Oh so fun and lovely book! Great for fans of the Willow TV show, Sarah Rees Brennan’s In Other Lands, and anyone who wished that low stakes Arthurian fantasy was a little more (or way more) gay. 

Arthur and Gwen have been engaged to unite the realm since they were children, but there’s two slight problems: they despise each other and Gwen is way more interested in the hot lady knight competing in her father’s tournament than she ever could be in Arthur. When Gwen finds Art kissing a boy in the stables, they begrudgingly enter a pact together to conceal their queer identities from the kingdom. Their friendship unfolds beautifully and hysterically as the story progresses, through tournaments, wild nights out on the town, and the general antics expected of gay teenage royalty. 

This book checks all of my boxes: weird and wonderful medieval setting, queer romcom(s), sword lesbians, jousting tournaments, enemies to best friends, cutie sibling dynamics, sword lesbians, cozy fantasy-adjacent, excellent banter, sword lesbians…

This book does have few higher stakes situations and hard topics, which Croucher integrates gracefully without ever letting the book get too dark and lose its rom-com feel.  The storyline and writing is so magnetic— this is the first book in a long time that has kept me up into the night, unable to put it down, literally giggling and kicking my feet. 

Gwen & Art may not be in love, but I certainly am! Thank you so much to NetGalley & St. Martin’s press for the opportunity to read what will certainly be one of my favorite books of the year! 

diverse representations: wlw, mlm, thai mc, half iranian mc, chronic illness (endometriosis-like, not named), amputee