rate. They didn't feel like the story was progressing at each meeting - it was more like reading a glimpse into a diary entry to one said part of their life and then we don't get any immediate follow-up to it, jumping right into the other character's situation. And as each chapter was relatively short, it would then be almost a necessity to have another chapter from said character's POV, to complete that scene. I mean, what's the point of alternating POVs one at a time, and then having two chapters dedicated solely to the character's POV? It just makes for inconsistency and abrupt cut-offs without really allowing the depth of the story to sink in. 🤔

This historical YA romp is a delight, and I’m secretly hoping for a sequel! Read this one when it’s out in November 2023, everyone!!! You won’t be disappointed! 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. 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.Very curious what a medieval rom-com looks like. Do they have a meet-cute in the apothecary when they each reach for the same leech to bleed out the humors from their plague pustules? Perhaps it was intentional to be as ambiguous as possible about the world-building, but it just left room for me to contemplate that I might in fact be reading a story set in modern times, acting as if they were living in the past. I shouldn't take these things too seriously, but it does - to no fault at all to the author who will definitely have readers who don't mind it in the slightest. 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.