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bluejay21's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
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
4.0
restless's review against another edition
3.0
Not quite the 5/5 I was hoping it'd be.
What it's about: Gwen and Art are about to get married, except they really hate each other. When Gwen catches Art kissing a boy, she thinks she's finally found a way to break their betrothal. That is, until Art finds her diary.
Cliff's notes: this was so great, except I am not quite sure it passes the Bechdel test. We get alternating points of view, but most of Gwen's thoughts are about Art and how much she hates him. Or loves her brother. Sometimes Bridget.
And don't get me wrong. Art is the kind of loveable rake we all like to see. He's got daddy issues, is wholly self-centred, and manages to catch actual feelings for his paramour. He's also the cause of much gay panic among the rest of the cast.
That said, I really struggled with Art's privilege and self-hatred. Most of the book is Art lurching from one act of self-sabotage to the next, without ever truly having to face the consequences. The way he took his freedoms for granted pained me.
Then there's Gabe, who's probably my favourite character even though we see so little of him. I much preferred him over Gwen, who struggled to find her agency throughout the book. Bridget barely featured. I learned more about Art's best friend than I did her.
I would also hesitate to call this historical fiction. The medieval theme felt more like set dressing and the characters were completely modern in the way they thought. I kept picturing them as theatre kids performing a play.
The political elements were interesting, though I wish the siblings had played a more active role. The ending was lovely, as was Gwen's portrayal of her father as king.
TL;DR a decent read, but it won't be hitting my top 10 this year.
What it's about: Gwen and Art are about to get married, except they really hate each other. When Gwen catches Art kissing a boy, she thinks she's finally found a way to break their betrothal. That is, until Art finds her diary.
Cliff's notes: this was so great, except I am not quite sure it passes the Bechdel test. We get alternating points of view, but most of Gwen's thoughts are about Art and how much she hates him. Or loves her brother. Sometimes Bridget.
And don't get me wrong. Art is the kind of loveable rake we all like to see. He's got daddy issues, is wholly self-centred, and manages to catch actual feelings for his paramour. He's also the cause of much gay panic among the rest of the cast.
That said, I really struggled with Art's privilege and self-hatred. Most of the book is Art lurching from one act of self-sabotage to the next, without ever truly having to face the consequences. The way he took his freedoms for granted pained me.
Then there's Gabe, who's probably my favourite character even though we see so little of him. I much preferred him over Gwen, who struggled to find her agency throughout the book. Bridget
Spoiler
her paramourI would also hesitate to call this historical fiction. The medieval theme felt more like set dressing and the characters were completely modern in the way they thought. I kept picturing them as theatre kids performing a play.
The political elements were interesting, though I wish the siblings had played a more active role. The ending was lovely, as was Gwen's portrayal of her father as king.
TL;DR a decent read, but it won't be hitting my top 10 this year.
ptng's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.5
definitelynotacarrot's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-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
4.0
kenziebrown's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
queeerlybeloved's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
"to be truly brave, you must be afraid--and to be afraid, you must have something you cannot bear to lose."
GOD I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCHHHHHHH
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
there was just so much love and emotion and GAY BEHAVIOR and pining and mischief and battle and FUN MEDIEVAL THINGS. i'm not really a historical fiction girlie but i loooooved this one. the fact that it was set in Camelot!! and that Arthur was a distant descendant of Arthur Pendragon!! and Merlin and Morgana once lived!!! and THERE WAS A SWORD IN A STONE!!!!! i loved it. it was so much fun.
it was so gay. i loved watching Gwen and Art's relationship develop, watching them decide to be in cahoots, watching them absolutely PINE AFTER THEIR CRUSHES. Gwen's descriptions of her feelings for/about Bridget had me SCREECHING. and ART. SO BRAVE. SUCH A BRAVE BOY. it's scary going after things you want!! especially if you're truly worried the people you love won't accept you!!! and yes there were some Moments, but they all had so much love for each other. and Bridget! Gabriel! Agnes! Sidney! such a fabulous cast of side characters and love interests.
the last 100 pages had me shitting bricks, i won't lie. so STRESSFUL. IT WAS LIKE A THIRD ACT BREAKUP EXCEPT IT WASN'T THE TYPICAL KIND YOU FIND IN A ROMANCE NOVEL. I WAS STRESSED. IT WAS STRESSFUL. I JUST WANTED TO WRAP ALL MY BABIES UP AND KEEP THEM SAFE.
the ending was so beautiful. i'm so proud of them all!!! and that quote 😭😭😭
pls pls pls give this a read!
GOD I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCHHHHHHH
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
there was just so much love and emotion and GAY BEHAVIOR and pining and mischief and battle and FUN MEDIEVAL THINGS. i'm not really a historical fiction girlie but i loooooved this one. the fact that it was set in Camelot!! and that Arthur was a distant descendant of Arthur Pendragon!! and Merlin and Morgana once lived!!! and THERE WAS A SWORD IN A STONE!!!!! i loved it. it was so much fun.
it was so gay. i loved watching Gwen and Art's relationship develop, watching them decide to be in cahoots, watching them absolutely PINE AFTER THEIR CRUSHES. Gwen's descriptions of her feelings for/about Bridget had me SCREECHING. and ART. SO BRAVE. SUCH A BRAVE BOY. it's scary going after things you want!! especially if you're truly worried the people you love won't accept you!!! and yes there were some Moments, but they all had so much love for each other. and Bridget! Gabriel! Agnes! Sidney! such a fabulous cast of side characters and love interests.
the last 100 pages had me shitting bricks, i won't lie. so STRESSFUL. IT WAS LIKE A THIRD ACT BREAKUP EXCEPT IT WASN'T THE TYPICAL KIND YOU FIND IN A ROMANCE NOVEL. I WAS STRESSED. IT WAS STRESSFUL. I JUST WANTED TO WRAP ALL MY BABIES UP AND KEEP THEM SAFE.
the ending was so beautiful. i'm so proud of them all!!! and that quote 😭😭😭
pls pls pls give this a read!
moonaslan's review against another edition
3.0
So this started pretty well : a medieval setting, queer characters, and witty dialogues ; and up until 75% of the book it was a nice read, lighthearted and fun. The characters weren’t fully fleshed out, like Bridget was more like an idea rather than a real person (a comment said she was like a Pinterest board of “hot women knight” and it feels so real) but it was enough to have a good time! Arthur in particular was very likeable and I enjoyed reading his antics. Even Gwen’s POV was relatable because she panicked, questioned herself and it felt real.
So it was a nice read, not groundbreaking but not terrible either! Although the medieval setting in contrast to the modern language used threw me off a little bit,, the characters could’ve as well been in a contemporary YA? It’s like it was set in medieval times only as an excuse to have princesses and joust tournaments, but the world building was lackluster.
Speaking of world building, I personally hated how they tried to throw political plot lines like “cultist uprising in the north” like okayyy we get it but do you have anything else ?? Nothing more than just vague references to some revolution incoming ? It felt so annoying because either you write a romcom and stick to it, or you go with thickest political plot lines from the START! instead we got a mix of both and the complete change of tone at the end of the book felt so out of place I just stopped caring.
I read the last sixty pages or so annoyed at this book, upset by the violence we suddenly faced (with graphic injuries description and a minor character death ? While until then it had been all fun and games and romance??) I would’ve preferred for this to be only light romance instead of taking a darkest turn. I finished it annoyed and glad to be over with,, while at the start I was really amused and having a good time.
So it was a nice read, not groundbreaking but not terrible either! Although the medieval setting in contrast to the modern language used threw me off a little bit,, the characters could’ve as well been in a contemporary YA? It’s like it was set in medieval times only as an excuse to have princesses and joust tournaments, but the world building was lackluster.
Speaking of world building, I personally hated how they tried to throw political plot lines like “cultist uprising in the north” like okayyy we get it but do you have anything else ?? Nothing more than just vague references to some revolution incoming ? It felt so annoying because either you write a romcom and stick to it, or you go with thickest political plot lines from the START! instead we got a mix of both and the complete change of tone at the end of the book felt so out of place I just stopped caring.
I read the last sixty pages or so annoyed at this book, upset by the violence we suddenly faced (with graphic injuries description and a minor character death ? While until then it had been all fun and games and romance??) I would’ve preferred for this to be only light romance instead of taking a darkest turn. I finished it annoyed and glad to be over with,, while at the start I was really amused and having a good time.
m1kayla143's review against another edition
4.0
Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher was hilarious and heartwarming.
I loved the humor and I laughed out loud multiple times while reading. The relationships between characters were lovely to see. The banter and dialogue was fun to read.
My only complaint was that it got a bit slow in the middle. The same problems got rehashed with no progress. When it did pick up it was a relief.
Regardless, Gwen and Art Are Not in Love was fun and a good read.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
I loved the humor and I laughed out loud multiple times while reading. The relationships between characters were lovely to see. The banter and dialogue was fun to read.
My only complaint was that it got a bit slow in the middle. The same problems got rehashed with no progress. When it did pick up it was a relief.
Regardless, Gwen and Art Are Not in Love was fun and a good read.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
tas_takes_down_the_man's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book made me realise that the fake dating trope can be interesting to read. Especially when the fake relationship ends with the couple dating other people they truly love.
Very fluffy romance novel. Loved the little nods to the Arthurian legend plus the more modern aspects too.
Very fluffy romance novel. Loved the little nods to the Arthurian legend plus the more modern aspects too.