Gwen & Art Are Not in Love, by Lex Croucher

Scheming. Swooning. Sword-fighting. This book has got it all!

Title: Gwen & Art are Not in Love

Author: Lex Croucher

ISBN: 9781250847218

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Publication date: 2023

Genre(s): Historical fiction, romance

Available format(s): Print, audio. I reviewed the print version.

Reading level/interest level: Age 14 and up, according to Amazon

Summary: Charming Arthur is used to sweet-talking the people around him, but he fails to charm grumpy Princess Gwendoline, his betrothed (yep, she pretty much hates his guts). The truth is, they’re both into other people – Arthur likes Gwen’s brother, and Gwen gets flustered at the sight of Bridget Leclair, the kingdom’s only female, extremely hot knight.

So, they become reluctant allies, covering up for the other’s romantic escapades and for the other and getting them closer to the true apples of their eyes. And somewhere along the way, each just might inspire the other to be true to themselves as they follow the path to true love… which never did run straight (Croucher, 2023).

About the author: Lex Croucher (they/them) first rose to prominence on YouTube for their vlogs, which usually contained dry, deadpan comedy (and was how I first discovered them!) They are no longer active on their channel; instead, Croucher is now a prolific writer of “historical-ish” fiction for adults and teens. For context – though set across various points in history, from medieval times to the Regency era, their books tend to feature mostly contemporary dialogue.

Critical review: This book is billed as “Heartstopper meets A Knight’s Tale” and it fits that description perfectly. The medieval setting is great fun but never takes itself too seriously, and the found family that forms among the four leads of Gwen & Art are Not in Love, Arthur’s best friend Sidney, and Gwen’s lady-in-waiting Agnes is certainly reminiscent of Heartstopper’s Paris Squad. Or even the group of friends in Casey McQuiston’s YA debut, I Kissed Shara Wheeler.

As a longtime fan of Croucher’s YouTube comedy but a first-time reader of Lex’s fiction, I was thrilled to find that their signature comedic style is captured in the excellent banter among characters (they even slide in a medievalized, memefied quote of Mary Oliver’s – “So what do you want to do with your one slightly dull but nonetheless precious life?” (Croucher, 2022).

The flirtatious sparks between Arthur and Gwen’s brother is fun, the way Bridget inspires confidence in Gwen is straight up swoonworthy, and the doting looks between Sidney and Agnes are just adorable.

I also liked the book’s sensitive handling of health issues like alcohol dependence, menstrual pain, and anxiety; these were woven in with care and never made the book any less enjoyable.

Related programming ideas: A renaissance faire or a medieval faire at the library would be the perfect program to promote this book! This book is an extremely loose reimagining of the Arthurian legend anyway and leans into anachronism, so there is no pressure to be accurate with “historical details.” The main purpose of the program would be to give teens a chance to dress up in costume, participate in themed games, enjoy food and drink, and have fun!

Brief booktalk: Scheming. Swooning. Sword-fighting. Gwen & Art are Not in Love has got it all! This is historical fiction at its finest, and by that I mean is completely ridiculous and you’ve got to read it immediately! Though Arthur and Gwen aren’t in love with each other, if YOU are not in love with at least one of the characters by the end of this book, I’ll let you beat me in a joust!

Potential challenges: I mentioned earlier that this book includes sensitive plot points around alcohol dependence, other mental health issues, and menstrual pain; some readers may take issue with these heavier topics in a romantic comedy. This book is also openly queer and could face challenges for LGBTQIA+ content.

Reason for inclusion: This book follows predecessors like The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue. I imagine that it would be a great “gateway” book for teen readers of romantic comedies to begin getting into historical fiction!

Check this out: The author introducing their book!