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ronniethereader's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Emotional abuse, and Medical content
Moderate: Violence and Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol, Vomit, and Alcoholism
seventhswan's review against another edition
adventurous
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? Yes
3.25
April's read for book group: I don't think I ever would have picked this book up of my own accord, as YA isn't a genre I tend to gravitate towards, but I found plenty to like about it. The characters were endearing without being overly irritating and the main storyline, while nothing new or groundbreaking, kept me invested. Everything was fairly tropey and predictable, but as a lighthearted, escapist romance, this worked.
Where this book fell down for me was the final few chapters. The story moved away from romance to more serious depictions of battle, which were well-written but didn't really fit with the tone of the first two-thirds of the book, and meant the conclusions to the romance storylines didn't get properly finished. I wonder if perhaps the author was trying to leave the door open for a sequel? The pacing in general was a bit off, too - to start with I wished the plot would move along faster, and then the ending felt rushed.
Delighted to see not only lesbian, bisexual and gay representation in this story but also characters with a range of disabilities and of various races! I tend to be wary these days of reducing books to good/bad Representation TM, but in books for children and teenagers it does feel more objectively important, for reasons I can't fully articulate.
Where this book fell down for me was the final few chapters. The story moved away from romance to more serious depictions of battle, which were well-written but didn't really fit with the tone of the first two-thirds of the book, and meant the conclusions to the romance storylines didn't get properly finished. I wonder if perhaps the author was trying to leave the door open for a sequel? The pacing in general was a bit off, too - to start with I wished the plot would move along faster, and then the ending felt rushed.
Delighted to see not only lesbian, bisexual and gay representation in this story but also characters with a range of disabilities and of various races! I tend to be wary these days of reducing books to good/bad Representation TM, but in books for children and teenagers it does feel more objectively important, for reasons I can't fully articulate.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism
madlysoph's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a fun book, a delightful, relatively simple, comedy. Arthur in particular is hysterical and made me laugh many times throughout the book. The relationships in this book are what make it so good, from the familial, to the platonic to the romantic, the relationships are what this story is founded on.
Arthur and Sidney are an absolutely hilarious duo whose antics and banter were so fun to read. Once they stop fighting, Arthur and Gwen are equally hysterical. Their friendship is the heart of this book and it’s lovely to watch develop. They have great banter and are funny but also have a very tender connection. Despite the romances, friendship is the heart of this book and what makes it work. The romances were sweet and fun to watch develop.
I found the world building very interesting, it was a unique take on Arthurian(kinda) England and how that legend became distorted and revered over time. The world building was simple, but effective. Thankfully there is no explicit homophobia in here, just vague mentions of it. Overall this is a fun book about friendship and coming to terms with yourself.
Arthur and Sidney are an absolutely hilarious duo whose antics and banter were so fun to read. Once they stop fighting, Arthur and Gwen are equally hysterical. Their friendship is the heart of this book and it’s lovely to watch develop. They have great banter and are funny but also have a very tender connection. Despite the romances, friendship is the heart of this book and what makes it work. The romances were sweet and fun to watch develop.
I found the world building very interesting, it was a unique take on Arthurian(kinda) England and how that legend became distorted and revered over time. The world building was simple, but effective. Thankfully there is no explicit homophobia in here, just vague mentions of it. Overall this is a fun book about friendship and coming to terms with yourself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Violence
btorsi's review against another edition
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
blaubeerskruemelchen's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol and Alcoholism
edamamebean's review against another edition
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
_oo_'s review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Misogyny, Alcohol, War, Death of parent, Blood, Homophobia, Vomit, Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Violence
jkneebone's review against another edition
adventurous
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? It's complicated
3.5
Gwen and Art Are Not in Love takes place in a sort of alternate-history, King Arthur-inspired England. In this world, Arthur and co. are distant, maybe-mythological figures who still heavily influence the political landscape of England - the country is ruled by Catholics, but there is also a faction of cultists who believe that King Arthur was a real person who will eventually return to rule again.
Against this backdrop, we have the story of Gwen (the princess) and Arthur (a lord's son who is descended from/named for the legendary king himself), who have been betrothed since they were children. There's just one problem: they absolutely hate each other. Although they haven't seen each other since they were children, when Gwen tricked Arthur into breaking his arm, this is the summer they are finally going to be married. So Arthur and his manservant/best friend/bodyguard Sidney arrive in Camelot, glad to be away from Arthur's controlling father and ready to wreak havoc.
Although our POV characters are Gwen and Art, we also get a lot of screen time from Gabe, Gwen's bookish older brother who is the reluctant heir to the throne; Bridget, the only female knight in the country, who Gwen is fascinated by; the aforementioned Sidney; and Agnes, Gwen's lady-in-waiting. The impetus of the plot is that, after Gwen and Art discover that they both aren't interested in marrying someone of the opposite gender, they decide to pretend to be infatuated with each other to get everyone else off of their scents. Although at first they are still putting up with each other, they eventually become friends, while also growing their romantic relationships with other characters.
One thing I really enjoyed about Gwen and Are Are Not in Love was how it felt fresh and modern, but also semi-believably historic. Croucher clearly put some thought into the King Arthur-obsessed alternate historical background, and it paid off. The characters were diverse in terms of race, sexuality, and even neurodivergence, but not in a way that felt like putting modern diagnoses or terms into a setting where they didn't belong. (Maybe it's just my reading, but I definitely got neurodiverse vibes from most of the main characters, haha.) The dynamics between all of the different characters were equally lovely - Gwen and Gabe's sweet sibling relationship, Gwen and Art's reluctant friendship, Sidney being so ride-or-die for Arthur, and of course the romantic relationships as well - and I loved how they all became a group working together by the end. I also liked the backstory/subplot of unrest between the Catholics and the cultists, and Gabe's preparation for becoming the next king of England.
For me, this is only a 3.5 star read rather than a 4 star read because of the tone shift at the end.Although I didn't really mind the suddenly raised stakes of the battle, I wish that Gwen had been given more of an opportunity to shine w/r/t strategy and kingdom management, which I thought was where things were headed. And even though part of me liked the ending, I did feel it was a little too happily-ever-after - even in this alternate history, I thought Gabe announcing all of their relationships was pushing credulity. I would have liked it better if they'd come up with some kind of plan to let them fly under the radar for longer. However, I do think it is a super fun read. It's not actually a fantasy, but it has more fantasy than historical fiction vibes; I think the feel is modern enough that even readers who aren't usually into those genres might be persuaded to give it a go.
In terms of language (none/extremely minimal) and sexual content (on page kissing and extremely brief allusions to more) this is totally high school appropriate. I'd hesitate to hand it to a younger reader because Arthur and Sidney are drunk a lot in the first half-ish of the book. Obviously this is a situation where the characters are teenagers, but adults in the world of the story, so it's not underage as such; it's also made pretty clear by the other characters' reactions - and even Arthur's own self reflection - that he knows his drinking is a problem.He even decides to stop at the end of the book, although it's fairly glossed over. That being said, it felt excessive and uncomfortable to me as an adult reader, because it was clearly unhealthy, but I wouldn't want this to be a younger reader's first introduction to how teenagers should or do interact with alcohol.
Against this backdrop, we have the story of Gwen (the princess) and Arthur (a lord's son who is descended from/named for the legendary king himself), who have been betrothed since they were children. There's just one problem: they absolutely hate each other. Although they haven't seen each other since they were children, when Gwen tricked Arthur into breaking his arm, this is the summer they are finally going to be married. So Arthur and his manservant/best friend/bodyguard Sidney arrive in Camelot, glad to be away from Arthur's controlling father and ready to wreak havoc.
Although our POV characters are Gwen and Art, we also get a lot of screen time from Gabe, Gwen's bookish older brother who is the reluctant heir to the throne; Bridget, the only female knight in the country, who Gwen is fascinated by; the aforementioned Sidney; and Agnes, Gwen's lady-in-waiting. The impetus of the plot is that, after Gwen and Art discover that they both aren't interested in marrying someone of the opposite gender, they decide to pretend to be infatuated with each other to get everyone else off of their scents. Although at first they are still putting up with each other, they eventually become friends, while also growing their romantic relationships with other characters.
One thing I really enjoyed about Gwen and Are Are Not in Love was how it felt fresh and modern, but also semi-believably historic. Croucher clearly put some thought into the King Arthur-obsessed alternate historical background, and it paid off. The characters were diverse in terms of race, sexuality, and even neurodivergence, but not in a way that felt like putting modern diagnoses or terms into a setting where they didn't belong. (Maybe it's just my reading, but I definitely got neurodiverse vibes from most of the main characters, haha.) The dynamics between all of the different characters were equally lovely - Gwen and Gabe's sweet sibling relationship, Gwen and Art's reluctant friendship, Sidney being so ride-or-die for Arthur, and of course the romantic relationships as well - and I loved how they all became a group working together by the end. I also liked the backstory/subplot of unrest between the Catholics and the cultists, and Gabe's preparation for becoming the next king of England.
For me, this is only a 3.5 star read rather than a 4 star read because of the tone shift at the end.
In terms of language (none/extremely minimal) and sexual content (on page kissing and extremely brief allusions to more) this is totally high school appropriate. I'd hesitate to hand it to a younger reader because Arthur and Sidney are drunk a lot in the first half-ish of the book. Obviously this is a situation where the characters are teenagers, but adults in the world of the story, so it's not underage as such; it's also made pretty clear by the other characters' reactions - and even Arthur's own self reflection - that he knows his drinking is a problem.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Alcohol
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Homophobia
sea_sea's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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
5.0
I loved this book so so much!!! The romances were so cute and well written and the plot too!!
The twists and turns this story had?!?!? Also it was so funny xD
A cute queer camelot romcom! xD
Would 100% recommend!
The only thing that threw me of a bit in the beginning was the modern language, because the book plays in medieval times, but I got used to it quickly.
The twists and turns this story had?!?!? Also it was so funny xD
A cute queer camelot romcom! xD
Would 100% recommend!
The only thing that threw me of a bit in the beginning was the modern language, because the book plays in medieval times, but I got used to it quickly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Vomit, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Death of parent, Mental illness, Violence, Murder, Lesbophobia, War, Homophobia, Blood, and Gore