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ktame001's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Alcohol, Death of parent, War, Homophobia, Violence, Death, Blood, and Emotional abuse
btorsi's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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'm not going to lie and say the beginning wasn't slow af. i almost didn't get through the first hundred or so pages. and the summary on the jacket isn't very accurate -- it boasts a fun arthurian romance, but this book was so much more than a romance. in fact, the romance was staggeringly less than i expected, especially between gwen and bridget. but the characters were lovable, the dynamics were so fun, the dialogue was funny as hell, and the plot sure did heat up. by the end i was the one in love. but it's not 5 stars bc of the slow beginning.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, War, Death, Alcoholism, Homophobia, and Violence
Minor: Child abuse
angelofthetardis'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, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Violence, War, Blood, and Death of parent
Minor: Lesbophobia, Vomit, Grief, Homophobia, and Cursing
kitwhelan's review against another edition
3.0
Took me a while to get into this story. It’s a mostly lighthearted read, with a surprisingly violent third act. I feel a bit unsatisfied with how fast everything wrapped up, but it was nice to visit an alternate, possibly queer-friendly Middle Ages.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death of parent, and Violence
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: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, War, Death of parent, Death, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Vomit
yilliun's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Really cute and I really enjoyed it. If you want a queer romance set in the high Middle Ages with a touch of fantasy, this is for you. Lots of angst from all sides throughout the book which made the build up to the relationship between our main crew so good
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Homophobia
zgreyz's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
very fun characters and funny banter amongst them.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, War, and Vomit
edamamebean's review
funny
lighthearted
slow-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
3.25
I really enjoyed the characters and I think that’s what kept me reading past the hundred-page mark, but honestly wtf was that plot? I really wish the stakes had been slowly raised over the course of the book instead of just getting a few hints here and there while the characters bonded for 300 pages and then all of a sudden getting smacked across the face with a plot in the last 100 pages. And after all of the time spent developing the relationships between the characters, I still didn’t feel like the relationships were as compelling as they should have been. What I’m trying to say is that I think this story could’ve been done better in far less pages. Also, one of the characters is set up to very clearly have an alcohol problem, which is addressed many times throughout the first half but then just resolves itself without any sort of self-realization or conflict? Still, the characters themselves are charming enough to save the book from a worse rating from me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Vomit, Violence, Alcoholism, Death, and War
dananana's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Alcoholism, Blood, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, and War
gmat's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Death of parent, War, and Violence