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A review by smokedshelves
Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher
5.0
thank you to st. martin's press, wednesday books, and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
give me all the arthurian shenanigans and i am in!!!
lex croucher is officially an author i cannot believe i waited so long to finally read. honestly, i was particularly terrified of historical fiction as a genre, but this year has really truly been one that i’ve really enjoyed discovering. and this story was no exception. the writing, the humor, it all feels so modern.
i mean, hell, we have a riverdale reference in the first couple chapters of the book. and from that line on, i was hooked. this story uses so many of those cliche tropes: “oh. oh.”, “i let go of a breath (sword) i didn’t realize i was holding”, and so on. genuinely, it was so laugh out loud, and i really can’t say that often about books in humor. but i was giggling and kicking my feet like an idiot the whole book. basically, if you liked the humor in any of casey mcquiston’s books, you will adore croucher’s humor.
now on to the actual story. well, really the characters. because that’s what we’re all hear for. i absolutely adored gwen and art. the two of them have the friendship of friendships. they help each other through their tough times, and love to pick on each other. their sibling dynamic is just so fun. it’s so wholesome and i want to be their friends. i loved being able to follow both of them through these events.
gabriel, the poor tortured soul, i love you so damn much. adding you to the list of characters i want to give the biggest hug too. seriously, who hurt you so much to make you think you have to be one thing and nothing less than your truest self.
bridget. god, you are so hot. teach me your ways!!! that is all.
one thing that's important to note is that this book isn't a retelling of king arthur's story. i know that's what i first thought, hearing the title. but rather it's a story set in an england, where king arthur isn't a myth but a true man. gwen (kind of) and art were named after their predecessors. and a lot of the politics and world building are built around these myth's being fact/legend in this world. and honestly, i think it was an interesting twist on the story.
genuinely, i am begging croucher to write a follow up book for each of the couples. i will devour it all in a heartbeat.
give me all the arthurian shenanigans and i am in!!!
lex croucher is officially an author i cannot believe i waited so long to finally read. honestly, i was particularly terrified of historical fiction as a genre, but this year has really truly been one that i’ve really enjoyed discovering. and this story was no exception. the writing, the humor, it all feels so modern.
i mean, hell, we have a riverdale reference in the first couple chapters of the book. and from that line on, i was hooked. this story uses so many of those cliche tropes: “oh. oh.”, “i let go of a breath (sword) i didn’t realize i was holding”, and so on. genuinely, it was so laugh out loud, and i really can’t say that often about books in humor. but i was giggling and kicking my feet like an idiot the whole book. basically, if you liked the humor in any of casey mcquiston’s books, you will adore croucher’s humor.
now on to the actual story. well, really the characters. because that’s what we’re all hear for. i absolutely adored gwen and art. the two of them have the friendship of friendships. they help each other through their tough times, and love to pick on each other. their sibling dynamic is just so fun. it’s so wholesome and i want to be their friends. i loved being able to follow both of them through these events.
gabriel, the poor tortured soul, i love you so damn much. adding you to the list of characters i want to give the biggest hug too. seriously, who hurt you so much to make you think you have to be one thing and nothing less than your truest self.
bridget. god, you are so hot. teach me your ways!!! that is all.
one thing that's important to note is that this book isn't a retelling of king arthur's story. i know that's what i first thought, hearing the title. but rather it's a story set in an england, where king arthur isn't a myth but a true man. gwen (kind of) and art were named after their predecessors. and a lot of the politics and world building are built around these myth's being fact/legend in this world. and honestly, i think it was an interesting twist on the story.
genuinely, i am begging croucher to write a follow up book for each of the couples. i will devour it all in a heartbeat.