Gwen & Art are not in love

Gwen & Art are not in Love is a young adult novel by Lex Croucher, published in 2021 by HarperCollins. The book follows the lives of two best friends, Gwen and Art, who pretend to be a couple to avoid the pressures of dating and romance. However, their fake relationship soon becomes complicated when they start developing feelings for other people who are already taken.

The beginning

Gwen is a smart and sarcastic girl who loves books and podcasts. She works at a bookstore called The Book Nook, where she enjoys recommending books to customers and listening to her favorite podcast, The Mystery Hour. She has a crush on her co-worker at the bookstore, Elliot, who is charming and funny but also has a girlfriend named Olivia. Gwen thinks that Elliot likes her back, but she is not sure how to make him notice her.

Art is a kind and loyal boy who loves music and video games. He studies at an art school called The Academy, where he learns how to create digital art and animation. He has a crush on his classmate at the art school, Zara, who is creative and adventurous but also has a boyfriend named Jake. Art thinks that Zara is the perfect girl for him, but he is too shy to talk to her.

Fake date

Gwen and Art decide to fake date each other after they get tired of their families and friends constantly asking them about their love lives. They think that by pretending to be in love, they can avoid the drama and expectations of dating and focus on their own passions and goals. They also hope that by being in a fake relationship, they can make their crushes jealous and interested in them.

However, things don’t go as planned for Gwen and Art. Their fake dating scheme causes more problems than it solves. They have to deal with the awkwardness of lying to their loved ones, such as Gwen’s overprotective brother and Art’s meddling grandmother. So, they have to deal with the jealousy of their crushes’ partners, such as Olivia’s attempts to sabotage Gwen’s job and Jake’s threats to beat up Art. They have to deal with the confusion of their own feelings, such as Gwen’s attraction to Art’s friend Leo and Art’s attraction to Gwen’s friend Mia.

Gwen & Art are Not in Love is a witty and heartwarming novel that explores the themes of friendship, identity, and love. It is a story that will make you laugh, cry, and root for Gwen and Art as they navigate their messy and hilarious fake romance. It is also a story that will make you think about what it means to be yourself and to be honest with your feelings.