Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher tells the story of Gwendoline and Arthur, two teenagers living a few centuries after the time of King Arthur. They’ve been betrothed since a young age, but have never gotten along. Now, nearly of age, they’re both dreading their upcoming marriage. And when Gwen catches Arthur kissing a boy, everything changes. Arthur in turn soon learns of Gwen’s infatuation with Bridget, the only lady knight competing in Camelot’s current tournament. So now, seeing each other in a new light, they agree to become allies — they’ll pretend to get along and to cover for each other. As the tournament progresses, though, their shenanigans might be discovered — or, another plot might be brewing altogether, which could spell chaos for Camelot.

The description of this book referenced A Knight’s Tale, which I definitely think is apt. There’s plenty of goofy wit and drama involving swords and lances, along with lots of teenage romance.

I liked the title characters well enough. Both of them remind me of characters out of a Casey McQuiston or Mackenzi Lee novel, which is fine, but neither strike me as super original. Still, their snarky banter is quite entertaining. As for the other two main characters, Bridget the knight and Gabriel the prince (Gwen’s brother and Arthur’s potential new love interest), I wish I’d gotten to know them better sooner. It seems like a lot of their development and personalities weren’t revealed or explored until later in the story, as a lot of the first half is taken up with Gwen and Arthur’s complex relationship. Still, once I finally felt like I knew them both, I did like them.

One thing, however, that bothered me was that I couldn’t tell when it was supposed to take place. I know ostensibly it’s a few centuries after King Arthur’s time, though his legacy is still going strong, but I didn’t get that sense. Mostly this is due to how the characters talk; they all sound so modern, and it really took me out of the story. In some cases, this anachronism wouldn’t bother me, but this is the only non–period accurate thing I noticed in this book. Perhaps if there had been other anachronisms, it would have been fine, but when the dialogue is the only thing, it really sticks out. 

Anyway, though, the dialogue aside, I liked the story. Seeing Gwen and Arthur finding a deeper understanding of each other, and of themselves, was engaging. I thought their struggles with confidence and self-esteem were sympathetic. Bridget’s problems with not being taken seriously in jousting, as well as Gabriel’s doubts about his predetermined role as ruler, were also done well. And the romances between the two couples were sweet rather than obnoxious, as can sometimes be the case with teen romance stories.

I think some of the political strife came slightly out of left field, though it did make for a good final act, as well as a chance to reach satisfying conclusions for the kids’ character arcs. The action was decently written, but didn’t overshadow the emotional moments.

In the end, Gwen & Art Are Not in Love was a fun romp. The historically inaccurate dialogue drove me a little bonkers, but if you look past it, there’s a lot to enjoy in this book. The themes are good, the characters are entertaining and endearing, and the Medieval Fair feel to it all is great. There’s queer love, teen angst, and sword-fighting. The audiobook production, narrated by Alex Singh and Sarah Ovens, is wonderful. What’s not to like, really?

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is available as of today, November 28th, 2023!