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adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Vomit, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, Classism
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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:
No
General disclaimer if you’ve read other reviews by me and are noticing a pattern: You’re correct that I don’t really give starred reviews, I feel like a peasant and don’t like leaving them and most often, I will only leave them if I vehemently despised a book. Thus, no stars doesn’t indicate that the book wasn’t worthy of any starred system. It just means I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all, even if the lesson is that I’m a ho for the smut, recognizing a genre/book/author is not for me, or confronting my own mommy/daddy issues lol. Everyone’s reading experiences are subjective, so I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Happy reading! Find me on Instagram: @bookish.millennial
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is not a retelling -- it's set in an alternate history a few hundred years after the events of King Arthur & the round table. Also Arthur is half-Iranian and Bridget is Thai. I think I sped through too quickly because I didn't catch this but was reminded haha. Love this representation!
This was a pensive, slow-burn coming-of-age with a romance subplot with somewhat current dialogue, which kept the mood lighthearted and goofy. I know others may not like this for a historical fictional book but I thought it brought levity and fun to an otherwise serious storyline! As far as the plot, ye be warned because there is ultimately zero plot until the last 20% of the book, as this mostly focuses on character relationships and personal growth in each character, especially as they come to terms with their sexual orientations.
Arthur and Gwendoline only fake date to be able to further explore their queer connections with Bridget and Gabriel, but Arthur has already become more comfortable with his sexuality, making self-deprecating jokes and displaying lots of dry, sarcastic humor.
Meanwhile Gwen struggles a bit more to go after what she wants and to vocalize what she is feeling. Her repressed sexuality and her shame is so relatable, and I loved when she was finally able to ask Bridget for what she wanted/needed with her. Bridget is a badass butch lesbian and is not afraid of anyone. She is focused on her goals and living a full life. Bridget truly is goals!
The other side characters were fun too: Sidney & Agnes! I loved the friendships and the sibling dynamics. So sweet! I think this whole group was so lovely to get to know, & I'd happily take spinoffs for Sidney & Agnes. The chaos of this group is just delightful.
The issue of marrying someone of your same gender or just non-heterosexual marriage is interesting in the way Croucher presents it and I wish they had shown the final resolution ON PAGE at the end but it's fine. I will imagine that eerything ended well and that gay marriage was legalized in this world there haha.
Last but not least, one of the characters goes through severe period pain and there is a bit of a storyline about medical gaslighting with making the women feel like they "simply can't handle pain" and OMFG THE WAY I FELT SO SEEN! *insert sob session* I loved how powerful this moment was, where they did not accept "get over it" as medical advice and looked for alternative medical opinions, to help with the character's nausea, fatigue and pain.
Quotes that stood out to me:
- “The path to love never did run straight.”
- “I like some risk now and again, if what’s at stake is worth having."
- “How am I supposed to know what I want?” Gabriel said quietly. “There’s only ever been room for what I’m . . . destined to have.”
- “𝘈𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘌𝘹𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘳 𝘕𝘪𝘯𝘦.”
“𝘌𝘹𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘳 𝘕𝘪𝘯𝘦? 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘌𝘹𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵?”
“𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺—𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘬𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.” - “Looking at her felt a lot like wanting something.”
- '"Cheers," Arthur said despondently. "To a long and happy life together."
"Don't say that," Gwen said, wincing and taking a sip of her own tea. "I'm already depressed enough as it is."' - '"...plus I'm a fantastic kisser. If you'd kissed me, you'd be singing a different tune.'
'That's not a tune,' Gwen said. 'That's the sound of retching.'" - "'Off to bed then?' he said, for lack of anything else.
'Actually, I-I'll probably go to the library.'
'In the middle of the night?'
'In the middle of the night.'
'Oh,' said Arthur. 'That's...admirable, I suppose.'
'Is it?'
'Well, somebody's got to do it.'" - “Nobody else is ever going to care as much as you do about the things that you want, Gwendoline. So it’s up to you—you can put them aside forever, if you can live with that, or you can put on your big-girl girdle and demand more for yourself.”
- I said no to giving up my whole life to wait around for moments with you, whenever you could spare them. That’s not who I am, and it’s not what I want, and I think that, given some time, you’ll realize that it isn’t what you want either.”
- To be truly brave, first you must be afraid—and to be afraid, you must have something you cannot bear to lose.”
- “I don’t think doing a difficult thing and being happy are mutually exclusive, Gabriel. I think you could both have some of the things you want, if you’re brave enough to ask for them.”
- “If you think about it, some variety of magic turns up in the story of every country and kingdom in the world. It goes by different names, but it’s always there. Other religions have their own magic words—their own rituals. It seems unlikely that magic never existed, and yet everybody came to the same conclusion of their own volition.”
Fun Facts:
- They have a cat named Merlin
- Gwen loves embroidery as a hobby
- Since we spend a lot of time insides castles and around princesses and princes, there is a LOT of velvet and gold mentioned, along with ornate, ornamental, regal, delicate designs -- it's very easy to imagine this world
- Flowers mentioned: bluebells, roses
- Scents mentioned: orange, sandalwood, grapefruit, ginger, cinnamon
I think people who enjoyed BBC's Merlin, A Knight's Tale, Heartstopper, and Sex Education would love this!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, War, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, War
Minor: Death
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Vomit, Death of parent, Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Outing, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Incest
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
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:
No
This was as much fun as I'd hoped it would be. I love Lex Croucher and while this is a very different genre from their other books it was just as good. I found it so funny and I was rooting for both Gwen and Art throughout. The side characters were also great. There are quite a few layers to the story and I felt like they were woven together so well. In particular the themes of finding yourself and choosing your future were so sensitively and realistically handled.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Death of parent, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
Such a delight to read! This book made me laugh with its witty banter (mostly from Arthur) and its sweet relationships. Gwen and Arthur are a classic enemies-to-friends dynamic, with their hatred for each other stemming from their childhood. Of course, the two are betrothed (Kind of like The Swan Princess movie!). But I loved the queer angle it took in this relationship with both being interested in people who are decidedly not each other. They truly went from breaking wrists to WLW/MLM solidarity. In fact, that's how I would really describe the relationship between our two main characters: WLW/MLM solidarity.
Outside of the relationships our two characters held, there were some wonderful friendships. Sidney and Arthur are brothers in all but blood and would stick together through thick and thin. Gwen and Agnes shifted from a boss-worker dynamic to friends. And the close relationship our siblings, Gwen and Gabriel, had was adorable.
My only gripe with the book was that the romances from both our couples sometimes felt a bit lackluster. Arthur and Gabriel were cute at times and they had some nice bonding moments. But Bridget and Gwen let me down! As a sapphic female myself, I was looking forward to the sapphic relationship in this setting and was especially interested in the fact that one of those involved was a femme princess and a female knight (Oh side note, Bridget is Thai!). I wanted more bonding and moments from them, & there were some but not enough. This may be my only issue with the book, but since it's largely about romance, I felt like a star should be knocked off for that. Please remember that this is my opinion!
The book was overall super fun. The friendships were great & I really felt for these characters and their problems. I loved the setting & the Arthurian aspect and how it came to play throughout the story. It was very clever, & there were moments where I was on the edge of my seat & laughing at Arthur.
TDLR; I really need to read more historical queer novels!
Outside of the relationships our two characters held, there were some wonderful friendships. Sidney and Arthur are brothers in all but blood and would stick together through thick and thin. Gwen and Agnes shifted from a boss-worker dynamic to friends. And the close relationship our siblings, Gwen and Gabriel, had was adorable.
My only gripe with the book was that the romances from both our couples sometimes felt a bit lackluster. Arthur and Gabriel were cute at times and they had some nice bonding moments. But Bridget and Gwen let me down! As a sapphic female myself, I was looking forward to the sapphic relationship in this setting and was especially interested in the fact that one of those involved was a femme princess and a female knight (Oh side note, Bridget is Thai!). I wanted more bonding and moments from them, & there were some but not enough. This may be my only issue with the book, but since it's largely about romance, I felt like a star should be knocked off for that. Please remember that this is my opinion!
The book was overall super fun. The friendships were great & I really felt for these characters and their problems. I loved the setting & the Arthurian aspect and how it came to play throughout the story. It was very clever, & there were moments where I was on the edge of my seat & laughing at Arthur.
TDLR; I really need to read more historical queer novels!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Violence, Blood, Alcohol, War
Moderate: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Vomit
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
fast-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
Gwen and Art Are Not in Love is definitely not your typical Arthurian tale, but that's what I enjoyed so much about the book!
I've always loved Arthurian movies, books, and whatnot, so no surprise that I'd want to read this after seeing the cover and reading the summary it was a given.
Growing up, Gwen and Art despise each other, but despite their feelings, their family expect them to marry. When Gwen learns Art's truth, they make a pack to cover for one another. But when tragedy hits, and everything is at risk, they'll need to work together alongside their friends to save their people.
I loved the non-traditional story, and it's okay to reach for your own path and happiness.
I've always loved Arthurian movies, books, and whatnot, so no surprise that I'd want to read this after seeing the cover and reading the summary it was a given.
Growing up, Gwen and Art despise each other, but despite their feelings, their family expect them to marry. When Gwen learns Art's truth, they make a pack to cover for one another. But when tragedy hits, and everything is at risk, they'll need to work together alongside their friends to save their people.
I loved the non-traditional story, and it's okay to reach for your own path and happiness.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Death of parent, War
Moderate: Emotional abuse
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
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:
Complicated
I loved this book! It was so well written and just so much fun. Definitely a new comfort read. I just adore Gwen, Arthur, Gabriel, Sidney and Bridget with my whole heart! I definitely wouldn’t complain if another story about them was written.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Death of parent, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, War
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
tense
fast-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
God I loved this book. I just wanted more of it. Lex Croucher writes romance like no one else. One of the kissing scenes made me genuinely burst into tears. The characters were somehow all my favourite but I think Gwen will always have a special place in my heart. She’s very autistic coded and I really saw my younger self in her. It’s so wonderful to read a queer historical story that’s so full of hope and yet still feels grounded and meaningful. I would read about these six idiots for the rest of time.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Violence, Death of parent, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Lesbophobia
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-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
I loved this book! Gwen and Art are engaged…but they are also both queer. Once they discover this, what follows is a funny, heartfelt and emotional story which I became so invested in!! Both Gwen and Arthur have their own love interests who are super developed and go from mortal enemies to sort of even liking each other, which makes for a really interesting dynamic between the two of them. I adored all of the characters, they felt so fully realised and were so easy to fall in love with! Overall I really would recommend this book, particularly to fans of Red White and Royal Blue as well as The Song of Achilles as I saw lots of similarities between them!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, War