Reviews with content warning for Murder - Gwen and Art Are Not in Love

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!

Content Warnings

thaliareads's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious 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

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the arc!

Gwen and Art have a problem. They have grown up thinking the worst of each other and dreading the day the betrothal that's been in place since their birth comes to fruition. Much to their chagrin the time is drawing near and they have to spend the entire summer together in preparation for the announcement of their wedding day. In what may turn out to be a stroke of luck for the two betrothed, Gwen catches Art in a compromising position that allows her to see that they may have more in common than she anticipated. Could a mutual arrangement allow Gwen to follow her heart to the brave knight Lady Bridget who's caught her eye? Additionally, could this be a chance for Art to reconnect with Gwen's older brother Gabriel and find a spark that he never expected? Alongside all of this, is there something deeper brewing beneath the surface of the kingdom as the people gather to celebrate the royal tournament being held?

This was an absolutely adorable tale of young and unrequited love. Additionally, I appreciated that none of the main characters had things figured out yet, especially since they are teenagers and that's a messy time in your life full of self-discovery. This really shined in the candid conversations between Gwen and Art revealing that, despite what might appear to be external confidence, they are still kids and still learning who they are and how to navigate their new feelings. I appreciated the unapologetic queerness of this book. Obviously, the environment still wasn't conducive to straying from heteronormativity, but the characters themselves reinforced that there was nothing wrong with who they were and who they chose to love. I also didn't expect the sort of deeper lore of conflict and mystery and feuding factions, but it was a pleasant surprise as it wove through the novel, culminating in an unexpected twist. Overall, I think this was a great coming-of-age romance and I would read it again in a heartbeat. I can't wait until it's out and I can listen to the audiobook.

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Murder, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Death, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

Moderate: Blood and Gore

Minor: Animal death, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Sexism

Unfortunately because of the time period and the setting, there are quite a few content warnings. As part of the royal tournament, there is some blood, injuries, and violence as a function of the event itself. This is rather mild though, and the more severe instance is later in the book

There is a large conflict at the end of the book that is essentially the first battle of what could become a war and it is everything that war is. It's bloody and gruesome and people and animals are falling to those who are now their enemies. While everything is described vividly, I don't think the author lingers unecessarily or expands on the gory details in a distasteful way. It was enough to let you feel the impact of the setting without delving too deep into the gore of it all. There is one larger spoiler

In this battle, the king does die, leaving his son the new ruler.

Art's father comes off as very emotionally abusive. He cares very much about himself and not about the well being (both mental and physical) of his son - although it should be noted that there is no direct physical abuse. However,

Art's father does hire men to "send him a message" leaving him in a forever changed physical state after months of grueling recovery.

It is mentioned that Art's dad is an alcoholic, and Art and his body guard/friend Sidney can frequently be seen drinking to excess. This does involve some brief mentions of other characters vomiting - however it is not described in detail. I tagged homophobia, but it's important to note that while Gwyn thought another character was ignoring her because she told them she liked women, they were actually ignoring her because her truth spurred a more personal reflection for them that they weren't ready to accept. The author's writing always comes off as incredibly accepting - even throughout this misunderstanding. Finally, there are a few times when Art makes comments in jest that could be seen as suicidal, especially considering they come up - in forced jest - when he is at his lowest. It's never specifically addressed, but Gwen catches on and provides support in the way Art needs. Suicide and self harm aren't ever mentioned in a serious manner.

readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review! This is 3.5 stars rounded up.

This is the first book I’ve read centered around Camelot/Arthurian times/etc so my knowledge on that is very little. I cannot speak to how similar it may be to the stories or if fans of that will be pleased but from what I can tell there are tons of references back to the origins. In fact the story was pulling up information I learned in the past but forgot about.

Obviously this story has a queer twist to it, with Gwen and Art not actually being in love. Although sexualities are never specifically stated it seemed to me that Gwen is Demi/Bi while Art is gay. I kind of wished there was confirmation for the other queer characters in their sexualities. Either way, the book gives what it says it will, which is queer romance with a lot more angst than I was expecting.

The story is very character driven surrounding their personalities and relarionships to eachother as well as circumstances seemingly beyond their control. The main plot point happens within the last couple of chapters and felt a bit rushed and skimmed over. I think if this happened 10 chapters earlier with more development into these characters and their relationships with eachother while enduring that plot point would have upped the ante. I think given that it is a romcom it is unsurprising that those moments happened as an afterthought that it will just come down to reader and preference. For myself I would have liked more but I do think a majority of readers will not be disappointed by the pacing.

As for critiques I have several. There is character growth and the transformation is lovely but the beginning was a bit overkill. I kept thinking “okay we get it, they hate eachother.” And if I’m remembering it correctly, the one character sort of stirring the pot and making things worse never apologized. Especially when there is blackmailing involved, which is fine to some but not my cup of tea when I’m supposed to be rooting for these two characters.

The sexism and misogyny is very period typical but once again, it was hard to stomach at times. I’m not anyone who thinks characters need to be perfect or morally correct, in fact I prefer them flawed, but I would have loved for the women being targeted, like Gwen, to get one over on them all. I think she takes the mistreatment from literally everyone and directs that frustration towards others like Agnes and other women. It madeAnd I worry people will not give her grace like they might with Art who, despite his quirks and growth, I didn’t care for. He agitates Gwen and Gabriel from start to finish, often pushing boundaries and I was hoping by the end he would have settled that.

I also felt like certain characters were pushing others to come to terms with their sexualities, as expressed by said character being pushed, and it is just not something I personally care for. For the sake of the story I get why there is inklings of this, and it might come down to perception, but again, not my cup of tea.

Despite my critiques, I think there is some great growth without feeling too inauthentic. It felt more like they were in the beginning stages of growth rather than magically being a different person after getting a critique. These things can be a process. I wish we had seen more of this with Agnes and Gwen but it was alright for what we did get.

Even though this book does deal with struggling to accept yourself, fitting into shoes you’re not sure you can feel, dealing with a patriarchy, and growing as a person, there is still often a lighthearted tone. The characters really draw you in even if you’re not the fondest of them at times. I can see the appeal that is captivating so many people.

Overall, I will be recommending and think it was actually sort of nice to get queer characters that are messy and flawed. I might not have loved everything about their flaws but that is what makes them flaws. At the core of the book you can see the heart and intention.

Content Warnings

dakotabagley's review against another edition

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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

3.75

Honestly what a funny, well thought out story. I am a sucker for a good queer romance and this one really got me! The characters were all flawed in their own ways but completely lovable. The banter between Art and Gwen and just Sidney’s whole character really shined to make this funny. Sure, the subplot was a bit predictable but, who cares?! The book wasn’t about the subplot, it was about the character development. This was just a fun read and interesting retelling.

My one complaint is that the book was so character driven that there was very little setting description. I think the idea is that everyone has their own idea of Camelot and Excalibur and medieval England, but a bit more description of the castle and grounds would have been helpful! Other than that, this was a great, quick read. I would read one of the author’s books again for sure.

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