Important things you need to know about the book:
Pace: The pacing of Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is medium-paced. The book does pick up towards the end, but the pacing for the rest is medium.
POV: Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is a 3rd person, dual POV storyline. The book is told through Gwen and Art’s POV.
Trigger/Content Warning: Gwen & Art Are Not in Love has trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:
- Violence (moderate to graphic, on and off page)
- Death of parent (moderate, on and off page)
- War (moderate to graphic, on and off page)
- Injury/Injury Detail (moderate to graphic, on and off page)
- Death (graphic, on and off page)
- Homophobia (minor to moderate, on and off page)
- Blood (moderate to graphic, on and off page)
- Alcohol (moderate, on and off page)
- Alcoholism (moderate, on and off page)
- Murder (minor, on page)
- Emotional Abuse (moderate, on page)
- Misogyny (moderate, on and off page)
- Sexism (moderate, on and off page)
- Grief (moderate, on and off page)
- Religious Bigotry (moderate, on and off page)
- Hate Crime (minor, off page)
- Classism (moderate, on and off page)
- Mental Health Struggles (moderate, on and off page)
- Child Abuse (moderate, on and off page)
Sexual Content: There is sexual content in Gwen & Art Are Not in Love. There are sex scenes, but the author uses the fade to afterward, and they are not graphic.
Language: There is mild swearing in Gwen & Art Are Not in Love. There are also some scenes that people might find offensive.
Setting: Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is set in Camelot, England.
Age Range: I recommend Gwen & Art Are Not in Love to anyone over 16.
Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):
Hundreds of years after King Arthur pulled Excalibur from the stone, his namesake, Lord Arthur, is betrothed to Lady Gwendoline. At odds with each other since they were toddlers, both were surprised when their fathers announced that a wedding would be happening after Camelot’s annual royal tournament.
Within hours of Art arriving, Gwen finds him kissing another boy. And, to her horror, Art finds her hidden diary. Her longing for the kingdom’s only knight, Bridgid Leclair, is written in that diary. But, when events make them realize they are better allies than enemies, Art and Gwen vow to cover for each other. But, with the tournament heating up, Art recognizing he is attracted to Gwen’s older brother, and cultists poised to try and overthrow the king, can they both uphold their pact? Or will everything they have worked to hide be out in the open?
Main Characters
Princess Gwendoline: I might be the odd one out on this, but I didn’t care for Gwen. Her attitude and inability to decide didn’t endear her to me. She was unbelievably waspish towards Art (even though he did deserve some of it) and Agnes (she didn’t deserve that at all). But, by the middle of the book, I did see her change. It was when she accepted herself that she started to become likable. She still had her moments, but her character changed for the better overall.
Lord Arthur Delacey: I liked Art right away. He comes off as a drunken fool in the book’s first few chapters. He delights in needling Gwen (his opinion of her was spot on). But, as the book went on and his backstory was revealed, I started to see how horrible his life at home was. I was a little surprised at his attraction to Gabe, but it didn’t surprise me. Also, what didn’t surprise me was the battle scene and what he did.
Prince Gabriel: Out of everyone listed here, I didn’t have an opinion of him. He had a lot to deal with. Gabe was the heir to the kingdom and came across as stern and cold. But his true nature shone through during the scenes where he was one-on-one with Gwen and Arthur. Gabe was a nerd. All he wanted to be was a scholar and hide within the library.
Bridgid Leclair: I thought he had a thankless job. He was Art’s babysitter (aka bodyguard). He did a great job protecting Art when Art didn’t shake him off. He was Art’s wingman and the closest thing to a true family that Art had. Sidney fell head over heels for Agnes (which cracked me up). During the last half of the book, he did a couple of things that surprised me. But it went hand in hand with his character. His actions showed what a great and loyal person he was.
Sidney: I thought he had a thankless job. He was Art’s babysitter (aka bodyguard). He did a great job protecting Art when Art didn’t shake him off. He was Art’s wingman and, if I am going to be honest, the closest thing to true family that Art had. He fell head over heels for Agnes (which cracked me up). During the last half of the book, he did a couple of things that surprised me. But it went hand in hand with his character. His actions showed what a great and loyal person he was.
Lady Agnes: I felt bad for her at first. She was one of Gwen’s ladies in waiting. That meant she got the sharp edge of Gwen’s temper and tongue. But she dealt with it all with a grace that I know I wouldn’t have had. She had the same reaction to Sidney that he had to her. It was funny to see them making out all over the castle. When she finally stood up to Gwen, I almost cheered!!
My review:
The main storyline in Gwen & Art Are Not in Love focuses on Gwen, Art, their pseudo engagement, love interests, and the events during and after the tourney. It was well written. While it wasn’t historically accurate, I could have cared less about that. I was more interested in the storyline and seeing if Gwen and Art would get their HEAs.
I was intrigued by the main storyline in Gwen & Art Are Not in Love. The storyline focuses on Gwen, Art, their relationship, their love interests, and, eventually, the events at the end of the book. As stated in the Main Character section, I liked seeing Gwen’s character growth. Even though I didn’t like her, she did become somewhat likable. I also liked seeing Art’s character growth and his healing.
I liked the romance angle of Gwen & Art Are Not in Love. I liked seeing Art/Gabe and Gwen/Brighid’s relationship flourish. I thought they both were sweet. I loved seeing Art’s gradual realization that he had feelings for Gabe. Gwen’s feelings for Brighid weren’t as hidden, but seeing that relationship bloom was still sweet.
The last half of the book did take me by surprise. Looking back, hints dropped about what was going to happen. I didn’t notice them. So, when the shit hit the fan, I was shocked. There were a couple of scenes that broke my heart. In a warning, this is the most graphic part of the book and the saddest. But it explains so much and sets up for what happens ultimately.
The end of Gwen & Art Are Not in Love was bittersweet. I loved that the characters got their HEAs, but there was a considerable price that I am sure none of them wanted.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, NetGalley, and Lex Croucher for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Gwen & Art Are Not in Love. All opinions stated in this review are mine.