Stevie‘s review of Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher
Young Adult LGBTQ+ Fantasy Romance published by Wednesday Books 28 Nov 23
I love it when Young Adult books take common tropes and either poke gentle fun at them, or, as in this case, turn them completely upside down. In a medieval fantasy version of England, Gwen is the daughter of the current king and her brother Gabriel is the heir to the throne. Both are preparing to attend the royal family’s annual tournament, as honoured spectators rather than contestants. Gwen is particularly looking forward to watching the contests involving the country’s only female knight, Lady Bridget. However, she is dismayed to learn that her betrothed (and childhood tormentor), Arthur, will be visiting for the entire summer. Gwen and Arthur’s match is very much a political one, designed to appease the two main factions amongst the nobility – those who fully believe in the legend of King Arthur, as well as those who are more practical in their outlook.
Since Gwen and Arthur last met, Arthur has forged a reputation for himself as a drunkard, a fighter, and a womaniser. That last part is a long way from the truth, as Gwen realises when she spots Arthur kissing a young man who works on the castle’s staff. The two decide that pretending to like each other in the romantic sense will keep their parents from pushing them towards other equally unsuitable partners and give them more time to pursue their other interests. With the pressure off, Gwen and Arthur become friends and incorporate Gabriel into their plan, along with Gwen’s lady-in-waiting and Arthur’s bodyguard, who are busy with a romance of their own. Gwen manages to find the courage to talk to Bridget, who also joins in with the group.
Trouble is brewing, though; some of the tournament contests appear to have been fixed, and there are rumours of rebellions fermenting elsewhere in the country. Arthur is more concerned with his discovery of documents that may prove that the relationship between King Arthur and Sir Lancelot was more complex than the history books indicate. This obviously bodes well for his hopes of romancing Gabriel, but then the rebellion becomes more than just vague rumours and our heroes find themselves fighting for their lives and for the future of the kingdom.
The book doesn’t sugar-coat the realities of medieval conflict, and there are some pretty major deaths and serious injuries amongst the cast of characters. Overall, the ending is pretty hopeful, though.
I enjoyed this book. It was a little slow to get started, but once it found its stride, I was swept along in the adventure and the various romance plots. Gwen and Arthur’s various attempts to appear to be overstepping the bounds of propriety while doing nothing of the sort were particularly fun. And obviously I loved Bridget and her determination to be a knight against the odds and sometimes against her own best interests. I definitely want to read more from this author as their writing matures.
Grade: B
Summary:
Heartstopper meets A Knight’s Tale in this queer medieval rom com YA debut about love, friendship, and being brave enough to change the course of history.
It’s been hundreds of years since King Arthur’s reign. His descendant, Arthur, a future Lord and general gadabout, has been betrothed to Gwendoline, the quick-witted, short-tempered princess of England, since birth. The only thing they can agree on is that they despise each other.
They’re forced to spend the summer together at Camelot in the run up to their nuptials, and within 24 hours, Gwen has discovered Arthur kissing a boy and Arthur has gone digging for Gwen’s childhood diary and found confessions about her crush on the kingdom’s only lady knight, Bridget Leclair.
Realizing they might make better allies than enemies, they make a reluctant pact to cover for each other, and as things heat up at the annual royal tournament, Gwen is swept off her feet by her knight and Arthur takes an interest in Gwen’s royal brother. Lex Croucher’s Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is chock full of sword-fighting, found family, and romantic shenanigans destined to make readers fall in love.
Read an excerpt.
